Monthly Archives: June 2015


2016 Chevrolet Cruze – Coming with a Diesel!

IMG_1441At the Fillmore Theater in Detroit this evening, Chevrolet finally took the wraps off the North American version of the second-generation Cruze compact and it looks like a big step forward from the current model. When the Cruze debuted here five years ago, it was something of  a watershed for General Motors, the first compact car from the Detroit automaker that was truly competitive with the import brands. It wasn’t perfect, being a bit tight inside and somewhat porky at the scales. Nonetheless, it was so much better than anything GM had built to date that it sold like gangbusters with more than 3 million sales globally since 2008. This time around, Chevrolet has sought to address all the complaints we had about the original and raise the bar in the segment.

(more…)


Is map data collection a potential revenue stream for the US Postal Service?…

Is map data collection a potential revenue stream for the US Postal Service?

High-Accuracy Mapping: An Opportunity for the Post Office?
Synergy is one of the most overused and abused words in business. Whenever this word is uttered, it’s time to break out a big hunk of salt. However, at the recent TU-Automotive Detroit conference i…


2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible – Let the Sun Shine In

2016CamaroConvert_3

Chevrolet kicked off its 2015 Innovation Day here in Detroit by unveiling the drop-top companion to the all-new sixth-generation Camaro that we first saw just over a month ago. Frankly, there aren’t many real surprises here but at first glace, Chevrolet seems to have done a much better job on execution than the last car. Like the outgoing edition and its chief competitor for Dearborn, this one gets a power retracting fabric top that slips into a cavity behind the rear seats but it does seem to outdo the competition in several respects.

(more…)


2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD – It’s the Crossover With Zoom-Zoom

2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring - 1 of 24The typical American car buyer is a fickle beast, constantly evolving and chasing the latest fashion. You might think that as the second biggest purchase that most people make after their home, selecting a vehicle would be a more rational decision, but in reality it is often far more emotional. That’s probably why the crossover utility vehicle has become one of the hottest segments in the market with the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape each selling more than 300,000 units in 2014 and numerous other models in the segment topping 200,000. For Mazda, the compact CX-5 is the brand’s second best seller, just behind the Mazda3 and selling nearly twice as fast as the midsize Mazda6 sedan. I recently got to spend a week with the 2016 CX-5 Grand Touring AWD to see if it lives up to the brand’s fun-to-drive philosophy and came away impressed.

(more…)