Auto News For Thursday, May 28, 2015 - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Reducing Its Warranty

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Thursday, May 28, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO BUSINESS
Following GM’s move from a couple months ago, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will reduce its 5-year/100,000 U.S. powertrain warranty of in favour of a 5-year/60,000 mile warranty. The change applies to Chryslers, Jeeps, Dodges, and Rams. Fiat’s powertrain warranty stretches only to four years or 50,000 miles.

TTAC
Can Hyundai USA really sell 50,000 copies of the Santa Cruz per year if, in fact, they bother to build it? The case for and against.

REVIEW
It’s comically low to be considered anything but a car. But the Mazda CX-3, a Nissan Juke fighter that’s joining the Honda HR-V, Fiat 500X, and Jeep Renegade in challenging the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore and Subaru XV Crosstrek and the front-wheel-drive-only Kia Soul, will be labelled as an SUV or crossover by both observers and buyers. That’s essential if the CX-3 is going to be successful. Here’s CarAdvice’s thorough Aussie video review  and here’s the text version.

RECALL
GM is recalling 126 Chevrolet Impalas (model year 2014) because, “the electronic parking brake piston actuation arm may not fully retract causing the brake pads to stay partially engaged.”

GM is also recalling 40 Chevrolet Colorados and GMC Canyons (model year 2015) because, “the affected vehicles have a front driver air bag inflator that may be misaligned to the air bag module backplate.”

WATCH
CarBuyer.co.uk’s video reviews tread the middle ground between the typical brief-with-beauty-shots of many publications and Alex Dykes’ long but wonderfully detailed reviews. Here’s CarBuyer’s look at the 2015 Volvo XC90.

Auto News For Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - GM Invests $1.2 Billion In Fort Wayne

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Wednesday, May 27, 2015.

INSIDE THE PICKUP TRUCK BUSINESS
Whenever pickup trucks are selling really well, there's an underlying sense of doubt. "Surely this can't last forever," or, "Something's got to give." General Motors has little doubt, however, as the automaker just announced that they'll spend $1.2 billion – that's b-b-b-billion with a b - to double the size of their Fort Wayne, Indiana, plant.

INSIDE THE AUTO RUMOUR MILL
Motor Trend reports that Cadillac has much more up its sleeve than the ATS-V. Imagine an ATS-V+ with a 505-horsepower 7.0L V8 from the previous-generation Corvette Z06.

INSIDE THE AUTO RENDERING BUSINESS
Is this what the upcoming 3-Series challenger from Alfa Romeo will look like? Alfa surely needs something that will sell, but style alone hasn't proven sufficient in the past.

TTAC
Yes, Virginia, U.S. sales of the Chevrolet SS are on the upswing. Barely. Slightly. SS volume increased by 16 units, year-over-year, but that's a big change for the big Aussie Chevy.

REVIEW
When I say Maybach, you say tasteless. When I say Mercedes-Maybach S600, you say... surprisingly tasteful?

WATCH
Fifth Gear's Tiff, Jonny, and Vicki got together to drive the new Fiat 500X, a car which goes on sale shortly in North America, as well. As usual, Tiff and Jonny and Vicki look cold. 

Let's Not Pretend: Calling It A Golf Doesn't Mean Americans Are Going To Buy Wagons

Here are a few key facts from last week's GCBC post on Jalopnik's Kinja platform.

• U.S. sales of the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen declined 27% between 2011 and 2014.

• As the Golf SportWagen takes over from the Jetta SportWagen – which was already a Golf wagon – April sales of the duo slid 28%, year-over-year. True, the Golf SportWagon isn't yet plentiful on dealer lots, but the figure includes a fair number of Jetta SportWagens.

• Moreover, the Volkswagen Tiguan, an afterthought in the small SUV segment, easily outsold Volkswagen's wagons in April.

• It wasn't just Volkswagen. Volvo, with three wagon nameplates, sold 1139 wagons in April 2015. But Volvo also sold 1819 XC60 crossovers. BMW sold nearly 9000 crossovers but likely no more than 500 3-Series wagons.

• Yet perhaps you'll be surprised that, in supposedly hatchback-hating America, the Audi A7, a hatch, outsells the Mercedes-Benz CLS, its most direct rival.

