Official: 2011 Dodge Journey

Chrysler is continuing to update its lineup with fresh interiors and engines. The 2011 Dodge Journey is powered by a new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that delivers 20% more boost than the previous unit. With this engine, the 2011 Dodge Journey develops 283 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The power is sent to the wheels via a six-speed transmission.

The exterior of the 2011 Dodge Journey hasn’t received many upgrades, shy of the new Dodge brand grille surrounded in black honeycomb with some enlarged foglights in the lower fascia.  Dodge teases that the new V6 models will include a sportier front fascia with late availability for those models and you can see from the picture in the slideshow on the left that very little has changed on the outside of the 2011 Journey… but the inside is another story.

The interior remains a five- or seven-seat configuration, but gets what Dodge calls "world-class levels of craftsmanship and comfort." If the Journey follows on the success of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango, the claim may not be far off the mark. The new Journey interior redesign includes a larger instrument cluster with a center-positioned, full-color electronic vehicle information center, a center stack that's sculpted to be more comfortable for the driver's knees, more cushioning on the center console, redesigned seats, repositioned cupholders, a larger center storage bin, and a range of six new interior colors and trims.

Revised steering and suspension geometry round out the mechanical updates for the tweaked Journey, along with reduced noise, vibration and harshness thanks to higher-quality sound-deadening materials.




Press Release

2011 Dodge Journey Crosses Over: A Gorgeous New Spirit and a Driver’s Soul

It's not over yet. Dodge continues to unleash new products to the market, today introducing the new 2011 Dodge Journey, its mid-size crossover with "right sized" proportions, five- or seven-passenger seating, innovative storage solutions, abundant safety and security features, all-wheel drive capability and models packaged for a variety of lifestyles.

For 2011, Dodge takes what was good and makes it better. The Dodge Journey receives a major overhaul with a completely redesigned and retuned suspension, a new V-6 engine and a gorgeous new interior. And that's not all. Journey also features the latest and greatest in vehicle connectivity and customization with the Chrysler Group's new PowerNet electrical architecture. Owners will feel like they have the world at their fingertips with the Journey's available touch-screen command center, Uconnect Touch.

From navigation to dual-zone climate controls to the ability to check fuel prices, the all-new Uconnect Touch media center makes life in the new 2011 Dodge Journey an excellent adventure for the driver and passengers. Four Uconnect Touch models are available, all featuring easy-to-use controls and class-leading technology. With its touch-screen display and user-friendly touch-key categories, connecting and controlling personal devices is simple, intuitive and customizable.

The 2011 Dodge Journey is nimble, composed and handles well in all driving and road conditions. Chrysler Group engineers improved routine ride handling by re-engineering the suspension geometry, adding new, improved premium tires and redesigning the steering for a more precise and coordinated response. Overall, customers will be treated to an energetic, fun-to-drive experience behind the wheel.

In addition, at 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2011 Dodge Journey equipped with the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivers a 20 percent boost in power compared with the V-6 engine it replaces. It's mated to the smooth-shifting six-speed transmission.

Drivers also will be treated to a smooth, quiet ride. Engineers reduced noise, vibration and harshness by installing new, premium sound-deadening treatments and insulation throughout the vehicle.

But perhaps the most rewarding surprise is Journey's new interior. Customers will step into world-class levels of craftsmanship and comfort. A beautifully crafted one-piece instrument panel sets the tone. A new, larger cluster with standard electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) is positioned in the center of the new gauges. It's a full-color display backlit in Dodge red lights, giving it a soft glow unlike any in the segment. New, integrated center stack bezels are less angular and more sculpted, and designers softened the radius to make more room for the driver's knees. The heating and cooling outlets are also redesigned to make them better looking and better functioning.

The center console gets a lot of extra cushion on the tilt-and-slide armrest. Lift the lid, and there's a larger center storage bin with a 12-volt outlet and USB port where owners can hook up their MP3/iPod charging connections and hide them away.

The design team also worked to make the Journey's interior more comfortable. They moved the shifter and cupholders, making it easier for drivers and passengers to get their coffee and soda without having to lean over and under the dash. There's also a larger front storage bin with side nets. The new multi-functioning three-spoke Dodge brand steering wheel with integrated controls and a wider, longer, soft-touch armrest transform the driver's seat into a cockpit-like experience. Comfortable new seats might just make drivers want to take the long way home to get a little extra seat time. The Dodge Journey offers six new interior color and trims to complete the makeover.

On the outside, Journey maintains its sculpted, clean, aggressive lines, and adds a new front fascia that sports the signature Dodge Brand "split crosshair" honeycomb grille. The fog lamp bezels are bigger and bolder, and Journey models with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 get a new, unique more aggressive lower fascia with the honeycomb texture in the grille (late availability). New 19-inch wheels, a new, less angular rear fascia and "ring of fire" LED taillamps wrap it up from front to back.

