HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !
JOIN US WHEN WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NISSAN GIVES IT'S COMPACT SENTRA THE NISMO TOUCH... PAT GOSS HAS TIPS ON PACKING FOR A TWO WHEEL TOUR... ZACH MASKELL EARNS HIS LESSON IN THE ART OF ROAD RALLYING... AND WE TRY THE MASERATI GHIBLI'S UNIQUE TAKE ON A TOP-TIER SPORTY 4-DOOR...
SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.
* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Man: "IT'S GOT 430 FOOT UNITS OF BEAST!"
Announcer: TIRERACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.
THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE... Man: "OOPS."
Announcer: TIRERACK.COM.
Announcer: ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.
WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED CUSTOM FIT VEHICLE FLOOR PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP SIDES.
WEATHERTECH.
MADE IN AMERICA.
STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .
John: NISSAN FANS ARE WELL AWARE OF NISMO, NISSAN'S FACTORY PERFORMANCE TUNING OUTPOST.
NOT ONLY HAVE THEY UPPED THE PERFORMANCE OF SPORTS CARS LIKE THE Z AND GT-R OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY'VE WEAVED SOME MAGIC INTO MORE MAINSTREAM FARE LIKE THE JUKE AND FRONTIER AS WELL.
WELL, IT DOESN'T GET MORE MAINSTREAM THAN THE COMPACT NISSAN SENTRA.
SO, LET'S FIND OUT WHAT WONDERS NISMO CAN WORK HERE.
* FOR 2017, NISMO DOES INDEED TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE HUMBLE NISSAN SENTRA SEDAN, HOPING TO INJECT A LITTLE EXCITEMENT INTO A LINE THAT HASN'T HAD MUCH SINCE THE LAST SENTRA SE-R SPEC V. [ENGINE STARTS UP] THIS SPUNKY SENTRA SHARES THE JUKE NISMO'S 1.6 LITER I4 TURBO ENGINE, OUTPUTTING THE SAME 188 HORSEPOWER, AND 177 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.
NOW, THAT MAY NOT SOUND VERY BRUTISH, BUT ITS 58 MORE HORSEPOWER THAN YOU'LL FIND IN A STANDARD SENTRA.
EVEN BETTER NEWS, THERE'S A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
NISSAN'S XTRONIC CVT IS ALSO AVAILABLE, WITH UNIQUE TUNING, BUT THE THOUGHT OF GOING THAT ROUTE JUST MAKES OUR SKIN CRAWL.
THE SUSPENSION BUILDS UPON WHAT THE SR TURBO SENTRA STARTED, ADDING MONOTUBE REAR DAMPERS AND UPGRADED FRONT SPRINGS AND STRUTS.
THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING IS REPROGRAMMED FOR QUICKER RESPONSE WHEN TURNING THE NISMO 18-INCH ALLOYS.
BUYERS CAN REPLACE THE ALL-SEASON MICHELIN PILOT SPORTS WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA SUMMER TIRES IF THEY CHOOSE.
THE PACKAGE MAKES FOR A FUN TIME ON YOUR LOCAL BACK ROADS, BUT DIDN'T QUITE HOLD UP AS WELL AS WE EXPECTED AT THE TEST TRACK.
THERE'S STILL A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF BODY ROLL, AND WHEN PUSHED HARD THE CHASSIS, AND SUSPENSION DON'T SEEM TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
FURTHERMORE, WE FOUND STEERING NUMB AND SLOWER THAN WE'D LIKE.
YES, IT IS WAY MORE DYNAMIC AND CAPABLE THAN ANY SENTRA WE'VE BEEN IN LATELY, BUT HANDLING STILL FALLS WELL SHORT OF WHAT WE EXPECT IN A SPORT SEDAN.
WHEN IT COMES TO ACCELERATION, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH NISMO AND A LITTLE TOO MUCH NISSLOW.
THE ENGINE IS WILLING AND READY TO REV, BUT THE CLUTCH CATCHES SO HIGH IN THE PEDAL TRAVEL, THAT IT'S TRICKY TO GET A GOOD LAUNCH.
COMBINE THAT WITH A HAIR TRIGGER THROTTLE, AND IT'S ALL OR NOTHING OFF THE LINE.
