Monday, February 13, 2012
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Nissan quarterly profit rises despite floods, yen By Yuri Kageyama AP Business Writer
TOKYO — Nissan’s quarterly profit rose 3.2 percent on healthier sales that offset production damage from flooding in Thailand and a battering from the strong yen. Yokohama-based Nissan Motor Co. on Wednesday reported October-December third quarter profit of 82.7 billion yen ($1.07 billion), up from 80.1 billion yen a year earlier. The Japanese automaker allied with Renault SA of France sold 1.2 million vehicles worldwide during the quarter, an increase of 19.5 percent compared with the last three months of 2010. Quarterly sales surged 10.9 percent to 2.331 trillion yen ($30.3 billion). “Significant external headwinds such as the abnormally strong yen and floods in Thailand challenged us,” said Nissan President and Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn. “Nissan responded decisively to these challenges, boosted by the strength of our product,” he said. Nissan, which makes the March subcompact and Infiniti luxury models, kept its profit forecast for the fiscal year through March 2012 unchanged at a 290 billion yen ($3.8 billion). Nissan also makes the Leaf electric vehicle, which it said was the best-selling electric vehicle ever, having sold 22,000 Leaf cars worldwide last year. Nissan plans to start selling the Leaf in more places, including Europe this year. The automaker said the
Shizuo Kambayashi/The Associated Press
A visitor enters a Nissan Motor Co. showroom at Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district Wednesday. Nissan is seeing a 3.2 percent rise in fiscal third quarter profit on healthier sales that offset production damage from flooding in Thailand. The Japanese auto company reported Wednesday October-December profit of 82.7 billion yen ($1.07 billion), up from 80.1 billion yen the same period the previous year. dollar was trading at about 77 yen during the latest quarter, plunging dramatically from 83 yen the previous year. A strong yen erodes earnings from Japanese products sold overseas. The past year has been a
challenge for all Japanese automakers after key suppliers were shut down by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. The Thai floods, which also disrupted the supply chain,
hit late last year just as the automakers were recovering from the March disaster disruptions. Nissan’s vehicle sales for the first nine months of the fiscal year rose in all key regions, except for disaster-
struck Japan, with sales up 12 percent in North America, up nearly 21 percent in Europe and up 20 percent in China. The auto market in Japan has been relatively stagnant in recent years so Nissan is
investing in growth in other markets such as Mexico, Brazil, China, India and Indonesia. Nissan stock rose 2.4 percent to 774 yen. The quarterly results were released after the stock market closed.
Page 2 / Monday, February 13, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve
Car dealers ‘poised for a really good year’ By Alisa Priddle Detroit Free Press
LAS VEGAS — As the nation’s auto dealers gather for their annual convention, the mood is driven by growing profits, the anticipation of new vehicles and the potential of social networks to boost sales as the bad memories of 2009 fade. From 2008 through last year, the domestic automakers trimmed their dealer networks in the wake of the industry’s financial meltdown. Four General Motors brands and Ford’s Mercury brand no longer exist. But in a National Automobile Dealers Association survey last March, 57.4 percent of dealers said they expected to be
more profitable in the next year, the highest percentage expecting better results since the mid-1990s. With Friday’s report that the nation’s unemployment rate fell to a three-year low of 8.3 percent in January, the optimism is more sustainable. “The energy coming out of the Detroit auto show and heading into the dealer convention is a reflection of a stronger industry,” said Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Automobile Dealers Association. This weekend, more than 20,000 dealers, auto executives and exhibitors are attending the NADA convention that wraps up Monday. They want to leave armed with information on future products and
marketing plans, as well as tools to improve their businesses, especially online carshopping services and how to use social networks to lure buyers. Bill Golling, who has two Detroit-area dealerships selling Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat brands, is attending for the first time in 20 years. “I want to see it firsthand,” Golling said of the convention and its sprawling exhibit hall. “I want to see how we compare and what works elsewhere that might work for us.” The recession in 2008 forced a lot of dealers to embrace new online techniques that can cut marketing costs in half from the average $500 per vehicle spent on
