Daily Archives: October 12, 2013
Mitsubishi’s Car Trio at Tokyo Motor Show
Mitsubishi, the Japanese automaker has left all in awe with its big and bold step of announcing the revelation of its new green SUVs at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. Yes! SUV’s’! Though the company didn’t make any appearance at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, Mitsubishi is to reveal a new series of three green and hybrid SUV concepts at the much awaited Tokyo Motor Show. The brand still owns an amazing line of SUVs with models like the 2014 Outlander and Mirage in its bag, yet hasn’t been much of a newsmaker recently. However, the revelation of the trio concept of the green SUV’s in the Tokyo Motor Show, which has already made much news, has surely created a great deal of possibility to spark things up for the automaker.
First up in the new series is the Mitsubishi Concept AR or “Active Runabout”. The SUV concept suggests a future generation vehicle that is compact yet doesn’t limit its usability to one purpose. The multipurpose vehicle is a potent preview of an all new Grandis. The Mitsubishi AR is to be powered by a turbocharged small-capacity direct injection engine. Next is the Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV or the Cross (X) over runner which is again a next generation compact utility vehicle and will be powered by a “lightweight and super efficient” plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The brand claims that this cross runner will present the driver with “agile driving dynamics and sport-coupe like styling” and might be a preview to the second generation ASX crossover that is expected soon. And finally, the Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV or the “Grand Cruiser” is a next generation SUV which is big or rather grand, as the name suggests. This SUV concept sports a plug-in hybrid electric system. Also, the Mitsubishi GC-PHEV concept will be a foretaste to the all new Mitsubishi Pajero that is all set to release next year which would be almost 15 years after the current Pajero debuted in 1999.
There hasn’t been any official or complete disclosure of the three vehicles but the teaser images that were released reveal a new design approach of the brand. The new SUV concepts from Mitsubishi boast bold emphatic grilles and sweeping lines. Also, the new designs are to feature Mitsubishi’s newest safety features and driver support technologies that operate on mobile network connectivity. Mitsubishi adds that the new trio series concept emphasizes on the brands pursuit of “environmental responsibility, driving pleasure, off road performance and safety” for its coming generation of passenger vehicles.
Mitsubishi has come up with an impressive series of concepts for its new hybrid and green SUVs. Be it the full sized Grand Cruiser with all terrain driving capabilities or the Crossover Runner with amazing fuel efficiency and dexterous driving skills or the Active Runabout concept which combines the practicality of an SUV with the interior space and mobility of an MPV, the brand has left no stones unturned to offer a line of SUVs to please all kinds of car lovers and can prove to be a total game changer in the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.
All New 2015 Cadillac Escalade
This is the all new fourth generation of Cadillac’s default flagship. The fully redesigned Cadillac Escalade, which looks to reclaim some ground for the signature SUV that was once a leading vehicle in its segment. The 2015 Cadillac Escalade defines new level of luxury to the fourth generation of the brand’s largest and most daunting vehicle. Holding its roots firm to the old school Cadillac grounds the new Cadillac Escalade is massive and without any compromises. The new SUV from Cadillac is less a truck and more a caddy with a V8 and has been dramatically transformed in design and quality and will be much differentiated from the related Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon models.
The 2015 Escalade is offered both as a conventional sport utility vehicle and the plush, extra long eight-seat Escalade ESV version. On the outside, the new Cadillac Escalade retains what the Escalade has always been about. A humungous sport utility vehicle that shares quite some amount of its basic structure and running gear with its Chevy and GMC siblings! However, what completely transforms the new Escalade is the strikingly new and improved technology and material. The 2015 Cadillac Escalade is big and it is bold. The luxury SUV sports clear and classy lines and a full LED lighting rear and front façade. With aluminum hood and tailgate, the Escalade uses active grille shutters to significantly reduce the drag and effectively increase the fuel efficiency for the massive sports ute. Coming standard with 20 inch wheels, the Escalade also gives an option of 22 inch. While the extended ESV Escalade is 224 inches long the standard 2015 Cadillac Escalade is a modest 204 inches. The beasts can tow from 7,700 to 8,200 pounds, depending upon the configuration.