AND WHILE IT FELT LIKE, THE 7.6 SECOND TRIP TO 60 WAS A LENGTHY ONE; CONSIDER THAT IT TOOK OVER 10 SECONDS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IN THE LAST SENTRA WE TESTED, SO IT IS QUITE AN IMPROVEMENT.
ALSO, THE MANUAL SHIFTER WORKS WELL, WITH MID-RANGE THROWS AND GOOD PRECISION.
THOSE SHIFTS WILL COME AT YOU QUICKLY, AS YOU DART YOUR WAY DOWN THE TRACK; WRAPPING UP THE QUARTER MILE IN 15.6 SECONDS AT 93.0 MILES PER HOUR.
BRAKING WAS A REAL HIGHPOINT, AVERAGING STOPS OF JUST 100 FEET FROM 60.
THE BRAKES BITE HARD RIGHT FROM THE GET GO, AND NEVER LET UP FROM THERE; THERE WAS GREAT STABILITY THROUGHOUT OUR RUNS.
WE WISH NISSAN WOULD HAVE PAID THAT LEVEL OF ATTENTION TO THE SENTRA'S INTERIOR.
WE HEARD QUITE A FEW ERRANT NOISES FROM OUR CARS DASH, AND INFOTAINMENT FITMENT APPEARS AFTERMARKET AT BEST.
STILL, THERE ARE NOTABLE NISMO TOUCHES.
FOR ONE, THE NISMO SPORT SEATS HAVE FAIRLY AGGRESSIVE BOLSTERING, THERE'S RED TRIM, AND STITCHING THROUGHOUT THE SPACE, AND THE DRIVER GETS TO GRIP AN ALCANTARA STEERING WHEEL WHILE LOOKING AT AN UPGRADED GAUGE CLUSTER.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE ROOM INSIDE THIS SENTRA TOO, AND SEAT COMFORT IN ALL POSITIONS REMAINS HIGH.
OUTSIDE, NISMO ADD-ONS ALSO GET HIGH MARKS, TRANSFORMING THE SENTRA'S SOFT, BULBOUS FORM INTO A REAL HOT ROD.
THERE'S AN AGGRESSIVE FRONT FASCIA, AS WELL AS BOTH BLACK AND RED TRIM THROUGHOUT THE BODY.
THERE ARE AERO TREATMENTS OF COURSE, INCLUDING UNIQUE SIDE SILLS, REAR FASCIA AND SPOILER; AS WELL AS A NEW EXHAUST TIP.
STANDARD LED DRLs, CHROME DOOR HANDLES, AND NISMO BADGING COMPLETE THE LIVELY LITTLE PACKAGE.
GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 25-CITY, 31-HIGHWAY, AND 27-COMBINED.
WE AVERAGED A GREAT 32.0 MILES PER GALLON, THOUGH THIS LITTLE TURBO DOES REQUIRE PREMIUM.
THAT MAKES FOR A SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE BURNING 12.2 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 5.5 TONS.
IT'S EASY TO CRITICIZE THAT THIS SENTRA ISN'T QUITE THE NISMO WE WERE LOOKING FOR, BUT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE BASE PRICING IS ONLY $25,855, NISSAN'S THINKING MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE.
SO, THE 2017 NISSAN SENTRA NISMO MAY NOT BE AS AGGRESSIVE OR TRACK-WORTHY AS MANY YOUNG HOT-RODDERS TEND TO LOOK FOR IN A SPORT COMPACT, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY A HIGHLY EVOLVED SENTRA, AND A MUCH MORE ENTERTAINING ONE THAN WE'VE HAD IN QUITE A WHILE.
PLUS, IT KEEPS ALL OF THE ROOMINESS AND MOST OF THE COMFORT THAT THE SENTRA IS WELL KNOWN FOR, MAKING IT A "NIS-MARVELOUS" SMALL CAR CHOICE.
OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO LAWRENCE, INDIANA WHERE ONE BEVERAGE COMPANY IS ENJOYING THE BENEFITS OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS.
IN 2009, MONARCH BEVERAGE BEGAN A MOVE FROM LEASING DIESEL TRUCKS TO OWNING AND OPERATING THEIR OWN FLEET OF COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FUELED TRACTORS.
