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Hummer

Ford to Unleash New Police Interceptor

There is no question that the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor occupies a unique niche in the automotive market. Although the vehicle’s platform, which dates back almost 30 years, has been deemed too archaic to remain a part of Ford’s consumer lineup, it still represents a strong income stream in the form of fleet sales – particularly to police departments. It turns out that the Ford Crown Victoria’s ancient body-on-frame design gives law enforcement the reliability and ease of repair they need from a vehicle that sees significant miles and abuse over the course of its service life.

All good things must come to an end, however, and every indication was given that when the Ford Crown Victoria rode off into the sunset in the near future, the company would no longer be in the position to accommodate police fleets. It was only after the announcement that General Motors, sensing an opportunity to leap back into a more significant law enforcement role, would release a fleet-only edition of its overseas market Chevrolet Caprice that decision-makers at Ford admitted that it too would produce a specialty police vehicle to replace its venerable warrior.

Slated for sale in 2011, details on the new Ford Police Interceptor are still vague, but it will follow a rear-wheel drive, V8 design along with many optional police upgrades including bullet-resistant door panels, heavy duty accessories and a fire suppression system. The company plans on the new Ford Police Interceptor helping it to maintain the nearly 75 percent market share it currently enjoys in terms of sales to police departments.

Jeep, Mitsubishi Issue Recalls

It seems that hardly a week has gone by this fall season without yet another sweeping recall being ordered by a beleaguered car company responding to a serious safety issue. Perhaps the only solace that automobile owners can take is that the blame has been spread around to so many different brands, making it hard for anyone to escape a dealership visit.

The latest vehicles to be affected by the recall bonanza include those manufactured by Jeep and Mitsubishi. Specifically, 161,000 Jeep Wranglers fitted with automatic transmissions are missing a system designed to monitor the temperature of transmission fluid, which could theoretically become hot enough to boil and eventually start a fire. Jeep’s solution is to have those vehicles fitted with a warning chime and gauge that indicates overheated fluid, giving Wrangler owners the chance to park and wait things out. The recall is targeted at vehicles built in the 2007-2008 model years.

Mitsubishi’s recall is slightly less dramatic, but could have equally hazardous effects on the health of drivers. 29,353 Mitsubishi Lancer and Lancer Evolutions built in 2008 and 2009 may have issues related to the corrosion of their front-impact sensors. The problem is restricted to vehicles which have been sold or are registered in the so-called “rust belt,” that unfortunate grouping of states which deal with serious winter conditions involving the use of road salt. The sensors are sensitive to becoming coated with salt and water and then corroding to the point where they are no longer capable of properly deploying airbags in time. Mitsubishi is installing upgraded impact sensors on all affected vehicles.

General Motors to Start Paying Back Government Loans

In an announcement sure to warm the hearts of taxpayers, General Motors softened the blow related to news that the company had lost $1.15 billion in the third quarter of 2009 by simultaneously stating that it will start the repayment process associated with the government bailout it received earlier in the year. Total federal investment in GM has reach $50 billion, with the loans themselves representing $6.7 billion of that total.

While the company’s reported losses might seem staggering, they are composed largely of payments related to restructuring costs and the cost Delphi’s bankruptcy. The bright side of the equation is an almost $5 billion revenue increase compared to the second quarter of 2009, along with a surge in global sales numbers. GM’s decision to begin making loan payments now is well ahead of the scheduled due date in 2015.

Nissan Doubles Warranty Coverage on Expensive-to-Repair CVTs

Continuously-variable automatic transmissions (CVTs) are an order of magnitude more expensive to repair than their traditional automatic cousins. This is due to the fact that the mechanical innards of these devices must replicate a theoretically infinite number of gear ratios, versus the simple four to seven found in most other autos.

Nissan is a brand which has been pushing the use of CVTs quite hard across almost its entire product lineup, and as a result it has recently made a fairly bold move to extend the warranties on all of its CVTs from five years / 60,000 miles to ten years / 120,000 miles. Not only that, but the company will actually reimburse any current Nissan owner for their documented repair expenses related to any CVT work performed out of warranty and prior to the extension. This act of good will should not only generate positive vibes for Nissan amongst its existing customer base, but it will most likely also encourage more than a few potential buyers to take a chance on a continuously-variable transmission in a future Nissan purchase.

HUMMER to Launch H4, H5 Models

Hummer’s sales are currently experiencing the full extent of the anti-SUV backlash, with 64 percent fewer vehicles sold thus far in 2009 compared to 2008. That hasn’t discouraged the off-road brand’s new ownership group, Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Ltd. from forging ahead with plans to flesh out the current Hummer lineup with some fresh blood. The company hopes to more than triple sales in 2010 with the addition of a more compact, two-door H4 model intended to appeal to lone wolf outdoor adventure types currently served by the Jeep Wrangler, and another smaller model dubbed the H5, which would be positioned as the company’s fuel saver.

