Autoblog

You're going to be reading in the mainstream press about how horrible sales were in the U.S. during June, 2008. Yes, they were bad for many automakers, but consider that there were only 24 selling days last month versus 27 days in June, 2007. This makes comparing raw sales numbers misleading, since there were three fewer days to sell. Thus, as always, all the percentages below represent the change in Daily Sales Rate, i.e. the average number of vehicles sold per day, not the change in raw number of vehicles sold.

The big news is how hard Toyota fell last month, its DSR dropping 11.5% as a whole while the Toyota brand itself fell 10.3%. Cross-island rival Honda, however, bucked that trend by improving its DSR a whopping 13.8% and 17.9% for the Honda brand alone. Among the domestics, General Motors fared best with its DSR falling only 8.3%. If you look closely at the list below, while HUMMER, Saab and GMC were down in the big double digits, GM's volume brands held their own and most were down less than 5%. Ford, meanwhile, dropped its DSR by 19.1% (note this is the first month Jaguar and Land Rover sales were not included in Ford's numbers), and Chrysler, LLC, which performed the worst, saw its DSR plunge 28%. As you can see, however, many brands found a way to make it work in June, with Audi, MINI, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Suzuki and Volkswagen all up in a big way.

Biggest Winner
MINI 40.5% at 5,211 (6/07: 4,174)

Biggest Loser
HUMMER –54.2% at 2,072 (6/07: 5,093)

BRANDS
Acura –16.4% at 12,456 (6/07: 16,766)
Audi 18.5% at 8,203 (6/07: 7,789)
BMW –6.6% at 20,944 (6/07: 25,220)
Buick –34.4% at 9,631 (6/07: 16,519)
Cadillac –3.1% at 14,337 (6/07: 16,647)
Chevrolet –3.5% at 159,998 (6/07: 186,474)
Chrysler –36% at 27,128 (6/07: 47,658)
Dodge –21.3% at 63,687 (6/07: 91,089)
Ford –19.8% at 145,715 (6/07: 204,303)
GMC –14.6% at 30,713 (6/07: 40,457)
Honda 17.9% at 130,083 (6/07: 124,169)
HUMMER –54.2% at 2,072 (6/07: 5,093)
Hyundai 14% at 50,033 (6/07: 49,368)
Infiniti –0.9% at 9,304 (6/07: 10,558)
Jeep –32.8% at 26,642 (6/07: 44,600)
Kia 21% at 28,292 (6/07: 26,288)
Lexus –21% at 20,253 (6/07: 28,869)
Lincoln –12.5% at 9,718 (6/07: 12,494)
Mazda 3.8% at 23,771 (6/07: 25,761)
Mercedes-Benz 12.4% at 19,576 (6/07: 19,589)
Mercury –16.3% at 11,657 (6/07: 15,660)
MINI 40.5% at 5,211 (6/07: 4,174)
Mitsubishi –35.2% at 7,494 (6/07: 13,014)
Nissan –8.3% at 66,543 (6/07: 81,655)
Pontiac –5.1% at 28,402 (6/07: 33,683)
Porsche –8.7% at 2,650 (6/07: 3,267)
Saab –51.7% at 1,872 (6/07: 4,361)
Saturn –1.9% at 18,912 (6/07: 21,686)
Subaru 18.4% at 18,007 (6/07: 17,108)
Suzuki 6.6% at 9,785 (6/07: 10,325)
Toyota –10.3% at 172,981 (6/07: 216,870)
Volkswagen 12.8% at 23,208 (6/07: 23,137)
Volvo –17.7% at 7,001 (6/07: 9,572)

Not Yet Reported
Jaguar
Land Rover

COMPANIES
BMW Group 0.1% at 26,155 (6/07: 29,394)
Chrysler Group –28% at 117,457 (6/07: 183,347)
Ford Motor Co –19.1% at 167,090 (6/07: 232,457)
General Motors –8.3% at 265,937 (6/07: 326,300)
Honda America 13.8% at 142,539 (6/07: 140,935)
Nissan North America –7.5% at 75,847 (6/07: 92,213)
Toyota Motor Co. –11.5% at 193,234 (6/07: 245,739)

Click above for high-res gallery of the Dacia New Logan

Hot on the heels of the new Sandero five-door hatch, Dacia has unveiled a redesign of the cheap, little car that started it all for the offshoot of Renault, the Logan. Now dubbed the New Logan, Dacia's inexpensive four-door economy car gets spruced up on the outside with a new front fascia inspired by the Sandero, as well as additional chrome brightwork on some models. While just an evolutionary upgrade of the Logan's original four-year-old design, the mid-cycle refresh is well timed as the Logan line has now grown to include a pickup and now a hatchback. The interior has also been upgraded to include the new dash introduced in the Sandero, and we expect the new looks inside and out to make their way to the Logan Pickup, as well. There aren't really any mechanical upgrades of note, except the inclusion of the Sandero's new Emergency Brake Assist function, but what do you expect for a base price of €7,400?

