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BAW's 007 SUV

You have to hand it to BAIC, they were among the first Chinese automotive companies to figure out that by working with a foreign company they could make better cars in China and sell a lot of them at the same time. Initially BAIC signed up with AMC to produce the Jeep Cherokee in China but this single model soon expanded into a full line of Chrysler vehicles, and even the Neon at one point (but the government decided this was a breakaway from their SUV mandate and denied a production license). Sadly the JV with Chrylser ended and became a simple sales deal to sell Chrysler vehicles in China. However, BAW learned a lot from the partnership, and one of the points learned was how to make a jeep that looks better than all modern Jeeps.

The 007 was on show at this years Beijing Auto Show and measures in at (LxWxH) 4595 x 1828 x 1804mm, making it a compact SUV but with a 200mm clearence from the floor. The entry angly is 32° and the exit angle is 29°, which will make it pretty decent both on and offroad. The 2.4L 4 cylinder engine is not exactly a powerful power plant, with it only being able to push the 007 up a 60% angle.

Engines for the 007 will come in 4 cylinder form only and then only 2.4 and a 2.0L paired to a 5 speed manual gearb0x

Five extra inches of wheelbase and four more cylinders for Audi’s flagship.

Most cars are made to be driven, of course, and there is a select group of vehicles that are made to be driven in—the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Maybach 62, the Ford Crown Victoria. But beyond that, there exists the infinitesimally small number of cars that have been engineered with both missions in mind, offering dynamic excellence for those twirling the steering wheel and five-star appointments for those occupying the rear seats. The 2011 Audi A8L W-12 is one such vehicle, and it satisfies in almost all aspects.

Keep Reading: 2011 Audi A8L W12 – First Drive Review

Related posts:

1. 2011 Audi A8L and A8L W12 – Official Photos and Info
2. 2011 Audi A8 – First Drive Review
3. Taking the Long Way Home: 2011 Audi A8L’s Reclining Rear Seat is the Business

A guide to the automotive world’s greatest goings-on for August 2010.

It may be the last month the kids are out of school, but the motoring world is firing on all cylinders in August. Here are our favorite events—because the Dairy Queen parking lot meetups alone won’t cut it. If we missed something, add it to the comments at the bottom of the story, and let everyone else know what’s going on in your area.

Keep Reading: Best August Ever: A Calendar of Automotive Events – Feature

Related posts:

1. August Calendar of Automotive Events – Call for Submissions
2. Best July Ever: A Calendar of Automotive Events – Feature

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.

Mute electric concept

E-car excitement in Germany: Twenty university chairs in Munich have teamed up to develop the “Mute,”  a 20-hp microcar that weighs 880 pounds and is therefore classified in the same category with quad bikes. It’s supposed to be safer than those. The ambitious professors hope the industry will pick up the concept and develop the Mute into a series-production car. “Electromobility is ripe for the market,” the Munich professors proclaim.

Here’s an idea how it’s done, courtesy of another expert, TÜV Rheinland’s director for mobility, Jürgen Brauckmann: “Senior citizens could help mark the E-cars’ entry into the marketplance. They are more interested in comfort than in sportiness. That will make E-cars an interesting alternative.”

Are you excited yet?

The Small Benz We May Get

Here’s a car that began as an electric and ended up as a conventionally powered vehicle: the Mercedes-Benz A-class. It was developed in the early Nineties as the California-charged E-craze had an early heyday. Its first and second generation feature a sandwich-type floor to house batteries (which it never did). Back in the mid-Nineties, when the enthusiasm met reality and vanished, Mercedes decided the A-class was too nice to be “electrocuted.” It was launched with gasoline and diesel engines and subsequently—remember the moose test?—put a few scratches on the brand’s image.

Original A-class sketch

Ironically, the upcoming, third-gen A-class will be a far more conventional car than the first two generations. There is a distinct possibility the model will be sold in the U.S. as well. I like the fact that AMG is planning for a performance version, although it’s not an entirely new idea: The first-gen A-class was supposed to get an AMG derivative, but the ensuing 138-hp hatchback was deemed too weak and launched instead as the A210 Evolution. The upcoming A AMG will be a lot more powerful.

