2012 Hyundai Genesis sedan gets new 5.0L V8, upgraded V6
It seems like only yesterday when Hyundai shocked the auto industry with the Genesis Sedan. The hard truth, though, is that the Korean automaker’s first foray into the luxury market arrived in 2008 as a 2009 model. Hyundai doesn’t intend to rest on its laurels, and new updates for the 2012 model year are being debuted during the Chicago Auto Show this week.
No self-respeting mid-cycle refresh is complete without an all-new powertrain, and the Genesis is blessed with with a doozy. An all-new R-Spec trim level will sport an all-new direct-injected 5.0-liter V8 – a mill that’s also destined for the larger Equus. The new powerplant is Hyundai’s most powerful engine ever, producing 429 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 376 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. That’s 85.6 very impressive horsepower per liter out of a naturally aspirated engine, or more grunt per unit than the competition from Lexus andMercedes-Benz.
Impressive stuff, and Hyundai follows through with a new eight-speed automatic transmission that was developed in-house. The new tranny will help the R-Spec model achieve estimated fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon on the highway and 16 mpg around town. The R-Spec model will also feature unique 19-inch wheels, along with more aggressive suspension and steering tuning.
The Genesis Sedan will continue to offer the 4.6-liter Tau V8 and 3.8-liter V6, but changes were made to boost both power and efficiency. The 4.6-liter V8 will now reward the driver with 385 ponies thanks to tweaked induction and timing. Wha’t smore, the updated eight-cylinder mill will now hit 26 mpg on the highway, up from 25 mpg. The 3.8-liter engine has added direct injection for 2012, pumping horsepower up by a substantial 15 percent – 333 horsepower and 291 lb-ft for you number crunchers out there, up 43 ponies and 27 lb-ft from the old engine.
Hyundai rounded out changes for the 2012 model year with a few design tweaks to keep aesthetics fresh. Updates include a reworked grille and front fascia, incorporating new headlights with LED accents and dark chrome headlamp inserts. Out back, Hyundai added new taillamps, a revised fascia and integrated dual exhaust tips. Other changes include a host of interior updates and the new Genesis 3.8 Premium and Technology Packages.
Categories: Daily Car, Hyundai, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
Officially Official: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist will get 26/37 mpg
When General Motors debuted the 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist technology at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, the automaker told us that this new fuel-saving feature would quickly spread across many other models in its portfolio. Now, GM has taken the wraps off of the eAssist-equipped 2012 Buick Regal, which makes its official public debut at the Chicago Auto Show this week.
Most significantly, the addition of eAssist to the Regal’s 2.4-liter inline-four powertrain means that the sedan is now capable of achieving 26 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Like the LaCrosse, the Regal eAssist uses a small, 15-horsepower electric motor to give assistance during acceleration, and when combined with things like regenerative braking and automatic start/stop, it means a substantial increase in fuel economy. It’s not exactly Ford Fusion Hybrid impressive, but still quite good when you consider that the standard Regal only musters up 19/30 mpg ratings.
Unlike the larger LaCrosse, eAssist will not be the base powertrain for 2012 Regals. Buick has positioned the Regal eAssist to be part of larger family, which includes the Regal Turbo and upcoming GS. Model-specific changes over the base Regal include things like lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels (smaller than the standard Regal’s 18-inch set), an eco mode for the air conditioning system, an eco gauge on the instrument panel and a powerflow readout in the seven-inch infotainment screen.
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Categories: Auto Show, Buick, Chicago Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
2012 Acura TL teased ahead of Chicago 2011 Auto Show debut
Acura is set to debut the revamped 2012 TL sedan at the Chicago Auto Show this week, and the automaker has just released this teaser image, showing the car’s slightly refreshed rump. It doesn’t appear that the rear design has changed too much versus the current TL; this refresh is more than likely similar to the updo that the smaller TSX received for the 2011 model year.
