Wednesday, July 31, 2013

CD Players to Join Cassettes and 8-Tracks on List of Extinct Formats

In-dash CD players are finally going the way of cassette decks, bud vases, Razor scooters, shell necklaces and Ja Rule.
Automakers have predicted this for the better part of the past decade as car stereos augmented the standard CD player with auxiliary MP3 jacks, USB/iPod connectors and, eventually, streaming Bluetooth audio. As far back as late 2011, market researcher NPD Group said nearly a third of people listened to music in their cars via smartphones or MP3 players. And this year, J.D. Power's Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study found that as many people listen to CDs as external devices, like an iPod or a smartphone. In past APEAL studies, more drivers still listened to CDs.

It's already happening, and not just in tech-heavy cars like the Tesla Model S. Opt for the 8.4-inch multimedia touch-screen in a 2013 Dodge Dart, and the CD player goes into the center armrest — a spot that underlines just how many drivers Dodge expects to use it. Up-level versions of the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee and redesigned Grand Cherokee, meanwhile, forego CD players entirely. You can still get one, but it goes in the center armrest or glove compartment. Chevrolet's 7-inch MyLink touch-screen in the 2014 Sonic eliminates the CD player altogether. And in the 2014 Kia Soul and 2013 Chevrolet Spark, you can't buy a CD player in any trim.

Are we just a few years away from CD players becoming extinct? And what are car designers doing with the free space?
CDSonic
We reached out to a number of automakers to find out. Ford, Honda and Hyundai said their vehicles still have tried-and-true CD players, but all three are monitoring customer habits to see when that will change.
"Will CD players go away completely? That is for our customers to decide," Amy Marentic, Ford's global car and crossover marketing manager, told us. "We monitor usage and will react accordingly."
Hyundai agrees. Product Planning Director Scott Margason said the automaker is "tracking CD demand to determine application in the future."
 
They Need the Space
CDCueDoor

In the Sonic, Dart and both Jeeps, larger touch-screens take up space where the CD slot might have gone. That makes sense; after all, the center stack is some of the most sought-after — and sometimes crowded — space inside a car. But how much does the CD player really take up? Not much, Honda's James Jenkins said.

"It's obviously a horizontal line in the dashboard, very short in height — [a] quarter of an inch," said Jenkins, who manages Honda's product planning department. "We've never had an issue where a designer has said, you know, we can make it better if you didn't have a CD player. It's relatively small in space."

Klaus Busse, Chrysler's interior design chief, disagrees.
"The center stack is such precious real estate — it's like the waterfront in Chicago," he said. "Every millimeter, not just every inch, counts."
What's more, Busse cautioned, all the components in that area generate heat and take up room behind the scenes — affecting, for example, the routing of air-conditioning ducts. Cluster them too close together, and you complicate packaging or risk overheating.
"If you don't have to worry about this CD-player brick, you have much more flexibility in how you can do that," he said. "Those are not decisions we make in a five-minute water cooler meeting. Those are very important discussions."

GM products like the new Chevy Impala and Cadillac XTS have a hidden compartment behind the touch-screen equipped with a USB port that can store a good-sized smartphone and wallet.
 
Cost Considerations
Cost considerations are an important part of any interior design too — and CD players add to that. But it's not much, Honda's Jenkins said.

"It's not pennies, but it's not significant either," Jenkins said. "We have data that shows [sic] that obviously a lot of people don't use a CD player ... [but] we still have some percentage of buyers who still have 300 CDs and haven't made the leap to iPads or iPhones, so we have to project for them too."

Mike VanNieuwkuyk, executive director of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates, agrees.
"There's sort of a cluster of different groups of people who are still using the CD more than they are the external device," VanNieuwkuyk said. "There's so much investment in our CD catalogs, and if you're sort of in a family situation there's so much more pressing [financial] needs."

Will there be a year when in-dash CD players go completely extinct? Officials at Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Hyundai were reluctant to venture a guess. VanNieuwkuyk thinks it will be a slow exit, pointing to the lengthy exit of cassette decks.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see 10 years down the road that we still have CDs in some models," he said. "I think it's fair that sometime in the 2020s that might be about the time."
When that happens, the trusty CD slot will become an artifact of the past. Chrysler's Busse says he already sees it.
"If you get into a car that's 20 years old, and you use the cassette player in that car, you say, 'Oh look at that thing — it's old, the technology screams, 'I'm an old car,' " he said. "We see the CD slot on a [dashboard] surface, and it actually feels old already."

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Honey, I Shurnk the Celica!


Tiny Toyotas on display for automaker's anniversary.
No, kids, they're not Toys!

Mike Garrett/Speedhunters.com
Mike Garrett/Speedhunters.com
By: Graham Kozak on 7/25/2013

Toyota is celebrating 75 years in the auto biz in a small way: It's showing off 50 one-fifth-scale models of its vehicles, normally tucked away at the Toyota HQ, to the general public for a limited time.

