SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — The new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck is finally here, the first new-generation Silverado in seven years, and loyal Chevy fans are sure to welcome it with a huge cheer, even while others may scoff a bit and offer the challenging question: Is it new enough? “It’s all-new from hood to hitch,” said Silverado product manager Carl Hillenbrand, sounding like he had just made up a …
LOS ANGELES,CALIF. — The Fiat 500 is cute, fun, efficient, and economical, but nobody would really call it electrifying. Until now. For 2014, the Fiat 500 will come in a version called the 500e, with the “e” standing for electric. Before consumers in 49 states get too excited about the 500e maybe becoming their electric car of choice, however, the car will require a little California Dreamin’ because the only showrooms it …
A prominent note in my notebook will remind me to plead with the press-fleet powers at BMW to send me the new BMW 750iL for a second test-drive week, after the persistent snow and ice of this never-ending winter finally cash in their chips. As it is, the chance to experience the many wonderful features of the car, which is BMW’s flagship of luxury and class. It’s not as though I didn’t get a chance …
The Mazda 626 has always been a worthy midsize entry, just as durable though less-heralded compared to the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry. When it was renovated into the Mazda6, it moved higher on the artistic list and had an edge in sporty handling, but still didn’t match the hot-selling numbers of its competitors. Its last restyling,took the Mazda6 to a much more flowing look, although like the …
ATS isn’t simply a car Cadillac wants to offer. It’s a car Cadillac needs to offer. Globally, the biggest category in the luxury field is the compact performance segment, and Caddy simply hasn’t been a player. Until now. Eight inches shorter and 500 pounds lighter than its CTS showroom mate, ATS is virtually all new; only its available V-6 is off the shelf. Everything else is consciously designed to target …
It’s a painful memory. But GM hopes it’s about to be put to rest once and for all by the 2014 Chevy Cruze diesel. For those too young to remember when Ronald Reagan was president and Michael Jackson was king, it was the 1980s that GM last dabbled in diesel passenger cars. Alas, those ’80s-era oil-burners were smoky, smelly and about as reliable as an ex-boyfriend while delivering 0-to-60 performance …
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The names are still emblazoned above the individual garages on the inside of the pit road — Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and the rest — and standing there you can visualize what it was like last November when the best race drivers christened the Circuit of the Americas with the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix. On this mid-February morning, however, the vehicles lined up in …
Honda’s Accord has become a generic family sedan in America, a car that’s a good value, an excellent performer, but does not stand out. You may never notice the 2013 model, but you may want to own one. While Toyota has added a touch of styling flair to its formerly vanilla Camry and Ford has leapt forward with its new Fusion design, Honda stays with its safe, bland look, coupled …
