Automotive

2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure Review

2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure Review
Toyota wants to capture the outdoor enthusiast market and the new RAV4 Adventure is for those wanting to get away from the city. This new RAV4 looks the part, but is it ready to tackle serious off-road trails? Or perhaps those unexpected winter snowstorms? We wanted to find out, so this week we drove the 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure with all-wheel drive.
What’s New For 2018
Toyota’s RAV4 gets a special-edition trim called the Adventure. It features a tow prep package, a higher ride height, 18-inch alloy wheels, lower body guards, black headlight bezels, and fog light surrounds. A 120V power outlet in the cargo area, all-weather floor mats, special interior trim panels, and a leather-wrapped shift knob are also included.
The main differences between the standard RAV4 and the Adventure trim are the tow prep package, household-style power outlet in the cargo area, and lower body cladding.
Features & Options
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure AWD ($28,400), in addition to the Adventure upgrades, comes standard with Bluetooth connectivity, Toyota’s Entune infotainment system with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, a power/tilt sliding sunroof, 60/40 split-folding reclining rear seats, LED headlights, a 4.2-inch multi-information display in between the gauges, and cloth upholstery.
Every RAV4 comes with a rearview camera and Toyota Safety Sense P, which consists of a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control.
Additional options for our 2018 RAV4 tester included the Cold Weather Package ($1,060), offering a heated leather steering wheel, heated and power operated front seats, and windshield wiper deicer. Total MSRP including destination: $30,980.

Interior Highlights
The interior of the RAV4 Adventure is set up with outdoor enthusiasts in mind with its cloth interior and all-weather floor mats. It has a fair amount of harder plastic surfaces too, making it easier to clean after a day in the high country. There’s seating for four adults with its two rows with comfy reclining seats in the back.
We took advantage of the Cold Weather package this week as an Arctic blast hit the Denver area. We cranked up the heated front seats and heated steering wheel, and used the windshield de-icer when the CDOT trucks sprayed Mag Chloride all over the interstate to keep it clear of ice. The Adventure trim also features a handy 120V outlet in the cargo area, making it ideal for a power cooler to keep your food and beverages cold on those excursions away from the city.
Where the RAV4 really shines is in the cargo area. Cargo space is massive with 38.4 cubic feet behind the split-folding rear seats and 73.4 cubic feet behind the front seats with the rear seats folded flat. It’s ideal for carrying your camping, hiking, and fishing gear.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
All RAV4s are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 176 horsepower and 172 lb-ft. of torque. The inline-4 comes mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission. EPA fuel mileage estimates come in at 22/28 city/highway and 25 combined mpg.
Driving Dynamics
This 176 horsepower small SUV has no trouble cruising down the highway or navigating city streets, but we found it needing a bit more power for Colorado’s high altitudes. If it’s loaded with people and cargo heading up the mountain pass for a fun getaway, it might struggle. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder and six-speed automatic is the only powertrain available.
Toyota says in the Adventure trim, the small SUV has enough grunt to pull up to 3,500 lbs. Our tester came with mud and snow tires which made it ideal for getting through the wet snow that fell this week. We had no trouble getting onto the snow-covered dirt roads leading to our house.
Other than the mud guards, body cladding, and slightly higher ride height, the RAV4 Adventure gets the same all-wheel drive system as the standard model. For more serious off-road excursions, the RAV4 Adventure looks the part, but lacks the hardware to get you too far away from civilization. For a weekend getaway vehicle, however, it will accomplish what you need.
Conclusion
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure offers lots of room for passengers and cargo. It makes for an excellent family hauler as well, with excellent safety credentials. It offers Toyota’s well-established reputation for reliability, and it is a practical and appealing choice for families or adults with an active lifestyle.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure Gallery

2018 Toyota RAV4 Official Site.
Photos: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

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2019 GMC Sierra Revealed: Carbon Fiber Box, Diesel Engines & More

