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Agya Club Indonesia
Agya Club Indonesia
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Filed under: Green,Toyota,Hatchback,Electric,Hybrid
Panasonic's Tesla connection raises intriguing possibilities.Continue reading Panasonic is building the solar roof for Japan's Prius plug-in
Panasonic is building the solar roof for Japan's Prius plug-in originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: BMW,Toyota,Technology,Crossover,Truck
That classic red-orange BMW hue is there for a reason, but so is every other color.Continue reading The myth and science behind your gauge cluster illumination color
The myth and science behind your gauge cluster illumination color originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsTakata is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges related to its recalled airbag inflators today. At the same time that Takata is under fire, a lawsuit alleges BMW, Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota knew of problems with the airbags for years but continued to use them anyway.
“They were focused on the low price of Takata’s inflators and concerned that if they stopped using [them], they might not have a sufficient supply, which would prevent them from selling vehicles and generating billions of dollars in revenue,” said a report filed today by Peter Prieo, lead plaintiff attorney.
The allegations, which are detailed in very specific examples in the court filing, are partially based on documents from automakers. According to one allegation, Ford kept using Takata inflators even after its own inflator expert warned against it. One of the automakers, although not mentioned by name in the filing, described the problem with Takata inflators as “one in which a passenger protection device was transformed into a killing weapon.” This admission allegedly came after an inflator ruptured in 2009.
“The automotive defendants were aware that rupture after rupture, both during testing and in the field, confirmed how dangerous and defective Takata’s air bags were,” the court document said.
This isn’t the first time that automakers have been accused of hiding problems with Takata airbags. A New York Times report published last year claimed that General Motors knew about the dangerous inflators for more than a decade. After researching and testing the problematic Takata airbags, GM’s then-supplier Autoliv warned that its competitor’s inflator was “dangerously volatile.” GM allegedly decided to use the risky inflators anyway. Autoliv also allegedly warned other automakers, including Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Toyota. An audit carried out by Honda, however, claimed that Takata gave the automaker manipulated test data.
Takata’s airbags can rupture with too much force when exposed to high humidity and temperatures. Takata will pay $1 billion in criminal penalties related to the airbags that have killed at least 16 people worldwide.
Source: The Detroit News, Los Angeles Times
The post Automakers Knew of Takata Airbag Problems for Years, Lawsuit Alleges appeared first on Motor Trend.
Agya Club IndonesiaTakata is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges related to its recalled airbag inflators today. At the same time that Takata is under fire, a lawsuit alleges BMW, Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota knew of problems with the airbags for years but continued to use them anyway.
“They were focused on the low price of Takata’s inflators and concerned that if they stopped using [them], they might not have a sufficient supply, which would prevent them from selling vehicles and generating billions of dollars in revenue,” said a report filed today by Peter Prieo, lead plaintiff attorney.
The allegations, which are detailed in very specific examples in the court filing, are partially based on documents from automakers. According to one allegation, Ford kept using Takata inflators even after its own inflator expert warned against it. One of the automakers, although not mentioned by name in the filing, described the problem with Takata inflators as “one in which a passenger protection device was transformed into a killing weapon.” This admission allegedly came after an inflator ruptured in 2009.
“The automotive defendants were aware that rupture after rupture, both during testing and in the field, confirmed how dangerous and defective Takata’s air bags were,” the court document said.
This isn’t the first time that automakers have been accused of hiding problems with Takata airbags. A New York Times report published last year claimed that General Motors knew about the dangerous inflators for more than a decade. After researching and testing the problematic Takata airbags, GM’s then-supplier Autoliv warned that its competitor’s inflator was “dangerously volatile.” GM allegedly decided to use the risky inflators anyway. Autoliv also allegedly warned other automakers, including Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Toyota. An audit carried out by Honda, however, claimed that Takata gave the automaker manipulated test data.
Takata’s airbags can rupture with too much force when exposed to high humidity and temperatures. Takata will pay $1 billion in criminal penalties related to the airbags that have killed at least 16 people worldwide.
