This is good news for a car that is known to be one of the most popular small car among individual buyers

The 2013 Civic Sedan recently received the top 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score in the NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), and the highest possible rating of Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS, including a top score of Good in the new small overlap frontal collision test.

Honda said it leads all automakers with every one of its tested model year 2013 vehicles earning a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2013 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe are the first and only small cars to earn the IIHS’ highest safety rating of Top Safety Pick, and the NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for the Civic Sedan further separates Civic from the competition in safety ratings performance.

The 2013 Accord also earned these high safety ratings in the midsize segment.

“Car shoppers cannot find a small car with higher overall safety ratings than the 2013 Honda Civic,” said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. “Safety ratings leadership across product lines is a fundamental part of not only our strategic business plan, but also our philosophy as a company.”

The Civic Sedan, which Honda said was significantly re-engineered for 2013, is equipped with Honda’s next generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which contributes to make Civic the first small car to earn a Top Safety Pick+ crash safety rating, and the first to earn the highest rating of GOOD in the IIHS’ new small overlap frontal crash test (sometimes called a ‘narrow offset’ test).

This aggressive test is designed to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole at high speed.

Honda said the reinforced ACE body structure found on the 2013 Civic further enhances frontal crash energy through a wider range of these offset and oblique collision scenarios.

Additional standard safety equipment on all Civic models include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control; an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); side curtain airbags; dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags; and driver and front passenger side airbags.

The post Honda’s Civic Tops All Safety Ratings appeared first on HybridCars.com.

After assessing 11 compact sedans equipped with six key features and factoring in five years of fuel costs, the Sentra sits atop the Cars.com list with $730 separating it from the next most affordable car on the list.

According to the editors at Cars.com, the Sentra bested its closest competitors thanks to its segment-leading fuel costs.

Each vehicle included in the comparison was evaluated with the following features sought by consumers: automatic transmission, cruise control, USB input, remote entry, tilt steering, and steering-wheel audio controls.

To get this combination in the 2013 Sentra, Cars.com tested the SV trim level, with the addition of the Driver Package.

“Pairing value and best-in-class fuel efficiency with style and comfort, the all-new Nissan Sentra truly stepped up its compact car game in 2013,” said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Marketing, Nissan North America, Inc. “Sentra is a solid offering in Nissan’s most innovative, highest-quality, highest-value sedan lineup ever, and we are excited to see it on top of this year’s Cars.com ‘Most Affordable Compact Sedan’ list.”

The Sentra can count on several changes contributing to the increased fuel savings. The 2013 Sentra is 150 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, yet has slightly larger overall dimensions and more interior room.

The lighter and more aerodynamic Sentra also uses a more fuel-efficient 1.8-liter engine, which along with its second generation Xtronic CVT with sub-planetary gear helps deliver a 13 percent improvement in EPA combined fuel economy (over the prior model year).

Fuel economy is rated at 30 miles per gallon city, 39 miles per gallon highway and 34 miles per gallon combined with the CVT.

All Sentra models come with standard Xtronic CVT, except the base Sentra S which is available with a choice of 6-speed manual or CVT.

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The Qoros 3 Sedan received the Award for the Most Eagerly Anticipated Domestic Car of 2013 at the Most Beautiful Automobile China Awards ceremony.

The Qoros 3 Sedan was styled by the brand’s Executive Director of Design, Gert Hildebrand, who leads the Qoros design teams in Munich and Shanghai.  The car exemplifies two core design concepts advocated by Hildebrand: perfect proportion and ‘less is more’.

The Qoros 3 Sedan is described by the new company as dynamic yet elegant, generously proportioned, and as having a spacious interior and a larger footprint than other compact (C-segment) cars.

This sedan introduces several Qoros signature design themes that will feature on future models.

“It is a great pleasure for Qoros to be honoured with such a prestigious award for our first car,” said Hildebrand.  “The Qoros 3 Sedan defines the unique characteristics of future Qoros models through its elegant, modern and dynamic design features.”

