Chevy’s New Global Diesel Engine
Now, you know us—we’ll cover non-North American diesel engines and the vehicles that have them, always hoping there’s a chance we’ll see them here. When we heard the all-new Chevy Colorado would get two new turbodiesels, we planned to do the same, disappointed, not-for-our-market coverage as always. But then we heard the magic word: global. As in, this truck will be for the world. So, meet the 2.8L and 2.5L four-bangers. The former is worth 180 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque, while the 2.5L makes 150 hp and 258 lb-ft of twist. Chevy says the modular design was picked because it reduces production costs; the two engines use the same cylinder block and cylinder head, as well as many other components. We’ll announce the on-sale date as soon as we know it.
Racing and NASA
You’ve likely heard before about certain automotive components or materials being space-age, but is that just some kind of marketing gimmick, like, “I can’t believe it’s not butter” or Casper “the friendly” ghost? Turns out it’s legit—NASA has launched the Rockets and Racecars website to give you an opportunity to see the ties between racing and spacing. The NASA garage on the site will give you insight regarding how development of heat- resistant paint, improved brakes, and fire-resistant materials made their way into the racing community, and how NASA has partnered with racing teams. Did you know scrap material from the space shuttle’s thermal protection system blankets was used to cool the driver’s cockpit by 30 to 50 degrees? Go to nasa.gov/r2r to learn more.
RamBox Gets RamBox-ier
Chrysler is thinking outside the RamBox: A new version of the RamBox is now available for Rams with the 6-foot, 4-inch bed, meaning nearly all Ram pickups can now utilize this cargo option. The newbie is 60 inches long (50½ inches for the 5 foot, 7-inch bed), plus interior volume expands to 8.6 cubic feet (versus the smaller bed’s 7.3 cubic feet). For whatever reason, Ram wanted you to know that while the new size box is capable of holding long-handle shovels, it can also hold up to 140 beverage cans. The price has also been reduced for 2012; the RamBox will set you back $1,295.
Maserati Grand Cherokee
We know the new Maserati SUV will be based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform as well as on the Dodge Durango’s and will even have some blood ties to the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. But will the Kubang (yes, that’s the name Maserati went with) have a VM Motori diesel option in addition to a Ferrari engine? And since it’s likely to be built at the same U.S. plant as the Jeep, will the American Grand Cherokee finally get the diesel option, too?
Is an Off-Road Camera Coming to the Super Duty?
Just when you thought vehicles were almost to the point of being able to be driven by monkeys, yet another feature has been introduced to further prove the rise of the planet of the apes is nearly upon us. For the ’12 F-150 SVT Raptor, Ford has introduced a new off-road camera system that via a 4.2-inch LCD productivity screen and an 8-inch navigation display will help drivers see what is going on in front of them. It works for speeds less than 15 mph and is mounted in the grille. The navigation will show both dynamic and static overlays. Spotters? Your job has been outsourced. And since you were probably worried about this, the camera will indeed have a dedicated washer function.
Rumor of the Moment:
The uber-fuel-efficient Chevy Cruze is called Eco. Will the uber-uber-fuel-efficient diesel version be called Eco D?
Ram with 1,020,000 Miles
We found this truck on ramzone.com, an official Chrysler-endorsed Ram website. The ’04 still-called-a-Dodge-back-then 3500 belongs to George Morris of Meridian, Idaho, and it has hit 1,020,000 miles on the odometer. He tows trailers and fifth-wheelers around the United States and Canada and hinted that the secret to the truck’s longevity has been regular maintenance.
North America to Get New Fiat Van
Looks like we have a new ride coming from Ram—Fiat and its Turkish joint-venture partner TOFAS have signed a letter of intent for the Fiat Doblò van to come to the United States and Canada. Will we get its Work Up pickup, too?
Diesel Bits
GM sold 207,145 vehicles in September, up 20 percent from the previous September. Silverado sales increased by 36 percent in that time period.
A study by Allstate Insurance revealed that Washington, D.C. has the most accident-prone drivers among the 200 biggest cities in the United States.
Tire sweepstakes: Now through December 31, head to facebook.com/nittotire to partake in the Nitto Tire Fan Drive Sweepstakes, where you can “fan” yourself and design a custom vehicle that may be given away. Vehicles to design include the Silverado and Ram.
There was a 7.2 percent decrease in auto thefts in 2010. Don’t believe us? Ask the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report.