Author: Erik Johnson

We just had the opportunity to ask the Jeep crew about the possibility of a second-gen Grand Cherokee SRT8, and while they won’t officially confirm—or, more important, deny—anything, they did allow that when Chrysler creates an SRT version of a new product, you can generally expect it to appear within the first couple of model years after introduction. We’d call that pretty solid confirmation that America will once again be pumping out bad-ass SUVs within the next couple of years.

Under the hood, expect a 6.4-liter naturally aspirated Hemi; output has been reported as being between 505 and 525 hp, but we have a sneaking suspicion it could be even higher. Rumblings suggest that the 555-hp BMW X5 M is squarely in Jeep’s sights, as the brand would be keen to reclaim the title as the world’s quickest production SUV. We tested the X5 M to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds, so the 2012 Cherokee SRT8 will need to slice 0.4 second from the outgoing 2010 model’s time to once again be king. Of course, it’s possible that 525 hp would be enough to pull off the feat, but why stop there? If Jeep’s going to do this thing, we say let it all hang out, and trumping BMW’s power figure—from a naturally aspirated engine, no less—would be one fine feather in Chrysler’s cap. With air suspension on the list of available technologies for the regular-grade 2011 Grand Cherokee, we’d expect adjustable air springs to make an appearance in the weapons-grade SRT model, too, imparting even sportier handling than before.

The new 2011 Grand Cherokee’s taut, handsome styling should transfer well to the new SRT model; we just hope the new model keeps the twin, center-mounted exhaust cannons, which were one of our favorite touches on the previous Cherokee SRT8. We loved that SRT8, but we have a feeling we’ll love the upcoming one even more.

Related posts:

1. Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 4: 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
2. BMW X5 M vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Porsche Cayenne Turbo S – Comparison Tests
3. 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Spied

For every automaker, recalls are simply part and parcel of being in business—stuff sometimes goes wrong, and thousands of vehicles of all makes get pulled into dealers every year to fix one problem or another. Generally, and for good reason, recalls receive little fanfare, but the Toyota fiasco—and the accompanying Congressional witchhunt—has made the auto companies a little jumpy.

Witness Acura and its ZDX, which was just recalled. The issue is that some examples may be missing the scoring on the underside of the dashboard that allows the front-passenger airbag to bust through the dashtop in the event of a collision. No injuries or incidents have been reported; Acura discovered the issue during its own internal processes and issued the 1850-vehicle recall. Acura dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the dashboards if necessary. For more info, owners can go to Acura’s recall website.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Acura ZDX – Car News
2. 2010 Acura ZDX – Official Photos
3. 2010 Acura ZDX – First Drive Review

RTFM: A simple, four-letter initialism that can deflect—in the most patronizing way possible—nearly any car-related question. (For those who don’t know, it stands for Read the F****** Manual.) While RTFM is in common usage, at least among self-righteous internet denizens, allow us to introduce a new variation: WTFM, or Watch the F****** Manual.

We suggest the term because Mazda is testing a new way to educate its new owners with this very cool video Smart Start Guide. (It’s worth noting that Chrysler is going whole hog and eliminating huge manuals altogether, replacing them with DVDs and slimmer handbooks.) Mazda’s guide covers five topics: keyless entry and start, auto headlights and wipers, climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, and the navigation system. We were told that selecting the topics was more a matter of using what good-quality footage was on hand—from dealer training and other sources—rather than focusing on specific issues Mazda owners were having.

But that’s not to say the guides’ success isn’t being closely tracked. Mazda canvassed its dealers’ on-hand inventory for vehicles that featured all of the relevant equipment, and out popped 800 or so top-spec Mazda 6 Grand Touring models. As a result, 400 of the guides are being placed in the cars, with the remainder going without. Mazda will be following up with all of the cars’ buyers and comparing their experiences to see if the video guide made any appreciable difference in their understanding of their new family sedans. Some dealers will specifically point out the new guides, while others will just drop them in the glove boxes without a peep.

The reason behind the video guide? The company says it has seen concerns in its own owner surveys as well as third-party analytics like the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study regarding “difficult to use” features. Another reason cited was that customers usually want to leave after the buying process instead of sitting through a long—and valuable—introduction to their vehicle; they’re done dealing with the dealer and want to go enjoy their new car. The video guide gives the company an opportunity to explain features more in-depth than with a printed handout.

One concern with Mazda’s guide is what’s going to happen to them once the battery dies; it’s good for 40 plays or so. Will owners just toss the electronics into the trash rather than properly recycle them? Probably. It’s good, then, that the package also includes a paper “Smart Start Guide.”

Feedback so far has been positive, Mazda says, and we can understand why. The video guide is a cool way to interact with customers, and, taken with Chrysler’s initiative, this looks like the future of your glove box.

Watch this video to see clips of Mazda’s new guide in action (video of video is so meta):

Related posts:

1. Mazda’s Efficiency Strategy to Include Stop/Start, Energy Regeneration, Diesel, and More – Car News
2. 2011 Mazda 2 – Video
3. Mazda Kiyora Concept / 2011 Mazda 1 – Auto Shows