Pedestrian Detection Debuts in Volvo S60

New sedan automatically brakes for pedestrians

2011 Volvo S60

The 2011 Volvo S60 rolls out this fall, with a ground-breaking safety system that will make the streets safer for pedestrians. Pedestrian detection is the newest component of Volvo’s city safety technology. City safety, which debuted in the XC60, automatically applies the brakes if the driver fails to see a vehicle stopped ahead.

Pedestrian detection takes city safety one step further by applying the brakes if a pedestrian moves in front of the car. The system uses a radar sensor in the car’s grille and a camera in front of the rearview mirror to monitor for pedestrians.

The radar device detects objects within a sixty degree range: about five degrees to either side of the headlamps. If the on-board camera identifies the object in front of the car as a pedestrian and the driver fails to slow down, the vehicle automatically applies full braking.

At this point, the detection system cannot recognize bicyclists or small animals. Volvo engineers are currently working on expanding system capabilities to protect these groups as well.

Pedestrian detection can bring cars travelling under twenty miles-per-hour to a complete halt, and slow vehicles moving at higher rates of speed by as much as 22 miles-per-hour.

Volvo’s research indicates that eleven percent of all traffic fatalities in the US are pedestrians. Pedestrian detection has the ability to prevent or greatly mitigate pedestrian injuries caused by inattentive drivers.

2010 Honda Element EX 4WD

Dog-friendly accessories makes travel safer for man’s best friend

By Nina Russin

Dog-Friendly Honda Element

The Element is Honda’s toolbox on wheels for active lifestyles. Last fall, product planners added a “dog-friendly” edition for the upscale EX grade. The idea is to make travel more comfortable for dogs, with a rear kennel that keeps animals safe in the event of a collision.

A fan in back keeps the animals cool, while a ramp that stows under the kennel eases access and egress for older dogs who suffer from hip dysplasia. Washable covers on the rear seats and rubber floor mats make it easy to hose down the interior. It’s a great feature for buyers who load mountain bikes into the car, or runners who carry a little dirt from the trailhead with them. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Nissan 370Z Touring

Affordable sports car with iconic styling

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan 370Z

There’s a synesthetic relationship between the Nissan 370Z I’m driving and Sonny Rollins, playing on the radio. While a person can learn to appreciate jazz as an art form, loving the music is intuitive.

The 370Z is, in a similar sense, its own animal. Nissan enthusiasts love the Z for its timeless design and contemporary performance. Despite its exotic appearance, the Z remains one of the most affordable and versatile sports cars on the market. Relocating the rear strut on the current model has made the cargo area even larger and more practical for buyers with active lifestyles.

Beyond this, there’s an aura about the Z: an internal logic that makes the coupe different than any other sports car. Both its design and performance are distinctly Nissan, with one foot planted on the road and the other on the track. Features such as the rev-matching manual transmission and formula-style shift paddles make the Z as much of a driver’s car as competitors that are significantly more expensive.

Nissan unveiled the current model for 2009: 2010 models are essentially identical, with a couple of new convenience features and a new exterior color. All grades now get heated mirrors and a micro-filter to reduce allergens inside the cabin. Nissan revised the available navigation package and added black cherry to the list of exterior finishes.

The 370Z coupe comes in two grades: the base enthusiast and upscale touring models. The touring version has a MSRP of $36,130, not including a $720 destination charge. Floor mats and illuminated kick plates on the test car add another $315, bringing the price as tested to $37,165. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Lexus GX 460 Premium

Mid-sized sport-utility vehicle with off-road capability

By Nina Russin

2010 Lexus GX 460

The Lexus GX fills the middle ground between the full-sized LX 570 and smaller RX. Like the LX, the GX is a body-on-frame truck, with full-time four-wheel drive and towing capability up to 6500 pounds.

The current model rolled out last Fall, replacing the original GX 470. The 4.6-liter V-8 engine on the new car is more compact than the 4.7-liter engine it replaces, though it out-performs it. The smaller engine saves a little weight, helping to extend fuel economy by thirteen percent.

Three rows of seating hold up to seven passengers. The second-row seats move fore and aft up to four inches to increase legroom. The seats fold flat 60/40, easing access and egress to the third row, or extending the cargo floor.