FROM ONE TEST TRUCK, MONARCH'S FLEET NOW TOTALS NEARLY 80 CNG HAULERS.
THEY ALSO BUILT THEIR OWN CNG REFUELING DEPOT AND COMPLIANT MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
MONARCH KNOWS THE INVESTMENT WAS WELL WORTH IT, AND NOT JUST FOR THE OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN ANNUAL FUEL SAVINGS.
Rob Hedges: MONARCH IS A LOCAL INDIANA COMPANY, FAMILY-OWNED... AND WE BELIEVE IN BEING GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENS, SO BEING ABLE TO DO OUR PART FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL.
John: ALONG WITH SIX CNG SERVICE VANS, MONARCH WILL ADD AT LEAST A DOZEN MORE CNG TRACTORS NEXT YEAR.
WORKING WITH THE GREATER INDIANA CLEAN CITIES COALITION, THIS HOOSIER COMPANY MADE A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO ALT-FUELS THAT DESERVES A TOAST FROM ALL OF US.
* YOU KNOW YOU REALLY WANT TO DO IT.
CLOSE OFF YOUR FAVORITE STRETCH OF PUBLIC ROAD, AND SEE JUST HOW FAST YOU CAN GO FROM POINT A TO B.
ROAD RALLY DRIVERS DO IT, AND JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE ON EARTH!
ADMITTEDLY A LITTLE KOOKY HIMSELF, OUR ZACH MASKELL WANTED TO SEE IF HE COULD KEEP HIMSELF FROM GOING OVER THE EDGE, LEARNING HOW THESE LUNATICS MANAGE MAXIMUM SPEEDS, SOMETIMES MILLIMETERS FROM DISASTER.
* Zach Maskell: WITH OVER 70 VEHICLES AT THEIR DISPOSAL, AND THE WHITE MOUNTAINS AS A BACK DROP, THIS SITE IS SUBLIME.
NESTLED IN DALTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE... WE'VE GOT MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM TO SEND IT!
Chris Rennie: GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY, AND WELCOME TO TEAM O'NEAL.
Zach: WE'RE DOING DAY ONE, OF A 5-DAY COURSE... WHERE ROOKIES AND PROS CAN LEARN THE RIGHT WAY, HOW TO BE A RALLY DRIVER.
EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.
WHETHER ITS RAIN, SNOW, DAY, OR NIGHT TIME.
RALLYING IS THE ULTIMATE RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK... AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THESE GUYS ARE ABSOLUTELY NUTS.
Chris: YEAH, THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT.
I CRASHED A LOT OF CARS BEFORE I FIGURED IT OUT... Zach: A RALLY PUTS STREET LEGAL CARS, ON PUBLIC ROADS, WITH ONE DRIVER, AND ONE PASSENGER AS NAVIGATOR READING OUT DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT'S JUST AHEAD.
Karl Stone: BY DAY FIVE, YOU CAN BE WORKING WITH A NAVIGATOR, USING THE INTERCOM SYSTEMS, JUST LIKE YOU'RE RUNNING IN A TRUE RALLY STAGE.
Zach: OWNER, TIM O'NEAL, IS A 5-TIME NORTH AMERICAN RALLY CHAMPION.
BORN AND RAISED HERE, HE SAW A NEED FOR A LOOSE SURFACE DRIVER TRAINING FACILITY.
TRAVIS PASTRANA, KEN BLOCK, AND PRO DRIVERS FROM OVERSEAS EVEN VISIT, TO HONE IN THEIR SKILLS.
Karl: WE'RE LOCATED ON ALMOST 600 ACRES OF TERRAIN.
NEARLY 6-MILES OF ROADS, WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE TRAINING FACILITIES THAT HAVE THEIR OWN SKID PADS, SLALOM COURSES.
Zach: FOR OUR FIRST DAY WE'RE USING LOW HORSEPOWER FORD FIESTAS WHICH ARE FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE.
THEY DO HOWEVER HAVE A 3RD PEDAL, YES, THAT THING CALLED A "CLUTCH."
SO WHAT WE'RE LEARNING TODAY IS WEIGHT TRANSFER.
