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NAIAS2016

Honda Ridgeline Strikes Back!

January 14, 2016 by admin 3 Comments

An all-new Honda Ridgeline is poised to hit the market. The latest iteration is conventionally styled while retaining its unibody construction.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline returns this spring after a two-year hiatus. The second-generation midsize pickup truck model debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week, making a clean break from the previous edition. At least when it comes to styling.

Second-Generation Honda Ridgeline

What hasn’t changed is the Ridgeline’s unibody construction as it uses a car-like architecture it shares with the Honda Pilot SUV. This means front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is optional.

“We are bringing our unique technology and original thinking to the market in a new and challenging concept for a Honda pickup,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We think we’ve got a better idea, a truck that uses its unibody construction and Honda packaging magic to deliver more of the things that many of today’s truck customers want and need with none of the things they don’t.”

Nevertheless, if you’re looking for the Honda Ridgeline to provide 4×4 off-road thrills along the lines of the Toyota Tacoma or Chevrolet Colorado, you’ll be disappointed. Just the same, Honda designed the new pickup truck to handle all other truck duties, what should satisfy a significant number of consumers.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

Your Four-Door Pickup Truck

As before, the Honda Ridgeline is available only as a four door. That shouldn’t be much of an issue, as regular cab sales can be counted in the single digits. Its latest design aligns more closely to today’s crop of midsize models — you will be forgiven if you find yourself comparing its look to the GMC Canyon or the Nissan Frontier.

Like competing pickup trucks, the 2017 Ridgeline has been designed and developed in the United States. It will also be built stateside — at its manufacturing plant in Lincoln, Alabama. That’s the same approach Nissan and Toyota have taken to gain acceptance in this all-American passenger vehicle segment.

To effectively battle in a competitive segment, Honda has to approach potential customers with something different. It already knows that it will not and it can not reach off-road enthusiasts. On the other hand, Honda has designed the Ridgeline to provide excellent on-road utility as well as overall versatility.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

Updated Engine and Transmission

What should help Honda is the Ridgeline’s 3.5-liter, V-6 engine, its only engine choice. This direct-injection motor is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, forming the only powertrain combination offered.

Honda hasn’t specified numbers yet, but the automaker claims that among midsize V-6 pickup truck models, it expects to lead the segment in a few key areas. Specifically, Honda says the new Ridgeline will offer best-in-class acceleration performance. Further, the automaker expects the Ridgeline to approach the 1,600-pound payload capacity of competing trucks. If this truck matches the previous edition’s 5,000-pound towing capacity, then it’ll provide one more reason for people to consider one.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

Multiple and Innovative Features

And if those reasons aren’t enough, the newest Ridgeline returns with one popular feature left intact — its lockable in-bed trunk. The latest design features a fully flat floor and includes a drain plug for easier cleaning and water release. The trunk is flush with the truck bed and has no impact on utility.

Another nifty feature is the Ridgeline’s dual-action tailgate. Not only does it fold down like a traditional tailgate, but it is also hinged on the left side. The side hinge feature makes it easier to climb up and in to the truck bed. It also improves ground access to the bed, which now measures 5 feet wide by 5 feet, 4 inches long. That means you get a full four feet between the wheel arches, ideal for hauling plywood or drywall.

Yet another innovative feature is the Ridgeline’s audio system, designed especially with tailgate celebrants in mind. The new in-bed audio system makes use of six exciters located in the bed walls — replacing conventional speakers — with the sound pumping out from the truck’s audio head unit. That makes for up to 540 watts of musical performance at the ready.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

Room for Five

Honda claims the Ridgeline boasts the largest cabin amongst its competitors. With room for five, the pickup has the requisite bucket seats up front and a 60-40 split-folding seat in the rear. That rear seat can house golf clubs underneath or if more interior room is needed, then one or both sections can be raised.

What Honda offers on many of its other vehicles will become a Ridgeline staple too. Such features as push button start, available leather trim, three zone climate control, a full-color center meter, an 8-inch display audio system, and smartphone Android Auto and Google Play compatibility are among its many features. Trim levels and prices will be announced closer to the truck’s release date.

On the safety front, Honda anticipates the new Ridgeline will receive the highest safety scores from the recognized safety testing organizations, including the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Lane departure warning, collision mitigation braking, forward collision warning, road departure mitigation, and lane keep assist are part of the Honda Sensing technologies.

