Midway Group of Nebraska

SAN DIEGO --

While Ford has touted MyFord Touch, and the imports various infotainment systems, General Motors spent the past 30 months developing CUE, short for Cadillac User Experience.

The infotainment system's simplicity might remind users of an iPod Touch screen. By contrast, the complexity of Ford's system prompted Consumer Reports to urge readers not to buy vehicles equipped with MyFord Touch.

"The first thing they don't want to do is pull out a 500-page owner's manual and try to figure out how to use something. So we wanted to make the icons big, intuitive, easy to use. You will see the interface mimics a tablet computer more than it does a traditional automotive infotainment system," said Tim Nixon, executive director, global functional leader, infotainment and OnStar engineering.

Nixon was interviewed Tuesday at an embargoed Cadillac press event in San Diego. CUE was introduced Oct. 12 at the CTIA Wireless Association's Enterprise and Applications conference also in San Diego.

CUE will be standard on the 2013 Cadillac XTS sedan arriving next year and optional on the 2013 Cadillac ATS and SRX. The XTS replaces the DTS and STS in Cadillac's lineup. The ATS is Cadillac's new compact car, which also arrives in 2012. Pricing was not announced.

Cadillac claims several industry firsts for its infotainment system:

Haptic feedback: In an effort to key the driver's eyes focused on the road, buttons on the faceplate pulse when pressed to acknowledge the driver's commands.

Multi-touch hand gestures: Interactive motions (tap, flick, swipe and spread) popularized by smartphones and tablets are incorporated on to the 8-inch LCD screen to let the driver scroll lists and zooming in or out of a maps, for example.

Proximity sensing: When the driver's hand gets within eight inches of the screen, additional ions appear on the screen that give the driver more choices of things to control.

Natural speech recognition: The system lets consumers speak as they would in conversation and not with awkward commands and sequences.

Don Butler, vice president, Cadillac marketing, said CUE will make a statement: "If we are truly going to appeal to a luxury customer, we have to be relevant, and technology today and technology applied in a useful, meaningful way, that is relevant for the luxury buyer."

Butler said CUE also will be able to access all of the audio data on a person's smartphone: "It will make the vehicles that much more appealing from the standpoint of what they are able to do to accommodate how they are living their lives today."

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111012/OEM06/111019959/1182

Question: When is a couch not really a couch?

Answer: When that couch is powered by an internal combustion engine. Or when you need a full leather race suit, gloves, boots and a helmet to sit on it. Or when it requires an attached front desk to serve as an aerodynamic element. Or when you need an airport runway to take it up to its full top speed.

Regardless of our reasoning, there is apparently a record being held for the World's Fastest Couch. If you're splitting hairs, we suppose there's nothing in the actual definition of the word couch that precludes the addition of an engine, and we also suppose the truly far-out-there among us could indeed use such a piece of furniture in his or her living room.

So, just how fast is the World's Fastest Couch? How's about 101 miles per hour? Yeah, that's fast... for a couch
http://youtu.be/Xz3LScJDVbw

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/05/watch-this-couch-go-over-100-mph-for-a-world-record/

"Now is the time to prepare your vehicle for the upcoming winter-driving season," said Mopar's Jim Sassorossi. "Preventative maintenance helps vehicles perform at optimum levels in a variety of conditions."

You can check of many of the items yourself in a a few minutes. However, unless you're a hardcore do-it-yourself type with a good working knowledge of your vehicle, you might want to have some of the items, like struts, shocks and brakes…

General Motors Co. is hoping to stay on the leading edge of transportation trends by investing in a San Francisco company that links people who need temporary wheels with others who want to rent out a vehicle they're not using.

GM said it will make a small investment in RelayRides and provide the fledgling ride-sharing company with its OnStar service to let people who are borrowing GM cars unlock them with their cell phones.

GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky said in an interview on Tuesday that GM isn't sure the idea will take off, but his company wants to be on the cutting edge if it does, especially with younger people who are more open to the idea of short-term rentals or letting others use their vehicles.

"We don't know if this will work," Girsky said. "But as Wayne Gretzky said, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."

GM declined to say how much it is investing in RelayRides.

The deal could increase GM vehicles' exposure with new customers, he said.

RelayRides lets car owners defray some of the cost of ownership with rental income, Girsky said.

"It's also equivalent to a hassle-free test drive," he said. The opportunity to check out GM cars this way could be especially important the Chevrolet Volt, a rechargeable electric car that has an onboard generator that kicks in when the batteries are depleted, Girsky said.

RelayRides now operates in San Francisco and Boston and plans to expand to other U.S. markets.

The program with General Motors vehicles will begin early next year.

Chrysler's redesigned 300 big sedan wowed 'em at Consumer Reports. Nissan's Leaf electric car and Hyundai's gas-electric hybrid Sonata didn't.

The 300 -- CR tested a 2011 and the 2012 has a few more improvements -- got "excellent" in the magazine's road tests, moving it to midpack among premium sedans, from the cellar where it had been.

The magazine noted that it is "unusual to see a redesigned model…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is expected to push back the release of the most ambitious proposal ever for automakers to improve the fuel efficiency of passenger cars, sport utility vehicles and pickups.

The Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency intended to put out the draft plan for model years 2017-25 for industry and public comment by the end of this week. But several sources with knowledge of the matter said it would not be rolled out for a month or possibly longer.

Administration officials had no immediate comment.

An agreement reached between automakers, the administration and California in July would require a company's fleet to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, equivalent to a 5 percent increase in annual efficiency.

The deal softens the impact for production of light trucks, like pickups and SUVs -- a mainstay of General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC.