traditional advertising, said Jeffrey Coats of Autobytel, an online auto purchase adviser that charges $20 for a lead on a customer. John Humphrey, general manager of J.D. Power and Associates’ global automotive division, said 81 percent of people start their car shopping online now. It is critical that dealers have an Internet presence and a staff trained in ways to convert those searches to sales. Golling is one of 2,336 Chrysler dealers in the U.S. today who survived Chrysler’s brutal 2009 downsizing during which the company terminated 789 dealers. Since early 2010, 43 former Chrysler dealers have regained their franchises, and 14 applications for reinstatement are
still pending, said Chrysler spokesman Mike Palese. Today, 85 percent of Chrysler’s dealers are profitable, up from 70 percent in 2009, said spokesman Ralph Kisiel. Ford has more than 3,300 dealers today, after losing hundreds when it phased out the Mercury brand and consolidated Lincoln dealers in the largest 130 metro markets. Half of those dealers have agreed to upgrade their showrooms. Ford spent about $150 million to shrink its Lincoln network from 500 dealers in mid-2010 to 325 today. Bob Tasca Jr., president of Tasca Automotive Group in Cranston, R.I., and chairman of the Lincoln dealer council, said the luxury brand has a
long way to go, but he is glad new products are finally on their way. A Lincoln dealer meeting in Detroit in January was “a lot more upbeat than a year ago.” General Motors’ retail network has shrunk from 6,375 dealers at the end of 2008 to 4,400 today as GM has terminated four of its eight brands. For the first time since the mid-1970s, more than 90 percent of GM dealers are profitable, said spokesman Tom Henderson. With a smaller network selling more cars per dealership, those dealers are healthier. “Everything should be poised for a really good year in the car business,” said Autobytel’s Coats. “The last time I said that was 2006 or 2007.”
CTS Coupe is a Cadillac for the Camaro set By Matt Degen The Orange County Register
So you’re pining for a Camaro but are over age 30? Or perhaps you like the idea of a powerful coupe but desire one with the kind of sophistication that suits your lifestyle — and happens to be made in America as opposed to Germany or Japan. Let me direct your attention to the Cadillac CTS Coupe, a wedge of a car that strikes the senses in an upper-crust kind of way, much as that aforementioned muscle car hits the more base ones. Yes, the CTS is a Cadillac, but one whose traits I liken more with the youthful Camaro than some massive, plain sedan a grandfather would drive. And that isn’t a bad thing from either a business or mechanical perspective. The CTS Coupe made its debut as a 2011 model and is available with rear- or allwheel-drive. Though it wears
the CTS name, it hardly looks like its sedan or wagon relatives. This highly sculpted coupe is the best-looking Cadillac in years. It’s a Cadillac that doesn’t remind me of a Cadillac — in other words, it looks nothing like a DTS land yacht cruising around Leisure World. The CTS Coupe also marks Cadillac’s venture into the highly competitive entrylevel luxury coupe market, which includes cars like the BMW 3-Series, MercedesBenz C-Class, Audi A5 and Infiniti G37, all admirable vehicles in their own right. Under the hood, the manufacturer-lent 2012 Cadillac CTS Coupe that I recently test-drove for a week featured a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, similar to the one that powered the last Chevy Camaro I drove. In this application from GM’s luxury division, the engine makes 318 horsepower. And like the Camaro, the CTS can also be had with a V-8 engine, just in case 300-
plus horsepower isn’t enough for you. In the case of the CTS, that optional engine adds a “V” to the car’s moniker, and makes a tire-vaporizing 556 horsepower. Base prices sta r t at $39,590. As tested, mine came in at a tidy $53,925. (Perhaps the Camaro is starting to look not so bad.) The CTS also features a relatively smooth shifting six-speed automatic transmission, an aggressive stance. With two fewer doors than its sedan counterpart, the CTS coupe has a more steeply angled windshield and elongated rear roof panels. The car is meant to evoke a muscular arrow. Even traditional, pull-out door handles are exempt. Instead, to enter the vehicle you place your fingers on a touch-sensitive pad that pops open the long doors, which felt awkward my first few days with the car. This is indeed a youthful Cadillac, if you can believe
2012 CTS COUPE PREMIUM n Type: Four-passenger,
rear- or all-wheel-drive luxury coupe n Engine: 3.6-liter V-6 n Total power: 318 horsepower, 275 pound-feet of torque n Fuel economy rating: 18 mpg city/27 highway n Base price, with destination: $39,590 n Price as equipped: $53,925 n The good: Looks, power, comfort, fit and finish n The bad: Blind spots, cramped rear seat, awkward and tight trunk
such a thing, one dripping with both luxury and style. Inside, the car features the kind of amenities you’d expect in a Caddy: wood and leather surfaces, a Bose surround-sound audio system, heated and ventilated seats, and a navigation display that
