Sedans/Saloons auto news

Report: Maybach lost upwards of $500k on each vehicle sold

Daimler is shuttering Maybach in 2013 after seven years of production. In that time, the company's ultra-ultra-luxury arm managed to sell just 3,000 units, and CAR reports Daimler lost somewhere around $500,000 on each and every one of them.

Even with a ludicrous price tag of over $370,000 for an "entry" Maybach 57, the brand couldn't quite recoup the dizzying $1.33 billion Daimler poured into it since its (re)inception. Rumors ignited over a possible tie up with Aston Martin that would have resulted in a range of new and attractive models, but Daimler has instead decided to snuff out Maybach altogether.

We can hardly blame them.

Mercedes-Benz will pick up the ultra-luxury slack with a new range of sedans based on the S-Class. Those bruisers will likely bow in 2013 just as Maybach turns out the lights for good.

Report: Next Toyota Avalon to best Fiat 500's fuel economy?

The Fiat 500 is 139 inches of A-segment fury, with a heaping dose of cute and a dash of fuel efficiency. In fact, the manual transmission-equipped cinquecento averages 33 miles per gallon in mixed driving, which is better than most things on the road.

Impressed? Toyota isn't. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Japanese automaker told dealers at the National Automobile Dealers Association meeting in Las Vegas, NV recently that the next generation Avalon will get better fuel economy than the wee Fiat.

Since the current generation Avalon is five feet longer and considerably wider than the 500, that's an impressive claim. Heck, the Avalon is bigger than the Camry, and buyers currently have to step into a Camry Hybrid model to surpass the fuel economy numbers of the pint-sized Fiat.

The sky-high fuel economy of the Avalon wasn't the only good news Toyota delivered to dealers. The automaker reportedly informed the car-selling audience that 19 new models were coming in 2012.

Chicago: 2012 Kia Optima SX Limited is literally a dream come true

While Chrysler got the most attention for its Super Bowl ad starring Clint Eastwood, many found Kia's spot starring Mr. Sandman, Adriana Lima and Motley Crue to be the most entertaining. The car featured in the ad was the new Optima SX Limited, which made its debut today at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

The SX Limited is the new range-topping trim for the Optima, slotting neatly above the SX. What it adds to the already loaded SX are LED daytime running lights, chrome accenting on the rear spoiler and lower door sills, red painted front brake calipers, a unique set of chrome 18-inch wheels, wood interior trim, and three exterior colors options of Ebony Black, Snow White Pearl and Titanium Metallic.

While no pricing for the SX Limited was given, we obviously expect it to start somewhere north of the SX trim's $26,500 base price. Production begins later this month at Kia's assembly plant in West Point, Georgia.

Continue reading 2012 Kia Optima SX Limited is literally a dream come true

Chicago: 2012 Mopar 300 dialed M for Murdered Out

Our first face-to-face look at the murdered-out Mopar 300 occurred at the Chicago Auto Show today. Peel away the black hood and you will find the the company's familiar 5.7-liter V8 as standard equipment. Output remains at 363 horsepower, but a new final-drive ratio of 3.91:1 working in conjunction with its five-speed W5A580 automatic transmission should drop 0-60 times into the low five-second range.

Other upgrades include firmer suspension tuning (42 percent stiffer front and 23 percent stiffer rear spring rates compared to the Chrysler 300 models with touring-tuned suspension), stickier rubber (245/45R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 three-season tires) and high-performance brake pads in the dual-piston front and single-piston rear calipers.

You won't be able to miss the Mopar Chrysler 300 (except at night) thanks to its Gloss Black paint, Gloss Black 20-inch wheels and numerous other blacked-out appointments both inside and out. The many "Mopar" badges on the fenders and deck lid only serve to reinforce its evilness.

Being the third turn-key Mopar product after the '10 Mopar Challenger and '11 Mopar Charger, the '12 Mopar 300 will be available for purchase this summer for $49,700 (including destination charges), though production is limited to just 500 units.

Continue reading 2012 Mopar 300 dialed M for Murdered Out

Chicago: 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute pays homage to sporty compacts of yore

There's a lot of history wrapped up in the 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute. For starters, it's supposed to commemorate 75 years of Mopar, which, in case you're wondering, stands for MOtor PARts, Chrysler's in-house go-fast aftermarket division.

Second, the GTS Tribute harkens back to the Dart of old, which was built between 1960 and 1976, and specifically the GTS model of the late 1960s. Never mind that this new Dart has absolutely nothing in common with that rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame muscle car other than its name.

Finally, it's easy to see some Dodge Neon SRT4 in the Dart GTS, most notably in its carbon fiber hood with a single, centered hood scoop, which feeds cold air to a Mopar intake that bumps horsepower to 210. Also take note of the 18-inch, titanium-finish ten-spoke wheels and the Ruby Red and black motif both inside and out.

Buyers hoping to snag a 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute will have to get out their aftermarket Mopar catalogs, as this car won't be made available at Dodge dealerships.

Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute pays homage to sporty compacts of yore

Chicago: 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

The 2013 Acura ILX is here, and it will be one of the new first-responders to address the perception of Acura's weakened health. It might just be our eyes, but the transition to Acura-spec wheels and paint job makes this look much more of-the-family than the concept shown in Detroit. However, the production lines remain true, minus some of the chrome showy bits from the concept.

Motivation will be provided by either a 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder working through a five-speed automatic, a 201-hp, 2.4-liter with a six-speed manual, or the first Acura hybrid with a 111-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder getting help from Integrated Motor Assist and a CVT, good for fuel economy estimates of 35/38 miles per gallon, city/highway. Follow the jump for a press release with more information, and look out for live pics from our team at the Chicago Auto Show.

Continue reading 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

Official: 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

The 2013 Acura ILX is here, and it will be one of the new first-responders to address the perception of Acura's weakened health. It might just be our eyes, but the transition to Acura-spec wheels and paint job makes this look much more of-the-family than the concept shown in Detroit. However, the production lines remain true, minus some of the chrome showy bits from the concept.

Motivation will be provided by either a 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder working through a five-speed automatic, a 201-hp, 2.4-liter with a six-speed manual, or the first Acura hybrid with a 111-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder getting help from Integrated Motor Assist and a CVT, good for fuel economy estimates of 35/38 miles per gallon, city/highway. Follow the jump for a press release with more information, and look out for live pics from our team at the Chicago Auto Show.

Continue reading 2013 Acura ILX puts a familiar face on entry-level luxury

Are these the patent filings for Volvo's S-Class-fighting S100 flagship?

There are luxury automakers, there are mainstream automakers, and then there are those in between. Volvo, we'd argue, is one of those marques that doesn't quite compete in the same market as, say, Mercedes-Benz or Lexus, but that looks as if it's about to change.

The Swedish automaker has been toying for years with the idea of building a new flagship to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and Lexus LS, but while Volvo has dragged its feet on the prospect in the past, a series of what look like patent renderings that have leaked their way online give us what could prove the strongest indication yet of Volvo's intent.

For better or worse, the renderings bear the hallmark of recent Volvo designs like the Concept Universe (unveiled in Shanghai last year), the Concept You (showcased in Frankfurt) and the upcoming next-generation XC90 - complete with the gaping maw that seems to mock the face we make when we look at these examples of this particular styling direction.

Of course, given the big wheels, showcar grille, delicate mirrors and suicide rear doors (not to mention the overall form), it seems more likely we're looking at renderings for the Concept Universe rather than a production model in the making, but that just leaves us wondering what the patent filing is for. We'll just have to wait a while to find out one way or another.

Long Term: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate: January 2012

January was not a busy month for our long-term 2011 Hyundai Equus. It did ferry one of our editors between auto company cocktail hours and dinners during the week of the Detroit Auto Show, but for the latter half of the month it wasn't driven all that much. But that's good news, because our Equus spent quite a bit of time at LaFontaine Hyundai, in Dearborn, Michigan, receiving a long-awaited repair to the driver's seat.

As we wind down its year in the Autoblog fleet, we also saw fit to address some cosmetic damage to the front fascia and have our 22,500-mile service completed. While the service was free, the "minor" scrape on the lower corner of the bumper skirt set us back some $669.25. Our time with the Equus ends in just a few weeks, which means we'll only have limited time to enjoy the now-comfortable seat. This has been one of our biggest issues with the car, and to have it finally fixed after all this time is so wonderful that some editors are grumbling that they won't have the chance to get back in the car again.

We do wish, however, that the seat bottom wasn't made to look even more worn by the contrast of the brand new seat back. At least we don't have to look at it while we drive around enjoying the comfort of the now-working back massager.

Video: Cadillac ATS earns GM another Most Watched Ad Ever title

When spending big dollars on a Super Bowl ad buy, companies would do themselves well to remember that the successful spots aren't just the ones being talked about the next day. The ads that more eyeballs actually saw while watching the game were also worth their weight in focus groups.

For the second year in a row, General Motors is claiming that it aired the most watched ad during the most watched event in U.S. TV history. We are speaking of the 30-second spot entitled "Green Hell" featuring the Cadillac ATS that aired during the game's most tense moments, right after the official two-minute warning was reached. The time was 9:37 PM EST and, according to analysis by Kantar Media, more people were watching NBC's broadcast at that time than any other.

And since this year's Super Bowl was again viewed by another record audience - 111.3 million viewers in the U.S., not to mention over a billion worldwide - the ATS ad therefore becomes the most watched advertisement on television in U.S. history.

We said this is the second time that GM has claimed this crown. The first was with last year's Camaro commercial called "Miss Evelyn." To see the two most watched spots in U.S. television history back-to-back, just follow the jump.

Continue reading Cadillac ATS earns GM another Most Watched Ad Ever title