2018 Jeep Wrangler May go Hybrid

2018 Jeep Wrangler May go Hybrid
Infiniti Shelves Plans for EV
2016 Nissan Altima to get Significant Refresh
2016 Audi R8 Set for Geneva Reveal
2016 Lexus RX 350 to Bow in New York
Aluminum Turbos Save Weight, Money

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Improved fuel economy is a priority for the redesigned Jeep Wrangler and a hybrid powertrain may be in the cards to make it happen.

"You have the potential for hybrid powertrains in the future," said Jeep boss Mike Manley. "For those people who use the Wrangler, the most important thing is the initial torque and the crawl ratio. With an electric motor you have the most torque available and with the right combination of transmission and gear ratios you can create incredible crawl ratios."

When the new Wrangler arrives, it is likely to use many different technologies to accomplish its goals of improving fuel economy and on-road comfort while staying true to its off-road roots. An aluminum body, eight-speed transmission and diesel engine have all been mentioned as possibilities for the upcoming Jeep icon, while Manly even proposed carbon fiber as an option for the new Wrangler.

A hybrid system isn't the perfect solution though according the Manley. "Where you have to be careful with the Wrangler is range. If you are eight hours and four miles into a trail, there is not a hybrid that we could do which could provide the battery support," he said. "The way that combination is calibrated would be more unique for a Wrangler than it would, for example, a Grand Cherokee."

When it comes to style, you can expect more of the same from the Wrangler. "And from styling point of view we have to be very careful – if we styled a Wrangler that didn't look like a Wrangler, I would have to have eight security guards," said Manley.

[Source: Auto Express]

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Infiniti Shelves Plans for EV

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Infiniti's plans to bring an electric vehicle (EV) to market have been put on hold.

When the brand revealed the LE Concept back at the 2012 New York Auto Show, it was called a "production intent" vehicle that was expected to arrive sometime in 2014, but it never showed up. "We have to be a little pragmatic," said Michael Bartsch, Infiniti's vice president for the Americas, when asked about when the LE would arrive.

It has been put on hold so that Infiniti can concentrate on other important high-volume products like the new Q60 Coupe.

Infiniti may also be holding off the LE until the new Nissan Leaf, the car on which it's based, is revealed. The current Leaf has a range of 84 miles while the next generation of the car is said to have at least double that figure. If the LE hopes to compete with the upcoming Tesla Model III, it will need the added range that is supposed to be coming with the updated Leaf.

The new Leaf is expected in 2017 or 2018 and its likely that we will also find out the fate of the Infiniti EV at that time.

[Source: USA Today]

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2016 Nissan Altima to get Significant Refresh

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Nissan has big changes in store for the 2016 Altima.

Details are still in the dark but product planners at Nissan have described the refresh as "significant." Nissan wants to make sure the Altima is ready to take on the best products in the midsize sedan segment, one of the most important in the US in terms of sales.

"Camry did something very huge," Pierre Loing, Nissan North America's VP of product planning told Automotive News. "I believe they did that probably because they thought the car was not where they wanted it to be," he said. "I'm not sure we're going to go to that extent. But we're going to do something significant for the Altima for the midcycle."

SEE ALSO: 2014 Nissan Altima Review

Styling changes and technology improvements are both in store for the Altima, some of which will almost assuredly be about boosting fuel economy. "If you look at fuel economy, we're very good. Altima is 38 miles per gallon. It's a light car. It's already up there, and of course we will reinforce this when we do the midcycle," said Loing.

The Altima currently sits behind the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in sales, with Nissan moving 335,644 Altimas last year compared to Accord's 388,374 sales and Camry's 428,606 units.

[Source: Automotive News]

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2016 Audi R8 Set for Geneva Reveal

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Audi is bringing the next generation of its R8 supercar to the upcoming 2015 Geneva Motor Show.

Alongside the gas-powered R8, Audi is also expected to unveil the production version of the R8 e-tron, an all-electric variant of the R8.

Audi's updated supercar will ride on a new platform that also underpins the Lambroghini Huracan. Aluminum and carbon fiber will be used throughout the new R8 to make sure that it cuts weight, while it is likely to be wider than the current car based on the Huracan being much wider than today's R8.

Both a V8 and V10 option are expected to remain in the R8, but rumor has it a turbocharged V6 is expected to join the ranks as the new base engine. There have also been rumors swirling about a diesel TDI performance engine joining the availability list sometime in 2017. A plug-in hybrid model is also expected to eventually be offered in the R8.

As for the e-tron model, it will be a low-production halo car for the brand that is said to offer a total driving range of at least 248 miles. E-tron models are expected to have a large price premium over the standard R8.

[Source: Car Advice]

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2016 Lexus RX 350 to Bow in New York

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Lexus plans to show off the updated 2016 RX crossover at the 2015 New York Auto Show.

Spy photos have already given us a glimpse of the 2016 RX, showing a new design and slightly larger proportions. The RX is set to grow in size to make space for the smaller Lexus NX and it may even adopt a third row of seating.

The use of aluminum is expected to help the RX lose some weight to improve fuel economy. A V6 is likely to continue to be offered alongside a hybrid setup. The new turbocharged four-cylinder engine introduced in the NX200t is also a possibility for the larger Lexus crossover.

The updated RX 350 should hit dealers sometime later in 2015.

[Source: Edmunds]

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Aluminum Turbos Save Weight, Money

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Weight is the mortal enemy of performance and efficiency. One of the most effective ways of increasing a vehicle's fuel economy and improving its driving dynamics is to cut unnecessary mass. Every component is fair game for optimization, including turbochargers.

You're probably thinking there's not a lot of weight that can be removed from one of these blowers, after all they're not that large to begin with. Challenging convention, engineers at supplier company Continental have managed to produce a turbo that's nearly 30 percent lighter.

The unit they developed features an aluminum turbine housing instead of one made from heavier iron or steel. This lightweight metal might not seem capable of withstanding the intense heat of vehicle exhaust and if the turbo were built in a conventional manner it probably wouldn't.

Continental's major innovation with this blower is that the housing is double-walled and features a generous water jacket around it. With abundant coolant in close proximity to the hottest parts of the turbo, internal temperatures are kept in check, never exceeding 350 degrees Celsius, roughly 662 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are multiple benefits to its cool operation. Since the turbo housing never gets insanely hot, further weight savings can be realized because other components mounted in close proximity to the turbocharger do not have to be as aggressively shielded from heat. Additionally the thermal load on a vehicle's catalytic converter is reduced since the exhaust gets partially cooled as it exits the turbo.

Best of all this is not a science experiment; it works in the real world. This turbo can be found under the hood of MINIs powered by the company's 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engine. Continental worked closely with BMW. For reference this powerplant delivers 134 hp and 162 lb-ft.

By using aluminum, engineers were able to shave nearly three pounds off the total weight of the turbocharger, but that's not all. This choice saved money as well. The lightweight metal is cheaper than nickel-based alloys typically used in turbo housings. Their decision to go with aluminum more than offset the additional costs incurred by implementing liquid cooling.