2019 GMC Sierra Revealed: Carbon Fiber Box, Diesel Engines & More The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the understated success of GMC, and how that bolsters GM’s other initiatives like electrified and autonomous vehicles. Driving that growth is the Sierra line of pickups, in particular, the higher trim levels. Duncan Aldred, Global GMC Vice President notes that SLT and Denali models account for 87 percent of the brand’s total crew cab sales. With our love for premium and luxury trucks on the rise, GMC will hit the market later this year with the new Sierra Denali and SLT.
Power & Performance
If it’s one thing truck buyers are looking for, it’s grunt under the hood. New versions of GM’s evergreen 6.2 and 5.3 V8 engines will be joined by a new 3.0-liter inline-six turbo-diesel. GMC has not clarified horsepower or torque figures, but say the 5.3 and 6.2 will feature the new Dynamic Fuel Management system. This replaces the current Active Fuel Management and differs in the sense it can shut off any number of cylinders, in a variety of combinations, to boost performance and efficiency.
The 6.2 and diesel engines are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Sierra Denali’s Adaptive Ride Control suspension should make rough roads more tolerable. On-board sensors monitor the road conditions and chassis responses in real time, enabling adjustments to the active dampers every two milliseconds. And you thought Jimmy Johns was fast.
The 2019 Sierra Denali will offer, not surprisingly, a full range of available safety features like Side Blind Zone Alert, Pedestrian Detection, and Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking.
The 2019 GMC Sierra is larger than the outgoing model in virtually every dimension. The wheels, for example, are pushed closer to the corners and wear larger diameter tires. Both Denali and SLT trims offer 22-inch wheels as an option. Photo: GMC.
Tailgate Fever
The “MultiPro Tailgate” is of note here, which includes 6 different functions and positions to make the workday a bit easier. There are second-tier loading and load-stop solutions, a standing workstation mode, and integrated hand grips and bumper steps – the MultiPro Tailgate is standard on Denali and SLT trucks. Although cool and definitely useful, the MultiPro Tailgate underscores a totally new approach for the 2019 Sierra in a fundamental area.
The bed.
Carbon Fiber Strategy
Since the F-150 got wrapped in aluminum, rumors abound about what GM was going to do material-wise, if anything. To wit, the 2019 GMC Sierra maintains its roll-formed, high-strength steel bed, although a revised alloy offers 50 percent more strength than the current model. What is new is “CarbonPro,” or essentially the industry’s first carbon fiber truck box, on offer for the 2019 Sierra Denali later in the model year.
CarbonPro replaces the steel inner panels and floor with a lighter carbon fiber composite that cuts 62 lbs. from the truck. According to GMC, CarbonPro offers best-in-class dent, scratch, and corrosion resistance, and is the most durable pickup box in the segment. GMC notes their material strategy includes aluminum for the doors, hood, and tailgate, while relying on steel for the fenders and roof. Overall, the 2019 Sierra is 360 lbs. lighter than the current model.
2019 GMC Sierra Denali CarbonPro material usage chart. Photo: GMC.
Trailer Tools
When you gotta tow, you gotta tow. Expect to see GMC’s new ProGrade Trailering feature with a compatible smartphone app on offer. The system includes a pre-departure checklist, trailer light test, tire pressure monitoring for the trailer, and maintenance reminders among others.
Hitch Guidance, Hitch View, and a birds-eye camera should minimize the amount of swear words uttered while backing up to a trailer. The available side view cameras and a trailer-mounted HD camera can provide additional assistance when traveling down the road, or while operating in reverse. Also cool is the Trailer Theft Detection feature, which provides a mobile alert via OnStar should the trailer ever be detached from the truck.
The available Rear Camera Mirror is something most truck buyers will find useful. It acts like a dual-function interior mirror, in the sense that it helps drivers see around potential obstructions, be it occupants or cargo. It expands the field of vision for the driver with a higher resolution camera and display and the ability to tilt or zoom the view.
2019 GMC Sierra Denali ProGrade Trailering System. Photo: GMC.
Pricing & Availability
The 2019 GMC Sierra Denali and SLT go on sale this fall. GMC did not disclose pricing but said additional details will be released closer to the start of production.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.
2019 GMC Sierra Gallery

Photos & Source: GMC.

