Auto News 5

Honda said it will strengthen its lineup with the introduction of a new SUV in Europe, where the automaker is looking to end a sales and profitability slump.

News 26 Sep, 2012

New VW Golf GTI leaked online ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut

The plug-in extended range electric Fisker Karma can run petrol-free for 38 miles on a full charge but Consumer Reports' (CR) engineers found it full of flaws: compared with other luxury sedans, the Karma has tight confines and limited visibility, and a badly-designed touch-screen system makes the dash controls an ergonomic disaster, the US consumer rights advocate said in a statement.

Hyundai's European operations will likely need to defer its mid-term sales and market share targets due to a dismal outlook for overall demand in the region, said Allan Rushforth, COO of Hyundai Europe.

Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) shop floor heads at General Motors factories in Canada have "endorsed" a new four-year collective agreement by a margin of 99%, the Toronto-based autoworkers' union announced last night (25 September).

Joint venture vehicle manufacturing joint ventures in China operated by Toyota and Japanese rivals are closed temporarily and some plan output cuts following movements to boycott Japanese products, including cars, which emerged in protest at Japan's 11 September nationalisation of the Senkaku Islands claimed by China and Taiwan.

Toyota's two vehicle manufacturing joint ventures in China are closed temporarily following recent protests against Japan. They will not operate until 29 September and are then scheduled to close again from 30 September for a Chinese national annual holiday week, reopening on 8 October, a spokesman for the automaker in Tokyo told just-auto on Wednesday (26 September).

Fiat has confirmed plans to have its Italian factories make cars that will be sold outside Europe, particularly in the United States, as the company looks to counter a five-year market slump in Europe.

At a rain-sodden charity event in Detroit earlier this month, Mayor Dave Bing and other city leaders showered Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne with kind words.

Europe's automakers will seek to dazzle at the Paris auto show, revealing more than 100 new models ranging from the Opel Adam minicar to the McLaren P1 supercar, expected to cost more than $240,000.

From GMM

France's hopes of returning to the F1 calendar have taken a knock.

Recently, it emerged that Paul Ricard and Magny Cours had submitted formal proposals as the motor racing federation FFSA pushes to organise the first French grand prix since 2008.

But France's sports minister Valerie Fourneyron dealt a blow to the plans this week, when she ruled out government financial support or guarantees for the race.

"The minister reminded that it is not the task of the state to organise a formula one grand prix," confirmed the sports ministry.

FFSA president Nicolas Deschaux said he "regrets" the government's position, "especially given the support provided by the state to other sporting events".

Referencing to the Paul Ricard project, former French grand prix driver Patrick Tambay told RMC Sport. "I think the fight is not over. There may be solutions from the private side."

It remains a little chance for Le Castellet to host the French Grand Prix. (Photo: Circuit du Castellet)

France was missing from the draft 2013 calendar that emerged in the paddock of the recent Singapore grand prix.

The FIA's World Council will meet to ratify the schedule on Friday.

"I still believe," Tambay continued. "If a sponsor provides the guarantees, Ecclestone will sign, and the federation will be obliged to follow to the extent that the specifications are met."

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has revealed the Nurburgring is unlikely to host the German grand prix next year.

The circuit was listed on the leaked provisional calendar that was doing the rounds in the Singapore paddock last weekend, but the Nurburgring's precarious financial situation has also been well documented.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone confirmed to the Financial Times Deutschland: "We are just looking at Hockenheim every year. We have got no contract with the Nurburgring but we are talking. It would be like starting from scratch;"

A Nurburgring spokesman confirmed the talks with Ecclestone and said officials are "in good spirits".

But, just two days before the FIA needs to ratify a 2013 calendar at the World Motor Sport Council, it is surprising the Nurburging officials are so bullish.

"If it is not supported by the region it is going to be difficult at the minute," said Ecclestone. "We are pretty close to the final deadline."

The Grand Prix of Singapore marked a significant milestone for Shell's Technical Partnership with Scuderia Ferrari as the companies reach their 500th Formula 1 Grand Prix together.

They have clinched 12 Drivers' Championships and 10 Constructors' Championships, including 163 Grand Prix victories.

The excellent, four-minute film features archived footage dating right back to the F1 World Championships early days in the 1950s. There are also short bits of interviews with significant people of Ferrari from present and past such as Luca di Montezemolo, Stefano Domenicali, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, John Surtees and the first man to win an F1 race for Ferrari, Argentine José Froilan Gonzalez.

In my mind, someone who pays big bucks for a product, especially a product with a prestigious name or logo, flaunts it.


