Tuesday, March 31, 2009

2009 VW Jetta TDI Road Test: Turbocharged Torque

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Torque is described as a force that tends to turn things and, in the case of the 2009 Jetta TDI, its abundance turned me into a fan of this latest in a long line of Volkswagen "oil-burners" by providing strong performance and flexibility along with exceptionally high levels of fuel economy.

Torque is what you get when you, for example, tug on the handle of a wrench to tighten or loosen a nut. Doing so exerts a twisting force still expressed here, in Ye Olde English, in lb-ft, as nobody on this side of the Atlantic has any idea what a newton-metre is.

Torque in an engine is generated by burning a fuel/air mixture in a cylinder, with the pressure of the expanding gases pushing the piston, which is linked to the crankshaft by a connecting rod, downwards.

As this occurs, the angle generated by the crankshaft "throw" increases and the rod, like the wrench handle above, rotates the crank. And that, with a few things such as clutches and transmission gears in between, is what makes your car move.

The Jetta TDI, with its turbocharged diesel engine, does this with a degree of vigour, accompanied by a high degree of overall flexibility not normally experienced in the compact-car category. Most small-displacement gasoline engines don't produce a lot of torque, and what they do is generated at higher engine speeds.

The TDI's four-cylinder engine delivers a disproportionate (for its displacement) amount of low rpm "grunt" that lets it charge off the line like a V-6 but also maintains that strong pulling power at highway speeds.

This allows it to coast along at minimal revs in top gear while sipping fuel at such a frugal rate that 1,000 km per tank wouldn't be an unlikely achievement. In fact, the number on the trip computer that estimates how much distance I had before needing more gas disconcertingly went up for the first hundred kilometres or so that I drove the car.

The TDI's arrival last year marked the return of the popular diesel engine option to the VW lineup in North America — it hadn't been able to sell a diesel here in 2007 due to U.S. emission standards — and the Jetta range now offers three engine choices, each of which gives the car a different driving character.

There's a gasoline-fuelled, 2.5-litre, four-cylinder that makes 177 hp at 5,700 rpm and 177 lb-ft of torque peaking at 4,250 rpm. With six-speed automatic transmission, it delivers very good performance and fuel economy ratings of 10.5 L/100 km city and 7.2 highway.

Also available is a performance-oriented, gas-burning, turbocharged 2.0-litre unit rated at 200 hp at 5,100 rpm and 207 lb-ft of torque from 1,700-5,000 rpm. This makes the 2.0 TSI Jetta a very quick car indeed and, thanks to the turbo, produces plenty of torque over that wide rpm range, which helps it garner very good fuel economy ratings of 9.0 city and 6.8 highway.

The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine in the TDI delivers the least power, 140 hp at 4,000 rpm, but the most torque, 236 lb-ft, all of which is available from 1,750 to 2,500 rpm. Its fuel economy ratings are 6.8 city and 4.9 highway. The on-board readout was showing an average of 7.1 L/100 km when I returned it.

The "oil burner" appellation used above is in reference to the bad old days of low-powered and stinky diesel engines. This new one makes 40 hp more than the previous 1.9-litre unit and burns ultra-low-sulphur diesel very efficiently and cleanly and is also quieter.

And the direct shift gearbox (DSG) is a treat, snapping off lightning-quick shifts automatically or allowing you to select gears yourself. Although it takes a while to get used to the fact that it only revs to about 4,500 rpm between the gears, acceleration is surprisingly strong.

And its direct steering, firm suspension and good brakes also contribute to making it a very enjoyable car to drive.

The Jetta TDI is available in base manual transmission Trendline form at $24,275, in Comfortline trim at $26,775 and Highline versions go for $29,775. Our DSG-transmission-equipped tester had a sticker price of $31,175 and an all-in-but-the-taxes cost of $33,510. By comparison, a base gasoline Jetta 2.5 goes for $21,975 and a base 2.0 TSI for $27,475.

The base TDI comes with the usual features at this price, plus cruise control, climate control, 16-inch wheels, exterior temp gauge, a single CD audio system and front, side and side-curtain airbag systems.