Source: The Detroit News, Los Angeles Times
The post Automakers Knew of Takata Airbag Problems for Years, Lawsuit Alleges appeared first on Motor Trend.
Filed under: Ownership,Acura,Alfa Romeo,Aston Martin,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Dodge,Fiat,Ford,Honda,Infiniti,Kia,Lexus,Nissan,Porsche,Subaru,Toyota,Driving,Coupe,Performance
The answer is very much: It depends.Continue reading Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?
Is your new-car warranty good at the race track? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2017 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsI’m not sure if the proper description is “an embarrassment of riches” or just “spoiled rotten,” but I haven’t touched the long-term Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in about two months. Yup, the nice folks at FCA were kind enough to give me a 707 horsepower, fire-engine red, family sedan for a solid year, and I never even touch the dang thing. What’s wrong with me? It’s a long story, but the short version is that I’m pretty busy driving other stuff. Case in point: there’s currently an Aston Martin DB11 in my driveway. Last week I was involved in a nine-car sports sedan comparison test, and before that I was driving a Toyota Sequoia back from Utah. Before that…Colorado? Mercedes? Camaro? It all starts to blend together.
Don’t think for a second that the Hellcat sits idly around in the parking garage, pining for my return. Oh no! This sucker’s dance card is punched every night of the week. Even when I am around and supposed to be driving it, my inbox is awash with emails containing subject lines with the words “borrow,” “favor,” and “Hellcat.” That being said, there are some chronic askers. One of the people I’m talking about is usually the answer to my question, “Who has the Hellcat?” In their own words, here’s why they want the car so badly.
Why do I want to borrow Jonny’s Hellcat? There are many reasons—about 700 of them. Mainly, I want something that will gobble up miles as fast as it gobbles up fuel and rear tires. I will be driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Lake Tahoe and back for the holidays and need a fast sled that can hold luggage for two, snowboarding gear, and Christmas presents. Santa will be using his sleigh, so the next best thing has to be the Hellcat. It’s bright red and, like Santa’s sleigh, it brings joy to all with a quick stab of the throttle. Not only that, but it will also score me instant brownie points from my enthusiast friends back home. Is it weird that I’m not looking forward to Christmas presents when I’ll have a Hellcat and a company gas card for a week? That’s gotta be on lots of wish lists. – Robin Trajano, Associate Photographer
Why do I want to borrow the Hellcat? Because it’s a 700-horsepower sedan. What more reason does anyone need? The rush alone is reason enough. Every freeway on-ramp is an occasion, and every overtake is an opportunity to giggle like a three-year-old. The best thing about the Hellcat, though, is being able to share its goodness with others. It’s a big comfortable sedan that’s easy to get in and out of. I can scare any friend or family member, no problem. There’s no climbing over seats or falling down into a supercar. Just sit down, strap in, and feel the g’s. As I told the last friend I gave a ride, “It’s so dumb. I love it.” – Scott Evans, Associate Editor
I’m often given the Hellcat to take home when Jonny is away. I suspect Benson (our former road test editor, the man in charge of our fleet) believed I wouldn’t wear down the tires or accrue any speeding tickets. Guilty. My first burnout will probably be an accident. So giving me a 707-horsepower Red Rocket is something of a mismatch and a waste of perfectly good excessive horsepower. But to my amazement, the Hellcat as a daily driver totally works. It’s comfortable, it has a great entertainment system, and its sight lines are perfectly acceptable. Sometimes I forget I’m in such a hot car, but then I get a random thumbs up from some dude, and I know I’m rolling in the Hellcat. – Mike Royer, Art Director
There you have it folks. Whilst Hellcatting, Robin enjoys terrorizing large swaths of California, Scott likes terrorizing his friends and family, and Royer is just out there making friends. As a thought experiment, why would you most want to borrow the Hellcat? Let us know in the comments below.
The post 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Update 5: Who Has the Hellcat? appeared first on Motor Trend.
