2012 Toyota Camry Gets More Features

New and exciting changes for the 2012 Camry!

Toyota has officially revealed its updated family sedan this week, showing off its aggressive new lines and exciting new features. Best of all, the 2012 Toyota Camry doesn’t go up in price despite major improvements.

The all-new Camry has been refined and updated to maintain its sales lead over popular midsize sedans from Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia. Toyota promises it’s more sophisticated than the outgoing model, and says it even delivers a quieter ride than before.

“The all-new 2012 Camry blends an evolution of the car’s values – such as comfort, efficiency, reliability and safety – with a more appealing design and engaging driving experience,” said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager.  “Competition in the midsize sedan segment is the strongest it’s ever been, and the all-new Camry is designed to maintain its long-standing leadership while also broadening its appeal.”

Buyers such as those who are looking for a Toyota Camry in Milwaukee will be able to choose between three powertrain options including a revised 178 horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that will help the Camry achieve 25 mpg in city driving and 35 mpg on the highway. There’s also a powerful 268 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 that features better fuel economy than the current V6 — projected EPA-estimated ratings of 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway. Lastly, the all-new Camry Hybrid boasts a revised Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain, including a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The 2012 Camry Hybrid LE, with EPA-estimated 43 mpg city/39 mpg highway/41 mpg combined, yields a more-than-30 percent boost in fuel economy in the EPA city and combined driving cycles, compared to the previous generation.

Safety is also one of the 2012 Camry’s strengths. The sedan features 10 standard airbags, along with Toyota’s Star Safety System standard, which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. Another available safety system, Safety Connect, can access a call center with a live operator who can dispatch police and emergency vehicles.

Toyota has long dominated the midsize sedan segment, so it truly needed a home run. The 2012 Camry’s bevy of improvements certainly should help it continue to lead this highly competitive segment.

Read more: http://www.toyotainthenews.com/2012-toyota-camry/

GM’s Humanoid Robot At The International Space Station

Last week, GM’s humanoid robot, Robonaut 2 (R2), was brought to life aboard the International Space Station.

R2 was jointly developed by scientists and engineers from General Motors and NASA. GM was eager to see how this robot would make GM’s plants around the world safer. R2’s hands feature extraordinary dexterity and sensitivity, making it suitable for performing a number of manufacturing-related tasks.

NASA’s use of R2 has helpful GM test it in the real-world. Both teams will share what they’ve learned from R2 to make it even more useful in the future. So far, R2 is performing well in space, and should be a helpful addition to the crew of the International Space Station.

“Everything came alive,” said Nic Radford, Robonaut deputy project manager. “We started getting video out of Robonaut’s eyes. Everything worked exactly as we expected it to. It was a very, very exciting time.”

To read more and see the video visit: http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/gms-humanoid-robot-comes-to-life-in-outer-space/#more-1929

Get Ready For The 2012 Transformers Special Edition Bumblebee Camaro Coupe!

Get ready for the 2012 Transformers Special Edition Bumblebee Camaro Coupe!

To celebrate the Camaro’s appearance in this year’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Chevrolet will release an eye-popping 2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro Coupe that features Bumblee’s aggressive black-and-yellow design scheme.

The Bumblebee bonus package is available on the 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupe with Rally Yellow paint and offers:

• Black rally stripes stretching over the hood, roof, rear decklid and model-specific high-wing rear spoiler
• 20-inch black-painted wheels with Autobot “Shield” logos and high-performance summer tires
• Black leather interior accents with yellow stitching
• Autobot “Shield” badging on the front quarter panels, with similar embroidered designs stitched in yellow into the front headrests and center console lid
• Two dealer-installed options—bigger 21-inch black-painted wheels and a black ground-effects kit
• All content from the Camaro RS appearance package, including high-intensity discharge headlamps with integrated LED halo rings and unique taillamps

Also significant: To continue building Camaro’s popularity around the world, the new Transformers Special Edition will be sold in Canada, China, Japan, Europe, South America and the Middle East. Available for ordering in the U.S. right now, the Bumblebee Camaro will reach American dealerships in September.

Read more: http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/fans-already-buzzing-about-new-camaro-bumblebee-edition/#more-1920

Toyota To Add A Hybrid Option On All Models

Awesome news for all of you that are interested in buying a Hybrid.  There will be more options than ever in the 2020s when choosing one!

Toyota is preparing to introduce a new plug-in Prius as part of its expanding Prius hybrid lineup. With more hybrids becoming available, it could be only a matter of time before every Toyota model is equipped with a hybrid powertain option.

Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system is already offered on large vehicles, like the Highlander, as well as small vehicles, like the Prius. In both applications, the system improves fuel economy. Other automakers have followed suit, offering the technology on full-size pickup trucks and subcompacts, and everything in between.

