Welcome to the Hooniverse News! This is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or the bull. I also throw in a little opinion of mine, just because I can. This week:
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BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is a four-door version of a coupe based on a sedan
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Subaru launches new-enough 2015 Legacy
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BMW X3 gets a refresh, diesel, and RWD
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Toyota still plays in the dirt and you can too
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Plus complete Chicago Auto Show coverage from Autoweek
2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe
If there was ever any doubt that BMW might be having a bad case of the “build everything for no reason” disease, there shouldn’t be any longer.
Before I go into the details about the 4 Series Gran Coupe, I should first review some recent BMW history. Just recently, BMW decided to split up the legendary 3 Series line into two different lines for the purpose of organization or something. The 3 Series Sedan would continue to be known as the 3 Series, but what used to be the 3 Series Coupe and Convertible would start being called the 4 Series. So 3 Series = four door and 4 Series = two door.
That takes us to this (admittedly beautiful) piece of work called the 4 Series Gran Coupe. The Gran Coupe means it’s a four door version of a two door which is supposed to retain more of a coupe’s profile while having the practicality of four doors. The only other one of those Gran Coupes that existed until now is the 6 Series Gran Coupe. In that case, it looks totally different than its four-door sibling down the line it shares a platform with (the 5 Series) which makes the choice between the two an interesting one. Plus, the 5 and the 6 Series have been separate entities since 1976 and it wasn’t the result of a weird split like with the 3 and the 4, which have been separate for a little over a year.
So that means in less than two years BMW has split up the 3 Series Sedan and 4 Series Coupe into their own lines only to produce a four-door version of the car that was split into a new line in the first place specifically because it was a two-door. And in the process of giving this four-door a “coupe-like profile”, they’ve had to change the roofline in a way that rear headroom is less than stellar for most adults, if there’s any at all. I guess this one’s being marketed towards people who want a car that looks a bit like a coupe but has the insurance payments of a sedan.
So… the 2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is, in a nutshell, a 3 Series with less headroom and some 4 Series-specific styling features.
It is pretty though.
[Source: BMW]
2015 Subaru Legacy
One of the more practical unveilings that took place at the Chicago Auto Show this week was the 2015 Subaru Legacy which is new enough to be called all-new. Subaru says this is their roomiest Legacy ever and is the new leader in cabin space within the midsize segment, but it has more to it than that.
The design, as you might have been able to tell, is all-new but takes inspiration from the Legacy concept car they revealed at the 2013 LA Auto Show. The biggest styling buzzword of the year, “coupe-like”, is mentioned along with “sporty” and “sleek, but most importantly this design is meant to be more aerodynamically efficient than ever. Outside dimensions increase negligibly but cabin space has been increased enough to offer more welcomed shoulder, hip, elbow, and leg room in addition to a larger trunk (fifteen cubic-feet).
Protecting cabin occupants, who are busy enjoying their 38.1 inches of rear seat leg room, are several new safety features including front seat cushion airbags to keep occupants in place during a collision, the usual backup camera, cabin and exterior lights that turn on as the driver walks up to the car for added nighttime security, and a new, standard rear radar sensor which serves three functions: Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
Two engines will be available at launch, the entry-level one being an update 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder which produces 175 horsepower and 174 lb.-ft. of torque, is lighter, and is more responsive thanks to peak torque being spread over a broader RPM range. The top-of-the-line engine choice is a 3.6-liter Boxer six-cylinder which delivers 256 horsepower and 247 lb.-ft. of torque. All 2015 Legacys will be equipped exclusively with a new Lineartronic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) and Subaru’s Symmetric all-wheel drive.
Pricing is not available yet.
[Source: Subaru]
2015 BMW X3
And now on to another BMW which some would argue makes even less sense than the 4 Series GC. The lovable X3, one of BMW’s most successful sellers, is getting a refresh for the 2015 model year. The 2015 BMW X3, shown above in some kind of foreign area known as “off road”, will feature tweaked styling inside and out, diesel power, and drivetrain updates to provide an X3 which is more luxurious and practical than ever before.
The styling of the BMW X3 has always been a bit controversial, but BMW has been hard at work trying to give the X3 a more powerful and eye-catching look. The rest of the major exterior updates include new twin-circular headlights with optional LED bulbs, a bigger kidney grille, and new bumpers at both ends. Whether or not all that is good enough to make you want an X3, I’ll let you decide. Those that do throw enough money at BMW to drive home with an X3 will be treated to an interior that gets its fair share of updates as well. Chrome trim and glossy black control panels give you something shiny to look at while new upholstery options can make the cabin a much nicer place to be. There are also new cup holders in the center console which can be covered up with a sliding panel to maintain the sleek interior profile, which should be exciting to everyone who buys a car for its cup holders.
Functionality-wise, the X3 still aims to have plenty of it with a new xLine package which adds stuff like a “Smart Opener” for the automatic tailgate and some special storage package that does something. The other big update however is the new diesel engine option in the form of a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder which produces 180 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque – and unlike the other diesels available in the X3, this one can be ordered in the US. The only available transmission is a nifty eight-speed automatic, but now for the first time in America, an X3 can be ordered in rear-wheel drive in addition to all-wheel drive in some variations. The other two available engines are the same petrol units: a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-banger and a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo straight six, capable of 240 horsepower and 300 horsepower respectively.
Prices start at $39,325 for the X3 sDrive28i (s = rear-wheel drive) and that new diesel engine available in the X3 xDrive28d commands $42,825. The first batches of 2015 BMW X3s will go on sale this spring.
[Source: BMW]
Toyota TRD Pro Series
Toyota used the show floor of the Chicago Auto Show to lay down an off-road course to show off three new kits for the Tundra, Tacoma, and 4Runner that are catered specifically for people who still play in the dirt. These off-road kits are available under the name Toyota TRD Pro Series and can be ordered and installed at the factory. The interwebs likes to call these three Ford F-150 SVT Raptor competitors, but I’ll let you decide if that’s true based on the parts list.
This package, available on any 4×4 Tundra, Tacoma, and 4Runner includes the following: TRD Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs, TRD-tuned front springs, TRD front skid plate, unique front grille with brand badging to pay tribute to early iconic Toyota models, TRD floor mats, TRD shift knobs, black wheels, front suspension lift by two inches (1.5″ on the 4Runner), decreased spring rate, and a TRD exhaust system.
Those are all shared between the three trucks, but each truck gets a few more options all to themselves. The Tundra also gets eighteen-inch alloy wheels with Michelin ORP tires while the Tacoma (which is referred to as Taco Supreme in the press release… no, really) gets sixteen-inch beadlock-style wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. All three trucks also get some exclusive cosmetic upgrades as well.
Pricing isn’t available yet, but these three will launch [probably in more than one way] this fall.
[Source: Toyota]
Complete Chicago Auto Show coverage from Autoweek
You know the drill by now. Our friends at Autoweek always have you covered if you’re craving for full auto show coverage, and the 2014 Chicago Auto Show is no exception. Head on over for more, including a diesel-powered BMW 7 Series, a Nissan Frontier with Cummins diesel power, and other things that may or may not be diesel like Kia’s nifty little Soul EV.
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