Currently, M-B is winding down production of the second-generation A-class. Its three-door version—ambitiously named “Coupé”—has already been killed off silently.

Phaeton and Amarok: Yes; Caddy and V-8: No

VW is considering new vehicle classes for the U.S. as well. I am told that the company is going to launch its Amarok pickup truck in the States, but not any time soon. Engine choices are not clear yet, and there is concern that four-bangers might not quite cut it with prospective buyers. But I doubt that VW will drop the environmentalist pretenses entirely, like Toyota has with its trucks, and offer a V-8.

Even the big Touareg has lost its gasoline V-8 engine in favor of a hybridized, supercharged V-6—but only in Europe and in North America. The more traditional customers in Russia and the AGCC states (Arab Gulf Cooperation Council) won’t stand for it, and that’s why they can still order the new Touareg with a 360-hp, 4.2-liter gasoline V-8. VW also will keep updating its W-12 engine, with applications uncluding its use in the next Phaeton, which will once again be offered in the U.S. And that should put rumors to rest that it will be downsized (Aurora-like) beyond recognition.

In Germany, VW is unveiling its updated Caddy van (that’s not short for Cadillac), which is based on the Golf platform but built cost-effective and tough with rear leaf springs. It’s not headed for U.S. shores, but as VW is striving to drastically raise its market share in the U.S., why not have a Ford Transit Connect competitor?

Ford’s Lost Design Leader

Renault Latitude

Former Mazda chief designer Laurens van den Acker is reshaping Renault design. Like his predecessor, Patrick Le Quément, he is a strategic thinker who is not wedded to a single idea or style—and some designers tell me he would have been a top candidate to replace Ford chief designer J Mays (who is not expected to leave the company any time soon). The big concern? Cost cutting. Van den Acker cannot be happy with cars like the badge-engineered Renault Latitude sedan which undoubtedly marks the nadir in the long history of French luxury sedans.

Speed Doesn’t Kill

Good news from the safety statistics front: In 2009, Germany’s road death toll has fallen to a remarkable low, at 4152. Just 475 perished on the autobahn, which is generally without a speed limit—and that includes truck accidents, as well as those induced by rain, fog, ice, and a number of other reasons that have nothing to do with the triple-digit speeds regularly driven here.

Here’s a suggested speed limit to keep highways and freeways safe: reasonable and prudent.

Related posts:

1. 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-class Coupe Spy Photos – Future Cars
2. The Continental: Pondering Mercedes Styling, VW Could Buy Alfa, and Ford Globalizes Its Platforms
3. 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-class and S-class: Safety Technology – Car News

GM has announced that it will increase production capacity for the Volt by 50 percent, now planning to build 45,000 copies in 2012, up from the 30,000 units announced less than a month ago. Production numbers for 2011 are unchanged, at 10,000 cars.

GM says that there’s been a “tremendous” growth in interest in the Volt over the last three weeks, leading to the decision to raise production capacity. A GM spokesman told us the company won’t need to expand its production facilities to accommodate the projected growth in output. He wouldn’t say whether the “growth in increase” reflects actual reservations for the car, which likely were spurred by this week’s Volt pricing announcement.

The announcement came after President Barack Obama toured the Hamtramck, Michigan, factory where the Volt will be built, and follows hot on the heels of news that the Volt will cost $41,000 new (before a $7500-max federal tax credit) or be available for lease from $350 per month.

Related posts:

1. We Tour GM’s Pre-Production Volt Assembly Line
2. Chevrolet Wants You to Name the Volt’s Paint Color
3. Chevrolet Volt to Launch in California Next Year

This is the 2011 Nissan Rogue, refreshed and repackaged with a tiny bit more fuel economy. It will be unveiled officially tomorrow at the International Z Car Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Why there? Nissan believes the Rogue is just like the original 240Z “Z-car” (which has since evolved into the 370Z) in that it offers great performance, stylish looks, and good affordability. We say anyone who really wants a Z-car successor should, um, buy a 370Z—it’s a rear-wheel-drive sports car, after all, whereas the Rogue is a small, front-wheel-drive-based crossover.