WE'RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO LEFT FOOT BRAKE AND GET THE WEIGHT TO THE FRONT WHEN WE LOSE TRACTION.
Chris: TURN THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THEN GENTLY DRAG THE BRAKES.
AND THAT SHOULD GET THE CAR TURNING, SLIDING AROUND, AND HOLD THAT BRAKE PRESSURE UNTIL YOUR HAPPY, AND THE CAR'S POINTED WHERE YOU WANT.
AS SOON AS YOU GET TO THAT, YOU UNWIND THAT WHEEL QUICKLY, OKAY.
AND THEN, YOU RELEASE THE BRAKE, AND THE CAR SHOULD DRIVE OUT.
Zach: THAT WHOLE TIME, YOU'RE KEEPING YOUR RIGHT FOOT ON THE GAS.
THEY DO 4X4s, DRIFTING, JAMES BOND TYPE TRAINING, AND MORE.
THESE INSTRUCTORS CAN TAKE SOMEONE WHO CAN'T EVEN DRIVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, AND HAVE THEM DRIVING A FULL TRACK WITHIN DAYS.
Peter McDonald: HE JUST GOT HIS LEARNERS PERMIT.
BUT HE'S BEEN A CAR NUT ALL HIS LIFE.
DRIVING UP HERE YESTERDAY, HE HAD HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE DRIVING ON... WE WENT FROM DRY PAVEMENT, TO SNOW, AND TO ICE, AND HE LOOKS AT ME AND SAYS, "DAD THIS IS SO MUCH FUN, BUT SCARY AS *###."
Chris: STAY IN THE GAS, STAY IN THE GAS.
OPTIMISM RIGHT THERE.
Zach: I WAS TRYING NOT TO HIT THE CONE.
Chris: DON'T LOOK AT IT, YOU WON'T HIT IT, RIGHT?
REMEMBER THAT.
Allen Welch: SO HERE, WE TEACH TIM'S TECHNIQUES, AND THEN, WE ALSO TEACH, THE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE LIKE.
WE TALK ABOUT GRIP.
WE TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, "MAYBE."
YOU COME INTO THE CORNER, WELL CAN I TAKE THIS CORNER FAST EVERY TIME?
MAYBE.
Zach: CONDITIONS AND GRIP ALWAYS CHANGE.
PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS ARE ABLE TO MAKE SPLIT-SECOND REACTIONS, TO PREPARE FOR THE TURN AHEAD.
DRIVING ON LOOSE TERRAIN MEANS THERE'S NEW MUSCLE MEMORY TO LEARN.
IT HELPED HAVING NUMEROUS INSTRUCTORS WHO TEACH THE SAME THING, BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
EVENTUALLY, I STARTED TO GET IT.
Chris: CENTER FAST.
THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE, YOU'RE GETTING PRETTY GOOD SLIDES NOW WITH THE BRAKE AND GAS ON... Zach: I'M STARTING TO FEEL GOOD.
Chris Komar: IF THEY COME TO SCHOOL, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO WRECK ON THEIR FIRST RALLY.
THERE'S A LOT OF INITIATIVE DRIVING THINGS THAT WE TEACH THEM THAT THEY WOULDN'T FIGURE OUT ON THEIR OWN AND THEY'D END UP STRUGGLING, OR BREAKING A CAR, OR WRECKING A CAR."
Zach: I LEFT UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT WAYS TO APEX A CORNER, AVOID AN ACCIDENT, AND HOW TO TURN THE CAR USING THE BRAKES.
I MAY NEVER GO RALLYING, BUT WHAT I LEARNED HERE TODAY IS STILL INVALUABLE, AND WILL MAKE ME A SAFER DRIVER EVERY DAY.
John: THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID FOR TRAVELING LIGHT.
SO PAT GOSS HAS SOME TIPS ON WHAT TO TAKE ALONG WHEN ONLY TWO WHEELS COUNT.
Pat Goss: TAKING A ROAD TRIP ON A MOTORCYCLE CAN BE A LOT OF FUN, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE AVOID IT BECAUSE THEY THINK, "WELL, I CAN'T GET ENOUGH STUFF ON MY MOTORCYCLE."
