Hello, Hydrogen; LA’s Leftovers; ‘Best of the Best’
There may be drawbacks to the fuel cell-powered electric vehicle but the positives of a cleaner environment, meeting future miles-per-gallon standards, and cutting dependence on oil-based energy seem to be no-brainer advances.
Most of the news around Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai’s early fuel cell vehicles has been about Southern California rollouts in conjunction with a developing hydrogen-refueling infrastructure.
When introducing Toyota’s Mirai fuel cell vehicle, a four-door, midsize sedan set to come to market in 2016, Toyota officials said the Northeast now is in its plans.
Toyota is collaborating with Air Liquide to develop a network of 12 hydrogen stations for Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
“The name we have given our new car is Mirai, which in Japanese means ‘future,’ ’’ said Toyota president Akio Toyoda.
LA Leftovers
The Los Angeles Auto Show has grown into the lead slot in the annual auto show circuit with the other major stops being Detroit in January and New York in April. However, lest we forget, the 2015 Boston Auto Show comes to the Boston Convention and Expo Center Jan. 15-19.
Colleague Cliff Atiyeh will examine some of the show’s featured vehicles in the Dec. 7 Auto Section.
Meanwhile, here are some of the side stories that bubbled up during the press days.
What about bugs and tree sap? Nissan displayed the prototype of a self-cleaning paint on the Leaf and said a second version of the process now is undergoing testing. Let’s hope part of the testing takes place this winter on some lucky Boston drivers’ commuter cars.
What’s an Alfa Romeo dealer to sell? The new Alfa 4C is a gorgeous sports coupe, and each of this country’s 182 dealers will get exactly two Launch Edition 4Cs to sell. After that? The company is promising an eight-vehicle lineup to reach their showrooms by 2018.
The Green Room: BMW’s $42,000 i3 electric sports car won the Green Car Journal’s Car of the Year Award over a pair of diesels—the Audi A3 TDI and Volkswagen Golf—the Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel (gasoline and natural gas), and Honda Fit. The all-electric i3 is part of a major BMW electrified vehicle initiative. A future variation could have an onboard motor to generate electricity as the Chevy Volt does. Speaking of the Volt, the company is teasing the redesigned 2016 version, which will have a bigger battery pack and greater range.
What a Concept! Three concept cars got lots of attention, which, after all, is the goal of every exhibitor. Lexus had a four-seat LF-C2 convertible. However, without a top, it will have to go back to the drawing boards before going to the assembly line. Infiniti’s Q80 Inspiration may have been the sweetest looking with a sleek fastback profile, V-shaped rear window/end of the panoramic moonroof, and 550-HP hybrid drivetrain. Meanwhile, the most revealing was Audi’s Prologue. Designed by a team headed by Marc Lichte, the Prologue shows the future design intentions at Audi, with flowing lines, thinner headlight treatment, a bolder (think Ford Fusion) grille, and a second dashboard display geared to the front-seat passenger’s desires.
Porsche Under Glass: Porsche displayed a stretch Panamera Exclusive Series that will run you about $265,000 and comes with its limited edition number (only 100 will be built), the Turbo S drivetrain, and a five-piece custom luggage set.
Death-Proof Volvos: That’s the company’s goal, and it aims to achieve it by 2020. The new XC90 already offers automated braking and a City Safety system. Next is left-turn assistance if you try to cut too closely across oncoming traffic and cruise control that automatically keeps to the speed limit.
Fiat’s 500X: This crossover seems to fit more mainstream US tastes in a small crossover with several engine and transmission selections. It’s built on the same platform as the coming Jeep Renegade, but retains 500 styling cues. A suite of Chrysler safety and driver-assist systems is available.
Truck Wars: Ford finally released the long-awaited miles-per-gallon estimates for its new aluminum-bed F-150 with the optional 2.7-liter turbocharged (EcoBoost) V-6 that produces 325 horsepower. The numbers are 19 (city), 26 (highway), and 22 (combined) for a two-wheel-drive configuration. In comparison, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel with 240 hp and a prodigious 420 lb.-ft. of torque is rated at 20/28/23. That will enable Ford to claim “best gas-powered mileage in a pickup’’ while Ram gets the overall bragging rights.
Next battlegrounds: More diesel choices, more sophisticated transmissions.
Award Season
Autoweek magazine each year chooses its “best of the best’’ awards, honoring one truck and one car.
Last year, Chevrolet swept the awards with the Corvette and Silverado named winners. The previous year, it was the Porsche Boxster S and Mercedes-Benz GL.
This year’s final field has been winnowed to four cars and four trucks (including SUVs). The Ford F-150 went into production too late for consideration.
Cars: The “reborn’’ Mustang; Mercedes-Benz C-Class, “volume leader with S-Class features’’; Alfa Romeo 4C, “a driver’s delight with exotic looks and attainable price point’’; Volkswagen Golf GTI, “the German sport compact legend is a sharp, great performance value.’’
Trucks: Colorado, “Chevy gets serious about the long-neglected compact pickup market; Canyon, “GMC hopes to carve its niche in the small pickup segment’’; Lincoln MKC, “Lincoln’s return to relevance’’; and Porsche Macan, “a model that was bound to happen.’’
Earlier award of note: Motor Trend honored the Honda CR-V as its 2015 SUV of the Year and the VW Golf (all versions) as its 2015 Car of the Year.
Etc.
An early outdoor car show for 2015: Owners of Model T snowmobiles will have a gathering on the event field in Stowe, VT, off Routes 100 and 108, from Feb. 7-9.
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