The only hindrance to the widespread application of hybrid tech is cost. It’s an expensive program if only 10 percent of consumers order a hybrid vehicle. But automakers are investing in the technology anyway, perhaps as way earn bragging rights. Also, the technology has become increasingly mainstream and is no longer a marvel that’s available on just a few models industry-wide.

As more automakers rollout hybrid models, Toyota doesn’t want rest on its laurels as the hybrid leader. That’s why more hybrids are expected to arrive sooner rather than later.

“We’ve been saying for quite a while that we’re going to hybridize the entire line, and that’s still our intention — by sometime in the 2020s,” said Toyota spokesman John Hanson. “We’ll have hybrid drivetrains either as standard or an option on all our products.”

Not only will Toyota’s lineup boast more hybrids in the near future, but the automaker’s luxury arm, Lexus, is also expected to have more electrified options soon.

Read more: http://www.toyotainthenews.com/toyota-to-add-a-hybrid-option-on-all-models/#more-1943

2013 Chevrolet Malibu Will Be Quieter Than A Mouse

The 2013 Chevy Malibu will be quieter than a mouse thanks to Chevrolet noise engineers. 

Thanks to unrelenting perfection when it came to sound, the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu should be one of the quietest sedans on the market when it arrives in showrooms in early 2012.

“To tune the sound properties to appeal to the widest possible audience, we need to make sure everyone hears the same thing,” said Kara Gordon, Malibu’s lead acoustic engineer.

Gordon and her team used pre-production Malibus with a mannequin-like recording device called an Aachen HEAD, a digital recording tool that closely matches the way humans process sound with both their ears. As the test Malibus were driven on a variety of road surfaces, sound engineers were able to listen to and evaluate the Malibu’s interior noise recordings and find the “sweet spot.”

“The typical acoustic memory of the human ear to discern subtle yet important differences is about 10 seconds – or about the time it takes to go from one vehicle to another. The Aachen HEAD, our Jury Room and high-tech headphones make it possible for us to give our Malibu customers the quietest, most pleasing interior sound quality possible,” said Gordon.

Thanks to Gordon and her team, the next-generation Malibu will be able to prevent tire, wind and road noise from creeping into the cabin. In addition to precision testing, engineers employed features like noise-reducing outside rear view mirrors, laminated side glass and noise-absorption pads throughout the cabin to help reduce noise.

Read more: http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/sound-experts-help-make-2013-chevy-malibu-cabin-ultra-quiet/#more-1890

2012 Toyota Prius v To Get 42 MPG

The 2012 Toyota Prius v is expected to get 44 mpg city/40 mpg highway/42 mpg combined which is better than Toyota expected. Previously, they thought that the Prius v would get 42 mpg city/38 mpg highway/40 mpg combined.

And that’s all the more impressive when you remember that the Prius v also offers more cargo room than crossovers like the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda Element, Nissan Rogue or Ford Escape. That’s not by accident, either.

“Over the 11 years that Prius has been on sale in the U.S, we have listened to our customers,” said Ed Larocque, national marketing manager for Advanced Technology Vehicles for Toyota U.S.A. “Many have told us that, while they love everything about their Prius, they need a vehicle with more space. That’s why we gave Prius v 58 percent more cargo space than the Liftback—to meet the needs of these active, young families. And at 34.3 cubic feet, it has more cargo space than 80 percent of the small SUVs on the road today.”

The Prius v offers plenty of other features, too, including:

• Toyota’s advanced in-car connectivity and infotainment system, Entune
• Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
• Remote lock/unlock
• Push-button start
• Advanced Parking Guidance
• A standard backup camera
• Seven airbags
• A Panoramic roof made of lightweight resin

“The Prius v holds a unique position in both the Toyota lineup as well as the industry,” added LaRocque. “It will be unmatched with a blend of size, versatility and fuel efficiency, with better mpg than all SUVs, crossovers and wagons on the market. The ‘v’ will compete in multiple segments—some that offer mpg, some with capacity—but none with the same strong mix of both.”

Read more: http://www.toyotainthenews.com/toyota-prius-v-gains-2-mpg-before-it-even-goes-on-sale/

OnStar Introduces New Service, Family Link

Pretty cool service. Check out the details below:

OnStar has launched a new optional service called Family Link, linking subscribers to their loved ones when driving an OnStar-equipped vehicle.

This new service enables users to log onto the Family Link website to view a map with their loved one’s exact location at any time (pictured above). Subscribers can set up email or text message notifications to let them know the location of their loved one’s vehicle. They can choose the day, time and frequency of the alerts.

“Our subscribers have asked us for a solution to help them stay connected to their family when they’re on the road,” said OnStar President Linda Marshall. “What parent hasn’t asked their teenaged driver to call or send a text when they arrive somewhere, only to not hear from them? Family Link’s Vehicle Locate feature lets a parent check on their child’s progress or help determine when he/she might be home safe and sound.

