Accelerate Mpls

Episode 18 starts by introducing this weeks guest, the one and only  Michelle Naranjo joining us from Miss Motor Mouth.  Michelle kicked us off by telling us a little about herself and how she came to be awesome.  We move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• How Jeff Bridges Voice-overs Imperiled Hyundai’s Oscars Blitz
• Ford number one brand in America

We continued with our new section called tweetmeme.  This week we focused on Bob Lutz’s retirment.  Zeroing in on how people reacted both initially and after the news sank in.

This week we skip the clip of the week segment.

Next came our main topics.  This week the topic revolved around some cars from the Geneva Auto Show.  We discuss the Opel Flextreme GT/E concept, Mitsubishi ASX and 2011 Lexus CT 200h Hybrid.  The last topic is the Cult of Toyota.

Last but certainly not least, we discuss the past week on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls.  The week in review included- Leaked Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ram Production Start Dates and my 2010 Cadillac SRX Turbo Review, along with Colin’s By the Numbers: February car sales numbers.

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The first generation SRX was really never the sales success that Cadillac hoped for.  Styling on the the first generation made it look like a tall, boxy station wagon.  With both an optional third row and V8, the first generation was rear wheel drive with all wheel drive as an option.  None of this really lined up with what the mainstream rivals were offering.

For the second generation, Cadillac has taken a much more mainstream approach.  The third row option was ditched, front wheel drive and all wheel drive replaced the old drive train and there is no more V8. The largest change is the price.  This generation is starting at $33,330 where the first generation was $38,880 for the V6 and $45,880 for the V8.  The new SRX is much more competitively priced.  You can immediately tell that Cadillac is gunning straight for the RX in every sense of the word.  A base SRX is now almost $4,000 less then the starting price of a Lexus RX.  So how does it stack up?

The interior is closely related to the CTS, which is not a bad thing.  The center stack with the rising screen is directly lifted from the CTS.  The software used in the touchscreen is definitely upgraded.  I could pair my phone using only the screen in the SRX while I had to dig out the manual to figure out phone pairing with the voice command system in the CTS.  The gauge cluster has a trick screen in the center of the speedometer.  This screen essentially had all the trip computer functions while also displaying the speed limit on most major roads.  Navigation directions are also shown with this display.  The interior has non-overpowering white LED “mood” lighting at night.  The seats are supportive but not firm.  They are much softer than the seats in the CTS Sportwagon which, in my opinion, were better.  The cargo area has a track running around it that sliders can be placed in to secure cargo.  This is a very nice feature that is executed quite well.

The styling of the SRX is strong both inside and out.  From the outside, the evolution of Cadillac’s arts and science styling is in full swing.  The sharp creases and strong character lines all play together to create a rather good looking CUV.  The rear end has the classic Cadillac “tail fin” tail lights.  The angular styling leaves a D pillar in the back that creates a large blind spot.  The rear window is very small, causing visibility to be less than stellar when backing up.  The back-up camera is a much needed feature.  The front air dam is low and I actually asked people at GM about this.  They said it was both for aerodynamics and it looks better in their opinion.  I do not know about all that, but in deep snow it acts as a plow.  The little touches on the outside caught my eye.  For example, the headlight has the Cadillac symbol stamped in the reflector.  One thing that did not add up was the GM chiclet.  This “Mark of Excellence” has now been removed from new models, but I assume the tooling for the SRX was already in place before the decision was made to ditch this “Old GM” symbol.

The engine in the vehicle I had was the base 3.0 liter direct injection V6 putting out 265 hp and 223 ft-lb to the front wheels.  All wheel drive is optional with this engine.  The optional 2.8 liter turbo V6 puts out 300 hp and 295 ft-lb to standard all wheel drive with torque vectoring.  Both engines feed out to six speed automatic transmissions with manual shift capabilities.  The base 3.0 liter is some what of a dog.  The lack of torque is the main problem here.  The SRX is not light weight, as such you can feel every one of those 265 hp and 223 ft-lb trying to get underway.  The vehicle is more engaging than the class champion, Lexus RX, but feeling the engine trying to cope with the vehicle’s weight is not the best experience even though it does get up to speed just fine.  More power would be welcome via the optional 2.8 liter turbo.  The problem with this option is the mileage, which is rated at 15/21 mpg while the front wheel drive 3.0 liter is rated at 18/25 mpg.  People seem to take these numbers very seriously these days and that turbo looks thirsty on paper for this vehicle segment.

The particular SRX I had was a premium collection vehicle with a sticker price of $47,010.  This is the top level non-turbo model.  There were not many options, but rear seat entertainment was on board for $1,295 and of course GM’s crystal red tintcoat for $995.  Each rear seat has a flip up monitor attached to the back of the front seats with two wireless headphones and  a wireless remote control that comes standard with the system.  I liked the set up, and in my opinion, was done correctly.  The upgraded stereo that was in this package was a 10 speaker 5.1 digital surround sound by Bose.  I was not really that impressed with the system.  It sounded decent enough but the optional Mark Levinson system in the Lexus RX is better.  I would have liked to have seen something like the optional Harmon Kardon system from the LaCrosse in the SRX.

