Volvo had plenty of success while only selling more executive cars, and it is easy to understand why they would desire to produce an accessible entry model. Moreover, Volvo has plans for full electrification by the year 2030. In response to these targets, Volvo announced the Volvo XC20, a small … Read more
GM prepares for an EV future. But will they overtake Tesla? GM has bold plans in its quest to become the top producer of electric vehicles as soon as 2025. That’s the year when the automaker says it will have 30 pure electric vehicles available, including through its Cadillac, Buick, … Read more
Updated Sept. 5, 2017, to reflect specification changes. Rejuvenated Volvo gains marketshare. Volvo Cars continue to transition away from old platforms and powertrains, to new and updated models powered exclusively by four-cylinder gasoline engines, including some paired with electric motors. For 2018, several changes are evident, with most of the … Read more
Upstart Chinese-backed electric vehicle maker breaks ground in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Faraday Future is an emerging US car manufacturing company with a plan to bring its first electric vehicle to the market faster than Tesla Motors. However, before they can do that, the company will need to build its … Read more
We take a look at what may become the top auto trends for 2016. This year (2015) will go down as one for the books. Specifically, it will be a sales record breaker once the books have been closed on Jan. 4. That means on Tuesday we’ll know which model … Read more
For the third consecutive year, Buick sales have set a record. China is the marque’s strongest market, but the brand remains important to GM in North America. Buick, the brand almost forgotten by American consumers and nearly canceled as part of GM’s 2009 bankruptcy and restructuring, has once again set … Read more
Despite UAW protestations, GM will move forward with introducing the made-in-China Envision SUV, the eighth vehicle in this premium brand’s product line. The new SUV arrives next summer in time for the 2017 model year. The compact, premium Buick Envision SUV. Chinese-built cars are here, but most consumers haven’t taken … Read more
It is only a matter of time before a company rivaling Tesla Motors emerges. Tesla, the envy of many, may soon have a competitor in NextEV, a Chinese company that has won key financial backing from financial investors, including Hillhouse Capital. Hillhouse Capital is an important investor in Uber, the … Read more
Pentastar is the name of Fiat Chrsyler’s modern V-6 engine family. The engines are found in more than a dozen models, and power a variety of vehicles. To date, more than 5 million of these engines have been deployed worldwide. The Jeep Grand Cherokee was the first FCA model with … Read more
Volvo is still alive and kicking, one of the smaller premium brands left in the world. The Swedish automaker is now owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese company that bought Volvo Cars from the Ford Motor Company in 2009. Founded in 1927, Volvo has managed to survive in … Read more
Lincoln gets another lease on life. Ford’s Lincoln brand may have some life left in it after all. Last week, Reuters reported that Ford has committed to invest at least $5 billion in Lincoln over the next several years as well as to introduce an all-new modular platform for the … Read more
Big Apple relocation for Cadillac in the works. Fresh on the heels of its announcement that its upcoming full-bodied, top-of-the-range flagship Cadillac sedan would be be built in Detroit — starting in the fourth quarter of 2015 — GM announced this week that it will detach Cadillac from its main … Read more
Projecting the near-term future of GM’s premium marque. This Opel Cascada may someday become a Buick. GM’s Buick marque finds itself in a unique position among premium brands. Its two closest domestic competitors for years were Mercury and Chrysler, but the former brand is now defunct and the latter brand … Read more
Buick just cannot lose the Riviera model name. No surprise there as the Buick Riviera is one of the most heralded appellations in the Buick brand’s 110-year history. Auto Shanghai 2013 At Auto Shanghai 2013, Buick took the wraps off of the latest iteration of a Riviera concept, what Buick … Read more
Chinese cars began to arrive in the United States a few years ago and below nearly everyone’s radar. CODA Automotive, a privately-held electric vehicle manufacturer based in California, was one of the first companies to sell Chinese cars in America, sourcing knock down kits and electric batteries from China and … Read more
The Volkswagen Group is made up of 12 brands, going beyond its eponymous Volkswagen moniker to include such makes as Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Skoda. Not every brand is fully owned and, in the case of Suzuki, VW’s relationship with this Japanese make is a strained one. The Volkswagen Collective … Read more
Updated October 3, 2012. Compact CODA Sedan joins the EV fray. If you never heard of CODA Automotive before, you are in good company. This Los Angeles-based automaker has launched its first model, a 5-passenger all-electric compact sedan. This past week I had the opportunity to drive one of the … Read more
Tough market and competition keeps some automakers away. The U.S. auto industry is the second-largest in the world, having been bypassed by China in 2009. China’s ascendancy came as the U.S. market tanked, but its recovery is in progress and promises to be a good one. Car manufacturers the world … Read more
Malaysian parent may divest itself of unprofitable British marque. James Bond no longer chases crooks with a Lotus vehicle, having settled on various Mercedes-Benz products in recent movies. The British automotive brand was sold in 1996 to Proton Holdings Bhd. of Malaysia, a maker of taxi cabs and similar vehicles. … Read more