Autoblog

High commodities prices and the unflattering value gap between the Euro and U.S. Dollar are forcing a lot of European automakers to bump their prices here in the States. We told you a few weeks ago that BMW was planning on raising the sticker price on many of its products, and now we're starting to see the extent of the damage. The price changes range from an increase of $600 on a 128i to $1,400 on an M6. The 335i received several MSRP increases, with the sedan going up by $800, the coupe by $1,200, and a raise of $1,300 for the convertible. The 328i sedan, meanwhile, rose $700 to an MSRP of $33,400.

Options also went up in price, as the dual clutch on the M3 has gone up by $200 making it a $2,900 option. The sport package for the 335i sedan and coupe has risen by $450, and some standard equipment like the Logic 7 Sound System has been nixed for 2009. Beginning in October, iPhone integration can also be had for $150. Since $150 is almost the price of the phone, that one smarts just a bit. To see more 2009 BMW pricing (except for the new 7-Series), hit the read link below.

[Source: BMW Blog, photo by rahims | CC 2.0]

While there is a mad rush for automakers to make smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles for the U.S. market, many of the vehicles we crave are already available to European customers. Mercedes sells A- and B-Class vehicles were deemed too small for U.S. consumption. One product Mercedes doesn't have in either of its two biggest markets is a small crossover vehicle, but that could change in 2011.

Autocar is reporting that Mercedes is looking to rectify its small crossover position with the BLK, which will be positioned to take on the BMW X1 and Land Rover LRX. If Mercedes does build the BLK, it will likely be on an all-new FWD chassis that will also accommodate the next-gen A- and B-Class, as well as other like-sized models. The guys and gals on team Benz were looking to strike a deal with another automaker to platform share, but talks apparently came up empty. Mercedes is still looking to partner up with BMW on engine development, which would help drastically reduce engineering and development costs. BLK engine choices are rumored to be between 1.6- and 2.2-liters, with direct injection gasoline and diesel variants.

[Source: Autocar]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST

The Pontiac G8 Sport Truck was originally supposed to be powered only by General Motors' 361-horsepower 6.0L V8, but tough fuel economy standards and customer demand for fuel efficient products have conspired to change the General's plans. Edmunds Inside Line quotes an anonymous senior engineer at the General saying that the unique sport ute will receive automaker's 3.6L V6, as well. That's good news for fuel economy, but the better news is that the 3.6L V6 of choice will be the direct injection versoin. That will likely give the G8 ST the same 300+hp as the 2010 Camaro and Cadillac CTS. That should also make the base ST more appealing to enthusiasts and the average Joe, with more power at the pedal and a healthier torque curve. The DI version of GM's 3.6L V6 will also likely be available in the base G8 sedan for the 2010 model year, as well.

It makes sense that GM would go with direct injection for the G8 ST, as the General has already promised the powerful V6 for the Chevy Traverse and Camaro. Putting DI in more vehicles will help drive down the cost of producing these more high-tech engines economy of scale while also giving customers V8ish performance with V6ish fuel economy. Keep in mind, however, that though a GM engineer was quoted, none of this is official word from GM, so plans could change.


[Source: Inside Line]

Click above for high-res gallery of 2008 GM Style Event

After two years of combining celebrities, fashion and music with the best of its vehicle lineup, General Motors has decided that the 2009 GM Style Event just isn't worth the expense. The cancellation of GM Style is part of the General's goal to free up $15 billion in cuts and asset sales by 2009. Considering the automaker pays B- and C-list celebrities and sports figures to attend, there's some money on the table here. The event has actually been a big hit the past two years with attendees like Kid Rock and Jay-Z, Carmen Electra, Jeff Gordon and the some well known fashion designers from around the world. GM also used the bright lights and catwalk to show the Camaro Convertible Concept and Corvette ZR1 for the first time.

The death of GM Style comes right after the automaker decided to pull its advertising at the Emmy Awards and next year's Academy Awards broadcast. GM has been the largest advertiser of the Academy Awards over the past 10 years, with $97.1 million spent on the awards show since 1998. GM will still advertise at the Golden Globes, Grammys, and Country Music Awards in 2009.



[Source: Detroit News]

After years of incremental improvement in customer satisfaction, a study from the University of Michigan shows that overall, Detroit automakers have declined versus their Japanese and German rivals. The study, which polls customers with six-month-old to three-year-old vehicles, shows that U.S. automakers have stalled in their quest to improve satisfaction. The problem? Rising gas prices have made truck and SUV customers very unhappy with their vehicles, which reflects negatively in the overall score.

The Chevrolet brand was hit hardest, with scores dropping 3.7% versus last year's score. The bow tie brand was ahead of only Dodge and Jeep. The news isn't all bad for General Motors, though, as truck and SUV-less Saturn posted the industry's largest gain of 4.9 points to get within one point of Toyota and Honda's score of 86. Buick and Cadillac also performed very well in the survey, with each GM brand scoring an 85. Ford was flat year over year, but the Blue Oval's score of 80 was two points lower than the industry average. Lincoln Mercury also saw a big 3.5% drop in satisfaction, but those Ford brands are still above the industry average score with an 83. Chrysler did very poorly overall, with all three brands scoring under the industry average.

While the Detroit automakers might take note of the unfavorable results, this survey isn't widely published like the ones from J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. Both Ford and GM are faring well in J.D. Power's recent studies, and both are also still showing improvement in Consumer Reports.