[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Ram R/T

While our guys were out autocrossing the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and Viper ACR last week, Mike Levine (Yes, the same Mike Levine who tried to stuff himself into a RamBox) was doing his pickup thing over in another area of Chrysler's proving grounds in Chelsea, MI. On hand was the new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 R/T, which we haven't had a chance to see until now. The '09 Ram R/T will pull up to the line with a 5.7L HEMI V8 tuned to 390 horsepower and 407 pound-feet of torque and a 5-speed AutoStick transmission, as well as a host of exterior upgrades including a new front bumper, blacked out grille, dual exhaust, chrome 5-spoke wheels and body-color everything. The amazing thing is that the engine will scoot this short-box, two-wheel drive truck to 60 mph in less than six seconds, according to Chrysler. If that sounds a little too good to be true for a pickup with less than 400 horsepower, credit should go to the "loose" torque converter that allows less slip compared to a normal automatic. The shifts are more aggressive than in a normal Ram and the unique torque converter does degrade fuel economy a bit, but that should be none of your concern by nature of the fact that you're interested in a sport truck to begin with. Check out source link for a more detailed explanation of the "loose" torque converter from Mike Levine at Pickuptrucks.com, and view all the visual upgrades worn by the 2009 Ram R/T in our gallery below.


[Source: Pickuptrucks.com, photos courtesy of Ian Merritt, Cars.com]

Click above for high-res gallery of Audi RS6 spy shots

The Audi RS6 is about to receive some sheetmetal tweaks that both bring the super sedan's exterior styling more in line with the corporate design language and give it a decidedly more devilish look than the standard A6 or sportier S6. Out back the RS6 drops the current A6 taillights for a pair that appear lifted directly off the A5. It's a good switch, as the A5's rear end is decidedly more simple and clean the current A6. We would expect to see the same udpate made across the A6 line very soon. Up front the car gets new air intakes that flank the gaping grille, which include one big intake on either side that are capped by a smaller inlet right at the leading edge of the front fenders. The headlights also sport a row of LEDs along their bottom as well as an eyelid of some sort above, which gives the RS6's face a mean glare. Of course, behind those glaring eyes lie a 5.0L twin-turbo V10 producing well above 500 horsepower that can back up the serious stare.

[Source: KGP Photography]

An eternally unanswerable question seems to be whether or not Ford is actively shopping around Volvo for a buyer. Just this week we reported that Chinese automaker SAIC and some Russian investors had expressed interest in purchasing the Swedish carmaker from Ford, but today we learn from a source within SAIC that the company is doing nothing of the sort. The unidentified source said that, as far as he/she knew, the two companies were not in contact about a possible purchase at all. Volvo's staying quiet and licking its wounds after announcing 2,000 layoffs this week, while Ford is singing the same old song with a catchy chorus that insists Volvo is not for sale. Well, the rumor that some Russians are interested in Volvo hasn't been refuted yet, so until someone named Boris says otherwise, let's considerable Volvo on the market despite Ford's protest.

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

Click above for pair of high-res images showing the Kilgour Vantage V8

Supercars and high fashion go together like super models and getting high, so for its first ever fashion show in Paris, bespoke tailor Kilgour of Savile Row has presented its spring/summer collection alongside a bespoke Aston Martin V8 Vantage coupe. The haute couture Aston is dipped in a one-off Morning Forst Satin paint described as having the texture of fine silk, which would be quite a feat if true since metal usually feels nothing like fabric. The interior is also done up in Kilgour Midnight Blue with polka-dotted seat inserts. Apparently circles are Kilgour's trademark shape, hence the gaudy pattern on the seats. We don't understand high fashion very much, like why people care about apparel that's completely impractical and overpriced, but we suppose some could say the same thing about the cars we like. For instance, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Well, those people just don't understand.


[Source: Aston Martin]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevy Traverse

The fourth addition to General Motors' lineup of Lambda CUVs, the 2009 Chevy Traverse, has officially been priced from $28,990, which includes a $735 destination charge. As with most Chevy models, the Traverse can be had in LS, LT and LTZ models. It will be the first and only Lambda CUV to be equipped with the direct-inject version of GM's 3.6L V6, which must irritate Buick Enclave owners who have paid a lot more for their Lambda sans DI, that will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 3.6L DI V6 produces 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque in the Traverse, and can power the front wheels or all four in AWD models. The Traverse can also carry eight people if you opt for the second-row bench, though we imagine those several passengers stuffed in the way back will not be your friends anymore upon arrival. Unfortunately, Chevy has not released any more detailed pricing information, so we can't say just how expensive the 2009 Traverse can get if you load it up an LTZ model with all of the bells and whistles. Regardless, with the best engine among all the Lambda CUVs, it'd be our choice of the lot.


