Honda Crosstour: Attractive package inside and out

By Lary Coppola

The all-new 2010 Crosstour is Honda's latest Accord model, and what’s known as a CUV — Crossover Utility Vehicle. Let’s politely call it what it actually is, a hatchback Accord. The Accord Crosstour will fill the slot in between the CR-V and Pilot.

Someone I spoke with recently tried to make a strong case that with the Crosstour, Honda has finally gotten the Accord right. I never thought there was too much wrong with the original, and this vehicle is aimed at a different buyer than the Accord. But the Crosstour has a lot going for it.

A few years back, Honda’s market research found a large number of buyers — anticipated to be 20-somethings starting families and empty nesters — would want an Accord-size vehicle that wasn’t a truck, was handier than a sedan, and sportier than a mainstream CUV, and they would want it right about now.

Since planning a new vehicle takes years, and anticipating what car buyers will want and need in the future is less than an exact science, it’s a major crapshoot every time a new vehicle is introduced.

Were they right? Time will tell.

Model Lineup: The Crosstour comes in two trim levels, with front-wheel-drive standard. The Crosstour EX starts at $29,670, while the more upscale EX-L sells for $32,570. The all-wheel-drive (AWD) package is only available on the EX-L, starting at $34,020. Adding navigation adds another $2,200 to the sticker, for a total of $34,770 with 2WD and $36,220 with AWD.

Walkaround: Although visually similar to the recently introduced Acura ZDX (Honda owns Acura), the Crosstour doesn’t share the ZDX's platform, instead, riding on a modified Accord chassis.

The Crosstour is what is known in Europe as a five-door — a four-door sedan with a hatch making five. It’s somewhat ironic, that after years of rejecting the hatchback (well, there was the Gremlin…), the auto industry is slowly moving back toward what's always been the most practical sedan design.

The Crosstour differs from the Accord sedan in several ways besides the obvious sloping roofline. There’s a beefier more aggressive looking grille, two-inch wider stance (although there’s about an inch less room inside), a 110.1-inch wheelbase, more weight — 299 to 487 pounds more than Accord sedans. It's the only Accord to offer AWD — as basic as it may be — and has two additional inches of ground clearance than the Accord sedan for foul-weather and bad-road driving. The sloping rear roof gives the 2010 Accord Crosstour a very distinctive look — especially in contrast to the flat-roofed, Camry-based Toyota Venza or Ford Flex.

Interior: The Accord Crosstour EX comes pretty well-equipped, with standard features that include dual-zone automatic air conditioning with second row ventilation, auto up/down driver and front passenger side windows, moonroof, steering wheel-integrated audio controls, 360-Watt AM/FM 6-disc audio system with seven speakers, compass and outside temperature indicator, cruise control, easy fold-down 60-40 split rear seat back, 17-inch aluminum wheels with 225/65 R17 all-season tires, hidden removable utility box, rear privacy glass, projector beam headlights with auto-off, fog lights, chrome door handles, body-colored power side mirrors with defrost, and more.

Upgrades on the Accord Crosstour EX-L include leather-trimmed seating surfaces with heated front seats, leather steering wheel, leather gear shift knob, memory driver-side seats, memory side mirrors with reverse tilting capability, auto day/night dimming rearview mirror, auto on/off headlights, Kevlar cone speakers, aluminum dome-type front tweeter speakers and a USB audio interface, 18-inch aluminum wheels with 225/60 R18 all-season tires, cargo privacy cover, and HomeLink transmitter.

The seats were unusually comfortable for a Honda, offering good lumbar support, and the instrumentation includes some cool blue lighting. The center control console, which houses the navigation system and backup camera display, looks like it came straight out of an Acura RL rather than the standard-issue Accord controls.