magically rises forth from the dash. My optioned-up test car was further laden with a wonderful-feeling suede steering wheel and, get this, Recaro seats, like the ones you might find in a serious sports car. On the road, the car was both powerful and comfortable. Its suspension was tight but didn’t break my back. It made a fine cruiser, its engine always willing to help this thing slice through traffic. Fuel-efficient, though, mine was not, and here’s where the CTS also shares some other traits with the Camaro, albeit negative ones. While the car is EPA-rated at an admirable 18 mpg city/27 highway, don’t get your hopes up. Over a week of driving, I only averaged a little above 19 mpg. Then there are those blind spots. Oh, those terrible blind spots. The CTS Coupe is an amazing wedge of auto-designer heaven, but
the compromise comes in the form of two swaths without rear visibility, just like with the Camaro. Thank God for the blind-spot monitoring system. Also like the pony car are the rear seats, which I just refer to as “purgatory.” There are two rear seats in the CTS Coupe, but — and this is assuming you can finagle yourself back there — they are mighty cramped. And like in the Camaro, anyone beyond about 5-foot-5 will likely be scraping their skull back there. It just isn’t pleasant. One last similarity to the Camaro: The trunk is rather small and requires an awkward reach just to get larger items in there. Still want one of these? I can’t really blame you. Like the Camaro, the CTS Coupe is a car with compromises. But it’s also a car for the impassioned, and a worthy entry by Cadillac to attract younger buyers.
Monday, February 13, 2012 / Page 3
OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat
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Page 4 / Monday, February 13, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve
Harley-Davidson’s new models Ford is losing two possible intended to spark off-season energy successors to CEO By Susan Carpenter Los Angeles Times
By Jerry Hirsch Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — Ford Motor Co. announced a series of senior management changes but gave no hint to who might succeed Alan Mulally as the automaker’s next chief executive. Lewis Booth, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of global product development, have elected to retire effective April 1. Each has served the automaker for more than 30 years and at times has been mentioned as a possible successor to Mulally. Booth, 63, will be succeeded by Bob Shanks, who is currently vice president and controller, it was announced Thursday. Kuzak, 60, will be succeeded by Raj Nair, currently vice president of engineering for global product development. Booth and Kuzak, along with Mulally, made up the management team that restructured Ford in recent years, making it the only domestic manufacturer not to file for bankruptcy protection and become a recipient of a federal bailout. “Lewis Booth and Derrick Kuzak represent the very best of Ford and our culture and built a legacy of leadership, integrity and commitment to excellence that will benefit us for years to come,” said Bill Ford, Ford’s executive chairman. “Lewis and Derrick were absolutely integral to the comeback of Ford, and they are retiring with our deepest respect and gratitude.” The company remains mum on any succession plans for when Mulally, 66, retires. He is a former Boeing Co. executive who joined the company in 2006. Bill Ford recruited Mulally after the automaker’s board of directors decided the company needed a veteran executive from a major industrial company to reor-
Booth and Kuzak, along with Mulally, made up the management team that restructured Ford in recent years, making it the only domestic manufacturer not to file for bankruptcy protection and become a recipient of a federal bailout. ganize the business so that it could weather what turned out to be the worst recession since the Great Depression. During a dinner in Detroit last month, Mulally declined to talk to the Los Angeles Times about any potential retirement plans, saying, “I consider it an honor to continue to serve Ford.” He gave no indication that he plans to retire any time soon. But because of his age, there is constant speculation as to who might succeed Mulally. Hyundai Motor America Chief Executive John Krafcik, a former Ford executive, as well as three current Ford executives — Mark Fields, president of the automaker’s Americas region; Joe Hinrichs, president of the Asia Pacific and Africa region; and Stephen Odell, Ford’s European CEO — are all considered potential candidates. Additionally, Ford said former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. has joined the company’s board of directors, effective immediately. Huntsman, 51, is a former governor of Utah and served in the Obama administration as the U.S. ambassador to China.