Equipped with 20 inch wheels, low profile tires and front wheel drive, I will admit I was a little nervous when the blizzard came through town.  In fact, I drove through three blizzards and over 1000 miles within three days while driving the SRX.  The only problem that I saw was with the front air dam.  It is so low that it plowed through the snow and getting started down an unplowed street was not easy.  It is worth mentioning that I was able to make it up a driveway that was covered in 2.5 feet of snow.  To do this I had to turn off traction control and slam the gas in order for it to crawl its way up.  Overall, I was impressed with everything it did in the snow.  I somehow managed to eek out 26.5 mpg on the highway back through one of those storms.  That is 1.5 mpg more then the EPA’s 25 mpg highway rating.

So we have gone from a rear wheel drive with an optional third row and V8 to a front wheel drive and optional turbo V6.  How did we fare?  The SRX is now officially a competitive vehicle.  The last generation was not a mainstream approach and sales reflected that.  Yes, I do think the base engine is under powered.  In reality, the general public might not even notice.  They will notice the mileage numbers that the turbo gets and will not be that impressed with them.  I am guessing most SRX’s will leave the lot with the base 3.0 engine and customers will be content.  The vehicle has distinctive styling and I like the overall packaging.  While some powertrain improvements are needed, this new SRX is a solid contender in this hotly contested segment.

Episode 9 starts by discussing the past week on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls. The first topic was the Cadillac SRX that I drove this past week. The rest of our conversation focused on the year in review. Everything from the sad stuff to the funny stuff, nothing was left out. Things mentioned included the best/worst automotive brand of the year, best/worst nameplate of the year, the Ram brand, losing Saturn, Saab, Pontiac, Hummer, and much much more. We look forward to episode 10 in 2010!

Episode 8 starts by discussing the past week on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls.  The week in review included GMAC, my Lexus ES350 review, the dead 2011 NSX and the Cadillac SRX I just took delivery of for the week.  The next topic is the Saab story that continues to unfold.  Our conversation moved on to the upcoming Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS) and what we have heard will be there.  The last topic we cover is the 2010 North American car and truck of the year.

When the deal between GM and Koenigsegg for the sale of Saab fell through Saab was in trouble.  Many people, including myself, were very excited back in June when word came out that Koenigsegg was purchasing Saab.  Koenigsegg is a Swedish super car maker which many felt would compliment Saab very well.  The possibilities were there, Saab was going to be a Swedish company again.  Many of us on Twitter were even talking about the possibility of the Aero X concept coming to fruition someday with Koenigsegg’s technology and super car knowledge.  In November the deal feel through because Koenigsegg backed out.

When the deal fell through with Koenigsegg GM said they would take a few days to reconsider the situation.  GM reevaluated and announced they would take until the end of December to find a new suitor.  If one could not be found, Saab would be shut down.  BAIC bought the tooling and rights to the old/current Saab platforms.  This does not include any new or future product just the current and past line up.  They plan on using the design and platforms for their vehicles.  Word then came out that the only real suitor interested in Saab and the future of the brand was Spyker.  While slightly different then Koenigsegg, there are many similarities.  Both companies are small.  Many assumed that for whatever reason Koenigsegg backed out of the deal, Spyker would follow suit.  As many predicted, the negotiations broke down and it was realized that the deal would not happen no matter how much time was spent.  GM announced Friday morning that they would wind down Saab operations and the brand would be killed off.

A little background on how all this came to be. GM purchased fifty one percent of Saab back in 1990 and in 2000 GM purchased the remaining portion.  Saabs tag line has been “Born From Jets”.  Saab started life by producing fighter jets.  After World War II they started producing cars.

Many say the brand was diluted with non-Saab product.  To an extent they were correct.  The 9-7x was quite possibly the worst Saab ever.  With that said it was one heck of a nice Trailblazer (for what it was).  The 9-2x (commonly referred to as the Saabaru), while more fun the 9-7x, was still no where near a Saab.  It was merely a re-badged Subaru WRX wagon.  With all wheel drive and the fun of a WRX in a slightly more upscale package (emphasis on slightly) the 9-2x was the one really nice WRX, but not really a Saab.

Saab has become an after thought for many consumers.  The sales numbers reflect this.  In October only 513 vehicles sold in the United states.  It got even worse in November when only a mere 371 vehicles sold in the United States.  The vehicles are not class competitive and overall are an after thought for most people.  Even many Saab enthusiasts were not buying.

The all new 9-5 was so close to production.  On paper the car was promising.  In my opinion, the new 9-5 just might have been the ultimate vehicle on the Epsilon II platform.  I personally was excited to test the top tier model with a Turbo V6, XWD (a torque vectoring all wheel drive), adaptive suspension, and many more features.  Not to mention a slick six speed manual transmission along side the automatic transmission.  Many cars in this class do not even offer a manual transmission as an option.  This was going to be a drivers car.  The 9-4x was also close to production ready.  This vehicle was going to be a midsize crossover based on and developed alongside the new Cadillac SRX.

