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100k Mazda6 sedans recalled over tire-monitoring systems

A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is, as you might have guessed, designed to monitor the air pressure in the tires, and alert the driver if pressure drops. But a problem found in the Mazda6 could keep the system from doing its job. According to the recall notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the TPMS in the Mazda6 might not recognize a loss in tire pressure if all the tires slowly deflate at the same time. Under-inflated tires, it goes without saying, could increase the risk of a crash. As a result, Mazda is recalling 99,711 examples of the 2014-2015 Mazda6 to have the system's software updated. RECALL Subject : Tire Pressure Monitoring System/FMVSS 138 Report Receipt Date: OCT 27, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V675000 Component(s): TIRES Potential Number of Units Affected: 99,711 Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations SUMMARY: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured October 25, 2012, to October 10, 2014. If the pressures of four of the tires on an affected vehicle gradually drop at the same time, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) may not warn the driver of the drop in pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System." CONSEQUENCE: A vehicle that is driven with under inflated tires may experience a sudden tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on December 10, 2014. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Mazda's slick new CX-4 crossover is sadly only for China

Mazda just unveiled the CX-4 crossover at the Beijing Motor Show, introducing the sleek new crossover exclusively for the Chinese market. The CX-4 rides on the same wheelbase as the CX-5, and is just as wide. It even packs the same powertrain options: 2.0- or 2.5-liter inline fours from Mazda's Skyactiv-G series, mated to the same six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. It measures a little longer from bow to stern than the CX-5 (albeit shorter than the CX-7), but the key part here is that it's shorter in height – shorter even than the smaller CX-3 – thanks to its sleek coupe-like roofline. The resulting impediment to interior space may make little sense from a practical standpoint, but it sure does make it look good. Consider the CX-4, then, to bear a similar relationship to the CX-5 as the BMW X4 does to the X3, or the Coupe versions of the Mercedes GLC and GLE to their conventional counterparts – albeit with styling more similar to the Infiniti QX70, particularly at the back. The question is whether the US market is ready for a more budget-oriented five-door crossover coupe in the same way that it has embraced those more upscale offerings. Mazda doesn't seem to think so; at least not for the time being. For our part, looking at the CX-4, we're not so sure. What do you think? Related Video: Mazda Unleashes New Mazda CX-4 Crossover SUV - On display now at the Beijing Motor Show, sales in China start in June - HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation has unveiled a new crossover SUV, the Mazda CX-4, at the Beijing Motor Show (Auto China 2016).*1 The latest edition to Mazda's new-generation lineup adopts SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and KODO—Soul of Motion design throughout and goes on sale in China in June. The CX-4 was made to exceed existing categories and stereotypes. The dynamic design is unmistakably KODO in form and the planted stance and sleek, coupe-like cabin combine to give the model an outstanding presence. Customers will appreciate the exceptional functionality and user-friendliness, including the ease of entering and exiting the vehicle and the flexible cargo space. With SUV-like ground clearance and Mazda's i-ACTIV AWD*2 all-wheel drive system, the CX-4 is ready to take on a wide range of road conditions and offers a combination of outstanding environmental and safety performance (Sustainable Zoom-Zoom) and a Jinba-ittai driving feel with excellent handling thanks to its low center of gravity.

Finalists for 2014 Green Car of the Year announced

The list of finalists for the 2014 Green Car of the Year has been announced, and in a genuinely bizarre twist, there's only one hybrid and no electric vehicles among the five contestants, despite the arrival of cars like the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S. Taking the place of the EVs are a pair of diesels, repping a technology that last won a Green Car of the Year award in 2009, when the Audi A3 TDI took the title. No diesel was in the running for last year's award.
Naturally, both of the diesel finalists are fielded by the Germans - with BMW's 328d and Audi's A6 TDI getting the nod. In the case of the 3 Series, BMW installed a 2.0-liter, turbodiesel, capable of delivering 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, while returning 45 miles per gallon on the highway. Audi and its larger, 3.0-liter, V6 turbodiesel produce quite a bit more grunt, with 240 hp and 428 lb-ft of grunt, but net a very impressive 38 mpg on the highway in the A6.
Finalists for this year's awards include two diesels, three gas-powered cars and a plug-in hybrid.