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 revealed in production trim
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Cadillac prices the all-new CTS higher than before
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Jeep prices the all-new Cherokee
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Forza Motorsport 5 confirmed as Xbox One launch title
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From Autoweek: Alfa Romeo 4C production video
2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe [UPDATE]
BMW likes to send out their press releases a few hours after The News goes up on occasion. Actually, all the time. That was about to be the case today with the production-spec BMW 4 Series Coupe, but fortunately, some websites leaked that information early and our friends at Autoweek picked up on it. So I will too.
The 4 Series replaces the 3 Series we’ve known for a few decades now and it goes on sale later this year after a debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where we’re also supposed to see the new M3 sedan (the M3 coupe will be renamed M4). The styling has been redone from kidney grille to taillights but it’s still very easy to spot the similarities between it and the F30 3 Series it shares a platform with. The hardtop convertible will also carry the 4 Series nameplate whenever that goes on sale.
A range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines are planned at launch, but the only ones confirmed for North America so far are the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 242 horsepower in the 428i and the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six in the 435i. A six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive come standard on both, but an eight-speed automatic and/or all-wheel drive can be added to both. European buyers get to also choose from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel and a 3.0-liter inline-six diesel with two power outputs (254 horsepower and 309 horsepower). The suspension is reportedly lower than that of the 3 Series to improve handling, which BMW claims to be the best yet.
As far as options go, I’d be willing to bet that the trim packages from the 3 Series, those being Sport, Modern, Luxury, and eventually M Sport, will carry over with most if not all of the same equipment. Those details have not yet been disclosed, but we’ll have more on this as the car’s launch draws closer. Same goes for pricing.
[UPDATE] The press release, tons of new images, and video have been uploaded to F30Post.com. The 4 Series will be available in Sport, Luxury, and M Sport lines only. The 4 Series Coupe will enter production this July and go on sale August-September followed by the 4 Series Convertible in December-January. The 428i’s base price is $41,425 and the 435i’s base price is $46,925 with xDrive all-wheel drive being a $2,000 option for both.
[Source: BMW via Autoweek and F30Post]
2014 Cadillac CTS priced
Cadillac’s all-new CTS sedan will arrive in showrooms this fall offering more of everything, like power, comfort, and features, compared to the outgoing model. Unfortunately, that “more of everything” mentality is also reflected in the new price, which is $46,025 including destination charges. Overall the car is bigger yet lighter, more powerful yet efficient, and more sporty yet comfortable, which might justify the price bump. Since I haven’t driven it yet I’ll just have to take their word for it.
The base CTS will come equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 272 horsepower and a six-speed automatic. A 3.6-liter V6 is also available with 321 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic with rear-wheel drive or a six-speed automatic with all-wheel drive. The top-of-the-line engine offering is a 3.6-liter twin turbocharged V6 that produces 420 horsepower and is paired with an eight-speed automatic and can only be had in rear-wheel drive on the Vsport model, which starts at $59,995.
Standard equipment includes CUE infotainment system with an eight-inch touch screen, a 5.7-inch driver information screen in the gauge cluster, an eleven-speaker Bose audio system, and several options for streaming portable media devices. Base models also feature front Brembo brakes and Magnetic Ride Control if the car is equipped with 18-inch wheels. Opt for the Vsport and they’ll also give you an electronic limited-slip differential and a track cooling package.
[Source: Cadillac]
2014 Jeep Cherokee priced
The Cherokee nameplate will return to showrooms sometime in the third quarter this year for $22,995 plus $995 for destination. Jeep says the new Cherokee costs less than the Liberty model it replaces but offers so much more.
The only engine available at that price point is the 2.4-liter MultiAir2 Tigershark four-cylinder which produces 184 horsepower and 171 lb.-ft. of torque. Efficiency is rated at 31 mpg and the driving range on a full tank of gas is nearly 500 miles. Standard equipment on the entry-level Sport model includes an industry-first rear-axle disconnect, a nine-speed automatic transmission, Uconnect (which is the same name as some horrible online accounting homework tool I had to use…. ugh) infotainment piped through a five-inch touchscreen, a 60/40 split rear seat that also reclines, tire inflator kit, and everything in between.
Three other trim levels are offered, those being Latitude ($24,495), Limited ($27,995), and Trailhawk ($29,495), each of which comes with a 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 engine producing 271 horsepower and 239 lb.-ft. of torque. Each one also comes with a different set of standard features that range from leather heated seats to one of three available four-wheel drive systems.
Whether or not the redesign is worth the price, I’ll leave up to you.
[Source: Jeep]
Forza Motorsport 5 headed to Xbox One
This week, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was being held in Los Angeles and gave many game developers the chance to show off the future of gaming. Attendees included Gran Turismo 6 who revealed Willow Springs Raceway as a circuit and a few new cars, but most of what you need to know about that was covered a few weeks ago.
This week, it’s Forza Motorsport’s turn for the spotlight as we’ve got plenty of new details about Forza Motorsport 5, which will be a launch title on the upcoming Xbox One ($499) this November. Our podcast friend, Blake Z. Rong, got the chance to play a demo of the game at E3 and has provided a detailed write up of his impressions, so rather than just tell you what the press release says, I’ll let Blake tell you what it’s actually like. That write up can be found over on Autoweek.
Come this November when all these new driving games go on sale, I have a feeling we’ll be fighting over who gets to review what.
[Source: Autoweek | Image Source: Microsoft]
From Autoweek: Alfa Romeo 4C assembly video
I, for one, cannot wait until I get to see (and hopefully drive) an Alfa Romeo 4C in person. Those wanting to get their hands on the $78,000 Alfa will have to wait until later this year for it to go on sale, but in the meantime, our friends at Autoweek have published a video showing the assembly process in all its glory as well as some track time at the end.
The video can be found over at Autoweek and runs for about eight minutes.
[Source: Alfa Romeo via Autoweek]
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