Arguably, the Acura brand hasn't yet accomplished becoming a brand people want to be seen in, such as Mercedes-Benz. OK, Acura's been around for about 100 years less than Mercedes, so that's probably an unfair comparison.

By looking at the totally redesigned 2013 Acura RDX crossover, however, I'm not sure they're planning on becoming a status symbol anytime soon. But, you know what? Maybe their customers are fine with that.

Anonymous styling
A quick glance at the 2013 RDX as it passes by and one could potentially mistake it for a Mazda. Or a Toyota. Or a Lexus. Or worse, a Honda. In my books, that's not good; a brand must be instantly recognizable. Kia and Hyundai understood this a few years ago when they both hired German designers and gave them carte blanche.

To be sure, I asked several people of different ages what they though about the looks of the 2013 Acura RDX. To my surprise, a lot of them said it looked good and that they actually liked the understated styling. Conclusion: Some people just don't want to stick out in a crowd, and Acura has just the right products for them.

I asked several people of different ages what they though about the looks of the 2013 RDX and to my surprise, a lot of them said it looked good. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

V6 replaces turbo I4
Despite many brands downsizing their engines in order to improve the fuel economy, Acura actually went the other way with the 2013 RDX. The old gen's 2.3L turbo engine was canned in favour of the familiar 3.5L V6.

With the new engine, power goes up (273 hp vs. 240) and torque goes down (251 lb-ft vs. 260). The result is a slightly quicker, but much more responsive, RDX as the 2013 version we tested reached 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, versus 6.7 for the outgoing 2012 version. The V6 is also smoother, and power delivery isn't as lumpy as with the old turbo mill. The typical luxury crossover buyer will probably approve the engine swap, and so do I.

Combined with a 6-speed automatic, the 2013 Acura RDX is very quiet on the highway; at 100 km/h, the V6 spins at 1,700 rpm. Fuel economy has also improved, as we observed an average of 10.8L/100km over the course of the test, better than what we achieved with the old RDX which was already fuel efficient.

The 2013 Acura RDX is now powered by a 273-hp 3.5L V6; the turbo four is gone. (Photo: Honda)

AWD replaces SH-AWD
Curiously, Acura decided to abandon its competent SH-AWD hardware in the RDX for a simpler and lighter all-wheel drive system. As before, engine power is sent to the front wheels under normal driving and when wheel slippage occurs, a varying amount of power is distributed to the rear wheels for extra traction. The SH-AWD system had the added benefit of transferring power between left and right wheels.

As a result, the 2013 Acura RDX doesn't feel as athletic in the twisties as it did before. And when you tackle a 270-degree highway on-ramp too enthusiastically, you'll get those Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires howling in no time. The RDX feels sporty by nature, but its dynamic capabilities have been toned down.

Improved interior looks
The old RDX's scattered design and switchgears have made way for a more harmonious layout and appearance. There's also less silver painted trim, especially in areas that could easily get scratched. That's good.

On the other hand, the lower dash panels in the 2013 Acura RDX aren't as recessed as before, and their rough plastic feel is obvious from the moment you climb in. Since the engine start button is located in this power portion, you're bound to touch it. We expect a little more quality in a luxury brand, at least in such obvious areas.

Comfort and space are very good for this type of vehicle, although the rear bench's middle seat doesn't seem conceived for an adult human body. And despite not benefitting from a flat load floor with the rear seat folded down, max cargo space is about the same as in the old model, now rated at 1,736 litres.

The old RDX's scattered design and switchgears have made way for a more harmonious layout and appearance. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

A better RDX
Base price for the 2013 model is $40,990, which is actually less than the 2012 version. Our Tech package equipped tester is listed at $43,990, which is competitive with its numerous rivals including the Lexus RX 350, the Lincoln MKX and the Mercedes-Benz GLK.

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard confirmed that the series is looking at other tire options in order to fill the place of Firestone Bridgestone when its contracts expire at the end of the 2014 season.

Although Firestone Racing would be eager to commit itself to the IZOD IndyCar Series until 2020, Bernard has already confirmed that a number of tire suppliers have already been approached or have submitted proposals to take over in 2015.

The Firestone brand has competed in every IndyCar Series race since the series was created in 1996, and it has been the sole tire supplier to the series since 2000.

Photo: IndyCar

According to reports, current Formula 1 tire supplier Pirelli, which wants to expand its American market, would seem to be a likely candidate along with Michelin.

