Report: Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch coming in 2012

Thursday, Mar 31st, 2011 @ 7:45 a.m.

When Leftlane first posted pictures of an intercooled, body kit-equipped three-door Fiesta testing on Michigan public roads in March 2010, Ford was quick to dismiss the car as a one-off aftermarket specialty car.

But Leftlane knew better than to buy that story, and even brought more photos of a similar car across the pond testing in Germany, making the odds of it being a “one-off specialty car” close to nil. Fast-forward a few months without any news on a possible Fiesta ST, and now Autocar is reporting that a hopped-up ST Fiesta is indeed confirmed for 2012.

As Leftlane had suggested all along based on inside sources privy to such matters, the Fiesta ST is expected to use a turbocharged – or EcoBoosted as Ford would prefer we say – version of the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder than churns out 120 horsepower when it isn’t being force-fed air. Autocar believes that the Fiesta ST will boast about 180 horsepower, but don’t rule out power figures as high as 200.

Although not confirmed, expect a six-speed manual to finally make its way onto the Fiesta for this application, while the six-speed dual-clutch automatic Ford offers in the standard car may or may not be available.

This hot little hatchback was sporting a revised front fascia, and an all-new split dual-exhaust design poking out from the rear bumper. Up front, an intercooler appears to be visible through the mesh grille work of the Fiesta’s air dam.

In Europe, this Fiesta ST will be set to do battle with the Renault Clio 200 and Seat Ibizia Cupra, but thanks to Ford’s new “One Ford” global development program, U.S. customers should benefit from Europe’s small hot-hatch wars.

What we’ve seen in testing
The Fiesta prototype we have previously spied has a handful of tasteful black-out bits and a subtle body kit that appeared at the time to have been lifted from the options list of European Fiesta’s, as well as elements of Europe’s titanium trim. But with Ford’s recent announcement of new sport packages, it appears that the testing prototype was sporting a few tidbits that will also be available on the naturally aspirated unit.

The prototype’s new rear diffuser is also similar to one of the Euro add-ons, but it has been tweaked to integrate the new dual exhaust tips for a nicely finished and certainly sporty look. Fetching carbon-grey Speedline wheels complete the package.

Custom interior to match the exterior
Although the door panels and dash appear to be stock in both prototypes we have spied, our latest images confirm racing-style Recaro seats with bright yellow stitching. We expect minor interior changes, possibly in the form of additional boost and diagnostic gauges, as well as unique ST badging to arrive in time for the production model.

More than one EcoBoost Fiesta in the future?
Although far from confirmed, Leftlane has also learned that Ford is hard at work testing a smaller, 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder EcoBoost offering for the Fiesta. This engine, according to inside sources, will yield a fuel economy bump into the low to mid-40s, while yielding power essentially identical to the larger, naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder.

Depending on packaging, a second, smaller and eco-minded EcoBoost Fiesta could prove to be a great alternative to a hybrid with a faster return on investment, along with the fun that boosted vehicles are known for.

References
1.’New Fiesta ST…’ view

View the original article here

Report: Nissan suffers 55,000 vehicle production loss in March

Wednesday, Mar 30th, 2011 @ 11:34 a.m.

Nissan has been one of the more vocal and forthcoming automakers in Japan, hardly shying away from sharing the sometimes ugly truth about the damage sustained from the recent natural disasters in Japan.

In the last week alone Nissan has revealed that some of its parts suppliers are still in dire straits, conditions may force the automaker to turn to U.S. plants to export engines back to Japan and even that the automaker is now checking its parts for unsafe levels of radiation as the nation of Japan suffers from a nuclear energy plant meltdown. To top it all off, Nissan has now revealed to Reuters that it will suffer a loss in vehicle production of 55,000 units just in the month of March.

To put the 55,000 vehicle number in perspective, the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, meaning that just two-thirds of the month’s production was lost, creating the 55,000 unit shortfall. Nissan also suggested that a return to full production will take “some time,” but as with most automakers, it is impossible to truly know an accurate timeline due to the countless variables hindering production.

References
1.’Nissan: quake to cut…’ view

View the original article here

Report: March sales could increase 9 percent

Thursday, Mar 24th, 2011 @ 10:13 a.m.

Despite some uneasy market conditions, March could see a near double-digit sales growth. The latest report predicts 1.2 million light vehicles will be sold during the month of March, representing a 9 percent increase over the same month last year.