[Source: GM]

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Twin Drive Golf

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has revealed a new concept today called the Golf Twin Drive. The Twin Drive is a plug-in electric hybrid that uses a powerful 82-hp electric motor and a 2.0L turbodiesel producing 122 hp. The electric motor is fed energy from a pack of lithium-ion batteries that can sustain the car's mobility for about 50 kilometers or 31 miles, after which the diesel engine will take over propulsion duties. While we do know the Twin Drive also features start-stop technology and regenerative brakes, we're still a bit unclear on how everything works. From the way it's been described in the news and VW's somewhat vague press release that we've translated from German, the gas and electric motors are completely isolated, with one unable to provide the other assistance under heavy loads like in the Prius or a typical parallel hybrid. At the same time, the Twin Drive Golf doesn't sound like a series hybrid in the same vein as the Chevy Volt, as the gas engine (or diesel in this case) is directly connected to the drive wheels. In other words, the engine onboard is not simply a range-extending generator supplying power to recharge the batteries like in the Volt. What the Twin Drive appears to be is a plug-in hybrid with a very robust electric drivetrain that's forced to drag around an internal combustion engine in case it gets too far away from home. Regardless, when we find out exactly how Twin Drive works, we'll let you know.

Volkswagen is developing the Twin Drive system with eight German partners and is planning a trial fleet of 20 Golfs outfitted with the system in 2010. The German government is along for the ride, and for a good bit of green PR, VW promises the the electricity used to charge the fleet of test vehicles will be generated from renewable sources like wind and solar power.


[Source: Volkswagen]

Though we've known Chrysler has been planning to offer in-car internet connectivity on its 2009 models as an option through Mopar for a few months now, the Auburn Hills-based automaker has now given it an official name and bundled the technology with a suite of in-car tech solutions. Called uconnect web, the in-car wi-fi capability will be offered alongside other technologies called uconnect phone, uconnect tunes, uconnect gps and uconnect studios. uconnect phone is basically bluetooth compatibility that enables hands-free calling, stores your cell phone's address book and also records memos. uconnect tunes includes a 30GB hard drive for storing songs and viewing photos, and also allows playback of movies on the dashboard screen while in Park (no word on whether video can be stored on the in-dash hard drive and played back, though). uconnect gps is a touchscreen navigation system with voice recognition, and uconnect studios is Chrysler's offering of SIRIUS Backseat TV. The latter technologies are all well known and familiar, so it's understandable that everyone's going ga ga over Chrysler's promise of in-car wi-fi. We're currently checking with the automaker to find out what type of hardware the system will use, whether or not a cell phone carrier will be involved and what type of coverage area will be available. Stay tuned.

[Source: Chrysler]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Ram

Sure, it's not a great time to debut an all-new full-size pickup truck with sales falling fast courtesy of $4/gallon gas, but unlike Ford, which has delayed the release of its redesigned '09 F-150, the all-new 2009 Ram is coming despite fuel prices and market conditions. Pickuptrucks.com reports that the new Dodge pickup will actually be offering more power underhood than originally thought. The 5.7L HEMI V8 option will see its horsepower increase from 345 to a whopping 390, while torque goes up from 375 pound-feet to 407. It was originally thought the '09 Ram would offer 380 hp and 404 pound-feet of torque, so here we have a case of underpromising and overdelivering. The improvements in power come courtesy of variable cam timing, an active intake system, higher compression ratio, improved airflow and a reworked Multiple Displacement System.

And what of speculation that there would be a Ram model capable of achieving 23 mpg highway? Not in the cards says Dodge, who told Pickuptrucks.com that the most fuel efficient model would be a regular cab 4x2 with the 3.7L V6 and 3.55:1 rear axle good for around 14 city/20 highway mpg. All Ram models, however, will receive some boost in fuel economy, and there's also a new light-duty Cummins turbodiesel and Ram 1500 Hybrid coming after 2009. The fastest Ram model will also be significantly quicker than originally thought, with an R/T regular cab 4x2 sporting a 4.10 rear axle capable of hitting 60 mph in the 5-second range. With a new coil-spring rear suspension that should provide a more compliant ride without sacrificing too much towing prowess, we think the Ram may give Dodge an opportunity to pick up some market share in the full-size pickup segment, though the bad timing will almost certainly translate into lower sales overall for the truck despite its improvements.


[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]