Chrysler has unveiled the new 2008 Dodge Dakota mid-size truck with a new engine that offers 25 percent more horsepower and 10 percent more torque, plus better fuel economy. The truck features new exterior and interior styling, and will arrive in dealerships in August.

The new 2008 Dodge Dakota comes standard with a 3.7-liter Magnum V6 engine producing 210 horsepower and 235 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine also comes with Electronic Throttle Control for positive throttle response, and exhaust gas recirculation to help lower emissions.

The new 4.7-liter V8 incorporates two spark plugs per cylinder (the only Chrysler Group engine to do so, other than the 5.7-liter HEMI), increased compression ratio, improved cylinder-head port flow and a new combustion system. The result is 290 horsepower, a 25 percent increase; and 320 lb.-ft. of torque, a 10 percent increase. The new engine is also capable of operating on E85 ethanol fuel, making the Dodge Dakota equipped with this engine a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV).

The 2008 Dodge Dakota’s exterior includes a newly styled hood, grille, front fascia, rear spoiler, fenders and headlamps. The front end has been designed to improve aerodynamics and features better fit and gap management.

All-new fascias better integrate with the restyled grille and incorporate fog lamps. The 2008 Dodge Dakota’s tailgate includes a new spoiler that helps smooth air flow over the rear of the truck to improve fuel economy, and the top surface of the cargo box has a new protective surface.

For 2008, the Dodge Dakota will again be offered in two body styles – Extended Cab and Crew Cab – and six trim levels: ST, SXT, SLT, TRX4, Sport and Laramie.

The new 2008 Dodge Dakota’s interior includes a new instrument panel, center console and accent finishes, and several new interior storage choices.

With Cerberus now in control of Chrysler, the company is planing a complete turnaround of the under-performing brand. While the transformation will include extensive cost cutting and heavier scrutiny for upcoming models, such as the scrapping of the Imperial sedan last month, it looks as though some exciting models might make it to production.

In an interview with Wards Auto, Chrysler’s Design Chief Trevor Creed said that the Demon is at the top of his agenda and that conditions are ideal for the car to get a green light. Chrysler has yet to release official plans to make the Demon, but it sounds as the car is on the right track to make production.

Chrysler exhibited the all-new Dodge roadster concept, called the Demon, at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The vehicle is designed to compete with the popular Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, as well as the Mazda MX-5.

“While the iconic Dodge Viper is a dream car for many, the Dodge Demon is designed to be an attainable dream car,” said Jae Chung – Dodge Demon Principal Exterior Designer, Chrysler Group. “The exterior design is simple yet bold, featuring an energetic combination of curves and intersecting planes.”

Power comes from a 172 horsepower 2.4 liter engine, offering peak torque of 165 pound-feet. A six-speed manual sends power to the rear wheels. Weight is estimated a 2600 pounds. Dodge officials say an SRT version could also be offered with a 300 horsepower four-cylinder from the Dodge Caliber SRT-4.

Gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles may be falling out of favour in North America. But Russia’s hunger for them will help power General Motors Corp. and other automakers to a dramatic sales gain here this year in what business leaders say is easily one of the world’s most profitable places to do business.

GM sells eight SUVs in Russia, including the Hummer, Trailblazer, Cadillac Escalade and the popular Chevrolet 4X4 Niva model, produced with local joint-venture partner OAO Avtovaz. And while Americans move slowly towards smaller vehicles as gas prices hover near US$3-a-gallon, Russians, bolstered by their newfound wealth after the end of Communism, want their ride super-sized.

Warren Browne, GM’s top executive in Russia, calls it the “Can you make it any bigger?” trend. He said it’s being fuelled by the country’s sometimes sketchy road conditions, abundant snow, and growing wealth. Personal disposable income will more than double in Russia between 2005 and 2010, according to some estimates, making it Europe’s second-largest auto market by early next decade and surpassing France, Italy and the U.K.

“The market has really, on a quarterly basis, just gone kind of crazy,” Mr. Browne said during an interview in Moscow yesterday. “It’s been positively surprising … We offer more SUVs than most companies offer cars.”

GM sold 132,000 vehicles in Russia last year. It predicts it will nearly double that to 257,600 units this year, boosting its market share from 6.5% to 9.9%. GM, one of the first automakers to set up in Russia, is also seeing surprising strength from its European Opel brand, Mr. Browne said.

As a whole, automakers operating in Russia will boost sales from 1.65 million in 2006 to 2.6 million this year, according to an industry forecast.

