U.S. sales of the new Mazda6 should begin early next year.
Mazda's relationship with Ford Motor Co. has its good and bad sides.
It provides access to profitable vehicle lines such as the Escape, which Mazda rebadges as the Tribute. But it also puts Mazda at the mercy of Ford product planners, who might not want to share items such as Ford's new 3.5-liter V-6 engine with the Mazda6 sedan.
Mazda is exploring a couple of new product lines, but expect the automaker to stick with its reliance on a few core products.
Mazda2: Mazda has not ruled out bringing the small car to the United States. Subcompacts appear to be all the rage; and if fuel economy standards rise dramatically, the Mazda2 could be offered as a green city car.
On the other hand, Mazda believes that equipping the Mazda2 with the content Americans want would move the car too close to the Mazda3 in price. And Mazda does not want to push another low-margin car onto its dealers. If the car comes to the United States, it probably won't be until the 2010 model year.
Mazda3: In the spring of 2009, the next-generation Mazda3 will debut as a 2010 model. Mazda will re-engineer the car's existing C1 platform underpinnings.
The engine family will remain the same, but upgrades in power and fuel economy are planned. Most of the changes address consumer concerns over noise, vibration and harshness without removing the dynamic driving experience. The design will feel more integrated, especially with optional sport appearance packages.
Mazda6: The 2008 model year will be abbreviated. The wagon and MazdaSpeed6 will be dropped, leaving just the sedan and five-door hatchback.
In early 2008, the Mazda6 will be redesigned and offered only in sedan form. The 2009 sedan will get slightly longer and wider, using some parts from the existing Mazda6 but also some improvements from its platform stablemate, the Ford Fusion.
The Mazda6 gets a new, larger four-cylinder engine. Also, because Ford does not want to share its 3.5-liter V-6, Mazda will do it one better, using a Hiroshima-sourced 3.7-liter engine that is also in the CX-9. It probably will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
MX-5 Miata: A race package arrives this fall, but racers must wait until mid-2008 for a MazdaSpeed edition. The MazdaSpeed version's 2.3-liter turbo loses some horsepower in packaging the intercooler and larger radiator. A redesign is planned for the 2010 model year when the car must comply with new 2011 rear-offset collision standards.
Kabura: The concept coupe derived from the rear-drive MX-5 platform is on the most-wanted list, but Mazda's U.S. arm needs Europe or Japan to sign on to provide enough volume to make the program viable. Plus, the MX-5 platform is so closely tied to the Miata, the Kabura may need new engineering.
RX-8: For the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine this fall, Mazda is bringing out a special-edition model. American demand is enough to keep the RX-8 in the lineup with a spring 2009 redesign as a 2010 model, and Mazda swears it will not walk away from its rotary engine.
Tribute: Mazda's version of the Ford Escape was restyled and re-engineered this spring as a 2008 model. Mazda will get a hybrid model this year.
CX-5: A Mazda3-derived compact crossover may come in the fall of 2010 as a 2011 model, replacing the Tribute. To avoid its being cross-shopped with the CX-7, it would be a nonturbo four-cylinder only. Look at the Ford Kuga concept from the 2007 Frankfurt show for styling hints. The problem: The Escape/Tribute line is profitable for Ford, so the company would be unenthusiastic about Mazda eliminating the Tribute.
CX-7: No major changes are foreseen.
CX-9: Barely a year into its launch, the CX-9's V-6 engine gets a displacement increase to 3.7 liters, with a big jump in torque. The engine will be sourced from Hiroshima.
B series: Demand for compact pickups is waning, so the Mazda version of the Ford Ranger will lose the 3.0-liter V-6 for the 2008 model year. That leaves just the 2.3-liter four-banger and the 4.0-liter V-6.
The future of the B series is unclear. The Ranger assembly plant in St. Paul, Minn., will close next year, and Ford has not said whether Ranger production will be transferred to another plant.