What we’re most curious about, however, is the 2012 TL’s front fascia. Acura’s new corporate face wasn’t too well-received by members of the media when it debuted on the 2009 TL, and we’re curious to see if the angular lines have been smoothed out for the new model year.
Additionally, we’d expect that the sedan’s powertrain options – currently a pair of 3.5- and 3.7-liter V6s – have been refined ever so slightly. We’ll have the full details during this week’s Chicago Auto Show festivities, so stay tuned.
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Categories: Acura, Auto Show, Chicago Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Acura, Chicago Auto Show
Chicago 2011: Volkswagen debuts turbocharged 2012 Jetta GLI, priced from $23,495
When Volkswagen first debuted the new-for-2011 Jetta sedan, we were told that a total of four engine choices would be available. The standard Jetta makes use of the naturally aspirated 2.0- and 2.5-liter mills, as well as the much-loved 2.0-liter TDI powerplant. The final engine in this set – Volkswagen’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four – now makes its debut under the hood of the 2012 Jetta GLI, which gets its official reveal at this week’s Chicago Auto Show.
Think of the Jetta GLI as a bigger, fatter GTI. Just like in the smaller hatchback, the 2.0-liter turbo-four produces 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or VW’s DSG automatic. The Jetta GLI uses the same XDS cross differential system that debuted in the GTI, which assists in controlling wheel spin and understeer during cornering.
The Jetta GLI is available in three trim levels – GLI, GLI Autobahn and GLI Autobahn Navigation – priced from $23,495, $25,545 and $26,445, respectively. The base GLI comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, smoked taillights and a revised front fascia, not to mention enhanced suspension geometry for better engagement out on the road. The GLI Autobahn ups the ante with a set of 18-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, heated leatherette seats and a new Fender premium audio system. The top-trim GLI Autobahn Navigation adds, well, navigation, as well as push-button start.
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Categories: Auto Show, Chicago Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Volkswagen Tags:
Chicago 2011: 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8
Dodge has dropped the Street and Racing Technology motherlode on the eve of the Chicago Auto Show and first out of the gate is the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 – what Eminem should’ve rolled in during the Super Bowl.
As with anything birthed from Chrysler’s in-house tuning division, the Charger SRT8 is all about the engine, so the transformation begins with the new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 putting out 465 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque – a boost of some 80 lb-ft over the old 6.1-liter mill. That torquey wave comes on at 2,900 rpm and Dodge claims that with the fitment of its Fuel Saver tech, allowing the engine to run on four cylinders when its not under load, fuel economy will improve, although Dodge isn’t saying how much.
Chrysler’s W5A580 five-speed automatic transmission backs up the HEMI, and you can select your own gears by either slapping the AutoStick or thumbing the steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifters.
All that adds up to an estimated top speed of 175 mph, a 0-60 mph time in the high fours and a quarter-mile run deep into the 12s.
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Categories: Auto Show, Chicago Auto Show, Chicago Motor Show, Dodge, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Chicago Auto Show, Dodge
Detroit 2011: Honda Civic Coupe and Sedan Concepts are visions of a compact future
Honda dusted off concept versions of the ninth generation Civic Coupe and Sedan at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show today, and the automaker says that along with mildly updated exteriors, both vehicles will wear improved interiors compared to the current-generation Civic. Judging from the history of Honda concepts, there’s a good chance that the production versions of both the four and two-door Civics will be very similar to the vehicles you see above. That means that the Civic Coupe will wear styling influenced heavily by the current Accord Coupe.
Meanwhile, four-door buyers can expect an exterior design very similar to the 2011 Civic. Though the sedan’s front-fascia wears a little bit more menace than the current design, the carried-over grille and headlights are more than a little familiar. Out back, new tail lamps and a re-sculpted trunk deck dominate the view.