While its coupe-like styling somewhat limits cargo volume, the Crosstour was designed with cargo hauling in mind. It doesn't want for cubbies, bins and other storage, featuring an 8-inch deep under-floor Hidden Removable Utility Box with a reversible lid, and under-floor bins that mirror the popular feature in the Honda Ridgeline pickup. A big, removable and washable center bin is flanked by two smaller ones, and the covers of all three can be reversed, offering carpet or a durable hard-plastic surface.

The hatch is just much handier than a trunk, and space behind Crosstour's back seat is twice the size of an Accord sedan trunk.

Safety features include the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions. Additional safety equipment includes Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist; side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor; driver's and front passenger's side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); dual-stage, multiple threshold front airbags; and active front seat head restraints.

Under The Hood: Power for the Crosstour is courtesy of Honda's 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine — the same motor as the Accord sedan. It delivers 271 horses and 254 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. It’s mated to a five-speed automatic that shifts briskly and smooth. No four-cylinder engine is offered.

The AWD system, which Honda dubs Real Time, is the same one used on its CR-V and Element small SUVs. Basically, it’s a front-drive system that transfers some power to the back wheels when, and only when, the front wheels slip. While it responds quickly, AWD always provides better stability and traction if it anticipates and can power all the wheels a moment before they lose traction, rather than after. The system is lighter and cheaper than more sophisticated AWD setups, but it worked fine in some very wet winter weather.

Behind The Wheel: The Crosstour has one of the best combinations of ride comfort and bump-smoothing I’ve found in almost any test car I’ve driven in awhile. It handled some tight, two-lane blacktop twisties at speed surprisingly well, and acceleration was adequate in traffic and on the freeway. Both are surprising, given that extra weight usually degrades handling and slows acceleration.

Steering had a comfortable feeling of quick turning response, and wasn’t too heavy or sluggish, while the 4-wheel disc brakes felt above average. Towing capacity is 1,500 pounds.

Gas mileage on our two-wheel-drive test EX-L was rated at 18/city and 27 highway.

Whines: There’s no stowage for the covers if you overfill the storage bins. You have to leave them loose in the vehicle, or at home. The navigation system was annoyingly slow to load, but worked well otherwise. An old-school type parking brake handle, rather than a pedal, hugs the center tunnel.

Bottom Line: I liked the Crosstour a lot. It drives great and is stylish, comfortable and practical. Our loaded test model stickered at $35,480, although the Crosstour is anywhere from $2,865 to $3,665 more than similarly equipped Accord sedans. But for you get and all the Crosstour can do, you just can’t beat its bang for the buck — especially when you factor in Honda dependability.

Chinese poised to buy Volvo

While the United States is still reeling from a recession that saw the demise of General Motors and Chrysler averted only by massive taxpayer-funded government bailouts, the Chinese continue to breathe down our economic superpower necks with their own foray into the global auto industry.

Leading the way is Shanghai-based Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., which was the first Chinese automaker to exhibit at the Detroit Auto Show — which opened to the press this morning — and is now closing in on the purchase of Volvo Car Corp. from Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Company.

At the same time, across the big pond, here in America, some 2,000 GM and Chrysler dealers are still waiting to hear the Obama administration’s Car Czar justify why it, and a bankruptcy court, arbitrarily phased them out of business last spring.

Volvo Presents All-Electric C30

In addition to the market introduction of a plug-in hybrid in 2012, work is currently under way on evaluating the viability of an entirely electric-powered car known as a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). In 2009, a small number of prototype versions of the C30 BEV have been built and tested internally by Volvo. In addition to focusing on performance and safety, much of the focus is on integration of the electric propulsion system with the rest of the car.

"The Volvo C30 is the first model we will try out with electric power. This car's excellent properties in city traffic and its relatively low weight make it particularly suitable, since electric cars are primarily expected to be used in and around cities and for daily commuting," says Lennart Stegland, Director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles.

