2012 NAIAS - Acura NSX Concept

There has been a lot said about the new Acura NSX concept and although I still have some reservation, which I’ll get to, I’m going to label it a success. First of all, I think that the design looks really good. I’m not one of these people that say it needs to carryover lots of elements and design from the old NSX. I think a fresh start and fresh design is exactly what Acura needed.

The second reason I’m labeling this a success is because it has a mid-engine layout. I liked the last NSX concept that used a front/mid setup, but it never felt right to me. You can mess with the design but you can’t mess with the layout, if that makes sense. I’m not as bothered as most about the fact that the new NSX will be pushing a “hybrid” platform. Look at the Porsche 918 for justification.

Lastly, I’ll label it a success because they are bothering to show it at all. Acura needs this halo car. My biggest gripe is that they are still saying that a production version won’t be coming for another 3 years at least. I’m ready for this thing to be out now!

All-new 2013 Dodge Dart

The Dodge Dart is another car that you can easily call a success. We saw plenty of leaked photos and spy shots ahead of time and knew that the reveal was coming, but it was still exciting to see exactly what was what. This all new Dart takes over for the retiring Dodge Caliber and is based off the Alfa Romeo Giuletta. The new looks are aggressive and bold and are exactly what Dodge needs for a new compact car. We had a chance to talk to Kathy Graham, a Chrysler Product PR Manager, during last Wednesday’s nights Motorama chat on twitter where she answered a few key questions about the new Dart.

The Dart has been criticized for using the throwback name, but Kathy pointed out that this new Dart isn’t trying to be a modern version of the old one, like the Charger and Challenger. They brought back the name because the original Dart was Dodge’s first car marketed to the youth. It was a fun and affordable compact car and that’s what they are going for with the new Dart.

Under the hood of the base Dart, you get a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter pushing 160 hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque. You also have a 2.4-liter (184 hp 171 ft-lbs) and a 1.4 turbo (160 hp 184 ft-lbs) with 6-speed manual or autos to fit them all. This should be a very competitive car in its market and it’s aimed right for the likes of the Focus, Civic, and Elantra. Also expect to see a SRT variant coming with this car. Although they haven’t officially announced it, Dodge and Chrysler would be crazy not to make one.

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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Looking for snow on the ground in central Texas is like hoping for a car as a Christmas gift, don’t get your hopes up. Unfortunately, I was not lucky on either account this year. It’s a shame we didn’t get any snow to test the traction settings of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with its new Land Rover-like terrain selection system glaring up at us.

This is the first Jeep product to emerge after the Fiat / Chrysler alliance. It shows, as this Grand Cherokee has one of the best fit and finished interiors I’ve ever seen in a Jeep product. I’m not a big Mopar fan, but most of my family are loyal Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge drivers. I have grown up with the vast imperfection of these products. Jumping into this 2011 was like jumping into a Mercedes-like SUV.

There is a good reason for it feeling like Mercedes quality. The architecture of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is based on that of the M-Class. Anything from the comfort of the ride to the feeling of the steering closely resembles that of the M-Class. The live axle of the previous generation was tossed in favor of an independent multilink suspension.  As a result, Jeep calls this Grand Cherokee “the most capable ever.”

The new Pentastar V-6, the engine our tester was equipped with, is a 3.6 liter pushing 290 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. That’s an increase over the 3.7 V6 of 80 hp and 25 lb-ft of torque. Hooked to a 5 speed automatic gearbox (the only option), this V6 Grand Cherokee can tow a load up to 5000 pounds. The other option is the 5.7 liter hemi pushing 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. That will up your towing to 7400 pounds.

Although we don’t yet have the option for an SRT8 variant, Chrysler has said it should appear in the next year or so. Nonetheless, a V8 option is a dwindling one in this segment. The 4 Runner can no longer be bought with a V8, and more manufacturers are sure to follow.

Keeping you insulated from the rough terrain you’ll be thrusting yourself toward, the air suspension delivers adequate comfort. The body roll is well controlled and the road noise is almost non-existent, even on the freeway doing 70mph.

The price of this Grand Cherokee is no joke. Our tester was a 4×4 Limited edition with the V6, leather, navigation, heated front and rear seats, panoramic moon, and the whole nine yards. This will set the buyer back an easy $40,000. At this price you’re competing above the Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-9, and below the Land Rover LR4 and Volkswagen Touareg. That’s really not a bad place to be, in our minds, as this is one of the best Jeep products we’ve ever had the pleasure of driving.

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Fiat 500 Old and New

Obviously we, at txGarage, are interested in the one called the Sporty Hatchback. This will be the Abarth edition 500, as it’s known in Europe, named the European 2008 Car of the Year. Not too much is known about the exact specs of the 500 that America will get but in Europe it is built on a shortened Panda platform. Engines range from a 1.2 liter with 69 hp to 1.4 liter with 100 hp. I’m not sure what to expect in the US but I’d bet on the 1.4 being the base engine here. In the European Abarth they have the 1.4 liter engine turbocharged pushing out a whopping 133hp, but being a smaller lighter car the driving dynamics are quite good. Also look for upgraded suspension and some “subtle” body changes.

The Abarth 500

 

The interior in the 500 doesn’t seem cheap or “half-assed” at all. Like the Mini it is a nice place to be and doesn’t seem as cramped as you would think a small car would. I would go as far to say that I like the interior of the 500 more than the Mini. You get modern technology like iPod hookups and USB interface and a wide range of powered goodies.

The question left is, will it sell in the US? I think in the times we are in that when they bring this car over, yes it will sell. Depending on the price point they put on it, it should sell as well as the Mini has which was a huge success for BMW here. The higher end Abarth models could bring a “boy racer” following to the car like in the Mini and they will get great gas mileage. In Texas though… I’m not as sure that it will be as big of a success when you get out of the big cities. We love our monster trucks and big V8 muscle cars here, and can you blame us?

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