Mazda5: The compact minivan will get a minor change for the 2008 model year. A five-speed automatic is planned, along with a revised interior and more powerful air conditioning.
If current volume can hit 15,000 units, Mazda will bring in a redesign. But if volume withers, or if North American homologation is a problem, it may be a one-generation vehicle.
By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Thursday, August 23, 2007
More Zoom for Mazda
Lexus' Future Flight Plan
The production version of Lexus' LF-A concept should be arriving in 2008.
Lexus will continue to expand its lineup despite internal concerns that rising volume may harm its true-luxury status.
Executives say that as long as Lexus does not venture below $30,000, its vehicles will be perceived as luxury, no matter what the sales volume is.
As a result, expect variants of existing nameplates, such as coupe and convertible versions of the IS sedan, as well as additions such as a performance sports car and a large car-based crossover.
IS: The high performance 2008 IS-F sedan, with a 425-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 and Brembo brakes, arrives late this year. A coupe will be added in mid-2008 as a 2009 model. But the convertible has been pushed back to the summer of 2009 because the plan now is to engineer a hardtop convertible instead of a ragtop.
ES: A hybrid will be added for the 2009 model year. A freshening is planned for the 2010 model year; a redesign is scheduled for the 2012 model year.
GS: No major platform changes are brewing, although the V-6 engine gets bored out to 3.5 liters for the 2008 model year.
LS 460: A hybrid model arrives in dealerships at the end of August or in early September.
SC 430: A redesign is planned for the 2009 model year. Expect a substantial weight loss. The engine gets an increase in displacement, to 4.6 liters.
LF-1: The supercar inspired by the LF-A concept will arrive next spring. It is meant to celebrate Toyota's 70th anniversary as well as its Formula 1 presence, hence the "F-1" part of the name.
A V-10 engine, generating at least 500 hp, will deliver power to an all-wheel-drive setup. Expect an unveiling at the Tokyo motor show in October, if not at the Japan Formula 1 race in September.
Hybrid: Lexus will get its own dedicated hybrid model in a configuration and design different from the Toyota Prius. It is likely to arrive as a 2012 model. One proposal is a small crossover that would be only for Japan and Europe in its first phase.
RAV4: A Lexus version of the RAV4 is planned for Japan and Europe. U.S. marketers likely will turn it down because they don't want vehicles priced under $30,000.
Lexus does not want to chase the BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and Acura RD-X. But there is a contingency plan if the segment takes off.
RX 350: A redesign comes in early 2009 as a 2010 model. Expect a slight increase in size.
GX 470: The assembly line twin of the Toyota 4Runner gets a redesign in the fall of 2009. A six-speed automatic transmission may be added.
JX 470: The long-awaited seven-seat crossover arrives as a 2009 model.
The project name is VX, and it comes off the GS sedan platform. For styling hints, look to the Lexus LF-X (formerly HPX) concept car, which had a 116-inch wheelbase, was 194 inches long and had room for three rows of seats.
Power may come from a 4.7-liter V-8, although a 3.5-liter V-6 also might be offered. The vehicle would line up against the Infiniti FX35 and FX45.
LX 470: The redesigned version due next spring stays on the Land Cruiser platform with a 5.7-liter V-8 engine made in Japan. Reports that it would switch to the Toyota Sequoia platform are unfounded.
By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Toyota's Future Gameplan
The FT-HS concept is the spiritual successor to the Supra, which arrives in summer 2009.
Much of Toyota's volume growth over the past decade has come from vehicles that enter new segments, such as the Prius, FJ Cruiser and the trio of Scion nameplates.
Toyota executives say there are no new segments to enter that will deliver continued volume spurts. But they are crying crocodile tears. Their segment-busting ACE crossover arrives in the fall of 2008, and a return to sports cars is in the works as well.
Also, Toyota wants to make hybrid power available for nearly all its vehicles, simplifying the process so that a shopper merely makes a choice among a four-banger, V-6 and hybrid. That likely will take hybrids further into the mainstream.
