Wear headphones! The audio in this video was recorded with in-ear binaural microphones. With headphones or earbuds on, you’ll feel like you’re actually sitting in the driver’s seat.
In the 1970s, the automotive industry arrived at one of the most important turning points since its inception. The decade was overshadowed by the OPEC oil embargo that rocked the world in 1973, sending gas prices through the roof and governments all around the globe scrambling to pass strict emissions regulations.
Chrysler is teasing the Mopar ’14 car it will be presenting at the SEMA show in Las Vegas next month. This year, Mopar will be giving its annual treatment to the Dodge (or SRT?) Challenger.
Fiat has announced a new design option for the 500 Sport and Turbo models. Called the 500 Cattiva—meaning naughty and cool, simultaneously—this factory-customized special edition adds a mischievous flair to the diminutive and sporty 500.
With lower-cost options entering the electric vehicle market, General Motors has slashed $5000 off the price of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric vehicle. The 2014 Volt will have a lowered MSRP of $34,995 (including destination charges). Factor in the $7500 tax credit, and the Volt’s entry price sinks to $27,495—which is a lot easier of a pill to swallow.
According to Automotive News, the platform could go into the Alfa Rome Giulia and a new Alfa Romeo sedan, as well as replacements for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger.
At first blush, the 2014 Grand Cherokee isn’t a tremendous departure from the model that debuted for 2012. Subtle styling tweaks are apparent, but it’s what’s in the cabin and under the hood that are cause for excitement.
The best thing about this car, though, were the brakes. Fiat’s “blended braking” system hasn’t been talked about much, and we can’t really understand why. The system essentially uses engine braking down to eight mph, at which point the actual rotors and pads go to work. Not only does this save electricity and greatly expand brake life, but it feels better than any regenerative braking system we’ve ever tested.
By all accounts, the 500L looks well set up to take on the established crop of style-centric small people movers. It doesn’t beat the Mini Countryman by being more engaging or entertaining, but its blend of size, affordability, and standard equipment are more than enough to make it a compelling alternative.
Overall, the Sonic RS is an endearing vehicle and our number one choice in the hotly contested subcompact market (at least until we drive the upcoming Ford Fiesta ST).
You’ll be forgiven at this point for thinking the little 500T is a bit misguided or confused. It isn’t. Get it out on the road, and you’ll discover that Fiat has struck the perfect blend with the turbocharged 500. It isn’t an Abarth for the speed-averse—it’s a 500 for the speed freak.
Dodge has announced a Mopar-tuned limited edition of its 2103 Dart small sedan, with performance upgrades, styling package, and wireless smartphone charging.
Really, there’s not a lot to tell here. This is the lovechild of a 500 Abarth and a 500C. The powertrain, suspension, and brakes are all the same, as is the glut of scorpion badges. Now they’re just joined by the same, three-stage retractable canvas roof.
As much as we like the Fiat 500, we’ve always felt the diminutive Italian could be a bit more economical. The standard 500 hatch nets a mere 40 miles per gallon on the freeway, which is a fair bit lower than some of the larger vehicles on sale today. Now, there’s a new 500, that promises to deliver something much better than 40 mpg. It removes gasoline from the equation entirely.
This is the Master Landing Page for the Ford Fiesta ST. From now on, as we further review this car, we will be updating this page with whatever fresh content we create. Future drive reviews, updated specifications, videos, and other relevant information will all be found right here, in one convenient spot.
We take you on a visual tour and POV Test Drive in the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe SE.
Chrysler is going all out for the 2012 SEMA show, with 24 vehicles modified by its Mopar brand. Covering its gamut of brands, the vehicles will be on display in Chrysler’s 15,300-square-foot exhibit at the Las Vegas show.
This month, we take three turbo sprites—the Fiat 500 Abarth, Hyundai Veloster Turbo, and Mini Cooper S Coupe—and pit them against one another to determine our favorite. Plus, we pack a bunch of other automotive content in this issue.
All 83 pound-feet of torque are available at 4200 rpm, meaning this is a car with zero low-end grunt. Patience is rewarded though, as the climbing revs gave us more and more to work with, until we were zipping about at a surprisingly brisk pace. All along the way, we were accompanied by a burly, rorty exhaust note that had no business coming from a 1.2-liter engine. It’s like this thing runs on minced bulldog; it just has a growl that is so pure and enjoyable. We’d recommend it for this quality alone.
With the exception of the limited-edition Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione supercar, the storied Italian marquee has been absent from the US market since 1995, despite repeated proclamations to the contrary. If recent rumors are true, it looks like we may have to wait a even longer for Alfa to have a presence here again.