GT Prototype Spices Up Outlander Styling

Mitsubishi show car takes cues from the Lancer Evolution

Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype

This week, Mitsubishi unveils a GT prototype for the Outlander cross-utility vehicle, that combines edgy styling with a mild power enhancement. The car, on display at the New York International Auto Show, shares its “jet fighter” front grille with the Lancer Evolution.

Custom ground effects, along with revised bumpers, front fenders and hood give the show car a youthful appearance.

Power comes from the same three-liter V6 engine used in the Outlander XLS. Engineers revisd the air intake, cam timing and compression ratio, boosting engine output to 230 horsepower. Modified software automatically shifts the car into neutral while idling to improve its fuel economy.

The production Outlander comes in three trim levels, ES, SE and XLS, with seating for five or seven passengers. The two uplevel grades are available with four-wheel drive.

The Outlander is built on the same global platform as the Lancer and Lancer Evolution. All models feature a four-wheel independent suspension. Eighteen wheels are standard on SE and XLS grades.

A flap-fold tailgate on all models eases cargo area access. The tailgate can also serve as a seat: it holds up to 440 pounds.

Standard safety features include front, side and side curtain airbags and antilock brakes. A standard keyless entry system lets the driver unlock and start the car without removing the key fob from his pocket.

Available comfort and convenience options include navigation, a rear-view camera, a Fosgate audio system, satellite radio and Bluetooth interface.

Audi Announces Q7 TDI Pricing

Clean diesel sport-utility vehicle hits dealerships this month

Audi Q7 TDI

The seven-passenger Q7 is the first Audi clean diesel car to travel stateside. Pricing for the 2009 Q7 starts at $50,900 not including a $825 delivery charge. Buyers qualify for a federal tax credit of $1,150.

“The moment has arrived for clean diesel to be seen as an immediate answer to America’s energy challenges,” said Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America president.

Diesel engines average thirty percent better fuel economy than gasoline. The new generation of clean diesel cars run on low sulfur fuel, which has 93 percent less sulfur than traditional diesel. Because of that, manufacturers can equip these vehicles with more sophisticated emissions controls.

Thanks to a government mandate requiring gas stations to sell the low sulfur fuel, clean diesel is available at 42 percent of the nation’s filling stations. The Q7 TDI meets California Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle II standards: its produces 25 percent less carbon dioxide than equivalent gas-powered cars.

The other big change in current diesel technology is performance. Drivers old enough to remember the sluggish, smoke-belching diesel cars of the 1980s will be surprised by the throttle response of vehicles such as the Q7 TDI. The 221-horsepower engine in the Q7 accelerates from zero-to-sixty in 8.5 seconds. Read the rest of this entry »