July 2015

Nissan celebrates 10,000 Leaf sales in the UK

(July 6, 2015) LONDON — Nissan is today celebrating a significant milestone as figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturing and Traders (SMMT) confirm that more than 10,000 Nissan Leafs have been sold in the UK since the vehicle came to market.

Launching in 2011, the Nissan Leaf quickly established itself as the nation’s pure electric model of choice and despite the arrival of a number of new entrants in the market, the latest dataset released by SMMT confirms that the Leaf remains firmly ahead of the chasing pack.

Nissan invites enthusiasts to participate in Franklin-to-Memphis road trip

(July 6, 2015) NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In celebration of its rich sports car heritage, Nissan North America is hitting the highway for the 28th Annual International Z Car Convention (ZCon), hosted each year by the Z Car Club Association. The company is looking for Nissan enthusiasts and road warriors to join employees and VIPs for a 220-mile road trip from Nissan headquarters in Franklin, Tenn. to a Beale Street celebration in downtown Memphis.

The Bentley boys are back in town

(July 5, 2015) SILVERSTONE, England — This year’s 25th anniversary Silverstone Classic July 24-26 will celebrate its milestone Silver Jubilee with its widest-ever spectrum of glittering motor sport history.

At one end of the phenomenal panorama the introduction of F1 cars from the turbocharged Senna and Schumacher era brings the story almost up to date. The return of the evocative Pre-War Sports Cars meanwhile will take festival-goers much further back in time to an epoch when the famed Bentley Boys were victorious at Le Mans in the 1920s.

Alfa Romeo’s new Giulia sedan could lead to a new start for FCA

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 5, 2015) After years of false starts, promises and delays, Alfa Romeo finally introduced its new small sedan to the world. Known internally as the 159, the menacingly aggressive red sedan rolled onto the stage at the Alfa Romeo Museum on the 105th anniversary of the founding of A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) as Andrea Bocelli sang an aria from Turandot.

Volkswagen, Discovery Channel launch 'Sharks ReScored' for Shark Week

(July 4, 2015) HERNDON, Va. — Volkswagen of America, in its fourth year as a sponsor of Discovery’s Channel’s SHARK WEEK, is collaborating with the network to debut Sharks ReScored as part of the Golf SportWagen launch. The all-new Golf SportWagen is changing the way wagons are perceived and the collaboration aims to use music as a way to explore sharks, providing insight into how they are a vital part of the ocean’s ecosystem.

Refreshed 2016 Fiat 500 revealed


(July 4, 2015) July 4 has always been a red-letter date for the Fiat 500. A symbol of mass motorization in Italy, of which almost 3.8 million were sold, the original Fiat 500 was introduced on this day in 1957. Exactly fifty years later, on July 4 2007, Fiat chose to celebrate that heritage by introducing the New Fiat 500, a car which embodied the same spirit and personality as the original and which has also enjoyed phenomenal success all over the world.

Kia has best first-half sales performance in history in North America

(July 3, 2015) IRVINE, Calif. — After setting an all-time monthly sales record in May, Kia Motors America’s (KMA) momentum continued with best-ever June sales of 54,137 vehicles, capping off the greatest first-half performance in company history. With more than 300,000 vehicles sold in six months, Kia is up 4.6 percent year-to-date.

Sales of the Sedona minivan, which was completely redesigned for the 2015 model year, reached new heights with a 707-percent increase over June 2014.

Fiat Chrysler Canada reports best June sales since 1985

(July 2, 2015) WINDSOR, Ontario — FCA Canada has reported June 2015 sales of 27,217, compared with 27,013 sold in June 2014. The results mark the best June sales since 1985.

”We were the largest manufacturer of vehicles in Canada in 2014 and with the $2 billion investment in our Windsor Assembly Plant and new minivan program, the future of Canada’s #1 selling minivan has never looked brighter,” said Dave Buckingham, chief operating officer, FCA Canada. 
 

Smartphone overheating? Chevy Impala can help

(July 3, 2015) DETROIT — While occasional smartphone overheating is normal, it can be disconcerting as it saps the phone’s battery life and slows processing speeds. Industry-first technology coming soon to some Chevrolet models can help cool down this problem.

Engineers regularly subject vehicles to the most extreme climates to ensure subsystems work properly. While testing a smartphone wireless charging feature, they noticed some smartphones would suspend charging or shut off altogether after only a few minutes in high temperatures inside a car’s cabin.

Volvo Cars adds luxury with Excellence Child Safety Seat Concept

(July 3, 2015) Volvo Cars’ design team have completely re-imagined how children could travel safely in cars in the future. The move follows the Shanghai reveal of the XC90 Excellence and the Lounge Console Concept, which marked a bold and luxurious step forward for the Swedish car brand.