Archive for the ‘General Motors’ Category

Nissan NV Utility Vans

Posted: February 3, 2011 in Chevrolet, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Nissan, Ram
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Later in 2011, probably in the last quarter, Nissan will begin to sell a commercial van that easily rivals the ancient offerings from Ford (Econoline/E-series  full-size vans) and Chevrolet (Express series).

2012 Nissan NV commercial vans

The Ford and Chevy vans haven’t changed much in decades. These pictures, with some minor cosmetic changes, could have come from any of the past 25 years.

2011 Ford E-Series Passenger and Cargo Van

2011 Chevy Express Cargo Van

Dodge used to sell a commercial van, but that’s long gone.  Until recently, Dodge sold a rebadged Ram version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, but after the Daimler-Chrysler divorce, those vans are now sold directly by Mercedes.

2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van

And let’s not forget that Dodge is no longer in the truck business.  New task-master Fiat split off Ram Trucks into a separate brand.  Fiat may eventually market its commercial trucks in the US under the Ram brand.

2011 Fiat Ducato Cargo Van - A line of commercial Fiat vans like this may be marketed in the US under the Ram Brand

The Nissan NV Utility Vans are based on the Nissan Titan pickup truck, sharing the frame and drivetrains. It will come in three variants: The 1500 is a light duty van and two heavy duty vans, a 2500 and 3500.  The HD versions can be ordered with a tall roof, similar to that available on the Mercedes Sprinter.   The base engine is a 4.0 liter V6, while Nissan’s ubiquitous 5.6 liter V8 is optional or standard, depending on configuration.  Diesel power is promised sometime after introduction, but no timetable or details are forthcoming from Nissan.  All will have an automatic transmission.

2012 Nissan NV Cargo Van with the high roof option.

2012 Nissan NV cockpit. Looks very similar to the interior of the Nissan Titan pickup truck.

Our friends at PickupTrucks.com have this great video giving details on the production NV shown at the 2010 Work Truck Show in St. Louis, MO.

My only problem with these new vans is their size. That snout, in addition to the cavernous cargo area, will make these things very hard to park and drive in the congested city.

Ford’s Transit Connect, which looks like a much smaller version of the NV,  is a much better urban fit for most contractors who don’t need the cargo and weight capacity of a gigantic pickup truck.  Further, the Transit Connect will be available in an electric version this year, making it a great fit for fleets that don’t need to drive long distances every day and can recharge each night.

2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric

I think the NV may nudge Ford and GM to update their commercial vans and the Mercedes Sprinter will get its first direct competition.

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse will be first with eAssist – Would you buy it?

Posted: January 22, 2011 in Buick, General Motors, Opel
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The 2012 Buick LaCrosse will come with an eAssist option package that is a pretty trick piece of engineering.  It starts with the combination of GM’s 2.4 liter 4-cylinder Ecotec direct gas injection engine and a Hydra-Matic 6-speed automatic transmission, then eAssist is added.  Here’s GM’s description of the system:

The eAssist system is a bundle of technologies that includes a lightweight and compact 115V air-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, integrated power inverter and 12V power supply—mounted just in front of the trunk but having a minimal impact on the trunk’s cargo space and still allowing the use of split-folding rear seats—and a liquid-cooled electric motor-generator attached to the LaCrosse’s engine in place of a standard alternator. Working together, this hardware delivers:

  • Enough regenerative braking power to provide up to 15 kW of electricity for charging the LaCrosse’s battery pack.
  • The ability to add up to 11 kW (15 hp) of electric power assistance when the car is accelerating.
  • Automatic engine shut-off functionality when the vehicle is stopped.
  • An aggressive fuel cut-off system that kicks in during deceleration.
  • Intelligent charge/discharge functionality for its high-voltage battery pack.

GM says the Buick LaCrosse eAssist will start at about $30,000 and is projected to get 25 mpg city, 37 highway. That’s damn good fuel economy for something best described as a “mild hybrid.”  Those figures are easily in diesel territory and the price is cheaper than a full hybrid.

My problem:  The Buick LaCrosse, based on the Opel Insignia, is a terrific car, loaded with technology but handicapped by too much bling and fake plastic wood. The Buick nameplate (in the US market) is tarnished from decades of neglect and abuse as part of GM’s notorious divisional system where crappy products ruled the day.  The average age of a Buick driver is now 65, down from 72 and the average age of a new Buick customer is 61 down from 64.   From the LA/So Cal perspective, I’d say those numbers are low and I don’t know anyone who wants to buy a Buick LaCrosse or Regal.  No one.

In Palm Springs, they still sell Buicks by adding landau tops and gold trim packages for the retired folks.  I claim no scientific sampling, but it seems that the Buick drivers in the desert cities are easily in their 80s.  In LA, Buick is still an airport rental. Note to GM: The constant dumping of these cars into rental fleets sucks the life out of retail sales.

I don’t have a good answer for this conundrum.  With Saturn, Oldsmobile and Pontiac gone, GM’s only “luxury” front drive brand left is Buick. I’d love to see the technology re-engineered to work on a rear-drive Cadillac, but I don’t think the “new GM” is willing to invest in that direction.

Yes, I admit Buick sales are “way up” but when you start from such a low number and dump two fresh new models into the market, the only direction to go is up.  It still boggles the mind that the Chinese think Buick is a super-premium brand — that’s the only reason Buick survived the bankruptcy. But it has a long way to go to attract U.S. buyers who aren’t on their last car.

Check out the video and see if you’d consider the 2012 LaCrosse with eAssist technology.

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