The Qoros 3 Sedan was designed specifically for young, aspirational metropolitan motorists.  The company said that in addition to its looks, it will feature European engineering, quality and safety standards and a generous level of equipment as standard, including an industry-leading eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The Most Beautiful Automobile China Awards program honors the most beautiful cars on display at the Shanghai and Beijing Auto Shows.  The prestigious awards were introduced in 2007 by Car & Driver China magazine.

“That the Qoros 3 Sedan should receive the trophy for the Most Eagerly Anticipated Domestic Car of 2013 in these highly respected awards demonstrates the impact that the judges believe this forthcoming model will have in the coming years, not only within the Chinese auto industry, but on a global scale,” concludes Hildebrand.

Showcased alongside the sedan, the Qoros 3 Cross Hybrid Concept presented the application of signature styling themes introduced on the Qoros 3 Sedan to possible future compact hatchback and crossover models, while hinting to future hybrid powertrains.

The company said that enhanced traction properties and an advanced hybrid drive demonstrate that engineering innovations is a core strategic activity for Qoros.  Intelligent control software ensures seamless transition among different drive modes.

Qoros Auto Co. Ltd. was founded in 2007, within the context of a partnership of equals between Chery Automobile and Israel Corporation, a globally acting industry holding company.

The post Qoros 3 Sedan Is Shanghai’s Most Eagerly Anticipated Domestic Car of 2013 appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Both companies said the sedan will combine JAC’s Rejoice vehicle platform with GreenTech Automotive’s (GTA) electric powertrain and battery management system.

The sedan will feature a 19 kilowatt-hour battery, good according to the consortium for a range of over 100 miles on a single charge; charge time should be between 6 and 8 hours.

GTA said it will assemble the vehicles in its Horn Lake, Miss., facility for distribution in North America exclusively beginning in late-2013. After a pilot assembly of 2,000 vehicles, GTA plans to establish another assembly facility for the sedan and expects to create 200 additional jobs in the United States.

“JAC is recognized worldwide for the caliber and quality of its manufacturing. GTA’s innovative electric powertrain is a perfect fit for JAC’s EV platform, which has won numerous national awards in China,” said Charles Wang, Chairman and CEO, GreenTech Automotive. “Our meetings clearly revealed that there was good synergy between the JAC platforms and our technology and both companies immediately understood that a strategic partnership is in each company’s best interest.”

The agreement to create this new EV sedan was finalized in March and announced this week at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition.

“The GTA partnership is of great significance to JAC,” said Jing An, chairman and CEO, JAC. “GTA has quickly proven its adeptness with a proven advanced technology and expertise as an EV developer with a growing distribution network. We believe this partnership represents a win-win for both our companies.”

JAC stated on its website news section about the signature of this agreement “that the price of an IEV 3 electric vehicle exported to the US in this time is about 20,000 USD.”

The post New American-Built EV Announced … In Shanghai! appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The racecar is powered by a production-based SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine.

Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell drove the #00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda6 to the win, with team-mates Sylvain Tremblay and Tom Long finishing third in the similar #70 SpeedSource Mazda6 SKYACTIV-D.

It was a three-way battle for most of the race with a Porsche Cayman splitting the two Mazdas.

“The new Mazda6 prepared by SpeedSource ran perfectly,” said Joel Miller, co-driver, #00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda6. “The torque of the SKYACTIV-D pulled up the elevation changes around Road Atlanta circuit strongly and the Mazda6 handled beautifully.  During the course of the race we attacked when needed and paced ourselves when required.  The event had only one caution during the two-hour and 45 minutes race, thus there was hardly any time to relax.”

This win represented a day of firsts for Grand-Am competition and for Mazda Motorsports.  This is the first-ever win for a diesel-powered car in Grand-Am competition.  It also marked the first win for the all-new Mazda6 in any race series.

It was the first Grand-Am race win for drivers Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell.  Miller is a former Mazda Motorsports Scholarship winner, having won the Skip Barber National Championship in 2007.  Carbonnell has been racing Mazdas with Freedom Autosport for many years, and was part of the team that delivered the 2011 Continental Tire ST Manufacturers Championship to Mazda.