Prius: The redesigned hybrid won't arrive until spring 2009 as a 2010 model because of delays in delivering a reliable lithium ion battery system. Instead, Toyota will offer a next-generation nickel-metal hydride battery pack.
But Toyota engineers are working on packaging so that when lithium ion technology is ready, it will be merely a matter of substituting the battery. The company also is studying plug-in hybrid technology, but it has legal and infrastructure worries about doing it for a mass market.
Yaris: A redesign is planned for the 2012 model year.
Corolla: A redesigned Corolla will arrive this fall. The platform is identical to what Europe has seen as the Auris, except the U.S. version is a sedan, not a hatchback. The car is still on a 102.4-inch wheelbase but grows slightly in overall length.
A new 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, making about 130 hp, comes this fall. The upmarket Corolla has the Camry's 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-banger. That one also gets a five-speed automatic. A hybrid model could come in mid-2010 as a 2011 model.
Matrix: The five-door hatchback is redesigned for the 2008 model year and adopts more macho styling. The 2008 Matrix and Corolla share the same platform and engine family. Sheet metal will be specific to North America; production will continue at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif.
It is unclear whether Toyota will keep the Matrix name. The company has taken out a trademark for the name "Blade," which the vehicle is called in Japan.
Camry: A redesign is expected for the 2012 model year. But there is talk of going to a six-year cycle with a possible reskin for the 2009 model year. If on a six-year schedule, the new Camry would debut in spring 2012.
Avalon: A redesign is scheduled for the 2011 model year, but Toyota may add an extra year to the vehicle cycle. A hybrid comes six to 12 months after the redesign.
Solara: Dead after the 2007 model year; no replacement is expected.
Supra: The FT-HS hybrid sports car concept from the 2007 Detroit show is the spiritual successor to the Supra, which arrives in summer 2009. The 3.5-liter V-6 will be teamed with a hybrid-electric motor, producing a combined 400 hp.
Toyota's union with Subaru may provide the budget-conscious all-wheel-drive platform the Supra needs.
ACE: The crossover arrives as a 2009 model, drawing on crossover and minivan characteristics. Toyota says ACE stands for "advanced concept for empty-nesters" and is derived from the FT-SX concept.
ACE is merely the project code; the vehicle will be renamed before it reaches the market. Styling highlights are expected to include a low roofline with a high beltline and narrow greenhouse.
Expect much component sharing with the Camry. A 3.5-liter V-6 will be the only engine, paired with a six-speed automatic. Awd will be optional.
Highlander: The crossover is redesigned for the 2008 model year sharing the Avalon platform. Compared with the current model, the new one adds nearly 3 inches of wheelbase and is 4 inches longer and 3 inches wider and taller. A hybrid version will be offered.
Tacoma: A redesign is scheduled for the 2012 model year. A hybrid may be offered in 2012.
Tundra: The redesigned 2007 Tundra pickup arrived in February. Toyota is working with subsidiary Hino on a diesel version so that a promised heavy-duty model can arrive as a 2011 model. A hybrid version comes in mid-2011 as a 2012 model.
FJ Cruiser: A redesign is likely for the 2012 model year, with lots of special editions and a reskin for the 2010 model year. It may be a one-generation boutique vehicle.
4Runner: A redesign is scheduled for the 2010 model year.
Land Cruiser: Some thought Toyota would drop the Land Cruiser in the United States, but the redesigned 2008 model will debut this fall. Although smaller than the Sequoia, it will carry a 5.7-liter V-8 engine made in Japan. Hard-core off-roaders will mourn the lack of front and rear locking differentials, although the overall platform has been beefed up.
Sequoia: A redesign off the new Tundra platform arrives this fall. Like the Tundra, the Sequoia grows considerably larger than its predecessor, making some within Toyota worry that it might be too big. Engine choices will be a 4.7-liter or 5.7-liter V-8. A hybrid comes in the 2010 model year.