The Comfortline has some extra chrome trim, a power-reclining driver's seat, heated seats, leather-wrapped wheel and a premium six-disc audio system. The Highline adds a compass, leather upholstery, a multi-function wheel, a sunroof and a rear armrest/pass-through.
In typical VW fashion, the interior is designed to meet more utilitarian than utopian standards for style. There's rather-uninspired plastic aplenty, not only where you can see it but also feel it — the surprisingly nasty and hard-edged door pull, for example.

The somewhat stark look and feel is ameliorated by stitched padding on the armrests, rather-nice mesh-finish aluminum trim and thin aluminum bezels around the gauges that perk up the plainness a bit.

The cabin is quiet enough at highway speeds, the leather-clad front seats are supportive and comfortable, the rear seat will handle two in comfort, headroom is good front and rear and the trunk capacity is fine at 400 litres.

In fact, if I had to cover a lot of mileage on an annual basis, I'd be happy to do it in the TDI, and would likely save some money if I kept doing it long enough. But the potent 2.0 TSI turbo's fuel economy numbers are pretty good, too, and it would still be my choice among the Jetta triad.

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2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible Road Test

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2009 Infiniti G37

2009 Models

Convertibles

Road Test

Test Drive

If the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible is the answer, the question, Alex, is, “What took them so long?”

Indeed, the first and last droptop Infiniti before the new G37 Convertible was the 1990-’92 Infiniti M30 Convertible, a rebadged Japanese-market Nissan Leopard without its roof. The current Infiniti G-series models inevitably indulge in sharing its “FM” platform with the Nissan Z-models, but with two decades of maturation at Infiniti the model line is more independent and the G-series not the stopgap the original Infiniti M-series was.

The subject 2009 Infiniti G37 models were designed from the outset to accommodate the convertible version. It’s not a conversion or chop-topped Coupe. But it’s also not a roadster, like the topless version its corporate cousin S-cars, but a convertible with a with a rear seat.

Never mind that it’s a bit snug back there, real adults will fit. The only way that will happen with a Z roadster is by putting the extra people on the rear deck like homecoming king and queen.

One of Infiniti’s goals, too, was to make the G37 Convertible “more female,” to attract a higher percentage of female buyers than the G-coupe traditionally has but without losing its masculine appeal. It’s a fine line because just like an old man will drive a young man’s car, but not vice versa, a guy won’t drive a “girl’s car.”

No worries with the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible. The immediate aspect of that dichotomy, appearance is sufficiently on the toasty side of Infiniti’s marketer’s machine-like/warmth continuum while still keeping to the avant garde margin of what Infiniti sees as differences between progressive and traditional. Boil that down and it becomes “inspired performance.”

We’ll buy that.

Designed to look good with top and down, the G37 succeeds, though probably better from a traditional sense, with the top up. Of course, “traditional” is not as noted what Infiniti’s designers had in mind. Everything from the A-pillar back—doors, flanks, rear (including taillight clusters) and of course rear deck differs from the coupe, the latter higher than the conventional convertible might have. It looks right, we think, for an Infiniti convertible, styled with its own bit of funk.

The G37 Convertible has the expected chassis reinforcements to compensate for the loss of its roof and has a new rear suspension, still independent, to make room for its retractable hardtop roof. Collapsing the roof under the trunk lid and tonneau takes about 30 seconds. The segments don’t fully nest, however, stowing in what Infiniti calls a “clamshell” configuration for, Infiniti says, more trunk room.

The official trunk volume numbers are 10.33 cu ft top up and a mere 1.99 cu ft top down, and what’s under the roof when its retracted is inaccessible, so those planning to go touring al fresco in the G37 Convertible ought best pack soft-sided luggage and be prepared to throw it in the back seat. As one Infiniti product planning chief put it, “there’s no pretence of a cross country drive in the back seat,” which for passengers is “not pretty but it’s acceptable.”

The Infiniti G37’s interior, however, is luscious, in Graphite, Wheat or Stone (that’s almost black, tan and gray for non-Infinitites), with combined with new G Convertible-exclusive Silk Obi Aluminum trim finish, inspired by a kimono sash, according to Infiniti designers. The seats are sport type with large bolsters for support—adjustable as an option—and the contours favoring the driver. Aluminum pedals and magnesium paddle shifters with the seven-speed automatic transmission are optional.

