Car Corner

A lot of people are starting to own hybrid cars. So, what is it about hybrid cars that makes them so popular in the recent years?

First of all, if you’re fortunate enough to be a hybrid owner, you’ll see a significant savings on fuel. The price of gasoline is always going up and doesn’t seem to drop. When you compare a hybrid car to a gas guzzler’s fuel economy, hybrid cars will enable you to cut fuel consumption in half. That spells less time wasted at the pump.

The government has even started to try and promote an increase in ownership among taxpayers. Back in 2005, the President signed a bill into law that gives serious tax relief to hybrid car buyers.

It is interesting to note that some states also give breaks on parking and tolls as well!

You can breathe easier owning a hybrid car of course. By employing both an electric and a gas-powered motor, hybrid automobiles emit less pollution.

By having two types of power working together, gasoline and electric, a hybrid can not just hit and maintain fast speeds in no time flat without as much output, it also guzzles less gas in gridlock traffic.

The hybrid car was conceived of as a direct result of the demand that the automobile industry create cars less reliant on foreign oil and less polluting for the planet. Don’t forget that it’s not necessary to charge the hybrid vehicle through an electrical outlet. They are able to charge themselves through clever engineering.

Hybrid cars also offer a great return on investment. Hybrids also car can retain a higher resale value. Anyone looking to sell or trade a pre-owned hybrid should be sure that you will get more of what you paid for it.

One complaint among potential hybrid buyers is the often prohibitive price versus the lower cost of similar-sized combustion engine cars. Still, the hybrid is still a better value in that it saves its owners money over the life of the car in gas costs.

So, if you need a cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient car, put a hybrid car on your list.

TOYOTA KIRLOSKAR Motor launched the Etios Sedan, marking the company’s entry into the highly competitive B Segment in India. The Etios has been developed specifically for Indian customers – ‘World First, India First, My First’.

The Etios Sedan will be available in four variants, J, G, V and VX, competitively priced between Rs 4,96,000 and Rs 6,86,500 ex-showroom Delhi. The product highlights include innovative styling, best-in-class cabin and luggage space, superior comfort, impressive fuel efficiency and the legendary Toyota QDR.

The Etios was launched by Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation and scion of Toyota’s founding family, on his maiden visit to India after taking over as the head of the company. Also present were Akira Okabe (senior managing director, TMC), Soichiro Okudaira (managing officer, TMC), Osamu Nagata (Managing Officer, TMC), Mr. Yoshinori Noritake (chief engineer – Etios, TMC), Vikram Kirloskar (vice chairman, TKM), Hiroshi Nakagawa (managing director, TKM) and Sandeep Singh (deputy managing director-marketing, TKM).

Commenting on the launch of the Etios, Akio Toyoda, president TMC said: “India is a key market for our overall strategic growth plans and the launch of the Etios is definitely a milestone not only for Toyota in India but for Toyota globally. Toyota strongly believes in the ‘customer first’ philosophy, hence it was important to collect valuable feedback from our prospective customers right from the concept stage to what the Etios is today. We at Toyota believe, ‘the road makes the car’ and the Etios is a product of real-world testing on roads across India. Our testing has covered a hundred thousand kilometers on every kind of road that Indian drivers encounter, from Kolkata to Mumbai, from the Himalayan foothills to the tip of the Indian peninsula.

We at Toyota will continue listening carefully to Indian customers to stay in touch with their changing expectations. We will respond quickly with technological development and continue providing products that Indian customers will love.”

Speaking on the occasion, Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD TKM, said: “The Etios is very important to us, and its launch marks the beginning of a new era for Toyota in India. In fact, this launch will enable Indian customers in the middle income group to own an aspirational Toyota vehicle for the first time. I proudly also announce that production of the Etios will begin as planned in our new plant which is the most environmentally friendly automobile manufacturing plant in the country today.

Earlier this year we announced our plans to locally produce engines and transmissions at the Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts in the third quarter of 2012 that will help us increase the localisation content of the Etios. Toyota in India will facilitate not just economic growth but social growth as well of the region it operates in, and in turn strive to be the most loved and admired company.”

Yoshinori Noritake, chief engineer of the Etios spoke about the development of the product, he said: “It was very important to understand the needs of Indian car buyers before designing an India specific car. We learnt that Indian customers are very price conscious but at the same time want space and comfort for their family, and style to enhance their status. One of the strong points of the Etios sedan is its true sedan design – designed on a sedan platform and not as a hatch with a boot – smart packaging that makes it compact at the same time spacious. More than 2000 engineers from Japan and India have worked in close collaboration over the last four years with a vision to offer Etios customers the ‘joy of ownership’ and ‘quality of life’.”

