New 2013 VW CC
November 2, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Aftermarket , SEMA Show , Convertible , SUV , Videos , Jeep Considering how long the Jeep Wrangler has been in production, we’re surprised that nobody thought of this sooner. The Jeep enthusiasts at Omix-Ada Inc. have designed what they’re calling the world’s first power folding soft top kit for the beloved Wrangler, which can be fitted to any 2007-2012 model year four-door model. (The company says a kit for the two-door Wrangler is expected to arrive later in 2012.) The Rugged Ridge package comes complete with a vinyl top, power top frame, hydraulics, wiring harness and installation pack, and the top itself includes a zip-out, removable, tinted rear window. Omix-Ada says the whole kit comes ready to install with “no fuss or mess.” We can’t help but notice that the top looks sort of flimsy during operation, but nevertheless, it’s a neat aftermarket tweak to one of the most iconic off-roaders ever to grace our roads (and trails). We’re not sure how well the hardcore purists will receive something like this, but there are plenty of people buying four-door Wranglers as lifestyle vehicles, too. Check out a pair of videos after the jump showing the power folding top in action, along with Omix-Ada’s press release. Continue reading Jeep Wrangler power folding top kit debuts at SEMA Jeep Wrangler power folding top kit debuts at SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Cadillac has new poster sedan
October 27, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Car Buying , Minivan/Van , Europe , Chrysler , Lancia , Fiat The Chrysler – Fiat merger has already spawned some nicely badge-engineered Chryslers for the U.K. market , and now comes payback. The 2012 Lancia Voyager goes on sale in Europe this month, and if it looks like a Chrysler Town & Country Limited, well, that’s because it is. Save for some rather tastefully applied badging identifying the upscale Italian brand – and the removal of the TC’s chrome bodyside molding – we’re hard pressed to see much difference between the U.S. and Euro versions of the people mover, at least on the surface. Underhood, however, Lancia will be offering a 2.8-liter common rail turbodiesel that’s unavailable in the States. While the diesel is only rated at a meager 163 horsepower, its 265 pound-feet of torque is more than the Pentastar V6 gasoline engine, which is also an option overseas. Fiat says the diesel Voyager is good for 30 miles per gallon in the European combined cycle; the 283-horsepower Pentastar manages just 22 mpg in this application. This would be the place where we would normally grumble about not getting the diesel version here in the U.S., but we’re not going to do that this time. After all, it’s just a Chrysler minivan. See the full press release after the break . Continue reading How do you say “Chrysler minivan” in Italian? “Lancia Voyager” How do you say “Chrysler minivan” in Italian? “Lancia Voyager” originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Nissan making some safety changes
October 20, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Car Buying , SUV , Crossover , Chevrolet , Dodge , Ford , Honda , Kia , Mazda , Toyota Cars.com recently lined up seven new vehicles for a $37,000 SUV shootout. The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse , 2012 Dodge Durango , 2012 Ford Explorer , 2012 Honda Pilot , 2012 Kia Sorento , 2011 Mazda CX-9 and 2011 Toyota Highlander all squared off against one another in a range of evaluations, including a one-day highway drive and family testing. If you happen to be the deductive type, you may have noticed that the list above includes a fair number of genuine crossovers. Vehicles like the Chevrolet Traverse and Mazda CX-9 bear little resemblance to the body-on-frame bruisers of old, and even models like the 2012 Explorer and 2012 Durango have evolved out of their traditional shells. But when the dust settled, it was Honda’s 2012 Pilot that took top honors thanks to its high level of amenities, spacious interior and clever storage solutions, despite the fact that reviewers found issue with road noise and exterior styling. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that the 2012 Explorer tied for sixth place with the 2012 Sorento. Ouch. Head over to Cars.com to see the full evaluation, and vote for your favorite in our poll. View Poll Cars.com $37,000 SUV shootout yields unexpected results [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Fiat/Chrysler relationship to develop ‘Baby Jeep’ in States?
October 5, 2011 by Larson Automotive Group · Leave a Comment
Special Edition MW3 Jeep : Call of Duty Modern Warfare
September 28, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Jeep and Activision have partnered up once again, this time to produce a new special edition Wrangler designed to commemorate the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The 2012 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Special Edition is set to land on dealer lots on November 8 in conjunction with the launch of [...]
