Prototypes for the North American-spec Ford Fiesta have been spotted in Dearborn, giving us our first look at the non-hatchback version. As expected, this prototype takes many cues right off the Verve four-door concept car that bowed at this year's Detroit Auto Show. The camouflage keeps us from seeing just how verbatim the translation from concept to production actually is, but the differences will most assuredly only be trim differences designed to make the concept model as sexy as possible. It appears that the concept's backlight might be a bit more raked than the production model, and the rear overhang may be a bit longer, but those impressions may be from a slight change of angle, and the camouflage cladding.
As of now, we're told that this four-door sedan is the only model destined for our shores, but the three- or five-door hatchbacks could easily make the move to U.S. showrooms if demand is deemed strong enough.--
KGP Photography
Posted in : 2010, Ford, Sedans, Shoppers, Spy Shots
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Well, it’s approaching that time in the Nissan Xterra’s life cycle, and 2009 will bring a fresh look to the youth-oriented ute.
Our photos clearly show that the 2009 Nissan Xterra’s grille will look more like that on the Nissan Frontier pickup truck, although not too many other changes and updates are obvious at the moment.--
Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Co.
Posted in : 2009, Nissan, Shoppers, Sport-Utility Vehicles, Spy Shots
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You'll have a more difficult time avoiding drunk drivers on the road if you're in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, or Wisconsin. A new report from the federal government says those states have the worst drunk driving rates in the country.
While 15 percent of drivers nationwide say they drove drunk in the past year, the rate in Wisconsin approached 25 percent, giving it the dubious honor of number one. The least offending state is Utah, where less than 10 percent of the driving population confessed to driving under the influence, followed by West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. The report also found that black drivers are substantially less likely to drive drunk than white drivers.
Driving on drugs was also reported by the study. Seven percent of drivers in the District of Columbia said they drove while drugged, with Rhode Island and Massachusetts right behind. The states reporting the lowest drugged-driving rates were New Jersey, Alabama, and the Dakotas.
The AP reports that the drunk-driving report is drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which sampled more than 125,000 citizens in a three-year period.
Posted in : Shoppers
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What the heck is that? If you've been reading TheCarConnection.com for most of its online life -- more than 10 years online at this writing -- you'll recognize this very early logo. We forgive you if you think it looks like a car towing a computer. Back in the early days of the Web, towing a computer was better than not owning one at all. And, well...we were writers, not tech gurus and certainly not highly paid illustrators.
Times change, and so does the ethos of the Web. TheCarConnection.com is changing too, and in the next few weeks you'll discover more of what we have in mind for the most comprehensive re-think in TCC's history.
You've seen some of the changes so far. We launched an
iPhone application that gives you an idea of the direction our new site will take. The clever readers will notice some minor tweaks to road tests this year. Recently we put our award-winning newsletters on hiatus while we come up with an even better way to deliver the car reviews and news you want directly to your inbox.
There's far more to come. We can't spill all the beans today, but when the changes start coming, you'll find reviews that are the most comprehensive on the Web. You'll get more photos, great pricing and shopping information, globe-spanning auto show coverage, and a slick new design that's easy to navigate. If I told you more, I'd be out of a job, and I'm no good at pulling espressos.
While our new reviews, blogs, and interface hide behind a firewall, we'll be posting less to the current site. We'll make this down time as quick as possible. In the meantime, please do stay tuned--everyone at the Car Advisory Network is proud of what we're ready to launch soon, and what we have planned for the next year.
Posted in : Shoppers
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The race to meet 35-mpg CAFE standards officially started today as the Department of Transportation laid out the first five-year plan to boost nationwide fleet fuel economy.
The DOT said today that from 2011 to 2015, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for both passenger cars and trucks would rise 4.5 percent each year. The "ambitious" proposal, in the DOT's words, would represent a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy provided automakers will meet the targets.
The average fuel economy for the passenger-car fleet would rise from 27.5 miles per gallon to 35.7 miles per gallon by 2015. Trucks would see average fuel economy rise from 23.5 miles per gallon to 28.6 miles per gallon by the end of the five-year phase.
The DOT estimates the new rules will save nearly 55 billion gallons of fuel consumed by vehicles, but did not supply a dollar amount for the toll extracted on the auto industry, which is struggling with the weakest sales year in more than a decade.
Automakers were generally silent on the new rules, though GM did issue a press release. The world's biggest automaker for now said that "GM intends to meet the tough, new national CAFE standards of 35 mpg for cars and trucks combined by 2020, a dramatic increase of 40 percent. NHTSA’s proposed rule lays out the first set of standards toward this target. GM will work with NHTSA throughout its rulemaking process on the yearly targets and the sensible mechanisms needed to meet this challenge.”
Posted in : Driving, Politics, Shoppers
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Marty Padgett April 24th, 2008
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Prototypes for the North American-spec Ford Fiesta have been spotted in Dearborn, giving us our first look at the non-hatchback version. As expected, this prototype takes many cues right off the Verve four-door concept car that bowed at this year's Detroit Auto Show. The camouflage keeps us from seeing just how verbatim the translation from concept to production actually is, but the differences will most assuredly only be trim differences designed to make the concept model as sexy as possible. It appears that the concept's backlight might be a bit more raked than the production model, and the rear overhang may be a bit longer, but those impressions may be from a slight change of angle, and the camouflage cladding.;)
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