Dodge offers sneak peek at 2011 Mopar Charger

The 2010 Mopar Challenger arrived last summer to a hero’s welcome. Chrysler only offered 500 copies of the special edition Mopar model, which carried a base sticker price of $38,000. With the all-new 2011 Charger now trolling Dodge dealer parking lots all around the country, you can probably guess which vehicle is next to feature a Mopar makeover.

Fortunately, Chrysler doesn’t plan to disappoint, as the automaker has released the first sketch of its forthcoming special edition model. The rendering reveals a black and blue color scheme similar to that of the Challenger, though the side stripes have been replaced with a stripe that stretches across the hood, roof and trunk. As an added bonus, the Mopar team appears to have gotten rid of the bulbous and unnecessary hood scoop for the 2011 Charger; a move we support 1,000 percent.

Some 2010 Mopar Challenger owners may have been disappointed that Chrysler’s mod team opted for the 5.7 liter V8 as the engine of choice instead of the more powerful 6.1 liter V8. Team Pentastar hasn’t yet announced which engine the Mopar Charger will receive, though the automaker did promise that engineers have “added even more performance.” We’re hoping that “more performance” translates into the new 470-horsepower, 6.4 liter V8, but we’ll have to wait until later this month when Chrysler officially reveals the hot new sedan at an as-yet undisclosed event (New York Auto Show?).

[Source: Chrysler]

PRESS RELEASE:

Auburn Hills, Mich. - Today, Chrysler Group LLC issued a sketch of its new Mopar® ‘11 Charger. The company will release details of the vehicle later this month.

“After the success of our Mopar ‘10 Challenger, we moved on to the iconic Dodge Charger and added even more performance,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “As a new company, we will continue to leverage the heritage of the Mopar brand at every turn.”

Review: 2011 Lexus IS 250 AWD

Your available options in the entry-level luxury sedan segment rival the variety found at your local Baskin-Robbins. Interested in all-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive? Nearly every automaker has you covered. Want to row your own gears, or sit back and let the silicon chippery do the work? The car of your dreams awaits. There’s an option for all of us, and if you prefer a good vanilla to rocky road, then you’re going to love the 2011 Lexus IS250 AWD.

The Lexus IS 250 is instantly familiar, yet ever-so-slightly different for 2011. The reason is that little has changed on the exterior, with a few minor exceptions. Some updates are hard to find, while others are immediately clear. The front bumper and grille have received slight tweaks, while subtle changes have been made to the foglight area and lower fascia opening, which benefit from sharper cutouts. In back, the IS 250 wears new taillamp lenses and redone exhaust tips.

By far, the most noticeable change has occurred out front, where a pair of bright LED eyelids have taken up residence under the swept-back headlamps. All of these changes give the 2011 Lexus IS 250 a smattering of sprinkles on an otherwise rather bland landscape of sheetmetal. The overall theme is conservative, but the new LED running lamps imbue Lexus’ most affordable sedan with a bright flash of modern style, displayed brilliantly against our tester’s Tungsten Pearl paintwork.

That subdued exterior style continues on the inside, as clean lines perform in concert with the surprisingly airy interior cabin. The pleasing to the eye Light Gray color scheme hangs in the background like a briefly foggy coastal morning. Against the sea of gray sits a set of bright white-faced gauges, which are easy-to-read and rather sharp, with a thin blue line underlining the ambitious 160-mile-per-hour display.

Ambitions aside, we had no desire to press that speedo into serious use. Why? Because the seats were just too darn comfortable for us to care. The perforated semi-aniline leather front thrones of our tester offered both heating and cooling features, thanks to the $2,195 Luxury Package Value Edition. It may be a bit crass to call this option grouping a “value” when it costs over $2,000, but the package does include wood trim, the aforementioned LED running lights, power everything (that wasn’t already), a rear sunshade and rain-sensing wipers.

