The Chevrolet Suburban is the first vehicle in the industry to achieve 75 years in production and to celebrate the milestone, Chevrolet unveiled the new 2010 Chevrolet 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show today.
The special-edition Suburban is painted in White Diamond Tricoat along with other modifications that include a Cashmere interior, 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, special badging on the C-pillar sail panel and steering wheel center cap and “Diamond Edition” lettering used on the sill plates and front seats.
Power for the base Chevrolet Suburban comes with a Vortec 5.3L FlexFuel engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, allowing for a maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds. The Suburban 2500 models run on a 6.0L V8 6-speed powertrain with maximum towing rating of 9,600 pounds.
Sales of the 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban begin early this summer. Production will be limited to 2,570 units.
Press release and spec sheet posted after the jump.
2010 Chevrolet 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban:
Press Release:
Chevrolet Commemorates 75 Years Of The Suburban With New Diamond Edition
CHICAGO – Chevrolet announced the new 2010 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban to commemorate the pioneering SUV’s production milestone. It is the first vehicle in the industry to achieve 75 years in production.
“At Chevrolet we’re gratified with the customer acceptance of the Suburban, providing the room and utility they want for 75 years running,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “We look forward to many more years of being the vehicle of choice for families and consumers who desire maximum utility.”
The 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban goes on sale early this summer and is limited to 2,570 units (including 350 for Canada and other export markets). It is distinguished by a White Diamond Tricoat exterior color and Cashmere interior, along with unique 20-inch chrome-clad wheels and new roof rack rails. Special badging adorns the C-pillar sail panel and steering wheel center cap, while “Diamond Edition” lettering is used on the sill plates and is embroidered on the front headrests.
The anniversary models are equipped with LTZ content and are offered in 1500 2WD or 4WD configurations. The LTZ content includes a comprehensive package of safety-minded technology, including an integrated navigation radio and a one-year subscription of XM Satellite Radio with NavTraffic, Bluetooth phone connectivity, a rearview camera system, rear parking assist, remote starting and adjustable pedals.
Leather-covered seating is standard, with heated seating for the first two rows. Heated and cooled seats are standard on the first-row seats. Optional equipment includes a DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system, articulating running boards, a sunroof and Side Blind Zone Alert. Mobile WiFi can also be added at the dealership.
75 years of capability
The content of the 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban is unique, but it’s built on a foundation of strength and capability that has propelled the brand for more than seven decades. Inside, the Suburban seats up to nine, while offering 45.8 cubic feet (1,297 L) of cargo space behind the third row. With the second-row seats folded and third-row seats removed, interior cargo space increases to 137.4 cubic feet (3,891 L).
A Vortec 5.3L FlexFuel engine and fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission are standard in Suburban half-ton models, enabling a maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds (2,674 kg). Suburban 2500 models offer a 6.0L/six-speed powertrain combination and a maximum towing rating of 9,600 pounds (4,354 kg).
“Its capacity to haul passengers, their cargo and trailers all at once is what has made Suburban an institution among families, small businesses and large fleets,” said Campbell. “Time and again they return to the vehicle that meets all their needs – and for the past 75 years, it’s been Suburban.”
2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN SPECIFICATIONS
Overview
Models:
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 & 2500 LS, LT and LTZ
Body style / driveline:
4-door sport utility vehicle, front-engine, 2- or 4-wheel drive, half-ton models
Construction:
body on frame
EPA vehicle class:
full-size sport utility vehicle
Manufacturing locations:
Arlington, Texas
Key competitors:
Ford Expedition
Engines
Vortec 5.3L V-8 FlexFuel (LMG)
Vortec 5.3L V-8 FlexFuel (LC9)
Vortec 6.0L V-8 (L96)
Type:
5.3L V-8
5.3L V-8
6.0L V-8
Displacement (cu in / cc):
325 / 5328
325 / 5328
364 / 5967
Bore & stroke (in / mm):
3.78 x 3.62 / 96 x 92
3.78 x 3.62 / 96 x 92
4.00 x 3.62 / 101.6 x 92
Block material:
cast iron
cast aluminum
cast aluminum
Cylinder head material:
cast aluminum
cast aluminum
cast aluminum
Valvetrain:
overhead valve, two valves per cylinder, variable valve timing; Active Fuel Management
overhead valve, two valves per cylinder, variable valve timing; Active Fuel Management
overhead valve, two valves per cylinder, variable valve timing; Active Fuel Management
Joe Stiglitz and Hugh Hendry duked it out last night on BBC’s Newsnight.
Stiglitz says that betting on a default is absurd. Hendry is betting on exactly that happening in Greece.
From Hendry’s opening line you can tell this is going to be a good fight:
“Um hello? Can I tell you about the real world?”
Then the BBC anchor asks (at 7:28): “So you want to see Greece tumble and the Euro currency tumble?”
Hendry: “Absolutely.”
He goes on to say that it’s recognizing the unsustainable debt and then Stiglitz cuts him off:
“That’s absurd.”
Watch the video after the jump. Here’s a bit more transcribed:
BBC anchor (around 5:00): “But isn’t the truth, Hugh Hendry, that if Greece defaults, that you, that hedge funds like you, make millions?”
“…Some hedge funds make millions. Yeah, the hedge funds who – hedge funds, speculators, and independent central banks are what stands between an economy and hyper-inflation.
“It’s very hard to create inflation when you have free markets. When you have the discourse and dissemination of information.
“Look what happens – you get into difficulty and these guys over here [pointing at Stiglitz and Spanish Ambassador to the UK, Carles Casajuana] say, “hey we don’t like it.”
“Suddenly the truth hurts! Suddenly we want to abandon the truth. Suddenly speculation becomes a pejorative term!”
