AutoWeek Daily Drive — Thursday, December 3, 2009

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Thursday, December 03, 2009                  The Honda Ridgeline RTL... The 2009 Honda Ridgeline RTL, an AW Drivers Log COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO: I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed driving this truck, especially since I'm not a fan of big trucks--and because the look of this Ridgeline makes me think of a dog. Yes, the shape of the cab and the odd roofline that leads into the bed made me think of Clifford the Big Red Dog. I liked the power and the heavy feel, which made me feel safe despite...   BMW unleashes ActiveHybrid X6 Earlier this fall, Honda and its luxury division, Acura, both introduced contenders in the ever-growing field of fastback-utility crossovers. Now jumping into the fray is BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6. BMW’s expansion of its “sports activity vehicle” line continues, this time in...   Hello Chrysler, ciao Lancia? Starting as early as 2011, Fiat S.p.A. may extend the Chrysler brand name to models currently sold as Lancias in Europe. Such a move would be a blow to the 103-year-old Fiat-owned automaker that many speculated would play a greater role in Europe following its parent's decision earlier this year ...   Fiesta will get EcoBoost--just not when it launches next summer When the 2011 Ford Fiesta launches, it will be missing one of Ford Motor Co.'s most promoted technologies. But an EcoBoost engine is on the horizon for the new subcompact. “It's coming,” Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of global product development, told Automotive News.... You May Have Missed...   Los Angeles auto show: Volkswagen Up! Lite concept breaks cover Volkswagen revealed another member of the Up! City-car concept series at the Los Angeles auto show. The Up! Lite is a three-door, four-seater version of the future VW small car powered by a hybrid powertrain.Utilizing a 0.8-liter two-cylinder turbocharged diesel and a 10-kilowatt electric motor,...   Los Angeles auto show: Honda cracks open the funky, compact P-NUT Honda is showing its interpretation of compact city driving with the debut of the Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) at the Los Angeles auto show.With the goal of providing optimal interior space in a small package, Honda designed the P-NUT's insides with a central driver's seat flanked by two...   Los Angeles auto show: 2011 Toyota Sienna makes its big debut While many carmakers turn their backs on minivans, Toyota is doubling down in the segment with the debut of the third-generation Sienna at the Los Angeles auto show.With more aggressive looks, sharper drive character, available all-wheel drive and a more efficient four-cylinder engine option,...   Um, what just happened? On Tuesday, the auto world was shaken to its very core by the news that General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson had "resigned." I'm not sure the announcement itself came as a huge surprise, but the timing of it sure did.Until board chairman Ed Whitacre meets with us media types, we can only speculate on ...   Los Angeles auto show: 2011 Mazda 2 debuts with pint-sized zoom Mazda used the Los Angeles auto show to show off the U.S.-spec Mazda 2, which arrives in dealerships late next summer.The Mazda 2's eventual arrival has been speculated since it first launched for the European, Japanese and Australian markets in 2007. While those markets get both three- and five-...   Los Angeles auto show: Volkswagen shows ‘Final Edition' New Beetles Volkswagen will mark the last of the current-generation New Beetles with special Final Edition models revealed at the L.A. auto show.Available in coupe and convertible forms, the Final Editions receive a special Aquarius blue paint and black top for coupes and two-tone Aquarius blue and white paint ...   Los Angeles auto show: Maximum Bob minimizes Fritz info Bob Lutz did a fine job on Wednesday of not answering questions about the biggest story of the last two days--the big shake-up at the top of his company, General Motors."You will have to wait until I publish my next book," the ever-clever Lutz said.That was one of many deflections he made during...   Los Angeles auto show: Dodge rolls out the black magic with Viper Vooodoo There were five Dodge Vipers on the expansive Chrysler stand at the Los Angeles auto show, including this one, Dodge boss Ralph Gilles's personal car. This is Viper ACR serial No. 1, the first Viper ACR built in 2008. It has been painted up in a color scheme called Vooodoo. Dodge plans to sell a...   Jimmie Johnson, Jimmy Vasser to drive in Rolex 24 at Daytona Defending Rolex 24 at Daytona sports-car champion Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing announced on Wednesday that NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson and 1996 CART champ Jimmy Vasser will once again join the team for the 2010 race. Johnson and Vasser will partner Gainsco regulars Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty for...   Los Angeles auto show: 2011 Hyundai Sonata represents new design language for brand To say the 2011 Hyundai Sonata is different from its predecessor is an understatement. The sixth generation of the company's flagship sedan has been dramatically remade with a swoopy design, weight reductions and your choice of one--count, it one--four-cylinder engine that ultimately will be...   Rookie Formula One testing continues at Jerez Regular McLaren tester Gary Paffett was fastest as Formula One's "rookie" test at Jerez continued for a second day.The lineup was similar to Tuesday's, except that BMW Sauber, Renault and Toro Rosso ran different drivers. After using Alexander Rossi yesterday, Sauber switched to Mexico's Esteban... CLICK HERE TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the AutoWeek Daily Drive E-mail or to sign up for other AutoWeek e-mail products. IMPORTANT: Please add AutoWeek.com to your E-mail Address Book to ensure you will continue to receive our newsletters. Please DO NOT reply to this e-mail. You will not receive a reply if you use this e-mail address. Crain Communications, 1155 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207.