Auto News For Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - Mazda USA Won't Sell The New 2

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

INSIDE THE LUXURY AUTO BUSINESS
If, as Automotive News is reporting, the Ford Explorer is moving further upmarket than ever before in its new-for-2016 $50K+ Platinum trim, what does that say about Lincoln? And if, as Automotive News is reporting, Nissan wants to sell more upper-trim Maximas now that the new generation is launching, what does that say about Infiniti?

INSIDE THE AUTO BUSINESS
The New York Times calls him, "Detroit's Chief Instigator." He's Sergio Marchionne, and the lengthy NYT profile on the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles boss reveals details of an email he sent GM CEO Mary Barra and plays up Sergio's sweaters. 

TTAC
Mazda USA won't be importing the new, Mexico-built 2 hatchback. Here's the numerical explanation. The 2 will still be sold in the U.S., but only as a Scion iA sedan.

REVIEW
evo says the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG is, "a hugely compelling fast saloon and estate." But Antony Ingram's verdict also says, "the engine delivers a knockout punch but the chassis can't quite match the M5."

WATCH
You know the Ariel Atom. But this is the Ariel Nomad. 

2015 Audi S3 Review - Not Flawless But Far From Flawed

The 2015 Audi S3 isn't perfect.

But let's not kid ourselves. The 2015 Audi S3 is awfully close to being pretty freaking perfect.

THE GOOD • So much power • Impressive interior • Grip for days • Handsome exterior • Audi Drive Select is key

THE BAD • No manual-trans available • Steering could be slightly quicker • Ride quality is jarring • Bit of low-end DSG and/or turbo lag • Golf R, anyone?

If you think the A3 on which it's based, the smallest Audi sedan, is just a little too cutesy, the S3's menacing bodywork and wheel-hugging stance add just the right aura of aggression. 

Those who believe the BMW M235i's coupe bodystyle is too impractical find in the S3 a proper cabin for a small family. Others may feel the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG simply doesn't feel sufficiently classy inside, but the S3's interior makes it feel like a $65,000 car for a $55,000 price.

But you're right, it isn't perfect. 

2015 AUDI S3 TECHNIK Base Price: $47,495 As-Tested Price: $54,845 Drive Type: all-wheel-drive Transmission: 6-speed direct-shift gearbox Engine: 2.0L 16-valve DOHC I-4 turbo Horsepower: 292 @ 5400 rpm Torque: 280 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm Curb Weight: 3450 pounds Length: 175.9 inches Width: 70.7 inches Height: 54.8 inches Wheelbase: 103.6 inches Tires: Dunlop SP Winter Sport Tire Size: 235/35R19 Passenger Volume: 2435 litres Cargo Volume: 283 litres EPA City: 23 MPG EPA Highway: 31 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 10.1 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 7.7 L/100km Observed: 24.2 mpg Observed: 9.7 L/100km Canadian dollar price includes $2095 in fees.

The manual transmission you can select in its architectural sibling, the Volkswagen Golf R, is not an option on the Audi's spec sheet. 

The steering, though operable in Audi Drive Select's three different modes, never quite feels adequately pointy and direct, though to what degree that can be blamed on the brutally noisy winter tires we do not yet know. 

The rear seat and trunk are fine for a family with children, but my five-foot-seven-inch mother didn't want to be back there for any length of time. 

As always in a premium German car, some of the features you expect in a much less costly volume car from Kia or Toyota aren't even on the options sheet: cooled front seats, for example, or heated rear seats. 

Finally, the ride quality can be downright jarring, and even in Comfort mode, the S3 thwacks at potholes and jiggles about over an imperfectly paved bridge. With coastal roads in Nova Scotia being what they are, which is to say mostly brutal, the dampers' middle Auto and stiffest Dynamic settings were rarely selected after initial forays.

From there on out, however, it's a love fest. Audi engineers struck a balance between making this third-generation S3 (the first S3 in North America) a clinical beast and a tactile delight. As a result, the Audi S3 provides its driver with enough interactivity to be driven and not just experienced, but not so much responsiveness that the S3 can't be considered refined. 

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Image For A Larger View

2.0T
If there's a particular aspect of the 2015 Audi S3 with which you'll wish to interact, it'll be the 292-horsepower 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder known in VW Group speak as the EA888. One prod of the throttle is all it takes to forget the 250-horsepower 3.2L V6 of the last A3. 

