Volkswagen is a brand that many hope will bring cleaner diesels to the mainstream in the U.S. It plans to do just that starting with its more affordable Jetta and Rabbit models. Volkswagen is also a brand that doesn’t scream green.
Brian commented, “The good news is that VW is going to put diesels into the hands of the average person who may just want good fuel economy in a normal car.”
Honda Fit Hybrid
Shown here is the current model Fit, but a hybrid version is heavily rumored to be on its way soon. Brian said, “It’s a pretty good bet that the next hybrid Honda adds will be a Fit or Fit-like vehicle. The new hybrid Fit is supposed to be priced beneath Civic Hybrid.”
Coincidentally, Edmunds just posted these spy shots of the future hybrid from Honda.
We asked Brian Moody, Edmunds.com’s road test editor, to help us round up 10 significant fuel-gentle cars that should be coming out in the next year. Although this list is by no means exhaustive and release dates are “fuzzy,” Brian takes us on a quick tour of the vehicles that might be worth waiting for if you’re looking for alternatives to gas-guzzlers in around a one-year time frame.
Ford Fusion Hybrid
This is in the works to be announced toward the end of the year, but it might be available very soon after that. Brian thinks this is a smart idea coming from Ford. “What’s cool about a Ford hybrid sedan is that it gives people who need a sedan a domestic hybrid choice.You can expect the fuel economy to be close to the Escape Hybrid — around 34/36 combined city and highway.
The 2010 Mazda 3 is displayed during the Mazda news conference at the LA Auto Show in Los Angeles November 19, 2008.
The Toyota Prius has a base price of $22,720. It comes equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission. EPA city/highway mileage estimates are 48/45 mpg. Annual fuel cost is estimated to be $589.
General Motors Corp., on a mission to expand its lineup to include more fuel-efficient offerings, will introduce a new Cadillac crossover at the Detroit auto show next week. It replaces the SRX model, first launched in 2004.
To help compete with better-selling rivals like Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus RX, Honda Motor Co.’s Acura MDX and BMW AG’s X3 and X5, the SRX’s designers incorporated elements from other Cadillac models. The new SRX looks faster than its boxy predecessor, with a curving roofline and a more rounded nose that still retains an aggressive look.
[Read the rest of this entry...]
What is it?
2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
What’s special about it?
Like the new Ford Mustang GT and V6 models introduced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2010 Shelby GT500 to be introduced at the Detroit auto show in January is far from an all-new car.
[Read the rest of this entry...]
State-run banks are not planning to give automobile loans at concessional interest rates despite a suggestion from the department of
heavy industry (DHI) to create a special package for the auto industry to boost demand. [Read the rest of this entry...]
The all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid is now officially America’s most fuel efficient mid-size car with a certified 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.
“The new Ford Fusion Hybrid not only significantly exceeds the competition but also embodies Ford’s 100 percent commitment to fuel efficiency leadership, quality, innovation and advanced technology,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The Ford team set the bar high – to develop America’s most fuel efficient mid-size sedan – and that’s what they delivered.”
[Read the rest of this entry...]
President Bush made it clear last Friday morning that he was not eager to lend federal money to General Motors and Chrysler. Unlike Senate Republicans, though, Bush saw that the alternative to an auto industry loan was a chaotic collapse that would cripple the national economy.
[Read the rest of this entry...]