According to J.D Power and Associates’ monthly report, sales are trending upward in March, likely to result in total light vehicle sales of 1.2 million units. Of those sales, 991,900 are expected to be retail sales, translating to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 10.9 million units.

Additionally, J.D. Power raised its first quarter forecast to 10.7 million vehicles, up from 10.6 million. Total sales for 2011 could hit 13 million units, which would be an increase of 13 percent from 2010.

“With all the dynamic variables kind of interplaying out there right now, we still are seeing strong sales,” said Jeff Schuster, executive director of global forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates.

“We’re also seeing that the likelihood of some inventory shortages is actually causing buyers to maybe push up their purchase decisions to hit the dealerships now while there still is inventory on some of the models that may be in short supply, so March could be getting a boost from that as well.”

However, those same inventory concerns could limit growth during the month of April.

References
1.’J.D. Power: March…’ view

View the original article here

Report: Next BMW M5 to retain manual gearbox

Friday, Mar 25th, 2011 @ 5:34 p.m.

Although most purists still believe that rowing your own gears is the only way to drive a sports car, many automakers – including Ferrari — are making the shift from manual gearboxes to semi-automatic units. However, BMW is said to be resisting change and will offer a manual gearbox in its next-generation M5.

Contradicting previous rumors, BMW is said to be readying a manual gearbox option for its next-generation M5. It was believed that BMW scrapped plans for a manual M5 because its Getrag-sourced transmission simply couldn’t handle the power of the car’s twin-turbocharged engine, but the German automaker has apparently found a solution.

There is, however, a catch. While Europeans prefer manual transmissions far more than American drivers, the manual version of the M5 will reportedly only be available in the United States. No reasoning was given for the decision.

Check back for more information on the M5 following its debut at the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show.

References
1.’Fast Saloons…’ view

View the original article here

Report: Next-Gen Chevrolet Equinox To Downsize

General Motors plans to take its best-selling crossover vehicle down a notch—in size and weight, that is, according to one report from GM Inside News.

It's a trend we might see a lot more of over the next several years, as automakers struggle to meet tougher upcoming fuel economy regulations. And in one of what we think will be many more cases, the next generation of the Equinox, due for around the 2016 model year, is due to be downsized.

The current 2011 Equinox is still based on GM's Theta platform, originally introduced with the 2002 Saturn Vue. It's nearly a mid-size vehicle, at about 188 inches long, and it's as heavy as a mid-size ute, at close to 4,000 pounds with all-wheel drive and about 4,200 pounds with the available V-6—that's hundreds of pounds more (and larger on the outside) than the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, or Hyundai Tucson. The Equinox, in fact, is more in line with the likes of the Toyota Highlander and Kia Sorento, while the Chevy Traverse is a half-step larger.

The next-gen Equinox will be built off a new version of the automaker's Global Delta platform, which will be several hundred pounds lighter than the current Delta platform. Currently, the Delta platform is used in the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and 2012 Buick Verano.

Also, according to GMI, the new Gamma platform, on which the automaker is building the upcoming 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, will also be the foundation for a smaller crossover.

What do you think: Are we at the cusp of another major downsizing trend? Will Americans be happy with a slightly smaller Equinox?

[GM Inside News]

View the original article here

Report: Renault considering Le Car revival

Thursday, Mar 17th, 2011 @ 1:57 p.m.

It may give George Costanza – aka “Le George” — nightmares, but Renault is said to be considering a modern version of its Le Car small car. Originally called the R5 in Europe, the revived three-door would stand as Renault’s premium small car.

According to InsideLine, Renault is considering a new small car inspired by the R5 supermini of the 1970s. The neo-R5 would be positioned as a premium offering, taking on the MINI Cooper, Citroen DS3 and the Fiat 500.

The original R5 was brought to the United States as the Le Car in 1976, but it’s highly unlikely the new model would ever make it to our shores.

The revived R5 is still in the early planning stages, but Renault designers are keen to use retro styling cues. The original’s rectangular headlights, impact bumpers and vertical taillights would likely find their way on the new car. The new R5 would ride on a version of the Clio’s small car platform.

The project has yet to get the green light, but a production version of the re-born R5 could arrive in European showrooms as early as 2014.

References
1.’Renault May Revive…’ view

View the original article here