The OnStar Family Link service is currently in a pilot phase and is accessible by invitation only. Approximately 10,000 active U.S. OnStar subscribers will be invited to the program.

Subscriber interest and comments from the pilot program’s users will guide decisions for launch and pricing of this service. Regardless, OnStar believes the service will provide greater peace of mind for subscribers while their loved ones are on the road.

Read more: http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/onstar-connects-family-members-while-theyre-on-the-road/

2012 Corvette ZR1 Breaks Record At Nürburgring

The 2012 Corvette ZR1 Breaks Record At Nürburgring. 

After an absence of four years, the Chevrolet Corvette once again returned to Germany’s famed Nürburgring racetrack for performance testing, and once again it came home with a record. Corvette engineer Jim Mero drove a stock 2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 through the 12.9 miles and 154 turns of the ’Ring’s Nordschliefe course in a time of just 7:19.63—the fastest confirmed time ever recorded by a stock production vehicle.

But that was just a bonus for the Corvette team, which was at Nürburgring to validate some key performance upgrades on the ZR1 for 2012, including its available Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires. An important factor in helping the Corvette set its new Nürburgring benchmark, these competition-oriented tires are optimized for warm, dry conditions to provide enhanced cornering and handling capabilities. In fact, working in concert with the Corvette’s exclusive torque-management system, the net result for the 2012 model year is an 8 percent gain in maximum lateral acceleration—now increased to more than 1.1g—as well as decreased braking distances.

It’s no wonder the 2012 model year also will bring one more significant addition to the Corvette roster—a seventh trophy for winning its class at the grueling 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

Read more: http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/2012-corvette-zr1-makes-record-setting-nurburgring-debut/

The 2012 Chevy Cruze Will Get 39 MPG

The 2012 Chevy Cruze will get 39 MPG highway! Good news for anyone in the current economy.

 

Thanks to a revised axle ratio, the 2012 Cruze Eco with its standard 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine and available six-speed automatic transmission will be able to achieve up to 39 mpg highway, while the standard Cruze with the same powertrain will be able to reach 38 mpg highway.

Said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing: “Fuel economy is the top reason customers buy a compact and the Cruze’s greater efficiency for 2012 makes it all the more attractive.”

But that’s not all that’s new for the new model year. In addition to increasing the Cruze’s fuel economy, Chevy also is increasing its value by incorporating one of 2011’s most popular option packages into the car’s already long list of standard features. The new content includes:

• Bluetooth phone connectivity
• A USB port
• Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls
• Cruise control
• A leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob

And remember, this is on top of standard equipment like air conditioning, remote keyless entry, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 sound system with a three-month complimentary subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio, power windows, a fuel-saving rack-mounted electric power steering system and a segment-best 10 air bags.

“Chevrolet is committed to responding to what customers want and making it easier for them,” said Scheidt. “Adding these previously optional features streamlines the ordering process and answers the call of what our customers told us should be standard.”

The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze will go on sale later this year.

Read more: http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/chevy-boosts-cruze-fuel-economy-for-2012/#more-1865

Solar-Powered Charging Stations Coming to 24 U.S. Chevrolet Dealerships

 

Solar-Powered Charging Stations Coming to 24 U.S. Chevrolet Dealerships

Chevrolet is taking sustainability to a whole new level with the installation of solar-powered charging stations at Chevrolet dealerships. These new chargers are to be installed at two dozen U.S. dealerships to generate electricity equivalent to 12 full vehicle charges per day. Excess energy will be used to supplement the dealerships’ daily power needs.

American Chevrolet in Modesto, California, and Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc, Michigan, are the first U.S. dealerships to complete their solar charging capability. Each solar canopy generates enough electricity for up to 4,500 charges per vehicle annually.

“The question isn’t whether to install a solar canopy, it’s where and how many,” said Joe Serra, president of Serra Automotive. “It’s a win for us because the electricity generated will help reduce operating costs, and it’s a win for the environment since solar power helps reduce our carbon footprint.”

The installation of solar chargers has been dubbed the Green Zone initiative. The initiative is part of GM Ventures’ recent announcement to invest $7.5 million in Sunlogics, a solar panel manufacturing and development company that will supply the panels and install the dealer charging stations.

“The beauty of this program is that there is no capital cost required from the dealership,” said Dave Halvorson, president of American Chevrolet in Modesto. “Not only do we generate the solar energy to increase our reliance on renewable electricity, but the Green Zone is a billboard of our commitment to the environment.”

Read more: http://www.chevroletinthenews.com/chevrolet-harnesses-sun-to-power-dealerships/#more-1859