Review: 2012 Chevrolet Volt, can you live with it everyday?

 
Here it is, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, the most advanced automobile achievement currently on American roads and a breakthrough in automotive technology – but that’s not what I’m setting up to rave about. I was lucky enough to have the Chevrolet Volt on two separate occasions – the first where I was very disciplined and had it charged and ready to go every morning and the second where I fueled up as I would with a conventional model.
Instead of getting all technical on you guys and talking about how great the Volt is in terms of being an innovative automobile (which it definitely is), I’m going to focus more on whether or not the Volt is a great car that you can live with on a daily basis.
To answer the question addressed in the title before I even begin my review – Yes, you can live with the Chevrolet Volt everyday. So I guess that presents the real question, which is… should you?
But first… I’ll give you all the details.

2012 Chevrolet Volt Specifications:

• Style: Sedan.
• Drive Type: Front-wheel-drive.
• Seating Capacity: 4.
• Base Price: $39,995.
• Price As Tested: $44,575.
• Engine: Electric Drive Unit makes 149-hp and 274 lb-ft of torque; Onboard generator/engine makes 1.4L internal combustion engine with 83 hp.
• 0 to 60 mph: 9.3 seconds.
• Top Speed: 100 mph.
• Electric Range: 35 miles.
• Combined Total Range: 379 miles.
• Charge Time: 4 hours on 240 volts and 10-12 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet.
• Curb Weight: 3,781 lbs.
• Fuel-economy (city/highway): 95/93 MPGe (city/highway) in electric mode; 35/40 mpg in gas mode. 
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• Exterior:

The Chevrolet Volt isn’t the best looking car around but it definitely is more attractive than other ‘green’ vehicles currently on the road. GM says that that its aerodynamicists developed the shape of the Volt in a wind tunnel, which helped them design and engineer the most aerodynamic vehicle in Chevrolet’s history. The lines of the body overcome air resistance and contribute an estimated 8 miles of extra electric range and about 50 miles of extended fuel range.
While all these specs may entertain the automotive geeks, for the average car buyer, the most pertinent point here is that the Volt is designed to visually stand out from the rest but still remains unexciting.

Interior:

The Chevrolet Volt’s interior is innovative on a level you would expect from Apple, and one of the most advanced that can be found in cars today.
Some of the high points apart from the usual suspects are the two 7-inch, high-resolution full-color screens, the first of which resides where the gauge cluster is found, giving the driver some reconfiguration options. The other display is in the center stack and has a touch screen with control switches.  Chevy MyLink, navigation with audio storage hard drive, rearview camera, and a premium trim package are all available options, as well.

Performance:

Time to run through the specs. The 2012 Chevrolet Volt is powered by 16-kWh, ‘T’-shaped lithium-ion battery that powers the electric drive unit, which allows it to drive 35 to 40 miles on battery power alone. The system puts out 149-hp and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, allowing the Volt to go from 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds, and hit a top speed of 100 mph.
The Chevrolet Volt also carries an 84-hp 1.4-liter 4-clyinder engine that allows the 5-door, FWD sedan to travel additional miles while averaging a fuel-economy of 50 mpg. A fully charged battery and full tank of gas will allow you to drive the Volt for a total of 379 miles (depending on you how you drive but you’ll probably never hit that figure in real-world situations).
To reach full-charge the Volt can take about 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 10-12 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet.
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt gets an EPA estimated 93 miles per ’gallon-equivalent’ when driving under electric power only, 37 mpg when in gasoline mode. Over the long term it is estimated to get 60 miles per gallon in combined gasoline-powered and electric-powered driving.
All those facts are coming from General Motors, but now I will give you my take on the Volt as a daily driver in the week I was driving with it fully charged everyday and the other where it was never charged.