LOS ANGELES — Cook’s Corner, in Orange County, Calif., has long been a haven for motorcyclists. But the legendary Trabuco Canyon roadhouse was more jammed than usual Wednesday. Scores of bikers had gathered to get a glimpse of two new motorcycles unveiled by HarleyDavidson Motor Co. for the 2012 model year: a laid-back Sportster called the SeventyTwo and a Softail Slim retro bobber. Harley-Davidson typically introduces all of its new models and updates at a single event in the summer. But with the market still soft in a tough economy, the Milwaukee manufacturer has in recent years wheeled out new bikes in the off-season. This week’s event was the first time the country’s largest motorcycle maker has introduced two models this time of year. “It helps to bring a sense of excitement around the brand and to bring people into the dealerships to see the new bikes,” said Harley-Davidson media relations manager Jennifer Hoyer. The first quarter is a slow sales season for motorcycles. But the bikes introduced Wednesday are likely to maintain the sales momentum Harley demonstrated late last year. Retail sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles grew 10.9 percent globally and 11.8 percent nationally during the fourth quarter of 2011 compared with the prior-year period. Overall 2011 sales were up 5.9 percent worldwide and 5.8 percent in the U.S. That’s in contrast to much of the industry, which continues to struggle. After falling 41 percent in 2009 and 14 percent in 2010, sales of new on-road motorcycles
Don Kelsen/los Angeles Times
Harley-Davidson Motor Co. introduced two new models for 2012 at Cook’s Corner in Orange County, California. The Seventy-Two, front, is a laid-back Sportster with metal flake paint. The Softail Slim, rear, is a ‘50s retro bobber. were up just 1.8 percent in 2011 to about 312,000 units, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council in Irvine, Calif. “The name recognition and the heritage of the HarleyDavidson brand serves them well,” said Dennis Johnson, editor in chief of Dealernews magazine in Irvine. The Seventy-Two and Softail Slim represent Harley’s growth strategy as it approaches its 110th anniversary next year: attracting minorities and younger riders. The lowrider-inspired Seventy-Two, with its metal flake paint, whitewall tires and reasonable $10,499 starting price, targets the growing demographic of riders ages 18 to 34, as well as Latinos. The ‘50s-style Softail Slim, with its chopped fenders, large 103-cubic-inch V-twin and $15,499 base price, pursues what Harley calls its “younger core”: men ages 30 to 45. Baby boomers have long been Harley’s bread and butter, but the company, which accounts for 55 percent of U.S. sales of bikes larger than 650 cc, has been pursuing a
younger demographic. That strategy began in 2007 with its first midyear model introduction, the Nightster. Since then, Harley has been consistently filling out its youth-oriented roster with lower-priced and edgier-looking bikes including the FortyEight, introduced for the 2010 model year, and the Iron 883, which debuted for the 2009 model year. Harley is now seeing consistent year-overyear sales increases among Gen Y and millennial buyers, Hoyer said. “From a brand perspective, you need to foster customers young and old,” she said. “We need to make sure we’re not only producing motorcycles for the core segment, who buy the most motorcycles, but a diversity of product for everyone.” In developing its SeventyTwo, Harley looked into its rearview mirror and scavenged from its past, but it also peeked into the garages of modern-day custom shops in France, Japan and Germany, where its designers were dazzled with metal flake finishes and “raw, simplified looks,” Hoyer said.