Casajuana: “No no no, we don’t want to abandon the truth. We admit we have a problem…”
Kia Ray PHEV concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
The time has come to move on from teaser images; Kia has finally pulled the covers off its new plug-in hybrid concept. As this is being written ahead of the official unveiling at the Chicago Auto Show, we know a few more details about the concept, but we are still largely in the dark about the technical nitty gritty. The Ray rides on the same 106.3 inch wheelbase as the Hyundai Blue-Will PHEV concept but the overall length is four inches greater.
The Kia design team under Peter Schreyer has put a lot of emphasis on the aerodynamics of this concept, giving it a longer tail and, thanks to a roof that’s four inches lower, a smaller frontal area than the earlier Hyundai concept. The aero number will also benefit from narrower tires, with the Kia rolling on 195/50R20 tires compared to the 245/40R20 rubber on the Hyundai.
The debut of the Ray also marks the launch of Kia’s new green sub-brand, EcoDynamics. Like Volkswagen’s BlueMotion and Ford’s Econetic, EcoDynamics will denote the most efficient variants of Kia’s model line. We can expect to see the new badge showing up on Kia’s in the near future.
In January, U.S. stocks began to see their first major mutual fund in-flows since July of last year. It took many months, but after a strong 2009 equity rally, investors began to rediscover faith in U.S. stocks.
Well, there goes that trend. All it took was a few bad trading days for the stock market to crush this tiny bud of renewed investor optimism.
Based on fund flow data released today by the Investment Company Institute, over $2.2 billion fled U.S. domestic equity mutual funds during the seven-day period ending February 3rd. The average investor’s confidence in stock markets remains paper thin:
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The clear message to Europe coming out of Greece today was that the Greeks cannot and will not solve their debt crisis on their own.
Greek and EU officials have been attempting to convince bond investors that Greece can resolve its fiscal crisis. But the strike that shut down much of the public services in Greece today demonstrates that this just is not true. The political process in Greece is broken beyond repair.
The pledge by Greece to bring the deficit back within the EU limit of 3 percent in 2012 in the midst of a recession is not worth the paper it would be written on if it was written down. It would not only be economic suicide for Greece to meet this promise, it would be political suicide for any politician who tried.
Even if there were a solution within Greece, it’s hard to see why the Greeks would choose to take that path when they can pass on the costs to their fellow EU members. The possibility of a bailout will be too enticing to Greeks, and they’ll be willing to play chicken with the Germans when it comes to whether they’ll default on their debts.
You see, the Greeks know that they can make or break the Euro. The unified European currency is premised on the idea that it is more stable than the older national currencies, not subject to the periodic devaluations that plagued Europe in the last century. A Greek sovereign debt default followed by a Greek withdrawal from the Euro will shatter that premise, revealing the Euro to be no better a guarantee of stability than its predecessors.
There is no way the Germans or the French will allow the Euro to be vaporized by the Greek debt crisis. The cost to them of not bailing out Greece would be more than the bailout.
In short, Greece has Europe over a barrel. They can’t solve their own debt crisis, they don’t want to solve their debt crisis, and they know they Europeans will have to bail them out.
Ford Transit Connect Electric – Click above for high-res image gallery
As expected, Ford brought the latest (and greatest?) incarnations of the Transit Connect utility van to the Chicago Auto Show today. The battery-powered Transit Connect Electric was up first, perhaps because it fits so well into Ford’s strategy of vehicle electrification (see also: Focus Electric coming next year, followed by a plug-in hybrid and a next-gen hybrid in 2012). At the very least, this is Ford’s first battery-powered vehicle, said product development vice president Derrick Kuzak.
The practical and battery-powered delivery van (the standard version was named the North American Truck of the Year this year) uses a powertrain developed with help from Azure Dynamics Corporation. Called Force Drive, the 55 kW system uses a 28 kWh lithium ion battery pack from Johnson Controls-Saft, has a 75 mile per hour top speed and can drive up to 80 miles on a charge. Will these specs be enough for customers? Praveen Cherian, program manager for the Transit Connect Electric, said in a statement that:
We’re excited about the potential for our electrified vehicles. People were a little hesitant about hybrid technology at first, but now they accept it and embrace it. We expect the same will be true of electric vehicles.
The Transit Connect Electric goes on sale in the U.S. later this year, so we’ll find out soon. More details after the jump.
Many of you probably thought Nissan was just joking when they said they will unveil a crossover that will look exactly like the Qazana concept that it showed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Well, Nissan wasn’t kidding and exactly an year later, the company will hold the world debut of the production version of the Qazana at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.
Known as the Juke, Nissan says that the model is closer to a conventional hatchback than a typical SUV. The 2011 Nissan Juke will go on sale worldwide later this fall as alternative to the traditional C-segment hatchback, says Nissan. The design of the Nissan Juke was apparently inspired by rally cars and motorbikes fused into an “part SUV, part sports car” feel. The model is based on Renault Nissan Alliance B-Platform and has a 92.5 inch wheelbase and is 61-inches tall.
In Europe, the 2011 Nissan Juke will be available in three different engine choices including one diesel and two gasoline. Sitting at the top of the range will be a 1.6L turbocharged 4-clyinder gasoline unit that makes 187-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. A naturally aspirated 1.6L making 113-hp will be available as well. The diesel engine option will be a 1.5L dCi common rail making 110-hp.
The 2WD 1.6L turbocharged model will be available with a 6-speed manual transmission, while the all-wheel-drive model will get a CVT with 6-speed manual model. The naturally aspirated 1.6L unit will be mated to either a 5-speed manual or the updated XTRONIC CVT – the diesel will only get a 6-speed manual.
The 2011 Nissan Juke will make its stateside debut at the 2010 New York Auto Show – stay tuned for U.S.-spec details.
Click through for the press release and the high-res image gallery.
2011 Nissan Juke:
Press Release:
NISSAN Juke CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
Nissan’s position as the pioneer of Crossovers is further strengthened by the arrival of Juke. Part SUV, part sports car, Juke breathes new life into the traditionally conservative B-segment of the market, providing buyers with a funky alternative to the conventional urban hatchback.