Talking about the power, the standard 2015 Escalade is powered by a 6.2 liter V-8 engine generating massive 420 horsepower. The engine produces a whopping 460 pond feet of torque and is mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. A new addition is the direct fuel injection and cylinder shut-off that translated to better fuel efficiency. Just like its predecessors, 2015 Cadillac Escalade comes in rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions. On the inside, the new Cadillac Escalade looks amazingly classy and sophisticated an impressive choice among various accents.
The 2015 Cadillac Escalade will debut this fall and is expected to be priced at about $65,000 and above. The masculine and gigantic luxury SUV will be a direct competition to the GMC Yukon Denali, Infiniti QX80 and the Mercedes Benz GL-Class.
Lamborghini’s SUV to be Produced Earlier Than Previously Stated!
Earlier we reported how the Lamborghini’s gorgeous compact SUV, Urus saw some hindrances in its pre-production life. It’s production itself was in jeopardy for some time. The company’s CEO, Stephan Winkelman later stated that the Urus will go under production by 2017. Lamborghini fans and those who are waiting for the Urus hold your breath, for the SUV is all set to go under production very soon!
After all the problems that the Urus faced regarding its production, the SUV has finally received the final green light. The CEO disclosed that the SUV will be out in the markets pretty soon. However, he did not disclose the exact date. “We’re going low profile now,” Winkelmann declared. “I can’t tell you much on details now, but when we get close to the launch, we will have more.” It seems as if the company might have introduced even more amazing changes in the already gorgeous SUV! Time will tell!
The production of the SUV was delayed last year due to the economic conditions of the European markets. The company developed the SUV further during this phase. Now the Urus is all set to be manufactured. Winkelman also declared that although the Chinese mrket has been a huge boon for Lamborghini, the nation has cut low on the purchases of end trim luxury items. Hence, the best markets for the Urus shall be Japan, the gulf countries and the United States of America.
Besides the fact that it is a Lambo SUV, there are a number of enthralling things about the Urus which ensure that the SUV is capable of being better than all others in the market! Urus will be much lighter than its competitors as its body is to be made up of carbon fibre. The main competitors like the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, etc. all will be at least a hundred kilograms heavier than the Urus. An interesting thing to note here is that all these three SUVs share the same platform with the Urus, the MQB platform. Also, Lamborghini’s being eco-friendly with this one as the engine has been paired with a hybrid system using an electric motor for developing the torque. The engine that we speak of here is not a small one. We are referring to an insane 4000cc V8 engine here! This hybrid system is further coupled with an all-wheel drive drivetrain. We are hoping for a six speed automatic transmission on this one. The SUV will definitely blow any speed freak’s mind off high up into the air!
Now that the company’s CEO has himself stated that the vehicle will be out for production really soon, a spark has risen among buyers and lovers. Lamborghini now hopes to keep it low with the news as it plans on making the hopes and anticipations insane until the launching dates come up. We hope of seeing no more hindrances in the production of the beautiful vehicle. However, we will keep you updated!
2014 Mercedes Benz M-Class – IIHS’s Top Safety Pick
The 2014 Mercedes Benz M-Class is one of the most perfect SUVs in the market. This stunningly stylish super utility vehicle is one hell of an off-roader and yet is a favorite and strong status symbol for the high end families in the up-class suburbs. What’s newer with the already new SUV is that it has recently been awarded with the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ honor by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The accolade translates to an impressive rating for performance in various evaluations that are conducted by the IIHS. Small front overlap, moderate front overlap, side/roof strength and seat/head restraints club together to form the IIHS evaluations.