Canadian auto supplier Magna International Inc., which inked a deal with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska this year to expand in the Russian market, cites the country’s growing middle class and rising average price per car among the key reasons why it is betting big on the former Soviet Union. Auto-makers and suppliers alike make profits thousands of dollars higher on bigger SUVs and their waning popularity in North America has hurt their bottom line.

Magna has told investors it believes it can generate revenue of as much as US$1,100 per vehicle from its metalforming parts alone in the Russian market, and hundreds of dollars more per vehicle in other business lines like seating and transmissions.

While the salaries of ordinary Russians lag far behind those in the West, a flat personal income tax rate of 13% and the remnants of the Soviet system, such as subsidized housing and utilitites, means many Russians have more disposable income than Westerners, Scotiabank Group said in a recent report. As a result, there is a growing middle class, particularly in St. Petersburg and Moscow, where some 20 million live.

“Russians don’t save money. They spend because they’re flourishing in their new-found freedom,” said Andrew Somers, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. All retail sectors in the country, from groceries to electronics, will grow significantly in coming years, consultancy PMR Publications said in a report, as the value of retail goods tops 10.9 trillion rubles in 2007.

Mr. Somers said he’s seen a growing number of companies, such as Wrigley and Philips, bring their entire board of directors on trips to Russia to convince them of the profits to be made. “Russia has such a bad image abroad that if you haven’t come to Russia, you can’t possibly comprehend the opportunities.”

The groundbreaking deal in U.S. Congress to raise mile-per-gallon standards will compel the auto industry to churn out more fuel-efficient vehicles on a faster timeline than the companies wanted, though with flexibility to get the job done.

The auto industry’s fleet of new cars, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans will have to average 35 mpg (6.7 L/100km) by 2020, according to the agreement that congressional negotiators announced late Friday. That compares with the 2008 requirement of 27.5 mpg (8.5 L/100 km) average for cars and 22.5 mpg (10.7 L/100 km) for light trucks. It would be first increase ordered by Congress in three decades.

Majority Democrats plan to include the requirement in broader energy legislation to be debated in the context of $90 (U.S.)-per-barrel oil, $3-plus pump prices and growing concerns about climate change. The House plans to begin debate this week.

“It is a major milestone and the first concrete legislation to address global warming,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Environmentalists have sought stricter mileage standards for years, saying that is the most effective way to curb greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption.

The energy bill will help accelerate plans by automakers to bring more fuel-efficient technologies to conventional engines and alternatives such as gas-electric hybrids and vehicles running on ethanol blends. For the first time, for example, manufacturers will receive credits for building vehicles running on biodiesel fuel.

Domestic automakers and Toyota Motor Corp. vehemently opposed a Senate bill approved passed in June that contained the same mileage requirements and timeline. They warned the measure would limit the choice of vehicles, threaten jobs and drive up costs.

The companies backed an alternative of 32 mpg (7.3 L/100 km) to 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km) by 2022. At the time, Chrysler LLC executive Tom LaSorda told employees the Senate bill would “add up to a staggering $6,700 – almost a 40 per cent increase – to the cost of every Chrysler vehicle.”

But the compromise worked out by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate leaders, maintains a significant boost in mileage standards while giving the industry more flexibility and certainty as they plan new vehicles.

The proposal would continue separate standards for cars and Trucks, extend credits for producing vehicles that run on ethanol blends, and allow automakers to receive separate credits for exceeding the standards and then apply those credits to other model years.

Michigan lawmakers secured an extension of the current 1.2 mpg credit for the production of each “flexible fuel” vehicle, capable of running on ethanol blends of 15 per cent gasoline and 85 per cent ethanol. Without the extension, the credits may have run out by 2010, but under the deal, they will be phased out by 2020.

The United Auto Workers union also won a provision intended to prevent companies from shifting production of less profitable small cars to overseas plants. At stake are an estimated 17,000 jobs.

The House’s energy bill, approved in August, did not include mileage standards, and lawmakers had worked since then to include them.

Rick Wagoner, General Motors Corp.’s chairman and chief executive, said the new rules would “pose a significant technical and economic challenge to the industry.” He said GM would tackle the changes “with an array of engineering, research and development resources.”

GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. have announced plans to double their production by 2010 of flex-fuel vehicles. Toyota has said it will bring the option to the Tundra pickup.

Among hybrids, Toyota has dominated the market with the Prius, but several automakers are beginning to bring the technology to large SUVs and pickups.

Environmental groups estimate the deal would save the country 1.2 million barrels of oil per day by 2020 while helping motorists save at the pump.

