Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of each crash test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released complete crash test scores today for eight SUVs including the 2009 Ford Escape, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2008 Nissan Rogue, 2009 VW Tiguan, 2008 Chevy Equinox/Pontiac Torrent, 2008 Jeep Wrangler 2-door, the Jeep Patriot and the Suzuki Grand Vitara. When we say complete crash tests, we mean the IIHS performed front, side and rear crash tests on all eight SUVs.

Each vehicle was given an overall rating of good, acceptable, marginal or poor, and the Escape, Outlander, Rogue and Tiguan earned good ratings in all three tests and, since they each come with electronic stability control as standard equipment, were also named Top Safety Picks by the IIHS. The rest of the group received either acceptable or marginal ratings in some tests, though the worst performing was the Jeep Wrangler 2-door. While the Jeep did earn a good rating in the frontal crash test, its side crash test was rated as poor, the lowest rating possible.

Automakers with SUVs that earned Top Safety Pick awards will now be touting their achievements from the rooftops. Ford has already started, noting in a press release that the Escape tops Toyota and Honda in combined safety and fuel efficiency ratings. Other automakers, meanwhile, are trying to explain away why their vehicles didn't perform as well in the IIHS tests. General Motors issued a press release noting that the Equinox and Torrent earned 5-stars in the NHTSA tests and that the IIHS side crash test is a "single and very sever test."

Follow the jump for the press release from the IIHS that explains their testing procedures and goes further into why each vehicle earned the ratings it did.


[Source: IIHS]

All owners of 2008 Honda Elements are being asked to stop driving their cars until they have had them inspected at their local Honda dealer. According to a recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the front bushing bracket of the left trailing arm of the rear suspension may have been improperly welded. If it fails, it could separate from the trailing arm causing the suspension to release part of the wheel hub, thus leading to a loss of control or crash. Although only 241 Elements are potentially affected (there are specific VIN number ranges during certain production dates), Honda is notifying all owners immediately and will inspect and replace defective parts at no charge. Rather than taking a risk, err on the side of safety and call your Honda dealer if you've got the keys to a 2008 Element in your pocket.

UPDATE: According to Honda spokesman Chris Martin all the affected owners were already notified before this story was published. Approximately half of the affected vehicles were unsold and sitting on dealer lots. Those have already been repaired. If you haven't already heard from Honda than you should be fine.

[Source: NHTSA via Carscoop]

Despite assurances from top GM brass, every bidder for the troubled HUMMER brand appears to be removing itself from the rumormill. Considered one of the strongest suitors interested in the off-road marque, India's Mahindra is the latest brand to pull out of consideration. According to Vice Chairman Anand Mahindra, "There has been a lot of speculation. I want to say categorically we are not pursuing HUMMER." That sounds pretty definitive to us, leaving Tata Motors as the only company from India still reportedly interested. Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska has pulled his name out of the mix, as has China's Hunan Changfeng Motor Co. Until an official announcement is made, all of this is just speculation, but we have to wonder just how valuable the HUMMER brand could possibly be now that its sales have plummeted so far and so fast.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Range Rover Sport

Driving a Range Rover Sport is like wearing an Izod circa 1980-anything: everybody immediately knows what you're about. And that's not a bad thing. We never wore Izods, but we'd drive this thing all day long -- and in fact, we did. The sport is supposedly the Range Rover for people who just want to go from work to the golf course to the watering hole, and don't need to traverse the Andes do it. Turns out, though, that it's suitably equipped for both. Follow the jump for the rest of the Rover story, and check out the gallery of hi-res shots below.

Photos Copyright ©2008 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 BMW X5 Security

If you happen to be the Head of State of a controversial nation, have a lot of enemies, or you are just plain paranoid, BMW's latest X5 variation may appeal to you. It's called the BMW X5 Security, and it has been armored by the factory to protect its occupants against some serious firepower (BMW claims safety class "VR4" to resist the penetration from a .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, or a nine-millimeter Luger). While BMW is understandably mum about specifics, we do know that the body panels (including the roof and trunk) have been reinforced with a ballistic-resistant armored fiber developed in the Netherlands. The windows are upgraded to laminated 22-mm thick security glass, and a camera system with intercom keeps the passengers informed of what's happening outside their isolated cocoon. To handle the extra mass (you know its packing some weight) the Security package is bundled to the X5 4.8i model with its 4.8-liter 350-hp V-8. Nearly indistinguishable from the regular model, BMW has reportedly attempted to maintain the X5's driving dynamics with upgraded suspension and brakes. It's apparently no slouch, but we have yet to see any armored car that is considered exceptionally nimble.

Luxury sport-utes and yachts go together like champagne and strawberries. The good folk at the Volkswagen Group know that, which is why they came up with the VW Touareg North Sails and Audi Q7 V12 TDI Coastline concepts. But the British aren't about to leave all the wet n' wild fun to ze Germans, so they're cooking up a few sailing-themed SUVs of their own.

