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News For the Week (#46):

What’s worth sharing – 7 items:

Honda released pricing for the Accord 2.0-liter. Starting at $31,200, including destination, it officially goes on sale November 20th. The starting trim is the Sport trim although it shouldn’t be directly compared with the 1.5L Sport as the 2.0L trim has much more feature content (similar to the 1.5L EX trim) – there is no longer an excuse for enthusiasts to hold out on the six-speed manual transmission which is optional only on the Sport (The Civic Si is well equipped too). The 10-speed automatic is a no cost option and is the only option for the EX-L and Touring trims whose equipment features closely mirror those of their respective 1.5L trims. The EX-L starts at $32,860 including destination with a navigation system ($1,000) being the only factory option. The Touring trim is $36,690 and becomes the most luxurious and powerful Accord ever. First Look: 2018 Honda Accord  

Continue reading “Week 46 – Interesting Auto News Worth Sharing”

It’s been eight years since VW first introduced the Tiguan in the US market and just when the name finally has some familiarity to it, VW has completely turned the car that it’s tied to on its head. Looks like we’re going back to school.

Continue reading “2018 Volkswagen Tiguan – A new German flavor for the U.S.”

Honda announces details on the Clarity Electric as part of the Clarity Family. But with only 89 miles of range, should we have expected more?

Check out the full story at TFLcar.com

The Honda Accord has been a standout among the midsize sedan segment, always bringing a refreshing dose of sport to the sedan segment. Once responsible for handling the day-to-day duties of the American family, this role has been largely taken over by crossovers and smaller cars. Honda has proved that it can still hit home-runs with the Civic and the CR-V but it will take a bit more to ensure the Accord is considered a success.

After two generations of interior mis-steps and relatively conservative exterior designs, the all-new Accord has been injected with some much needed premium appeal and upped the ante on what defines sport within this segment. Is it enough to keep it at the top of its class? 

Continue reading “2018 Honda Accord – Saving the Sedan and the Manuals”

Volvo has announced that from 2019, all new model releases will feature an electrified powertrain, meaning that it will either be a mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or full EV. The brand will continue to sell cars solely powered by combustion engines until about 2023, depending on new model development timing.

While this is a big industry news, as no other traditional brands have committed to electrifying their entire lineup, it may not be considered as significant by the time 2019 and especially 2023 come around. Consider this as more of a brand direction announcement, rather than a major technological advancement.

Continue reading “Volvo – First to Announce Commitment to All Electrified LineUp”

We like to point to F1 for some substantial technological advances, but it’s largely the commercial side of the auto industry that serves as technology’s real-world test bed; being able to verify and put a value behind the durability, serviceability, and life-cycle costs. At this year’s annual World Truck Show, Ford, Chevrolet, and Ram all made announcements regarding different areas the customer experience such as, branding, virtual customization, and OEM approved aftermarket companies that convert fossil-fueled trucks into hybrid and full-on electric vehicles.

Continue reading “Commercial Tech Proven for the Retail World”

And best of yet, I wasn’t the only one.

 Georgetown Lake is less than an hour’s drive from Denver and is the site of this year’s Land Rover Flatirons Ice Cup. 2017 was the Land Rover-exclusive event’s 14th year and featured a full model lineup from the latest Range Rover LWB to the Discovery Sport. In total, there were 26 different drivers and popularity for the event remains as high as ever. Nam Phan, event coordinator with Land Rover Flatirons, said that half of the available spots were claimed within the first day and that he regularly gets RSVP requests before a date is even set.

I had never driven a car on a frozen lake before so this was a bit strange to me. Sure, I’ve driven on plenty of black ice but never did I enjoy it or turn around to try it again. This seemed like a great opportunity to do some slip and sliding and spend the day with some fellow Land Rover owners.

Continue reading “Racing my Range Rover Sport on a Frozen Lake”

This is the 2018 Lexus LS 500 that debuted at this year’s Detroit Autoshow. It’s styling represents a bold yet classic direction for Lexus and is arguably the first design that successfully integrates the brand’s signature spindle grille.

Continue reading “2018 Lexus LS 500 Exterior Design Review”

 

 

 

 

 

NAIAS / Detroit Auto Show

With CES looking more and more like a traditional auto show, this week’s Detroit Auto Show can be considered as the second half of big reveals and forecasts of a vastly different mobility environment.

Continue reading “The Weekly Grind: Week 2”