Click above for a high-res gallery of the Japan-spec 2008 Nissan Cube

The Nissan Cube is coming to the U.S. next Spring, and we'll get our first look at the U.S.-spec car when it makes its debut at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. I recently had the opportunity to drive a Japanese-market edition for four days, and it's a very neat little car. Driving the JDM vehicle also illustrates how differently small Japanese cars are set up depending on their target market. Is the Cube an economy car? In Japan, it would certainly qualify, boasting a fuel economy rating of 16 km/l (some 37 mpg U.S.) according to the country's 10-15 mode test cycle. That's basically the combined cycle, and the test is done at low speeds. For Japan, where there's plenty of urban driving and road congestion, it probably serves as a fair indicator of what drivers will experience. For us, not so much. Read on after the jump.


All photos Copyright ©2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.

You might remember that France has a tax rebate system (bonus/malus) for vehicles depending on their CO₂ emissions. As in the UK and in Spain, car sales in the first trimester of 2008 have been remarkably affected. For instance, 50 percent of car sales are of vehicles under four meters long.

The most remarkable increase has been found in the category which receives the bonus. Sales of cars that emit less than 130 g/km CO₂ were up by 13 percent. Sales of larger cars in the medium-upper segment were down by 10 percent. The biggest lost came in the upper-luxury market, where sales plummeted 34 percent.

Coming from a French perspective, this is good news: French automakers have just released small attractive models (Twingo, 207) and, on average, their models are the most fuel-efficient. PSA and Renault account for 60 percent of small car sales. The two companies get 52 percent of market share of cars that emit between 121 and 140 g/km CO₂ but only 32 percent for those in the 161 to 200 g/km segment..

[Source: Les Echos]

Late 2008, Mercedes Benz will clean up its diesel GL, ML, R class SUVs with Bluetec, making them 50-state legal. MotorWeek kicked the tires on the GL320 CDI (see video below the fold) and they seemed to like it. The diesel version of the GL ($54,225) will be $2,500 cheaper (yes, cheaper) than the gas version of the GL450 and will get thirty percent better mileage (18 city, 24 highway). The video review also says the GL is a 3 litre V6, has 215 horse power, 389 lb-ft torque and 7,500 towing capacity. 2008 is the coming out year of clean diesels in America and this is the best entry we have seen so far. There are no compromises with the diesel GL on price or power, so it should be a good barometer of diesel's acceptance in the US.


[Source: MotorWeek]

In his CES keynote, part of which you can watch above, General Motor's CEO Rick Wagoner hints that an announcement with the release date for GM's first plug-in hybrid is coming "very soon." GM told us the release date for Saturn Vue plug-in might be in the end of 2008 or "2009-ish" range. From what Rick says in his keynote, I get the feeling we might get news of a firm release date at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Here is exactly what he said (watch 5:30 into the video above):

We've already announced our intention to build a "plug-in" version of our Saturn VUE hybrid. Our team is hard at work to get this technology to market as soon as we can. Expect an announcement on the VUE plug-in hybrid very soon.

I guess we will find out next week when the 2008 Detroit Auto Show begins. If there is news of a release date in Detroit, the best I am hoping for is an October 2008 release and maybe a few details about possible MPG ratings for the vehicle. If anyone can buy and drive off with the Saturn Vue PHEV from the Detroit Show floor, that would be okay too, I guess.

[Source: YouTube]

Ah, Spring. Astronomically it starts on the vernal equinox (March 20) and ends on the June solstice (June 21). Greek goddess Persephone's kidnapping by Hades (see painting) represents the changing of seasons. This year, Persephone wants a big offering at the gas station temple. About $3.50 a gallon according to the EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook US monthly projections to Dec 2009. Here is the great news, if you own a gas station:

Retail prices for petroleum products are expected to increase in 2008, pushed up by the higher average crude oil prices. Both motor gasoline and diesel prices are projected to average over $3 per gallon in 2008 and 2009, with monthly average gasoline prices peaking near $3.50 per gallon this spring.

The national average price of gas this week is $3.11. So within three to six months, expect about a forty cent jump in the price of gas. Of course, prices vary around the country, so you might see $3.75 for a gallon of gas if you live in, say, California. Also, $3.50 is what DOE expects due to Summer demand alone and not unexpected things like war, weather, OPEC, etc. Either way, looks like another bumper year for the oil companies. They just can't keep that stuff on the shelves.

Related:

• $4 for a gallon of gas in 2008?
• Hey there $3/gallon gas! Long time no see. How've ya been?
• Why gas prices went up in 2006

[Source: Reuters]

2007 was a good year for hybrid sales. Total US sales in hybrids for 2007 were 40 percent higher than hybrid sales in 2006. Market-research firm J.D. Power & Associates thinks the total sales increase from 2007 to 2008 will be 7.4 percent. What about individual cars and companies making hybrids? Sales of the Prius were up 69 percent in 2007 but that sort of growth will not be coming to Toyota in 2008. Toyota's VP of Communications, Irv MIller, expects hybrid sales to drop one percent in 2008 (he thinks 275,000 hybrids will sell in 2008 vs 277,750 in 2007). JD Power says other players like GM will take more share in 2008 and will be a larger part of the growth in hybrids. GM makes very big hybrids and 2008 may be the year the idea of the hybrid SUV solidifies in the public mind. Perish the thought!