WELL, HERE TO DISPEL THAT MYTH WE HAVE LINDON ABLE FROM ROMMELL HARLEY DAVIDSON IN ANNAPOLIS.
WELCOME BACK TO GOSS' GARAGE.
Lindon Able: THANKS FOR HAVING ME, PAT.
Pat: OKAY, THIS MYTH ABOUT WELL, I CAN'T GET ENOUGH STUFF ON MY MOTORCYCLE.
Lindon: WELL, I THINK PEOPLE JUST WANT TO CARRY TOO MUCH STUFF RIGHT?
SO IT IS A MYTH.
THERE'S AN OLD ADAGE THAT SAYS, "SADDLE BAGS WON'T CARRY EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT, BUT THEY WILL CARRY EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED."
AND I THINK THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN THE CASE OF A ROAD TRIP.
SO YOU NEED THREE CATEGORIES OF THINGS.
CLOTHING, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF ROAD TRIP.
BUT YOU JUST NEED FEWER ITEMS THAN YOU THINK.
THERE'S WASHING MACHINES OUT THERE AND YOU DON'T NEED A FRESH PAIR OF JEANS EVERY DAY AND SO FORTH.
SO PACK LESS, GO FOR VARIETY NOT QUANTITY.
YOU NEED RIDING GEAR SO IN THE VARIETY DEPARTMENT SAME THING WITH RIDING GEAR YOU WANT TO BE PROTECTED AND COMFORTABLE OUT ON THE ROAD.
SO YOU'LL NEED A RAIN SUIT OR SOMETHING TO KEEP YOU DRY.
YOU'LL NEED A VENTED JACKET OR SOMETHING TO KEEP YOU COOL WHEN IT'S HOT, AND LAYERS TO KEEP YOU WARM WHEN IT GETS COLD OUTSIDE, BUT YOU CAN CARRY PLENTY OF THAT STUFF WITHIN YOUR SADDLE BAGS.
AND THEN, THERE'S OTHER THINGS, A TOOL KIT, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO USE A TOOL KIT YOU MIGHT RUN INTO A FRIENDLY STRANGER WHO MIGHT HELP YOU FIX SOMETHING IF YOU HAVE THE TOOLS TO DO IT.
A FIRST AID KIT.
YOU KNOW, EVEN IF NOTHING SERIOUS HAPPENS, SOMETHING TO TAKE CARE OF BEE STINGS, AND SUNBURNS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN THE ELEMENTS.
A QUARTER OF OIL WITH A PAPER FUNNEL TO KEEP FROM MAKING A MESS IF YOU NEED TO ADD SOME OIL TO YOUR MOTORCYCLE.
THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND YOU CAN CARRY ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN A LOT LESS SPACE THAN YOU THINK.
Pat: OKAY.
BUT NOW, NOT EVERY MOTORCYCLE IS LIKE A HARLEY AND HAS THE SADDLE BAGS... Lindon: RIGHT, RIGHT.
Pat: SO YOU HAVE A SOLUTION HERE.
Lindon: WELL, THERE'S LOTS OF LUGGAGE EXAMPLE OUT THERE.
THIS IS ONE, IT'S AN EXCELLENT PIECE, BUT WITH A BACK REST AND LUGGAGE RACK, OR A BACK REST ON YOUR BACK SEAT YOU CAN PUT A NICE PIECE OF LUGGAGE THAT CAN CARRY THINGS THAT CAN CARRY A LOT OF GEAR, A LOT OF EXTRA GEAR WHETHER YOU HAVE SADDLE BAGS OR NOT.
Pat: OKAY, NOW I NOTICED WE HAVE A BIG COLLECTION OF STUFF HERE.
Lindon: YEAH, SO WHEN I CAME IN TODAY ALL OF THESE THINGS AND MORE FIT INSIDE MY SADDLE BAGS AND I HAD ROOM TO SPARE.
PEOPLE THINK IT'S SURPRISING BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM.
Pat: SO IT'S NOT AS DIFFICULT AS PEOPLE THINK.