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Lotus 3-Eleven 430: Here We Go Again

Lotus 3-Eleven 430: Here We Go Again It’s another new special edition Lotus! Guys, guys, guys! Look: I love ya. I love your cars, I love the way they look, I love the way they handle, but . . . this special edition stuff has Got. To. Stop.
You know the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Lotus is getting dangerously close to that. In the past year (it seems like the past three weeks), Lotus has released (seemingly) 1,437 special edition cars. And yeah, they are great cars. And yeah, in point of fact, they are special. But if everything is special, then nothing is special, y’know?
However, the 3-Eleven 430 is special. They are only going to make 20 of the little brutes (which is a pity) and, although it is road legal, it is not road legal here in the U. S. of A. (which is criminal!).
Lightning Strikes
For starters, the new Lotus 3-Eleven 430 is the quickest street-legal sports car Lotus has ever made. Think about what else Lotus has made, and you’ll get the point. The 3-Eleven 430 laps the company’s Hethel test track 0.8 seconds quicker than an Exige Cup 430, and two seconds quicker than the previous 3-Eleven. The current benchmark is 1 minute 24 seconds, thanks to the new Lotus 3-Eleven 430. The supercharged and charge-cooled 3.5-liter V6 engine cranks out 430 horsepower and 325 lb-ft. of torque.
In addition to performing like a lightening strike, the bodywork now features new, part-visible weave carbon-composite panels. This helps the 3-Eleven tip the scales at 2,028 lbs., giving you a power-to-weight ratio of a mighty 467 horsepower per tonne. There is also a Torsen-type limited slip differential and an open-gate six-speed manual gearbox in the mix as well.
LED daytime running lights and a lip spoiler characterize the front of the Lotus 3-Eleven 430. Photo: Group Lotus plc.
Chassis & Aerodynamics
Please, this is a Lotus. Öhlins DFV one-way adjustable dampers live at each corner and Eibach adjustable anti-roll bars inhabit the front and rear. There’s 6-position variable traction control, networked directly to the ECU, with five pre-set traction levels: 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 percent slip and “off.” G’head Mario, turn it “off” and see how y’do!
Lotus, being one of the leading innovators in race car aerodynamics, also tweaked the new 3-Eleven in that department as well. Now there is a higher mounted straight-cut rear wing with re-profiled end plates, a long front splitter and lip spoiler, and a flat floor with a rear diffuser that increases down force by 97 lbs. to a total of 585 lbs. at max speed.
Tires & Braking
Tires are Michelin Cup 2 deals with 225/40 ZR18 at the front and 275/35 ZR19 out back. The mechanical grip combined with the aero downforce ads up to a gray-out inducing 1.5 g while cornering. Yes, stopping is good. In the case of the Lotus 3-Eleven, that’s the responsibility of AP Racing four-piston calipers, front and rear, and two-piece J-Hook brake discs that are 332 mm front and rear (seemingly about the size of a pizza). Each corner is finished by Lotus-designed, ultra-lightweight forged aluminum wheels that come in either gloss or satin black.
Pricing & Availability
You want? Of course you want. You must want! You also must contact Lotus now, since they’re only make 20. The 3-Eleven 430 is priced at £102,000, or $140,00 at today’s exchange rates. Yes, that’s a lot, but I could see spending it. The only real problem here is hanging a license plate on the darn things, cause that’s what I really want to do.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

Photos & Source: Group Lotus plc.

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Infiniti’s Smart Mobility Lab Accepting Applications

The changing face of cars, from the likes of Uber and Lyft, to the possible onslaught of driverless cars from everyone from Tesla to Google and back, has traditional automakers trying to get ahead of the game. It seems like dealing with this is taking up 90% of the carmakers bandwidth these days.

Let’s call it Smart Mobility, for the sake of this discussion.

Infiniti is one such carmaker seeking to stay ahead of the game, and to do so, they are opening a tech center in, of all places, Singapore.

Singapore, is, to put it mildly, an odd place. Once little more than an outpost for British colonialism, it morphed over time into a strange hybrid crossroads-of-the-world and nascent tech giant. A modern city-state with rather, a-hem, arcane ideas about peace and justice. A place where there’s enough high tech everything to look like Spock’s suburb but where chewing gum will get you dragged before the firing squad.

Or, as cyberpunk author William Gibson put it: “Disneyland with the death penalty.”

Challenges & Obstacles

In a lot of tech oriented ways, if you want to break new ground and move things forward, it’s a pretty good environment to do that in. From an automotive perspective, Singapore is a nightmare. And I don’t just mean from a price, taxes, and cost of ownership perspective (although that is daunting enough). Singapore has streets and traffic of an outright disastrous nature. Take Manhattan, combine it with Cairo, and compress it down to the density of a neutron star, and you’re halfway to as crazy as driving a car in Singapore.

