Sogenannte Concept Cars sind auf allen Automessen der Hingucker. Sie sollen zeigen, was die Autobauer für die Mobilität der Zukunft entwickeln. Oft wird aus dem Blick in die Zukunft aber auch nichts. Die Studien wären für eine Serienproduktion dann doch zu teuer gewesen, oder zu praxisfern, oder es wäre einfach nicht mehr die Akzeptanz bei den Käufern vorhanden. Dann wandern die Konzepte nach ihrem glorreichen Messeauftritten still und leise ins Museum oder die Schrottpresse. VW hat mit einem ambitionierten Projekt bewiesen, dass es auch anders geht. Das 1-Liter-Auto erschien zu Beginn vielen Skeptikern noch als reine Utopie. Als VW in Doha den Prototyp des XL1 durch die Straßen fahren ließ, war aber klar, dass es sich nicht nur ein imageträchtiges Marketingprojekt handelt. Spätestens als in Genf die Kleinserie des XL1 ins Scheinwerferlicht rollte, mussten Zweifler erkennen, dass VW es ernst meint.
Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today announces the winners of the 2017 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards, honoring the top new model-year vehicle choices available in the U.S. market. The 2017 Honda Civic is named Kelley Blue Book’s Overall Best Buy of 2017, alongside Best Buy Award winners in 12 major vehicle categories.
The Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards are designed to provide a significant service to new-car buyers by identifying the cream of the crop of all available 2017 model-year vehicles. The awards are the culmination of a year-long regimen of expert vehicle evaluation and testing of nearly every new vehicle available in America, along with analysis of a broad swath of vehicle-related data, including vehicle pricing/transaction prices, 5-Year Cost to Own data (which includes depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees and taxes for new cars), consumer reviews and ratings, and vehicle sales/retail sales information. Of more than 300 new-car models available for 2017, Kelley Blue Book’s expert editors initially narrowed the field to a few dozen Best Buy Award contenders in 12 major vehicle categories and then spent several weeks testing and evaluating all of the finalists head-to-head to ultimately determine the winners.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7952451-kelley-blue-book-2017-best-buy-awards/
Thousands converged onto Addams Medill Park in Chicago during one of the nation’s largest 3-day Latin alternative music festivals, Ruido Fest.
Toyota returned to the festival as the exclusive automotive sponsor of the musical extravaganza bringing the Toyota Música experience to life with a variety of activities and performances highlighting emerging artists and providing festivalgoers a weekend packed with musical delights.
Toyota has supported music in Chicago and the surrounding region for a number of years through participation in a number of music festivals as well as philanthropy. In addition to Ruido Fest, Toyota is gearing up for an epic return to the Lollapalooza festival in August.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8053351-toyota-music-den-ruido-fest/
When temperatures start to fall and days become shorter it is time to take your car to the workshop to prepare it for the winter. Changing to winter tires and testing lights are a matter of course for drivers. However, the car battery is often neglected, although it is under even more stress during the cold season. For example, continuous use of the windshield heater or the air conditioning system takes a large amount of power and makes heavy demands on the battery. Especially in winter, the only way to avoid unpleasant surprises is to have the battery checked regularly by the workshop. The latest ADAC statistics show that 39% of all breakdowns are due to the battery.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8226551-johnson-controls-winter-battery-tests/
Holiday car thieves had their busiest day in 2014 on, ironically, Labor Day, stealing 2,200 vehicles according to new data released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). NICB’s 2014 Annual Holiday Vehicle Theft Report analyzes data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which showed a total of 695,246 vehicle thefts for the year.
After Labor Day, New Year’s Day was the next most active holiday with 2,011 thefts. Halloween came in third with 2,010 thefts followed by Memorial Day with 1,933 thefts. Independence Day rounds out the top five holidays for 2014 with 1,877 thefts.
The holidays with the fewest thefts in 2014 were Christmas Day with 1,225 thefts and Thanksgiving with 1,384 thefts.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523155-nicb-holiday-vehicle-theft-report/
China's leading automobile manufacturer GAC Motor has released the first concept car EnLight on November 18 at the 14th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition, marking a new milestone in the company’s continuous path of innovation.
