Autoshow Season - Saturn PreVUE concept
When is an Opel concept no longer an Opel? Well, in this crazy, mixed-up world of Saturn - it looks like it happens quite a lot.First we have the Sky Redline previewed as the new Opel GT, and now we have the Opel Antera GTC concept re-grilled with a Saturn badge and introduced as the Saturn Prevue (a corny joke since this is a preview of the next Saturn VUE due as a 2008).
Check out more info over at The Car Connection's TCC Confidential blog:
TCC Confidential � Blog Archive � Saturn PreVues Next Compact Ute
Autoshow Season - Saturn Outlook, key stats
Wow, this is going to be one big mutha from Saturn...here are some key stats for those of you that care:
Length - 202.7"
Wheelbase - 118.9"
Width - 78.2"
Height (w/o roof rails) - 69.9"
Ground Clearance - 7.4"
Curb Weight (2wd) - 4722
Curb Weight (4wd) - 4936
Comparing against the aforementioned Tahoe:
2007 Tahoe Dimensions
Length - 202.0 (Outlook is 0.7" longer)
Wheelbase - 116.0 (Outlook is 2.9" longer)
Width - 79.0 (Outlook is a measly 0.8" narrower)
Height - 77.0 (Here we see the whole body-on-frame vs. unibody difference with Outlook's roof a whole 7.0" closer to the ground)
Ground Clearance - 9.0 (Outlook, having less of a off-road bias, comes in 1.6" closer to terra firma)
Curb Weight (2wd) - 5233 (obviously, the separate frame thing weights a bit - Outlook is lighter by over 500 lbs)
Curb Weight (4wd) - 5537 (ditto - Outlook's advantage is now 600 lbs)
Other key stats for the Outlook:
Standard 18" wheels with 19" optional
Fuel economy of 17 city / 25 highway (2wd) and 16 city / 24 highway (4wd).
Length - 202.7"
Wheelbase - 118.9"
Width - 78.2"
Height (w/o roof rails) - 69.9"
Ground Clearance - 7.4"
Curb Weight (2wd) - 4722
Curb Weight (4wd) - 4936
Comparing against the aforementioned Tahoe:
2007 Tahoe Dimensions
Length - 202.0 (Outlook is 0.7" longer)
Wheelbase - 116.0 (Outlook is 2.9" longer)
Width - 79.0 (Outlook is a measly 0.8" narrower)
Height - 77.0 (Here we see the whole body-on-frame vs. unibody difference with Outlook's roof a whole 7.0" closer to the ground)
Ground Clearance - 9.0 (Outlook, having less of a off-road bias, comes in 1.6" closer to terra firma)
Curb Weight (2wd) - 5233 (obviously, the separate frame thing weights a bit - Outlook is lighter by over 500 lbs)
Curb Weight (4wd) - 5537 (ditto - Outlook's advantage is now 600 lbs)
Other key stats for the Outlook:
Standard 18" wheels with 19" optional
Fuel economy of 17 city / 25 highway (2wd) and 16 city / 24 highway (4wd).
Autoshow Season - Saturn Outlook, more pics
Here are the rest of the pictures made available by Saturn of their new Outlook crossover.
Word has it that this bad boy is not that much smaller than a Tahoe (and the Lambda was insurance against a shift to higher mileage requirements by consumers in their large SUVs - the Lambda would have taken customers who couldn't handle the mileage of a GMT900).
More details soon.
Word has it that this bad boy is not that much smaller than a Tahoe (and the Lambda was insurance against a shift to higher mileage requirements by consumers in their large SUVs - the Lambda would have taken customers who couldn't handle the mileage of a GMT900).
More details soon.
Autoshow Season - Saturn Outlook
The Car Connection is showing pictures of the new Saturn Outlook cross-over. Based on GM's brand new Lambda chassis, the Outlook will seat up to seven with a 3.6l VVT with 269hp and 247 lb*ft of torque routed through a new 6-speed automatic in front or all-wheel drive.More details as they become available.
Read about it here.
4-door Wrangler revealed
I'm sure no one at Jeep is pleased that images of the new 4-door Wrangler have surfaced ahead of its official debut at the New York Autoshow later this week...Going by the name "Wrangler Unlimited" - this appears to be pretty much what you'd expect a 4-door Wrangler to be. Note the decidedly small rear doors and the very Hummer truck (a la H1 and H2 SUT) profile.
More details as they become available.
Read about it at Carscoop
Autoshow Season - Jeep Patriot is for real
As if anyone really thought the Jeep Patriot concept was anything but a real product just waiting for an announcement (but, just look at how fast we went from concept to production - yeah, right)...Jeep has now officially announced the production trim of the Patriot as these photos - which we have a hard time telling are any different than the *cough* concept shown before.
Details include an interior that is nigh indistinguishable from the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass. Standard power will be from the 2.4l 172hp 4-cylinder that serves as the top engine in the Dodge.