Designing any sort of personal mobility, from a pair of sneakers on up to a functioning automobile, to work in that sort of environment seems like madness. Like testing a Formula 1 car in a high school library. Sure, you might get it to run, but what happens when you get it out onto a real race track?

Setting The Scene

Into this crazed scene jumps Infiniti and their tech partner Nest. Nest is a venture capital company not to be confused with the people that make those learning thermostats. They have offices all over the world, seeking to turn large piles of cash into humongous piles of cash. Infiniti needs no introduction to your average gearhead. They’re the up-market brand of Nissan, that also dabbles in higher tech stuff in general from time to time.

So, the thumbnail version goes like this: “Get a tech investing and incubating firm (Nest) together with an automotive and tech firm (Infiniti) and get them to make a better personal transportation system. Sort of.”

The longer answer works like this. Put Infiniti and Nest together, let them put out a cattle call to people who think they have built a better mousetrap, sift through those ideas, then fund, build, and run with those ideas and beat your competitors in the market place. It’s called the “INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility” and was set up, in the carmakers words, “to give founders the opportunity to achieve validation of their business over the course of eight weeks.”

Founders, in this case, means founders of tech start-ups in need of funding and exposure.

“This program could be transformational for early-stage companies who need commercial validation of their product,” said Lawrence Morgan, Nest CEO. “Start-ups need the opportunity to test their products and theories, and this program is highly focused on giving founders a clear path to POC so they can quickly gain traction and scale.”

Infiniti QX50 Concept. Photo: INFINITI Motor Company Ltd.

Making The Pitch

INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility will be taking applications until February 12th of this year, with everything finishing up by June 2017. They are moving fast with this, and are trying to give start-ups in mobility and connectivity, with high potentials for success, intensive training and mentoring. By the time this is all through, the winners get to pitch a viable business-use case to senior decision makers and key innovation backers from across the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Or, in a nutshell, you get eight weeks to go from the idea stage to the ready for production stage, and hopefully, make heaps of money for Infiniti, Nest, and yourself.

“This program is a key part of Infiniti’s initiative to promote entrepreneurial spirit in the business community,” said Roland Krueger, President of Infiniti Motor Company.

Prime Real Estate

This also starts to show why Singapore is a pretty good choice for this venture.

It is, as navigators have known for centuries, centrally located. Especially if your looking for unique talent (think tech wizards from India, Japan, and China). It is also centrally located with respect to cheap manufacturing centers, like Taiwan, China et al. Also, Singapore has been on a tear to make everything in town connected to everything else in town, so you’d think there’s a lot of native talent to be had as well.

“Automobiles play an important role in future intelligent cities. Technologies of connectivity will enable vehicles to communicate with each other and with city infrastructures,” Krueger said. “This will significantly enhance the driving experience, and Infiniti is committed to leading the development in this area.”

Infiniti isn’t saying much else at this point, but they will announce what the outcome is in June.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photos, Video, & Source: INFINITI Motor Company Ltd.

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Help the Dodge Viper ACR retake its title as the fastest production car around the Nürburgring

Die-hard motorsports and Dodge Viper lovers are seeking to send the last model off into the sunset with a record-setting bang.

What’s going on?

The Dodge Viper is one of America’s most iconic sports cars ever. Currently in its fifth generation, the latest version has been with us since 2013. But sadly, although the latest Viper is also the best one yet, Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles decided to pull the plug. Meaning this will be the last Dodge Viper ever produced.

Now this is sad for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Dodge Viper is Chrysler’s only halo car–the car that interests people in the first place. That’s because the Viper is cool and an American performance icon, much like the Corvette is to Chevrolet.

Secondly, this is the best Dodge Viper ever made. So it’s disappointing to know that despite this, nobody’s buying them. And lastly, nobody likes the death of an icon.

So if you thought the saga of the Viper was to end with a slow drift into the sunset and a sad violin playing in the background, not all hope is lost. Thanks to die-hard Viper enthusiast and FM radio magnet Russ Oasis in Miami, FL, a collective group is seeking to send the last Viper off into the sunset with a big, winning bang.