In cooperation with Land Rover, luxury yacht broker Edmiston has commissioned seven of the world's top yacht designers to participate in the Superyacht Range Rover Design Competition. The results of the design regatta will be put to sea (figuratively speaking) at the Monaco Yacht Show next month, at which point the obscenely wealthy may place orders for these bespoke SUVs at prices ranging from $300,000 to $1.2 million.

[Source: CarScoop]

Click above for big gallery of the current Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep has a long and illustrious history with the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, and that lineage will continue on, albeit with some modifications to remain relevant to the times. Unlike many of its closest rivals that used a body-on-frame approach (we're looking at you, Explorer), the Grand Cherokee has always been based on a unibody platform. But it looks like future Grand Cherokees will be moving on to a car-based platform rather than its own dedicated one. To retool for this new vehicle program, Chrysler has announced that its Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit will be getting a $1.8 billion renovation that should employ 400 new workers -- a boon for the weary Detroit-area economy.

While purists may not like the idea of a car-based Grand Cherokee, we can't imagine that Chrysler would make the mistake of alienating its vast army of die-hard Jeep fans by making its flagship product too road-biased. Remember too that the Grand Cherokee name has always been affixed to a model that's a bit less rough-and-tumble than other more hardcore Jeep models like the Wrangler. Expect to see the next-gen Grand Cherokee sometime in 2010. Thanks for the tip, Roger!

[Sources: Dow Jones Newswire, Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the H2 "Black Chrome" Edition

HUMMER is having a bad year. Year-to-date sales are down 43% versus '07, and last month saw the iconic off-road nameplate take a 61% drop compared to July '07. High fuel prices have massacred truck and SUV sales in general, and HUMMER is simply reeling. GM threw the brand's future under the bus into limbo back in June when it announced a strategic review was underway, and the latest round of news has a sketchy Russian billionaire sniffing around, looking to acquire the marque. Happy times.

So, while the backdrop is grim, business continues, and GM has released photos of its annual H2 special edition for '09. The 2009 H2 "Black Chrome" Limited Edition is pretty self explanatory: it gets darkened "black chrome" applied to all the usual blingifiable surfaces, from the 21-inch wheels to the fuel filler door. Three paint colors are available, but the Sedona Metallic finish you see here is exclusive to the "Black Chrome" rig, and is coupled with a matching leather interior. A total of 1,300 "Black Chrome" editions will be offered worldwide, with an undetermined mix of H2 SUVs and SUTs making up that number. At the very least, they should be a big hit in Russia.


[Source: GM]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevy Tahoe XFE

Remember earlier in the year when Chevy quietly added the 36-mpg XFE model to its Cobalt lineup? XFE stands for "Xtra Fuel Economy" (should we tell them they spelled "Extra" wrong?) and means these vehicles have been equipped with some easy fuel-saving technologies to eek out as many miles per gallon as possible. GM announced today that the Cobalt XFE will be joined by XFE versions of the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon for the 2009 model year.

The General already offers hybrid versions of its full-size SUVs, which are also joined by hybrid versions of its half-ton trucks for 2009, but the XFE models will continue to be powered by a flex-fuel version of the company's 5.3L gasser V8. It produces 320 hp/340lb-ft in the Tahoe and Yukon, and 315 hp/338 lb-ft in the Tahoe and Yukon. All are rear-wheel-drive only and mated to GM's 6L80 six-speed auto with a fuel-saving 3.08 ratio rear axle. In order to maximize fuel economy, all four of these new XFE models get low rolling resistance tires, aluminum wheels, an aluminum spare wheel, aluminum lower control arms and a lowered suspension with revised tuning. In addition, the Silverado and Sierra also get a new front lower air dam and soft tonneau cover that improve their aerodynamics.

What does it all add up to? 1 mpg. All four standard vehicles were rated at 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway, while their XFE counterparts bump those numbers to 15 city/21 highway. The gains are certainly minimal and we're not sure yet what sort of price premium XFE models will demand, but we give GM credit for at least reacting to the current shift in consumer tastes so quickly. We would have preferred, however, that it had just made these fuel-saving changes standard equipment rather than a separate model.


[Source: GM]

We knew last month that the Jetta TDI was qualified for the tax credit. Now, word is out that all of the new-generation clean diesels for Volkswagen (TDI) and Mercedes-Benz (Bluetec) will be joining the elite handful of vehicles that qualify for a federal alternative-powertrain tax credit. Formerly reserved for just hybrid vehicles, the diesels have been designated as advanced lean-burn-technology vehicles that meet the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit standards of the IRS. The credits vary based on the vehicle. In the case of Mercedes, the ML320 qualifies for $900 while the GL320 is good for $1,800. If diesel still isn't your thing, the IRS has also qualified several Ford hybrids as eligible too. Of those, the highest credit (a sweet $3,000) goes to those consumers who take home an Escape or Mariner two-wheel drive hybrid crossover.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]