Volvo C30 BEV is powered with a Lithium-Ion battery that is charged via a regular power socket found in most homes. Recharging an entirely depleted battery via the regular household power supply system (230V, 16A) will take about eight hours. If the car is charged with renewable electricity this means that emissions – all the way from electricity production to its use out on the road – will in principle be non-existent.

The electric motor is housed under the hood, just like the engine in a conventional car. One of the priorities within the BEV project is to find the optimal placing of the battery. Most likely the best places are the prop shaft tunnel and the place where the fuel tank normally is located. These locations are within the car's optimised crumple zone in the most common collision scenarios. Since the car runs solely on electricity, it requires a larger battery with higher capacity (24 kWh) than in the case of the plug-in hybrid (12 kWh).

The C30 BEV is limited to a top speed of about 130 kilometres an hour, which will be more than sufficient for most users of this type of car. Acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometres an hour will take less than 11 seconds. The car will have a range of up to 150 kilometres. This range is longer and far better than the distance 90 percent of all Europe's motorists drive per day.

Volvo imposes the very same high safety standards on all its products irrespective of the type of fuel or power source used. Volvo's safety dedication is always focused on the human being and is based on solid knowhow of real-life traffic situations. What is more, comprehensive in-house tests are carried out both virtually and in Volvo's highly advanced crash-test laboratory. If Volvo chooses to introduce an entirely new type of electric car on the market, it will be just as safe as any other car bearing the Volvo badge.

Volvo has theoretically identified all the electrification-related safety scenarios in the stages before, during and after a collision. After careful study of these scenarios, the company's engineers will create solutions for handling each and every situation identified, guaranteeing that any future electric cars fully match Volvo's renowned safety standards in every respect.

Volvo's' main electrification track over the coming decades is plug-in hybrids. This applies in particular to the company's larger car models. The combination of electric motor and combustion engine is the solution that probably has the greatest potential from both the technical and commercial viewpoints. Plug-in hybrids offer long range, good environmental performance and at the same time limited dependence on expensive battery technology.

Kia Debuts UVO-Powered Infotainment System

Short for "Your Voice," Kia has unveiled the new UVO, powered by Microsoft. UVO is an innovative and intelligent in-vehicle infotainment system that features a breakthrough user interface, providing simple and quick access to vehicle audio systems, music media in various formats and mobile phone content

UVO is the first in-vehicle solution to integrate full Microsoft® intelligent speech engine technology

2010 Toyota Prius: Refinement of a good thing

By Lary Coppola

There are no big surprises in the all-new 2010 Toyota Prius — just significant improvements. It's sleeker and more powerful, and adds an additional three miles-per-gallon, for an EPA-rating of 51/48 City/Highway.

The 1.8-liter gasoline engine is new, delivering more horses more efficiently, while the hybrid drivetrain is 65 pounds lighter. Top speed is now 112 miles per hour — up from 103.

The 2010 Toyota Prius comes in four trim levels, starting with Prius I. Toyota is focusing on the Prius brand, so no model names are offered besides Prius I II, III, IV and V. Prius II — expected to be the most popular — comes extremely well equipped. Prius III adds premium JBL sound and Bluetooth, while Prius IV adds leather seats and upgraded trim, heated front seats, plasma instrument cluster, HomeLink, a Smart Key system, and water repellent window glass. The top-line Prius V adds LED headlamps and foglamps, along with 17-inch alloy wheels.

Walkaround: There are not a lot of wholesale styling changes to the 2010 Prius — it’s still instantly recognizable. What’s not immediately visible is a sleeker car with a reduced drag coefficient, positioning it among the world's most slippery vehicles.

As a result of A-pillars moving forward to radically rake the windshield, the Prius is about half an inch longer, and 3/4-inch wider, while the roof is the same height. However, its apex is moved rearward 3.9 feet, creating a smoother aerodynamic wedge.

The smaller upper grille opening more efficiently moves air over the hood, while a new lip over the rear deck almost eliminates that chopped tail look while improving airflow. The wheelwells are aggressively more pronounced for additional airflow improvement, and the bumpers are sharper and squarer at the corners than before.