Sienna: A redesign is planned for the 2010 model year, but it could be pushed back a year. A hybrid will be available at launch.
Toyota is walking a tightrope between the Sienna minivan and ACE in terms of positioning. In the eyes of some consumers, the vehicles will be similar in terms of purpose.
By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
New Infinitis Keep Coming
The new EX aims for a slightly different demographic than the larger FX.
A year ago, Infiniti dealers were griping about a dearth of new products.
Today, they are having their wishes fulfilled. New products have sales running about 10 percent ahead of 2006, thanks largely to the arrival of the G35 sedan. Plans now call for a new product every year.
G37: The coupe is redesigned for the 2008 model year. The chassis is more rigid than the previous generation; G37 models share the automaker's FM rear-drive vehicle platform with the Nissan 350Z. The 2008 coupe has a 3.7-liter V-6 that squeezes out 330 hp, compared with the sedan's 305-hp powerplant.
EX35: The 2008 crossover draws on styling themes from the G35 sedan. The EX, scheduled to reach the market in December, is smaller than Infiniti's FX and will be priced lower.
The EX is aiming for a slightly different demographic. The FX will become Infiniti's performance model, while the EX will stress a bit more luxury.
M: The 2008 M adds all-wheel drive and lane-departure technology. A redesign is slated for the 2010 model year.
Q: Infiniti quietly dropped its flagship sedan in 2006, but the sedan will return in a redesigned form for the 2009 or 2010 model year.
FX: Infiniti will unveil the next-generation crossover in March at the Geneva motor show. Sales of the redesigned model begin later in 2008.
A 3.7-liter V-6 engine will be standard, up from today's 3.5-liter V-6.
QX: The 2008 Infiniti QX56 receives a freshening and upgraded interior. Infiniti's full-sized SUV will be redesigned for the 2010 model year.
By LINDSAY CHAPPELL | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Up-and-Coming Hondas?
The 2008 Accord is (literally) the biggest news of the year.
The eighth-generation 2008 Accord is the big news for Honda.
The redesigned vehicle that arrives in September is the biggest Accord ever and is sportier and more powerful than its predecessor. Honda hopes that it helps lure younger buyers to the Honda family.
"The Accord is the single most important product in Honda's lineup," John Mendel, American Honda Motor Co.'s senior vice president, said in an interview in January. "We believe this new design will bring emotion to (the Accord) like what happened with the redesigned Civic."
Honda also is determined to be the greenest car company. It plans to bring out a wider range of hybrid, diesel and fuel cell vehicles over the next several years.
Fit: This is the smallest car Honda sells here. U.S. sales began in April 2006. But that model has been sold since 2002 in Japan and other markets. A redesigned version debuts this fall in Japan as a five-door hatchback.
Honda sources say U.S. dealers won't get the redesigned car before the 2009 model year at the earliest. What isn't clear is whether Honda will continue to export the current hatchback to the United States until the redesigned model goes on sale here.
FCX: Honda's fuel cell car goes on sale next year as a 2009 model. The four-door is expected to have a 270-mile range. The interior features a biofabric partly made from corn. The car will not look like the concept FCX.
Stephen Ellis, Honda's fuel cell marketing manager, says the company will market the redesigned vehicle aggressively.
New hybrid model: Honda will introduce a hybrid for the 2010 model year that is smaller than the Civic. Sources say it will be a sedan version of the redesigned Fit but will have a different name.
Remix: The once-popular Civic CRX sport hatchback may return in spirit to the United States as a sporty hybrid for the 2011 model year. The three-door CRX came to the United States in the early 1980s. It was replaced in 1992 by the del Sol, which was killed in 1997.
Honda showed the two-seat sporty Remix concept at the Los Angeles auto show last November. It was designed to fit a small, front-wheel-drive platform.