“Cars are going to be more attractive to consumers because they won’t cost as much to own and operate,” said David Doniger, director of the climate center for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Back in 1983 Tesco and Leyland joined forces to bring us this revolutionary streamlined advance in commercial vehicle design – the Tesco Leyland Economy Vehicle. Or, to be more exact, a Roadtrain with roof spoiler and not much else.
According to the news story, which appeared in Motor Transport at the time, it reduced drag by 25%. This equated to an impressive £2,000 per year.
How much of the 25% improvement is attributable to the go-faster stripes is unclear.

In a shift to sportiness, Volvo’s C30 T5 2.0 compact is stylish yet sensible

The 2008 Volvo C30 T5 is the best-looking and most enjoyable compact car to go on sale this year.

That’s right, a Volvo. If you haven’t noticed, the Swedish brand famous for its durability, safety and boxy looks now has one of the most attractive and sporty model lines in the auto industry.

Owning a Volvo used to be like going to an Ingmar Bergman film: You didn’t really expect to enjoy it, but you believed the experience would leave you better off in some vague, undefined way.

Today’s Volvo remains profoundly Swedish, but in the light-filled, design savvy and modern mode of Ikea furniture, not the clichéd image of dour eaters of fermented sardines.

The 2008 Volvo C30 T5 doesn’t just have the clean elegant lines of Scandinavian design. Its useful hatchback design gives it the cargo capacity to haul a roomful of furniture boxes home from your local Ikea. That practicality comes wrapped in Volvo’s flowing styling, making the C30 one of the most stylish workhorses on the road.

Prices for the C30 start at $22,700 for the base model, which Volvo calls version 1.0.

The top 2.0 model adds standard equipment and starts at $25,700. Versions 1.0 and 2.0 both feature the company’s smooth and powerful turbocharged five-cylinder inline engine, which also provides the T5 part of the C30’s name to distinguish it from less-powerful models Volvo sells in Europe.

A smooth six-speed manual transmission with an easy clutch mechanism is standard on Versions 1.0 and 2.0. An optional five-speed automatic adds a hefty $1,250 to the cost of either model.

I tested a C30 Version 2.0 with a manual transmission and a relatively modest set of options that nonetheless raised the sticker price to $29,455. All prices exclude destination charges.

The sticker price is one of the C30’s few weaknesses. It’s among the costliest of the current crop of performance compacts, which includes the $22,435 Dodge Caliber SRT4, $21,100 Honda Civic Si coupe, $22,340 Mazdaspeed 3 and $22,730 Volkswagen GTI.

The Volvo does have a price advantage over the $25,930 Audi A3, however.

The C30 is also among the best of the hot compacts, more manageable and fun to drive than the overpowered Caliber SRT4 and Mazdaspeed 3, more distinctive than the rather bland GTI, and less common than the very good Civic Si.

A sense of proportion is key to building a really good front-wheel drive sport compact. Boy-racers get seduced by horsepower, cranking it up to the point that the front wheels are overwhelmed by the conflicting demands that they transmit brute force and delicate steering adjustments.

The C30 T5’s 227-horsepower turbocharged five-cylinder hits just the right balance. It provides lots of oomph for strong acceleration at all speeds without generating the torque steer that mars the Caliber SRT4 and Mazdaspeed 3. The engine is so smooth and powerful, in fact, that I repeatedly found myself cruising at 50 or 60 m.p.h. in fourth gear, because there had been no noise, vibration or sluggishness reminding me to shift up.

The EPA rates the C30 T5’s fuel economy at 19 m.p.g. in the city and 28 m.p.g. on the highway. That’s competitive with other performance compacts, and Volvo recommends regular gasoline, a pleasant surprise in a highly tuned turbocharged engine.

The suspension holds the road, flowing through fast curves and keeping the car steady and level in antic maneuvers. Bump absorption was good, but the suspension was clearly tuned more to hold the road than provide pillowy softness. Steering feel and response is good, and the brakes provide assured stops.

The C30 was very quiet, with little wind or road noise.

Those mechanical goodies come wrapped in a lovely body that blends Volvo’s signature rectangular grille and purposeful fenders with a fall-away roofline and a sporty, surefooted wide stance.

The looks come at the cost of some practicality, however. The descending roof limits rear headroom significantly, and the little rear hatch’s space-pod styling creates a cargo opening that’s smaller than ideal.

Rear passenger space is the interior’s only real shortcoming, with limited legroom to complement the low ceiling.