Agya Club IndonesiaI’m not sure if the proper description is “an embarrassment of riches” or just “spoiled rotten,” but I haven’t touched the long-term Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in about two months. Yup, the nice folks at FCA were kind enough to give me a 707 horsepower, fire-engine red, family sedan for a solid year, and I never even touch the dang thing. What’s wrong with me? It’s a long story, but the short version is that I’m pretty busy driving other stuff. Case in point: there’s currently an Aston Martin DB11 in my driveway. Last week I was involved in a nine-car sports sedan comparison test, and before that I was driving a Toyota Sequoia back from Utah. Before that…Colorado? Mercedes? Camaro? It all starts to blend together.
Don’t think for a second that the Hellcat sits idly around in the parking garage, pining for my return. Oh no! This sucker’s dance card is punched every night of the week. Even when I am around and supposed to be driving it, my inbox is awash with emails containing subject lines with the words “borrow,” “favor,” and “Hellcat.” That being said, there are some chronic askers. One of the people I’m talking about is usually the answer to my question, “Who has the Hellcat?” In their own words, here’s why they want the car so badly.
Why do I want to borrow Jonny’s Hellcat? There are many reasons—about 700 of them. Mainly, I want something that will gobble up miles as fast as it gobbles up fuel and rear tires. I will be driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Lake Tahoe and back for the holidays and need a fast sled that can hold luggage for two, snowboarding gear, and Christmas presents. Santa will be using his sleigh, so the next best thing has to be the Hellcat. It’s bright red and, like Santa’s sleigh, it brings joy to all with a quick stab of the throttle. Not only that, but it will also score me instant brownie points from my enthusiast friends back home. Is it weird that I’m not looking forward to Christmas presents when I’ll have a Hellcat and a company gas card for a week? That’s gotta be on lots of wish lists. – Robin Trajano, Associate Photographer
Why do I want to borrow the Hellcat? Because it’s a 700-horsepower sedan. What more reason does anyone need? The rush alone is reason enough. Every freeway on-ramp is an occasion, and every overtake is an opportunity to giggle like a three-year-old. The best thing about the Hellcat, though, is being able to share its goodness with others. It’s a big comfortable sedan that’s easy to get in and out of. I can scare any friend or family member, no problem. There’s no climbing over seats or falling down into a supercar. Just sit down, strap in, and feel the g’s. As I told the last friend I gave a ride, “It’s so dumb. I love it.” – Scott Evans, Associate Editor
I’m often given the Hellcat to take home when Jonny is away. I suspect Benson (our former road test editor, the man in charge of our fleet) believed I wouldn’t wear down the tires or accrue any speeding tickets. Guilty. My first burnout will probably be an accident. So giving me a 707-horsepower Red Rocket is something of a mismatch and a waste of perfectly good excessive horsepower. But to my amazement, the Hellcat as a daily driver totally works. It’s comfortable, it has a great entertainment system, and its sight lines are perfectly acceptable. Sometimes I forget I’m in such a hot car, but then I get a random thumbs up from some dude, and I know I’m rolling in the Hellcat. – Mike Royer, Art Director
There you have it folks. Whilst Hellcatting, Robin enjoys terrorizing large swaths of California, Scott likes terrorizing his friends and family, and Royer is just out there making friends. As a thought experiment, why would you most want to borrow the Hellcat? Let us know in the comments below.
The post 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Update 5: Who Has the Hellcat? appeared first on Motor Trend.
Think “Jeep” and the iconic mug of the Wrangler likely pops into your mind, but as much as the Jeep Wrangler might be the face of the Jeep brand, it’s not the vehicle that pays all the bills. Currently those vehicles are all crossovers: the Cherokee, the Renegade, and the Patriot/Compass twins. Despite record sales across the board last year, it’s the latter crossovers representing the bulk of Jeep sales in North America. With the compact CUV market expected to grow 20 percent globally by 2020, Jeep paid special attention to their replacement: the new 2017 Jeep Compass.