Week 1 – Fully charged everyday:

• I picked up the Chevrolet Volt from New York City and drove it home a total distance of 45 miles. The Volt lost its all-electric mode about 25 miles into the trip since we were blasting the radio and playing around with the climate and audio controls.
• I plugged in the Volt every single night when returning home from work. Each night, the Volt took about 11-12 hours to reach full charge.
• My trip to work totals 10.5 miles. Factoring in my use of electronics (iPhone charging, playing with the climate control) and somewhat aggressive acceleration – the Volt would last me 20 to 25 miles (which is about 15 to 10 miles below GM’s figure) before the 1.4 liter 4-cylinder engine came into play. However, once the range-extender does come on, it is quite noisy in the cabin due to the humming from the engine bay area.
• When in full electric mode, the Volt is quite zippy. The electric mode offers smooth and quick acceleration letting you enjoy the overall comfortable ride of the car (no matter which mode you’re in).
• In electric-mode, the climate control is quite disappointing. With the hot sun beating down, the Volt’s air-conditioning in electric-mode took forever to cool the cabin.
• Driving a total of 30-35 miles a day and charging the Volt every single night before going to bed, the Volt said that I was averaging a combined 110 mpg – not bad at all.
• I never filled up the Volt once during my first week-long affair with the new Chevy.

Week 2 – Never charging the Volt:

• During my second week with the Volt, I picked up the car once again from New York City, where it was fully gassed and fully charged. Again on the way back home, the Volt’s all-electric mode lasted 25-27 miles before the range-extended engine kicked on.
• This week, I never plugged in the Volt overnight, kept it in sport mode, and drove it with a sense of urgency going to and from work. I figured I would drive the Volt as a busy individual that didn’t have time to bother with charging the car or maintaining a schedule of the car’s mileage and fuel-economy.
• This time around, the climate control system was working perfectly fine, keeping the interior at a comfortable temperature.
• The noise from the engine bay was really annoying and got louder the more aggressive I got with the accelerator.
• I filled up the Volt about twice this week, and averaged a fuel-economy of 29.1 mpg.

Overall:

So – let’s get back to my original questions – can you live with the Volt everyday? Yes, but should you?  Well, this really depends on the type of person you are.
If you’re an individual that is technologically advanced that must have the latest and greatest and has the patience to wait 10-12 hours while your car reaches full charge so you can save some cash at the pump – then yes, be our guest. But get ready to part ways with $39,995 (or $32,495 after some tax credits).
However, if you’re an individual that’s always on the go and won’t really keep up-to-date with recharging the Volt – basically if you fit my ways in week 2 – then there are other ‘green’ vehicles that will suit your lifestyle and save you some cash at the pump. Those vehicles are called hybrids.
Another angle to consider with this car is its competition. As for the competitors in its fuel-efficient compact-sedan segment, you’re looking at the $24,000, ever-popular Toyota Prius, which gets you an outstanding fuel economy rating of 51/48 city/hwy mpg. Looking at the competition in the car’s price range, for what you would shell out for the Volt you could also be taking home a somewhat fully loaded BMW 3-Series or an Audi A4. So, going green would really have to be your priority to sacrifice the performance that you would be giving up for the price tag, although most comparable compact-sedans fall short of the technology the added cost of the Volt includes.

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG is a mean grocery getter

 
During a time where things like carbon footprints and mpg ratings have taken over our automotive blogger brains, Mercedes-Benz reached out to me to come test-drive the new 2012 ML63 AMG in Santa Barbara. Eager to get away from the cold weather in the North East, I took them up on the offer and packed my bags for Cali.
As an owner of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I’m the last one to worry about how I’m polluting mother nature. In fact, I’m the type that would blast ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ by Johnny Cash and cruise with my windows down. Nevertheless, I always found high-performance SUVs to be quite pointless. An SUV is meant to be a cargo hauler, people carrier and a vehicle that’s capable to go off-roading. I never found cars like the BMW X6 M, Porsche Cayenne GTS or the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 to be wise purchases because if you wanted a sports car you could just purchase a sports coupe or even a high-performance sedan.
However, that all changed once I got behind the wheel of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG – and I’ll tell you why.

2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Specifications:

• Style: SUV.
• Seating Capacity: 5.
• Base Price: $94,990.
• Engine: 5.5 liter V8 biturbo – 518-hp at 5,250 rpm / 516 lb-ft between 1,750 – 5,000 rpm.
• Transmission: AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7-speed automatic transmission.
• 0 to 60 mph: 4.7 seconds.
• Top Speed: 155 mph.
• Curb Weight: 5,170 lbs.
• Fuel-economy: 15/25 mpg (city/highway).