In a switch from what we were expecting, the Patriot will be available in front-drive in addition to all-wheel drive (more on that in a minute). We would have guessed that the Compass would have been the only front-drive Jeep on this chassis with the Patriot taking the more Jeep-like high-ground with standard all-wheel drive. Unfortunately, the Jeep marketing folks who just had to have a lower-priced model won out - doing some more damage to the Patriot's angle of being a 'true Jeep'.However, in an effort to salvage some of Jeep's credibility - the Patriot will come with both the Compass' all-wheel drive w/ locking differential (known as Freedom Drive I) as well as a harder-core system that uses the CVT to emulate a low range (Freedom Drive II).
Freedom Drive II (which to our ears sounds like the dorkiest name for an all-wheel drive system ever) also buys you a Patriot with an additional inch of ground clearance, skid plates aplenty, as well as additional body sealing to give this model a 'Trail Rated' badge and 19" water fording capabilities.
Honestly, we would have foregone the front-drive model altogether and given both all-wheel drive Patriot models the additional inch of clearance and let the Compass play to the front-drive market...of course, we'd also have put some faux-metal door handles in the Caliber, Compass, and Patriot - rather than the cheesy textured plastic 'things' that the bean-counters have handed down (it's the little things, guys)...of course, they didn't ask us.
Expect the Patriot to show up on Jeep lots 'round September with around a 16k starting price. The real Patriot will likely base much closer to 20k - still a relative bargain for comfortable, economical, and Trail Rated goodness.
Solstice with hardtop
This comes to you via the Solstice Forums, courtesy of Autoblog.
At the NCAA event Pontiac was putting on in Indianapolis, someone noticed this Solstice in what appears to be SCCA trim - with what will likely become (eventually) a dealer installed hardtop.
Read about it at:
Sneak peek: GM's Pontiac Solstice racer? - Autoblog
At the NCAA event Pontiac was putting on in Indianapolis, someone noticed this Solstice in what appears to be SCCA trim - with what will likely become (eventually) a dealer installed hardtop.
Read about it at:
Sneak peek: GM's Pontiac Solstice racer? - Autoblog
New refreshed Durango debuts
Dodge debuted yesterday their mildly restyled Durango which will see its first public outing at next week's New York Autoshow.
A couple years ago, Dodge introduced the current Durango (shown to the right), based on the new Dakota, yet expanded to a size similar - though a bit smaller than the full-sized SUVs from Ford and GM. Unfortunately, the larger Durango ended up with some unfortunate styling quirks (like oddly shaped front dropped fenders and cross-eyed headlights).
This freshening takes care of much of this by squaring off the front-end while maintaining a touch of the stepped down fender. This change also helps give the Durango a more elegant style and connects it with the new Nitro and Caliber.
Other changes are focused on smoothing over the environmental impact of such a large SUV. Dodge is keeping the 3.7l V-6 for folks who don't need/want the trade-offs of a V-8 powertrain. The 4.6l V-8, the mid-level engine, is now fully E85 ethanol blend compatible. At the top of the powertrain foodchain is the 5.7l Hemi with Chrysler Group's cylinder deactivation technology (MDS - Multi-Displacement System).
In addition, Dodge has announced that 2008 will see the 5.7l Hemi paired with a 2-mode hybrid drive system co-developed with the BMW group and General Motors. This is expected to provide a 25% economy improvement over the standard MDS equipped Hemi.
We find it odd that Dodge won't be offering this hybrid system with a smaller engine to provide even greater economy (especially the 1-2 punch of offering it with the E85-friendly 4.6l V-8). Of course, since the hybrid system they will be offering places the electric motors in the transmission case and would not require much packaging consideration to expand its offering to the other engines - these changes could come quickly if the market demands.
Improved economy and better looks? That should help Dodge move a few more of their big utes in an increasingly tight market.
A couple years ago, Dodge introduced the current Durango (shown to the right), based on the new Dakota, yet expanded to a size similar - though a bit smaller than the full-sized SUVs from Ford and GM. Unfortunately, the larger Durango ended up with some unfortunate styling quirks (like oddly shaped front dropped fenders and cross-eyed headlights).
This freshening takes care of much of this by squaring off the front-end while maintaining a touch of the stepped down fender. This change also helps give the Durango a more elegant style and connects it with the new Nitro and Caliber.Other changes are focused on smoothing over the environmental impact of such a large SUV. Dodge is keeping the 3.7l V-6 for folks who don't need/want the trade-offs of a V-8 powertrain. The 4.6l V-8, the mid-level engine, is now fully E85 ethanol blend compatible. At the top of the powertrain foodchain is the 5.7l Hemi with Chrysler Group's cylinder deactivation technology (MDS - Multi-Displacement System).
In addition, Dodge has announced that 2008 will see the 5.7l Hemi paired with a 2-mode hybrid drive system co-developed with the BMW group and General Motors. This is expected to provide a 25% economy improvement over the standard MDS equipped Hemi.
We find it odd that Dodge won't be offering this hybrid system with a smaller engine to provide even greater economy (especially the 1-2 punch of offering it with the E85-friendly 4.6l V-8). Of course, since the hybrid system they will be offering places the electric motors in the transmission case and would not require much packaging consideration to expand its offering to the other engines - these changes could come quickly if the market demands.
Improved economy and better looks? That should help Dodge move a few more of their big utes in an increasingly tight market.