Civic: Mugen, a company known for making race car engines and racing components, is helping develop the limited-edition 2008 Civic Mugen Si sedan. This is the first time Honda has put the Mugen name on a vehicle sold in the United States. Honda has a close relationship with Mugen in Japan.
The Mugen is 0.6 inches lower and 1.1 inches longer than the stock Si sedan. The car features a front spoiler with a sports grille bearing the Mugen Si emblem, along with a rear wing. But the car will be powered by the same 197-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine used in the Si sedan and coupe.
Honda plans to sell about 1,000 Mugens here with a sticker price under $30,000. The car will be assembled in Japan. Sales begin this fall.
A Civic redesign is scheduled for the 2011 model year.
Accord: The redesigned 2008 Accord sedan has a bigger interior and exterior than the current model.
The Accord will offer a 3.5-liter V-6 making more than 260 hp. The base four-cylinder engine makes over 175 hp. V-6 versions have Honda's next-generation variable-cylinder management system.
The Accord hybrid was killed at the end of the 2007 model year, paving the way for a diesel.
"Diesel is more effective for Accord and above" models, Dan Bonawitz, American Honda's vice president of corporate planning and logistics, said in a June interview.
S2000: The two-seat convertible gets a stiffer suspension for the 2008 model year to give it more of a race car feel. The engine is the same, but the 2008 car is lighter than the current model and will sport large front and rear spoilers. A removable aluminum hard top replaces the convertible soft top.
CR-V: Redesigned for the 2007 model year; it will get the company's new clean four-cylinder diesel for the 2010 model year.
New crossover: This new seven-passenger vehicle will be slotted between the CR-V and the Pilot. Some sources think it will be a version of the Crossroad, which went on sale in Japan in February. U.S. sales are expected in the 2010 or 2011 model year. The vehicle likely will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Fwd and all-wheel-drive versions are expected.
Pilot: A redesign is expected for the 2009 model year. Expect more dramatic styling, similar to what Honda did for the CR-V. It will be powered by a bigger V-6 engine. A V-6 diesel will be available for the 2010 model year.
Ridgeline: The mid-sized truck has not sold well but may be in a sweet spot because of new CAFE requirements. A V-6 diesel will be available when it is redesigned for the 2011 model year.
Element: Freshened for the 2007 model year; it is due for a redesign for the 2010 model year.
Odyssey: The minivan will be reskinned for the 2008 model year. Changes include tweaks to the grille and taillights.
The Odyssey will be the first Honda model to offer the company's new V-6 clean diesel engine. The engine will be offered on the redesigned 2010 Odyssey.
By KATHY JACKSON | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Subaru Pitches Performance
Subaru's new 2008 Impreza WRX certainly has performance, but also a clean exterior appearance.
Now that all-wheel drive is common, Subaru of America tries to lure new buyers by adding performance variants based on its rally cars.
But it is also refining its styling, aiming for a clean and more upscale look, and has abandoned the effort to remake Subaru into a premium brand. It is all part of the effort to increase sales to 250,000 units by 2010 - a target Subaru originally had set for 2006.
Forester: Like other recent Subaru revamps, this SUV will get bigger and more conventional looking when it is redesigned for the 2009 model year.
Impreza: Subaru wants to expand the buyer base for its redesigned 2008 Impreza and its two performance models, the WRX and the STi.
The new Impreza and WRX went on sale Aug. 1 and have cleaner lines than their predecessors. For the first time, the four- and five-door models are different both in size and appearance. They were designed to appeal to buyers shopping for an economical Japanese car.
The sedans are about 4.5 inches longer and 2 inches wider than their predecessors. The five-door models, targeted at a more youthful buyer, are 2 inches shorter than the previous versions.
Outback, Legacy: The 2008 Legacy and Outback were freshened. To simplify the range and fine-tune the nameplates, the Outback sedan and the Legacy wagon were dropped. The Outback wagon has a sportier look than its predecessor, and the Legacy sedan is more refined. A redesign comes for the 2010 model year.
