Nissan is set to debut an all-new Pathfinder later this year, and the Japanese automaker has given us a better picture of what to expect from the vehicle’s cabin. Leather heated and cooled front seats are part of the package, while occupants in the second row will enjoy heated thrones of their own. Nissan focused heavily on making the third row easier to access. The company incorporated larger rear door openings to make ingress and egress a simpler affair, and the second-row seats feature a child-seat mode that still allows rear access even with a booster seat in place.

Speaking of the way-back seats, the next-generation Pathfinder will feature a reclining 50/50 folding bench in the third row. Both the second and third row fold flat for more cargo area.

There should be plenty of technology on board, too, including a 13-speaker Bose stereo and the handy Nissan around-view monitor. Click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior

Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These days, you only have a Ball chair in your office if you’re an evil genius or confused enough to think it’s still 1962. The clever artists at Racing and Emotion Design are out to change all that, though. The company has taken it upon themselves to slather the spherical seating, as well as an “Egg” style chair, in some of the world’s most famous racing liveries.

Want to kick back in the same style as the Gulf Porsche 917? No problem. What if the Pink Pig is more your style? Racing and Emotion Design have you covered. The French designers have even worked up a chair in Ayrton Senna’s helmet livery, as well as the colors found on the racer’s Lotus 97T. In all, there are 21 separate liveries to chose from. We’re particularly smitten with the BMW 3.0 CSL piece, though the various Gulf liveried thrones are likely to be sure winners.

Unfortunately, we won’t be dragging one of these home to the lair anytime soon. The chairs each cost around $3,788 at current conversion rates, which means we’ll just have to control our death ray from the comfort of the couch. Head over to Racing & Emotion or Classic Heroes to take a look at the full range.

Amazing mod Egg chairs in your favorite classic racecar liveries originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Expect the next Soul to look something like the Track’ster, with Kia deploying more than one variant.

Kia’s Track’ster Concept is one of the big hits of the Chicago Auto Show, one of the rare concepts that just screams, “Build me!” But after a thorough interrogation of Kia’s PR team and an interview with design chief Peter Schreyer, we realize that’s just wishful thinking. We do, however, expect the next Soul to look something like the Track’ster, with Kia deploying more than one variant when the second generation appears in a few years.

“If the Soul were to evolve into a family, it would be nice,” Schreyer told us.

Kia spokesman Scott McKee repeatedly said the Track’ster was just a concept and not intended to be production feasible, all the while issuing the standard auto company disclaimer, “Every concept car we do is about gathering information from consumers and media.”

One of the big pieces of information Kia is likely looking for is whether performance cars from Kia would play with the notoriously cliquish enthusiast community. Even more importantly, however, Kia will be gauging interest in additional body styles for the Soul. Schreyer said he thinks the Soul would be “more substantial” if it were also offered in a two-door version, or in a more performance-oriented flavor. All-wheel drive is a feature Schreyer also specifically mentioned as being on his wish list.

Continue reading Kia Track’ster unlikely for production, but hints at next-generation Soul “family”

Kia Track’ster unlikely for production, but hints at next-generation Soul “family” originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat will start building a battery-electric version of its 500 compact this year, marking the Italian automaker’s entrance into the EV production market. So said Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne in an official Chrysler tweet recently that said:

Marchionne: at Chrysler we are working on an electric version of the Fiat 500 that we’ll begin manufacturing later this year.

As you can read, Marchionne didn’t say how many EVs would be produced or how much it would cost, though the 500 EV will likely have about 100 horsepower as well as about a 90-mile single-charge range, the website said. Marchionne once estimated that Fiat would lose about $10,000 on each 500 EV sold. Fiat hasn’t put out an official statement on the model.

Fiat unveiled its 500 Elettra battery-electric concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, though has been relatively quiet since. A privately converted 500 EV was notably owned by now-deceased Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Earlier this month, Corrado Clini, a member of Italy’s Ministry of the Environment, said Fiat missed an opportunity to gain from growing global demand for electric-drive vehicles by choosing to work on more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines instead of hybrids and electric powertrains, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Fiat will start building battery-electric 500 this year, CEO tweets originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to a report from The Associated Press, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a probe into possible driver-side door fires in 2007 Toyota Camry sedans and RAV4 crossovers. A total of 830,000 vehicles may be affected.

Six fires have been reported to NHTSA, all stemming from the door-mounted power window switch. Five of the fires are said to have been minor, with one resulting in the total loss of a Camry that burnt to a crisp before firefighters were able to respond.

