BMW working on 2 Series Active Hybrid Tourer

The cover may have officially been pulled off the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer at the Geneva Motor Show, but BMW has apparently continued working on other variants behind closed doors. While at first glance this prototype looks like any other Active Tourer, the "Hybrid Test Vehicle" stickers on the passenger door and rear bumper give it away as something a little different.

Details about the hybrid Active Tourer are somewhat sketchy at the moment, but BMW indicated its likely direction for the electrified hatchback in the earlier Concept Active Tourer. It used a hybridized 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine coupled with an electric motor with a total system output of 190 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque. The company claimed that it had a roughly 19-mile electric range and could hit 62 miles per hour in under 8 seconds. However, the Bavarian automaker hasn't said yet whether this powertrain would be used in the production version.

The internal combustion 2 Series Active Tourer is rumored to come to the US in 2015. Given the nearly complete look of the test car, the hybrid might not be too far behind.
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Cadillac dealers get $5,000 incentive for ELR test drives

The 530 Cadillac dealers - out of 940 total dealers - that signed on to sell the brand's ELR for $75,000 or lease it for $699 per month have managed to move 247 of them in the last five months. That's a little less than two cars for each dealer more than two dealers for each car if you need help with the math. With inventories of the luxury plug-in hybrid building up - Automotive News reports a 725-day supply - General Motors has created the Demonstrator Allowance Program to billow the sails on that slow moving ship, giving dealers $5,000 to promote ELR test drives.

A dealer with one ELR in its test fleet that racks up 750 test driven miles between May 1 and June 2 earns the fifty Benjamins, a dealer with two ELRs in the test fleet will get one hundred Benjamins. That will be added to summer incentives for dealers that pay $2,000 for units sold in July and $1,000 for units sold in August, while on the customer side, Cadillac has put "customer discount certificates" worth $3,000 on the hood for buyers and lessees.

Cadillac suggests this is about raising awareness of the ELR, but the question is how much dealers will be able to do for a car that observers - and buyers, apparently - still consider highly overpriced.
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Is Cadillac working on an ELR-V? [w/video]

Could it be? Could Cadillac be working on an even higher-end version of its ELR plug-in hybrid? Well, General Motors' Executive Vice President Mark Reuss has gone on record as... well, not saying much. The exec was more than a bit coy on video (which you can view below) when asked about the idea of an ELR-V, although he did say that Cadillac was looking at "expanding the tuning envelope" for its plug-in coupe. What that means could be hinted at in these spy photos.

Cadillac is certainly up to something with this little red ELR. As is often the case, it's the car's enhanced brakes that give it away. Bigger binders are a telltale sign of sportier aspirations, and it's safe to say that rule applies with the ELR. The larger rotors and four-piston Brembo calipers are sourced from the Buick Regal GS, which we imagine would be plenty to bring the high-priced hybrid to a halt.

Obscuring those rotors and calipers are larger, double-armed five-spoke wheels. And, according to our spies, hiding behind that camouflage is a new grille. Outside of those two items, though, there's not much aesthetic change.

Perhaps the biggest hint that Cadillac is looking at a more potent ELR is the vehicle this car was being tested with - a Tesla Model S. The poster-child for the EV movement is a known performer, so it'd make sense that Cadillac is benchmarking this car against it.

Despite these bits of evidence, though, we're still far from convinced. Building an ELR-V seems to go against everything Cadillac is trying to do with both the ELR and the V range. Instead, we're betting this will become a VSport, following in the footsteps of the new CTS VSport.

That could explain the new brakes as well as the aesthetic changes, but not necessarily the Model S being tested alongside it - we suppose it's possible that GM could add a bit of grunt to the ELR's powertrain.

Continue reading Is Cadillac working on an ELR-V? [w/video]

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Subaru planning modular platform, seven-seat SUV, plug-in hybrid

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles isn't the only big name in the auto industry releasing details on its future plans. Subaru, and its parent company Fuji Heavy Industries, is aiming to bump its North American sales up from 478,000 to 600,000 by 2020. Now, that seems pretty reasonable, especially in the face of FCA's hugely ambitious goals for Alfa Romeo and Maserati. It's how Subaru will go about increasing the sales, though, that has us intrigued.

