AAH #231 – Lincoln Rolls Large

February 28th, 2014 at 3:58pm

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UP FOR DISCUSSION:
- What’s the deal with Geneva? Do we really think “Switzerland = Automobile”?
- Overweight keychains lead to a massive GM recall.
- Detroit makes snubbed again by Consumer Reports.

SPECIAL GUEST: Elaine Bannon, Chief Engineer, Lincoln Navigator
- What’s next for the newly refreshed luxury SUV?

All that and more with Gary Vasilash, Automotive Design & Production; Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press; and Keith Naughton, Bloomberg News

Thanks to our sponsor who makes Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone.

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AAH #230 – Tesla, Dodge and the UAW

February 21st, 2014 at 5:31pm

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UP FOR DISCUSSION:
- The UAW is voted down at VW; will they take it out on the Detroit Three?
- Dodge is lauded for innovation, but not for the cars they build
- Tesla is on fire (in a good way)
- China’s largest auto supplier now owns Fisker

All that and more with John McElroy, Autoline.tv; Gary Vasilash, Automotive Design & Production; Karl Henkel, The Detroit News; and Dave Sullivan, AutoPacific

Thanks to our sponsor who makes Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone.

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Thanks to our partners and friends DrivenMavens.com and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Seat Time: 2014 Fiat 500L Trekking

February 21st, 2014 at 8:00am

2014 Fiat 500L

Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.

Manufacturer: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Make: Fiat
Model: 500L Trekking
Model Range: 4-door hatchback
Competitors: MINI Cooper Countryman, KIA Soul !, Nissan Juke, Scion xB
Trim Levels: Pop, Easy, Lounge, Trekking
Price Range: $19,990 Base; $21,395 Trekking Base; $25,445 As Tested
Made in: Kragujevac, Serbia
Drivetrain: 1.4-Liter I4 MultiAir Turbo engine, 6-Speed EuroTwin Clutch Automatic Transmission, 160hp (engine, transmission made in Italy)
EPA Ratings: 24 city/33 hwy/27 combined

Read on for Chip Drake‘s final impressions of this vehicle

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Seat Time: 2015 Kia K900

February 20th, 2014 at 8:00am

7647_1_2

Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.

Manufacturer: Kia
Make: Kia
Model: K900
Model Range: 4-door sedan
Competitors: Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Hyundai Equus, Lexus LS
Trim Levels: V6, V8 Luxury, V8 VIP
Price Range: $60,400 V8 Luxury; $66,400 V8 VIP; V6 – Pricing Not Available
Made in: Gwangmyeong, South Korea
Drivetrain: 3.8L V6 RWD w/ 8-speed automatic transmission, 311hp, 293 lb-ft; 5.0L V8 RWD w/ 8-speed automatic transmission, 420hp, 376 lb-ft
EPA Ratings: (All Estimates) V6 = 18 city/27 hwy; V8 = 15 city/23 hwy

Read on for Seamus McElroy‘s final impressions of this vehicle

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Seat Time: 2014 Audi A7 TDI quattro

February 19th, 2014 at 8:00am

Audi A7 Sportback/Standaufnahme

Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.

Manufacturer: VW AG
Make: Audi
Model: A7 TDI quattro
Model Range: 4-door sedan
Competitors: BMW 535d xDrive, Mercedes E350 BlueTec
Trim Levels: A7, TDI, S7, RS 7
Price Range: $64,500-$122,545; $81,395, As Tested
Made in: Neckarsulm, Germany
Drivetrain: 3.0L V6 diesel with Quattro AWD
EPA Ratings: 24 city/38 hwy/29 combined; 25.4 mpg observed

Read on for John McElroy‘s final impressions of this vehicle

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Seat Time: 2014 MINI Hardtop

February 18th, 2014 at 8:00am

011_Cooper_S

Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.

Manufacturer: BMW
Make: MINI
Model: Hardtop
Model Range: 3-door
Competitors: Fiat 500, VW Golf, Audi A3, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Nissan Juke
Trim Levels: Cooper, Cooper S
Price Range: $19,950 Cooper Base, $23,600 Cooper S Base, With Options $30,000+
Made in: Oxford, England
Drivetrain: Cooper – 3-cyl. w/ standard 6-speed transmission, 134hp; Cooper S – 4-cyl. turbocharged w/ 189hp; Optional 6-speed automatic transmission
EPA Ratings: (All Estimates) Cooper manual 28 city/39 highway/32 combined; Cooper S manual 23 city/37 highway/28 combined

Read on for Chip Drake‘s final impressions of this vehicle

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Seat Time: 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

February 17th, 2014 at 11:46am

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited

Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.

Manufacturer: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Make: Jeep
Model: Grand Cherokee
Model Range: 5-door
Competitors: Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Ford Explorer, Nissan Armada
Trim Levels: Laredo, Limited, Overland, Summit, SRT8
Price Range: $51,195 Base; $57,190 As Tested
Made in: Detroit, Michigan
Drivetrain: 3.0-Liter V6 ECODiesel (made in Italy), 8-speed Automatic
EPA Ratings: 21 city/28 highway/24 combined

Read on for Chip Drake‘s final impressions of this vehicle

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AAH #229 – Sun-Kissed Cars at the Amelia Concours

February 14th, 2014 at 8:48pm

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UP FOR DISCUSSION:
- Will people pay $60K for a Kia K900?
- Richard Petty disses Danica Patrick

SPECIAL GUEST: Bill Warner, Amelia Island Concours
- What goes into putting on a major automotive event like the Concours?

All that and more with John McElroy, Autoline.tv; Gary Vasilash, Automotive Design & Production; and John Manoogian, Center for Creative Studies

Thanks to our sponsor who makes Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

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Thanks to our partners and friends DrivenMavens.com and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Seat Time: 2014 Volvo V60

February 10th, 2014 at 4:25pm

V60_Las_Vegas_2

Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.

Manufacturer: Volvo
Make: Volvo
Model: V60
Model Range: 4-door wagon
Competitors: Acura TSX Sport Wagon, Audi A3 Wagon, BMW 3 Series Wagon
Trim Levels: T5 Drive-E FWD, T5 AWD, R-Design
Price Range: $36,225-$45,225
Made in: Torslanda, Sweden
Drivetrain: 2.0L 4-cyl., 240hp, 258 lb.-ft., FWD, 8-speed automatic; 2.5L 5-cyl., 250hp, 266 lb.-ft., AWD, Six-speed auto; 3.0L 6-cyl., 325hp, 354 lb.ft., Six-speed auto.
EPA Ratings: (All Estimates) T5 Drive-E FWD = 25 city/37 highway; T5 AWD = 20 city/29 highway; T6 AWD = 19 city/28 highway

Read on for Seamus McElroy‘s final impressions of this vehicle

continue reading »

Seat Time: 2014 Audi RS 7 Sportback

February 8th, 2014 at 9:00am

Audi RS 7 Sportback

Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.

Manufacturer: VW AG
Make: Audi
Model: RS 7
Model Range: 4-door sedan only
Competitors: BMW M5, Mercedes E63 AMG, Cadillac CTS-V
Trim Levels: A7, TDI, S7, RS 7
Price Range: $64,500-$122,545
Made in: Neckarsulm, Germany
Drivetrain: 4.0 L V-8; 560 hp, 516 lb-ft; 8-speed Tiptronic
EPA Ratings: 16 city/27 hwy/19 combined. Our test drive: 16.6 mpg

Read on for John McElroy‘s final impressions of this vehicle

continue reading »