The blue-tinted headlights are restyled into wraparound trapezoids, with optional LED lenses that use 17-percent less battery power. The standard LED taillights also reduce power draw by 88 percent.

Interior: The Prius interior has been upgraded, and includes optional leather. The inviting cockpit features a stylish center console running at a gentle angle from dashboard to between the seats, where the CVT shift lever is located.

The four-spoke steering wheel houses multiple controls, which read out on a 5-inch wide multi-function screen that displays graphs and images, including an Energy Monitor that presents the battery charge in real time; and a Hybrid System Indicator revealing the efficiency of your driving ability.

Addressing complaints about previous Prius models, the all-new front seats are comfortable with increased bolstering and adjustability, while the width of the seatbacks has been reduced, resulting in increased rear legroom. Toyota claims the interior trim is made from ecologically-friendly, plant-derived resin plastic with excellent recycling characteristics.

The rear seats are split 60/40, with a folding armrest housing two cupholders. They drop flat, revealing 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space, easily accessible through the large liftgate. There's another two cubic feet under the floor of the cargo area, while the compact spare tire is one level down. A cargo area tonneau cover is standard.

Although forward visibility over the long dashboard and steeply sloped windshield is good, you can't see the car’s front corners, while rear visibility is compromised by the aerodynamically sloped roofline.

Standard equipment includes a Touch Tracer Display that projects information, so you can keep your eyes on the road. The information is driver-controlled, with input coming from the steering wheel, and includes cruise control, trip computer, audio, and climate controls, with telephone and other controls available.

Prius options include such techno-tricks as a solar-powered ventilation system and moonroof; remote pre-air conditioning to cool the car down to ambient temperature before you get in; radar cruise control and lane alignment warning; Intelligent Parking Assist (borrowed from Toyota-owned Lexus) that will parallel park your Prius with no steering or throttle help from the driver; and radar-controlled pre-collision emergency braking to reduce crash impact when an accident is imminent.

Other options include a Navigation Package with voice-activated DVD navigation, Bluetooth, XM traffic, and a backup camera.

Safety equipment standard on all models includes dual-stage front airbags, side airbags in front, airbag curtains, and driver's knee airbag; active headrests; tire pressure monitor with warning light; anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist and Brake Force Distribution; and a sophisticated stability control system working with traction control.

Under The Hood: The 2010 Prius is powered by Toyota’s heralded Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which combines a new 98-horse 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine (up from 1.5 and 76 horses) with the two electric motor-generators, for a total of 134 total horses. It delivers more torque, allowing it to maintain freeway speeds at lower rpm, which also boosts fuel mileage. Operating voltage on the motor-generators has been increased from 500V to 650V, and gear drive has replaced chains in the motor, more than doubling the motor's rpm from 6,400 to 13,500. The accessory drive belts have also been eliminated, with such things as the AC compressor and water pump now driven electrically.

Behind The Wheel: Acceleration is adequate, doing the 0 to 60 drill in 9.8 seconds, while the continuously variable transmission (CVT), is smooth. Handling is nimble at slow speeds, but becomes heavy and slow the more aggressively you drive. However cornering is much improved with a new chassis and suspension. The brakes are sensitive due to all the electronic capabilities for safety, and the ride can be a little harsh over some bumps, while interior noise is surprisingly high — despite increased sound insulation.

There are three driving modes: EV, ECO and Power. EV is all electric, for very short distances at speeds under 25 mph; ECO provides the best fuel mileage, without noticeably compromising performance; and Power, the default mode, is needed for rapid acceleration.

Accelerating hard kicks the Prius into Power mode, which can be abrupt — like a transmission kick-down. However, like all hybrids it uses a CVT, which doesn't have gears.

Whines: The button for the heated seats is oddly located on the floor under the console, and curiously, in a vehicle seemingly aimed at the techno-conscious, a USB port isn't standard.