Should you require the use of those intelligent water removers, fret not, because this particular IS 250 is equipped with all-wheel drive. Though the AWD gubbins add nearly 200 pounds to the curb weight (3,651 pounds), the IS 250’s small, 2.5-liter V6 remains surprisingly entertaining. We expected a droning bore of an engine coerced into working far harder than it wanted. What we found was a mill that pushed the whole works up to speed more quickly than we anticipated.

The engine produces 204 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 185 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. Those numbers sound low in a world filled with 400-horsepower daily drivers (including the brand’s own high-performance IS F model) yet the IS 250 AWD simply rears back and moves at a pace capable of holding our interest. Push it above 3,500 rpm and it even begins to clear its throat something approaching a sense of authority.

The 2.5-liter is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, which features steering-wheel mounted paddles for manual shifting. This may be Lexus’ entry-level car, but the shifts could be a few degrees smoother – even if the IS represents the brand’s sportier side. While we were hoping for less I-just-got-my-license and more of a Sade-like smooth operator, the setup didn’t oblige. The paddles only serve to nudge the drivetrain back into sporty, slightly roughneck territory, but unfortunately they don’t respond quickly enough to make the leap entirely.

This baby Lex comes across as confused in a few other areas as well. A bipolar effort, the IS 250 suffers from overboosted steering and mushy brakes. When driving, those factors make us think the IS 250 is pining to be a true luxury sedan, yet the ride, while smooth, is stiffer than we’d expected it to be. Vigorously bouncing over a rough section of Southern California tarmac makes one think the IS has changed its mind, suddenly wanting to be a sports car. It’s a little confused, and so are we.

At the end of the day, the slight redesign for 2011 doesn’t help a conflicted vanilla offering stand out in a display-case full of capable entry-level luxury sedans. The Lexus IS 250 AWD’s $35,775 base price is on par with its classmates, but fails to stack up as well in other areas. The Infiniti G25x is less costly ($34,900) and offers a more engaging driving experience, though its interior falls short. For $34,500, you might find yourself in a 2011 Audi A4 Quattro, with its top-shelf all-wheel-drive system, 7 more horsepower, 73 more pound-feet of torque available and better fuel economy ratings (21/31 miles per gallon versus the Lexus’ 20/27 mpg). The 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic starts at $37,900 and makes more power, but is only rated at 17/24 (an updated 2012 model is just around the corner). We could add the Lincoln MKZ, BMW 328i xDrive, Cadillac CTS and Acura TL SH-AWD to the list of competitors to further muddy the waters.

The entry-level luxury sedan category is chock full of viable options and the 2011 Lexus IS 250 AWD is a perfectly acceptable (if run-of-the-mill) choice. The styling is conservative, the driving dynamics are a mixed bag of sport and luxury, but the engine is better than we anticipated. It’s priced exactly where it should be and, were you shopping in this segment, you wouldn’t be embarrassed to put one in your driveway. And yet… while we’ll happily concede that vanilla ice cream is enjoyable from time to time, we can’t help but think that Audi, BMW, Infiniti and Cadillac buyers are paying about the same to enjoy all 31 flavors every single day.

[Source: autoblog]

Kia Naimo EV concept ready for Seoul Motor Show debut

The name Naimo is Korean for “square,” and the new Kia EV concept certainly fits its name. But we’re not talking about a total box, as you can see from the photo above. The B-segment vehicle, which will debut this week at the Seoul Motor Show, looks primed to take on all comers in the emerging small car segment, with interesting lines, plenty of LEDs all around and a touch of Korean heritage. The Naimo has no B-pillars, and the rear doors open up clamshell-style, an auto show staple that almost never makes it to production. The concept also features massive 20-inch wheels, which almost look comical on such a small vehicle, and the square-themed wheels are wrapped in low rolling resistance rubber.

On the inside, Kia designers were looking for a tranquil feel, with Korean oak covering the concept’s floor and adorning the trim. A transparent organic LED display instrument panel and full connectivity gives the Naimo that futuristic concept interior look without going too Buck Rogers.

