Auto Trends

Autowereld.com: Mitsubishi PX-MiEV, originally uploaded by iflavour

Continuing on with the Tokyo Motor Show, which opened to the public on October 21, 2009. Mitsubishi had a rather interesting plug-in hybrid concept to show, which got people thinking. What does my current vehicle smell like? Do those fragrance pine trees really do all that much good? Who thinks up this stuff anyway?

The Mitsubishi PX-MiEV is an electric hybrid vehicle that has taken some of its focus from performance and exterior appeal, and placed it on its smell. The entire interior package (called the “cocochi”) of the concept MiEV is dedicated to making the drivers experience in their vehicle, as pleasurable to the olfactory senses as possible.

Unlike the typical fragrance aids you can purchase for your vehicle, such as those pine trees, the MiEV does not try to cover over the chemical smell of your vehicle, but rather cancel it out from its source. To begin with, the interior is lined with a double layer of fabric, which serves two purposes:

Layer #1- An anti-allergy coating prevents the offensive odor and effects of pollens, organic compounds, and even those little bugs that live in our carpets and beds.

Layer #2- A second layer is designed to resist fragrant smells (chemicals) from being released into the cabin. The seats will also each feature internal air conditioning, which will help circulate the stagnant air around the passengers.

There are a lot of candle companies that claim they can change ones mood, simply by smelling a certain fragrance. The PX-MiEV is banking on this fact, as it introduces its new detection software, which is able to decipher the smell a driver most needs to remain comfortable, relaxed, and alert.

On a normal day, when the driver is detected as energetic and controlling the vehicle well, the MiEV will concentrate a very faint perfume and negative-ion oxygen, in order to keep them relaxed, while also helping to reduce any fatigue.

On a rough day, where the drivers concentration is off (wandering on the road), the MiEV will produce a slightly different fragrance meant to heighten driver alertness. For those really bad days, where the driver is actually nodding at the wheel, the MiEV will alert the driver with a series of visual, vibration, and audio warnings. Yes, having a back-up just in case the fragrance isn’t enough to do the job, is always a good thing!

To top it off, the glass will feature UV radiation blocking layers, to keep the dangerous rays of the sun off the skin during those really long days in rush hour. This vehicle is practically a mobile health-spa if you ask me, only without the masseuse.

But less we forget the true purpose of the PV-MiEV, which is to get its passengers from A to B. It also features a high tech, hybrid electric motor system, worth 118 miles to the gallon. Okay, now all that is left is a really good slogan:

At last, an automotive improvement that doesn’t stink!

Something smell a little fishy? Well it’s certainly ain’t your PV-MiEV!

Well, you get the idea…

MSN Autos released some interesting statistic recently, looking at the most popular vehicles driven in various areas. Let’s breakdown these findings, and try to deduce what made these vehicles so popular.

Scarsdale, New York Covets their BMW 328xi Sports Wagon
Interestingly, Scarsdale resident are almost exclusive leasers (85 percent) which means they are not necessarily committed to the 328xi, but rather have deemed it as the most practical and functional for the next three years. The wagon allows the typical family to trudge the daily grind in relative comfort, convenience, and fuel economy (25 mph highway), while also having decent cargo availability, and reasonable winter capability to boot (all-wheel drive).

Grand Blanc, Michigan Cruises the empty Boulevards in a Chevrolet Impala
Michigan has been hit hard by the poor economy. In the relatively small town (9,000 souls) of Grand Blanc, approximately 200 locals are out of work these days due to the layoffs that hit earlier this year. There are a couple of factors which have made the Chevrolet Impala the choice vehicle for 2009. For one, it is affordable ($24,000 and up); two, economical (29 mpg); and three, well, it is made by General Motors. Grand Blanc is home to General Motors’ Weld Tool Center, so they probably figure they might as well support the home team!

West Palm Beach, Florida Sets their Standards at the Lexus RX 350
The luxury oriented Lexus RX350 is the old stand-by in West Palm Beach. The crowd is hip, professional, and well endowed with a beefy yearly income. In the lush concrete jungles of Florida’s West Beach, there is really not much necessity for 4-wheel Drive, yet residents seem quite fond of them. There is a lot of single professionals in the median age of 36.7, which means there is more calling for status vehicles than affordable and practical minivans and family sedans. Not that a Lexus isn’t practical, but with its $40,000 base price, there are lot more practical options out there.

Deluth, Georgia Holds Favors the Honda Civic
The folks of Deluth, prefer Honda Civic’s more than any other vehicle. This finding was a bit surprising considering these suburbs are typically known for their upscale nature. Most folks around here, however, appear more concerned with stretching their dollar than gaining materialistic status. As a former railroad town, Deluth has few options for public transportation, so their vehicles have to be safe, reliable, dependable, and economical. The Honda Civic represents all of these, and for those with a particularly long daily trek, the Civic Hybrid offers up to 45 mpg on the highway.

Source: MSN Autos

[Photos via david.tormey, autodetailer, F1Photography.net, and resedabear]

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid Badge, originally uploaded by Lithia Life

Well, this isn’t exactly surprising news. Every giant must fall eventually. After holding a 78% share of all hybrids sold in 2008, Toyota has finally started to decline as competition from other automotive manufacturers gets steeper.

History Behind the Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius was on the cutting edge of technology when they announced the Earth Charter on January 16^th, 1992. This was 1992, so gas was still fairly affordable, and most people had not even heard about the “green” movement.

It wasn’t until 1995 that the Prius Hybrid Concept made its debut at the 31^st Tokyo Motor Show. In October of 1997, Toyota unveiled the Prius to media for the first time, and then went on sale later in December in Japan. Then in 2001, the Prius was launched in the US, at a price tag of just $19,995. By 2002, worldwide sales for the Prius had topped 100,000 units.

Over the next eight years it became obvious that hybrid/electric motor technology was much more than just a passing fad. Honda tested the waters in 2004 with the Civic, followed by other hybrid models released by Nissan, Mazda, Ford, GM, Dodge, Chrysler, and Saturn.

A Turning of the Tides
Toyota is still by far the king of the hybrid, holding onto 65% of all hybrid sales, but there have been some interesting events that have taken place over this past year. Due to such a high worldwide demand for the Prius, Toyota has had to cut U.S. supply, leaving the demand much greater.

Consumers have the choice to either get in line and wait, or head over to the competition, which is getting more fierce by the month. Currently for the 2009 market there are over 20 different hybrid vehicles to choose from, including the Nissan Altima, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner, Toyota Camry, Toyota Highlander, Saturn Vue (extinct), Saturn Aura (extinct), Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon, Lexus GS 450h, Lexus LS 600h, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, and the Cadillac Escalade.

Ford has stolen away the most of those customers, having increased by 73% in sales, placing them just below Honda. Here is a breakdown of the total volume of hybrids that have been sold (by manufacturer) for 2009:

Manufacturer                          Total Sales Volume 2009
1. Toyota                                                 65%
2. Honda                                                  14%
3. Ford                                                     12%
4. GM                                                        6%
5. Nissan                                                   3%

[Source: Auto News]