Five hot trends in two thousand fifteen cars
As two thousand fifteen models like the Chevrolet Corvette begin to show up in dealer showrooms, the fresh model year produces some totally fresh vehicles, a major redesign and technology that moves ahead toward the connected car.
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See what’s fresh at the annual Paris Auto Demonstrate
The Jeep Renegade and Chevrolet Trax will expand the competition among very petite SUVs. The most significant redesign is the Ford F-150 pickup, with a weight-loss program of an aluminum cab and bed. And the introduction of so-called 4G LTE connectivity in General Motors vehicles will not only make your car into a rolling WiFi hot spot but also increase the capability to diagnose problems without visiting the dealer or a mechanic’s shop.
Analyst Jeremy Acevedo of Edmunds.com says the likelihood of stable gasoline prices will proceed the latest trend for strong sales of pickup trucks and large SUVs. But, he adds, “While Americans proceed to flock to trucks, the industry resumes to shove the envelope on fuel economy to meet looming efficiency mandates with electrified vehicle and plug-in hybrid technology.”
Very petite SUVs hit the market
The introduction of the Jeep Renegade and the Chevrolet Trax looks like the begin of a competitive scramble in subcompact SUVs. In a category just below compact SUVs like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, these fresh smaller crossovers will challenge with current entries like the Nissan Juke and Kia Soul.
But, predicts KelleyBlue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer, “This category will see an explosion of product in the coming years. The Honda HR-V and the Toyota equivalent are coming.”
These smaller SUVs will sport lower prices and higher fuel economy than their larger siblings. General Motors has announced that the kicking off price of the Trax will be $20,995. The EPA ratings for the Trax are twenty six MPG in city driving and thirty four on the highway.
Jeep has not yet announced pricing on the Renegade, but it is expected to commence around $Nineteen,000. And Chrysler Group officials have suggested the highway mileage will be around thirty MPG. The Renegade is expected to hit Jeep showrooms early next year.
Ford pickup goes on a weight loss plan
In redesigning the best-selling vehicle in America, Ford has taken a bold step. It has cut the weight by seven hundred pounds by switching to aluminum for the figure and bed of the two thousand fifteen F-series pickup. That will mean a build up in fuel economy, which the company has not yet announced but have suggested it could treatment thirty MPG on the highway.
Truck buyers may be skeptical of the harshness of aluminum. But Ford will be pitching to them that the fresh F-150 can carry more and tow more than its predecessor. The company said the prototype fresh design had been tested for more than ten million miles, including customers who cooperated in using the pickup in construction, mining and electrical utility work.
As for the future, “It’s entirely possible that an aluminum F-series will begin a trend,” says executive editor Joe Wiesenfelder of cars.com. “Truck makers need to get the weight out, and aluminum is a straightforward way to do it.” He points out that aluminum assets parts and entire bods are already used in some luxury cars.
GM moves toward connected cars
General Motors’ two thousand fifteen vehicles are introducing fresh technology that can make your car a rolling WiFi hot spot. But this fresh technology represents one step toward cars that send and receive data more quickly and, eventually, to the remote fixing of problems.
The system is based on 4G LTE (for fourth generation Long Term Evolution) wireless technology that is much swifter than the previous generation. Along with GM, Audi also is introducing 4G LTE in some models. “We will see 4G LTE technology expand across fresh car offerings over the next duo years,” predicts senior analyst Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book. “Eventually every driver will want it and every manufacturer will supply it.”
The extra speed will permit features like traffic updates to operate better, notes Joe Wiesenfelder of cars.com. “Eventually, it will permit manufacturers to update their operating systems wirelessly,” he adds, noting that only Tesla can do this now. It would mean, for example, if software needed to be updated in a recall, it could be done without going into the dealership.
Fresh luxury hybrids emerge
Lexus is bringing out a fresh model, the puny hybrid NX 300h SUV, which will also come in a regular gasoline version. And the Mercedes-Benz C-Class will introduce a plug-in hybrid version. This goes after some two thousand fourteen luxury introductions such as the BMW i3, which comes both in hybrid and all-electric versions.
The Lexus compact SUV hybrid will use the same gas/electrified system which has been well reviewed in the Toyota Camry hybrid. The EPA ratings for the NX 300h are thirty five MPG in city driving, thirty one on the highway.
Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder notes that Lexus hybrids generally have been good at meeting EPA estimates. And Jeremy Acevedo of Edmunds.com says to expect continuing hybrid and electrical introductions of luxury vehicles. “It’s interesting to see luxury cachet once held by spectacle models leisurely swinging toward green cars.”
Safety features progress resumes toward self-driving cars
Fresh safety features in two thousand fifteen cars represent a puny step toward the driverless car. Nissan and General Motors both have said they could produce an “autonomous car” by the end of the decade. And Google proceeds its intense research on the subject with instructions from its executives to get results within five years. Much of the technology involved — including movie cameras and radar sensors — are already installed in some cars as a part of safety features like lane departure and collision warning.
With two thousand fifteen mainstream models adding self-correcting features like the lane-keeping assist in the highest-level two thousand fifteen Honda CR-V, that evolution takes another step.
Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book notes that the two thousand fifteen Ford F-150 offers radar cruise control in a full-size truck. “These technologies make up the foundation of autonomous driving,” he notes. “They will quickly go from expensive options on high-end models to standard equipment on every vehicle.”
That will budge along the technology, but laws and regulations to permit such cars to mix with older cars on the highway may well be much further ahead.
