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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , Concept Cars , Podcasts , Hybrids/Alternative , Minivans/MPVs , Trucks/Pickups , Crossovers/CUVs , Acura , Chevrolet , Dodge , Ford , GM , Suzuki , Volkswagen , India The Chicago Auto Show wasn't that eventful, but that's what we lead off Autoblog Podcast episode #87 with. The Challenger was the biggest deal, followed by the Denali XT , and then a bunch of inconsequential things. We did find ourselves talking about the Suzuki Equator and the Ford Transit Connect , too. We give you our first up close and personal impressions of the Challenger SRT-8 in this podcast. We also saw the VW Routan , which certainly doesn't conjure warm, fuzzy memories of Type IIs gone by. Chevy's Traverse calls into question the usefulness of Saturn's Outlook in the product lineup. Speaking of GM badge-engineering, we got word this week that Pontiac will not be getting a Trans Am companion to the Camaro, dang. Another disappointment is the rumor that Cerberus...
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Porsche click above for high-res gallery of the Porsche Cayenne GTS Following breakfast here at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, Porsche took the cover off its new Cayenne GTS for the first time on our shores. After emphasizing how well the updated 2007 Cayenne has done in the market, the Stuttgart-based automaker talked about running the 2007 TransSyberia Rallye with what is essentially a stock Cayenne S. In the hands of rally veteran Rod Millen, the Cayenne with added safety equipment and spare parts finished first overall in its first attempt at the 4,000 mile race. Porsche NA marketing VP David Pryor proclaimed the GTS, however, as the best handling SUV in the world thanks to its 21-inch wheels, 20mm lower ride height and Porsche Active Suspension Management. Its 4.8L V8 has direct fuel injection to help it put out a stout 405 hp, and it's mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. If you're up for it, the 405-hp GTS model goes on sale now...
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford click above for more high-res live shots of the Ford Edge Sport What is in a name? Would it be too linear a thought process to expect that a vehicle with a "sport" designation would be, you know, sporty? Ford officially rolled out the Edge Sport at the Chicago Auto Show, and while the moniker might be dubious, it is at least a nicely done factory tuner. The idea behind the Edge Sport is to create a tuner package with factory-backed quality levels. Check out the live shots and you'll see that the already well-trimmed interior gets an extra level of attention, and the bodykit applied to the outside is tasteful. New paint colors are Sport-exclusive, as are smoked lenses on the lights. The biggest feature that Ford is touting are the monstrous wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber. The standard 20-inchers are enough to give the brake rotors an inferiority complex as they appear hardly larger than the wheel hubs. If you need...
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet click above for high-res gallery of the E85 Chevy HHR Apparently, the movement toward smaller cars in the US market also includes the Chevrolet HHR. According to GM, HHR sales jumped 73% last month compared to 2007 with a total of 9,650 being shipped out the door. At the Chicago Auto Show today, the automaker announced further enhancements to the retro wagon for the 2009 model year. The smaller 2.2L four cylinder will inherit the variable valve timing that's already installed on the optional 2.4L engine. To celebrate the improved sales, both engines will also be able to drink ethanol as well. The HHR will be the first American-market GM model to have a flex-fuel four cylinder engine, something that Saabs have offered for several years now. [Source: General Motors] Gallery: Chicago 2008: Chevrolet HHR flex-fuel Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , SUVs , Crossovers/CUVs , Chevrolet , GM click above for more high-res live shots of the 2009 Chevy Traverse As was previously mentioned , Autoblog is here at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, doing our best to bring you up to speed on all the latest live reveals. We made it down to the GM booth early in the morning for the official debut of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, and it was pretty much exactly as we expected: another Lambda crossover, platform mate to the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave. Looks-wise, the Chevy Traverse is not the least attractive Lambda (looking at you, Outlook), but the Acadia and Enclave have it beat. Though Chevy claims that it used styling cues from the Malibu midsize sedan in the Traverse's design, we don't think they work as well on a CUV of this size. Especially note the grille , which apes the current Chevy design language to a tee. As Alex mentioned , the headlights look a little mean in pictures, but less so...
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Chevrolet click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevy Traverse Let's cut right to the chase. Everything about the 2009 Chevy Traverse that will be unveiled later today in Chicago is stuff we pretty much already know. As the fourth Lambda-platform crossover from General Motors, the basics have been introduced already in the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave. The Traverse is a roomy seven (or eight)-passenger crossover with a well-organized cockpit, whose details differ only slightly from its platform sibs. That's been GM's M.O. thus far, so why should the Traverse be any different? Power, like the other Lambdas, comes from the 3.6L V6, which makes 281 or 286 horsepower in the Bowtie version depending on whether the vehicle is equipped with a single or dual exhaust. GM promises "best in class" fuel economy (final numbers are still TBD), but our experience with the other Lambdas has been that they average...
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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford Click on the Edge Sport for a high-res gallery Ford has been desperately short of hit products in recent years, one of the exceptions being the Edge. With that in mind, Ford is keen on capitalizing on that popularity in much the same way as they have with the Mustang: variants. Ford is adding the Edge Sport to the roster, which incorporates a package of visual enhancements that don't really do too much to improve the sport factor. It does, however, look pretty cool and it gives Dearborn the opportunity to cash in on some of the potential profit margin that presently goes straight to dealers and third-party tuners. Edge Sport gets the big-wheel look, with painted 20-inchers coming as standard equipment and polished 22" units being an extra-cost option. The obligatory body kit includes sill extensions and lower valences front and rear. The headlights and taillights also get a factory dress-up via smoked gray lenses. Inside,...
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