[Source: Detroit News]

Only a few days after Ford officially confirmed that the seven-seat crossover everyone already knew was coming was indeed coming, a preproduction mule of the Lincoln MKT has been spotted in the wild. Ford promised that the MKT would look nothing like its Ford Flex sibling, and a quick glance at these spy pics prove that to be the case. In fact, the well-covered MKT development vehicle looks an awful lot like the MKT concept from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

Up front the new Lincoln split grille is visible under the bra, along with the same headlight shape as the concept. The concept's love it or hate it belt-line also appears to be carry over to production, as well as the curvy C-pillar. The production MKT also appears to have a glass roof, though it doesn't look as dramatic as the concept. One thing the MKT appears to have in common with the Flex is its relatively low ride height and massive wheels, which helps the Lincoln crossover keep the retro Ford's wagon-like stance.

Spy photographers also got a shot of the MKT's interior, which shows off some good looking blonde wood and the familiar Lincoln center stack. Its material quality should be at least as good as the Flex, if not better.

The MKT is expected to hit production next year with power coming from Lincoln's exclusive 3.7L V6 that also does duty in the new MKS sedan. Ford has also announced that the MKT will receive an Ecoboost engine, which should give the unique-looking crossover upwards of 340 horsepower.

[Source: Automobile Mag]

Safer vehicles and increased law enforcement has resulted in the lowest driving fatality rate ever last year. There were 41,059 traffic deaths in 2007, down 1,600 from 2006. Fatalities are now at 1.37 per 100 million miles traveled, which is the lowest number since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started keeping track. The proliferation of safety technology, like side curtain air bags, stability control, and traction control, are apparently helping to make our roads safer, and good old-fashioned seat belts are being used more than ever. The "Click it or Ticket" campaign isn't the only way law enforcement has helped to lower fatalities either, as increased drunken driving patrols have lead to a 3.7% decline in deaths. Still, 13,000 people died last year as a result of drunken driving, which is 13,000 too many.

News on the safety front isn't as good for motorcycle drivers, though. A record 5,154 bikers lost their lives on U.S. roads in 2007, which is over 200 more than in 2006. Part of the reason for that increase is that there are more motorcycle drivers on the road, with 6 million motorcycles registered last year, up 2.2 million in the past decade.

[Source: Kicking Tires via CNN]

Toyota is struggling to sell trucks and SUVs like everyone else, but unlike the competition, no full-time workers from stalled factories are getting laid off. The 4,500 workers at idled plants are instead bettering themselves through eduction by taking classes on safety, diversity, and Toyota history. They're also doing community service while on the clock and even some gardening. The workers will be learning how to work faster and smarter during the down time, and are even being shifted to busier plants on a temporary basis to help plants that are working beyond capacity to keep up with demand.

Toyota's plan to keep its workers busy at all costs isn't cheap, as about $50 million is being spent to keep workers busy with training programs. Of course, you can't please everyone and the plan isn't sitting well with all of Toyota's workforce, as workers at running factories don't like the fact that laid off workers are getting a leg up on training. A more skilled plant could have an advantage over others in getting earmarked for future products, so unaffected workers also want the extra training.

While expensive and a bit of a logistics nightmare, Toyota's plan is a good one if you can afford it. It should help create a more loyal, better trained workforce that also forges ties with the surrounding community. We bet Toyota hopes it will prevent any talk of unionizing, as well. And with Toyota's record profits over the past few years, $50 million is a drop in the corporate bucket.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req., Image: Junko Kimura/Getty]

Volkswagen was one of the pioneers in infiltrating the booming Chinese market, and now the automaker's early efforts are paying off handsomely. VW is planning to sell over 1 million vehicles in the land of the Great Wall in 2008, which should mean that the automaker's China sales will surpass those in Germany for the first time ever. While that may make it sound like there's a problem with VW's Germany sales, it's more a testament to a 19% market share in a country with 1.4 billion people.

Volkswagen is also keeping the heat on the Chinese market, with 14 new vehicles scheduled for launch during the next two years. That's a substantially faster pace than the 11 products VW updated in the previous three years, and a big reason why sales will likely continue to rise. The automaker is turning a serious profit in China, and with products like the affordable and efficient up! on the horizon, Germany's volume automaker looks to be set up well in the worlds fastest-emerging market.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Ford has been touting Ecoboost as an economical alternative to hybrid technology, and word from Automotive News is that the price tag could be $700 per vehicle. Ecoboost is said to deliver 20-30% fuel economy gains by combining turbochargers and direct injection technology with down-sized engines. The automaker also estimates that owners will pay off their Ecoboost premium in two year's time at $3.25 per gallon gasoline and 15,000 miles of driving per year. Since $3.25 is at the optimistic end of the gas equation, we're thinking Ecoboost could likely pay for itself before that. While hybrids might be able to post higher fuel economy numbers than vehicles equipped with this off-the-shelf technology, consumers should pay less for each mile per gallon they gain going with a similarly sized Ecoboost-equipped Ford.

Brett Hinds, Ford's advanced engine design manager, said the 3.5L V6 Ecoboost slated for F-150 duty in 2010 would produce "significantly more" than 340 hp and 340 lb-ft, which easily bests the 300 ponies delivered by the truck's current top shelf 5.4L V8. A similar story will unfold with boosted four-pots, as V6 power is attainable with small displacement fuel economy. We've also learned that Ecoboost engines with a V6 will receive two turbochargers, while four cylinder models will only get one. Throw that 3.5L V6 Ecoboost in a Mustang and hand us the keys, then we'll decide.

UPDATE: Ford has not officially announced Ecoboost pricing.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]