A focus on more fuel-efficient, direct-injection engines will complement a new platform, while the company is contemplating expanding capacity at its Indiana factory, which will now have more room since Toyota Camry production will be ending there.

As for that new platform, it's called the Subaru Global Platform. Original, we know. It's a modular deal and will eventually underpin a vast range of future Subies following its debut in 2016. The new platform may also end up underpinning a seven-seat SUV, which would serve as the successor to the Tribeca and debut between 2016 and 2020, according to Automotive News.

The direct-injected engines, meanwhile, would debut around roughly the same time as the new Tribeca. Cylinder deactivation could also appear, while AN reports that thermal efficiency is being given a big look, which could hint at an Atkinson-cycle engine powering future vehicles. A plug-in hybrid is also a very strong possibility, which also lends credence to AN's theory on the Atkinson cycle. While this focus on efficiency and emissions is admirable, it won't go so far as to disrupt the brand's heritage - Subaru has given no indication that it's ditching its trademark boxer engines.
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Volvo Concept Estate to spawn V90 luxury wagon, joining CUV and coupe

The Volvo Concept Estate garnered Autoblog's Editors' Choice award as our team's favorite reveal at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month for its sleek take on Scandinavian design, and now it looks like we might actually see the sleek wagon in production. Volvo is reportedly considering using the concept as the basis for a replacement for the V70 wagon, dubbing the new model V90.

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Toyota Prius Is California's Best Selling Car in 2012

California's love affair with Toyota's Prius is well-known, and the fact that it is the US state's best selling car in 2012 really comes as no surprise. Still, it is impressive how a 'green' vehicle has become the best selling anything, anywhere - a rare feat, as such vehicles are still struggling for acceptance elsewhere.

WIth a total of 60,668 units shifted through 2012, the Prius just managed to etch ahead of the Toyota Camry, which sold 57,124 units. The third best-seller in California is the Honda Accord, with 49,420 sales in 2012.

Total registrations (retail and fleets) increased by 25% in 2011, from 1,290,920 units up to 1,617,103 units.

According to the chairman of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA), Darryl Holter, “With California’s economy on the rebound, consumers feel confident again about buying a new car, and there has never been a wider selection of models to choose from.”

Also, lead vehicle analyst for the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Shruti Vaidyanathan was quoted as saying: “The vehicles at the top of this year’s rankings are proof that automakers are really ramping up their offerings. There are more hybrid and electric options on the market this year than ever before and the race for a spot on the Greenest list is increasingly competitive.”

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Europe - 35% of Buyers Are Willing to Spend More on Green Tech Despite Recession

A recent poll, conducted and sponsored by Ford, found out something particularly interesting about the European car buyer. Apparently, some 35% of Europeans would be willing to spend more on a new car, if it came loaded with green tech, and would be more environmentally-friendly.

This is odd, considering the sorry state of the continent's economy, as unemployment rates go up, and salaries stagnate. Still, something more in-tune with the current situation is the 71% of consumers who said fuel-efficiency was a major deciding factor for the purchase of a new car.

The same poll also discovered that 68% of European drivers actually think about fuel economy as they are driving - we find that perfectly normal, and we encourage it. Also, some 53% of those questioned say that climate change is the most important challenge faced by our current society, while 57% admitted that they would like to live a greener lifestyle.

This begs the question, then: Why, if they have discovered that people are willing to pay more for green tech, does Ford not sell any of its own hybrids in Europe, to prove their own point.

“The survey shows that even in economically difficult times there is a clear desire for vehicles that are more environmentally friendly,” says Barb Samardzich, VP of Product Development for Ford's European branch. She added that “Ford is extremely focused on meeting this demand now and in the future, and this goes hand-in-hand with delivering products that help reduce running costs.”

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