EnLight is an unprecedented smart electric supercar that applies the latest cutting-edge technologies, most futuristic design concepts and natural driving experience. The slim bodied supercar with butterfly wing doors has both the autonomous and manual driving modes while achieving four-wheel independent drive with the in-wheel motors.
“EnLight is a forward-thinking concept car representing the highest level of GAC Motor’s independent research and development as well as our unparalleled technological capabilities, which will also provide GAC Motor strong confidence and support to seek advanced development in the direction of reaching the top of the auto industry through innovation and creativity,” said Zeng Qinghong, president of GAC Motor.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7994651-gac-motor-smart-electric-concept-supercar/
Volvo Cars, the premium carmaker, is inventing a new model of car access with the launch of the new Volvo XC40 and the new ‘Care by Volvo’ subscription service. This will make having a car as transparent, easy and hassle free as having a phone: a national, ready-negotiated monthly fee, combined with getting a new car every 24 months.
After ordering online, Care by Volvo customers will be able to drive away in a new Volvo without having to worry about the traditional extras such as down payments, insurances, taxes, service fees and geographical or customer age related differences.
Furthermore, Care by Volvo will, depending on regional availability, offer a range of digital concierge services, such as fuelling, cleaning, service pick-up and e-commerce delivery to the car.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8181852-volvo-xc40-hassle-free-as-mobile-phone/
Following the successful global market introduction of its resealable beverage can end two years ago, XOLUTION GmbH, headquartered in Munich, Germany, announces the next generation can end and a major increase of its production capacity for 2016 to meet the growing global demand for XO technology.
The XO system is a revolutionary solution for beverage cans that allows people to reseal a beverage can multiple times and enjoy it at their leisure. Unlike familiar beverage cans, which can only be opened once, XO equipped beverage cans have lids with an integrated plastic opening mechanism that allows the can to be re-closed and portioned for later consumption. When driving a car, doing sports, shopping - beverages stay perfectly fresh and carbonated – without spilling, dripping or allowing dirt and insects to go in the can!
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7428951-xo-resealable-beverage-can/
The eagerly-awaited Volvo V90 was revealed today in Stockholm, Sweden. The stylish and versatile V90 is the latest in the premium car maker’s top-of-the-line 90 series sitting alongside the award winning XC90 SUV and the recently-launched S90 premium sedan.
Building on Volvo Cars’ indisputable heritage in the estate segment, that began over 60 years ago with the Volvo Duett, the new V90 takes the premium estate a clear step forward in terms of aesthetics, materials and finish, while living up to the ultimately practical nature of any true estate
“We have a very strong position in the estate segment,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. “In many people’s minds we are known as the definitive estate brand. While the Volvo brand today stands for more than estates, we are proud to carry forward this rich heritage with the V90.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7761851-volvo-cars-reveal-stylish-new-v90-estate/
Not a single small SUV out of 21 tested earns a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s headlight evaluations, and only four are available with acceptable-rated headlights.
Among the 21 vehicles, there are 47 different headlight combinations available. More than two-thirds of them are rated poor, making this group of vehicles even more deficient when it comes to lighting than the midsize cars that were the first to be rated earlier this year.
Headlight performance in today’s vehicles varies widely. Government standards are based on laboratory tests, which don’t accurately gauge performance in real-world driving. The issue merits attention because about half of traffic deaths occur either in the dark or around dawn or dusk.
As with midsize cars, the IIHS evaluations of small SUVs showed that a vehicle’s price tag doesn’t correspond to the quality of headlights. More modern lighting types, including high-intensity discharge (HID) and LED lamps, and curve-adaptive systems, which swivel in the direction of steering, also are no guarantee of good performance.
The Mini Cooper Countryman is the only small car to earn a good rating among the latest group of 12 small cars subjected to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s small overlap front crash test.
Two electric models and a hybrid are in the mix, with varied results. The electric-powered Chevrolet Volt (with a gasoline engine “range extender”) earns an acceptable rating, while its battery-electric rival, the Nissan Leaf, earns a poor rating. The Ford C-Max Hybrid, a small four-door wagon, earns an acceptable rating. Another small four-door wagon, the gasoline-powered Mazda 5, is rated poor.