Journey also is loaded with an abundance of safety and security features, including: standard advanced multi-stage front passenger air bags, active head restraints, electronic stability control (ESC) with all-speed traction control, electronic roll mitigation and brake assist, new driver-side knee blocker air bag, supplemental side-curtain air bags covering all three rows, supplemental front-seat-mounted side air bags, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, LATCH child seat anchor system and trailer sway control.

The Dodge Journey is built in at Chrysler Group LLC's Toluca Assembly Plant in Toluca, Mexico. It will arrive in U.S. dealerships in fourth quarter of 2010.


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GM Backtracks On Plan To Nix Chevy Nickname [Video]

General Motors Co. on Thursday backed off a "poorly worded" internal memo that asked employees to refer to the brand only as "Chevrolet" -- not its long-standing nickname -- in an effort to create consistency.

In the original memo, employees were discouraged from using the "Chevy" nickname for the Chevrolet brand. GM later issued a statement to clarify the intention of the memo, saying that it was only meant to help establish Chevrolet as a global brand and that employees needed to be more focused in their communications in referencing the brand.

General Motors said " 'Chevy' will continue to reflect the enthusiasm of customers and fans."
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The internal memo was part of an effort to develop a consistent brand name as it establishes a significant global presence.

In a video also issued by GM to correct itself, Alan S. Batey, vice president for Chevrolet sales and service, said, "Chevy is our nickname. It comes from selling vehicles here in the U.S. for 100 years. We love it when people call us Chevy." Batey was one of the two GM officials who signed the original memo.

On Facebook, brand pages include Chevy Camaro, Chevy Silverado and Team Chevy.

General Motors also stated that they were reconsidering resurrecting the talifin. A sudden resurgence of the love for the 1959 Chevrolet is rumored to be the reason.





Press Release

Statement on the use of Chevrolet and Chevy

"Chevy" will continue to reflect the enthusiasm of customers and fans

2010-06-10 DETROIT -- Today's emotional debate over a poorly worded memo on our use of the Chevrolet brand is a good reminder of how passionately people feel about Chevrolet. It is a passion we share and one we do not take for granted.

We love Chevy. In no way are we discouraging customers or fans from using the name. We deeply appreciate the emotional connections that millions of people have for Chevrolet and its products.

In global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet, and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes. The memo in question was one step in that process.

We hope people around the world will continue to fall in love with Chevrolets and smile when they call their favorite car, truck or crossover "Chevy."


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Frankfurt preview: New 2010 Saab 9-5 _ With Video

Saab is already working on a hybrid version of the new 9-5 sedan. The hybrid version will use a small petrol engine backed up by an electric motor in an effort to increase fuel-economy and cut emissions.


Saab is working on a new 120-hp turbocharged 1.4L gasoline engine that will be assisted during periods of acceleration by an electric motor fitted in between it and the transmission. AutoCar says that the electric motor will offer high levels of torque and will come on when the driver is accelerating.


The big advantage of an electric motor is that it offers high levels of torque from idle. In the Saab the electric motor will come on stream when the driver is pulling away or accelerating.


The new 2010 Saab 9-5 will make its world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show next week. It will go on sale in early 2010. Pricing and availability details will be announced closer to launch date.
via:egmcartech



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Pininfarina family stake to be sold - Tata potential suitor

Pincar, the company owned by the Pininfarina family may sell its majority stake in troubled design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina. Through Pincar the family holds a majority stake of 50.7%. Selling the piece is a decision taken at a board meeting last week and was part of a debt agreement made with the banks in 2008. The end result would be that Pincar would no longer be the majority owner but at the same time the family would not leave the business completely.


A number of well-known industry names have been touted as possible new partners. One of them is Tata which owns the Tata Motors, Jaguar and Land Rover brands. The Indian company has an existing alliance with Fiat and was mentioned as an investor last year. Being closely related to Pininfarina, a company that has designed some of the most striking Ferraris and Maseratis in the past would certainly give Tata a boost in its design department.


Another possible partner is said to be Bolloré, the French industrial company. Pininfarina is working with them to develop an electric car dubbed, Bluecar. In 2008 founder Vincent Bolloré expressed an interest in becoming one of the shareholders at Pininfarina.