All Photos Copyright egmCarTech © Omar Rana.

Exterior:

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG is based on the new 2012 ML-Class, which I personally think is a very sophisticated looking SUV. Many on the egmCarTech team agree, and think Mercedes-Benz did a hell of a job redesigning its best-selling family hauler.
To spice up the ML-Class’ sophisticated looks for this AMG variant, AMG designers added a new radiator grille with louvers in high-gloss paint finish, larger cooling air intakes, and fitted the bottom with a new front skirt trimmed in a matte silver finish. The team also tailored the SUV with a grand set of AMG alloy wheels, and threw on an AMG rear skirt highlighted with a black diffuser. Two sets of chrome twin tailpipes that enhance the ML63 AMG’s 8-cylinder sound round out the refinement of the ‘standard’ ML-Class, all together transforming it into that of a high-performance SUV.

Interior:

Mercedes pulls together a comfortable interior that still maintains functionality with a sporty appeal.

The inside of the ML63 also gets the AMG treatment with sport seats, a beefy four-spoke AMG Performance steering wheel, aluminum steering-wheel mounted shift paddles, AMG badges and standard designo premium leather upholstery with contrast stitching. Of course, since you’re dropping over $94,000 for the ML63 AMG, you would expect it to be fitted with a substantial sum of standard features, and the AMG team delivers. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG comes standard with AMG sport pedals, AMG illuminated door sills, Harman/Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system, a 7-inch display with COMAND control, power lift gate, heated and cooled seats and much more.
Overall, Mercedes pulls together a comfortable interior that still maintains functionality with a sporty appeal.

Performance:

You can now back off of your screens and ease back into your seats, as we have arrived at the part you have all been waiting for. First, before I tell you how it feels to drive, I’ll fill you in on the specs. Power comes from a 5.5 liter V8 biturbo engine making 518-hp at 5,250 rpm with a maximum torque of 516 lb-ft between 1,750 – 5,000 rpm. That allows 0 to 60 mph to come in 4.7 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. Pretty quick, huh? Well, you can make it faster – in case that’s not impressive enough – if you add on the AMG Performance Package, which bumps up power to 550-hp at 5,750 rpm and 560 lb-ft between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm. The package allows a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 174 mph.

With all the different driving modes, you can turn the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG from a comfortable, smooth-riding SUV into a total beast that asks for more throttle and sharper turns.

As for the fuel-economy? Remember, we left ‘green’ back in North East. The SUV gets 16 mpg combined, but the AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7-speed automatic transmission and engine deactivation helps increase fuel-efficiency through one of the three driving programs (C for Controlled Efficiency, Sport and Manual). Now, forget all those figures, because we have saved the best for last. What’s more important about this car then horsepower and luxury? It is the absolutely amazing drive. With all the different driving modes, you can turn the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG from a comfortable, smooth-riding SUV into a total beast that asks for more throttle and sharper turns.
Still, the best thing about the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG is that no matter what mode you’re in, the ride is comfortable and doesn’t hurt your buttocks. Most of its competitors try to hard to be a sports car and end up sacrificing comfort for it. The Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG finds the perfect balance for both driving conditions because it’s not trying to be a sports car – it’s just trying to be a luxury SUV that has all that power sitting under the hood when you want or need it. Otherwise, it’s a perfect everyday car that you can live with and go grocery shopping with or pick up the kids from soccer practice.

Overall:

So how much does all this awesomeness cost? Prices start at a whopping $94,990, and I’m pretty sure once you load it up it’ll cost you close to $100,000 before you drive it out of the dealership.
That brings be to my last and final point – the base 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 starts at just $48,990 – almost half the price tag than that of the AMG. The 402-hp ML550 even starts at almost $38,000 less.
Obviously, this model is not for the average car buyer. Yet, if you have the cash in your bank account and the need for speed, than the ML63 AMG is definitely a better buy than its competitors, standing out from the crowd with its impeccable drive and plush bundle of upgrades.