She estimates that 40 percent of the Seventy-Twos that Harley builds at its York, Pa., plant this year will be sold in Europe, Asia, Latin America and other foreign markets. About a third of Softail Slims will be sold outside the U.S., she said. Both bikes began arriving at some U.S. dealers this week. Still, as recently as Tuesday, the owner of one of the largest Harley dealerships in the Los Angeles area had only heard rumors about one of the new bikes. “I don’t really know the details,” said Oliver Shokouh, owner of Harley-Davidson of Glendale and founder of the annual Love Ride for charity. “I’ve heard there’s a new Softail on the way. I’m hoping it’s something more barebones. A simple, inexpensive entry model with a low seat,” said Shokouh, adding that there still isn’t enough entry-level product to meet demand. What’s selling at Shokouh’s 36-year-old dealership are higher-priced touring bikes and entry-level Sportsters.
Monday, February 13, 2012 / Page 5
OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat
GM to place $200 million stamping facility at Texas plant By Bob Cox and Susan Schrock McClatchy Newspapers
ARLINGTON, Texas — It took just four months for General Motors Co. executives to decide that the best place to put a new sheet metal stamping plant was alongside one of its best assembly plants. GM’s announcement Tuesday that it will invest $200 million to build a stamping plant alongside the Arlington Truck Assembly Plant is a prime example of the new, less bureaucratic and more profitfocused company. The plant expansion, which will add 180 jobs, came about as a result of the newfound success GM has enjoyed selling its latest vehicles and the need to add manufacturing capacity. “It’s only been in the last four months that we talked about this,” said Larry Zahner, manufacturing manager from GM headquarters in Detroit. “We needed to add some capacity. We want to improve quality and we were shipping parts here from, in some cases, over 1,000 miles away,” Zahner said. “This made the logical sense. I’ve been in this industry for 39 years, and this is the fastest decision I’ve ever seen made.” Construction will begin this month on the facility, which is to begin producing parts in mid-2013. That will be about the time the Arlington plant begins producing the next generation of GM’s large sport utility vehicles, which will be 2014 models. Along with the previously announced assembly plant expansion and retooling for the 2014 vehicles, GM is investing more than $500 million in Arlington. The company has said it will add 110 assembly plant jobs to the plant’s headcount of about 2,700, so that by mid-2013 about 3,000 people will work there. An auditorium filled with hundreds of GM workers clapped and cheered when the stamping facility was announced. The SUV production line, which operates
Ron T. Ennis/FoRT WoRTh sTaR-TElEgRam
GM officials, including plant manager Paul Graham, announce a new stamping facility Jan. 31 in Fort Worth, Texas. The expansion will add jobs. nearly 20 hours a day, was shut down to allow workers to attend the announcement. It was welcome news. “It means job security. We feel a lot safer because they are investing in the Arlington plant,” said Luz Padilla-Neimann, a 13-year GM employee who has worked in Arlington for six years. Zahner, the GM executive, said one of the main reasons the company has continued to invest in Arlington is the productive and cooperative working relationship between management and the United Auto Workers union, which represents the nearly, 2,700 manufacturing employees. “I want to thank every member of Local 276 for what you do. When we — management and UAW — work together, we get things done.” The Arlington plant in the
past decade has been consistently recognized by GM and outside experts as one of the most productive in the industry and for consistently producing high-quality vehicles. In 2011, its flagship models, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade, ranked highest in their categories in the J.D. Power and Associates surveys of customer satisfaction. The stamping plant will use mammoth presses to produce body panel parts — hoods, fenders, roofs — for the SUVs. GM currently operates nine stamping plants producing parts for the 11 assembly plants it now operates. GM spends $40 million a year now to transport those parts to Arlington, Zahner said, savings that will allow the company to hold down prices and boost profits. Reducing shipping and
Construction will begin this month on the facility, which is to begin producing parts in mid2013. That will be about the time the Arlington plant begins producing the next generation of GM’s large sport utility vehicles, which will be 2014 models. handling by building parts in Arlington also improves vehicle quality, a never-ending effort in a business where