All-wheel-drive means traction is of no concern. Pin the throttle and accelerate to 100 km/h in less than five seconds. No fuss, no muss. The S3 is propelled forward seemingly without effort; with none of the heavy breathing of a former athlete lacking proper conditioning; springing out of the starting block like a track star of the moment. 

With maximum torque achieved at such low rpm and prodigious power available across the rev range, the kind of acceleration you experienced from rest is the kind of acceleration you can experience at cruising altitude on the highway. Where conditions, laws, and traffic permit, of course.

ADS
Yet that engine, like the transmission, exhaust noise, steering, and suspension, can take on a whole new personality at the press of a button just above the driver's climate control knob; just under the air vent. Audi Drive Select is a wonderful thing because it provides such consequential alterations. 

In Comfort, the steering is lighter, the engine less antsy, the transmission less aggressive, the noise more muted, the suspension more tolerable. 

Drive Select's Auto setting increases steering weight, upgrades engine responsiveness, doesn't slur a shift, bumps up the volume, and stiffens the suspension.

Dynamic is where the S3 truly shines as a performance car; as a true back road barn burner. Throttle response becomes more urgent, the steering becomes rather heavy, the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic is now snapping off shifts, the exhaust burbles compellingly, the suspension is too stiff for roads that aren't smooth. 

Better yet, there's an Individual setting accessible through Audi's MMI (more about which in a moment) that enables you to select Comfort, Auto, or Dynamic for any one of Drive Select's features, including the adaptive cruise control. This is ideal, because with the dampers/suspension in Comfort, the steering in Auto, and everything else in Dynamic, the S3's owner can create a better Dynamic mode than the full-on Dynamic mode configured by Audi. 

MMI
Althougb there's a quick access button for Audi Drive Select, the functions can also be operated through Audi's Multi Media Interface. The buttons and rotary knob are located between the front seats. The screen pops up out of the dash when the car is turned on. (The screen isn't isn't perched like it is in the Mercedes-Benz CLA and can be told to go away with a button located near the passenger climate control knob.) MMI may not be the fastest infotainment unit you'll use in a new car, but it's among the most intuitive and elegant systems marketed today. 

IN
The MMI controls, like every other piece of fabric, stitching, and plastic, are perfectly assembled and are clearly sourced from a supplier focussed on high quality materials. That's an Audi hallmark, but it's especially vital in a car like an upper-trim, heavily optioned S3. In so many vehicles of this type - by which we mean luxxed up, performance versions of lesser cars – there are constant reminders of the donor vehicle's lower status. 

The S3 Technik with $5150 in options costs is more than $20,000 more expensive, 67% more expensive, than a basic A3. But the S3 does not feel like a $55,000 version of a $33,000 car. It feels like a $55,000 car. Sure, a Hyundai Genesis V6 AWD offers more space and stuff for the money, of that there is no doubt. But the Audi S3, a smaller car with far greater performance, doesn't feel out of its league in comparison with luxury cars that always do their punching in this weight class.

OR
There is one car that does stand out as the ideal S3 alternative. No, not the two-door-only BMW M235i, not the mighty-engined but disappointingly appointed Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, and not the more affordable mechanical twin of the S3, Volkswagen's hatchback Golf. (An Audi sedan buyer wants an Audi sedan, right, not a VW hatch?) Rather, consider the aging Audi S4. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Audi A3 Sales Figures2014 Audi S4 Driven Review
2014 Audi SQ5 Driven Review
2015 Mercedes-Benz C400 4Matic Driven Review

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It offers a better back seat for humans, a significantly larger trunk for the stuff belonging to humans, an arguably superior 7-speed DSG and an available manual shifter, a soul-stirring supercharged V6, and superior exterior proportions. The S4's interior is dated in comparison to the S3, but the car rides better overall and may better suit the mature performance car buyer. Free from options - Ha! A German luxury car with no options? - the S4 costs right around $55,000. Observed fuel economy? Last summer, we saw 10 L/100km in the S4. This year in the 2015 S3, we averaged 9.7 L/100km.

