2012 Chevrolet Impala Ltz Htd Leather Sunroof 18's 37k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Next Chevrolet Malibu to have 'groundbreaking,' 'passionate' design

In our First Drive of the Chevrolet Malibu after its redesign in 2013 we wrote, "Chevy has quickly worked up a host of changes for its ever-important midsize sedan, and will be launching this 'there, we fixed it' 2014 Malibu like it's an all-new product." Still, no one cared. The Malibu has been mentioned in eight posts this year, all but two of them dealt with recalls, and one of those two was about a 2011 Malibu university science project. It came up in precisely zero posts from November 2013 to March 2014. That's why, according to a report in Automotive News, Chevrolet honchos are "hustling" to have a new Malibu ready in a year. Mark Reuss, General Motors' head of global product development, said it will have "groundbreaking design" and "groundbreaking technology," and asked investors who were showed a picture of it, "When is the last time you saw a [midsize] car this distinctive and this dramatic from General Motors?" Doubling down on the bullishness, Reuss said, "We've got our act together here on the midsize-car segment." Then, throwing every last chip on the pile, global design head Ed Welburn said the next Malibu's design will "make a significant statement" with "a very passionate design." Based on the number of comments Malibu posts get, we figure a fair few number of you would love for this to be the case; yet this is a lot of braggadocio to slather on a car that probably hasn't made "a significant statement" since Elton John had a number one record with Honky Chateau. That was 1972, if you're trying to remember. No matter the looks, the AN report says the new 'Bu will make a profit statement, selling for more money while costing less to produce. Alongside the Cruze, GM figures the pair will bring in an extra $800 million in variable profit in 2016. Which, in case it ends up being another 'butterface,' isn't bad for a silver lining. Featured Gallery 2014 Chevrolet Malibu: First Drive View 36 Photos News Source: Automotive New - sub. req. Design/Style Chevrolet GM Sedan

2019 Toyota Corolla vs. compact hatchbacks: How they compare

So you've read what we thought about the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Oh, you didn't? Well, click to your left, we'll still be here. Just made some coffee, we're good for a while. Welcome back! Wasn't that riveting? The blue paint sure is bright, eh? Well, now you must be wondering how that new 2019 Corolla stacks up with all the other hatchbacks. And, despite long thinking that hatchbacks were doomed, there are actually quite a lot of them these days. So many, in fact, that we couldn't fit them all in our space-limited comparison chart. So, with apologies to the Hyundai Elantra GT, Kia Forte and the dead-man-walking Ford Focus, these were the cars we chose based on sales and competitiveness: the Honda Civic Hatchback, Mazda3 5-Door, Volkswagen Golf, Chevrolet Cruze and Subaru Impreza. We also included the outgoing Corolla iM for reference. If you think we've left something of interest out, you can always create your own comparison. Performance and fuel economy There is but one king here, and its name is Civic. While the sedan and coupe come with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 158-horsepower four-cylinder that's less potent than the Corolla's, the hatchback comes standard with the 1.5-liter turbo that aces the segment in terms of both acceleration and fuel economy. The Golf's acceleration should be comparable, but as you can see, it trails on fuel economy (still not bad, though). The new Corolla ends up being better than the rest with its new 168-hp four-cylinder paired to novel transmissions: a six-speed manual with rev-matched downshifting (!) and a CVT that mimics the actions of a 10-speed automatic. The Corolla does weigh more than everything else, though, so that could hamper its acceleration. Fuel economy data also wasn't announced, but Toyota indicated it would be a bit better than the old Corolla iM. Something akin to the 2.0-liter Mazda 3's numbers seems likely. As for the Mazda, its top two trim levels actually come standard with its bigger engine. In any event, despite its ample power, testing has often showed that the Civic is still the quicker car from 0 to 60 mph. And finally, let's not leave out the two on the end. The Subaru is the only car in the segment that offers all-wheel drive (the Focus RS and Golf R don't count), but is also the segment weakling now that the Corolla iM has been discontinued.

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Impala bi-fuel sales; VW e-Up fire

Chevrolet has delivered about 200 units of its bi-fuel Impala so far. The automaker originally planned to begin sales in summer of 2014, but was delayed over a year due to quality concerns. Now, the bi-fuel Impala, which runs on both gasoline and CNG, has begun delivery, mostly to commercial and fleet customers. The car begins at $38,210 (including destination charges), and will be available at 3,200 US dealerships. Production of a 2016 model is underway. Read more at Green Car Reports. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $35 million in funding for hydrogen and fuel cell technology projects. The money will support research and development, manufacturing, and early deployment of the technologies. The DOE also wants to bring together consortia to work together on fuel cell cost, performance, and durability, as well as hydrogen storage research. "As FCEVs become increasingly commercially available, the Energy Department is focused on advancements to enable hydrogen infrastructure including production, delivery, storage, and manufacturing, as well as continuing to reduce fuel cell cost and improve durability," the DOE said in a statement. Read more from the DOE. A Volkswagen e-Up! caught fire after a collision with a train in Norway. The driver, Christopher Traasdahl Saether, was able to jump from the electric Volkswagen before the train hit, and was physically unharmed. It also appears that there were no injuries among the passengers on the train. "It was quite a way to start the day," says Saether. A photographer at the scene reported that the car burst into flames when a salvage crew attempted to remove the wreckage from the railway crossing. See the video and read more (in Norwegian) from Fredriksstad Blad. Featured Gallery 2015 Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel View 14 Photos Related Gallery 2014 Volkswagen e-Up!: Quick Spin View 20 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports, DOE, Fredrikstad BladImage Credit: Chevrolet Government/Legal Green Chevrolet Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Safety Electric Natural Gas Vehicles recharge wrapup