Christie Schweinsberg

Christie

Schweinsberg

Associated Editor

WardsAuto

Email: cschweinsberg@wardsauto.com

Christie covers Asia-based auto makers and the U.S. heavy-truck market.

Sublimely toss-able and ready-to-run, while still being mild-mannered for everyday use, the new FR-S fits Toyota’s youth brand to a ‘T,’ even if the backseat fits practically no one.

Simplicity in design and lack of noise, both audible and visual, will define the luxury interiors of tomorrow, panelists say.

Using LIN, designers can achieve more uniformity with their lighting designs. Ambient lighting needs to fit a particular interior color, as some lighting schemes may be too intense in a beige interior but just right for a cabin shaded black.

The RX CUV is the only Lexus vehicle built in North America. "Now with the exchange rates the way they are, it really accelerates the thought process," the brand’s top U.S. executive says.

Incremental growth from two lineup additions, the recently launched iQ subcompact and upcoming FR-S sports car, should boost deliveries, as will future xB and xD replacements, the brand’s top executive says.

The Japanese auto maker has a positive outlook for fiscal 2013, predicting 8.7 million vehicle sales based on growth in all regions, including a 300,000-unit increase in the U.S.

In March the iQ completed its national rollout, with the car going on sale in the Midwest, following prior debuts in the western U.S., Southeast and East Coast regions.

Buick’s Verano, the ILX’s only 4-door competition, offers a lower base price and a more powerful engine, and the ILX Hybrid carries a $4,000-$10,000 premium over the Civic Hybrid, on which it is based.

The newest version of the engine uses 10% less fuel and meets Tier 2 Bin 5 U.S. emissions standards via a selective catalyst reduction system.

Car models whose production was hardest hit by Japan’s natural disasters last year, including the Prius hybrid, Yaris subcompact and Lexus CT hybrid, saw the biggest increases last month, up more than 100% compared with year-ago.

The third shift is expected to start in September, with hiring for 877 positions taking place this summer.

The auto maker favors Japan’s CHAdeMO design, which is at odds with the SAE proposal for a common connector for 240V and 480V charging. “We must not forget the remaining 95%” of the system, a top executive says.

The Infiniti CUV’s wood trim, flowing design language and clamshell-style folding second-row seat checks all our boxes.

The overall look of Mazda CX-5’s cabin is sparse, but there are impressive touches, including a ridged, hard-plastic trim piece surrounding the window controls on the front doors.

Hyundai made U.S. car buyers and the industry take notice three years ago with the release of its latest, aggressively styled Sonata. “I’d say they are our major point of reference,” a top Nissan executive tells WardsAuto.

Auto companies sold 6.56 million vehicles worldwide in April, a 3.4% increase over same-month year-ago, raising total deliveries for the first four months of 2012 to 27.2 million units.

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Christie Schweinsberg

Articles by Christie Schweinsberg

Navigation-system maker TomTom is offering downloads of celebrity voices (including some of these) to guide you on your route. Who would you like to have tell you where to go?

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