Five hot trends in two thousand fifteen cars – CBS News
Five hot trends in two thousand fifteen cars
As two thousand fifteen models like the Chevrolet Corvette begin to emerge in dealer showrooms, the fresh model year produces some totally fresh vehicles, a major redesign and technology that moves ahead toward the connected car.
Paris Auto Demonstrate: Vive les cars!
See what’s fresh at the annual Paris Auto Display
The Jeep Renegade and Chevrolet Trax will expand the competition among very petite SUVs. The most significant redesign is the Ford F-150 pickup, with a weight-loss program of an aluminum cab and bed. And the introduction of so-called 4G LTE connectivity in General Motors vehicles will not only make your car into a rolling WiFi hot spot but also increase the capability to diagnose problems without visiting the dealer or a mechanic’s shop.
Analyst Jeremy Acevedo of Edmunds.com says the likelihood of stable gasoline prices will proceed the latest trend for strong sales of pickup trucks and large SUVs. But, he adds, “While Americans proceed to flock to trucks, the industry resumes to thrust the envelope on fuel economy to meet looming efficiency mandates with electrified vehicle and plug-in hybrid technology.”
Very petite SUVs hit the market
The introduction of the Jeep Renegade and the Chevrolet Trax looks like the commence of a competitive scramble in subcompact SUVs. In a category just below compact SUVs like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, these fresh smaller crossovers will challenge with current entries like the Nissan Juke and Kia Soul.
But, predicts KelleyBlue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer, “This category will see an explosion of product in the coming years. The Honda HR-V and the Toyota equivalent are coming.”
These smaller SUVs will sport lower prices and higher fuel economy than their larger siblings. General Motors has announced that the embarking price of the Trax will be $20,995. The EPA ratings for the Trax are twenty six MPG in city driving and thirty four on the highway.
Jeep has not yet announced pricing on the Renegade, but it is expected to embark around $Nineteen,000. And Chrysler Group officials have suggested the highway mileage will be around thirty MPG. The Renegade is expected to hit Jeep showrooms early next year.
Ford pickup goes on a weight loss plan
In redesigning the best-selling vehicle in America, Ford has taken a bold step. It has cut the weight by seven hundred pounds by switching to aluminum for the figure and bed of the two thousand fifteen F-series pickup. That will mean a build up in fuel economy, which the company has not yet announced but have suggested it could treatment thirty MPG on the highway.
Truck buyers may be skeptical of the roughness of aluminum. But Ford will be pitching to them that the fresh F-150 can carry more and tow more than its predecessor. The company said the prototype fresh design had been tested for more than ten million miles, including customers who cooperated in using the pickup in construction, mining and electrified utility work.
As for the future, “It’s entirely possible that an aluminum F-series will begin a trend,” says executive editor Joe Wiesenfelder of cars.com. “Truck makers need to get the weight out, and aluminum is a straightforward way to do it.” He points out that aluminum figure parts and entire bods are already used in some luxury cars.
GM moves toward connected cars
General Motors’ two thousand fifteen vehicles are introducing fresh technology that can make your car a rolling WiFi hot spot. But this fresh technology represents one step toward cars that send and receive data more quickly and, eventually, to the remote fixing of problems.
The system is based on 4G LTE (for fourth generation Long Term Evolution) wireless technology that is much quicker than the previous generation. Along with GM, Audi also is introducing 4G LTE in some models. “We will see 4G LTE technology expand across fresh car offerings over the next duo years,” predicts senior analyst Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book. “Eventually every driver will want it and every manufacturer will supply it.”
The extra speed will permit features like traffic updates to operate better, notes Joe Wiesenfelder of cars.com. “Eventually, it will permit manufacturers to update their operating systems wirelessly,” he adds, noting that only Tesla can do this now. It would mean, for example, if software needed to be updated in a recall, it could be done without going into the dealership.
Fresh luxury hybrids show up
Lexus is bringing out a fresh model, the puny hybrid NX 300h SUV, which will also come in a regular gasoline version. And the Mercedes-Benz C-Class will introduce a plug-in hybrid version. This goes after some two thousand fourteen luxury introductions such as the BMW i3, which comes both in hybrid and all-electric versions.
The Lexus compact SUV hybrid will use the same gas/electrical system which has been well reviewed in the Toyota Camry hybrid. The EPA ratings for the NX 300h are thirty five MPG in city driving, thirty one on the highway.
Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder notes that Lexus hybrids generally have been good at meeting EPA estimates. And Jeremy Acevedo of Edmunds.com says to expect continuing hybrid and electrified introductions of luxury vehicles. “It’s interesting to see luxury cachet once held by spectacle models leisurely swinging toward green cars.”
Safety features progress proceeds toward self-driving cars
Fresh safety features in two thousand fifteen cars represent a puny step toward the driverless car. Nissan and General Motors both have said they could produce an “autonomous car” by the end of the decade. And Google proceeds its intense research on the subject with instructions from its executives to get results within five years. Much of the technology involved — including movie cameras and radar sensors — are already installed in some cars as a part of safety features like lane departure and collision warning.
With two thousand fifteen mainstream models adding self-correcting features like the lane-keeping assist in the highest-level two thousand fifteen Honda CR-V, that evolution takes another step.
Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book notes that the two thousand fifteen Ford F-150 offers radar cruise control in a full-size truck. “These technologies make up the foundation of autonomous driving,” he notes. “They will quickly go from expensive options on high-end models to standard equipment on every vehicle.”
That will stir along the technology, but laws and regulations to permit such cars to mix with older cars on the highway may well be much further ahead.