Lindon: NO, AND IT'S EPIC, SO IF YOU HAVE A MOTORCYCLE AND YOU WANT TO GO SEE THE COUNTRY AND YOU'VE BEEN WRINGING YOUR HANDS OVER "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS" GET OUT AND RIDE IT'LL BE THE GREATEST THING YOU EVER DID.
Pat: OKAY.
LINDON, THANK YOU.
AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .
John: WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT HORSEPOWER IN THE CAR BIZ, BUT THAT'S NOT ALL THAT GETS OUR ATTENTION.
FOR MORE WE TURN TO YOLANDA VAZQUEZ AND THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.
Yolanda Vazquez: THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT AUTONOMOUS CARS IN THE NEWS LATELY, BUT NOW, WE'RE GETTING A BETTER IDEA AS TO WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY COULD END UP IN YOUR DRIVEWAY.
RECENTLY, FORD'S VICE-PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AND ADVANCED ENGINEERING, KEN WASHINGTON, SPOKE AT THE ANNUAL SAE INTERNATIONAL WORLD CONGRESS.
THE DETROIT NEWS REPORTS HIM SAYING, "PRIVATE CAR OWNERS MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AS LATE AS 2031 FOR SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES."
FORD HAS SAID, "THEY PLAN TO HAVE FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ON THE ROAD IN 2021, BUT THOSE WOULD BE FOR COMMERCIAL USE AS RIDE-HAILING OR RIDE-SHARING SERVICES."
THEIR PLAN CALLS FOR SAE LEVEL 4-CAPABLE VEHICLES THAT WILL OPERATE WITHOUT A STEERING WHEEL, GAS, OR BRAKE PEDAL.
OPEL IS LEAVING THE GM FAMILY, BUT THEY'LL STILL BE BUILDING BUICK'S.
WE SAW THE 2018 BUICK REGAL TOURX WAGON, AND THE 4-DOOR REGAL SPORTBACK AT THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW.
BOTH WILL BE MADE IN GERMANY.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME BUICK IS OFFERING A WAGON SINCE THE 1990s.
IN MARCH, GM ANNOUNCED A DEAL TO SELL ITS OPEL/VAUXHALL AUTOMOTIVE OPERATIONS TO FRENCH AUTOMAKER PSA GROUP.
GM'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, MARK REUSS, TOLD REUTERS "OPEL IS STILL DOING SOME OF OUR FUTURE MODELS."
THE NEW BUICK'S ARE EXPECTED TO GO ON SALE IN THE U.S. AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND THAT'S THE MOST RECENT ROUNDUP OF AUTOMOTIVE HEADLINES FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.
John: WE DON'T HAVE TO SEARCH TOO FAR OR TOO WIDE FOR SOMETHING NEW TO DRIVE.
AND WE'VE NARROWED IT DOWN FOR THIS WEEK'S QUICKSPIN.
THE 2017 ACURA MDX SPORT HYBRID IS ACURA'S FIRST HYBRID CROSSOVER...
THEY PREFER THE SUV MONIKER... AND THEIR MOST POWERFUL UTILITY TO DATE.
TOTAL SYSTEM OUTPUT IS 321 HORSEPOWER FROM A 3 LITER VTEC V-6.
PAIRED WITH A HYBRID SYSTEM, AND A 7-SPEED DUAL CLUTCH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
THAT GIVES THE SPORT HYBRID 31 MORE HORSES AND AN EXTRA 22 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE OVER THE CONVENTIONAL MDX.
THE MDX SPORT HYBRID ALSO HAS FOUR DYNAMIC MODES, ADDING A NEW SPORT PLUS.
WE WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO DRIVE IT THROUGH THE HILLS AND TWISTING ROADS EAST OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
Garick Zikan: THIS USES ACURA'S SPORT HYBRID SUPER HANDLING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM.
THERE ARE THREE ELECTRIC MOTORS HERE... ONE IS UP FRONT, IT'S BUILT INTO THE TRANSMISSION, THE OTHER TWO ARE IN THE BACK.
WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE FROM ACURA WITH THE RLX SEDAN AND THE NSX SUPER CAR.
SINCE IT'S A HYBRID, YOU GET THAT QUICK RESPONSE DURING ACCELERATION.
YOU ALSO HAVE TORQUE VECTORING WORKING FOR YOU AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE CURVES."