2017 Honda Ridgeline

Honda Ridgeline Potential

As for the Ridgeline’s potential, the new model should be well received. Mike Rabkin, President, From Car to Finish, expects the Ridgeline to do well much in the same way that the latest generation Pilot — introduced in 2016 — has succeeded.

Rabkin noted that one of the problems with the previous model was its long time on the market without a change, “which made it very long in the tooth.” Providing a more acceptable design, along with advanced technologies, an updated powertrain, and robust payload are other factors he believes are in the truck’s favor.

As for its unibody construction, seen by some as a detriment for the Ridgeline, Rabkin doesn’t consider the design choice a problem, “If it’s being used as a work truck, it’s payload capacity will only be improved, and being a work truck doesn’t necessarily require serious off road capability.”

And that’s the market segment where Honda will have to do battle with the likes of Toyota, Chevrolet, GMC, and Nissan this year. It is a segment, incidentally, enjoying a strong rebound since the Colorado and Canyon returned in late 2014.

All photos copyright American Honda.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: 2017 Ridgeline, 2017 trucks, Android Auto, CHEVROLET COLORADO, Google CarPlay, HONDA RIDGELINE, Mike Rabkin, NAIAS2016, PICKUP TRUCKS, Toyota Tacoma, UNIBODY

Buick Renaissance: Yet Another Riviera Teaser?

January 12, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

Buick teases a second concept in as many years. Will GM’s premium brand build it?

Buick Avista concept.
Buick Avista concept makes its global debut in Detroit.

Rumblings of a surprise Buick reveal just ahead of the press days for the 2016 North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show) suddenly grew loud on Sunday morning.

GM’s premium brand had not only had made known its plans to debut its imported-from-China Buick Envision compact SUV, but the company said a second model would also be introduced. In particular, rumors of exactly what that model might be were shared on Saturday and soon raised social media chatter to a near fevered pitch.

Would the unseen model be the production version of the Avenir concept introduced at the 2015 show? Or, was Buick planning to bring back the Grand National popularized in the late 1980s? Those were the two dominant reports, but in the end, neither one panned out.

Buick Avista Concept

Instead, Buick introduced the Avista concept, a model that shares its platform with two other GM vehicles — the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac ATS. The 2+2 concept coupe effectively accomplishes two things: it reinforces the brand’s new styling direction and it points to a time when coupes such as the Grand National and the Riviera were important models in the Buick lineup.

Like the Avenir, the Avista may never be built. If it is, let’s hope that the name disappears — the same should be said for the Avenir.

Buick certainly has a strong history of wonderful model names that could be resurrected. Some people contend that the concept *is* the Grand National. If so, then it would represent a clean departure from the Regal, the same model the original rear-wheel drive Grand National was based on. The current Regal is a different vehicle entirely — front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available. Moreover, the North American-spec Regal is based entirely on the Opel Insignia.

Why Not Riviera?

Choosing the Riviera name seems like the better choice. The Avista is both elegant and sporty, just as was the Riviera of lore. Based on a 110.7-inch wheelbase, the coupe would come in slightly smaller than the LaCrosse, but larger than the Regal. Earlier Riviera models were full-size, then were gradually downsized.

Under the hood is a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine making 400 horsepower, the same engine slated to power the upcoming Cadillac CT6 sedan. The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

With proportions aligning close to the Chevrolet Camaro, the Avista concept should be blistering fast, rivaling the performance of certain Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus rivals, but perhaps without the exorbitant price.

Wave-Like Appearance

The Avista’s countenance is powerful and confident with sweeping body lines from stem to stern. It has an aggressive stance and its wide track and 20-inch wheels point to a formidable model.

That same flowing expression is found inside as uninterrupted lines, state-of-the-art seats, and an advanced center console are present.

“Waves, whether from the sea or in the sand, are all about motion and flow,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director Global Buick Design. “That’s exactly what this concept is all about – flowing design and the purity of the driving experience.”

The social media buzz following the Avista’s reveal was overwhelmingly positive. Indeed, the majority of pundits hope that the coupe will be built, although some people seem hung up on the model name. That Buick has shown us two rear-wheel drive concepts in the space of a year, strongly suggests that a high-end or halo model will be built.