What’s this big, winning bang attempt?

According to Oasis’ GoFundMe page, the goal is to have the last Dodge Viper ACR tackle the infamous Nürburgring with one task in mind: to retake the coveted as the fastest production car to lap the nearly 13-mile-long Nordschliefe.

In September 2011, the Dodge Viper ACR set this record, posting a time of 7:12:13 at the hands of renounced racer, Dominik “Ring King” Farnbacher. This record remained until several years later when Porsche took the title with the 918.

Now, the plan is to retake that title. And the only way to do this would be to meet the GoFundMe’s campaign goal of around $150,000 to $200,000.

The money raised will cover the cost to ship two Viper ACR Extremes donated by ViperExchange, the US’s proclaimed premiere dealership exclusively for the sale of Dodge Vipers. The funds also goes towards the pay for two drivers, plus any additional support required to complete the attempts.

And should you choose to donate more than $250, your name will be acknowledged and printed on a commemorative poster.

The timeline for a new Dodge Viper’s last stunt at attempting a ‘Ring record is set for APril 2017.

If the goal is not met during the GoFundMe, all donations will be refunded.

Check out the campaign, HERE.

– By: Chris Chin

The post Help the Dodge Viper ACR retake its title as the fastest production car around the Nürburgring appeared first on egmCarTech.

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Automoblog Book Garage: Muscle Car Source Book

It’s interesting to watch the automotive landscape change, especially with the dawn of new technology. The biggest theme today is the driverless world; a place where are cars are autonomous and as a result, our roads will be safer and our time behind the wheel more productive.

These visions and the technology behind them are promising, but sometimes, there is no substitute for the rawness that is American muscle. While autonomous vehicles may rule in the name of safety, there is no replacement for cars that rule in the name of performance.

Authority Figure

This latest story on the Book Garage shelf begins in 1963, and spans until the mid 1970s. Muscle Car Source Book presents this incredible era in a manner representative of its name: as a source book. From Ford, Chevrolet, and Pontiac, to Buick, AMC, and Dodge, all of the performance data for each car is displayed on tables. The essential specs, from horsepower and torque, to curb weight, fuel tank capacity, and tire sizes are laid out.

Muscle Car Source Book also touches on the major performance options available for each car, including engine options, comfort features, gauge packages, and wheel-and-tire configurations.

This book is perfect if you grew up during this time, or if you had, or currently own, a muscle car. It’s really enjoyable to read through all the different specifications and the wealth of photos doesn’t hurt either. Muscle Car Source Book is exactly like the cars within its pages: what you see is what you get.

Author

Mike Mueller has worked as a freelance automotive photojournalist since 1991. A lifetime car enthusiast, Mueller has written and photographed more than 25 automotive and truck history books and contributed photography to dozens more. Among his long list of titles are Motorbooks’ Chevy Chevelle 50 Years, The Complete Book of Corvette, and The Complete Book of Classic Dodge and Plymouth Muscle.

Muscle Car Source Book: All the Facts, Figures, Statistics, and Production Numbers is available through Amazon and Motorbooks.

Muscle Car Source Book Gallery

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2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio: True Italian Flare

2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio: True Italian Flare Seems like someone at Alfa Romeo has been taking serious hallucinogens again, because Alfa went and made a Quadrifoglio version of their all-new 2018 Stelvio SUV. Sure, other car companies have done this: AMG Merc G-Classes and seriously hopped up Porsche Cayannes and that sort of thing – but this is Italian levels of crazy. Remember, the Germans invented the pipe organ. Italians invented opera.
Disaster Response
To Italians, everything is a big deal. You miss’a da’bus? Una catastrofe! Girlfriend dumped you? Una catastrofe! The pope dies? Una catastrofe! Ferrari comes in second? Una catastrofe! So when an Italian car company, Alfa, in this case, gets into the SUV game, and various people (e.g. Germans) start making go-fast versions? Una catastrofe! The only “reasonable” and “sane” response is to not only make your own SUV, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but then you’ve got to do something like drop in 75 percent of the engine from a Ferrari 488 GTB and say, “stai ben’!”
Speed Fixes Everything
Is the all-new 2018 Stelvio Quadrifoglio practical? Can it ford deep streams? Drive up snow-covered mountain slopes with ease? Reliable? Who cares! For everyone of you that say stuff like that is important in an SUV, I have the following rebuttals: 505 horsepower, zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds, and a top speed of 176 mph. Sure, sure, yap all you want about “Ford Expedition” this “German build quality of the Cayenne” that, I’ll be taking the Stelvio Quadrifoglio for a little jaunt around the Nürburgring. Where, in case you didn’t see this one coming, the SQ lapped the place in a record 7 minutes 51.7 seconds. Yes, that’s the fastest time ever posted by a production SUV, and yes, that makes the Stelvio Quadrifoglio the fastest production SUV in the world.
Photo: FCA US LLC.