Optional for audiophiles is 13-speaker Bose Open audio with 24-bit Burr Brown DAC and AudioPilot 2.0 optimized for both top positions, Bose front seat speakers mounted in the headrests and Pod compatibility.

Infiniti’s standard dual-zone climate control automatically adjusts fan speed and air volume to whether the top is up or down and Plasmaclusterair purifier is optional. For true driving decadence, owners can have heated and cooled front seats, and that’s truly cooled, not just ventilated and with a fan. There’s also a rigid, foldable windblocker that clips over the rear seat and makes a huge difference in over-the-shoulder turbulence and cool-weather draftiness.

The 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible can generate draftiness with its 3.7-liter dohc variable valve lift and timing V-6. Rated at 325 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque, the six is available with either the aforementioned computer-controlled (and down-shift blip producing) seven-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.

We had the opportunity to drive both, and Luddites that we are, we favored the manual just out of natural predisposition. However, if we were doomed to spend most of our driving in stop-and-go urban traffic, the automatic would be our choice and not a terrible burden with its easily-controlled and quick-responding automatic.

Thanks to the hardtop and sophisticated climate control options, driving top up would be more endurable in workaday driving as well). A major advantage of open air motoring, however, is the internal combustion symphony that goes with it and there the G37 delivers in spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds. Performance is vigorous as well, though we don’t have acceleration numbers to back that up (Fuel economy is 17 city/25 highway with the 7-speed automatic, one less than that with the manual gearbox).

We were surprised by cowl shake--the quivver often felt in convertibles on bumpy roads--in the G37 Convertible. It's subtle but still there and we hadn't expected any.

The Infiniti G37 Convertible isn’t a sports car or a roadster, however, and particularly with the base suspension, the car has a comfortable degree of understeer, best for the casual driver. A sport package replaces the 18-wheels with 19-inchers and wider wheels, bigger brakes, “sport-tuned” steering, front sport(ier) seats, and the pedals and paddle-shifters we’ve mentioned before. We drove the sport-equipped G37 but not in anger. We’ll have to wait until we can perhaps drive that model again, oh, sometimes in the summer, eh, Infiniti folks?

The G37 Convertible is also offered with a premium, navigation, technology and performance tire and wheel options, plus a standalone choice of a rich African rosewood interior trim.

Tardy shoppers have already missed the special limited-edition Bloomingdale edition. That specially-equipped Christmas gift special sold out almost immediately, even with only the promise of a price of about $60K. Depending on equipment, expect the regular 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible to list in the mid-$40,000 to mid-$50,000 range.

Infiniti expects the 2009 G37 Convertible to sell to a slightly-older and modestly more female clientele than the Coupe, which wound up in the hands of late 40’s and predominantly male drivers. Despite the current unfavorable economic climate, Infiniti claims that a pent-up demand for a convertible G convertible will produce a worthwhile level of sales.

That’s perhaps whistling past the graveyard or a bit of smiling through their teeth for the assembled auto scribes, but who knows, maybe there are enough potential owners out there who will indeed ask Infiniti, “What took you so long?” In this particular game of Jeopardy, it’s certainly a worthwhile question for an answer that’s certainly worth driving.

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

2010 Chevrolet Volt Price Depend on Gas Price

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2010 Chevrolet Volt

2010 Model

Chevrolet Volt

Chevy Volt

Gas Prices

General-Motors

Hybrid

US Automotive

Vehicle Price

Volt price will depend on gas price, GM says.

Although the conference call was supposed to be all about the progress on designing batteries for the Chevrolet Volt, the issue of the car's price loomed large in observer's minds.

With a potential asking price that's risen from an estimated $30,000 (U.S.) to a loftier $40,000 for the compact four-seater, Bob Kruse, executive director of the program, gave no specifics on its estimated MSRP, but said the price will depend in part on the cost of gas.

"We're not wishing for higher petroleum costs, but the economic viability of what we're doing only gets greater with higher fuel prices," he said. The plan to launch the car in November, 2010, is on schedule. "$1.50 gallon gas is not helping our business case."

The average price of regular gas in the United States was actually $1.96 a gallon earlier this week, according to American government figures.

GM is not sure what the price of the Volt will be, Kruse said, nor has the company established whether it will lease the battery separately from the vehicle itself, as Nissan plans to do with its all-electric vehicle, which is to go on limited sale next year.