The driver and front passenger will travel in style, however. There’s more than enough space in every dimension, and the design blends attractive dark soft-touch materials with satin-finish metal-look trim and optional aluminum accents on the steering wheel and shifter.

Those aluminum accents were among the options that drove my test car’s price up, however. If it were my money, I’d pass on them, and all the other options, with the possible exception of the pricey $1,200 power sunroof.

Standard safety equipment includes antilock brakes, electronic stability control, curtain air bags and front-seat side air bags.

The interior lacked some features I expect in cars that sell for nearly $30,000, however, including memory for seats and mirrors, power seats, leather trim and a remote release for the hatch. I was also annoyed by the fact that the ventilation system switched the fan to its lowest setting whenever I shifted from front defrost to regular heating.

Those shortcomings notwithstanding, the C30 T5 is a very good, thoroughly Swedish package. It’s purposeful, stylish without being flashy, well made and safe.

Go easy on the options — it’s what any sensible Swede would do — and you’ve got the best small car to hit the market this year.

Japanese brands accounted for nearly half the models in Consumer Reports magazine’s roster of vehicles winning the highest praise from their owners.

Toyota Motor Corp. came out ahead, with 10 of the 39 vehicles whose owners said in overwhelming numbers that they would buy the same model again, according to the survey released today.

American brands accounted for seven, or fewer than 20 percent, of the models rated “most satisfying” by U.S. consumers. But domestic vehicles gained ground for the first time in five years in the important family car category, where the V6-powered Ford Fusion and Saturn Aura won high marks.

Other top-rated U.S. vehicles included the Chevrolet Corvette, the Lincoln MKZ, the V8-powered Ford Mustang and the Ford Edge sport utility vehicle.

“These latest results suggest that domestic carmakers are getting better at capturing what people want in the car they drive every day,” said Rik Paul, Consumer Reports’ automotive editor.

Domestic vehicles still fill the ranks of “least satisfying” models, but many of those, like the Ford Freestar minivan, are no longer in production or are getting old.

Consumer Reports compiled the results from the responses to the same subscriber survey that generates the magazine’s closely watched reliability ratings. The magazine said the responses covered more than 300 models.

The findings confirm the results of other polls, which show that while the Japanese are ahead in terms of pleasing consumers, others are narrowing the gap.

“There’s no question that the quality gap has narrowed” and that Detroit’s automakers also are producing more attractively styled cars now, said Christopher Chaney, vice president at the San Diego-based consulting firm Strategic Vision, which also conducts auto surveys.

Fun, reliability big factors
Consumer Reports said the Toyota Prius hybrid car was rated the most satisfying vehicle for the fourth year in a row, with 92 percent of Prius owners saying they would definitely buy one again. Close behind were the BMW 335i coupe/convertible and the Porsche Boxster.

European models accounted for 12 cars on the list — a slight increase from last year and a disproportionately high number, given their small U.S. market share of less than 10 percent. European nameplates dominated the sporty car and roadster categories.

Two South Korean models, Hyundai’s Azera sedan and Santa Fe SUV, made the list of “most satisfying” cars for the first time.

David Champion, director of vehicle testing at Consumer Reports, said the highest-rated vehicles tended to be fun to drive and reliable. “If you buy a car and it doesn’t give you any problems, you tend to be satisfied with it.”

Although performance is a big factor, fuel efficiency is also an important consideration now, Champion said. “Cars that get good fuel economy are also very high in terms of owner satisfaction.”

Consumer Reports rates vehicles “most satisfying” if at least 80 percent of owners say they would definitely buy or lease that model again. They are rated “least satisfying” if fewer than half the owners would buy that model again.

Continued record high gasoline prices may become a trend, due in part to an expansion in biofuel development, according to some oil executives, the New York Times reported Thursday.

Development of biofuel alternatives such as ethanol is causing some uncertainty in refineries’ output, the Times said in a front-page story.

Oil executives told Congress last year they planned to expand refinery output by 1.6 million to 1.8 million barrels per day over the next five years, an increase of 10%, the Times reported.

But those plans have since been scaled back to 1 million barrels a day, according to government figures, the paper said.

Refining shortfalls have been cited as at least a partial cause of the recent of the recent record prices, with gasoline’s most recent record set Monday at $3.218. Diesel’s national price Monday was $2.803, according to the Energy Department.

The record gas price is close to topping the March 1981 inflation-adjusted record of $1.42 a gallon, the Times reported. In today’s dollars, that would be the equivalent of $3.31 a gallon.