Talking about the Etios Sales and Marketing strategy in India, Sandeep Singh, DMD-Marketing, TKM, said, “We have planned an elaborate marketing strategy to warm up to our target customer and through our various campaigns we aim to successfully establish the Etios brand in India. To start with we signed on A R Rahman as our brand ambassador to establish an instant connection between the Etios values and Indian masses. We are committed to give our customers a Q-Class experience through a sales and service network that will be expanded to 150 dealerships by the end of this year. The bookings for the Etios sedan start today and deliveries will begin in January 2011.

We would also like to use this occasion to announce the name of the Hatchback version: Etios Liva, which will go on sale in April 2011.”

Vehicle Outline

Exterior: A distinctive front grille with a smile line, sculpted surface and dynamic character-line in the front and rear, enhance the presence of the Etios. The rear has a fluent flowing C pillar, rounded end and three-dimensional combination lamps that enrich the vehicle’s exterior from different angles.

Interior: The seats are ergonomically designed units with integrated head rests. An instrument panel clearly divided into the information area and operation area with a large centre meter provides excellent visibility. The Etios has class best cabin and luggage space of 595L, a spacious 13L cooled glove box, seven one litre bottle holders, mobile holder and many more such useful storage spaces inside the car.

Performance and comfort

A newly developed 1.5L, 16V DOHC engine coupled with a 5-Speed manual transmission that produces high output for best-in-class driving performance. The torque is available at low rpm for less gear shifting and stress-free city driving.
The Etios has a superior mileage of 17.6kmpl which is ARAI tested.

Electric power steering for excellent maneuverability and tilt steering ensures a good ergonomic driving experience. The steering comes with audio controls for comfort at the driver’s fingertips.

The flat type rear floor design offers ease of movement for rear seat passengers. With its rigid body structure and world class Mac Pherson Strut, the Etios has superior dampening performance providing superior ride comfort.

A class-first ‘clean air filter’ which is standard across all grades for purified air in the cabin.

Safety

The Etios has various active and passive safety features ensuring the car matches global safety standards. The various safety features are (i) Energy absorbing body shell (ii) Driver and passenger air bags and (iii) ABS with EBD.

Its centrally located combimeter reduces eye movement and hence the driver can concentrate on the road.

Special treatment

To adopt to the various diverse climate and usage conditions in India, special treatment and countermeasures have been implemented:

Good ground clearance of 170mm.
Under body protection to prevent damage to fuel and brake lines.
Anti-corrosion steel sheets at areas prone to rusting and stone hits.
Chipping resistant paint on rocker mould and fender.

Read here for more information related to Business News and Business News India.

The world over, we can see there is huge demand for trucks that includes big lifted trucks, heavy duty trucks and varied other types of customized trucking options. The dynamic trucks online bring you the best listings of lifted trucks, used trucks, latest trucks, pickup trucks and several other varieties. The trucking business is getting really big and the number of automotive dealers has made thousands of dollars of profits every month since the time they have started trading in the business of buying and selling automotives online. There are people who require trucks only for a temporary period of time, and smaller business units just cannot afford to buy overall a new truck just for some period of time. In that case, the best option is to rent the trucks or purchase them and again selling it to the same dealer at a little lower price.

There are number of resources online that deals in different types of trucking categories, even a common laymen can make huge profits by listing their used trucks for sale and in turn earning greater bargains. The main element in listing your lifted trucks for sale is earning profits, so make the best possible use of online resources, where you get your personal online space to list all the big trucks for sale or big lifted trucks for sale. The dynamic trucks online is precious resource in the whole trucking world that provides great listings of thousands of trucks. This online resource receives over a thousand of request to join them online from traders, dealers, manufacturers, private parties, wholesalers and retailers. The numbers of members on the site are growing and still expected to grow in a bigger and better way. It has provided thousands of solutions for people to make big money in the trucking world selling big lifted trucks or any other type of used trucks for sale.

It is a known fact that opportunities are rare and the wisdom lies in grabbing the right opportunity at the right time so why not make use of this wonderful opportunity by joining hands and making bigger profits. The layout of the site helps you for easy search options; you can customize your search options to save your time and energy. You can state the year of manufacture, the make, the color, the engine, the type, the specifics, etc before making your search. It’s a high-end experience and the people of all age groups can browse the site easily and freely without any technical knowledge. The online trucking world is dynamic in nature and so the best methods to earn money is starting today, join the resource today to start trading in big lifted trucks, pickup trucks for sale, big lifted trucks for sale and varied other varieties of trucks online.
 