Quote:
“Juke brings a sense of adventure to the car market. It’s light, nimble, urban, reactive: qualities designed to grab a younger audience. It offers something entirely different to the traditional B-segment vehicles and cements Nissan as a car maker prepared to do something different.” Andy Palmer, Senior Vice President, Product Planning, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd
At a glance
* Compact SUV meets sports car to challenge small car traditions
* Developed from Qazana concept car
* Tough on the streets yet agile and athletic
* Powerful new turbocharged direct injection petrol engine
* New torque vectoring all-wheel drive system
* Technologically advanced information system
* Conceived in Europe for a global audience
* Built in Britain at Nissan’s Sunderland plant
Overview
Nissan is set to change the urban landscape… for the third time. Following in the wheeltracks of the Murano large crossover and then the successful Qashqai – the car that three years ago introduced the concept of a crossover as an alternative to the traditional C-segment hatchback – comes its younger brother, the Nissan Juke.
Designed to bring a breath of fresh air to the B-segment, Juke is a distinctive combination of SUV toughness and sporting style. Conceived to inject some masculinity and dynamism into the small car market, Juke combines a number of seeming contradictions beneath its highly individual lines.
“It takes the best elements of an SUV and sports car and combines them,” says Pierre Loing, Vice President, Product Planning, Nissan Europe. “It’s roomy yet compact, robust yet dynamic and practical yet playful. These are qualities that seem to contradict each other, yet come together in Juke to create something that’s genuinely unique.”
Juke was created at Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in the heart of London, and refined at Nissan’s Design Centre (NDC) in Japan. Principle engineering took place in Japan with significant European input and Juke will be built in Nissan’s factory in Sunderland in the north-east of England.
“The design shows real optimism. By combining design elements from two genres to create a small, but striking Crossover that displays a genuine confidence and style. And those are qualities we also expect to find in a Juke customer,” said Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President for Design and Chief Creative Officer
From a design standpoint, the lower portion of Juke is pure SUV, with chunky wheels, wide tyres, extended ground clearance and a robust stance. But the top portion is unadulterated sports car, with a high waistline, slim visor-like side glass graphics and a coupé-style falling roofline. The coupé effect is further underlined by the rear doors which have their handles hidden in the frame of the door.
Inside, the sports car theme continues with a driver-focused cabin dominated by a centre console design inspired by a motorcycle fuel tank. Finished in a distinctive high gloss colour, the ‘bike’ console adds a sense of fun to the car. Practicality is assured by the rear-opening hatch and versatile luggage area with hidden storage opportunities.
Based on the Renault Nissan Alliance B platform, Juke has a 2530mm wheelbase. On front-wheel drive versions, suspension is by MacPherson struts at the front with a torsion beam at the rear while four-wheel drive models have a multi-link rear suspension modelled on the system found on Qashqai.
The ALL-MODE 4×4-i is a new development of Nissan’s respected electronic all-wheel drive system and now features torque vectoring technology to enhance agility and reduce understeer when cornering.
In Europe, three different engines will be available when sales start later in the year (UK sales begin in October): one diesel and two 1.6-litre petrol units, all fully Euro 5 compliant. At the top of the range is a new turbo-charged petrol engine (MR16DDT) with direct injection. The engine is one of the most powerful in its class, developing 140kW (190PS) and 240 Nm. The combination of direct injection with a turbocharger provides the power and responses expected from a 2.5-litre engine with the economy of a smaller engine.
The second petrol engine is a newly developed version from Nissan’s trusted HR-family. Designated HR16DE, the lightweight, low-friction 16-valve unit now has a unique dual injection system allowing finer metering of the fuel sprays for better combustion and develops 86kW (117PS). The K9K 81kW (110PS) 1.5-litre dCi common rail diesel offers excellent driveability – thanks as much to its heady 240 Nm of torque – with good economy and emissions.
In terms of transmissions, the two-wheel drive turbo-charged 1.6-litre petrol engine is available with a six speed manual, while a CVT transmission with a six-speed manual mode will be available on the range-topping all-wheel drive version of the turbo-charged petrol engine.
The naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol is available either with a 5-speed manual or the updated XTRONIC CVT and the 1.5-litre diesel engine is available with a 6-speed manual.
Trim and equipment options will follow the established Visia, Acenta and Tekna lines while a full range of accessories has been developed for owners who want to personalise their Juke still further.
“Juke is not a traditional B-segment car, and that is quite deliberate. It was born in an urban environment and that is where it will spend most of its life. Fittingly, its combination of agility and toughness make it one of the most streetwise cars around.
“Juke joins Murano and Qashqai to cement Nissan’s position as the leading brand in the crossover market,” said Simon Thomas, Nissan’s European Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing.
Juke in detail
Exterior design
First revealed as the Qazana show car – unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show – Juke was created at the London-based Nissan Design Europe and refined at Nissan’s Design Centre (NDC) in Japan. Qashqai, also created at NDE, is sold in Europe, Asia and Australia while Juke will be marketed in Europe, Japan and the United States.
“The outcome of this global collaboration is a car that comes from where East meets West, with vital contributions from NDE and NDC being key to creating such a striking design,” said Shiro Nakamura.
Its highly individual lines are carried over virtually intact from Qazana. The boldness of the design reflects the significance of the B-segment in the European market: Europe is expected to take the lion’s share of sales ahead of the other main markets, including North America and Japan.
The design team drew inspiration for Juke’s design from a number of unusual sources. They looked back at a number of vehicles synonymous with an active and sporting life – and that list included rally cars and motorbikes. It’s clear to see where those ideas have influenced the design.
The result combines a number of different themes, but with Nissan DNA threaded through. It has a tough solid body to reflect the SUV element, yet is a very sensual car, too, with complex curves and a coupé profile accentuated by the narrow side glass and hidden rear door handles which help give the impression of two rather than four doors.
But there is also clear Nissan family DNA in the design – the boomerang rear lights, for example, from the 370Z – but none of the elements are slavishly copied so while retaining Nissan DNA, Juke stands alone as a unique, almost maverick, design.