Most of us would like to think that America's taste in cars has moved past the gas-guzzling monster trucks and SUVs of yore. While it is true that the country's collective self-conscience has shifted to greener pastures, the truth is that there are still plenty of deplorably inefficient vehicles on the road. In fact, the vehicles with the worst fuel efficiency for 2010 barely hit double digits.

Technically, the least fuel-efficient vehicles for 2010 are made by the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini (the Lambo Murcielago takes the cake with 8 mpg city and 13 mpg highway). However, for this list Autotropolis has decided to stick to large-scale production vehicles. With that in mind, here are the 2010 vehicles with the worst gas mileage:

2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee (SRT8)
(14 mpg combined)

Outfit your 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee with all-wheel drive and the SRT8 performance package, and you'll cruise along at 12 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway. As with most vehicles on this list, the 2010 Grand Cherokee SRT8 compromises fuel efficiency for power and performance. This decadent SUV teems with a 6.1-liter Hemi V8 engine that outputs 420 horsepower and 420 lb-ft. of torque.

Despite the Jeep's large size, the vehicle screams from 0-to-60 mph in less than five seconds. Base price for the 2010 SRT8 Grand Cherokee is $43,325.

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2010 Nissan Titan
(14 mpg combined)

Trucks are notorious for their poor fuel performance. The worst offender this year is the 2010 Nissan Titan. Outfitted with all-drive, the Titan guzzles 12 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway. Fill 'er up with E85 flex fuel, and the EPA estimates 9 mpg in the city and 12 mpg on the highway (10 mpg combined). All that gas goes towards powering a 5.6-liter V8 that musters 317 horsepower and 385 lb-ft. of torque. Unless you need the superior hauling and towing power of the 2010 Titan, steer clear of this completely un-green machine.

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2010 HUMMER H3
(14 mpg combined)

The most infamously inefficient vehicle brand once again graces the list of least fuel-efficient vehicles. HUMMER's 2010 H3 and H3T earn as little as 13 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway. Flex-fuel E85 brings those numbers down to 9 mpg city and 12 mpg highway. To achieve those paltry numbers, you'll need to upgrade to the 5.3-liter V-8 engine, which offers 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft. of torque. While the 2010 HUMMER H3 excels in off-road situations, the price of gasoline these days is enough to make even the biggest off-roader think twice about sitting behind the driver's seat of one of these behemoths.

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Mercedes-Benz CL-Class (CL63)
(14 mpg combined)

The Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG is a car built around the idea of excess. When it comes to superior luxury and performance, this is a good thing. However, all that excess fuel consumption means 11 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. Of course, this may be unimportant to you if you're looking for a 6.3-liter V-8 that tops out at 518 horsepower and 465 lb-ft. of torque. And, if you're willing to drop a cool $145,200 to own the 2010 CL63 AMG, then you probably won't care too much about your monthly expenditures on gasoline.

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2010 GMC Savana/Chevrolet Express
(14 mpg combined)

If you're in the market for a cargo van, then storage capacity or passenger space is likely the most important factor in your buying decision. To acquire all that extra space, you'll have to sacrifice fuel economy. The 2010 GMC Savana and 2010 Chevrolet Express are GM clones that offer as little as 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway (when equipped with a 5.3-liter V-8). With E85, those figures drop to 10 mpg city and 13 mpg highway. Of course, competitors like the Ford Econoline Series don't do much better. As such, if you need a full-size van, you're just going to have to get used to the idea of betraying Mother Nature.

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2010 Porsche Cayenne
(13 mpg combined)

Porsche has always been known for one thing – performance. And when you pile that legendary performance into a big, opulent SUV, the result is a vehicle that offers as few as 11 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway (GTS models with a manual transmission). The 2010 Porsche Cayenne GTS comes equipped with a 4.8-liter 385-hp V-8 engine. Add in a price tag of more than $70,000, and it's clear that the Cayenne GTS is reserved solely for those who want sports car performance in an SUV package.

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2010 Mercedes-Benz M-Class (ML63)
(12 mpg combined)

Mercedes-Benz has two vehicles that tie for the worst fuel efficiency for 2010. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG is a performance-tuned luxury SUV that competes directly with the Porsche Cayenne. Fuel efficiency is estimated at 11 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway. The 6.3-liter V-8 engine boasts 503-horsepower and 465 lb-ft. of torque. Base price comes in at about $90,000.

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2010 Mercedes-Benz G-Class (G55)
(12 mpg combined)

The Mercedes-Benz G55 SUV off-road performer performs just as poorly as the ML63 when it comes to fuel efficiency. A 5.5-liter V-8 engine hums along at 500 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. All-wheel drive and a 0-to-60 mph time of 5.4 seconds only serve to further deplete the vehicle's fuel efficiency. If you want a high-end luxury vehicle that you can take off the beaten path, then perhaps the 2010 Mercedes-Benz G55 is for you. Otherwise, keep your eyes on the road with a more fuel-efficient option.