Finding its Place

Buick’s survival following GM’s 2009 bankruptcy was questioned by many, especially as its continued existence came at the expense of Pontiac. But then, Pontiac wasn’t a brand known outside of North America, while Buick has enjoyed a strong following in China where most of its products are sold.

Whether designed exclusively for North America or with a more global audience in mind, a rear-wheel drive Buick coupe might stir more interest in GM’s premium brand than anything else to date. And unlike the Opel-derived Verano, Regal and Cascada models or its fleet of SUVs and the LaCrosse sedan, this model’s DNA is American performance, an entirely beneficial attribute at that.

See Also — Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Set for 2017 Debut

Photos copyright General Motors Company.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: BUICK AVENIR, BUICK AVISTA, BUICK GRAND NATIONAL, BUICK RIVIERA, CADILLAC CT6, CHEVROLET CAMARO, CONCEPT CAR, NAIAS2016, rear-wheel drive

Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Set for 2017 Debut

January 11, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

The second-generation Chevy Cruze sedan is out. Beginning this fall, a hatchback variant will finally be offered in the US market.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback
http://autotrends.org/images/chevrolet-cruze-hatchback-1701.jpg

It almost seems like eons have passed since the Chevrolet Cobalt and the earlier Cavalier represented the bow tie brand’s compact offering. Since 2011 it has been all Cruze, a far superior model to any previous small Chevrolet car.

The second-generation Cruze sedan is now in place and should help Chevrolet compete in a market dominated by the Toyota Corolla and Honda’s Civic. Other strong players include the Ford Focus, Nissan Sentra, Kia Forte, Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3, and the Hyundai Elantra.

Detroit Auto Show Preview

In a segment with few hatchbacks, the Cruze has fit right in. However, Chevrolet sees market potential and will add a hatchback body style in time for the 2017 model year. That model was unwrapped days ahead of the start of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Here’s what we know about the Cruze hatchback:

1. From Europe, with love. The Cruze hatchback is not a new body style. Since the Cruze’s introduction the hatchback design has been sold in other markets, particularly in Europe, where it is nearly as popular as the sedan.

2. The sedan and hatchback are the same length between the wheels. Some manufacturers offer hatchbacks and sedans based on differing wheelbase lengths. Typically, the hatchback is shorter, but GM would have none of that. Instead, both body styles sit on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, providing generous rear seat legroom and 47.3 cubic feet of storage capacity when the rear seat is folded.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

3. The design differences are subtle. From the front, the sedan and hatchback are alike. From the sides, the hatchback has a more rakish roof line. Each body style has a unique rear fascia.

4. Turbo is standard. One thing Chevrolet won’t do is have the two body styles share complete trim levels. Instead, the hatchback will be available in just two trims when it goes on sale in the fall — LT and Premier. Thus, all models will be powered by a 1.4-liter, turbocharged gasoline engine, the same one used in corresponding sedan versions.

5. Get your tech on. New cars continue to offer the latest technologies and the Cruze hatchback is no exception. The available 4G LTE Wi-Fi will allow for connectivity of up to seven devices. Furthermore, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support will be possible through the hatchback’s Chevrolet MyLink display.

6. And then there is safety. Like the sedan, the Cruze hatchback gets 10 standard airbags, including knee air bags up front. GM’s OnStar technology will also provide automatic notification in the event of an accident. You can also order up lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert, side blind zone alert, and rear park assist. A Teen Driver feature is designed to promote safe driving by novice drivers.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

Some Like it Hot

How important is the Chevrolet Cruze to GM? Since it rolled out in 2008, more than 3.5 million of them have been sold. Further, 35 percent of Cruze owners are new to Chevrolet, a product GM says has helped grow Chevrolet’s market share.

As for bringing the Cruze hatchback to the market, timing may be everything. Said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America and Global Chevrolet.“With 9 percent market growth in small hatchbacks last year, it’s the perfect time to bring the Cruze Hatch to America.” It also corrects a decision made in GM’s pre-bankruptcy days to keep the hatchback out of the market, one that the company realizes was wrong.

If you’re in Detroit during the NAIAS, the Cruze hatchback and other Chevrolet products will be on display throughout out the show’s week-plus long run.

Photos copyright GM Corp.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: 2017 cars, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, CHEVROLET CRUZE, CHEVROLET MYLINK, compact car, CRUZE HATCHBACK, front-wheel drive, GM, NAIAS2016, turbo

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