This is a key theme running through Nissan designs. Alfonso Albaisa, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe, says: “Juke has elements inspired from other cars in our range such as 370Z and even Cube, but our intention is never to make obvious links between our cars but natural ones. Cube is a cool car, for example, and that coolness can also be found in Juke.”
With generous ground clearance, big wheels and tyres, a high waistline and a broad shoulder line, the bottom ‘half’ of the car appears to be pure SUV. The impression is accentuated by typical SUV features such as the contrasting black sill and wheel arch finishers while at the front and rear, the lower bodywork emerges from underneath the car, resembling underbody protection.
At the front, the ’sump guard’ forms part of the air intake assembly but rather than use a simple meshed grille, the design team have developed the moulding into a series of circular slots… which are suggestive of biotic elements.
Above the waistline, however, Juke shows its sporting credentials. A heavily raked windscreen, complete with Nissan’s signature Crossover upswept flick to the rearmost side window – and sloped roof-line provide a profile reminiscent of an aircraft’s canopy.
The rear of the roof incorporates an integral spoiler to reduce aerodynamic lift to help high speed stability. The neat duck-tail ridge was perfected with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and tests in the wind tunnel.
The lights also reflect the car’s sporting agility. At the front these are split into two distinct elements. Framing the upper half of the bonnet, thin slashes contain running lights and turn indicators, while the main and dipped beams mounted lower on the nose of the car were inspired by the auxiliary lamps fitted to rally cars in the sixties and seventies. At the rear, the tail-lights put their own spin on the boomerang shaped lamps found on the 370Z.
In total, a nine colour palette of exterior colours is planned, including two whites, a solid and a pearl, and three shades unique to Juke – Force Red, Haptic Blue and Machine Brown, though the total availability will depend on region.
Seiji Watanabe, Associate Product Chief Designer: “We want our cars, our crossovers in particular, to have a spirit of agility, to be seen as light, nimble, reactive. Juke displays all these attributes and delivers a real sense of optimism.”
Interior design
Juke’s active, sporting exterior is matched by its interior… where the dominant feature also displays a sense of fun: the centre console, finished in a high gloss paint, resembles a motorcycle fuel tank.
“It’s unexpected,” says Alfonso Albaisa. “And that gives the interior a certain sexiness.”
Reflecting the exterior’s blending of SUV and sports car attributes, the interior provides the commanding driving position but with all the attributes expected of a sports car. The gear shift sits on the top of the ‘motorbiketank’ to guarantee slick changes while the tank itself is no mere styling statement but also provides a bracing point for the driver’s knee during spirited cornering.
Similarly, the central stack – which incorporates the new Nissan Dynamic Control System – is ergonomically designed to ensure the driver has instant access to the information and drive mode controls.
Attention to detail is evident everywhere. Chrome fittings and high quality materials are used throughout while the interior colours – red or gun metal grey for the central console are available, depending on the grade; black, silver or red accents to the leather or honeycomb ’sports’ fabrics – underscore the car’s sporting attitude. Even the door arm rests, shaped like flippers used by scuba divers, reflect an active outlook.
Despite its overall compact dimensions, the roomy interior offers competitive levels of space inside: front head room and rear knee room will be sufficient for most occupants. Unlike the Qazana show car, Juke is a full five seater.
The practical luggage area is large enough to take a nine inch golf bag or a maximum size suitcase and it also includes an underfloor storage area (4wd versions excepted) which takes its potential capacity to 251 litres (VDA). In addition, the rear seats split 60:40, and also fold in one simple movement to provide a totally flat loading floor.
To hide luggage away from prying eyes, the trunk area has an integral tonneau cover which differs from the conventional by being attached to the tailgate and rises with the door when the trunk is opened.
“The interior displays a number of attributes which really sum up the entire car. There’s a lot of emotion here, a real sense of fun and a genuine quality,” says Albaisa.
Platform
Juke is based on Renault Nissan Alliance B-Platform and has a 2530mm wheelbase, is 4135mm long, 1765mm wide and 1570mm tall. To allow the top of the range to use 17-inch wheels and 215/55 R17 tyres, the track front and rear is 1525mm, the widest yet seen on the Alliance B-platform.
As new models evolve so a platform will undergo a number of changes, and Juke’s underpinnings are no exception. For its application on Juke, it has been lengthened, widened and significantly strengthened and lightened to enhance safety, refinement, and fuel efficiency.
Although the basic suspension system mirrors that found on other B-segment cars, with MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the back, a new cradle-type front subframe has enhanced the lateral stiffness of the assembly. Along with revised front suspension geometry, this has helped to promote better handling and ride comfort along with greater refinement.
The 4wd versions of Juke further benefit from a new multi-link rear suspension. When coupled to Nissan’s newly developed torque vectoring four-wheel drive technology to limit understeer, Juke’s handling is at the top of the class in spite of its higher ground clearance while comfort has been preserved.
In an urban environment, the combination of higher ground clearance and large tyres mean that speed bumps and poor road surfaces will not cause as much discomfort – or damage – as they would to a conventional sports hatchback.
Despite its SUV looks and the comparatively high eye-point, Juke’s front and rear roll centre heights are as low as possible – closer to a conventional hatchback than a typical SUV – to reduce body roll in corners.
Agile handling is also helped by speed sensitive electric power steering, standard on all models, and by increased upper body strength and stiffness. Juke incorporates a newly developed ring structure which connects the upper body to the rear suspension, thus increasing torsional rigidity.
Engines and drivetrains
In Europe, there will be three engine and manual or CVT transmission choices when Juke sales start in the second half of the year. At the top of the range is a newly developed 1.6-litre Direct Injection Gasoline turbocharged engine which develops 140kW (190PS) and 240Nm.