First Drive: 2013 Infiniti JX, the new luxury 7-seater on the block

 
If you found yourself at an Infiniti showroom seeking out a 7-passenger vehicle a couple of months ago, the dealer’s only option would be to give you a walk around of the monstrous QX. After being thoroughly impressed by the luxury that practically oozes out of the door jams, you may still find yourself put off by the SUV’s $60,000 sticker price. At this point, the only other option in this particular line up would be the 5-passenger FX, which would mean cutting out some necessary space.

Check out news on the Infiniti JX.
Speed up to present time, and you’ll find that Infiniti has squeezed a brand-new model right in between the massive QX and the sporty FX that the automaker has dubbed the JX. The 7-passenger JX is a luxury crossover built very ready to take on the competition. So, just how well does it stack up? Let’s have a look.

2013 Infiniti JX Specifications:

• Style: Crossover.
• Seating Capacity: 7.
• Base Price: $40,450.
• Engine: 3.5 liter V6 – 265-hp at 6,400 rpm / 248 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm.
• Transmission: CVT Transmission.
• 0 to 60 mph: 8 seconds.
• Top Speed: 121 mph.
• Towing Capacity: 3,500 lbs.
• Curb Weight: 4,280 lbs for FWD model, 4,419 for AWD model.
• Fuel-economy: 18/24 mpg (city/highway) for FWD, 18/23 mpg for AWD.
• Cool Facts: It has a total of 8 cupholders and 6 bottle holders, offers an innovative way to access the third-row, has Tri-Zone climate control, offers you access to Google Calendar and has its own real-life personal assistant.

All Photos Copyright egmCarTech © Omar Rana.

Exterior:

At first glance the 2013 Infiniti JX may appear somewhat bland, but if you spend a little time with it, the crossover begins to reveal some interesting design queues.
First and foremost, the Infiniti signature grille has been seamlessly blended into the ‘wave’ design of the hood. Moving along to the side stance, Infiniti strikes a sophisticated yet aggressive note with a sloping roofline. Around the rear of the crossover, the luxury automaker draws inspiration from the Essence concept, with the use of its crescent-shaped D-pillar.
As for how it literally measures up to the competition, the 2013 Infiniti JX measures 196.4 inches in length, 77.2 inches in width and 68.9 inches in height. That makes it 5.2 inches longer than the Acura MDX and 3.9 inches shorter. It also makes it 1.3 inches less in width than the MDX and 8.5 inches less than the Q7. In matters of height, it’s 0.7 inches taller than the Acura MDX and 0.5 inches taller than the Audi Q7.
My opinion on the Infiniti JX’s exterior? It certainly looks better than some of the eyesores out there in its segment.

Interior:

It doesn’t leave the third-row passengers feeling like they were the last to be picked for an elementary school kickball game.

Inside, the 2013 Infiniti JX absolutely outshines its competitors. The model offers a plush cabin with a lot of room, comfort and gadgetry. Best of all, it doesn’t leave the third-row passengers feeling like they were the last to be picked for an elementary school kickball game. Some nice technical features come standard, with a few better ones as options. Bose provides the sound system (which wasn’t really all that impressive), while dual 7-inch color monitors for the rear passengers provide the visual entertainment. Other technical features include Infiniti Connection with the Integrated Infiniti Personal Assistant (check out the video after this paragraph for an explanation), in-vehicle access to Google Calendar, XM NavTraffic and NavWeather, and a very cool display positioned in front of the driver that provides vehicle information. In addition, the model comes with a power moonroof with an optional second and third row moonroof, as well as heated front and second row seats, tri- not dual-, zone climate control and much more.
After all that, what is still most important about the Infiniti JX’s interior is the space it provides and how easy it is to access the third-row. First, the second-row seats move forward and back 5-inches, so if the third-row isn’t being used, second-row passengers can create some additional legroom for themselves. To access the third-row, Infiniti has devised a clever system that allows the second row seat cushion to flip up as the seat goes forward – when the operation is complete, the system creates a nice and large access to the third-row (check out the video for a demonstration to see how it works).
As for the space, when compared to its competitors, the Infiniti JX offers the best-in-class interior volume with 149.8 cubic-feet – that’s 8.0 cubic-feet more than the Acura MDX and 16.6 cubic feet more than the Audi Q7. That means it offers more cargo volume (15.8 cubic feet with third row seats up) and more legroom for second and third row passengers the most of its rivals.