Carbonell was substituting for Miller’s usual teammate, Tristan Nunez, who had a schedule conflict with another race in Long Beach.

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The new record (which doesn’t best a standing Guinness mark but rather establishes the original bar in the hybrid acceleration category,) was attempted to coincide with the release of the M35h in the U.K. The 5-seat luxury hybrid debuted in North America earlier this year, at a starting cost of $53,700. The car produces up to 360 combined horsepower between its gas engine and electric motor, and can accelerate from 0-62 in just 5.5 seconds. To put that in perspective, the Toyota Prius achieves 0-62 in 10.7 seconds—nearly twice the M35h’s time.

“You could feel the instant torque of the electric motor away from standstill – the car just leapt off the line,” remarked Pollard in an Infiniti press release. “But what impressed most was the Infiniti M’s duality of purpose: it might be quick, but it’s also comfy and very easy to drive.”

At an combined EPA-rated 29 mpg, the M35 hybrid’s appeal comes not from its ability to test the limits of overall sedan fuel economy, but its ability to match the performance of its luxury sedan competitors while delivering vastly superior efficiency. By comparison, the non-hybrid Infiniti M base model and competing Audi A6 sedan also achieve 5.5-second 0-62 times, but carry overall fuel economy ratings of just 21 mpg and 19 mpg, respectively. The M35h starts at a $6,000 hybrid premium over the M37.

Other hybrid records tracked by the Guinness Book include “best selling hybrid car”—which of course belongs to the Toyota Prius—and “largest parade of hybrid cars,” a record set earlier this year at the Green Drive Expo in Madison, Wisc.

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The Sonic replaces the poorly-received Aveo in the Chevrolet lineup, and is expected to be a considerable improvement within the subcompact segment, both in terms of fuel economy and overall quality. But as Green Car Reports pointed out earlier this week, it actually achieves inferior fuel economy to Chevy’s larger Cruze Eco compact, which gets 42 mpg on the highway and a 33 mpg overall rating.

Pricing for the Cruze Eco and the Sonic turbo model is also similar, with the Sonic hatchback starting at $18,130, just a few hundred dollars less than the $18,425 Cruze Eco. (The non-hatchback Sonic sedan is somewhat cheaper, coming in at $17,235.)

For Chevy shoppers considering their small, fuel efficient gas car options, the choice between the Sonic and Cruze won’t be all that stark. Both cars are similarly priced and offer similar fuel economy, with the main arguments for the Sonic being that it comes in a hatchback variant, or, that for drivers not worried about losing a little space, the sedan comes in at a discount of about $1,200 compared to the Cruze.

Subcompacts from other carmakers like the Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta also follow the same pattern in terms of their efficiency: city fuel economy in the high-20′s, highway fuel economy in the high-30′s or low-40s. One small car that does differentiate itself from the field is the new Scion iQ—not because its overall fuel economy is dramatically higher than that of competitors, but because of how those numbers are balanced between city and highway mileage.

The Scion iQ is a small, “3+1”-seat minicar with fuel economy balanced more toward urban driving. At 36 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, the iQ stands out from pack of sub-$20,000 efficient gas cars. (Only the Smart ForTwo comes close on city fuel economy, at 33 mpg.) The trade-off with the iQ is that it’s a two-door and only seats three adults and one child.

For drivers who spend a lot of time on the open road, there are plenty of inexpensive fuel-efficient new car options like the Chevy Sonic and Cruze Eco. Urban commuters looking to maximize their MPGs have significantly fewer choices though, and may want to consider either downsizing to a minicar or paying a little bit more for a hybrid.

The post Chevy Sonic Gets 40 MPG on the Highway, Is Less Impressive in the City appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Yesterday it was reported that GM-owned Opel/Vauxhall is looking for someone to share development costs for more gasoline-electric cars.

This makes the second American-owned company looking to partner with a potential competitor learned about this week.

A few days ago we reported that Ford and Toyota have teamed up to build hybrid powertrains for light duty trucks.