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It’s not “Mini Wheels” – they’re actually the branded Mini Wheels on the SUV that Mini is making ! .. And it’s not going to be a small SUV.

When I first saw this on some sites that I was browsing on, I had to take a double take to make sure that I read it right. Then after I realized I did indeed read it right, I decided to do my own research to determine whether this was some type of rumor that was going on in the automotive industry.

When you first look at the SUV with the Mini Wheels on it, it doesn’t look like an SUV whatsoever. It has a 102.2 – inch wheelbase that’s 5.1 longer than the regular Mini hardtop and at 161.8 inches overall.

Whether the person looking at the vehicle when they get to the dealership is a Mini fan or not, they’ll probably be content when they discover all the features that it comes with and the comfort of the test drive:

1.

Because of the larger frame that was offered on the SUV, the interior room on the thing offered allowed a much larger segment of the potential customer base to try a MINI for the first time .. which I think is exactly what Mini wanted to do.

2. The SUV has the same interior styling as the regular Mini vehicle & Mini Wheels that you’ve seen previously. The only thing that was different is that the new SUV offered five extra inches of leg room for back passengers or extra cargo space behind the back seats – and who doesn’t want extra leg room?

3.

The center rails and the doors that are offered on the Countryman are there for unique ambient lighting that pleased the senses of both drivers and passengers. If you have happy passengers, what else do you need? The ride is enjoyable if they’re satisfied.

4. The “original” SUV came with 120-horsepower & a 1.6-liter engine. If you’re the type of person that’s power-hungry when it comes to cars, you have the option of choosing from the 120-horsepower or the 180-horsepower engine. Since the average weight of this SUV is noticeably smaller than the other SUV’s that are in the industry, the power of either engine will satisfy the driver.

Since the SUV has the MacPherson struts in the front and a multilink system in back, the SUV drives pretty stable and also has quick reflexes even though it’s somewhat tall and has a long wheelbase. Of course it’s not going to be as good as Mini’s smaller models that fit anywhere, but it’s still better than “decent”.

If you were to look inside of the Countryman (which you probably will sooner or later), you’re going to find that it has the same design as the smaller minis. If you haven’t seen the inside of a Mini, I’ll just describe it to you – it really isn’t that much: speedometer (about the size of some supermarket produce scales) centered on the dash with a tachometer atop the steering column .. & that’s it. I guess you can say that it’s a “self-conscious” design; but if you think about it, Mini isn’t looking to please everyone. If you like it, then you’re going to like it. If you don’t like it then don’t sweat it.

I personally love the design on the inside and on the Mini Wheels – what about you?

Anyone interested in reducing world wide oil spills that dump over 6 million gallons of oil in the Gulf like the Deepwater Horizon incident did this past April of 2010? Or preventing any possible wars that are “oil driven?” Have we finally become the “smart” country we have always purported ourselves as being, yet lagged behind in the realm of “oil-less” technologies for cars? We have heard of the electric car for decades now but nobody seemed to want to jump start the production of it. Well, wait no longer, we finally have several companies with an actual timetable to produce their own line of the electric car.

The latest news on electric car development comes out of a deal between Toyota and Tesla Motors, Inc. (currently the makers of the only highway-legal all electric car in America) to team up and produce the model S, an electric sedan scheduled to be produced in 2012. Hmmm…isn’t that the year a certain movie is predicting the end of the world. The Mayans may not have knew about oil dependency in 2012, but they sure may have something on a date that coincides with angry nations no longer able to make billions off oil. Are we saying that mass production of the electric car could start World War III? Doubtful…but could happen.

The Tesla Roadster The current electric car made by Tesla, the Tesla Roadster, goes from zero to 60 in a 3.9 seconds. Not too bad for an electric car or even a fueled car for that matter. The Roadster was one of the few only highway-capable electric car for sales to the public in 2010 and reached 1000 sold for the electric car in the first month. This electric car has a price tag of 0,000. The Roadster can travel 244 miles (393 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. As one can see, the hefty price tag is still one of the major factors that is preventing the electric car from being mass produced on a level that is comparable to all the standard fuel driven cars.

If the Model S Sedan electric car is anything like the Roadster it will be an electric car powered by 3-phase, 4-pole electric motor, producing a maximum net power of 248 horsepower, and weighing less than 70 pounds. Tesla Motors reports an energy cost for this particular electric car of approximately .01/mile. Compare that with a car that gets 30 m.p.g. at .75 gal. is .09 or my 2004 Ford Explorer (19 m.p.g) that costs .14/mile. For some pics of this magnificently designed sporty looking electric car (click here).