Safety:

Believe me, in order to even add this section to a review it takes some real stand out qualities, and the JX packs some notable ones. The 2013 JX still offers all of the familiar safety technologies including Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Advanced Air Bag System (AABS), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Around View Monitor (AVM), Blind Spot Intervention (BSI), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), and Brake Assist (BA).
This time however, Infiniti is bringing some new safety features to the market, incorporating Distance Control Assist (DCA), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA), which now work together to help slow down and stop the JX in traffic. Also, the new Backup Collision Intervention (BCI) and Moving Object Detection (MOD) help the driver identify and avoid collisions with objects while in backing up.

Performance:

It seems everyone I encountered at the JX drive event was completely disappointed with its power, or that it does not live up to Infiniti’s ‘Inspired Performance’ slogan. While I agree with the latter, I feel a bit different about the JX’s 3.5-liter V6 that makes 265-hp with a peak torque of 248 lb-ft.

Will the JX offer you and your passengers a comfortable ride from point A to point B? It absolutely will.

It is true, it isn’t that powerful, but I attribute that to the fact that it’s simply not a performance vehicle. Infiniti says it is targeting families of 4, and those in their 40’s, particularly women. Keeping that in mind, I also can’t remember the last time I saw someone drag-racing or drifting an Audi Q7 or Acura MDX, or any other family hauler for that matter. So what if 0 to 60 mph takes close to 8 seconds? So what if I can’t take an exit at 50 mph plus with a car full of my family members? Will the JX offer you and your passengers a comfortable ride from point A to point B? It absolutely will. Is it available in all-wheel-drive for cold weather states? Yes it is (it comes standard in front-wheel-drive and no, it’s not the end of the world that it isn’t rear-wheel-drive).
There is one performance factor I did not find favorable. I completely hate CVT transmissions and that’s exactly the transmission Infiniti picked for the 2013 JX. Nonetheless, they do offer their Infiniti Drive Mode Selector with Standard, Sport, Snow or Eco modes that ‘kind-of’ help to make driving a little more engaging.
What about the ever-important fuel-economy element? EPA ratings come in at 18/24 mpg (city/highway) for the front-wheel-drive model and 18/23 mpg for the all-wheel-drive model.

Overall:

Prices for the 2013 Infiniti JX start at $40,450 for the JX35 FWD and $41,550 for the JX35 AWD model. That’s about $2,000 less than the Acura MDX and $6,000 under the sticker price for the Audi Q7. Why is it priced so aggressively? Well, Infiniti expects the JX to be its second best-selling model after the G lineup so the company is doing all it can to beat out the current leaders in the segment.
So does Infiniti have a winner here? I positively believe so. It’s cheaper than its competitors, offers comfort for all 7-passengers, is packed with gadgets, and boasts some outstanding safety features. What more could one scouring the segment ask for?

Daimler, BYD to Make Electric Ca

International media reports on a deal between Daimler and BYD to make electric cars. Strangely, Chinese media reports nothing yet. It is 10:13 AM now in Beijing and all woke up. It might have to do more with the fact that parties still need government permission to start with their plans.
That permission is essential, as proved by the Hummer-misery in Januari. But in this case it is about electric cars which are, so most believe, not as bead for the bears and the bees as a Hummer. Permission therefore, is unlikely to be denied.
More on the Daimler-BYD deal in this excellent article from Wall Street journal:
“BEIJING—Germany’s Daimler AG and China’s BYD Co. set up a 50-50 joint venture Thursday to develop an all-electric car for the Chinese market, saying they believe China has the potential to be among the world’s largest markets for zero-emission vehicles.
Daimler, owner of luxury-car brand Mercedes-Benz, and BYD, one of China’s leading battery and auto makers, are expected to invest a total of 600 million yuan ($87.9 million) in the joint venture, Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. The money is to be used as registered capital for the joint venture in the southern industrial city of Shenzhen.

BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu and Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche signed a contract in Beijing Thursday to finalize the agreement. “Our new joint venture is well positioned to make the most of the vast potential of electric mobility in China,” Mr. Zetsche said.
Daimler also said Thursday that it is aiming to sell at least 100,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles in China this year, up from the 67,000 it sold in 2009. By 2015, Mercedes-Benz sales in China are likely to increase to 300,000 vehicles a year, the company said.
To strengthen and expand its presence in China, the German company said it plans to invest about €200 million, or about $244 million, to build a plant in Beijing to produce engines, which will be used to power vehicles it produces in China.
“For Daimler, this is a historic decision because this will be the first time ever that we’re going to produce engines for Mercedes-Benz cars outside of Germany,” Trevor Hale, a Beijing-based Daimler spokesman, said in an email message. The new engine plant will be jointly operated with Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co., Daimler’s main joint-venture partner in China.
According to a Daimler executive familiar with the BYD collaboration, the planned car is likely to be loosely based on the pure-electric propulsion system used in BYD’s e6, an all-electric battery car that the Chinese company began selling to taxi operators in Shenzhen earlier this year.
The car announced Thursday will be enhanced with Daimler’s vehicle-safety and other technologies.
Daimler engineers and designers recently established a base at a hotel near BYD’s headquarters in Shenzhen to work closely with their counterparts at the Chinese company, which is partially owned by Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., in order to come up with the joint venture’s first car for the new brand.
The Daimler executive familiar with the collaboration said Daimler and BYD might display a prototype of the jointly developed car as early as the Paris auto show in October.
One reason for the growing enthusiasm in China around all-electric cars and other heavily electrified vehicles, such as plug-in electric hybrids, is the belief that the Chinese government will start offering special incentives to support private buyers’ adoption of clean-energy cars.
Executives at Japan’s Nissan Motor Co., which plans to launch an all-electric compact car called the Leaf in the U.S., Europe and Japan in December, and in China next year, say they expect the Chinese government to set purchase incentives of as much as 60,000 yuan for electric cars. Chinese news reports have said incentives of about 50,000 yuan to 60,000 yuan are likely to be announced soon.
Still, even as auto executives such as BYD’s Mr. Wang urge the Chinese government to subsidize private purchases of all-electric battery cars, some Chinese government officials have pointed to reservations about providing consumer incentives to spur electric-car sales.
“Why do we need to provide subsidies and rebates for wealthy private buyers who would be the first in line to buy electric cars? That’s a question some of us in the government are asking,” said Chen Jianguo, a senior official at the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s main economic-planning agency, at a conference in Tianjin last year.
Yet, in anticipation of some type of policy support for private electric-car purchases, some auto makers are likely to launch electric cars in China over the next few years, creating competition for BYD and Daimler.
In addition to Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. of Japan also plans to launch all-electric cars in China by 2012, while Toyota Motor Corp. of Japan and General Motors Co. of the U.S. are gearing up to test-market plug-in hybrid electric cars in China soon.”

Beijing Auto at the Beijing Auto Show, the other concept cars

Beijing Auto was BIG at the Beijing Auto Show. Earlier on we saw the Saab-based C70G and the C90L concept. That however, wasn’t all, at all. There were three more concept cars, the C50E (pic), the C60F sedan and the C51X SUV. Beijing auto says all three stand on a new ‘M-trix’ platform that is derived from the old Saab 9-3 platform, but I am not so sure that is true…


Beijing Auto might be working on such a platform but the C50E seems to me based on the old Hyundai Elantra that is still being made in China by the Beijing-Hyundai joint venture. No matter, the C50E loox fine with a fat body-kit and four big exhaust pipes, sporty indeed.

The C60G is a bigger sedan that seems about the size of the Saab 9-3, except that is it not based on the Saab 9-3 but on a much older concept car, the Beijing Auto BE701EV, which in turn was based on the Chrysler Sebring that was made in China by the Beijing-Chrysler joint venture. No new concept car this C60G, just an update, but not a bad one.


The C51X is a mid-size crossover utility vehicle (CUV). Chinese media reported back in January that Beijing Auto was working on a new SUV based on the Saab 9-3. Those reports now seem correct. The C51X seems about the length of the 9-3 and the 9-3′s platform is designed for four-wheel drive. Engine could be the Saab 2.0 turbo or the 2.3 turbo.