Last week, we wrote about Audi coming out with a hybrid for next year, but this week we’re going with another A-named brand: Acura. The 2012 Acura TL is one of the newest offerings from the luxury line, and we think it’s likely to be a top-seller.
For this week’s Media Tuesday, then, we’re sharing Kelley Blue Book’s video review:
Last year Audi, along with its parent company Volkswagen AG, joined the ranks of automakers that were jumping on the hybrid/electric drive bandwagon. Subsequently, at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Audi shared several planned hybrid-electric and plug-in vehicles, including the Audi A8 hybrid.
Earlier this week, Audi confirmed that the A8 hybrid was going into production, and shared some details about the luxury sedan.
In a press release about the car, Audi said that the A8 will go into production next year. It’s destined to be powered by a 211-hp four-cylinder engine combined with a 54-hp electric motor, that will give the power train a maximum capability of 245-hp and provide 345 lb-ft of torque. Under solely electric power, the A8 can reach speeds of 62 mph for up to 1.8 miles, but the car actually has five different modes of operation: gas-only, gas-electric, electric only, battery recuperation, and power-boosting. The instrument panel will include displays of the current mode, and give the driver a choice of either pure-EV mode (when the battery is charged) “D” mode for maximum combined efficiency, and “S” mode for more power.
Overall, Audi says, the efficiency of the A8 will be just under 37 mph, though since the car is not yet confirmed for production in the United States, that number is based on much more forgiving European testing. (Currently, the most fuel-efficient version of the A8 available in the US is the 8-cylinder model which reaches 21 mpg.)
Yesterday Toyota and Ford made a joint-announcement revealing plans for the two automakers to collaborate on hybrid-drive technology meant for light trucks and SUVs. It’s expected that the result will be new, more fuel-efficient powertrains that will eventually show up under both the Toyota and Ford brands as the decade progresses.
While neither company has specified the platforms which will be targeted, it’s no secret that both need to work on improving the fuel economy of their SUVs and pickup trucks as the year 2025 and its 54.5 mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards draw ever nearer.
Toyota, of course, has a leg up since it already builds the Prius – the most popular hybrid in the United States. Ford, on the other hand, plans to triple its existing output of hybrids to over 100,000 vehicles/year by 2013.
While both automakers currently use hybrid architectures that are pretty similar, at least in the front-wheel drive Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion Hybrid, a rear-wheel drive system will be essential in order to provide enough towing power for trucks like the Ford F-150 or the Toyota Tundra, both of which represent lines that show no sign of slowing sales, but lack hybrid options.
Such heavy vehicles, said Toyota vice president Takeshi Uchiyamada in a statement, “…are indispensable to American customers.”
Going green is still hot for most carmakers, with more and more hybrids and electric vehicles rolling off assembly lines around the world. At the recent 2011 Ferrari Design Awards, however, the CEO of Ferrari, Luca di Montezemelo, said that we will never see an electric Ferrari.
Here’s the whole video, courtesy of Engadget and YouTube:
It’s no secret that hybrids and EVs are the darlings of the environmental movement, but there are still a lot of vehicle options that will give you excellent gas mileage and the ease of care that comes with a standard engine. Recently, Automotive Magazine came up with a list of the most fuel efficient 2011 model-year non-hybrids on the market, according to EPA guidelines.
What are they? Here’s the list: