October 2014

Honda CR-V named 2015 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year

(October 16, 2014) NEW YORK — Honda CR-V has won Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year for 2015 defeating a long list of formidable competition including the Chevy Tahoe, Subaru Outback, Lincoln MKXC, Porsche Macan and Volvo XC60.

GM delivers its best third quarter worldwide sales since 1980

(October 15, 2014) DETROIT — General Motors sold 2,449,595 vehicles around the world in the third quarter of 2014, up 2 percent compared with a year ago. It was the company’s best third quarter since 1980. In the first nine months of 2014, GM sold 7,371,743 vehicles, up 2 percent.

Toyota announces 1.67 million new recalls worldwide

(October 15, 2014) Toyota today announced it is recalling 1.67 million vehicles globally in a voluntary move to address three separate defects including a faulty brake master cylinder that could hinder the brake's performance.

Some 1.05 million vehicles will be recalled in Japan and 615,000 overseas, covering Toyota models Crown Majesta, Crown, Noah, Voxy, Corolla Rumion and Auris, as well as Lexus models including the IS, GS and LS sedans.

Audi show car for Los Angeles displays new era of Audi design

(October 15, 2014) INGOLSTADT, Germany — Audi is launching into a new era of design. At the Los Angeles Auto Show, which begins on Nov. 19, Audi is presenting the first show car that bears the signature of the new Head of Design Marc Lichte.

Toyota's global hybrid sales surpass 7 million units

(October 15, 2014) TORRANCE, Calif. — Toyota has announced global hybrid sales surpassed the 7 million unit mark in September achieving this latest million-unit hybrid milestone at the record pace of nine months.

2015 Ford F-150 voted Truck of Texas at TAWA Truck Rodeo

By Jim Meachen
Editor, MotorwayAmerica

(October 13, 2014) SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Ford Won the coveted Truck of Texas title here Friday at the annual Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Truck Rodeo for its all-new 2015 aluminum bodied F-150. Ford also won Truck Line of Texas and CUV of Texas for the all-new 2015 Lincoln MKC, capturing three of the four major awards.

2015 Green Truck of the Year finalists set by Green Car Journal

(October 14, 2014) SAN ANTONIO — Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the prestigious Green Truck of the Year award that will be presented at the 2014 San Antonio Auto & Truck Show on Nov. 6. The five 2015 model pickups that rose to the top include the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford F-150, GMC Canyon, Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, and Ram 1500 HFE.

"The significant efficiency and environmental improvements being made in the truck segment signal an important change in the industry," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the award-winning Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com.

Buick Verano’s refined ride starts where the rubber meets the road

(October 13, 2014) DETROIT — The refined ride quality and quiet cabin in the 2015 Buick Verano start closer to the ground than extensive insulation and a well-tuned chassis. Down where the rubber meets the road, engineers tuned and refined the Verano’s tires for reduced noise and a comfortable ride.

Volkswagen extends cooperation with Chinese joint venture partner

(October 13, 2014) BERLIN — After 20 years of successful cooperation the Volkswagen Group and its Chinese joint venture partner First Automotive Works (FAW) are extending their present partnership for a further 25 years, until the year 2041.

In addition, the Volkswagen Group and the Chinese joint venture partner SAIC are investing in the Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) proving ground in Xinjiang province, western China.

Of mid-engined Corvettes and Ford GTs: Sometimes life does imitate art

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(October 14, 2014) Almost two years ago I wrote a story about an item that had appeared in one of the monthly magazines about a 5.5-liter V8 with stop/start technology that would be used in an entry-level version of the C7 Corvette. I didn’t buy it, but the rumor jogged a memory of my time at Automotive Industries magazine where the late Gerry Kobe educated me on the occasional need to create three stories from no story.