Bottom Line: The all-new 2010 Toyota Prius has evolved, with substantial improvements in the hybrid powertrain and styling. Overall, it’s a much improved version of the pioneer of the green car movement, and offers more amenities for more discriminating buyers.

New GMC Terrain melds style and fuel efficiency with premium features

By Lary Coppola

The 2010 GMC Terrain is a new addition to the GMC lineup. It’s a crossover SUV that offers bolder, more assertive styling than its Chevrolet sibling, the 2010 Equinox. Riding on a platform shared with the Equinox, the GMC Terrain might be considered the little brother to GMC’s successful full-size Acadia crossover. It boasts a pleasing exterior package and ample room inside, with thoughtful features that maximize both cargo and passenger capacity. Front-wheel drive is standard, with four-wheel drive an option.

The Terrain comes in two trim levels, SLE and SLT, along with a comprehensive inventory of standard features such as a rear-vision backup camera, OnStar (with one-year Safe and Sound service), XM Satellite Radio, USB audio connectivity, MP3 playback capability, and a programmable rear power liftgate, The standard MultiFlex sliding rear seat can be moved up or back nearly eight inches, and the rear cargo area behind it offers up 31.6 cubic feet of storage with the seat fully forward.

Among the options offered are Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, a navigation system with a seven-inch touch screen and voice recognition, a 40-gigabyte hard drive, and DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system with two independent screens.

Walkaround: Visually, the Terrain presents a balanced, athletic stance, that’s angular yet refined, and characterized by its bold, muscular fender flares, which appear to be borrowed from the late Hummer H3. The aggressive front-end is distinguished by GMC’s new signature three-element grille, which is accented by a prominent chrome surround, and by its projector-beam headlamps mounted in large, rectangular housings with chrome accents. The front-end is finished with precise, squared-off edges on the business-like cowling.

The Terrain rides on a 112.5-inch wheelbase and features a four-wheel independent suspension with wide front and rear tracks to enhance ride and handling. There’s a choice of standard 17-inch, or optional 18-inch aluminum and 19-inch chrome-clad wheels available.

The B-pillar is angled rearward from the top down, and wider than usual so the third-panel glass can wrap around to meet the liftgate.

The Terrain is larger than most of its segment competition — and considerably more stylish than the smaller Ford Escape, which has undergone a series of minor updates in recent years but whose overall look has become quite dated. Other physically smaller, and somewhat less stylish competitors include the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and VW Tiguan, as well as its sibling, the Chevy Equinox.

Interior: The Terrain’s premium interior is quite refined, and has been clearly influenced by European design. That refinement is evident in the contrasting stitching and quality materials that create a uniformly structured look throughout the cabin. There are also four auxiliary power outlets, including one in the cargo area.

The Terrain’s newly designed seats are very comfortable. The aforementioned standard MultiFlex sliding rear seat has a 60/40-split, offering a number of configurations for passengers and cargo. It can be moved nearly eight inches, providing increased passenger legroom and/or greater rear cargo capacity, depending on how much of the available 31.6 cubic feet is needed.

GM’s first application of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology — already used on some Honda models and other luxury-brand vehicles — is used on models equipped with the 2.4-Liter, 4-cylinder engine. ANC utilizes microphones to detect booming sounds inside the vehicle and sends counteracting sound waves through the audio system’s speakers, for a quiet driving experience at almost all vehicle speeds.

Safety features include four-wheel disc brakes with GM’s StabiliTrak electronic stability control and traction control, as well as six standard air bags — dual frontal air bags; head curtain side air bags and pelvic/thorax seat-mounted side air bags.

