The 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee revised design is introduced at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, January 14, 2013. STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images
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From Staff and Wire Reports
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Ram 1500, Cadillac ATS win auto show awards
The two U.S.-based automakers that emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2009 have earned bragging rights for two new vehicles.
General Motors? Cadillac ATS and Chrysler?s Ram 1500 pickup on Monday won the 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year. The winners were unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
?We worked tirelessly with blood, sweat and tears to come through the hell we?ve been through,? Fred Diaz, president and chief executive of the Ram brand, said after the award was announced. ?What a difference three years makes.?
Other truck and utility finalists were the Ford C-Max and Mazda CX-5. The other car finalists were the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord.
This is the 20th year of the awards, voted on by 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. A vehicle must be all new or substantially changed to be eligible.
The word utility was added to the name this year because of the rising number of crossover vehicles.
The choices represent an aim to recognize the vehicles? overall quality: The judges evaluate finalists on value, innovation, handling, performance, safety, and driver satisfaction. Organizers accept no advertising, though carmakers try to capitalize on the marketing value of the honors.
The awards also provide some vindication for GM and Chrysler, which went through bankruptcy after the industry collapsed in 2008.
Diaz the award comes at a key time for the company as pickup truck sales have started to rebound. He expects the award to help the Ram, which garnered the award in 1994, generate even more sales.
Sales of full-size pickups rose 9 percent last year, but the growth accelerated in the last three months of the year. Sales of the refurbished Ram, which gets up to 25 mpg on the highway, rose nearly 20 percent.
Diaz said there?s a direct correlation between the housing industry and pickup sales, and housing has been on the rise recently.
?From a timing standpoint, I really think we?re hitting the mark just right,? he said.
David Leone, GM?s executive chief engineer for performance luxury vehicles, said the automaker ?worked tirelessly for five years to bring the car to market.? That included months where no product in the pipeline ? or even the survival of the company ? was certain. Leone said he expects the award will help propel sales for the small luxury car that seeks to compete with the BMW 3-Series.
The award?s history shows an edge for U.S.-based automakers. They have won the car award 10 times and the truck award 12 times. European makers have won the car four times and truck three times. Japanese have won car three times and truck four times. A Korean automaker, Hyundai, has won the car honor twice.
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Grand Cherokee SUV makes jump to diesel power?
Chrysler?s top-selling Grand Cherokee is making the jump to diesel power, an option driven by demand from outdoor enthusiasts, the company says.
It marks the first major expansion into diesel power in the U.S. by a mainstream SUV maker, showing the potential for boosting power and fuel economy. Jeep unveiled the 2014 Grand Cherokee, as well as updates to its smaller Compass and Patriot models, at press previews for the North American International Auto?Show in Detroit on Monday.
The Grand Cherokee?s 3.0-liter, EcoDiesel V-6 engine promises 240 horsepower and the ability to tow up to 7,400 pounds. It?s expected to get 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway in 4?2 models, and 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway for 4?4 models.
The diesel version will be more expensive than gasoline models. But it?s likely to be popular with people who want to tow boats or get outdoors in other ways, says Joe Phillippi, president of New Jersey-based AutoTrends Consulting LLC. It also offers the benefit of savings at the pump, which is key for drivers of bigger SUVs.
?There are plenty of potential buyers,? he says.
Chrysler sold nearly 155,000 Grand Cherokees in the U.S. last year, up 21 percent from 2011. The model helped the company?s U.S. sales jump 21 percent, and Chrysler says it sold roughly 220,000 worldwide.
The Grand Cherokee is available in Laredo, Limited and Overland models as well as the new higher-end Summit model. There also will be a high-performance SRT version, which promises even sportier driving performance and a potentially more sinister look.
Improvements to the Compass and Liberty announced Monday include new 6-speed automatic transmission.
UNDER THE HOOD: Besides the diesel-powered option, the Grand Cherokee is available with V-6 and V-8 gasoline engines. The 3.6-liter, six-cylinder gasoline engine packs 290 horsepower, can tow up to 6,200 pounds and is expected to get 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. The 5.7-liter, eight-cylinder engine offers 360 horsepower, can tow up to 7,400 pounds and is expected to get 14-15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.
INSIDE: Chrysler is adding more luxury touches to the Grand Cherokee. Drivers will grasp a new three-spoke steering wheel with paddle shifters on the back. Laredo and Limited models feature dark wood trim on the dash and doors. The Summit model aims for peak luxury, including leather seats and a 19-speaker, 825-watt surround-sound audio system.
OUTSIDE: Jeep wants the Grand Cherokee to look more upscale while preserving its rugged image and off-road capability. It has a more rounded appearance overall, with a shorter upper grille and slimmer headlights. The rear features a more aerodynamic spoiler and a redesigned tailgate to offer improved visibility. Front and rear LED lighting for the Grand Cherokee is designed to make the SUV more recognizable from afar or at night.
PRICE: Will be announced closer to when the vehicles goes on sale, which is in the next few months.
CHEERS: The revamped styling and luxury features place it more solidly in the higher-end SUV market. It preserves the rugged capabilities exuded by Jeep, but improved fuel economy and towing power will be a selling point.
JEERS: It?s unclear how much of a premium buyers will pay for the diesel-powered Grand Cherokee, or whether drivers accustomed to gasoline-powered vehicles will buy it. If power is key, will the boost to the Grand Cherokee be enough to draw pickup drivers, too?
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Toyota retakes global auto sales crown from GM?
Toyota has once again dethroned General Motors as the world?s top-selling automaker.
The Japanese company sold 9.7 million cars and trucks worldwide in 2012, although it?s still counting. GM sold 9.29 million.
Both companies saw higher sales, but Toyota?s growth was far larger as it rolled out new versions of popular models like the Camry. GM executives promised sales growth this year, especially in the U.S. Both companies say publicly that they don?t care about who wins, but concede that the crown is an important morale booster for employees.
GM was the top-selling carmaker for more than seven decades before losing the title to Toyota in 2008. But GM retook the sales crown in 2011 when Toyota?s factories were slowed by an earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The disaster left Toyota dealers with few cars to sell. The company has since recovered.
Toyota?s comeback from the earthquake, and flooding in Thailand, is only part of the story, says Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for LMC Automotive, a Detroit-area industry forecasting firm. The company also has freshened up its stale midsize sedan, the Camry, the top-selling car in the United States.
GM?s global sales rose 2.9 percent last year, it announced Monday at the North American International Auto?Show in Detroit. Toyota sales rose 22 percent.
Schuster expects Toyota to keep the lead over GM this year as it launches a new Corolla.
?I think that?s going to be enough to keep them in their position,? he says.
Toyota builds 70 percent of the cars it sells in the U.S. in North America, including the Corolla.
GM is also contending with a stronger Volkswagen. It narrowly edged out the fast-growing German company for second place in 2012. VW sold a record 9.1 million vehicles.
Volkswagen, with big sellers like the Passat midsize sedan and Jetta compact, closed in on GM with an 11 percent sales increase across the globe. The United States, where VW Group sales rose 34 percent, led the way.
Schuster expects GM to hold off Volkswagen in 2013. That?s because VW has more of a presence in Europe, where sales are falling as the region struggles with high unemployment and weak economies.
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