According to Chevy, the months are counting dow to the official unveiling of the production ready Chevy Volt. The 2011 Vol news for wuite a while now. Chevrolet’s all electric vehicle holds claims to amazing mileage, has shown its stylish design, and most of all, is one of the first all electric vehicles in development to hold out hope of being seen on the road and in dealerships. The Volt, now just months away from launch, is at the “99 percent level” of engineering calibration. The driving characteristics likely won’t change much; engineers are now just aiming for consistency to ensure that the Volt always drives as expected.

The electric vehicle is now going through its final phases of road tests, and so far is hitting the mark.  There will be a special option on the Volt called mountain mode, which allows the driver to better deal with changing elevations. To optimize performance, drivers should turn it on before heading up the mountain, so the Volt can adjust its reserve capability. There is also a sport mode. It’s an adjustment to the pedal mapping, so those who have a heavier foot will have a more aggressive feel. It’s sure to be subtle though — the Volt draws its power from lithium-ion batteries and a 1.4-liter engine. The default mode is normal. Additionally, motorists can further adjust the car’s character by selecting eco and comfort settings for the climate control.

Through all of these variables — and the very basic electric or extended-range periods — the Volt will have one singular trait: It will feel like an electric car at all times, even when the gasoline engine kicks on. Engineers also paid special attention to the NVH, acoustics and making the engine’s turn-on as subtle as possible. The 40-mile range on electricity is still expected.

When Chrysler LLC merged with Fiat some big changes took place. Models were slashed, while new models were planned. One of the biggest steps the automaker made was to separate Ram trucks into a separate division than its former name, Dodge. It only made since for the Ram brand to keep the trademark ram’s horns logo that adorned Dodge vehicles. So Dodge vehicles needed a new logo of their own. And it was a perfect opertunity for Dodge to reinvent itseld as a  sporty, youth-oriented brand — without pickups. So Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles adopted the twin red slashes of Chrysler Group’s SRT performance brand. The new twin red slashes are supposed to signify Dodge’s sporty character.  The red slashes will appear on new dealer signs, advertising materials, owner’s manuals and merchandise such as hats and T-shirts. On vehicles, the Dodge name will stand by itself in a new script that will appear prominently but without the red slashes. The first vehicles to get the new treatment will be the 2011 Dodge Charger and a seven-seat Dodge crossover that will replace the departed Dodge Durango. Both vehicles will debut in the fourth quarter.
The famous ram’s horns will disappear from other Dodge vehicles gradually in the replacement cycle.

While vehicles have become much safer than they were even ten years ago, one fact remains the same. As far as safety is concerned, not all vehicles are created equal. Consumers almost automatically turn to crash test ratings to ;earn more about a vehicle they may be interested in. But, do we really understand how these word? There are two agencies that test new vehicles and publish scores rating the cars on various types of crash situations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) both began looking at automobile safety in the 1960s when the public became more aware of the issue. The first crash tests were conducted by NHTSA, which is a division of the Department of Transportation, in 1978. The IIHS, which is supported by automobile insurance companies, didn’t begin its crash testing for consumers until 1995.

Understanding Side-Impact Tests

As with the frontal tests, the side-impact tests that the two groups conduct are also quite different. Both tests simulate the type of side collision that would typically occur in an intersection, by crashing a deformable barrier into the vehicle being tested. In the NHTSA test, two dummies that represent average-sized men are placed in the driver seat and in the rear, directly behind the driver. A 3,015-pound barrier is then slammed into the vehicle at 38.5 mph. The force of the impact to the dummies’ head, neck, chest and pelvis is measured, but star ratings indicate only the chance of serious injury to the chest. Head injuries, which are not included in the star rating, are reported separately as what NHTSA calls a “safety concern” if the likelihood of head injuries is considered excessive.

