Tag: VehicleVoice

The Altima Hybrid can give initial electric-only propulsion from a stop and a slower speeds. (erfect for mowing down unsuspecting pedestrians in parking lots as 4 miles per hour.

The Large Car category featured competition between the Sable, Taurus and Avalon. In the end, owners’ scores ranked the Sable as the ideal Large Car. It was the Sable’s scores for visibility, interior storage and handling that really helped outpace the competition.

A perennial favorite for Mercury, the large, spacious and comfortable Grand Marquis won the 2008 Ideal Vehicle Award in the Large Luxury Car segment. With large cargo space, appropriate exterior styling, V8 power and acceleration and easy ingress/egress it’s no wonder owners rated the Grand Marquis an Ideal Vehicle.

The Cadillac CTS won the 2008 IVA award in the Aspirational Luxury Car segment. Owners rated it highly for its exterior styling and size. It also scored very well in power and acceleration. The infotainment system added to owners’ ratings of the CTS, as it scored highly with respect to level of technology.

Though the Volvo C70 is only available in one trim level (T5), owners in the Aspirational Luxury Car segment found the C70 well equipped, giving the C70 top honors as a 2008 Ideal Vehicle. Of course, it also comes standard with numerous safety features, sharp wheels and tires, excellent interior lighting and appropriate seat firmness.

For the second year in a row, owners in the Premium Luxury Car segment have crowned the Mercedes-Benz S-Class an Ideal Vehicle. The same S-Class that has become synonymous with safety, style, and performance won out over Audi, Lexus, and Infiniti, among others, by receiving higher ratings for exterior styling, interior lighting, passenger room, ride, handling, safety, ingress/egress, interior storage and an level of technology.

There is just so much that goes into creating a new vehicle. The level of detail is almost beyond comprehension, in fact. Not only does a car company have to develop engines, styling, interiors, suspensions, and so on, but they have to fine tune all of those components too. Developing a new vehicle is truly a task of monumental proportions.
Last week, a few of your intrepid VehicleVoice correspondents got the chance to spend the day at Chrysler’s test track in Chelsea, Michigan. It’s a giant facility with all kinds of simulated roads and environments so that they can develop new vehicles in secrecy, away from the public’s prying eyes. You can see the layout of the place in this pic:

Chrysler’s proving grounds in Chelsea, MI

AutoPacific's annual Ideal Vehicle Awards have been announced for 2008. Along with Porsche winning for best premium brand, Ford took home the honors for best mainstream brand/

Chevrolet crosses the $100,000 base-price barrier with the 638HP Corvette ZR1. Worth it?

Two-mode hybrid system: Easier to understand with a hands-on demonstration

GMC Yukon Dual Mode Hybrid Increases fuel economy by about 50%. Yukon becomes a socially responsible Large SUV in times of skyrocketing gasoline prices.