Toyota and Honda top automotive brands in consumer perception

Automakers spend billions of dollars to promote their vehicles and build brand awareness. Yet, marketing alone does not shape consumer perception without a clear connection to the vehicles in the showroom. In the latest Auto Pulse survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, Toyota and Honda brands ranked first and second, respectively, by dominant margins over all others. Likewise, the vehicles from those brands have consistently performed well in our testing, often ranking among the best in their classes, and have been mostly at the top of our reliability ratings over the years. Lets your journey with world car brand.............

Sunday, August 23, 2009

BUICK

2010 Buick LaCrosse
Buick announced it will unveil the 2010 LaCrosse luxury sedan at the Detroit Auto Show on Jan. 12. The 2010 LaCrosse will be offered in three models - CX, CXL and CXS and with a choice of two V6 engines.
The CX is powered by a a new 3.0L direct injection V-6 that delivers 255 hp and and 211 lb.-ft. of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The CXL gets the same engine as the CX, but adds leather-appointed heated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, fog lamps, outside rearview mirror with LED turn indicators and puddle lamps, and 18-inch wheels. Intelligent AWD is available.
The CXS is equipped with a 3.6L direct injection V-6 that delivers 280 hp and 261 lb.-ft. of torque; the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The CXS gets a real-time active-dampening suspension; perforated, leather-appointed, heated and cooled seats, and chrome-plated 18-inch wheels (19-inch optional).
2009 Buick Lucerne E85
Starting 2009 GM will add a new E85 Ethanol-Capable model to its line-up: the Buick Lucerne. The Lucerne, the first flex-fuel capable Buick passenger car, will be among more than 15 GM models with flex-fuel capability in 2009, up from 11 offerings this year.
E85 ethanol is a cleaner-burning alternative fuel that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 23 percent compared with gasoline.
The Lucerne is the latest vehicle announced for the 2009 GM FlexFuel lineup. The four-cylinder
Chevrolet HHR was revealed at the Chicago Auto Show in February and the Hummer H2 and H2 SUT were announced in March as part of the opening of the first public E85 pumps owned by a dealership, Classic Chevrolet-Hummer in Grapevine, Texas.
2009 Buick LaCrosse
For 2009, Buick LaCrosse receives some minor upgrades and new additional features. This should be the last year before Buick redesigns the car for the 2010 model year.
A V6 and a V8 are the powertrains used for the 2009 Buick LaCrosse lineup. LaCrosse CX and CXL models are propelled by the 3.8L V-6. This proven industry stalwart is rated at 200 hp and 230 lb.-ft of torque. The 3.8L features electronic throttle control to improve engine response and optimize fuel efficiency. Recent upgrades to the 3.8L also result in quiet operation.
LaCrosse Super models are powered by the robust 5.3L V-8 small-block. Rated at 300 hp and 323-lb.ft of torque, it enables LaCrosse Super to reach 60 mph from a dead stop in just 5.9 seconds. The 5.3L small-block V-8 uses GM’s Active Fuel Management, an engine technology that seamlessly switches between four and eight cylinders to save fuel.
2008 Buick Enclave
Tiger Woods, the world’s top-ranked professional golfer and long-time Buick partner, teamed up with Buick to introduce media to the brand’s newest vehicle: the all-new 2008 Enclave luxury crossover SUV, on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Enclave was unveiled at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, one of the world’s most prestigious art and design schools.
The Enclave is Buick’s first luxury crossover SUV. It is purposely built on an all-new crossover architecture and motivated by one of GM’s most powerful V-6 engines ever. The Enclave creates its own niche in the fast-growing crossover market by melding elegant interior and exterior design and a confident ride in a quiet, well-crafted roomy cabin capable of carrying up to eight passengers with space for gear. It arrives in dealer showrooms next summer.
“Enclave is the new face of Buick and everything we want in future Buicks,” said General Manager Steve Shannon. “It’s an absolutely stunning, high-quality crossover SUV that delivers all the product attributes that define the new
Buick – a confident ride, relevant technologies, more luxury features, elegant design and a quiet, comfortable and well-crafted interior. These are the hallmark traits of future Buicks.”