The IIHS test differs from the government test in the type of barrier that is used, the size of the dummies placed in the vehicle and what the test measures. Using a “Good” to “Poor” rating system, the group measures the potential of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis and femur, and gives a rating based on the performance in all of these areas. The IIHS uses two dummies that represent small women or 12-year-old children (5 feet tall and 110 pounds) and places them in the driver seat and in the rear seat behind the driver.
In addition, the IIHS’s barrier has a different shape and weighs more. The group uses a 3,300-pound deformable barrier that is taller and is shaped like the front of a pickup or SUV that is propelled into the side of the test vehicle at 31 mph. The Institute’s test is so severe, in fact, that it is unlikely people who experienced such a crash in the real world would come away free of injuries. The group looks for side-impact protection that allows the occupants to survive these types of crashes without serious injury.

The Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ are what they call in the auto world ‘twinned models’. They differ with styling details on the exterior, and varying features in the cabin, but the three vehicles share aplatform. Furthermore, twinned vehicles often use the same powertrain lineup. Ford first released the trio of entries in 2006.  At the most recent LA Auto Show Ford rolled out three redesigns for the 2010 Ford Fusion, 2010 Mercury Milan and the 2010 Lincoln MKZ. All three cars retain the old Mazda 6-derived CD3 platform, so how have they changed?

The most noticeable changes to the 2010 Fusion happen in the front fascia.  The headlights have lost both the squircles and the vertical design from the previous model, replaced by an aggressive horizontal set encompassing a pair of projector lamps.The hood has now been completely reshaped. The lower fascia is now comprised of a large central opening flanked by chrome detailing wrapping around the outer edge, giving visual continuity with the upcoming Fiesta small car. The outer surround features an aggressive trapezoidal form diving into the lower fascia opening while housing two small projector fog lamps. The chrome detailing here represents Ford’s attempt at heightening the perceived quality of its new mid-size contender.

The 2010 Milan takes a subtle approach to its front end sheet metal changes. The waterfall grille is now wider and takes on a trapezoidal form with a large chrome strip on its top edge. An upward facing bevel runs around the lower edge and rises to meet the hood, running rearward to the outer edge of the windshield. The headlights lose their horizontal form from the previous model and now feature an attractive vertical layout flowing downward from the hood. The peak of the front fender runs down to the edge of the lower fascia and wraps rearward to create a small light catcher just before the front wheel arch. The front reflector has moved from the fascia cutline of the previous car to the flat edge of the wheel arch, following in line with the revised vertical headlight design. The lower opening of the fascia is now lower and wider and has two projector fog lamps neatly tucked within.

The 2010 MKZ carries on with horizontal LED tail lights that are now much wider, prominent and better detailed, almost touching in the center of the trunk surface. The top edge of the bumper surface wraps upward toward the front of the car and ties in with the rear forward swept surface of the MKR concept while the lower edge features two blackout sections for the dual exhaust and reflectors. Overall the rear design appears taller, wider and more elegant than the 06-09 MKZ. Looking for more details? Read our complete 2010 Linoln MKZ review for a closer look at this model. For consumers interested in the Ford twin, read more about the 2010 Ford Fusion at a Ford Dealership.

The 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI sedan and wagon land in showrooms in late summer, the turbocharged model has been updated with a new body style: sedan. Subaru is reviving a large rear spoiler of its own on the new 2011 Impreza WRX STI four-door, which debuted at the New York auto show. The sedan joins the five-door wagon in Subaru’s flagship performance lineup and marks the first time the STI has been offered in two body styles. The STI sedan adopts the wide-body design found on the wagon, with heavily flared front fenders and rear quarter panels. In addition, the bumpers feature a more aggressive look with blacked-out fog lights, a new grille with black inset and the aforementioned oversized rear wing.

Helping to raise the handling prowess in both wagon and sedan versions, Subaru reworked the suspension tuning, which was previewed on the 2010 Impreza WRX STI Special Edition. Ride height is lowered, spring rates increase, antiroll bars are thicker, and front pillow-ball bushings and rear subframe bushings are stiffened. The standard 18-inch wheels are also new and weigh 17.6 pounds less than the previous wheels. All of this results in reduced body roll, more neutral handling response and better lateral grip capability.