A low friction and lightweight design, the 16 valve engine uses direct injection to improve combustion to optimise power and torque, economy and emissions. The addition of a turbocharger and intercooler helps to boost power – this engine is one of the most powerful in its class – while variable timing control for both intake and exhaust cycles (twin VTC) improves low end engine response. A degree of overlap allows exhaust gas recirculation.
Low friction techniques include the adoption of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating for the valve lifters and mirror finish camshafts. The result is an engine delivering the performance levels of a normally aspirated 2.5-litre engine but with the fuel economy of a smaller engine.
The Direct Injection Gasoline engine in two-wheel drive versions of Juke will be coupled to a six-speed manual transmission. On the four-wheel drive version, it will be mated to Nissan’s XTRONIC CVT transmission, with six-speed manual mode.
The second petrol engine, which also displaces 1.6-litres and has four valves per cylinder, is an extensively reworked member of the HR family. Designated HR16DE, it has undergone a number of significant changes with a larger exhaust manifold, a retuned intake manifold, twin VTC, improved intake tumble flow and new catalyst with a hexagon cell formation.
New pistons with revised crowns and integral oil jet cooling have been adopted along with low friction techniques such as diamond-like carbon coating on the valve lifters.
But the most significant change has been the development of a dual injector system – a world first – which has two injectors for each cylinder, each with smaller nozzles to deliver finer, more closely targeted sprays of fuel into the cylinders for more efficient atomisation and more complete combustion.
Together the changes have led to significant improvements in power, torque and fuel economy. The engine produces 86kW (117PS), representing a six per cent improvement over previous versions of the engine. Torque has improved by three per cent to 157Nm while economy figures show a 5.6 per cent improvement. The normally aspirated petrol engine powers two-wheel drive versions only, and will be available with either the five-speed manual or the updated XTRONIC CVT transmission option, a different CVT transmission to the one used with the DIG engine.
The final engine choice is the familiar Alliance developed K9K 1.5-litre dCi turbocharged common rail diesel. The 1,461cc eight-valve engine delivers good fuel economy, low emissions and running costs with excellent driveability.
With power rated at 81kW (110PS) at 4,000 rpm and torque at an impressive 240 Nm at 1,750 rpm this unit features a fuel return rail and control unit for improved fuel efficiency. Injection pressure is 1,600 bar. Improved glow plug performance speeds up cold start performance. Emission control systems include a diesel particulate filter (DPF), with a fifth injector for regeneration and cooled exhaust gas recirculation while the turbocharger layout altered to make the distance between it and the DPF as short as possible.
The diesel will be available on two-wheel drive models with the six-speed manual transmission. For Europe, all the engines are fully Euro 5 compliant.
While the manual transmission has been carried over largely unchanged from Qashqai, both XTRONIC CVT systems feature a number of key technologies that promise significant improvements in weight, packaging, performance and fuel efficiency.
The updated XTRONIC CVT unit, used with the conventional 1.6-litre petrol engine, is 10 per cent shorter than before and 13 per cent lighter while internal friction has been reduced by a remarkable 30 per cent. This unit is the world’s first CVT with a sub planetary gear which allows a far higher transmission ratio – 7.3:1 – than previous Nissan CVTs. Smaller, lighter pulleys, a flexible lock up damper and a more efficient oil pump all promote great fuel efficiency.
The XTRONIC CVT with 6-speed manual mode in the turbocharged petrol-engined Juke has been tuned for a more sporting performance with revised manual modes for sharper acceleration while the management system has been reprogrammed to enhance fuel efficiency. Both CVTs have adaptive shift control systems that can be selected via the Nissan Dynamic Control System.
Unusually in its class, Juke will be available with the option of four-wheel drive in addition to conventional front-wheel drive. A newly developed all-wheel drive system is based on Nissan’s ALL-MODE 4×4-i electronic technology but which now adds a lateral torque-vectoring capability to its armoury.
As well splitting torque front to rear – upto a maximum of 50:50, it can now be split from side to side across the rear axle, too. By monitoring vehicle speed, wheel speed, gear position, steering angle, lateral G forces and now vehicle yaw rate, torque distribution can be increased to the outside rear wheel in corners to cut understeer and enhance the car’s cornering ability. In total, upto 50% of the total available engine torque can be sent to either rear wheel.
The new rear axle incorporates electric couplings at either end plus a new final drive The inclusion of this innovation is a first in the small car segment – a technology that has, until now, only been found on top-of-the-range, premium vehicles.
The new system is noticeably lighter and more compact than similar systems used by some other manufacturers.
Range availability is as follows:
Engine Power Fuel Drive Transmission
1.5 dCi 81kW Diesel 2wd 6-speed manual
1.6i 86kW Petrol 2wd 5-speed manual
1.6i 86kW Petrol 2wd Updated XTRONIC CVT
1.6i Turbo 140kW Petrol 2wd 6-speed manual
1.6i Turbo 140kW Petrol 4wd XTRONIC CVT M6
Equipment and model lines
Just about the only conventional aspect to Juke is the model line-up, which follows Nissan’s established Visia, Acenta and Tekna lines. Lists of standard and optional equipment will be released nearer the on sale date, but expected items such as climate control, leather upholstery, rear view camera and Intelligent Key will all be available to Juke customers along with some more unusual features.
One such is Nissan Dynamic Control System, a central command and display module which allows the driver to alter dynamic drive settings as well as make changes to more obvious functions such as climate control.
Cleverly, the module adopts different displays, colours and functions depending on how it is being used. In Climate mode, the display shows the interior temperature setting while the ‘buttons’ display air-flow preferences.
But in D-Mode, the buttons change to Normal, Sport and Eco driving modes, altering throttle maps, torque availability, CVT shift schedules, steering effort and even air conditioning performance to suit the conditions. The display, meanwhile, shows engine and drive related dials and information.
Car settings, such as the sensitivity of automatic headlights, can also be adjusted via the system, while the display changes colour to signify what type of information is being displayed. Driving information incorporates panels giving average speed, fuel economy, journey times and so on. Overall, the display is designed to add a feeling of cool, engaging technology to the interior.