Designed to replace both the outgoing Compass and Patriot, the new 2017 Compass is in FCA-speak a “4.4-meter vehicle,” which is a globally relevant size that fits squarely between the 4.2-meter Renegade and 4.6-meter Cherokee. Built on a stretched version of the Renegade’s small-wide 4×4 architecture at four different factories worldwide, the new Compass will be available with one engine option, three transmission options, and two drivetrain options in North America. Powering all Compasses here is FCA’s Tigershark 2.4-liter I-4 making 180 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. Front-wheel drive models come with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive versions get the six-speed manual or the infamous ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic.
With the Compass expected to become the brand’s best-seller worldwide within the next few years, Jeep has to walk a fine line with its new compact crossover. The Compass has to appeal both to mainstream buyers buying Jeep for its reputation and enthusiasts who expect a Jeep to get them to hell and back. For the former, Jeep offers up the Compass Sport, Latitude, and Limited, with the Latitude expected to be the big seller. The latter gets the Jeep Compass Trailhawk.
Anyone with even a casual understanding of world history knows that Jeep made its name crossing the deserts of North Africa, storming the beaches of the South Pacific, and navigating the forests of Western Europe, so it’s no surprise then that Jeep feels the need to make sure that every model in its lineup has at least some sort of off-road credibility.
For the past decade or so, the most capable models have all worn a Trail Rated badge on the driver-side front fender, and even more recently, these models have proudly showed off their trail rated abilities with factory suspension lifts, bright red tow hooks, and a Trailhawk badge on their rump.
The first-ever Jeep Compass Trailhawk is no different.
Bridging the capability gap between the Renegade Trailhawk and Cherokee Trailhawk, the Compass Trailhawk gets a few unique pieces to make it more capable off-road than your standard Compass. Jeep starts with a 0.5-inch suspension lift to improve ground clearance to 8.5 inches, and it supplements the lift with off-road oriented tires on 17-inch wheels and redesigned front and rear bumpers to improve approach, break over, and departure angles to 30.3, 24.4, and 33.6 degrees, respectively.
Jeep then got to work on its all-wheel-drive system. Like the Renegade Trailhawk, the Compass Trailhawk gets Jeep’s Active Drive Low all-wheel-drive system. Working in conjunction with the Selec-Terrain system, Active Drive Low swaps in a higher final drive ratio and reprograms the Compass Trailhawk’s nine-speed automatic to start in second gear, using first gear to mimic low-range with a 20:1 crawl ratio. Jeep opted to leave the Cherokee Trailhawk’s Active Drive Lock unit, a true four-wheel-drive system, on the shelf due to weight and packaging constraints. Jeep finishes things off with a 0.2-inch thick high-strength steel skidplates to protect the engine, transmission, transfer case, front suspension, and fuel tank, functional tow hooks, and some unique visual cues.
Although off-road oriented, Jeep doesn’t deny the fact that most Compass Trailhawk drivers will spend the majority of their time driving on the pavement. A fair amount of engineering effort went into ensuring the Compass is enjoyable to drive on the road. As I discovered navigating Texas Hill Country, the Jeep is a surprisingly enjoyable corner carver. Steering effort is moderately light, and despite the off-road oriented tires, feedback from the road is good. Even more impressive than its steering feel is its suspension and chassis tuning. The Compass’ near-flat cornering behavior would normally hint at a stiffly sprung suspension, but thanks to Jeep’s use of Koni dampers, the Compass also manages to ride softly over the rough stuff. Potholes and speed bumps don’t upset the Compass Trailhawk’s ride or transfer any gut giggle to occupants. Even in extreme events such as getting airborne, the Compass isn’t upset too much—the suspension rebounds against its bump stops and then compresses when the Jeep returns to the earth, but no undue punishment is transferred to the cabin.