What could also motivate the open-wheel series to look elsewhere is link with the Grand-Am/ALMS merger. Grand-Am uses spec tires from Continental, while the ALMS is overflowing with tire manufacturers.

Bernard was also quick to state that even if the IZOD IndyCar Series has been seeking and continues to seek a tire partnership for 2015 and beyond, current and historical tire supplier, Firestone continues to be a part of the consideration.

From GMM

Lotus may have ploughed too much effort into its 'double DRS' system.

That is the claim of former Finnish F1 driver Mika Salo, who is worried his countryman Kimi Raikkonen could lose his shot at the 2012 title.

Usually a front-runner this season and still in the hunt for the title, Raikkonen qualified a poor twelfth in Singapore before battling up to sixth at the finish.

Will Kimi Raikkonen clinch one victory this season? (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

Lotus has been pushing hard to ready its straightline speed-boosting 'double DRS' concept, which could finally make its grand prix debut at Suzuka next weekend.

"If the developments do not work in Japan, they will fall out of the championship battle," former Sauber and Toyota driver Salo told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

"I think it's likely that they have focused so much on the double DRS that many other things have been missed, and it has slowed down the development of the car overall," he said.

Formula 1 race director and FIA safety delegate Charlie Whiting inspected  the new 5.47-km (3.4-mile) Cicuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on Tuesday.

Whiting gave the new road course the green light to host its inaugural U.S. Grand Prix on November 18.

The Briton also told the medias that the circuit would have just one Drag Reduction Zone during the Grand Prix.

Although he did not mention it, the DRS zone should logically be located on the back straightway of the circuit, which is 1200m long (three quarters of a mile).

From GMM

Helmut Marko believes McLaren and Ferrari have joined their lead drivers in the "unholy alliance" against Red Bull.

Late last year, after Sebastian Vettel secured his second consecutive title, Italy's La Stampa newspaper said Lewis Hamilton and Fernando had formed a new friendship akin to an "unholy alliance".

In 2007, the pair clashed spectacularly as McLaren teammates, but since Red Bull's Vettel took his dominant grip, Ferrari's Alonso and McLaren's Hamilton are now 'friends', regularly praising one another and embracing in parc ferme.

According to Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko, the friendship is all about knocking German Vettel off his dominant perch.

Dr Helmut Marko. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

Asked by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper if Austrian Marko is expecting Ferrari-McLaren 'mind games' in the dash to the 2012 finale, he admitted: "Yeah, sure. It is going to be intense."

He admitted it is "interesting", that McLaren and Ferrari, "who were enemies for decades, now suddenly are friends".

From wrc.com

French rally driver Sebastien Loeb can clinch the FIA World Rally Championship for a ninth time by beating his Citroen teammate Mikko Hirvonen on Rallye de France Alsace next month.

Loeb is 61 points clear of Hirvonen with three rounds left to run following a dominant season in the Citroen DS3 WRC he shares with co-driver Daniel Elena.

Providing Loeb finishes ahead of Finn Hirvonen on the Strasbourg-based event from October 4 to 7, then Frenchman will put the title beyond his rival's reach.

Sebastien Loeb, Citroen Racing (Photo: Citroen)

But even if Hirvonen finishes ahead of the eight-time title winner then Loeb can still be champion in France by finishing one place behind him, providing Hirvonen doesn't win the rally or the event-closing Power Stage.

Another possible outcome is that if Hirvonen fails to finish in the top eight then Loeb will clinch the title regardless of his result.

Whatever the outcome in France, only Loeb or Hirvonen can take the title after Ford driver Petter Solberg was ruled out of contention following Wales Rally GB earlier this month.

From GMM

Charlie Whiting has given Austin's new Circuit of the Americas the green light to host its inaugural US grand prix in November.

We reported on Tuesday that F1's highest-ranking FIA official was at the brand new venue for an inspection.

"Everything I've seen has been absolutely first class," Whiting is quoted by the Austin American Statesman newspaper. "Progress since last time I was here has been amazing."

Charlie Whiting on the main strait line. (Photo: Circuit of the Americas)

Asked how the F1 world will react to the venue, he said: "I think they'll all be really stunned."

Walking the entire layout on Tuesday, it was Whiting's third inspection of the Austin venue, with the last to take place on the Monday before the race.

"It's not supposed to be totally ready now," he explained, "but we can see quite clearly that it will be (ready) without any problem at all."

Photo: Circuit of the Americas

He said the best feature of the layout is turn 1; a sharp corner after a steep climb.

"Awesome is the only word I can find to describe it. Drivers and teams alike coming here for the first time are saying the same thing," said Whiting.