John: LIKE ALL 2017 MDXs, THE HYBRID VERSION OF THIS THIRD GEN, PREMIUM 3-ROW CROSSOVER BENEFITS FROM A MID-CYCLE REFRESH THAT INCLUDES ACURA'S NEW, AND BETTER LOOKING, DIAMOND PENTAGON GRILLE, TAKEN FROM LAST YEAR'S ACURA PRECISION CONCEPT.
LIKEWISE, THERE ARE TWO TRIMS.
THE TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE ALLOWS SEATING FOR SEVEN.
BUT, ACURA THINKS MORE CUSTOMERS WILL CHOOSE THE 6-SEAT ADVANCE PACKAGE WITH 2ND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS.
ACURAWATCH SAFETY AND DRIVER-ASSISTANCE IS STANDARD FOR ALL.
SO WHILE IT'S CLEARLY STILL A UTILITY, THIS MDX SPORT HYBRID IS ALSO PROOF THAT EVERYDAY DRIVING CHORES CAN BE MADE DOWNRIGHT ENJOYABLE.
IT'S ON SALE NOW WITH PRICES STARTING RIGHT AT $52,000.
AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPIN'S SOON.
MASERATI HAS MADE SOME AMAZING CARS THROUGH THE YEARS.
BUT OVER THE LAST DECADE OR SO, HAS BEEN IN A BIT OF AN IDENTITY CRISIS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE THEY FIT IN THIS CENTURY'S AUTOMOTIVE LANDSCAPE.
WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY FINALLY HAVE A PLAN, AND THE FIRST STEP IS GROWING THE BRAND BY SHRINKING THE PRODUCT, WITH A MID-SIZE SEDAN AIMED SQUARELY AT THE LIKES OF BMW 5-SERIES.
SO LET'S SEE IF THE GHIBLI HITS THE MARK.
* THE 2014 MASERATI GHIBLI WAS THE FIRST STEP ON THE ROAD TO EXPANDING THE MASERATI BRAND.
THE SECOND STEP IS THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED LEVANTE SUV.
AND WHILE THAT 5-DOOR UTILITY MAY ULTIMATELY PROVE TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP, IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THIS 4-DOOR GHIBLI SEDAN, WHICH ITSELF GETS REFRESHED FOR 2017.
BASED ON THE LARGER QUATTROPORTE SEDAN, IT'S ABOUT 7-INCHES SHORTER IN THE WHEELBASE, AND LESS THAN A FOOT SHORTER OVERALL.
THE GHIBLI IS STUNNING TO SEE, THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY BEAUTIFUL, BUT YOU SURE KNOW IT'S SOMETHING SPECIAL WHEN YOU SEE IT COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
UNDER THE HOOD IN THIS S Q4 IS A TWIN-TURBO 3.0 LITER V6.
WHILE, DESIGNED BY MASERATI, IT'S ASSEMBLED BY PARTNER FERRARI.
THERE'S A LOVELY GROWL ON THE STARTUP, QUICKLY SETTLING INTO A GENTLE PURR AT IDLE.
THIS SWEET SLEDGEHAMMER FROM HEAVEN DELIVERS 405 HORSEPOWER AND 406 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.
BASE GHIBLI'S SPORT A DETUNED VERSION THAT GETS A BOOST IN HORSEPOWER FOR '17 TO 345.
TRANSMISSIONS?
AN AUTOMATIC WITH 8-GEARS, AND THE GHIBLI COMES IN REAR-WHEEL DRIVE, WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE OPTIONAL.
THERE'S A DEFINITE ITALIAN FLAIR TO THE INTERIOR, THOUGH LESS EXOTIC AND MORE MAINSTREAM THAN WHAT YOU'D SEE IN SAY, A FERRARI.
CRAFTSMANSHIP IS VERY RESPECTABLE; THINGS ARE VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER, AND WITHOUT ANY ROUGH EDGES.
NOT SOMETHING WE CAN USUALLY SAY ABOUT ITALIAN CARS.