Could Ford also be in the mix? The Italian brand builds the Focus Coupe Cabriolet for the blue oval while another agreement sees it producing the Volvo C70 at a plant in Uddevalla, Sweden.
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Pininfarina Family Hires Bank To Sell 50.7% Stake In Design Firm

Reportedly, the family owners of Pininfarina have already engaged the services of an Italian bank to sell their 50.7% stake held by Pincar, the Pininfarina family's company. The news highlights the difficulty that luxury coachbuilders are facing from the financial crisis and the resulting drop in demand for their services and products, a situation that has had rival Italian coachbuilder Bertone on the back foot for some time now.


It seems Pininfarina's best chances for survival would come from having a group of investors, rather than a single controlling company, considering that if a large enough stake in Pininfarina was acquired by a rival company some of its contracts with auto manufacturers could be put at risk.


Despite seeking to sell off their majority stake in the company, an anonymous source within the Pininfarina company revealed to Reuters that the family had "no intention of leaving completely", and the sale was a measure taken to comply with previously agreed upon debt stipulations with banks last year.


With over half the company expected to go up for sale, speculation is rife as to who could step in to purchase Pininfarina. Last year we reported that Piero Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari's second son, Alberto Bombassei, chairman of Brembo, and the Marsiaj family, founders of the Sabelt seatbelt company have all considered investing in Pininfarina, along with Vincent Bollore, a French financier, and Ratan Tata, head of India's Tata conglomerate, who already announced its plans to invest.
Source:motorauthority



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Mercedes Innovation: The Crumple Zone in 1952

It was an inventor Bela Barenyi who pioneered the idea that passengers were safer in a vehicle that was designed to easily absorb the energy from an impact and keep that energy away from the people inside the cabin.


It may be the Volvo name which is most associated with automotive safety in the consumer's mind, but it was, in fact, Mercedes-Benz which first developed the most basic tenet of passenger car safety - the so-called Crumple Zone.


Barenyi devised a system of placing the car's components in a certain configuration that kept the kinetic energy in the event of a crash away from a bubble protecting the car's occupants. Mercedes obtained a patent from Barenyi's invention way back in 1952 and the technology was first introduced into production cars in 1959 in the Mercedes-Benz 220, 220 S and 220 SE models.


For example, Barenyi arranged the steering column and other heavy components so that they would not form blocks that would heighten the impact on the cabin. The system was designed to have the car's body crumple around the cabin, absorbing the worst of the kinetic shock of impact.


The inventor/engineer Barenyi is credited with about 2,500 patents, more than half as many as the more famous inventor, Thomas Edison.
via:worldcarfans



Press Release



Patent No. DBP 854 157: The "Crumple Zone", Life-Saver of Thousands

* Mercedes-Benz engineering mastermind: Bela Barenyi and the invention of the crumple zone
* Rigid passenger cell, interior designed to reduce injury hazards in an accident: Mercedes-Benz 220, 220 S, 220 SE model year 1959
* "Terracruiser": Bela Barenyi's contribution to the company and other milestones

Stuttgart - Almost 60 years ago Mercedes-Benz presented what would become a common life-saving fixture on cars: the crumple zone.

On 23 January 1951, Daimler-Benz AG applied for patent number DBP 854 157, using the unadorned description of "Motor vehicles especially for the transportation of people". Concealed behind this was the invention of the deformable areas at the front and rear of a car that is still today generally referred to as "the crumple zone".

In the decades that followed, this patent revolutionised the entire automotive industry and became the decisive factor in "passive safety".

In more recent times, it has even been applied in railway locomotive and carriage design.

The ingenious mastermind of the idea was Bela Barenyi for whom the maxim of the time - "a safe car must not yield but be stable" - was completely inappropriate.

He was the first to discover that in a collision, kinetic energy must be absorbed through deformation in order for the occupants to be protected. He logically split the car body into three "boxes": a soft front section, a rigid passenger cell and a soft rear section.

The patent was granted on August 28, 1952.

Rigid passenger cell and interior designed to reduce injury hazards in an accident

On a global scale, Barenyi's safety bodywork made its debut in production cars in the first six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz 220, 220 S and 220 SE models of 1959, their most striking feature being distinctive tail fins.

Developments under the engine hood were equally revolutionary: the steering gear moved far to the rear and the auxiliary units were arranged in such a way so as not to form blocks with each other in the event of a collision, but rather to slip past one another, permitting more effective crumpling of the bodywork.

Inside this Mercedes, the most significant improvement was only to be detected after giving it a second look: for the first time ever, the interior was completely redesigned in order to reduce the injury hazard in an accident. Hard or sharp-edged controls were replaced by yielding, rounded or recessed units, combined with recessed door handles, a dashboard which yielded on impact, padded window ledges, window winders, armrests and sun visors and a steering wheel that featured a large padded boss. Under heavy impact, the rear-view mirror was released from its bracket.