The administration would -- with a short delay -- remain on track to meet its deadline for issuing final rules next July, five years before they take effect. That timeline gives the auto industry room to plan its vehicle mix and make any production or technology changes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the EPA are jointly writing the regulation based on the July agreement with auto companies, environmental interests and the state of California, which has important influence because of its huge market, its political standing with the Democratic administration and its environmental leadership role.

Sources said regulators are purposely moving more slowly than anticipated on details of the formal proposal to ensure it addresses industry, environmental and consumer issues likely to be raised during a lengthy public comment period.

Regulators also want to make sure the proposal can clear the White House budget office, which reviews proposed regulations.

The sources said the delay was not related to a House of Representatives Oversight Committee investigation of meetings between Obama administration and auto industry officials leading up to the July agreement.

Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, a California Republican, has raised concerns about the secrecy of the meetings and the agreement's impact on consumers. He has asked companies to preserve all documents from their discussions with administration officials.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110927/OEM/309279787/1135

PickupTrucks.com asked five half-ton truck manufacturers to provide their best trucks for $30,000. The entries consisted of the 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 Extended Cab, 2011 Ford F-150 Regular Cab, 2011 Nissan Titan King Cab, 2011 Ram 1500 Quad Cab and 2011 Toyota Tundra Double Cab, all of which were put through a variety of tests over four days in and around Detroit. Unlike a comparison that seeks model-feature parity, this one allowed for manufacturers to provide whatever they thought was best, which is how you get Ford supplying the only regular cab among the field.

After being run through load tests, brake tests, the drag strip, 0-to-60 and even an autocross run, the crown was given to the Ram 1500 Quad Cab. It didn't scorch its competition, but it was always near the top of the field, which gave it enough to take the glory. http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/24/pickuptrucks-com-names-ram-1500-best-truck-for-30k/

When we first caught wind of the Fiat intention to get cozy with Chrysler, our first thoughts leapt to the slew of sexy Italian compacts that could conceivably make their way to the states. Of all the hardware that could potentially be Americanized, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta was the one hatch that had our loins stirring the most. Now our elite squad of spy photographers have nabbed a few photos of a four-door version of the hatch wearing a split crosshair grille. From the looks of things, these are full-production spec prototypes out for desert testing. The whispers kicking around the web lead us to believe that the car will be called the Hornet and should lock horns nicely with metal like the Ford Focus.

To say that we can't wait to usher the Caliber out the door is an understatement. Given that the compact segment has grown into a fiercely competitive slice of the market, Dodge needs hardware that can perform on style, efficiency and economy. Here's hoping the Hornet is up to the task.

While the vehicle in the image above was originally photographed with matte black vinyl covering its flanks, we've colorized the sheet metal to give us a better idea of what to expect from the sedan version of the car.

The Jeep Wrangler â?? the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world â?? becomes even more capable for the 2012 model year. Thatâ??s because the venerable off-roader is getting a more powerful, and more efficient, 3.6-liter V-6 engine, along with a new five-speed automatic transmission.

Both the new engine and transmission are shared with the award-winning Jeep Grand Cherokee. These components will dramatically enhance Wranglerâ??s on-road driving performance â?? delivering up to 21 miles per gallon â?? while also delivering more horsepower and torque for conquering off-road terrain.

â??Jeep Wrangler â?? the most capable and iconic vehicle in the world â?? has a new heart but retains the same soul for 2012,â?? said Mike Manley, President and CEO â?? Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. â??Our new 3.6-liter V-6 engine gives the ever-capable Wrangler a completely new, more refined on-road driving experience â?? complete with more fuel efficiency, power and torque.

The 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine has received numerous awards, including Wardâ??s 10 Best Engines award. Producing 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the new Pentastar will be a huge improvement over the 2011 Jeep Wranglerâ??s 3.8-liter unit. Additionally, moving away from the four-speed transmission in favor of the five-speed automatic will help deliver refined shifter as well as greater fuel economy.

â??Available in 2-door and 4-door models and boasting an untouchable combination of efficient design, open-air freedom, significant towing capability, improved real-world drivability, and unique 4Ã?4 systems that deliver unmatched off-road prowess, Jeep Wrangler once again resets the benchmark and offers consumers the ultimate vehicle for any driving adventure,â?? Manley added.dfhttp://www.jeepinthenews.com/2012-jeep-wrangler/#more-397

The Jeep® brand â?? a truly global icon in the automotive industry â?? is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

As part of this monthâ??s â??Jeep Celebrationâ?? in full swing at participating Jeep dealerships, consumers who purchase eligible Jeep brand models today through Sept. 26 can take advantage of a new $500 Bonus Cash promotion.
 
Eligible consumers who purchase a 2011 or 2012 Jeep model, except for the 2012 Jeep Wrangler and 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, may be eligible for the $500 Bonus Cash.

The $500 Bonus Cash can be used in addition to most Customer Cash or attractive financing rates in effect during this period.

â??The Jeep brand has plenty reason to celebrate,â?? said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales. â??Our Grand Cherokee, all new in 2011, is the most awarded SUV ever, sales of every model in our Jeep lineup are up this year compared with the same period in 2010, and our Jeep Wrangler hit an all-time sales record in July.â??

In addition to the Bonus Cash promotion, qualified consumers who purchase a 2011 Jeep Wrangler or Jeep Liberty during September may be eligible for 0 percent financing for 60 months.

Qualified consumers who purchase a 2011 Jeep Compass or Jeep Patriot may be eligible for 2.9 percent financing for 60 months, and qualified consumers who purchase a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee may be eligible for 1.9 percent financing for 60 months.

In lieu of attractive financing rates, consumers who purchase any 2011 Jeep model may be eligible for Customer Cash up to $3,000 during September.
http://media.chrysler.com/newsrelease.do?id=11538&mid=2