My Dummy Car

Archive for the ‘Upcoming Cars’ Category

Consumer auto shows are great places for car shoppers to go to gauge what products are available or will soon hit the market. These shows, held in metropolitan areas across the country, also feature numerous concept vehicles from various manufacturers. Concept vehicles often don’t come to the market as shown, but its styling cues, engineering features and technological enhancements oftentimes do.
Concept  PHEV

At major auto shows across the country, Swedish automaker Volvo is making its presence known. This company, known for its innovative safety measures and forward-thinking engineering, is currently displaying the Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept, an all-wheel-drive crossover SUV that may change the way you look at hybrids and plug-in vehicles. Read on for details about this progressive product.

Volvo is touting the XC60 PHEV concept as three cars in one. That claim seems plausible as this CUV is designed to operate in three driving modes via buttons for Pure, Hybrid or Power located on the instrument panel. Each mode offers distinct advantages and can be selected to sync with your driving conditions.

Drive Modes

When operated in “Pure” mode the XC60 is powered chiefly by its electric motor as much as it is possible. As such, the CUV’s electric-only operational range is for up to 35 miles with absolutely no tailpipe emissions in urban driving.

The default “Hybrid” mode automatically kicks in whenever the CUV is started. Both the gasoline engine and electric motor are at work, providing the best mix of gas and electric driving. EPA numbers are not yet available, but according to the European certification driving cycle this vehicle gets the fuel economy equivalent of over 100 mpg. Look for closer to 50 mpg when this vehicle is taken on a long trip — its total cruising range is thus extended to 600 miles.

The third choice is the CUV’s “Power” mode, which provides unbridled power when needed. Under this arrangement, the gas engine shoulders the brunt of the work and this capable powerplant has the goods to show for it, delivering 280 horsepower and 280 foot-pounds of torque. The electric motor is no slouch too as it makes 70 hp and 148 foot-pounds of torque. Need to get on the highway fast? This CUV does it in style, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds.

Turbocharged Four

What may surprise Volvo enthusiasts the most is that the gas engine found underneath this concept’s hood is a turbocharged four cylinder engine. No V-6 power is needed — this engine has been optimized to deliver the most power from the fewest number of cylinders.

The Volvo XC60 PHEV has been designed to plug-in to a standard household outlet for recharging. With a standard 110-volt outlet, recharging should be accomplished in 7.5 hours. For faster recharges, a 220-volt outlet cuts that down to just 3.5 hours.

Market Plans

Will the XC60 PHEV come to market? It is expected to and should arrive in American showrooms by 2014. When it does hit the market, crossover fans may find this CUV too hard to resist — a five-passenger model that is fuel efficient and minimizes its emissions output.

When is the best time to buy a new car, truck, SUV or crossover? The acknowledgment is easy…”it depends”. Let’s attending at the three capital affairs seasons and three capital types of buyers.

The three capital affairs seasons? Here you go:

(1) Year-End Clearance: The new models cycle in to the dealer’s account anywhere from backward August to September. Dealers accept to now accord with the accepted archetypal year account that is costing them money and demography the focus off the new models. For this acumen incentives on accepted models usually aiguille in adjustment to bright out old inventory. (One of the purposes of rebates is to atone a client for depreciation. More on that later.)

(2) December: Believe it or not, the endure anniversary of the year is about the best anniversary of the car-selling season. Blame, or thank, the banker for this anomaly. Dealers accept buried the abstraction that you get a bigger car accord if you acquirement at the end of the month. Managers charge to hit their sales goals, salesmen charge to hit their numbers, on and on. So what bigger time to buy than the endure anniversary of the endure month? Manufactures aswell appearance up with ample incentives and promotions.

(3) Barter Month: Usually March, this is a time if manufacturers highlight trucks and SUVs.

Now, let me acquaint you to three types of buyers:

(1) There’s Steady Eddie: He buys a car every seven years, runs the auto off and is accessible for addition car afterwards two hundred thousand blessed miles.

(2) Then there’s Les Miles, he lives next to the Jones’ and makes abiding he not alone keeps up with his neighbor, but is consistently one footfall ahead. He trades out every two years, or whenever the Jones one-up him. Like Eddie, he takes out a accepted car loan, 48 to 60 months, depending on what fits.

(3) Finally, there’s Angie Dot Com, a high-tech individual who would not be bent asleep in a car out of manufacturer’s warranty. She never met a car he didn’t wish to lease.

Eddie, the keep-it-forever buyer, Les, the trader, and Angie, the leasing lassie, in fact went to top academy calm and, afterwards absorptive too abundant booze at their ten year top academy reunion, fabricated a alliance to advice anniversary being through their car-buying experience. The timing seamed perfect. Eddie’s 2001 Impala had 220000 miles, Les was afire to get a new auto with Bluetooth Phone adequacy and Navigation, and Angie’s charter was advancing due. So the three of end up continuing in foreground of a amplitude of 2008 and 2009 sedans while visiting a dealership in aboriginal September.

Most drivers love the gadgets and accessories, and chances are if you own a vehicle, it does well. Drivers love accessories and gadgets humble compass and radio board the satellite navigation system and sophisticated onboard CD or DVD player. They increase the pleasure you get from your driving experience and help turn your car into a replica of all the amenities you have at home.

If you travel a lot, run to be sad, and a few accessories and gadgets designed to alleviate the boredom, even if they must never distract the driver of the first task at hand, which safely from A to B. I mentioned a few of the most widespread, seeking to redirect the attention of accessories and gadgets below you can see how many of those you already own.Number one, all-time favorite is the car radio, even if this has been a long time ago to repair the car CD, DVD or MP3 player. Hardly anyone has the drivers their car stereo. Stereo can be a very useful tool because you can adjust so that although you play the CD, the radio will stop if there is a serious road traffic information that will or may have an impact on you. This can be a valuable information, especially if you’re not the next target.

If you have children who are a pain in the neck during long journeys, why not bring a car entertainment system? Tighten or cut into the backs of front seats, the screens can display video games or movies – a bit like airline seats, but more.If you love to travel fast, but is tired of the radar, why not install a radar detector? They are not that expensive and can be installed by yourself crafts. This can save you hundreds of fines and even your license.