Despite its off-road and towing capability, the GX is first and foremost a premium vehicle. The $65,754 MSRP on the test car positions it on the brink of the high-luxury segment. Features such as heated and ventilated leather seats, adaptive air suspension, three-zone climate control and a Mark Levinson audio system appeal to buyers who want to take the comforts of home with them.

Last Fall, I drove the 2010 GX 460 at a media program in the San Diego area. This week, I got the chance to test drive the premium grade on a road trip through Indiana and southern Ohio.

Base price on the test car is $56,765, not including an $875 delivery charge. The Mark Levinson audio upgrade is a seventeen-speaker, 7.1 surround-sound system with navigation, Lexus Enform telematics, satellite radio and real-time traffic and weather updates ($3930).

Lexus’ pre-collision system automatically primes the brakes and tightens seatbelts if sensors determine an accident is imminent. The same option includes dynamic radar cruise control, which maintains a preset distance from the car in front. Crawl control, in the same option package, modulates the throttle and brake on extreme off-road trails to maintain five preset speeds ($1,720).

A dual-screen rear entertainment system can play two movies at the same time or one widescreen feature ($2400). The final option, a cargo net, costs $64. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Volkswagen CC Sport

Sporty coupe styling with the practicality of a sedan

By Nina Russin

Volkswagen CC

The CC is Volkswagen’s four-door coupe: combining a sporty aerodynamic profile with the practicality of a sedan. Buyers can choose from two engines: a turbocharged four cylinder block rated at 200 horsepower, or a 280-horsepower V-6. Buyers who opt for the larger engine can add all-wheel drive.

This year the automaker is introducing a new DSG automatic transmission as an alternative to the six-speed manual. The direct shift gearbox is an automated dual-clutch system that offers the crispness of a friction-based gearbox without the clutch pedal. Drivers can either use the automatic mode or manually select gears with the shift lever.

The test car is the base sport model, priced from $27,760, not including the $800 delivery charge. The DSG transmission adds $1100 to the base price, bringing the price as tested to $29,660. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Full-sized sport-utility vehicle is king of off-road trails

By Nina Russin

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland

The Grand Cherokee is Jeep’s biggest and most lavish sport-utility vehicle. For 2011, the automaker is introducing an all-new model with more comfort and convenience features, plus the off-road capability the brand is famous for.

The new Grand Cherokee is slightly longer and wider than the outgoing model. Designers pushed the rear axle back five inches to increase legroom in the second row.

An all-new flex-fuel V-6 engine comes standard on all three grades, with a five-speed automatic transmission. Buyers needing more than the standard engine’s 5000 pound towing capability can upgrade to a hemi V-8 that tows 7400 pounds. The hemi incorporates Chrysler’s multiple displacement technology which deactivates cylinders when engine loads are low to save fuel.

Jeep is introducing several new technologies to improve the Grand Cherokee’s performance on and off-road. A new air suspension system can raise the vehicle up for extreme off-road trails to create 10.7 inches of ground clearance.

The same system automatically lowers the Jeep from its normal setting to an aero position on the highway, to improve performance and fuel economy. The driver can lower the vehicle even further in park, to ease access and egress.

New front and rear independent suspensions contribute to a 146 percent improvement in torsional rigidity for better steering response. A Selec-Terrain system on the center console lets the driver choose from one of five conditions, to provide optimal engine and suspension tuning, with the appropriate safety technology.

Jeep is using the same trim designations as the outgoing model. The four-wheel drive Laredo starts at $32,995, while the upscale Overland  4X4 is priced from $42,995. 2011 models begin rolling into dealerships the end of July. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Volkswagen Tiguan S

Compact sport-utility vehicle is big on performance

By Nina Russin

2010 Volkswagen Tiguan

The Tiguan is Volkswagen’s compact sport-utility vehicle: available with either a front or all-wheel drive. Power comes from a turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission.

For many years Americans shied away from turbocharged engines because of performance and maintenance problems. Computerized engine controls have made turbo lag and oil coking things of the past. Turbocharging is an effective way to enhance small engine performance, while boosting fuel economy and reducing toxic emissions.

Turbochargers are exhaust-driven blowers that improve the efficiency by which air flows through the engine. While belt-driven superchargers do the same thing, they can be bulky and difficult to package in a small engine bay. Smaller turbochargers are easier to fit under the hood.