Accessories
Although Juke has a long list of standard equipment, Nissan has developed a full range of accessories enabling owners to personalise their cars still further. Among the items on offer are different designs of alloy wheel as well as front and rear under body protectors to accentuate the SUV element of the design.
Other exterior features include exhaust finishers, a roof spoiler and wind deflectors on the doors, while inside an owner can add illuminated door sills and interior accent lighting. Practical touches include advanced security systems as well as extra storage opportunities in the front armrest and in the luggage area. .
European Customers
“The incredible success of our Qashqai compact crossover – we’ve recently passed half a million sales in Europe alone – has shown that customers are fed up with conventional cars. Juke is even bolder, even more adventurous than Qashqai and is set to confirm Nissan’s position as a pioneer of crossover in Europe and, indeed, globally,” says Simon Thomas.
Juke has been conceived with the specific intention to fulfil unmet customer expectations by adding much dynamism and masculinity to the sober, safe small car market. Who does Nissan imagine will buy Juke in Europe?
Clearly Urbanite, male customers are expected to be predominant but a significant proportion of buyers are anticipated to be women – one third according to Nissan’s estimates. Nissan Juke will attract a younger audience than average Nissan customers (under half will be below 40), these estimates shows that Juke will have a broad appeal, supporting Nissan’s research that there is widespread disillusionment at the lack of excitement in the small car sector in Europe.
Sales of Juke will come largely from the B-segment and is also expecting to attract C-segment customers, with people trading down to enjoy something more radical and inspirational. As with the successful Nissan Qashqai, a large majority of Juke customers will be new to the Nissan brand.
There has been a big trend towards MVNO carriers in the mobile space – that is, carriers who are Mobile Virtual Network Operators, and don’t actually operate their own cellular towers, spectrum, and network. These MVNOs outsource that part of the business to the big cellular operators as wholesale buyers, and focus on the marketing, the handsets, the retail, the billing, and the services. But in telecom these days, it’s highly desirable to offer bundles of services, mixing fixed, mobile, Internet and TV packages to drive up total revenue and customer loyalty. Thus, it’s interesting to note the start of a new trend, the FVNO, where the F is for Fixed. In the UK, O2 mobile has decided to expand their business into the fixed telecom sector, and is doing so by reselling the infrastructure of BT (British Telecom) under their own brand.
On Broadband Competition
Aside from the quirk of building MVNOs backwards, the shift is notable for readers here in the US, because it is illustrative of the kind of competition that can result when incumbent players are required to wholesale their fixed assets. O2, now owned by Spain’s Telefonica, was a wireless-only company, but already offers fixed broadband to enterprise customers using BT’s all-IP "21st Century Network". This move is indicative of a market where new entrants are free to launch, consumers have a wider range of choices, DSL speeds are faster, and yes, prices end up lower. So how exactly is that telco-cable duopoly working out for us in the US?
American readers not yet upset with the state of broadband in the US should feel free to click any of the links in the preceding paragraph to see the effect that competition has on a market. It makes all the players better, and offers huge benefits to consumers. The USA had exactly the same kind of competition codified into the Telecommunication Act of 1996. The act required incumbents to share their last mile through a regulation called UNE-P. UNE-P had some early effects: You may remember DSL upstarts that sprang onto the market like Speakeasy or Covad. But our UNE-P lacked teeth, and the incumbents were able to charge much higher wholesale prices than in Europe, where competition picked up steam. So by 2005, instead of re-enforcing UNE-P in the Telecom Reform Bill, yourCongress killed it completely. In this article, Masnick talks about how it mattered little, because the wholesale price was sabotaging the effort anyway.
On Net Neutrality
So now here we are in the US in 2010, still debating Network Neutrality. Does it look like "Net Neutrality" regulation is necessary in the UK? Heck no. Competition has completely obviated the need for Brits to regulate. Regulation is only necessary when monopoly powers are in effect, and the free market can’t push Supply to offer what is in Demand. And what of the doomsday outcomes incumbents predict if they are forced to share assets? Did BT fall apart? Go bankrupt? Stop investing in any new infrastructure (as lobbyists say is the obvious outcome.) No! They became global leaders in rebuilding, investing, modernizing infrastructure, and launched the all-IP 21Century Network! BT became very good at wholesale as well as retail. Competition made every UK stakeholder better. So why don’t we Americans forget Net Neutrality: Let’s focus on bringing competition back to the US market. Our duopoly experiment has failed (surprise, surprise), the European examples are crystal clear. This debate is no longer theoretical.
Honda just unveiled a concept version of its next-generation OddityOdyssey minivan at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, and it was one of those rare instances where the media was actually seeing it for the first time, as God intended unveilings to be. Although billed as a concept, the 2011 Honda Odyssey Concept looks almost production ready… other than its door handles, lights and a few other details.
While the current third-generation van is the best selling minivan in America two years running, Honda decided not to play it safe with the redesign. The all-new fourth-generation Odyssey is a big departure for Honda. It’s lower and wider, taking an almost Mercedes R-Class stance. Although they claim it’s only one inch lower and 1.4 inches wider, it looked like a lot more than that. The 2011 Odyssey also features a “lightning bolt” lower greenhouse border that reminded us of the Nissan Quest a bit. Honda says it helps with rearward visibility.
The production version of this 2011 Honda Odyssey should be in dealerships this fall, and will likely look a lot like this concept. While no specifics were mentioned, it is said to have a V6 that will deliver slightly better fuel economy. The interior was completely blocked off so we aren’t sure what they have in store for us inside, but Honda reps promised something big. One thing Honda did share was the fact that this Odyssey is all-American. From inspiration to target market, styling to assembly, this is truly a product of the U.S. of A. There’s a press release after the jump and live and press galleries below.
Below is a Credit Suisse table ranking countries by perceived country risk. Usual suspects Iceland and Greece unsurprisingly make the top of the list. Yet what struck us was how badly the U.S. ranked. According to Credit Suisse, it has more sovereign risk than Kazakhstan even.