Categories: Auto Show, Concept Cars, coupe, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Honda, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Detroit Auto Show
Detroit 2011: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is not an Aveo
General Motors seems intent on banishing all memories of the unloved Aveo – so much so that it’s gone and renamed its entry-level fighter in the States. While we’re still not 100-percent in love with the name (we can’t get visions of spiky-haired hedgehogs out of our heads…), all three flavors of the Sonic do appear to be vastly improved over the machine they replace, though one of them, the Z Spec, is still in the concept stage.
More than anything else, they look vastly better both inside and out, but until we get a stint behind the wheel we’ll hold off final judgment. According to Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing, “The all-new Chevrolet Sonic blends the practicality of a small car with the passion for driving that Chevrolet vehicles like the Corvette are known for.” That won’t be the only time you’ll ever hear someone mention the Sonic in the same sentence as the Corvette. In fact, Chevy tells us that Corvette engineers are responsible for the ride and handling of the sub-compact.
Categories: Chevrolet, Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Hatchback, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Detroit Auto Show
2012 Chevy Sonic shown off as sedan and hatchback
General Motors has officially yanked back the sheets on the newest sub-compact from Chevrolet, the 2012 Sonic. Just don’t call it the Aveo. The five-door hatch and four-door sedan are set to be officially unveiled later today at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, but the Bow Tie brand has been kind enough to share the skinny on this vehicle that’s supposed to tango with the likes of the new Hyundai Elantra and the Ford Fiesta. The Sonic will be available with a standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, though buyers can opt up for a turbocharged 1.4-liter producing 138 horsepower, which GM underscores is 18 ponies more than the Fiesta. Shifting duties are handled by either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic gearbox.
In fact, it’s clear that The General had its sights locked on the Fiesta from the get go. The Sonic hatchback packs more back seat room than its Blue Oval competitor and, with the rear bench folded flat, delivers more cargo room, as well.
Categories: Chevrolet, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Hatchback, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Detroit Auto Show
Confirmed: Volkswagen NMS will be named Passat
We’re less than 24 hours away from Volkswagen’s big reveal at the Detroit Auto Show and while our man Paukert was staked out at a media gathering at VW’s corporate headquarters in Herndon, VA he learned that the NMS will carry the Passat badge when it goes on sale later this year.
Up until now, there was some question whether V-Dub would continue to use Passat for its new mid-size sedan, but after the NCS (New Compact Sedan) debuted with the Jetta badge, it was all but assumed that the Passat nameplate would carry on. We’ll have all the details on the 2012 Passat later tonight and live shots from the floor when the wraps come off tomorrow.
Categories: Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Sedans/Saloons, Volkswagen Tags: Detroit Auto Show
2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport is a lot of car for a lot of coin
Front-wheel drive is a funny thing. When originally introduced during the Thirties in the Cord 810 (then later in the awesome supercharged 812) and the Citro?n Traction Avant, FWD was hailed as a major breakthrough, a wondrous technological innovation that allowed for lower ride height and greatly increased passenger space. Postwar consumers got a taste of the wonders of FWD with the iconic Citro?n DS. At the top of its game in the Sixties, General Motors reintroduced FWD to American consumers with two remarkable luxury coupes: the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. Come the Seventies, Citro?n produced what is arguably the greatest GT coupe of that decade, the impeccable (and FWD) SM.
It’s not that RWD is always better than FWD. Only in this case, it is.
Roll the clock forward to the Eighties and suddenly everything was being tugged around by its front wheels. Honda, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all jumped head first onto the FWD bandwagon and, for the most part, they haven’t looked back. Granted, Cadillac has rethought which wheels get driven, but with the exception of a dinosaur livery-mobile, there isn’t a single rear-wheel-drive Lincoln to be found. Even Volkswagen got in on the transversely-mounted engine madness. This left only the Germans – namely Mercedes-Benz and BMW – to seriously carry the rear-wheel drive passenger car torch for nearly a decade. Sure, Lexus and Infiniti brought out some heavy hitting RWD sedans along with a raft of FWD offerings (M30 I30, G20 anyone?), but Acura never bothered.
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