The tricky and one of the major adjustments that has to be faced by all the automakers was the small front overlap test. The new evaluation test was started just a year back by the IIHS. The 2014 Mercedes Benz M-Class was reinforced with newer and stronger door sills to increase the SUV’s protection in small overlap front crashes like running into a tree or a lamp post while driving. The Institute’s reports reveal that the new 2014 Mercedes Benz M-Class takes pride in the driver’s space that has been “maintained reasonably well”. The crash test on a dummy resulted in a possibility of a few lower left leg injuries; however, a significantly lower risk of injuries to the rest of the body was an impressive outcome. Moreover, as the reports say, the crash tested dummy head “made good contact with the front airbag” which didn’t run and move from its position during the crash.
Also, deployment of the side curtain airbag was quick and efficient and “had sufficient forward coverage”. This implies that the SUV completes protects the drivers head from frond as well as from any contact with the vehicle’s side structures and any outside objects.
The 2014 Mercedes Benz M-Class boasts nine standard airbags and the brands very own Mercedes’ Attention Assist system. The safety feature keeps a check on the monitor for drowsiness, dramatically reducing the risks for accidents. Another striking safety feature in the new Mercedes Benz M-Class is the Collision Prevention assist that comes standard with all the models. And it does not stop there. The brand offers some optional safety features as well. Further safety options include a rear view camera, a blind-spot monitoring system, and the Parktronic system that is a great when it comes to parallel parking assistance.
The 2014 Mercedes Benz M-Class is a luxury SUV with masculine deftness and aggressive features on its outside and soft sophisticated curves, smooth lines and a sedan-like appeal on the inside. And the luxury SUV also drives like a posh sedan even while exuding its off-roadness from its appearance. The new additions to the safety features in the new Mercedes Benz M-Class and then the acknowledgement of the changes with the IIHS Top safety Pick+ award surely makes the stylish luxury SUV one of the best picks in the booming market of big and beautiful SUVs.
2014 Kia Sorento Is The Safest SUV!
Among the vast number of compact SUVs that have been coming out in the market since crossovers gaining support over their truck based fathers, the 2014 Kia Sorento has stepped up and made a mark which might help in making the model a huge success in the SUV world. With the help of its brilliant safety features, the Sorento joined the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester in the category of five star winners from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Also, the 2014 Sorento gained a Top Safety Pick Rating from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).
Orth Hedrick, the director of product planning in the US was quoted as saying, “Already a compelling entry in the compact SUV category, earning a five-Star rating from NHTSA makes the Sorento an even stronger contender within its segment while underscoring Kia’s overall commitment to delivering safety and exceptional value to our customers.” Officials at KIA stated that the vehicle showed great results in all the three categories of frontal crash, side crash as well as rollover crash.
The trend of making changes to an existing model so as to keep them on the top continues to breed within companies and the 2014 Sorento is the result of the same. Although the changes that Kia has made to the Sorento can barely be seen directly, there are still a number of structural changes which led to the five stars that the SUV now flaunts. If the company is to be believed, then the Sorento now sits on a new platform. Further, you might find a few changes in the exterior looks as well!
The new 2014 Kia Sorento features a mighty 3300cc V6 engine which is capable of providing a massive torque of 252 lb.-ft. (290HP). Paired with a highly efficient 6 speed automatic transmission system, this engine provides as much or even more thrust to the vehicle that any average user would want. The vehicle comes with an all-wheel drive drivetrain. A peculiar thing to note about the Sorento is that even though it is a compact SUV, it features a third row of seats. Yes, it is a seven seater! We like to say that the Sorento is hence, a bit larger than compact SUVs but way smaller than the large truck based ones. A nice new technology equipped in the 2014 model makes the SUV’s ride a lot more fun. We’re speaking of the FlexSteer option. The driver can choose between three modes of steering control as per his needs – Comfort Mode, Normal Mode and Sport Mode.
The conclusion that one can draw is that the 2014 Sorento is absolutely worth investing in. Being a perfect choice for families on account of the third row of seats, the Sorento just earned a factor which places it above most of the vehicles of the same category. Featuring such a good number of safety features, the SUV definitely earned the amazing ratings!