The sprightly Tiguan accelerates from zero-to-sixty miles-per-hour in 7.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 130 miles-per-hour. Turbocharging enhances low-end acceleration: the engine’s torque rating is higher than its horsepower.

Turbines also reduce power loss at altitude. The Tiguan performs as well at 6000 feet as at sea level, with no reduction in fuel economy.

Buyers can choose from three trim levels: S, SE and SEL. Base price on the S is $24,300, not including an $800 destination charge. The test car comes with two options: seventeen-inch alloy wheels and Bluetooth interface. MSRP is $25,900. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Nissan Cube 1.8 SL

Is Nissan’s “mobile device” the right tool for active lifestyles?

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan Cube

I have to wonder why the company which designed the iconic Z sports car produces something as deliberately homely as the Cube. Granted, the Nissan Cube isn’t the first box-on-wheels to roll out stateside. But at least two of the cars that preceded it- the Honda Element and Scion xB- have an internal logic that the Cube lacks.

The Element’s form-follows-function Honda-ness gives it a certain cache within its intended audience. The Scion xB evolved from a Japan market car called the bB. The compact box-on-wheels was a logical solution for carrying cargo in dense urban areas. The original car’s compact dimensions made sense on crowded roads with low speed limits, and fit in public parking spaces too small to hold most of what we drive in the US.

The Nissan Cube follows in the box-on-wheels tradition, without improving it in a meaningful way. Thoughtful ergonomic features are countered by design errors which essentially negate their benefit.

Here are a couple of examples: the cargo area’s low lift-over height and refrigerator-style door should make the Cube ideal for bicycle owners. However, with the rear seats in place, the cargo area is too small to hold much besides a couple bags of groceries. The rear seats fold flat, but do not create an uninterrupted cargo floor. To get a bicycle in the car, the owner has to lift the frame over the bump created by the seat cushions.

The Cube’s large windows bring an abundance of ambient light inside: an appealing feature. Unfortunately, the extreme verticality of the windshield makes it a target for every insect within range. After twenty miles, I could barely see out the front of the car for the bug splats covering the glass. In addition, wide A-pillars dissect the driver’s sight-line when cornering to the left or right. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Suzuki Kizashi SE

Midsized sport sedan moves Suzuki into the mainstream

By Nina Russin

2010 Suzuki Kizashi

The midsized Kizashi is the keystone of a product offensive that Suzuki hopes will make it a major player in North America. While Suzuki is well known in the US for its motorcycles, marine products and ATVs, automotive sales lag behind Asian competitors such as Toyota and Honda.

Midsize sedans are the biggest segment of the passenger car market. Suzuki’s strategy is to build on its reputation for value pricing, adding performance rivaling European competitors..

All four Kizashi grades come with a 2.4-liter, 180-horsepower engine and choice of a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available on all but the base model. Standard safety features include four-wheel disc brakes with four channel antilock braking, electronic stability program and traction control.

The test car is the front-wheel drive SE, with keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, a ten-way power driver’s seat, and a seven-speaker audio system with MP3 and iPod compatibility. Base price is $21,499 including destination and handling. Floor mats and special paint bring the MSRP to $21,754. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Buick Regal

Mid-sized sport sedan rolls out on three continents

By Nina Russin

2011 Buick Regal

General Motors’ restructuring transformed Buick from a premium to a core brand. Product planners are reconfiguring the model line-up to appeal to a broader audience.

The former Buick Regal was an American design for American drivers. The 2011 model, based on the Opel Insignia, was developed in Germany for buyers in North America, Europe and China.

Both available engines are fuel-efficient four-cylinder blocks. Base models come with a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter engine rated at 182 horsepower. The upscale 2-liter turbocharged engine develops 220 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque, for enhanced low-end acceleration.

For the first time in decades, Buick is offering a six-speed manual gearbox on turbo-equipped cars. An interactive drive control system lets the driver adjust the suspension settings for a firmer or softer ride.

By giving the new Regal a distinctly European character, Buick hopes to appeal to younger driving enthusiasts, who will cross shop Asian and European luxury models such as the Acura TL and Volvo S60.

Buick’s ace-in-the-hole is value pricing. Both the base and turbocharged grades start at under $30,000, including destination and delivery.

All cars come with a high level of standard safety features: four-channel antilock braking, stability and traction control, six standard airbags and OnStar, which automatically notifies the police and medical personnel if the airbags deploy. Read the rest of this entry »