Related:

• Hybrid-car sales grew in 2006, starting to slow
• Toyota Prius and Camry sales up, LS600h surpsingly strong, all other hybrids down

[Source: Canada.com]

The Chinese car maker, BYD Automobile Co Ltd, plans to mass produce a hybrid gas-electric car the second half of next year. BYD showed a full electric car, the F3e, a car based on its F3 sedans, at last year's Beijing auto show. I assume BYD's planned hybrid is based on the F3 sedan as well. The battery for BYD's hybrid and electric car are iron based, which BYD says is better than lithium-ion batteries.

"The iron battery proves to have better safety performance and larger capacity. The cost could also be lowered by using abundant resources and affordable raw materials," says BYD in an e-mail. BYD's first car, the F3 sedan, started production in 2005 and sold 51,000 units in 2005. In 2006, BYD sold 60,000 F3s and they expect to sell 100,000 this year.

The Chinese government is really encouraging its carmakers to develop clean cars. Do you think China could take the lead from American and European car makers on hybrids? What about the Japanese?

Related:

• Chinese electric Smart Clone coming to the US market?
• Chinese electric cars go for Miles
• Electric car plant under construction in China
• Chinese academy develops big electric motors - 50,000 electric cars might come soon

[Source: Shanghai Daily]

The hybrid price war is heating up. Mercury has released pricing for the 2008 Mariner hybrid. It's $26,620 and 2WD. The 2007 Mariner Hybrid was only 4WD and $28,615. Okay, maybe the price is lower because it's 2WD and not 4WD. I guess the price drops maybe a response to the loss of some tax deductions. So, there might not be a war but prices are dropping... or are they?

The Nissan's 2008 hybrid Altima may cost a little more. Nissan spokesman Darryll Harrison says "we are looking at adding some features that aren't standard." "It may be just a slight increase." Just $100. Price is expected later in the Summer. Hmmm, secret features? ...$100? I guess it's too cheap to be plug-in. It would be great if Nissan surprised everyone by being first to the plug-in market ahead of GM and Toyota. Anyway, stay tuned for more follow ups on this year's trend in hybrid pricing.

[Source: Forbes via EV World]

Toyota has been on a roll with hybrids lately, with the 170,000 units sold in 2006 expected to be easily eclipsed this year by 80,000 units or more. The Prius is the obvious hybrid sales leader, but the Highlander came in at a surprising 2nd place last year, with 31,000 units sold. That number should only go up with the introduction of the 2008 Highlander Hybrid, which is expected to arrive in dealerships at the end of September. We had a chance to take Toyota's battery-assisted CUV for a spin during the vehicle's unveiling in Dearborn, Michigan, and we found a vehicle that was spacious and clever on the inside and better looking outside (that was easy).

Of course the single aspect of the hybrid version of the Highlander that intrigues us the most is the powertrain, and from our standpoint Toyota has done a good job of integrating their battery technology into this seven-seat CUV. $3 per gallon gasoline has placed fuel economy at the top of everybody's mind right now, and the 2008 Highlander Hybrid has upped the ante, if only slightly. Using the EPA's new fuel economy calculations, the 08 model achieves 27mpg in the city and 25mpg on the highway. Those numbers are exactly the same for 07, but the new EPA numbers are stiffer, and account for aggressive driving and the use of air conditioners. What's impressive is that Toyota managed better fuel economy on a larger CUV that weighs 300lb more than the vehicle it replaces, while working with the same 3.3L V6 paired to essentially the same battery pack.

The 2008 Highlander Hybrid comes with plenty of great standard features like backup assist with a dash-mounted 3.5 inch screen, 19' rims, seven air bags, and stability control. The hybrid can also tow 3500lbs while boasting SULEV emissions. Also standard are and EV mode that can go 1-2 miles at speeds under 25mph while using only the battery. Another fuel-saving technology is Toyota's Econ mode, which helps achieve better gas mileage by governing the amount of throttle that can be used at any time. Click through to read our driving impressions of the 2008 Highlander Hybrid.

Amid the news that the 2008 Ford Crown Vic has been relegated to fleet vehicle status is word that the 4.6L V8 powering the Police Interceptor will be flexible-fuel compatible, meaning that all the '08-model Crown Victoria cop cars will be able to drink from the E85 pond. This is great for municipalities located in areas where the biofuel is readily available (assuming they buy any of the new cars). In other areas, such as this writer's Northeastern habitat, it probably won't make much of a difference, as E85 Ethanol pumps are hard to come by. In terms of police vehicles, GM's police-package Tahoe with the 5.3L V8 is also E85-compatible.

[Source: Ford]

Thomas Weber, research chief for DaimlerChrysler, revealed to the German magazine Wirtschaftswoche that Mercedes-Benz plans to begin rollout of its hybrid S-Class sedans by 2008. "We're well on track and will bring a competitive concept to the market at the start of 2008," Weber said.

The hybrids were unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor show last year. The S-Class hybrid will be a "mild" version similar to the Honda Accord. Mild hybrids are primarily powered by an internal combustion engine with electric motors providing assistance. Full hybrids such as the Toyota Prius or Ford Escape alternate between their gasoline or electric motors depending on driving conditions.

The article did not state why the automaker did not use the two-mode hybrid it developed with GM and BMW or whether it will either be a "Direct Hybrid" or the Bluetech version or both.

[Source: Wirtschaftswoche via Reuters]

Related:

• Two-mode hybrids versus diesels
• Detroit Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz launches clean diesels for the U.S.
• Mercedes Benz has a pair of S-Class hybrids