Power & Performance
As I mentioned, the SQ will be motivated down La Strada via an all-aluminum, 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, generating 505 horsepower. In addition to all that horsepower, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio engine cranks out 443 lb-ft. of torque. Said mill is direct-injected, and was designed to heighten the lightweight architecture of the SUV. It features a compact, 90-degree layout to drop the center of gravity seemingly four feet under your seat. The engine is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, which makes sense, because adding a full-on Ferrari double clutch semi-auto box would have tripled the price.
And from there on out, things on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio just seem to get more and more radical. The Quadrifoglio features a class-exclusive carbon fiber driveshaft. A carbon fiber driveshaft?! In a “truck?” Voi gente di Milano siete un mucchio di torte alla frutta! That composite driveshaft is hooked up to a torque vectoring differential (a piece of kit right out of Ferrari’s Grand Prix shop), controlled by a four-mode Alfa DNA Pro selector, complete with a Race mode. There is a Quadrifoglio-tuned adaptive suspension system to compliment the steering which Alfa describes as “direct.”
Photo: FCA US LLC.
Fine Touches
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio also comes with 20-inch aluminum wheels with immense 6-piston Brembo front brakes. There are aggressively bolstered Alcantara leather seats (14-way power front and 4-way lumbar adjustments), leather-wrapped dash and doors with accent stitching, and genuine carbon fiber adorning the interior. You will also find a specific Quadrifoglio instrument cluster with a 200-mph speedometer (risate maniacali) and a cylinder deactivation system to maximize fuel efficiency.
And the finishing touch (Italians always have that nice finishing touch) is the hand-painted Quadrifoglio badge. Said badge is symbolic of Alfa Romeo race cars and high-performance production vehicles.
Photo: FCA US LLC.
Pricing & Manufacturing
The 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is manufactured at the Alfa Romeo plant in Cassino, Italy (yes, that Cassino) and lists for a not all that unreasonable $79,995. No, that’s not cheap. Indeed, that is the most expensive Alfa you can currently buy. But it is right in line for what other (and let’s just say it: lesser) higher performance SUVs go for.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow is work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

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Ford Announces Senior Leadership Changes

Ford Announces Senior Leadership Changes Ford Motor Company has announced what they deem as “key changes” to their senior management team in the interest of “improving the company’s operational fitness” while accelerating a “strategic shift to capitalize on emerging opportunities.” While that is certainly true for the sake of economics, the most recent shuffle does come on the heels of Raj Nair’s departure, Ford’s former head of North America.
Phoebe Wall Howard of the Detroit Free Press reports that Nair exited Ford after unspecified but “inappropriate behavior.”
Leadership Changes

