redesign

2013 DETROIT AUTO SHOW

Acura plans MDX successor with 'aero sculpture' design

2:01 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 12, 2012
Acura will introduce a prototype of the 2014 MDX mid-sized crossover in January at the Detroit auto show. American Honda’s prototypes often closely resemble the production versions, so the concept should provide a clear idea of where Acura’s new “aero sculpture” design direction is headed.... Read More »

 

GM plans early Malibu refresh

12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 3, 2012
GM engineers are hurrying to complete a midcycle refresh of the Chevrolet Malibu for release by late next year, about 18 months after the redesigned sedan's launch, CEO Dan Akerson said. The move comes amid soft early sales of the car and unflattering media reviews.... Read More »

 

L.A. AUTO SHOW

Mercedes plans big changes for '14 E class

12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 3, 2012
With the rapid pace of technology, Mercedes-Benz says it no longer can rely on relatively minor midcycle changes for key models. So the E-class freshening planned for next year will be more extensive than usual, with major sheet metal and interior changes.... Read More »

 

Ohio r&d for next Accord?

12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 3, 2012
A clean-sheet redesign of the Honda Accord just left the gates, but engineers are already planning its successor. Development of Honda's next-generation flagship sedan, due in 2016 or 2017, likely will be led from Ohio instead of Japan.... Read More »

 

ANALYSIS

2013 Viper now enjoyable off the racetrack, too

12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 21, 2012
Chrysler Group will sell less than half as many 2013 SRT Vipers all of next year as it sold Jeep Patriots in October. Executives with the automaker's new Street and Racing Technology brand are OK with that. Unlike the rest of Chrysler's lineup, the Viper is first and foremost a racing machine with a top speed of 206 mph. It only masquerades as a luxuriously appointed $100,000 two-seater when it's off the track.... Read More »

 

Subaru says redesigned 2014 Forester will have higher mpg

3:12 pm U.S. ET | Nov. 1, 2012
Subaru promises that the redesigned 2014 Forester crossover will get better fuel economy than the outgoing model. Subaru will offer the 2014 Forester crossover with a new six-speed manual transmission and an optional continuously variable transmission.... Read More »

 

GM will idle Corvette plant for 6 months to prepare for new model

10:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 18, 2012
Chevrolet plans to end production of the 2013 Corvette in February and idle the sport car's assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky., for six months as it retools for the highly anticipated all-new model. Production of the redesigned 2014 Corvette is scheduled to begin in August or September next year, General Motors said today.... Read More »

 

Nissan plans Leaf EV with budget trim level to spur sales

11:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 5, 2012
Nissan, looking to bolster tumbling sales of its Leaf electric car, will roll out a budget variant next year in a bid for a more-affordable sticker. The entry trim level would be positioned below the two higher-specification grades currently offered, two people familiar with the plan said.... Read More »

 

Redone Mazda6 gets sporty stance

10:00 am U.S. ET | Oct. 5, 2012
A top Mazda program manager says the automaker tried to imbue the 2014 Mazda6 with sporty character to compete in a mid-sized sedan segment known for value and practicality. Mazda designers pulled the sedan's wheels closer to the corners, stretched the wheelbase and reduced the length. The car sits lower but is just as wide, which gives it a sportier stance.... Read More »

 

2012 PARIS AUTO SHOW

Smart previews future look in Paris

Sept. 25, 2012 06:01 CET
Smart will debut an electric-powered concept car at the Paris auto show this week that previews the styling of the Daimler subsidiary's future models.... Read More »

 

Fiat revises its Small platform to cover minivans, SUVs and crossovers

Sept. 23, 2012 06:01 CET
Fiat says it has revised the platform that underpins the Fiat Punto and Alfa Romeo MiTo subcompacts so that it can now underpin minivans, compact SUVs and crossovers.... Read More »

 

MARK RECHTIN

Honda lusts after BMW bodies

1:39 pm U.S. ET | Sept. 7, 2012
It is tacitly acknowledged by some in the industry that BMW's 3 series is the best sports sedan in the world. Want evidence? Why else would automaker product planners from Lexus to Cadillac to even Hyundai endlessly talk about creating a “3-series fighter?”... Read More »

 

NEW PRODUCT ANALYSIS

Inside the new Honda Accord

6:00 am U.S. ET | Sept. 5, 2012
For all the similarity in the sheet metal to its predecessor, the 2013 Honda Accord is as close to a clean-sheet redesign as possible. It is several inches shorter, and a new engine, transmission, suspension and body structure are among the key changes for Honda's mid-sized sedan. It also marks the first use of Honda's plug-in hybrid technology.... Read More »