Chevrolet and Nissan Set to Produce an Electric Car Chevrolet is scheduled to produce its plug-in hybrid electric car called the Volt this fall, and Nissan is set to produce an electric car called the Leaf soon.

Obama gets Partial Credit for Pushing the Electric Car The Obama administration is responsible for setting a goal of having one million plug-in hybrid and/or electric cars cruising on the U.S. roads by 2015. In order to help jump-start this goal a ton of federal grants and incentives from the Department of Energy are being given out in order for more Americans to be able to purchase an electric car.

I am finally glad to see the day has finally dawned with the electric car. One day, when the price is considerably lower, I will be one of the first electric car owners in my area. There are just so many advantages of the electric car in addition to the “green” ones.

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://news.yahoo.com

http://www.teslamotors.com

The new Lexus LS falls under the category of super luxury class cars. The 2009 LS ranked second out of seven latest super luxury cars based on the analysis of safety and the reliability of the vehicle. Produced by the luxury brand of Toyota, the Lexus LS provides bulletproof Lexus reliability, and the finest interiors in addition to the innovative multi-media and navigation technologies.

This luxury car comes with 4.6 liter V8 engine model that produces 380 horse power of energy. The interior region in the vehicle is quite exemplary, and featured with the polished woods, soft leather and loads of latest technological features.

The 2009 LS is being offered in two different trim levels – the base trim and the extended 460L trim levels. Both the models are offered with all wheel drive system. The interior in the LS 460 offers a thin film transistor instrument display, push button start and several other luxury options ranging from heated steering wheel, hard-disc driver based GPS navigation system and XM NavTraffic system.

The new Lexus LS comes with air diffusers in the car and also offers infrared sensors that can measure the body temperature.

The LS 460 L rear seats include with a DVD entertainment system and also contains shiatsu massaging ottoman seat and a swivel tray table.

Along with the automated parallel parking assist system, it offers pre-selected parking spaces to steer by itself. The other features in the vehicle include the radar cruise control, variable gear power steering, electronically controlled braking, stability control system and driver monitoring system.

To know more about the next generation Lexus LS Click-Here

Amount of development in various regions, this would require a bucket trucks and digger derricks for help in the development process. People will consider buying a bucket trucks to meet the needs of development and construction but they often will think again when knowing the prices offered for these trucks are very expensive. They may get a quote of used bucket trucks, but they feel worried about the quality and performance of the truck. In this case, consumers who are looking for bucket trucks for sale in new or used condition need to know some things that should be the center of attention when choosing these products.

Many people hesitate to buy a used bucket trucks for sale because they do not identify the truck’s performance and quality. Though to buy a new bucket truck, they will probably spend more costs. In this case, the use of online services to find the information you need might help a little. Many online stores on the internet provide deals as well as a variety of new and used products in price variations. This could be a boon for consumers because they can obtain more options to get the chance finding quality products in a more affordable price, including bucket trucks. However, to shop online, consumers should be more careful because there are several online stores that are frauds.

If you want to shop bucket trucks for sale through online, you can consider visiting BucketTruckOnline.com to get various options very interesting. Trucks sold in the store are a quality product. You may find many trucks and Derek used to offer, but you do not have to worry about the quality and performance that is owned. They do the reconditioning of old trucks by making more identifications and examination so that they know the parts that require maintenance and repairs. The reconditioning process is not only on the machine but also in overall interior or exterior of the truck.

When the Hyundai brand first hit America, no would have ever thought they would be mentioned in the same sentence with Mercedes or BMW. The 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan has sparked favorable comparisons to those companies, and have added a great new model to an already outstanding line of quality cars. Presenting both style and luxury, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan is a good bargain starting at only ,350, and the gas mileage of 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 miles per gallon on the highway are quite surprising for a vehicle with this much power.

The performance of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis is due to a 3.3 Liter, 24-valve V-6 engine with a 242 Horsepower output. With continuously variable valve timing and a 6 speed automatic transmission with shiftronic, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan is well advanced in the area of performance engineering. The 4 wheel disc brakes with anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control and traction control are as step above most of the competition.

On the interior, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis has all of the creature comforts a consumer can handle. The heated front seats with leather seat surfaces are adjustable, and the dual front automatic HVAC keeps each rider comfortable. The leather wrapped tilt steering wheel has audio controls for the AM/FM stereo with CD player and MP3 capabilities, and even a bluetooth hands-free phone system. The front airbags and front side airbags along with the roof mounted side curtain airbags make passengers well protected in a collision.