In 1961, anchorage points for seat belts were fitted as standard in the "tail fin". Lap belts were available from 1957, and the first diagonal shoulder belts appeared in 1962. Round-shoulder tyres also made their debut on this car.

"Terracruiser": Bela Barenyi's contribution to the company and other milestones

In October 1948, engineer and inventor Bela Barenyi signed his new employment contract with Daimler-Benz AG, where he had worked previously between 1939 and 1946. He contributed his concept for a "car of the future for the two-to-three litre class", the "Terracruiser" as he called it, which had been in development for several years.

Striking at first glance on this design was the car's body, which was split into three sections, giving it a front end, a passenger compartment and a tail. The two outer sections were strictly separated by the passenger cell which itself was flexibly mounted in a "cradle position". This mounting was to absorb vibrations as well as offer protection in the event of a collision.

One other thing: to protect the driver as effectively as possible in a lateral crash, the driver's seat, including all instruments and controls, was arranged centrally in a complex "bridge".

The Terracruiser was designed as a three-box body with outstanding aerodynamic efficiency.

Barenyi developed a huge range of trailblazing safety elements alongside the Terracruiser. These include such essentials as the safety steering column, the steering wheel impact absorber, the "disappearing windscreen wiper" and, highly important for interior safety, the protective side moulding.

His modular design principle, which he developed so early on, has become relevant only recently.

By the end of his professional career, the restless Bela Barenyi was able to call 2,500 patents his own. To grasp the scale of his relentless pioneering work, famous US inventor, Thomas Edison, has just over half as many.





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GM Saturn, sell or drop?

What’s the future of GM’s Saturn? Sell or drop?

The ailing Detroit carmaker confirmed in its most recent viability plan that it accelerate the demise of the brand to the end of this year, with either a sale or cessation of business marking the end of General Motors' involvement with Saturn. Earlier this month we heard about a new investment group by the name of Telesto Ventures reportedly planning to buy Saturn outright and source its own models from several overseas suppliers, though the accelerated time table may make that difficult to achieve.

GM manager Jill Lajdziak revealed to Automotive News that the struggling Detroit 3 carmaker is trying to find a new vehicle supplier for Saturn by September 1. The announcement was also made to Saturn dealers, who at this point are still confused and uncertain as to the direction the brand will take. Beginning next month, Saturn executives and GM higher-ups will listen to different proposals and choose the best deal for both companies. The bottom line is clear, however, with GM saying in its latest viability plan, "If a sale of Saturn does not occur, we intend to phase out the Saturn brand by the end of 2009."

Some of the proposals coming in would alter Saturn's retail operations dramatically. One of the most popular is the previously mentioned Telesto option. Under this proposal, the overseas models sourced by Telesto would not be branded as Saturns, but would rather be sold under various brand names. A Telesto spokesman explained that the Saturn brand would become "similar to a Best Buy model in that customers deal with Best Buy because of the customer experience not because they are the only place to buy a Samsung or a Sony TV".

Presumably there will also be foreign carmakers vying for the brand itself - creating brand recognition in the crowded U.S. market is difficult for foreign start-ups, and having the Saturn brand as a launching pad may seem very attractive to certain manufacturers.

A somewhat mysterious coalition of Saturn's dealer-run Franchise Operations Team and an unknown partner - possibly Telesto - has also revealed plans to take over Saturn if the brand is abandoned by GM. Only time will tell what result is final, but with 2009 nearing its midpoint it won't be long.


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Audi rules out U.S. production for now, needs more local sales

Audi currently has no assembly or production facilities in North America but was reportedly considering starting a local operation to help avoid currency fluctuations from importing popular models from overseas. The company has announced today that it is postponing its decision on a North American plant for now, due mostly because of lack of volume in the market and a need to develop a suitable supplier network to source parts locally.

Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is currently in the process of building a new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it’s possible, although unlikely for the near future, that Audi could use this plant for local production of its own models. Scheduled to open in 2011, the new plant makes sense for Volkswagen's "economies of scale" but does not oblige Audi to use its facilities in anyway, according to the current president of Audi of America, Johan de Nysschen, who spoke recently with Automotive News.

Furthermore, the VW plant will be mounting engines transversely for the VW platforms it will be working with, while Audi's engines must be mounted longitudinally - thus diminishing the efficiency of the plant overall and making the case for not producing Audi vehicles locally until more sales have been notched up.

Nysschen also stated that it’s possible the carmaker could purchase an already existing production facility, but before any steps are taken in this direction the volume of sales for Audi has to be increased. Last year Audi sold nearly 90,000 vehicles in the U.S., but the German carmaker is aiming to more than double this figure to 200,000 within the next 9 years. Should this goal be achieved then we might see Audi talking more seriously about production in North America.


source from:automk.com
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