Tenuous connection to the past aside, the Rogue is henceforth available in S, SV, and S Krom trims. The old SL trim has been renamed SV, although, confusingly, there is now an SL equipment package offered for the SV trim. You can no longer buy a Rogue SL, but you could pick up a 2011 Rogue SV SL. So there.

The Rogue’s face lift encompasses a new front fascia with highly stylized fog-light cut-outs, a redesigned chrome grille, the addition of chrome trim on the lower door edges, a revised rear spoiler, and a new chrome bar above the rear license-plate holder. The number of possible paint colors doubles from four to eight. Inside, a redesigned instrument panel and center stack join new seat upholstery and ambient lighting. We think the exterior looks much more upscale, like a mini-Murano, although the interior updates aren’t as drastic.

Fuel economy improves a tick thanks to low-rolling-resistance tires (on all but the base S models), an underbody tray, and new air deflectors in front of each wheel well. Front-drive models improve 1 highway mpg to 22 mpg city/28 highway; all-wheel-drive models gain 1 mpg in the city, for a 22/26 rating. As before, the lone engine offering is a 170-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder attached to a continuously variable transmission.

Nissan gifted the Rogue with plenty of new equipment, starting with standard iPod connectivity and illuminated vanity mirrors on the Rogue S. For the first time, the Rogue can be equipped with 18-inch wheels with the S Krom trim or SL package. As before, the Krom model wears unique front and rear body panels, fog lights, and a center exhaust. For 2011, it’s available only in white, black, or gray.

There are two key option packages for the Rogue SV. The Premium package adds a navigation system, power sunroof, automatic headlights, and automatic climate control. The SL package adds the Premium pack’s equipment plus leather trim, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, and fog lights.

Pricing for the 2011 Rogue has not yet been announced. The 2010 Rogue S with front-wheel drive started at $21,260, while the costliest S Krom model with all-wheel drive commanded $26,110.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Nissan Rogue – Review
2. 2010 Nissan Rogue Pricing Up Slightly, to $21,140
3. Nissan Announces Krom Package for 2010 Rogue

From September 1st 2010, new cars that do not meet the Chinese5 Emission standard will not be allowed to be registered within Guangdong province in a bid to clean up the air in the World’s Factory. The ban is mostly in place in the Pearl Delta Region (珠江三角洲) which covers a series of cities in Guangdong, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Foshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing.

The good news for consumers is that there is likely to be massive sale on Non Chinese5 emission vehicles in August as dealerships move to rid their stocks of vehicles they won’t be able to sell after September 1st.

According to Western and Chinese media reports, Geely will finally pick up the keys to their Volvo purchase on August 2nd 2010 which is less than a week away.

Geely bought Volvo from Ford for 1.8 billion RMB earlier this year, but it seemed that Geely were planning to buy Volvo as early as April 2009 and were likely to be in talks with Ford at a much earlier period.

The European commission has already given Geely the go ahead to take over Volvo after Geely proved that it wouldn’t be in a monopoly position over the European car industry, furthermore it appears that the Chinese regulatory commission have also given Geely the all important nod to take over Volvo from Ford.

Geely have high hopes for the Volvo brand, and are hoping that strong demand for the brand in China will bring back their investment into Volvo. Rumors of a factory in Da Qing in North East China have been circulating recently after it emerged that Da Qing City Government invested some of their oil profits into Li Shu Fu’s Sweedish gamble, but it is likely that Geely are still forging ahead with their plans for a Volvo factory in Beijing, in the meantime Geely are expected to use the facilities at Zhongyu Special Vehicles Maker (whom they also own) to produce some Volvo models until the Volvo Beijing factory is running.

According to various media reports both in English and Chinese, it appears that Fiat maybe readying to import the Fiat 500 into China at the end of the year and may plan to take on MINI in the small premium hatch segment.

The redesigned Fiat 500 has already taken Europe by storm and is sure to be a modest hit in China, but will it be enough to take on the MINI empire that has already gained a strong foothold in the Chinese market? On the pricing side of things, the 500 is expected to be premium, and media outlets are already guessing somewhere in the 200,000rmb marker.