"Part of the price will be dependent on fuel costs at the time, which will impact the value equation the Volt provides."

The focus of the update was on the progress of the lithium-ion battery design — as GM has said, once the battery is ready, the Volt will be ready.

It is the advanced battery technology that allows the Volt to promise up to 64 km (40 miles) of electric-only driving; the small internal combustion engine works only to recharge the batteries, instead of stranding the driver, as would have occurred with GM's ill-fated EV1 all-electric vehicle at the end of its range.

"As we've seen with computers, the technology has progressed to the point where they have morphed from large desktop models, down to the size of your Blackberry," said Denise Gray, director of battery systems engineering, while confirming that design work on generations two and three of the Voltec system is happening alongside the production Volt.

"We're looking for the same types of advancements (and cost reductions) in our electronics."

In a Q&A session afterwards with various media, one astute questioner asked at what temperature those promised 64 kilometres of electric-only driving were verified. Turns out, it was the figure achieved in the normal city cycle testing, said Kruse, which is done at 20 degrees Celsius.

So if your winter commute involves regular sub-zero starts and highway driving, the question isn't whether its electric range will decrease, but by how much?

GM was obviously very sensitive about the fact that the battery cells for the first-generation Volt will come from South Korea, courtesy of LG Chem, especially when it is receiving extra money from both state and federal U.S. governments to produce environmentally advanced vehicles in and around Detroit, on top of the federal bailout money it has and will receive to keep it afloat.

The first batch of pre-production prototypes will be produced later this summer, about 80 of them, soon after the world's largest auto battery facility will open near Detroit, said GM.

Overhyped Nano on sale in India

In yet another media-frenzy-generating launch event, Tata Motor officials confirmed that orders will begin being taken in April in India for the Nano, whose super-low starting price of around $2,900 has media outlets around the world breathlessly reporting on the debut of the "world's cheapest car."

Except it's not the world's cheapest car, it's the world's cheapest new car.

Option it up with various luxuries like a right-side rear view mirror, heating and air conditioning, and a cup holder, and that price moves to 172,360 Indian rupees, according to figures available at tatanano.com, or the equivalent of $4,152.

Still, offering any new vehicle at such a low price is a remarkable achievement, even if the lack of airbags and emissions controls would not allow the Nano as is to be sold in most developed markets, and certainly not in regulation-heavy North America.

"The Nano represents the spirit of breaking conventional barriers," said Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata. "It will provide safe, affordable, four-wheel transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a car." Or at least a new car.

The Nano offers a 35-hp. two-cylinder engine, coupled to a four-speed manual transmission, with a top speed of 105 km/h, for a published estimate of 33 seconds for the small four-seat hatchback to reach 100 km/h.

Plans are in the works to sell an upgraded version of this car to parts of Europe by 2011, the company said; it would a larger 90-hp, three-cylinder engine, available five-speed automatic, dual airbags, ABS and stability control, with a target starting price still under $5,000 (U.S.).

"Driven mainly by the change in demand that we see elsewhere in the world, we suddenly felt we had a product that could be of considerable interest as a low-cost product in western Europe, eastern Europe, the U.K. and even the U.S.," Tata told Reuters at this week's event.

Women's Car of the Year award launched

Female automotive journalists are a relative rarity in this business, but a group of 10 women auto writers from around the world will launch the first Women's Car of the Year award.

The initial group includes two journalists from Canada, as well as India, South Africa, the U.K., Australia and Europe.

"Most awards are chosen by a huge majority of men who tend to view cars differently to women," said Sandy Myhre, the New Zealand-based journalist who initiated the award.

"This award reflects changing times when you consider that today women make the final decision in as much as 85 per cent of all cars sold," according to Myhre.

After noticing that the 2007 World Car of the Year award's 43-member jury of international auto journalists did not contain one woman, Myhre helped organize a Women's COTY program in New Zealand last year, an award which went to the Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion (diesel) wagon.

"Newton-metres [or lb-ft] of torque weren't even considered, but we did look at drivability and sexiness," for those awards, as well as its carbon footprint, family friendliness, value, and, "of course," the range of colours, said Myhre.
Infiniti M to become brand's first hybrid

Playing some serious catch-up to arch-rival Lexus, Infiniti plans to start selling its own hybrid designs in North America next year, starting with its mid-size M sedans, Japan's Nikkei business daily reports.