Kumar Galhotra, 52, is appointed Group Vice President and President, Ford North America, effective March 1st. Galholtra will be responsible for leading all aspects of Ford’s North American business. He will report to Jim Farley, Ford’s Executive Vice President and President, Global Markets.
Galhotra has been with Ford for nearly 30 years and has served in a multitude of senior-level engineering and product strategy positions around the world. Since 2014, he has led Lincoln but took over the company’s top marketing position last year. Joy Falotico, 50, is now Group Vice President of the Lincoln Motor Company and Chief Marketing Officer, succeeding Galhotra. Her appointment is effective March 1 st.
Since October 2016, Falotico has been Group Vice President, Chairman, and CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company. With $151 billion in receivables, it’s Ford’s second-largest profit contributor. In 29 years at Ford Credit, she has served in a number of executive positions around the world.
Reporting to Galhotra will be Stuart Rowley, 50, who is named Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ford North America, effective March 1st. Rowley, who was previously Vice President of Strategy, will be responsible for driving the redesign of the North American business to improve its overall fitness.
Successors
Succeeding Falotico is David McClelland, named Vice President of Ford Motor Company and CEO of Ford Credit. A 25-year veteran of Ford Credit, McClelland, 48, was most recently Executive Vice President, Marketing and Asia Pacific. McClelland has been instrumental in Ford Credit’s growth in China, and the move into new fintech and mobility initiatives like the Canvas vehicle subscription service. His appointment is effective March 1st, reporting to Bob Shanks, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
John Lawler is appointed Vice President, Strategy, succeeding Rowley. Lawler, 51, who joined Ford in 1990, brings a deep background in finance and general management into the strategy role, including his current position as Ford’s Corporate Controller. Lawler also previously served as Chairman and CEO, Ford China. He will report to Shanks in the new role effective March 1st.
Cathy O’Callaghan, 49, is now Ford’s Vice President and Corporate Controller and CFO, Global Markets, succeeding Lawler. O’Callaghan also joined Ford in 1990 and is currently Chief Financial Officer, Ford South America. O’Callaghan will report to Shanks in her role as Corporate Controller and Farley in her role as CFO, Global Markets. Her appointment is effective June 1st.
Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett praised the organization’s talent, saying the automaker is “very fortunate to have an experienced and committed executive team in place.” Hackett elaborated, saying the executive team is committed to strengthening Ford’s business and committed to the automaker’s vision of becoming the “most trusted” mobility company with “smart vehicles for a smart world.”
Photo & Source: Ford Motor Company.

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2019 Volvo V60 Revealed, Emphasis On Versatility & Safety

2019 Volvo V60 Revealed, Emphasis On Versatility & Safety Volvo reveled the new V60 in its “natural habitat” or rather in the driveway of a home in Stockholm, Sweden. The location was fitting given the V60 is a five-door, midsize wagon and ideally suited for families on the go. Volvo says the new V60 “caters to the diverse needs and realities of modern family life” by being both practical and versatile.
“The family estate driver is an important customer for our business and has been for generations,” explained Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Cars. “The new V60 honors that tradition, but also takes it much further.”
Essential Foundations
Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture, or SPA platform, underpins the new V60. It’s a natural choice given how the XC60 and four 90 Series vehicles also reside on the platform, and it’s entirely permissible that Volvo’s success the past few years is owed partly to SPA-inspired designs. Overall, the architecture streamlines things for Volvo’s engineering and manufacturing teams, and provides a number of benefits for the consumer: more interior space, better safety technology, and stronger impact protection among them.
Photo: Volvo Car USA, LLC.
Safety & Security
Complimenting the high-strength steel of the SPA architecture is an exhaustive list of safety features and advanced driver support systems. City Safety with Autobrake technology and Pilot Assist are two of the biggest. The first uses automatic braking and various detection methods to avoid potential collisions by spotting other cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and even large animals. The latter helps the driver with steering, acceleration, and braking on well-marked roads up to 80 mph.
The V60 also includes Run-off Road Mitigation, Oncoming Lane Mitigation, and other steering and driver assistance systems. The optional Cross Traffic Alert with autobrake is also available.
Photo: Volvo Car USA, LLC.
Power & Performance
In the United States, the V60 will be available with a T5 engine creating 250 horsepower for front-wheel drive models. All-wheel drive models see a nice bump to 316 horsepower with the T6 engine. There are rumors and reports of the T8 hybrid engine coming to the United States for the V60, and even a diesel powertrain. Vovlo’s press photos do show a plug-in hybrid variant, but for now the we shouldn’t hold our breath.
“At the moment we are only planning to take the T5 and T6 powertrains, with V60s arriving in calendar year 19,” says Jim Nichols, Technology and Product Communications Manager, Volvo Cars.
Availability & In Person
Preservative buyers will be able to “access” the new V60 through a subscription service called Care by Volvo. The service offers a monthly flat-fee subscription for the vehicle versus more traditional methods of ownership. In the meantime, the 2019 Volvo V60 will be on display at the Geneva International Motor Show beginning on March 8th.
In related news, Polestar will also make their European debut at the Geneva International Motor Show. The company’s initial car, the Polestar 1, will be on display for the first time.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.
2019 Volvo V60 Gallery

Photos & Source: Volvo Car USA, LLC.

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