Only time will tell if Fiat’s plans are true or not, if it will launch in China then the Guangzhou Auto Show later this year is likely to be the best place for it to air itself.

SAIC YEZ – Click for bigger.

Bloomberg’s Gadget week has a fantastic article on the The Yez concept car, which has been on CCT before but under its Chinese name of The Leaf, obviously it cannot share its Chinese/English name due to a conflict with Nissan’s own upcoming Leaf electric hatchback.

It’s a six page read, which is probably reviewing old news for CCT readers, page 5 has all the information on the Yez:

That’s why the YEZ is so important — it is the first SAIC concept we’ve seen and it sets the agenda.

Four concept vehicles were constructed for the expo — one lives permanently at the Chinese pavilion, one sits downstairs at the General Motors China SAIC pavilion, and two have shared live performance duties for ten minutes ever half an hour every day since May 1.

They don’t actually photosynthesise but they are electric and SAIc let me have a short toodle around the confined back stage area of the pavilion – they have apparently run like clockwork since they were built, with the lightweight racecar shape offering ten hours of driving per charge.

The idea behind the YeZ Concept is that it will photosynthesize, absorbing carbon dioxide from surrounding air and emitting oxygen back into the atmosphere.

Among the many futuristic aspects of the YeZ (Chinese for “leaf” as Nissan already uses the name for a clever green concept that is heading for production) is a roof that incorporates solar panels and wheels that incorporate small wind turbines to harvest energy from the turbulence and windflow while driving.

Artificial photosynthesis has proven elusive to date, but there’s every indication it will be a commercial reality within two decades.

Strangely, in the original write-up of the Yez a few months ago, we noted that although photosynthesis, solar and wind power were likely to be far more viable twenty years from now, we didn’t share SAIC’s optimism that the car would “work during both sunny and overcast days”, particularly in beautiful not-so-sunny Shanghai where I’ve been for the last month and only glimpsed the sun a few times.

But spending a fair amount of time at the SAIC-General Motors Pavilion and in a specialist seminar entitled “Connecting the Virtual Superhighway” allowed me to see quite a few different presentations on future plans for the companies and the limited view presented of the Yez in the earlier press releases is actually far broader than has been previously disclosed.

The Yez could quite possible live in your apartment with you. This screen shot from one of the featured movies on the SAIC-GM stand shows a Yez owner, who lives in a high-rise apartment, walk to the edge of his apartment, step into his Yez and begin descending to the road below.

Another glimpse of the Yez from one of the presentations shows the Yez being charged in a parking station, so SAIC obviously has more in store for keeping the Yez full of beans than just solar, photosynthesis and wind power, than it has shared with us at this point in time.

Like many other vehicles which collect energy from the environment, the Yez is intended to become another node on the electricity grid and share its energy for other purposes too — seemingly by the same interface.

There were other glimpses of the Yez’ functionality too throughout the displays, movies and live shows which made it seem so much more than we’d previously been made aware of.

The biggest aspect of the Yez which has not been made public just yet are plans to include it in the networked vehicle concept, just as the EN-V is envisioned — this means it will have sensors and GPS functionality and will be capable of running in autonomous mode, of platooning with other cars, of driving you home if you’ve had too much to drink, or driving your children to school, or your elderly grandmother to the shops, or going and picking up the babysitter so you can have a night on the town. It has clearly been envisioned as an autonomous vehicle from the outset, just like the EN-V. It is all part of the ecosystem being envisioned for China by its biggest car companies — which are majority owned by the Chinese Government.

It means it won’t have accidents, and . . . watch the site for the General Motors China EN-V video which we’re producing — it should be up by the end of July and it’s an absolute ripper and it fully explains General Motors vision for a networked future on the roads and it’ll give a great deal more idea of the functionality of the EN-V and indeed, the Yez, as they all come from the same company.

The company that will likely one day soon, be the biggest automaker in the world.

CCT is not quite as eloquent a wordsmith to bring you such a fantastic article, so we will just bring you the image in the top corner. Remember that an image is worth a thousand words. Click to enlarge.