While the Altima now offers a hybrid option, the hybrid uses leased Toyota hybrid technology, while Nissan, Japan's third-largest auto maker, struggles to come out with its own hybrid designs to rival those of Toyota and Honda.

Other luxury players are starting to jump into the hybrid market as well, with BMW and Mercedes-Benz both planning hybrid SUVs for North America and Europe this year, as well as the Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid that will compete with Lexus' top-line LS600hl.

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2010 Ford Mustang GT Road Test

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2010 Ford Mustang GT

2010 Mustang

Mustang GT

Road Test

Test Drive

A Mustang with a Track pack?

Corvettes and Vipers grab the glory for Old Glory at temples of speed such as Le Mans. The lumbering, log-axle Mustang is just a quarter-miler for the tattoo-and-tobacco crowd, right?

Actually, mes amis, the Mustang is America’s other road-racing workhorse. It has its own pro series, the eight-race Mustang Challenge. And there were more than a dozen Mustangs on the grid at Daytona this past January when a Roush-prepared Mustang finished second in the three-hour Koni Challenge race. It made all its rights and lefts better than Porsche 911s and BMW M3s.

No, we wouldn’t expect that hierarchy to hold on the street, even if the 2010 Track-pack Mustang GT is billed as the hairpin-and-carousel king of the newly reskinned Mustang lineup. Still, Ford’s old pony has a long history of making incremental improvements as it ages, and the Track package shows that the late-night lights still burn in some windows at Ford.

Building a Track-pack Mustang on the order form starts with a GT Premium and its 315-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 and five-speed manual, for $31,845. The $1495 Track package swaps out the 3.31 or 3.55 axle for a 3.73 limited-slip rear end with carbon friction plates. The shocks are less forgiving in both compression and rebound, the anti-roll bars are thicker, and dual-piston front brake calipers with performance pads from the 2009 Bullitt model do the stopping. Also, the stability-control system is retuned to tolerate more sideways play.

Finally, some very expensive Pirelli P Zero summer tires are fitted with white gloves. The size is 255/40ZR-19. The replacement price at Tire Rack: $398. Each. Avoid parking in dark alleys.
Off to the track we marched, taking along a standard Mustang GT rolling on its Pirelli P Zero Nero all-season tires for comparison. The results were illuminating.

Besides new sheetmetal, all 2010 Mustangs are recalibrated for less squish, less wiggle, less pogo, and less teeter-totter in the turns. Lay on the Track-pack version, and the strings are pulled even tauter.

The body isn’t allowed to slump to the outside as much. Helm response quickens, and corner placement gets finer. The sticky Pirellis earn their tariff, maintaining a gummy, squeal-free grip that keeps the front end carving smooth arcs.

Mustang steering has always been numb, and the Track pack doesn’t force any more circulation into it. Don’t bring along a Miata, as we did, or you’ll just get depressed. The Mustang’s flat seats allow you to flop around—we had knee bruises at day’s end—and the brake pedal started melting after a few laps, requiring frequent cool-downs.

At $33,340 before discounts, a Mustang GT with the Track package stampedes into territory prowled by the Nissan 370Z, among others. Some would say, “So what?” More is at issue than test numbers cavorting on paper. The Mustang is America, Manifest Destiny rolling on radials. Lining it up next to a Z—we did it once, back in 2002—is like serving sashimi with succotash.

And the Mustang is as fun as firecrackers on the Fourth. Everything is oversized and executed at volume 11, from the broad sweep of the double-hump dash to the big-grab shifter to the Yankee roar of the V-8 getting to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.

It’s easy to be fast and pitch it sideways in a drift. And a sport mode in the new-for-2010 stability control allows a little more hooliganism within the safety net.

The quality is better for 2010, especially inside, where stitched panels on the doors and tighter-fitting, squishable plastics have relieved the gloom of cheapness in the previous model. But curses were muttered when the jagged splinter of an indifferently applied spot weld in the trunk tore an expensive down comforter. A Friday build, perhaps?

Though freeway ride suffers some with the Track package, Mustang fans who prefer candy-cane curbs to Christmas trees get a lot more control of their fillies. And for not much extra cabbage.