Audiovox, FLO TV mobile video partnership announced
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Garmin gets eco-friendly with new routing option
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Garmin introduces lifetime map-update program
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Chevrolet will tout 30-mpg fuel economy when the restyled, re-engineered 2010 Equinox goes on sale next summer.
"It is a refined yet responsible crossover," said Ed Peper, General Motors' North American vice president of Chevrolet.
Peper called the crossover segments important "because the market for both compact and midsize crossover vehicles has grown steadily since 2003. Both of these segments are forecast to continue their growth trends in the next few years, and Equinox gives Chevy a volume player in this very critical market."
Through November, Chevrolet had sold 61,700 Equinox units. In 2007, 89,552 Equinoxes were sold, down from 113,888 in 2006.
"We're going right after the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4," Peper said at a press briefing last month. "That is what this vehicle was designed to do."
Peper said fuel economy is the top priority for buyers in these crossover segments.
The Equinox gets an estimated 21 mpg city/30 highway and is estimated to go from 0 to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds. The Equinox's first four-cylinder engine and the addition of a six-speed automatic transmission are the main reasons for the boost in fuel economy.
The base engine is GM's new direct-injection, 182-hp, 2.4-liter powerplant, which makes 174 pounds-feet of torque. Peper expects the engine to account for about 70 percent of Equinox production. The base engine on the 2009 Equinox is GM's 185-hp, 3.4-liter V-6, which makes 210 pounds-feet. The Equinox with that engine gets 17 mpg city/24 highway.
Other contributors to the increase in fuel economy include low-rolling-resistance tires, electric power steering and improvements in aerodynamics.
GM's new direct-injection, 3.0-liter double overhead camshaft engine with an estimated 255 hp and 214 pounds-feet of torque is optional. That engine is expected to deliver 18 mpg city/25 highway.
(Source: Automotive News)
Garmin Zumo 660 built to guide bikers
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Garmin Nuvi 885T adds enhanced MSN Direct services
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)I got an early look at the CES North Hall today, as I was called in to make sure our Car Tech stage was coming together. The place is a labyrinth with boxes, crates, fork lifts, carpet rolls, AV equipment, and some snazzy-looking cars all being put into each company's bit of booth space. Our North Hall Car Tech stage is coming together well, with our Scion xB test platform parked right in the middle. During the show, we have invited a number of car electronics makers to come by and install their latest products in our car. Myself and Antuan Goodwin will be on hand to try the products out. We will blog about these products and get some video recorded while we push buttons and check out how well they work.
Our test car sits in our booth at CES.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)The North Hall, devoted to car technology, promises to have some eye candy for gearheads. Parked in the booth next to CNET Car Tech is a giant black truck, designed like a crew cab pick-up but the size of a semi. It also has a little brother parked next to it. I also saw a crazy custom job in blue that looked like a Hot Wheels car I had when I was six. During the show, we will get photos of all these cars and more and post them in our CES coverage.
With all the speaker and amps in evidence at the various booths, the North Hall is also going to be loud. And we're adding to that noise with a couple of games, Name That Tune and Engine Karaoke. After a vendor installs a product in our Scion, we will let the games begin, inviting audience members to compete to see who can guess which song we are playing the fastest. For Engine Karoake we will play a recording of a particular car revving, and see which audience member can best emulate the sound using their vocal cords. Extra points if they can guess which car the sound came from.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)Although the Toyota Prius got all the hybrid hoopla, Lexus showed that a hybrid could be powerful and luxurious with the RX hybrid SUV. That model launched as the RX 400h in 2005, and now gets a much-needed update for the 2010 model year. At Lexus' preview for the car, we got to drive it over mountain roads and spend some serious time trying out the new cabin tech.
The new model is called the RX 450h, as Lexus bumps up the gas engine from 3.3-liters to a 3.5-liter V-6. And, like the original model, that engine is complemented by a full hybrid system, with electric motors that can power the car. With newer battery technology, Lexus was able to make the RX 450h's nickel-metal hydride battery pack, which sits under the rear seat, a little smaller. As with the old version, the gas engine and one motor/generator drive the front wheels. Option it up to all-wheel-drive, and a second motor/generator gets added to power the rear wheels.
Lexus updated the look of its hybrid power flow animation.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)We took a sport-trimmed model on a drive over twisty mountain roads in Northern California, and found a lot of improvement. Where the steering on the RX 400h was extremely light, even at speed, Lexus returned the electric-power steering to give more resistance in the RX 450h. Coming through a tight corner at speed, the steering wheel offers much more feedback. The tires were singing in the turns, but the sport-tuned suspension kept the car reasonably flat. Of course, there is a trade-off in that the ride didn't feel as soft as with the RX 400h. Lexus changed the suspension pretty radically in the rear of the RX, taking out the strut towers in favor of a double-wishbone. This new suspension leads to a firmer ride and increases the cargo area.
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Dual releases XNAV43HD with HD Radio real-time traffic
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
This limousine carried President Bush on a visit to New Delhi in March 2006.
(Credit: White House photo by Paul Morse )Meet the new ride, same as the old ride.
Inauguration Day for Barack Obama will also mark the first day of service for a new presidential limousine--a Cadillac, just like its predecessor. The Detroit News is reporting that the new limo, now in the hands of the Secret Service, will be about the same size as the one it's replacing, though it will have, at the very least, bigger windows. Beyond that, the newspaper said, General Motors spokesman David Caldwell offered precious little information.
Not surprisingly, the Secret Service was, well, secretive about everything but the January 20 date for the Caddy's debut.
GM did allow that the 2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine is the first that doesn't have a specific model name, according to The Detroit News. President Bush's lame-duck limo is a 2006 Cadillac DTS. The Motor City newspaper said that GM "is believed" to have built no more than 25 of the new models.
While security-related information is understandably not for public consumption, the automaker apparently hasn't minded divulging some of the president's automotive amenities.
Caldwell said he couldn't give specifications--even the engine size or type--in either the current limousine or the new one. Other facts also are secret like the vehicle's curb weight, though Cadillac has disclosed in the past that the limo has a 10-disc CD player and hand-stitched leather interiors.
But a somewhat closer look is on the way. Both the GM and Secret Service spokesmen said they would offer pictures, along with more information, next week. For now, viewing is limited to "spy photos" from the automotive paparazzi, as here on CNN.