And since the Naimo is a 21st century concept, an electric powertrain is a near must. The permanent magnet synchronous motor provides a maximum output of 80 kW (107 horsepower). Battery power comes from a 27 kWh lithium ion polymer twin battery pack, giving the little concept a range of 124 miles on a charge. Speaking of charges, Kia says the Naimo features a special rapid charge mode that enables the driver to charge the battery to 80 percent capacity in a scant 25 minutes. A full charge will reportedly take five and a half hours.

[Source: Kia]

PRESS RELEASE:

* Striking all-electric concept car makes world debut at Seoul Motor Show
* Naimo expresses sophistication through simplicity of design
* B-segment electric utility vehicle combines Korean heritage with high-tech innovations

Making its world premiere at the Seoul Motor Show today (Thursday), the Kia Naimo electric concept car combines Korean heritage with innovative modern features.

Taking its name from the Korean word “Ne-mo”, (pronounced ‘Neh-mo’, meaning ’square shape’), the Naimo electric crossover utility vehicle (CUV) was conceived by Kia’s international design team in Seoul, and is characterised principally by its simple lines and solid, muscular stance.

The simple overall design is accentuated by a number of striking key details, such as the wrap-around windscreen and asymmetric sunroof, and the front and rear dot-style LED head- and positioning-lamps. This mix of simple and complex is a common trait of many traditional Korean arts and crafts.

Kia’s design team also made use of innovative technology to give the car a premium feel and to ensure the car’s exterior remained uncluttered. For example, Naimo has no traditional wiper blade on the windscreen – instead it employs a high-intensity air jet at the base of the windscreen that performs an ‘air wiper’ function. Conventional door mirrors have also been replaced with miniature cameras installed in the A-pillars.

Naimo’s interior was designed to evoke a strong sense of tranquility and features hand-crafted materials throughout. Korean oak is used to trim the interior door panels and the entire interior floor, Korean “Han-ji” paper is used for the head lining. Alongside these traditional elements sit modern features such as a transparent organic light emitting diode display instrument panel and full connectivity.

“Naimo is a perfect balance of innovation, high-tech and Korean tradition. It was heavily inspired by the purity and grace of traditional Korean arts and crafts, but combines this with cutting edge technologies to deliver a truly premium experience,” commented Kia Motors’ Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer.

The third electric vehicle design to be unveiled by Kia Motors Corporation in a year, the 3.9-metre long Naimo concept explores the practicalities of introducing a zero-emissions, five-door, four-seater city car into a future niche market.

Measuring 3,890 mm in length, the Naimo’s generous wheelbase, width and height (2,647, 1,844 and 1,589 mm respectively) – plus the short overhangs which place a wheel at each corner – ensure that the cabin provides exceptional head, leg and shoulder room for the occupants.

The concept car has no B-pillars and features rear-hinged rear doors to maximise easy access to the cabin, and a three-way split opening boot-lid, allows versatile access to the load bay for varying luggage sizes.

Power comes from a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor with a maximum output of 80 kW (109 ps) and maximum torque of 280 Nm, enabling Naimo to reach a top speed of 150 kph (93 mph).

A twin-pack 27 kWh battery is located under the boot floor and uses innovative Lithium Ion Polymer technology that offers numerous advantages over other battery types. Equipped with this battery, Naimo provides a driving range of 200 km (124 miles) on a single charge. To enhance range, the showcar is fitted with special low-drag 20-inch diameter alloy wheels.

Under the quick recharging cycle (50 kW) the Naimo’s battery can be recharged to 80 percent of its capacity within 25 minutes. Under the normal cycle (3.3 kW), 100 percent power is attained after five and a half hours.

Naimo will join Kia’s growing test fleet of hybrid, electric and fuel-cell vehicles being extensively driven in widely varying conditions to develop future production models with zero or significantly reduced emissions.