Yet if the S4 is somewhat more mature, the S3 is more fun, more agile, more spirited, more obviously interested in letting its hair down. And the S3 is also configurable with these optional $800 19-inch wheels, which are pretty freaking perfect.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Auto News For Monday, May 25, 2015 - GM Increases Wentzville Truck Production

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Monday, May 25, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO RACING BUSINESS
Juan Pablo Montoya – former Formula 1 Driver, former NASCAR driver, former Indianapolis 500 winner – won the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 24. Also on Sunday, Formula 1's Monac0 Grand Prix was won by Mercedes' Nico Rosberg. Juan Pablo Montoya last won the Monaco Grand Prix in a BMW in 2003. He finished second in a McLaren-Mercedes in 2006.

INSIDE THE TRUCK BUSINESS
Forget lunch. Forget "six-minute production lulls." Get to work, people of Wentzville, Missouri. GM needs more trucks.

AUTOFOCUS
Canada's best-selling premium brand car through the first four months of 2015 is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Here are the 24 next-best-selling luxury vehicles in Canada.

TTAC
Chevrolet Volt sales have been plunging for a while. Now Nissan Leaf volume is taking a dive, too.

KINJA
If the wagons that are on sale are hardly purchased, don't expect more wagons. Volkswagen USA sold fewer than 1500 in April 2015.

REVIEW
The first Mazda CX-3s are trickling into Mazda stores. And yes, they really are eye-catching vehicles. The first customers to test drive them will likely be interested because they're affordable crossovers with flexible packaging but a compact, city-friendly size. But they'll be pleasantly surprised by the handling, according to every review.

WATCH
How hard do you have to go to grab pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix? Here's Lewis Hamilton's best qualifying lap.

Chevrolet SS Sales Are Finally Rising, Albeit Barely

General Motors sold more Chevrolet SS sedans in April 2015 than they did in April 2014.

Albeit only 16 more, to be precise. 5.7% more.

Yet not in any of the previous five months in which the SS could produce a year-over-year increase did it manage to do so. (October 2014 sales jumped 11,400% from one reported sale in October 2013 to 115.)

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U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - April 2015 YTD
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - April 2015 YTD

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Moreover, the SS’s April 2015 sales total was the second-highest level ever for the Aussie-built sedan.

Are we finally seeing an SS recovery, or is this just a blip on the Dodge Charger SRT’s radar?

After SS volume tumbled to just 313 units in the fourth-quarter of 2014, a 25% year-over-year drop and a 64% decline compared with the SS’s strongest quarter from early 2014, sales have now increased in four consecutive periods on a month-to-month basis.

From just 93 sales in December 2014, monthly SS volume has climbed to 115, 215, 264, and 299 units in the following four months. Year-over-year, first-quarter sales in 2015 slid 31%. But the signs of momentum, however slight and inconsequential, are still present.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Chevrolet SS Sales Figures
U.S. Large Car Sales Figures - April 2015 YTD

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If General Motors was able to sustain this level of volume, Chevrolet would be selling 3600 SSs in America each year. But after the SS was selling at its best level so far – during the first-half of 2014 – GM proved unable to sustain interest. Inventory ballooned, and with little marketing support and outrageous Hellcats from Dodge stealing thunder, SS sales in the second-half of 2014 were less than half what they were in the first-half.

Keep in mind, based on first-half figures, Chevrolet was on pace to sell more than 3000 SSs in America last year, not a lot, but a lot more than the 2479 they ended up selling.

If a lack of manual availability was blamed for part of the decline last year, did the arrival of a manual transmission provide this April 2015 boost? It seems doubtful. Even if we account for the notion that the manual-trans SS sedans may move faster or are simply being handed directly into owners’ hands, the fact that Cars.com shows only 1% of current inventory being made up by DIY shifters is downright telling.

As for the SS’s position in the sales rundown, in April it was still outsold by uncommon vehicles like the Smart Fortwo, BMW i3, Audi A8, Volvo V60 Cross Country, Porsche Boxster, and the Mini Cooper Convertible. Inside Chevrolet showrooms, the SS accounts for 0.35% of the new cars sold so far this year, 0.13% of the new vehicles sold by Chevrolet, and 0.09% of the new GM vehicles sold.

Rarity isn’t a death knell. You don’t expect to see Mercedes-AMG GT coupes scattered about your local Wal-Mart parking lot or Jaguar F-Types lined up outside elementary schools in the suburbs. But oddly, GM hasn’t really used the SS as a marketing tool to elevate the image of the Chevrolet brand. And why would they? They have the Chevrolet Corvette to fill that role.

They sold nearly 3500 of those in April alone.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.