It’s important to note that this is not (yet) a recall. NHTSA opened an investigation on Monday, February 6, and a recall could potentially be announced depending on NHTSA’s findings. Toyota has said in a statement that it is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Feds investigating Toyota Camry and RAV4 over door fires originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday, Car and Driver called out GM in a snarky blog post for repurposing parts from the discontinued Saturn Outlook to refresh the GMC Acadia. GM didn’t confirm C/D’s suspicions at the time, but after we called and asked politely, GMC PR did answer our request.

According to spokesman Joe LaMuraglia, the 2013 Acadia liftgate glass, spoiler, rear quarter panel and rear side glass are all sourced from the Outlook. The hatch is also the same as the Saturn, but that’s always been the case, as the old Acadia used the same part.

Now before you rush to judgment here, we suggest you take a good hard look at the new Acadia and tell us you don’t think it looks better than the old model. We’ve always thought the Saturn Outlook was the more attractive of the siblings, so we don’t have any issues with GM’s parts-sharing tactic, especially considering all these parts are in the rear of the vehicle rather than up front in the all-important “face.”

Considering that GM is likely to still be producing service parts for the thousands of Outlooks on the road, this is actually a really good move. Needless spending to refresh the Acadia when this suitable alternative already exists is the kind of smart decision that we hope GM continues to make.

GM confirms discontinued Saturn Outlook parts used in refreshed GMC Acadia originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turin-based styling house Bertone has released a couple of sketches teasing its upcoming Nuccio Concept car. To be debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Nuccio will reportedly be based on a mid-engine platform and is meant to commemorate the company’s 100-year anniversary.

The Nuccio is named after founder Giovanni Bertone’s son, who took over the company and separated it into two divisions, one for building cars and one for designing them for clients. Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone died in 1997 and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit in 2006, having led his eponymous company through its most successful years.

The Nuccio Concept will be a berlinetta (Italian for little saloon) of classic Bertone design, sporting a pronounced wedge shape that sits very low to the ground. No real details were provided with the two sketches, so we’ll have to wait until the Geneva festivities kick off for any hints on the powertrain or seating configuration.

Bertone releases sketches of Nuccio Concept ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turin-based styling house Bertone has released a couple of sketches teasing its upcoming Nuccio Concept car. To be debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Nuccio will reportedly be based on a mid-engine platform and is meant to commemorate the company’s 100-year anniversary.

The Nuccio is named after founder Giovanni Bertone’s son, who took over the company and separated it into two divisions, one for building cars and one for designing them for clients. Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone died in 1997 and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit in 2006, having led his eponymous company through its most successful years.

The Nuccio Concept will be a berlinetta (Italian for little saloon) of classic Bertone design, sporting a pronounced wedge shape that sits very low to the ground. No real details were provided with the two sketches, so we’ll have to wait until the Geneva festivities kick off for any hints on the powertrain or seating configuration.

Bertone releases sketches of Nuccio Concept ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin has pulled back the sheets on the first images of its production V12 Zagato. The road car is headed for an official debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in March.

Following in the tradition of the automaker’s ultra exclusive One-77, the V12 Zagato will take more than 2,000 man-hours to manufacture thanks to hand-hewn body panels, including the hood, roof and doors. Not surprisingly, Aston Martin has committed to building just 150 examples. The V12 Zagato will also make extensive use of carbon fiber, with the front and rear fenders, trunk lid and door sills all constructed from the composite.

Aston Martin created four new colors especially for the V12 Zagato, and paint alone takes 100 hours to complete. Indoors, it takes a full seven hides to cover the cabin in hand-stitched, quilted leather.

The V12 Zagato effectively rides on the same underpinnings as the V12 Vantage, which means buyers can look forward to a 6.0-liter V12 engine with 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, while a six-speed manual transmission puts the power to the ground. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Aston Martin debuts production V12 Zagato

Aston Martin debuts production V12 Zagato originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan is set to debut an all-new Pathfinder later this year, and the Japanese automaker has given us a better picture of what to expect from the vehicle’s cabin. Leather heated and cooled front seats are part of the package, while occupants in the second row will enjoy heated thrones of their own. Nissan focused heavily on making the third row easier to access. The company incorporated larger rear door openings to make ingress and egress a simpler affair, and the second-row seats feature a child-seat mode that still allows rear access even with a booster seat in place.

Speaking of the way-back seats, the next-generation Pathfinder will feature a reclining 50/50 folding bench in the third row. Both the second and third row fold flat for more cargo area.

There should be plenty of technology on board, too, including a 13-speaker Bose stereo and the handy Nissan around-view monitor. Click past the jump for the full press release as well as a quick video of the SUV’s cabin.

Continue reading Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior [w/video]

Nissan reveals more about Pathfinder’s new interior [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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