Under The Hood: Two brand new, clean-sheet design, new-thinking powerplants are offered on all GMC Terrain models. Forget old technology like pushrods. Both Terrain engines feature gasoline direct-injection with variable-valve timing. A 2.4-Liter Ecotec Inline 4-cylinder — the first 4-banger offered in a GM crossover since the 1980’s — and rated at 182 horsepower, is the standard motor. The optional 3.0-Liter V6 delivers 264 ponies, and an EPA-estimated 25 mpg on the highway, and 17 in the city, while the 2.4 is rated at 32/highway and 22/city. Both engines boast a driving range of more than 500 miles, and are mated to efficiency-enhancing six-speed automatic transmissions.

The powertrains are mounted on a rigid, body-integral structure, with single-piece body side stampings and targeted applications of high-strength steel. The Terrain’s rack-mounted electric power steering system provides greater fuel efficiency on the four-cylinder models, saving nearly 11 miles per tank of gas. Maximum fuel economy on the 2.4-Liter is also achieved in part by using an “eco” mode activated with a console-mounted button. When engaged, it lowers the torque converter lockup speed to 1,125 rpm to help save additional fuel.

Behind The Wheel: Our onyx black SLT test vehicle was equipped with the V6 and was relatively loaded option-wise ($36,430 as tested). We drove the Terrain during a time of exceptionally cold, icy weather, and found its front-wheel drive to be relatively surefooted with minimal torque-steer. Acceleration was fairly strong, and handling and braking were good. Overall, we found it to drive at least as good as anything in this market segment, with stronger acceleration than all the others.

Whines: The width of the B-pillar restricts rear visibility somewhat, but is partially made up for with the standard back-up camera. There’s no optional third-row seat as in the smaller RAV4.

The Bottom Line: The 2010 GMC Terrain is an example of the new passenger-friendly design standard being set by GMC’s larger Acadia, while offering bolder styling than its sibling Chevy Equinox. It’s boasts lots of room and comfort, thoughtful features, pleasing design, and outstanding performance. General Motors is on a mission to re-establish itself as a force to be reckoned with in the American market amid the European and Japanese competitors it allowed to eclipse its one-time dominance through a generation of managerial arrogance and product neglect. Starting with the Chevy Malibu and new Buick LaCrosse, as well as a number of new vehicles I was invited to preview in advance of this year’s Detroit Auto Show, I believe GM has an opportunity to do just that. May the best cars win.

Volvo XC60 Wins Prestigious 2010 International Truck of the Year Award

The Volvo XC60 was named 2010 International Truck of the Year today by the International Car of the Year (ICOTY) jury. The award was given to Doug Speck, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, LLC at the Volvo display at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The XC60 was chosen over 10 new crossovers, SUVs and trucks by a distinguished panel of top automotive journalists.

"This ties a very pretty bow around what's been a truly amazing year for Volvo," commented Speck. "The XC60 has not only been recognized by the media but it's been extremely well received by our customers." The 2010 XC60 has helped VCNA earn six consecutive months of year-over-year sales increases since June.

The XC60 was chosen the winner from a panel of 19 automotive media from around the U.S. and Canada representing top newspapers, magazines and websites. The jurors must consider the ICOTY mission of "honoring vehicles that reflect an emotional connection between car and consumer lifestyles" when making their nominations. "The ICOTY awards are not centered on power and performance," said Courtney Caldwell, ICOTY's creator and executive producer. "It's about how cars reflect our personalities, lifestyles and self image, an attitude most consumers identify with."

Once approved by the ICOTY nominating committee, the awards jury then bases their decision on a number of important criteria: The vehicle must be new or substantially revised, it must be offered for sale to the general public by the judging deadline of November 16, 2009, and may not have been previously considered for the ICOTY Awards.

The International Truck of the Year award marks the 20th accolade the Volvo XC60 has received since sales began in Europe in late 2008. The XC60 is the first vehicle to offer City Safety as standard equipment. This unique Volvo technology can help the driver avoid frontal collisions at low speed. If the driver is about to drive into the rear of a vehicle and does not react in time, the XC60 will apply the brakes by itself.