One specific looming incentive for the U.S Ford-Toyota deal is pending CAFE rules that by 2025 will mandate a “54.5 mpg” standard (equal to around 40 mpg on the window sticker).

In Opel’s case, the motivation to partner is essentially the same as it is between Ford and
Toyota, but on a different continent, and considering different legislated mandates.

Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke was reported as saying European law insists by 2020 carmakers’ offerings must emit no more than 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

“Hybrid technology is becoming increasingly more important. We are not holding any concrete talks but a cooperation would be certainly a good way to cut costs,” Stracke said.

So, as Ford and Toyota are doing to stay ahead of the curve, so would Opel/Vauxhall like to do if the right deal could be found.

“We need hybrid technology starting with compact cars and upwards,” Stracke said.

Opel will begin selling the U.S.-made Ampera in November for a pre-grant price of 42,900 euros As we previously reported, the vehicle is already well on its way toward being pre-sold for 10,000 initial units, and the company would like GM to cut loose some more.

“Maybe we even hit 12,000 or more,” Stracke said.

One advantage Europeans have that facilitates acceptance for plug-in vehicles is that ordinary household electric current is 230 volts, instead of the 120 found in the U.S.

This means recharging with the included charger will replenish a Volt/Ampera’s 16-kwh battery in under three hours, according to Vauxhall (see video).

Note he calls the Apera a “pure electric vehicle.” That’s a bit more bold than trying to call it an “extended-range electric vehicle.”

How well the Ampera (and European Volt) does sales-wise will determine whether Opel and Vauxhall move forward to begin assembly in Europe and the UK.

“We need a business case for maybe 40,000, 50,000, 60,000 vehicles a year, then maybe it makes sense to locally manufacturer it on the Continent or even in the UK,” Stracke said.

In the mean time, Opel/Vauxhall is weighing all options, including doing a deal like Ford and Toyota are working toward and which appears well underway toward settling.

GM-Volt

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Un•i•corn | Noun | Definition: An elusive mythical beast. Mix equal parts extreme value, good looks, and great warranty. Add incredible fuel economy and a dash of luxury. Place in Alabama manufacturing facility to bake. Result: a vehicle that sends competitors running in search of their own elusive mythical beasts. (Serves 4 in relative comfort—5 in a pinch).

While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding the next generation of hybrids and plug-in cars, the new 2011 Hyundai Elantra is a good reminder that the conventional combustion-engined car still has a lot of mileage left in it—especially when executed with such style, efficiency and value.

In the last couple of years, the market for cars the size of a Corolla or Civic has seen the number of quality competitors surge. A category once dominated by Toyota and Honda has been increasingly joined by the likes of the Chevrolet Cruze, Nissan Sentra and upcoming Ford Focus. In addition, smaller vehicles such as the Ford Fiesta are becoming so popular that they end up peeling sales away from their larger brethren. At this point there’s no denying that the small car market has become a cutthroat business.

So what’s a scrappy little Korean manufacturer to do in the face of such adversity? Up until now, Hyundai’s strategy has been to offer the best warranty in the industry combined with rock-bottom prices. Yet given the abundance of competition, that strategy alone eventually was bound to stop working.

Glimpsing this world of the future from afar, Hyundai sat their engineers and designers down and asked them to do one thing: create a small car that still offered the value and warranty customers had grown accustomed to, but provided much more content than any of their competitors could possibly provide. Instead of saying it couldn’t be done, those designers and engineers came back with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra—a strikingly good-looking vehicle that serves up 40 mpg on the highway and 29 in the city, starts at around $16,000, and for about $22,000, comes completely optioned out with a dizzying assortment of doodads, some of which are usually reserved for luxo-mobiles. What other vehicle in this segment, or a segment even close to it, offers heated rear leather seats?

Value and Options

Available in two models, the base Elantra GLS and the upgraded Elantra Limited, Hyundai chose to simplify the car buying experience by offering almost everything as standard or in the form of an add-on package—and the standard list of features that come on the Elantra is impressive. The GLS starts at $14,830, but that price won’t get you air conditioning. To get the air conditioning (and 16″ steel wheels) you’ll have to add the “popular equipment package” for about $1,200, bringing the price up to $16,080. Other upgrade packages fill out the top end of the GLS model and add items such as an upgraded sound system and nav.