It appears that U.S. government debt and private sector credit are what hurtled the U.S. past Kazakhstan. Credit Suisse’s table makes it seem as if U.S. credit default swap (CDS) spreads are far too low in relation to other nations. If the ranking is valid, of course:
2011 Toyota Avalon – Click above for high-res gallery
Perhaps the only ‘surprise’ at this year’s Chicago Auto Show thus far has been the appearance of Toyota‘s refreshed-for-2011 Avalon sedan. According to this morning’s presentation, even the automaker itself debated postponing its introduction in light of its present woes.
Looking to make the best of a bad situation (and among a string of assurances about his company’s commitment to quality and customers), Toyota’s Group Vice President and General Manager, Bob Carter, was quick to point out that the full-size sedan will ship with an updated gas pedal and emergency shutoff provision. That housekeeping note done, Carter went on to explain that the full-size Avalon checks off the traditional list of mid-cycle refresh items including revised head- and taillamps (the latter with LED), a new grille, revamped fascias and new alloy wheel patterns.
The bigger story for the revamped Avalon is on the inside, where a handsome new center stack, latest-generation navigation system and added niceties like a standard in-mirror backup camera and Bluetooth streaming audio and telephony have been fitted.
As before, the Avalon is powered by Toyota’s 24-valve 3.5-liter V6, tuned here to make 268 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and achieve 20 miles-per-gallon in the city and 29 on the highway. It arrives in dealerships this spring.
As he tells the story, in 1993, Minister Horace Burgess was praying when god told him, “If you build a tree house, I’ll see that you never run out of material.” Inspired by this vision of god, the quiet minister set out to build the largest treehouse in the world.
Located just outside of Crosville, Tennessee, the 97-foot-tall tree house and church is supported by a still-living 80-foot-tall white oak tree with a 12-foot diameter base, relying on six other oaks for support.
For fourteen years, Minister Burgess has been adding to the tree house, spending only $12,000 and never running out of material. Over that time, the treehouse has grown to truly monumental proportions, and the Minister may have already achieved his goal of building the world’s largest treehouse. Currently, his treehouse is 90 feet tall, said to contain 80 rooms, and stretch up to five stories, complete with a church and a bell tower. The bell tower at the top of the treehouse is equipped with oxygen acetylene bottles that, repurposed as bells, chime daily.
In true southern style, every story is fully surrounded by a deck. And there are no “Private Property,” “Stay Off the Grass,” or “No Climbing” signs: Burgess say the treehouse is god’s house and everyone is welcome.
To that end, there are only two signs to be found: “Welcome” and “No Smoking” which, for a house of timber, makes sense. Despite some trouble with vandals, the Minister has kept the treehouse open and in fantastic and ever-improving condition. From the top — which one must be rather brave to attempt climbing to — one can see the word “Jesus” spelled out in flora on a nearby field.
Join us for a special Obscura Day tour of what may be the world’s largest treehouse, led by Minister Horace Burgess, the man who built it.
December brought signs that the fledgling recovery of home values in many markets is slowing again. U.S. home values got a bit lower again in December relative to November levels and the rate of decline got just a little bit higher as well. The national Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) was down 0.21% on a monthly basis in December to $186,200 versus a monthly decline of 0.16% in November. Annualized depreciation was 5.0% nationally. See Figure 1 below for monthly and annualized rates of change for the ZHVI.
More significantly, a number of large markets saw an end to their streak of consecutive monthly gains, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, and Portland, Ore. In total, one in five (29) of the 143 markets tracked by Zillow saw monthly depreciation or flattening of home values in December after having experienced at least five consecutive month-over-month increases in home values during 2009. If these declines are sustained, as we expect to happen in many markets, the result will be a “double dip ” in home values, defined as two periods of sustained declines in home values separated by a brief period of stabilization or recovery.
Home values in an additional 29 markets, including the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), increased on a month-over-month basis each month throughout the fourth quarter. However, the rate of increase slowed from November to December in 21 of those markets, and several appear likely to experience several months of sustained decline in early 2010.
from imc-london, 9 February 2010: “On Wednesday 3rd Feb at 9.20 am, High Court Bailiffs came round the Non Commercial House Free Shop, armed presumably with a restitution warrant, and evicted the place and its occupiers. Owners and Bailiffs seemed quite happy to prevent us from running a FreeShop (oooooh, scary, giving out shit for free!) and making some more people homeless because they want to keep their building empty for another couple of years…” more
Last year I took a look at a number of Subversion clients for OS X, finally settling on Versions as my client of choice for my personal coding needs. At the time, I was running a Linux server on some old generic hardware from the days before I drank the Apple Koolaid. After deciding to upgrade my wife’s 17″ iMac with the new i5 27″ model, I realized I could ditch the old Linux hardware and get some great power savings (and hence reduced electricity bill) in the process. The first task I had was moving my SVN repository over from the Linux machine (Ubuntu 9.10) to the iMac running OS X 10.6…and this is how I did it.
All of the SVN application binaries, including the server, already come pre-installed with OS X 10.6, located in the /usr/bin/ directory, so we just have a few steps to get that running.
Create a system user for SVN.
Create a new repository to store your code in.
Optionally create specific SVN users for submission tracking.
Configure the server to run automatically at system startup.
Creating an SVN user
While you could easily run the SVN sever with the root user account, for better system security it’s always best to have a dedicated user to run a specific service such as SVN. This limits any possible vulnerabilities in the SVN software from harming the rest of your system; if an exploit is used to end up with a command line ability, the attacker can only damage files belonging to the SVN user.
Open System Preferences and go the Accounts page.
Add a new standard user named svn with a suitable password.
This user will be included in the OS X login screen when you start your computer. Since there is usually no reason for somebody to log onto the desktop with this user, it can be hidden from the login screen. You can do so by opening the Terminal application and running the following command:
If you ever do want to login as the svn user to the desktop, you can click the new ‘Other’ option that appears in the login screen and manually enter the username. On the other hand, if you don’t want the ‘Other’ option at all you can also disable this by entering the following in a terminal window:
You can also delete all the default directories created under the /Users/svn/ directory if you prefer a neat and tidy file system.