consumer satisfaction is every bit as important as price. U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican whose district includes Arlington, said he supported the auto industry bailout to protect valuable American manufacturing jobs like those at the Arlington assembly plant. “There were some tough times at this plant and for this company. I voted for the loan package. I caught hell from the Republican base for doing it, but it was the right thing to do,” Barton said. “Made in America means something. Made in Texas means something. Made in Arlington, Texas really means something.” Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said GM’s investment is more meaningful to the city’s economy than shortterm, high-profile events such
as last year’s Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. “It will mean permanent jobs. It means General Motors will support the plant for many decades to come,” said Cluck, who admitted being concerned during GM’s bankruptcy that the Arlington plant could be shuttered. “Now I’m convinced it’s here to stay.” Wes Jurey, president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, said GM’s decision to produce more of the vehicles locally will have a large impact on the local economy. “No economy is sustainable if you don’t generate wealth,” Jurey said. “Every day vehicles go out the door, that’s wealth generation. This is one more step to ensure that Arlington, Tarrant County and North Texas maintain a sustainable economy.”
Page 6 / Monday, February 13, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve
Transmission cooler can prevent hauling damage By Brad Bergholdt McClatchy-Tribune News Service
QUESTION: I purchased a 2011 Nissan Murano, V-6, constant variable transmission, which did not include a tow package. I tow a 14-foot fishing boat that with trailer and gear weighs about 700 pounds. I installed a trailer hitch and harness myself, but not a transmission cooler or heavy duty alternator. About three or four times a year, I tow the boat to the High Sierra with my camping gear inside the Nissan, and I also fish the local lakes several times a year. My question: Is it advis-
UNDER THE HooD
able or necessary to install a transmission cooler and heavy-duty alternator? —Chuck Schneider ANSWER: You’re wise to consider these upgrades, as towing in mountainous terrain can place a lot of stress on a transmission and cooling system. The Murano’s Xtronic CVT transmission differs from a conventional automatic transmission in that it uses two variable diameter pulleys and a steel belt to allow ratio changes, rather than gears. CV transmis-
sions are used in a growing number of smaller vehicles to improve powertrain efficiency and Nissan has advanced the technology, with some bumps in the road with earlier Muranos, to widespread use behind a powerful V-6 engine. Your Murano is rated to tow 3,500 pounds, and the combined weight of your boat, trailer and gear are less than one-quarter of this, so you aren’t really pushing the envelope very hard. Your CVT, like a conventional automatic transmission, still uses a torque converter, which creates the majority of the heat in a transmission.
Auxiliary transmission cooler or not? I’m torn on this. It’s a very light towing load, but surely an expensive transmission to fix, as are all of them these days. If you plan to keep the Murano beyond the 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty, I’d install a cooler. A heavy-duty alternator isn’t necessary, as the only increase in electrical consumption is perhaps 5 or 6 amps of lighting. Q: How long do starters last? My truck has 211,000 miles, and it’s still running on the original. I started thinking about this because with my new job I
need to be 100 percent reliable getting there and out in the field. —Nate Robson A: Both starters and alternators use brushes to conduct electricity between the stationary and rotating parts. These parts rub constantly against the rotating part — a segmented copper surface in a starter, and a pair of smooth continuous surfaces in an alternator — and wear out somewhere around 150,000 miles. This means your starter is on borrowed time. Brushes are inexpensive parts but require disassembly of the starter or alternator to
renew them, and there are other internal parts that should be tested or reconditioned during service. At this mileage, I’d consider renewing both the starter and alternator with remanufactured units from a local rebuilder. I prefer these units over the boxed ones from a typical chain auto parts store. If necessary, ask a local independent repair shop where they get theirs. n Brad Bergholdt is an automotive technology instructor at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif. Readers may send him email at under-thehoodearthlink.net; he cannot make personal replies.