As for the new Jeep’s powertrain, there’s no getting around the fact that the Compass is slow. Painfully slow, at times. At 180 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque, the 2.4-liter I-4 just doesn’t have enough juice to move the 3,650-pound Compass Trailhawk with any semblance of urgency. Jeep says 0-60 mph ought to take about 9.4 seconds, a number that could probably be verified by the driver in that Toyota Tacoma I accidentally cut off when I thought two football fields-worth of roadway would be enough room to accelerate for a merge. The naturally aspirated I-4 is perfectly fine around town and under light acceleration loads, but it could really use a little extra horsepower and a just a bit more torque to improve its drivability. For those buyers overseas that get the optional diesel engines, I imagine the added torque of those powerplants would be the way to go.
As for the Compass’ nine-speed automatic, despite the well-documented early issues with this transmission, this iteration feels to be one of the best yet. The lurchiness and low-speed jerkiness that would rear their heads in heavy traffic couldn’t be replicated during my time behind the wheel in San Antonio traffic. When the road opens up, the transmission up-shifts smoothly and at appropriate times. The nine-speed won’t hesitate to drop down a gear if need be on the highway, but it will take a good Mississippi or so to downshift more than two gears if you mat the throttle.
More than capable of handling the daily grind, the Compass Trailhawk also has to be able to handle a weekend warrior’s off-road needs. The Compass Trailhawk’s various off-road settings and modes are all controlled through a rotary knob and three buttons located just forward of the gear shift. The buttons are 4WD Lock (the all-wheel-drive system otherwise only routes power to the rear when needed), 4WD Low (which is really just first gear), and hill-decent control. The knob controls the Compass Trailhawk’s 5 Selec-Terrain settings: Auto, Snow, Sand, Mud, and Rock, the latter of which is Trailhawk-exclusive. Although each of the first four Selec-Terrain settings has its own unique calibration and settings for the named conditions, it’s best to think of Rock as the only real off-road mode. In Rock, not only is the Compass’ low-range engaged, but the Jeep can also send nearly 100 percent of its power to any one wheel. It uses its brakes to mimic locking differentials, and the traction control computers do everything they can to help the Compass Trailhawk mimic its more capable big brothers.
Off-road on a Jeep-designed course featuring dirt moguls, ditches, loose and big rocks, and a muddy stream crossing, the Compass motored up and down with hardly a stumble. It’s tough to truly evaluate how capable the Compass is on a course planned to make it look good, but things do seem promising. Sightlines from behind the wheel are good. Even when hanging a wheel in the air, there aren’t any signs of flex from the chassis or creaks in the cabin. The Jeep does have to work hard for traction on slick, loose rock up steep hills, but being aggressive with the throttle and letting the Trailhawk’s computers route power to the tires where there’s grip sorts things out. More torque and knobbier tires would serve to make the Compass Trailhawk even better, but for the average weekend warrior whose off-roading needs are less Moab rock crawling and more in the lines of a National Park four-wheel-drive trail, the Compass Trailhawk will likely prove to be more than capable.
Looking outside its driving dynamics, the Jeep Compass is a compelling little compact crossover. The sharp mini-Grand Cherokee sheet metal opens up into a handsome, if a bit restrained interior. The cabin will feel immediately at home to anyone who has ever spent time in a Cherokee or Grand Cherokee. It features a nice mix of cloth and leather, and price-appropriate trim and plastics. The front buckets are comfortable, and the 60/40 split folding rear seats are roomy enough for six-footers to sit in back, though the seatbacks do feel rather upright.
Fuel economy is near top of the segment, with all-wheel-drive automatic models such as the Trailhawk netting an EPA-estimated 22/30/25 mpg city/highway/combined. Pricing is reasonable too, with the Compass Trailhawk starting at $29,690. Ultimately the 2017 Jeep Compass seems poised to do exactly as Jeep intended—appease the faithful and bring in fresh blood. The fact that the Compass Trailhawk remains faithful to the Jeep brand’s off-road ethos shows that just like it was in 1941, Jeep is aiming for world domination.
The post 2017 Jeep Compass Trailhawk First Drive: Compass Finally Finds Some Direction appeared first on Motor Trend.
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