The 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan has an exterior that screams class and style to everyone who views it. From the 17 inch alloy wheels to the acoustic laminated windshield and front side glass, this car rocks. The fog lights and automatic headlights give the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan a sporty yet sophisticated look.

Perhaps the most attractive feature of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan is the warranty package – it can’t be beat. A limited warranty of 5 years/50,000 miles, a drivetrain warranty of 10 years/100,000 miles and anti-perforation warranty of 7 years/unlimited miles ensures a consumer they are buying a quality product. As though those warranties were not enough enticement, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan comes with a 5 year road assistance package. Overall, the 2009 Hyundai Genesis is a very reasonably priced luxury car that can compete quite nicely with the big boys for class, style and quality.

The trucking revolution has bought around loads of technological developments in the trucking world with each automotive dealer wanting to showcase the best trucks that people can buy or make use for their business purposes. Most of the big truck dealers today were common laymen once upon a time and today they are making huge profits in this trucking revolution. It has bought over a complete change in the manner trucks were ever traded. There are a number of truck dealers online who offer excellent services with just a click of a mouse. The online automotive websites offer great resources to find the best trucks for your business. Most of the transactions happening in the trucking industries take place in the form of leasing or rentals, many a small business setup require trucks for a temporary period of time and the best options for them is to rent out a truck with limited expenses.

The famous truck dealers in USA are from the state of California, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Delaware, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Michigan and many other states. You can get some of the best and most famous brands in the trucking industry by getting hooked to the online portals that offer you easy and free transactions. There is a great scope for trucking industry to grow even more, you can earn good amount of profits by becoming a truck dealers in any of the online automotive sites. Hundreds and thousands of transactions for trucks are happening each across the globe. The truck dealers in USA are looking out for more people to join them to expand their business, make use of this golden opportunity to mark your name in the trucking industry.

The US is a bigger market for trucking business developments as it offers number of opportunities for everyone, you can get easy finance to buy trucks and trade in the trucking business. Some of the famous truck dealers in USA are directly affiliated with the manufacturers of famous brands like Nissan, GMC, Ford, Honda and Dodge and many more – this especially helps when you are working for famous truck dealers. Be amongst some of the top truck dealers in USA and expand your existent or non-existent business without any legal hurdles. The demand for used or new trucks is ever so increasing; the Internet provides good tools and opportunities to make big money in the trucking world.

Recommended Website:

Dynamic Trucks Online -
Online portal for buying and selling of Used 4×4 Trucks, Big Trucks, Lifted Trucks, Commercial Trucks, Semi Trucks registered truck dealers located in USA.

Due to the rising cost of fuel and the environmental damage it causes to our planet, many car owners or buyers are looking for an alternative way to save money. Let’s face it, fuel supply is finite and the prices of gas is only going to rise higher and higher. That is where a hybrid car has its advantages

Hybrid cars have been gaining in popularity in recent years. With lower cost of production and new hybrid car technology being developed, owning a hybrid car is becoming affordable to everyone.

Hybrid Cars Saves Gas

The obvious advantage of using hybrid cars is that it saves gas. Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon. One feature of hybrid cars is that the gasoline engine is shut off automatically when the car stops. This also helps in saving fuel. That is also the reason why hybrid cars are so quiet why it is stationary. The gasoline engine is automatically turned on when you step on the accelerator pedal.

Hybrid Cars Are Environment Friendly

Hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned. It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you do not know, carbon dioxide is one of the primary reasons for rising global warming. For example, the Toyota Prius can reduce tailpipe emissions by up to ninety percent and the greenhouse gas emissions by as much as fifty percent.

Tax Incentives For Hybrid Cars

Due to world political pressures around the world to reduce greenhouse emissions, President Bush signed an agreement in 2005 to provide huge tax relief to hybrid car buyers. The tax incentive varies by model and are based on two factors

1. How fuel efficient the hybrid car is compared to a conventional car in 2002 with the same weight class.

2. How much gasoline the hybrid car can save in its lifetime compared with an equivalent conventional car

For example, a Honda Accord hybrid car have reduced tax credits of 0 while a Toyota Prius has a tax credit of 50. Do note that the tax credits do expire after 2010 for most hybrid cars.

Hybrid car manufacturers are continually researching for more ways to reduce fuel consumption and better fuel efficiency. Also as more hybrid cars are being adopted, the cost of hybrid cars will reduce making it more affordable for everyone.