Less flower, more power for updated Volkswagen Beetle By Matt Degen The Orange County Register
Let’s just get it out of the way: The old New Beetle — the one that resurrected VW’s fabled Bug in 1998 — was often referred to as a “chick car.” If you’re uncertain why, look no farther than the car’s built-in flower vase. That did indeed resurrect the Bug, and buyers of the female variety seemed to flock to this poppy on wheels. But its looks had gotten long in the tooth. And no amount of flowers, literal or figurative, could overcome that. A complete reboot was needed, and Volkswagen has done exactly that with the 2012 Beetle. In the process, they’ve also made it more masculine. Behold the new New Beetle. From its exterior, you can still tell that it’s a Beetle, but its round shape has become more oval and much more aggressive. This one is longer, wider and lower than the previous model. Take a good look at it and you might
Volkswagen has given the 2012 Beetle a complete reboot.
2012 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE n Base price (includ-
ing destination charge): $20,565 n Price as tested: $24,165
be reminded of its corporate cousin, the Audi TT. I sure was, and not just in aesthetics. VW says that for this third generation of “the People’s Car,” it actually looked to the original Beetle, which became a worldwide phenomenon after World War II. “The designers wanted to develop the new car around the earliest Beetle profile rather than the 1998 New Beetle,” VW says of this new car. “In short, they wanted a car that respects the past but looks toward the future.” So just how does this new Beetle’s future look? After a week of driving a Turbo Launch Edition, I was left with mostly a smile on my face — and only a slight sense of emasculation. For now, Beetles come
Volkswagen/MCT
with two engine choices, including its first turbo for the car in years. A base Beetle uses VW’s 2.5-liter fivecylinder engine that makes 170 horsepower. The sporty, Turbo version like the kind I drove uses a smaller, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, yet it generates more power: 200 ponies to be exact. Transmission choices are VW’s excellent six-speed, dual-clutch automatic, or
five- and six-speed manual transmissions. Later this year, VW says, a diesel version of the car will be available that uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and is expected to get up to 40 mpg on the highway. The turbo engine in my test model offered power as well as good, if not great, fuel economy. The car felt spunky and shifted flawlessly up and down the gears.
The EPA rates this model at 22 mpg city/30 highway. In mixed driving over a week, I averaged 24.1 mpg, according to the car’s computer. What I really liked about the Beetle besides its gusto was the solid way it felt on the road. While it’s a compact car, it didn’t quiver or shake at speed. In this regard it felt more like an Audi TT, though in this case with power going to the front
wheels instead of all four. I also liked the way this car felt. The flat-bottomed steering wheel, for example, offers a good grip and felt great in my hands. Glaringly absent on my base model of this car, however, were steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. Accommodations up front are good, but adult passengers in back will likely suffer. The Beetle features just two seats in back, and they are small and cramped. Cargo space, at least, has improved over the past model, growing from 12 cubic feet in the trunk to 15.4. Fold the seats down, and you nearly double that amount. Before the Beetle arrived, I feared that as a guy I might be embarrassed to drive it. It didn’t take long, though, for glee to trump any misgivings. This hopped-up Beetle, I kept telling the curious, reminded me more of a sporty Audi TT than some flower on wheels. And it turned out to be a car that even this man could admire.
Monday, February 13, 2012 / Page 7
OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat
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Page 8 / Monday, February 13, 2012
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Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve
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‘00 MAZDA MX-5 Miata LS
‘03 TOYOTA Corolla LE
‘05 MAZDA MPV LX Van
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