The next step up, the Elantra Limited, adds in a standard six-speed automatic transmission, leather seats, cruise control, heated front and rear seats, and fog lights for $19,980. Even completely topped out, the Elantra Limited Premium can’t be had for more than about $22,000—which adds in a navigation system with a massive 7-inch LCD screen, back-up camera, 360-Watt audio system, and push button start with a proximity key transmitter.

When the entire package is added up, the 2011 Elantra Limited Premium is just about the best new car deal on the road today at $22,000.

How Does it Drive?

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During approximately three hours of driving along the U.S.-Mexico border, I was able to test the Elantra Limited on a variety of terrain, from highway to stop and go to winding back country roads. At highway speeds, its brakes (disc in both the front and rear) were a bit grabby and the handling felt mushy when making lane changes, but those issues largely disappeared when traveling at lower speeds or taking it through twisties.

Elantra’s handling and acceleration felt a bit ho-hum, but then I have to remind myself that we’re talking about a $15-22K small car. In that light, and when compared to the competition, the 2011 Elantra scores very well, providing a ride that does not disappoint.

Styling

Aside from the great fuel economy and pricing, it is the Elantra’s exterior and interior styling that sets it apart. Following in the footsteps of the Hyundai Sonata’s “fluidic design,” the Elantra’s sheet metal is wrapped taut around underlying muscle. The exterior design cues continue to the interior where the components, even on the base $15,000 GLS, have the feel, fit and finish of a more expensive car. Even though the interior styling felt expensive, I was a bit put off by the adolescence of its design—it looked like a Transformer in the midst of a noisy, clanking transformation.

Overall Impressions

The 2011 Hyundai Elantra presents just about the best bang for your buck that you could imagine in an automobile. It has upscale features, incredible fuel economy, a great price, stunning looks, and a jaw-dropping warranty. Hyundai has made the automotive equivalent of a Unicorn.

Would I buy it myself? If I weren’t an early adopter in every sense of the word and I wasn’t in the market for an electric car, yes the Elantra would be a top choice on my list. I imagine a car like the 2011 Hyundai Elantra greatly appealing to commuters, deal-hunters, frugalists, and to parents looking for a first vehicle to buy their teenagers. In fact, the Elantra offers so much content for such a low price that it should be considered by consumers across the entire market regardless of what other vehicles are on their shopping list.

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]]> http://www.hybridcars.com/first-drive-40-mpg-2011-elantra-hyundai-making-unicorns-29001/feed/ 110 http://www.hybridcars.com/first-drive-40-mpg-2011-elantra-hyundai-making-unicorns-29000/ http://www.hybridcars.com/first-drive-40-mpg-2011-elantra-hyundai-making-unicorns-29000/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:42:08 +0000 zach http://127.0.0.1/wordpress12/?p=7781 Un•i•corn | Noun | Definition: An elusive mythical beast. Mix equal parts extreme value, good looks, and great warranty. Add incredible fuel economy and a dash of luxury. Place in Alabama manufacturing facility to bake. Result: a vehicle that sends competitors running in search of their own elusive mythical beasts. (Serves 4 in relative comfort—5 [...]

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Un•i•corn | Noun | Definition: An elusive mythical beast. Mix equal parts extreme value, good looks, and great warranty. Add incredible fuel economy and a dash of luxury. Place in Alabama manufacturing facility to bake. Result: a vehicle that sends competitors running in search of their own elusive mythical beasts. (Serves 4 in relative comfort—5 in a pinch).

lantra would be a top choice on my list. I imagine a car like the Elantra appealing greatly to commuters, deal-hunters, frugalists, and to parents looking for a first vehicle to buy their teenagers. Yet, with that said, the Elantra offers so much content for such a low price that it will likely be considered by consumers from across the entire market regardless of what other vehicles they are looking at.

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