 

Mercedes execs in China push for new S class to debut in Chinese market

Aug. 30, 2012 06:15 CET
Mercedes-Benz executives in China want the redesigned S class to make its global debut in the country next year, and they are taking their case to company leaders in Germany, a Chinese newspaper reported.... Read More »

 

MIKE COLIAS

Next-gen Escalade to keep the bling, brawn in Caddy lineup

3:30 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 28, 2012
Cadillac is rolling out its lightest car ever, the ATS compact. Next year it will launch a sporty plug-in hybrid coupe, the ELR. But before you begin thinking that the brand historically known for floaty boats and tailfins had lost its go-big roots, there’s this: We’ll see the next-generation Escalade within the next 12 months.... Read More »

 

CARS & CONCEPTS

Tweaks push Ram mpg to 18/25

12:01 am U.S. ET | Aug. 27, 2012
When it goes on sale this fall, the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup will get better fuel economy than Ford's and General Motors' most efficient full-sized pickups. The re-engineered Ram pickup achieves 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.... Read More »

 

GREG MIGLIORE

Remaking the Ford Mustang

2:37 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 23, 2012
By the time the next-generation Ford Mustang debuts in 2014, it will have worn a decidedly retro look for nearly a decade. From the styling to the chassis to the raw power, the pony car remains a throwback and a simple, true American pleasure. Expect that mantra to continue, but the execution will evolve, moving the Mustang forward into a broader, potentially global audience as it nears a half century of performance.... Read More »

 

2012 MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS

Honda's U.S. team goes on product offense

3:50 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 8, 2012
Honda America will take the lead in a growing list of global vehicle development projects to help the automaker fend off competitive challenges in North America and hedge against a strong yen. The United States organization will engineer and develop the new-generation Acura NSX sports car, the next-generation Civic compact car, and other models, says Erik Berkman, the new president of Honda R&D Americas.... Read More »

 

2012 MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS

Mazda seeks to lighten redesigned vehicles by 220 pounds

4:58 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 6, 2012
Mazda has a goal that will at some point become impossible to achieve: Eliminate at least 220 pounds of weight every time it redesigns one of its models. But automakers say they have to pursue such ambitious targets as they work to meet stricter government fuel-economy standards.... Read More »

 

Lexus prices ES 300h, ES 350

2:45 pm U.S. ET | July 16, 2012
Lexus today announced pricing for the first-ever ES 300h hybrid sedan, as well as the 2013 ES 350 luxury sedan. The 2013 ES 300h hybrid will start at $39,745, including an $895 shipping charge, Lexus said in a statement today. The ES 300h -- which debuted in April -- is the first hybrid model on the ES line and will be the least expensive premium hybrid in the brand’s lineup.... Read More »

 

GM's female manufacturing chief faces big truck test

12:22 pm U.S. ET | June 25, 2012
GM's global manufacturing chief Diana Tremblay is one of the highest-ranking women in the automotive industry. Throughout her 35-year career at GM, she has made her mark in what were regarded as male domains, from directing foundry workers to staring down union labor negotiators. Now she faces an even more critical task for the world's largest automaker -- ensuring the smooth 2013 introduction of the automaker's all-important remodeled full-size pickup trucks and SUVs.... Read More »

 

2013 Ford F-150 gets Limited model, slight changes

11:34 am U.S. ET | June 4, 2012
The Ford F-150 pickup gets a handful of upgrades for the 2013 model year. The key changes include a redesigned center stack, the availability of high-intensity discharge headlamps and the addition of a new range-topping Limited trim.... Read More »

 

Chrysler vehicles will be sculpted by the wind, Gilles says

2:53 pm U.S. ET | May 30, 2012
Chrysler Group designers are spending more time in the wind tunnel to make more aerodynamic vehicles, aiding fuel economy, design chief Ralph Gilles said today. Speaking at a conference in northern Michigan, Gilles said aerodynamics are becoming an increasingly important design aspect at Chrysler and throughout the industry.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the Jeep faithful?

3:06 pm U.S. ET | May 21, 2012
Though I am no Martin Luther, I’d like to nail a note on the door of the Church of the Most Holy Jeep Wrangler. The design orthodoxy of the Wrangler -- the gospel of Jeep, as it were -- needs a tweak or two before the 71-year-old vehicle’s next makeover.... Read More »