Automotive

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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2017 NAIAS – The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse follows in the footsteps of the GMC Acadia

The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse gets unveiled at the 2017 North American International Auto Show continuing the theme of a value-oriented GMC Acadia.

What’s going on?

The 2017 North American International Auto Show is in full swing and kicking off the show debuts is the all-new second-generation 2018 Chevrolet Traverse.

Like the Chevrolet Traverse before it, the new Traverse continues the recipe of being a more value-oriented GMC Acadia. And it even looks like a Chevy version of the Acadia…because that’s what it technically is.

So what’s new with the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse?

Because the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is based on the latest GMC Acadia, its sheetmetal gets a complete overhaul. As a result, the shapes and profiles of both crossovers are very similar. Gone is the former model’s bulky and bubble-like shape, which made the last Traverse look like a minivan without the sliding doors. In its place is a boxier, more upright design.

But despite the complete redesign, the new Chevrolet Traverse manages to pretty much remain the same size.

With the new 2018 Chevrolet Traverse also comes a variety of new packages and appearance options. For instance, the new Traverse gains a “sporty” RS variant while a High Country model tops off the range as the fully-loaded luxury model.

There’s also a new turbocharged four-pot.

The previous Chevrolet Traverse used Chevy’s latest 3.6L naturally-aspirated V6 with 281 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. It does carryover for the new model but with some extra oomph. Thanks to a list of revisions, the 3.6L V6 output jumps to 305hp with a slight reduction in torque at 260 lb-ft of twist. Both mills are mated to GM’s latest Hydra-Matic 9T50 nine-speed automatic with the choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

When will it go on sale and how much will it cost?

Chevrolet didn’t announce when the 2018 Traverse hits showrooms. But due to its 2018 model year, it’s safe to speculate a launch sometime later this year along with pricing.

– By: Chris Chin

The post 2017 NAIAS – The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse follows in the footsteps of the GMC Acadia appeared first on egmCarTech.

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BMW Announces New 5 Series Pricing at NAIAS

“Speed equals money sir. How fast would you care to go?” Or so asked world driving champion Graham Hill when he was selling cars for Colin Chapman. How much will the very quick BMW 530e iPerformance and M550i xDrive Sedans set you back? This much:

Wait, why start with the bad news – here’s the good news:

The BMW M550i xDrive Sedan is the fastest 5 Series ever, clocking 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds. Now, are you really going to quibble about price?

Okay, here we go.

Pricing & Performance

During its world premiere this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, BMW announced the price for the 2018 530e iPerformance Sedan as $51,400. The BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance Sedan will go for $53,700, plus $995 destination and handling.

Starting, keep in mind, at those prices. We’ll get to the M version in a sec.

The iPerformance is the automotive weirdo of the two, and is the fourth addition to the iPerformance portfolio in the United States. That would be the ones with more than an internal combustion engine. In this case, the powertrain is a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo mill and a powerful plug-in hybrid drive system. Combined system output is 248 horsepower and 310 lb-ft. of peak torque, which is not bad at all.

This all works together to propel the BMW 530e iPerformance from 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds; the all-wheel drive 530e xDrive iPerformance Sedan variant does it in 5.8 seconds. The bigger, badder, 2018 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan hits the showrooms with a starting price of $72,100, plus $995 destination and handling.

Or, about the price of an used Nissan GT-R.

2018 BMW 530e iPerformance Sedan. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.

Excessive or Impressive?

This BMW M550i xDrive Sedan takes the top spot in the 5 Series roster. It’s the latest addition to the vaunted BMW M Performance line that combines “everyday usability with the power and driving dynamics that will elate even the most discerning enthusiast because they’re a total fruitcake and have no concept of self-preservation or propriety.”

Okay. Wait. BMW didn’t say all of that, but still.

They could have said that, because even loaded down with lots of techno-gear, the BMW M550i xDrive Sedan can hurtle from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, finally running out of grunt at an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

Oh no, wait. It could go much faster, but the Bavarians have to limit it to 155 MPH?

2018 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.

Engine Specs

If you want to know the hows, whys, and wherefores, it all starts in the engine room. Up front there’s a specifically modified M Performance TwinPower Turbo 4.4 liter 8-cylinder engine. This V8 mill is fitted with two twin-scroll turbochargers, a High Precision Injection system, Valvetronic fully variable valve lift, and Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing control.

Bottom line: 456 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and peak torque of 480 lb-ft. from just 1,800 rpm.

Coupled to this entertainingly overpowered plant is a BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system (with a rear-wheel toque bias thankfully) and an M Performance chassis set-up, helping to create the fastest and most agile BMW 5 Series to date. Agile schmagile, who cares? With that much rumble on tap, any handling “issues” can be overcome with a little more pressure from your right foot.

Both vehicles will be arriving in U.S. BMW showrooms this spring, followed shortly after by a sharp decrease in your available funds.

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.

2018 BMW 530e iPerformance Sedan Gallery

2018 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan Gallery

Photos & Source: BMW of North America, LLC.

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Nissan Vmotion 2.0 Concept Shows Brand’s Future Styling

Nissan’s Vmotion 2.0 is as frivolous and pointless as any other concept car at an auto show, but, ironically, it is also as serious and valuable as concept cars can be. Sometimes, concept cars are just there to make a splash. They can exist just to let designers off the leash and show what they can do.

Other times, concept cars are there as a signal to show where a given automotive company is headed.

This is one of those times.

Front & Center

Nissan, with their Vmotion 2.0 concept, states it quite plainly: “Nissan Vmotion 2.0 concept takes center stage at 2017 North American International Auto Show debut.” In other words, “look at this, we really want you to pay attention to it.”

The space-age styling shows a progression of Nissan’s signature “V-motion” front end. This design element has drawn a fair amount of criticism, but Nissan shows no signs of backing down, so the critics are going to have to live with it. Nissan also points out how the V-motion front end design is utilized on the current Altima, Murano, and Maxima. This is not just shoring up their own opinion on the worthiness of this motif, but exists more as a way to tie the design of the Vmotion 2.0 to what you will see in Nissan showrooms in the future.

“Vmotion 2.0 previews what the future designs from Nissan will be,” said Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President, Chief Creative Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Intelligent Mobility

Nissan also states how the Vmotion 2.0 goes beyond looks as a harbinger of things to come. They point out things like Nissan Intelligent Driving, one of the three core elements of Nissan Intelligent Mobility. Which is a polite way of saying: “Get used to seeing Nissan Intelligent Mobility throughout our range.”

The Vmotion 2.0 concept aims to unite a high sense of fashion, an evocative, expressive design, and imbue the vehicle with space, comfort, and technology to “make the mobility experience seamless for busy professionals.”

No, I’m not sure what that means either, but Nakamura explained it this way.

“Technology is evolving. So is design. At Nissan we see design as the ultimate expression of how customers see themselves, but also an expression of the vision and values of our brand,” he said.

The Vmotion 2.0 concept offers hints at the future of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s proposal to realize zero emissions and zero fatalities.

“It is an insightful proposition of what the future sedan could be in the coming years,” Nakamura said.

So, like many concept cars before it, Nissan’s Vmotion 2.0 concept is both a “hey, look at me!!” visual statement, and also “this is what you can expect to see driving around in the near future,” declaration. The styling aspect will most likely be debated for some time to come, but the technology innovation should be a net benefit for anyone on the road.

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.

Nissan Vmotion 2.0 Concept Gallery & Video

Photos, Video & Source: Nissan North America.

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