Tribeca: Substantially lower-than-expected sales and a chorus of criticism led to a 2008 Tribeca restyling, rather than a minor freshening, just two years after its debut. Subaru is hoping its now conservative-looking crossover strikes a chord the second time around. Subaru also dropped the B9 part of the name, admitting no one knew what it stood for.
The Tribeca's engine was upgraded to a 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer that can run on regular gasoline, unlike the previous 3.0-liter powerplant that ran only on premium. A redesign is expected in 2011.
By DIANA T. KURYLKO | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Carnival not over
Kia Carnival
12 January 2007
Peter Barnwell
People mover vans (MPVs) used to be all the go and many manufacturers had one in their lineup. But the genre seems to be morphing into more of a large station wagon with three rows of seats instead of a van-type vehicle and then there are seven seat SUVs to take into account.
There are still a few van-style people movers_ Toyota's Tarago and the Chrysler Voyager for example but they cost a bomb and are out of the capacity of the average family to afford.
Apart from the small VW Caddy Life, the Koreans have the affordable end of the people mover market to themselves with Hyundai's Trajet, the Ssangyong Stavic and Kia Carnival all vying for the largest slice of the family transporter cake.
Kia recently launched a new Carnival to complement the larger Grand Carnival. They are new vehicles from the ground up and have nothing to do with the earlier Carnival which was plagued with engine problems from its Rover-sourced 2.5-litre V6.
The new VQ Carnivals share the same styling and it is easy to mistake one for the other but the Grand is longer and has a more powerful 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine and five speed auto. The Carnival runs a 136kW/ 246Nm, 2.7-litre V6, used in numerous other Kia and Hyundai vehicles and a five speed manual or optional four speed automatic.
Both are front wheel drive which boosts interior room.
Carnival is available in base spec' and auto- only Luxury with the latter scoring leather, six air bags, rain sensing wipers and other goodies. It's at a $3500 premium over the manual base model which sells for $32,990 drive away. The four speed auto adds two thousand bucks.
We have been driving the auto base model Carnival and it's an impressive vehicle especially when you need to take a crew anywhere. Mum, dad, the kids, friends and the grannies can all fit inside its cavernous body. But only a small luggage space is available with all three seat rows deployed. The rear row is easily foldable or even removable if you want to maximise load space and don't need the extra seats.
Access is easy through the front or side sliding doors that have power operated up and down windows, not pivotting or fixed glass. The rear side windows pivot from the front and are also power operated.
The rear top-hinged tailgate opens a large aperture and is easy to lift.
The V6 engine features variable valve timing and is good for 136kW/246Nm output com- pletely addressing the power deficit of the previous model.
It gives the Carnival good performance across the engine rev range and plenty of pulling power when a full load is aboard with the dual aircon blasting away.
Though the more sophisticated five speed auto misses Carnival this time around, the four speed auto we drove is satisfactory thanks to an internal upgrade and sequential shift mode. It makes quick smooth changes and willingly kicks down when required.
Sequential mode allows manual gear selec- tion if you want more control.
The interior is a friendly place that also looks good with a nicely rounded dash and multiple hues to the upholstery.
The steering is light, the brakes are powerful and it possesses a tight turning circle for a vehicle this size.
Minimal engine noise intrudes into the cabin and the luxury feel is accentuated by a smooth, well controlled ride.
We took out the rear pews and they're fairly heavy but once out, load space increases dramatically. The centre row also comes out. The vehicle looks good with big headlights, large tyres and smooth lines set off by roof rails and expansive glass house. You sit high affording a good view in all directions.
The seats are supportive and the textured upholstery is comfy.
Go over the Carnival with a magnifying glass and it's impressive build quality is evident.
It's bigger brother scored a five star US crash test rating so the SWB Luxury model should be the same.
Like the Kia cars we have driven in past months, this vehicle bats well above its price point.