You'll see popular cars like the MR2 and the Supra, both of which are well-represented by the multiple generations on display. But we love the historic Toyotas too -- from Celica 1600 GTs to Coronas.

Even if you can't understand our obsession with odd Japanese cars, you can still appreciate the artistry that went into these incredible models.

You've got to visit Toyota Automobile Museum in Japan to check them out in person, but fortunately, Mike Garrett at Speedhunters was there on our behalf -- and he returned with a series of photos for our enjoyment. Check out part one and part two of his series at Speedhunters.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130725/carnews01/130729900#ixzz2a5labFfz

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

All The Fit That's News to Print

Honda reveals next-generation Fit, teases crossover and hybrid models    



2015-Honda-Fit-pr-top.jpgHonda has released first official images of the new 2015 Fit, set to begin production in Mexico next spring, along with information teasing an expanded model range.
The new Honda Fit looks sportier and substantial, but it still appears to have the tall, upright greenhouse that gives the current version its great visibility and interior space. Honda promises nicer interior materials, along with the latest infotainment and connectivity features. The new Fit will use a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine from Honda's fuel-efficient Earth Dreams powertrain family, along with a continuously variable transmission. A six-speed manual may also be an option.
The company also plans to introduce one or more SUV-type models based on the Fit, such as previewed by the Urban SUV Concept. At least one Fit-spinoff will include a hybrid variant using Honda's new i-DCD full-hybrid system.
Whenever we test a new small car, it always gets compared to a Honda Fit. That's because every version of the Fit that we've driven has delivered an impressive blend of space, efficiency, sportiness, and value. It sets a high standard. We hope the next-generation Fit lives up to the reputation, but based on the automaker's hit-or-miss launch history (ahem, Civic), there is no guaranty.

—Eric Evarts

Thursday, June 6, 2013

GM Bugs VW; Bigtime! Quiet, Efficient Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Sedan Gives Volkswagen TDIs New Competition

For a long time, if you wanted an affordable diesel sedan, your only choice was a trip to the Volkswagen dealer to shop the Jetta TDI or Passat TDI. Now, the Chevrolet Cruze diesel gives buyers a new choice. And we just added one to our test fleet to see how it measures up.
General Motors offers this 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine overseas, making its appearance stateside in the Ohio-built Chevrolet Cruze seem like a natural strategy. To enhance fuel efficiency, the automaker has used aerodynamic tricks from the gasoline-powered Cruze Eco model, such as active grille shutters, front air dam, and rear spoiler from. Based on our initial drives, we'd also bet that some sound-stifling lessons were applied from the library-quiet platform-mate Buick Verano.

The Cruze turbo diesel comes in one well-equipped trim level, including leather (nicer than the Jetta's leatherette) and the MyLink touch-screen stereo with excellent voice-commands. Adding a sunroof to match the TDI Premium brings the roughly equivalent price to $26,605. Overall, the Jetta has more room but the Cruze has more features.
The Cruze we bought has a few more options, including a handy $380 Convenience Package with a rear camera and heated mirrors and $325 worth of Crystal Red metallic "tintcoat" paint, for a total price of $27,300.
You do pay more for the Cruze's extra "niceness," but it's not a big difference. A Jetta TDI Premium, including a sunroof, touch-screen stereo, and the optional DSG transmission, stickers for $26,390.
Of course, if you're buying a diesel, you care about mileage. With less than 150 miles on the car, we're far from making any conclusive statement on fuel economy. Getting 40 mpg in routine driving, including some highway cruising, seems to be pretty easy. (Visit our guide to fuel economy.)
Comparisons between the Cruze and the Jetta are inevitable. Here are our first observations:
  • Dedicated manual-transmission drivers will pick a VW TDI, since the Cruze diesel is automatic-only. That said, our initial impressions are that GM's automatic is a good fit with the torque, low-revving diesel.
  • There's a lot more room in the Jetta's backseat than the Cruze's tight rear accommodations.
  • The Jetta TDI gets away without needing diesel emissions fluid (DEF). Required in the Cruze, refills are covered during the complementary maintenance period.
  • The Jetta feels penny-pinched compared to the Cruze. The VW's interior looks cheaper, showing just how much the automotive universe has changed. Our first impression is that the Cruze is quieter, as well.
It's easier to find a Jetta TDI at your local dealer. For now, Chevrolet is only peddling this Cruze in select major markets where diesels traditionally sell well. We thought that was going to require a trip to Boston to buy our car, but we were able to purchase from a nearby Chevrolet mega-dealer. We grabbed the first one they had in stock, saving us a trip to Beantown.
Maybe that drive from Boston wouldn't have been much of a hardship, as the Cruze feels like a premium-yet-efficient compact sedan. (I'd buy one over a Buick Verano any day of the week.)
We're putting miles on our Cruze before it enters our formal test program, and we look forward to seeing how it does in our fuel economy tests.
—Tom Mutchler