Creating your SVN repository
We now need to create the specific root directory for our repository and create it using the svnadmin command by launching the OS X Terminal application and entering the following commands.
You can now view the /Users/svn/svnroot directory and see that new files have been created to form the base of your new repository.
Creating SVN users (optional)
If you are working on your own code and you know without a doubt that nobody else will be accessing your repository, you can skip this step. However it doesn’t hurt to configure a dedicated user now even if it’s just for your sole use, so that code check-ins are properly attributed. To do this we first need to edit the svnserve.conf file and enable the passwd file for user authentication. An easy way from the terminal to edit a file is by using the nano text editor:
### Uncomment the line below to use the default password file.
password-db = passwd
If using nano, press Control+X and save your changes. Next edit the passwd file:
sudo -u svn nano /Users/svn/svnroot/conf/passwd
Then add the desired usernames and passwords, in my case I’m adding the user ‘bed’ for myself:
### This file is an example password file for svnserve.
### Its format is similar to that of svnserve.conf. As shown in the
### example below it contains one section labelled [users].
### The name and password for each user follow, one account per line.
[users]
bed = beds_secret_svn_password
Scheduling the server to start automatically
OS X uses the launchd subsystem for automatically starting background services. The easiest way to configure svnserve to run automatically via launchd is by using Lingon. You can grab the latest version from Sourceforge. For more details on using Lingon see this previous article I put together, but for this task we just need to add a new User Daemon:
Run Lingon, click the New button and select User Daemons.
Fill out the dialog as follows:
Name: org.subversion.svnserve
What: /usr/bin/svnserve --inetd --root=/Users/svn/svnroot/
We now need to click the “Expert” button at the bottom and add the following text under the <dict> section:
Click the save button again and then reboot your computer to give it a test by connecting to localhost or your IP address with your favorite SVN client, ie: svn://bed@localhost. Your SVN server is now ready to be used! The SVN server will only be launched when you first try and use it, so it won’t be taking up any unnecessary resources.
Migrating an existing repository
If you’re like me, and want to migrate an existing repository from another system you can do so easily by skipping the svnadmin command in step two, and just copy the repository directory from the old system to the new system. I would advise to upgrade your existing repository first to ensure that it is compatible with the version of SVN that comes with OS X (SVN version 1.6.x). Also you’ll want to ensure that the copied file’s owner becomes the new SVN user created in step one.
One of the “Eight Wonders of Kansas Art,” the Garden of Eden is a home and sculpture park built by civil war veteran Samuel Dinsmoor. Dinsmoor was a farmer, mason and political radical who often attended meetings of the rational and materialist “free thinkers.” Dinsmore displayed this free thinking in the construction of his concrete house, concrete barn, concrete pyramid, and a concrete spring that he supplied with water by illegally tapping into the town’s water main.
His final act was building a concrete mausoleum, and when he died after 21 years of building, he was placed in a glass coffin within that mausoleum, making himself the final and ultimate exhibit in his labor of love. He made sure to provide for his family and in his will he wrote,
“None except my widow, my descendants, their husbands and wives, shall go in to see me for less than $1.”
Join us on Obscura Day – Marth 20th, 2010 – at the Garden of Eden, an eccentric home and sculpture park built by civil war veteran Samuel Dinsmoor, and one of the “Eight Wonders of Kansas Art.”
Ten Year treasury yields hit 3.692% in today’s auction, which was well above where the ten-year treasuries were trading going into the auction.
Zero Hedge: Yields 3.692% vs. Exp. 3.680%… Bid To Cover 2.67 vs. Avg. 2.78 (Prev. 3.00) Indirects 33.2% vs. Avg. 43.27% (Prev. 29.0%) … Direct Take Down: Massive 13%
Audi acaba de publicar hace cuestión de unas horas toda la información oficial sobre el nuevo Audi A1. Recordemos que este pequeño utilitario verá la luz antes del próximo verano. Mide 3,95 m de largo y 2,47 m de ancho.
Una vez se inicie su comercialización, lo hará junto a cuatro motores, dos gasolina, un 1.2 TFSI de 86cv y un 1.4 TFSI de 122 cv, y dos diésel, un 1.6 TDI de 90cv y un 1.6 TDI de 105cv. Todos los motores son de cuatro cilindros y cuentan con inyección directa además de estar sobrealimentados mediante un turbocompresor.
En el tope de la gama podremos elegir una caja de cambios automática de doble embrague S Tronic de siete velocidades. El consumo homologado esta situado en los 3,8 litros y 5,4 litros para los motores TFSI.
En el interior nos econtramos con los asientos delanteros con calefacción incorporada, control de crucero y un reposabrazos central para las plazas traseras. Por otra parte, debemos mencionar las llantas de 17 y 18 pulgadas (de serie incorpora unas de 16 pulgadas).
Por el momento el precio oficial no ha sido revelado aunque se rumorea que rondará los 15.000€. Podremos verlo en directo en el Salón de Ginebra. A continuación os dejo con un vídeo y una pequeña galería de imágenes oficiales:
Initially they fell after Ben Bernanke’s testimony about the “exit strategy” was released on the Fed’s website (the snow prevented him from actually delivering the remarks).
But nothing in the testimony should have freaked investors out. Bernanke made it crystal clear that he would do nothing to tighten any time soon.
In other words, if it isn’t clear, you’re not even allowed to discuss raising rates, even if what you say in that discussion is that you’re not going to do that for a long time. The market just doesn’t want to hear anything about that.
Imagine how ugly things would be if, oh, he actually had an exit plan gameplan.
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December brought signs that the fledgling recovery of home values in many markets is slowing again. U.S. home values got a bit lower again in December relative to November levels and the rate of decline got just a little bit higher as well. The national 