BUT THERE ARE A FEW "BUILT TO A PRICE" REMINDERS LIKE FIAT-CHRYSLER SWITCHGEAR INCLUDING A VERSION OF UCONNECT INFOTAINMENT, WHICH WE'RE ACTUALLY OKAY WITH SINCE IT WORKS SO WELL.
FOR '17, THEY'VE ADDED A NEW ROTARY CENTRAL CONTROLLER IN ORDER TO BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH EUROPEAN RIVALS.
FRONT SEATS ARE VERY COMFORTABLE, WITH JUST A BIT OF A SPORTY FEEL.
REAR SEATS ARE A LITTLE HARD TO FOLD YOURSELF INTO, BUT ONCE YOU'RE SETTLED, THEY'RE ACTUALLY QUITE COMFORTABLE TOO!
ON THE STREET, THE GHIBLI FEELS QUITE SPORTY AND DESPITE A CURB WEIGHT OF OVER TWO-TONS, IS IMPRESSIVELY AGILE.
RIDE IS MOSTLY COMPLIANT, WITH A FIRMNESS THAT PUTS IT RIGHT THERE WITH OTHER EURO SPORT SEDANS.
BUT WE DID GET A FEW SURPRISINGLY HARSH JOLTS OVER LARGER BUMPS.
THE HANDLING BENEFITS OF THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SETUP WEREN'T READILY OBVIOUS TO US AT THE TEST TRACK, WHERE WE FELT THE GHIBLI'S SIZE AND WEIGHT THE MOST.
THERE IS SOME EXPECTED FRONT PUSH, BUT ALSO, A CRABBING FEELING AS THE REAR TRIES TO CATCH UP.
STEERING EFFORT IS LIGHT AT LOWER SPEEDS, AND GETS VERY HEAVY AS THE PACE QUICKENS, WITH GOOD FEEL.
THE AWD SYSTEM IS CLEARLY TUNED MORE FOR ALL-WEATHER TRACTION THAN ADDING HIGH PERFORMANCE, LIKE AUDI'S QUATTRO SETUP.
THE RESULT IS A VERY CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING FEEL THAT MIGHT EVEN MAKE THE DRIVER SEEK OUT BAD WEATHER INSTEAD OF AVOIDING IT.
CERTAINLY, NOT WHAT YOU'D WANT TO DO IN MOST LUXURY CARS.
THE S Q4 HOPS OFF THE LINE WITH URGENCY, ONLY TO HESITATE BRIEFLY AS THE TURBO'S SPOOL UP FULL, AT WHICH TIME THEY UNLEASH A FLURRY OF POWER, PROPELLING YOU TO 60 IN JUST 4.7 SECONDS.
FROM THERE, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF BARK AND PLENTY OF BITE AS THE TRANS RIPS THROUGH THE GEARS QUICKLY AND SMOOTHLY; UNTIL THE QUARTER MILE ENDS IN 13.2 SECONDS AT 105 MILES PER HOUR.
GHIBLI PRICING STARTS AT $72,850, AND YOU'LL PAY JUST 8-GRAND MORE FOR TOP LEVEL S Q4; THOUGH YOU CAN APPROACH SIX-FIGURES WITH OPTIONS.
IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT A BRAND WHEN THEY INTRODUCE A NEW 4-DOOR AND INSTANTLY DOUBLE THEIR SEDAN PROFILE.
THE 2017 MASERATI GHIBLI IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, RATHER, PRIMARILY FOR THOSE THAT DESIRE AN ITALIAN FLAIR IN THEIR LUXURY-PERFORMANCE SEDAN.
INDEED, WE WERE FAVORABLY IMPRESSED WITH IT, AND THINK IT PROVES THAT MASERATI HAS A CLEAR VIEW OF ITS OWN ROAD AHEAD.
WELL THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.
NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.
AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...
WHEN WE TAKE YOU TO THE FLOOR OF THE 2017 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW, AND THEN SLIP INTO THE COCKPIT OF ONE AMAZING ITALIAN SUPERCAR.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .
Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.
MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Man: "IT'S GOT 430 FOOT UNITS OF BEAST.
Announcer: TIRERACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.
THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE.
Man: OOPS!
Announcer: TIRERACK.COM.
WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.
WEATHERTECH.
MADE IN AMERICA.
ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.
STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .
* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.
*