Funny thing about the death of Saab.  When the announcement came Friday morning it instantly hit Twitter.  People were tweeting about this news around the world.  In fact, Saab was trending as a topic for over half the day.  Thousands upon thousands of people were whining and complaining.  People were telling stories about their Saab experiences.  So where were all these people when purchasing a car?

Things were finally looking up for Saab.  They had fresh product in the pipeline that was actually class competitive. Technology was going to be a key component in their vehicles, and over all the persona of the brand seemed to be going less GM and more towards its Swedish roots.  I was excited at the prospect of Saab finally getting back to being Swedish and possibly a little quirky.  Nearly 20 years after GM bought Saab they are going to be killing it. Saab was born from jets as they say, but they were killed by GM.

That was all I was planning on writing but Saturday morning a new development seemed to occur in this story.  Rumors swirled that the Swedish government was holding emergency meetings this weekend to try and save Saab.  Something to keep in mind is that Sweden has small population.  The government is probably nervous about impact the closure of Saab will have on the small nations economy.  This sounds awfully similar to what happened to GM and our government this past summer.

Sunday morning the story developed a new chapter.  It was said there were eleven sticking points between GM and Spyker that prevented the sale of Saab.  We do not know what these eleven things where as they were not made public.  It has been said that Nick Reilly who is GM’s man in Europe called off the Sale between Spyker early Friday morning due to concerns about intellectual property.  One of Spykers backers was going to be Russian and this was a concern.  Rumors are now swirling that Spyker resubmitted a new offer on Sunday fixing some of those concerns and set a deadline for GM of Monday December 21 at 5pm EST. (UPDATE 12/21/09 4pm- Spyker just announced they have extended the deadline for GM.  No new time was given.)

It is evident that Spyker really wants Saab.  Spyker themselves note many benefits to both Saab and themselves. Below is an excerpt from Spyker.

“In Spyker’s view, the ownership of Saab by Spyker Cars would add a lot of value to both parties. For Spyker, Saab would bring a strong, global distribution network consisting of no less than 1100 dealers, state-of-the-art production facilities, a truly dedicated work force and solid engineering, sourcing and research & development capabilities. Likewise, Saab would receive the financial backing required to compete as a competitive global brand, along with an entrepreneurial leadership team sensitive to the uniqueness, heritage and individuality of the Saab brand. Throughout these negotiations, both Spyker and Saab leadership have proven that they share a mutual vision for just such a partnership.”

GM continued to say upon questioning this weekend that Saab will be wound down over the course of three months beginning in January.  I for one hope that Saab has a second chance at survival.  I am however a realist and understand these are all rumors. We will see how this all plays out. For now the official word is still Saab dead.

Below is Spykers press statement from this weekend about the new offer made to GM.

PRESS RELEASE

SPYKER CARS RENEWS OFFER FOR SAAB THAT REMOVES LAST HURDLES

ZEEWOLDE, The Netherlands (20 December, 2009) -Following the announcement on Friday that the intended sales terms of Saab Automobile AB between Spyker and General Motors (GM) could not be finalized, the Spyker leadership has submitted a renewed offer in the hopes of securing a future for Saab, its employees and the brand, despite the announcement that the winding down of Saab would begin.

Spyker CEO Victor R. Muller said today that an 11-point proposal had been submitted to GM, addressing each of the issues that arose during the due diligence process and that the renewed offer would remove each of the obstacles that were standing in the way of a swift transaction.

“We have made every effort to resolve the issues that were preventing the conclusion of this matter and we have asked GM and all other involved parties to seriously consider this offer,” said Muller.

“We are very confident that our renewed offer will remove the impasse that was standing in the way of an agreement on Friday, and this would still allow us to conclude the deal prior to the expiry of the deadline originally set by GM of December 31st,” said Muller.

“Despite our collective eleventh hour set-back, we are returning to the table with a renewed offer, that addresses every known issue brought to light during the initial negotiations and that has the full backing of the Saab Management. The new offer eliminates the need for an EIB loan approval prior to year end, for example, which will allow the deal to be concluded within GM’s deadline. Our efforts are based on our passion for saving an iconic brand that we would be honoured to shepherd, and the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of loyal Saab employees, suppliers and dealers around the world. Some 1,500,000 Saabs are on the road today and their proud owners would no doubt welcome the survival of this phenomenal brand,” he added.

In Spyker’s view, the ownership of Saab by Spyker Cars would add a lot of value to both parties. For Spyker, Saab would bring a strong, global distribution network consisting of no less than 1100 dealers, state-of-the-art production facilities, a truly dedicated work force and solid engineering, sourcing and research & development capabilities. Likewise, Saab would receive the financial backing required to compete as a competitive global brand, along with an entrepreneurial leadership team sensitive to the uniqueness, heritage and individuality of the Saab brand. Throughout these negotiations, both Spyker and Saab leadership have proven that they share a mutual vision for just such a partnership.

“Our company motto is nulla tenaci invia est via – for the tenacious no road is impassable,” said Muller, “And we intend to remain true to that throughout these negotiations as we bid to secure Saab’s future and revive the company.”

The renewed Spyker offer is valid until 5pm (Eastern Standard Time) on Monday December 21, 2009.