Fiat to build Alfa Romeo SUV alongside Jeeps in America, build small car in Italy
September 2, 2011 by Dodge Blogger · Leave a Comment
Filed under: SUV , Etc. , Europe , Plants/Manufacturing , Jeep , Alfa Romeo , Fiat The Detroit News is reporting that Fiat may move its planned Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUV production from Turin to the United States. That would leave the Italian plant open and available to produce a new future city car. According to an unnamed source close to the situation, the decision is based largely on the fact that the Euro has made substantial gains against the dollar in the past few months. A little less than a year ago, Fiat announced that it would invest $1.44 billion in the Turin facility in order to produce Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUVs beginning in late 2012, but since then, the Euro has gained nearly 9 percent against the dollar. Needless to say, that makes the possibility of manufacturing Jeep vehicles abroad and importing them back into the U.S. considerably less profitable. Building the two vehicles here in America would keep Jeep assembly domestic and give Alfa Romeo a leg up when it comes time for that brand to re-launch in the land of the free. Fiat to build Alfa Romeo SUV alongside Jeeps in America, build small car in Italy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
How Jeep jimmied the Pentastar V6 into the 2012 Wrangler
September 1, 2011 by Dodge Blogger · Leave a Comment
Filed under: SUV , Etc. , Technology , Jeep , Off-Road We can quit wondering why it took so long for Jeep to drop the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 behind the round headlights of the 2012 Wrangler . According to Wards Auto, the engine had to undergo more than a few tweaks in order to be fit for duty in the trail-rated Wrangler. Engineers had to start by moving the alternator up and away from the middle of the engine to provide for greater water-fording capability. A new intake was also fitted to increase the kind of low-end torque buyers demand on the trail. Meanwhile, on-road civility was increased by changing the intake to draw from the engine’s left side instead of its right along with a unique acoustic cover. While those changes took a little research and development, they’ve obviously paid dividends in the Wrangler. Chrysler may apply a similar approach when the company moves to offer the 3.6-liter V6 in the Ram line soon. How Jeep jimmied the Pentastar V6 into the 2012 Wrangler originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Motor Trend compares 2012 Jeep Wrangler with its 1945 CJ forebearer
August 29, 2011 by Dodge Blogger · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Classics , SUV , Videos , Jeep , Police/Emergency , Off-Road It has been over 70 years since the first Jeep rolled off the assembly line. The legendary off-road machine was instrumental to the Allied victory in World War II, and it became such a big hit with servicemen that the CJ was built for civilians after the war. More than 65 years after that first commercial CJ hit the streets, the Jeep name is still going strong. But how much different is the 1945 CJ than the current Wrangler ? Motor Trend looked into the transformation of the Jeep, and it translated its findings into an informative video. Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself. The latest Wrangler may be two feet longer, nearly twice as heavy and feature almost five times more power than the original CJ, but the functionality that makes the Jeep a big hit with off-road enthusiast remains intact. Continue reading Motor Trend compares 2012 Jeep Wrangler with its 1945 CJ forebearer Motor Trend compares 2012 Jeep Wrangler with its 1945 CJ forebearer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Jeep Wrangler spotted at Woodward
August 24, 2011 by Dodge Blogger · Leave a Comment
Filed under: SUV , Jeep , Toys/Games , Design/Style , Off-Road It looks like Jeep and Activision Publishing are continuing their successful partnership , placing battlefield-ready Wranglers in the Call of Duty video game series and selling a real-life version to gamers who wish to shuttle themselves to and fro in rough-and-tumble off-road-ready opulence. For those unaware, there’s a new version of the video game series heading to store shelves in short order, and Jeep is wasting no time showing its own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Wrangler to the public. Interestingly, Jeep decided to bring out its COD 3 Wrangler for the first time at the 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise , sporting all manner of specific gaming paraphernalia; such as new front and rear bumpers (the rear one holds water), mesh reliefs in the hood, flat black wheels with large, blocky tires and large metal emblems. Expect this latest COD-infused Wrangler to hit the market in the fall, timed to coincide with the release of the affiliated video game. In the meantime, check out some live shots in our image gallery, courtesy of Sidequesting.com. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Jeep Wrangler spotted at Woodward originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
2012 Jeep Wrangler [w/video]
![2012 Jeep Wrangler [w/video]](http://larsonautomotiveblog.com/wp-content/themes/agentpress_1.02/tools/timthumb.php?src=/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/6780bcdcer-01-opt-150x150.jpg&h=150&w=225&zc=1)
August 22, 2011 by Dodge Blogger · Leave a Comment
Filed under: SUV , Jeep , First Drives , Off-Road New V6 Shows Us The Way Up The Mountain Despite the global economic crisis and the effect it’s had on recreational vehicle sales, the Jeep Wrangler is doing better than ever in the icon’s 70-year history, selling a record 14,355 units in July in the United States alone. That trend should lead to sales of more or less 150,000 units in 2011, with the added benefit of creating over 1,000 more jobs at the company’s famous Toledo, Ohio plant as Fiat-Chrysler pushes to make the Wrangler an international hot seller. Even though the introduction of the four-door Wrangler Unlimited deserves much of the credit for this growing success (it now accounts for 60 percent of sales), we wanted to grab a two-door model, as it’s the purest model in the line. If you want to know just how addictive really good off-roading can be, grabbing the short-wheelbase model is a no-brainer. Two-door Wrangler fanatics like us have willingly lived with the paved-road compromises inherent in a short wheelbase, ladder-framed, mountain-climbing dirt dog. But plans are afoot within Fiat-Chrysler to address these on-road issues as the next-generation Wrangler is readied for 2014 or so. We began our test drive on road in northern Oregon with a Wrangler Sahara painted Retina-Singe Blue with a matching removable hardtop. Once off in the woods, we switched to a red Wrangler Rubicon with an open soft-top – the best configuration we can think of as we prepare for the promised Apocalypse in 2012. (Hey, we saw the movie and Hollywood never lies.) Continue reading 2012 Jeep Wrangler [w/video] 2012 Jeep Wrangler [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
