Chevrolet is clearly confident about the new Cruze. With ten air bags and top scores in European crash tests (US test results are pending), the new compact sedan promises high levels of safety. And with special sound-deadening glass and acoustic mats, the cabin will no doubt be quiet and refined. A new 1.4-liter turbocharged engine promises up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway for the special Eco model, too.

Chuck Russell, vehicle line director for Cruze, told Automotive News that the new Chevy sedan has more shoulder room than the competition and offers many of the premium features you’d normally find in a midsize car. He expects the car to appeal to folks who want to downsize without losing any gadgets or gizmos. Prices will range from $16,995 to $22,695 with shipping included.

But the big challenge will be in managing three test drives at one dealership. Sales consultants don’t like to leave the lot for long periods of time because it cuts into their selling time. There are bound to be headaches if a customer drives all three cars and then walks away.

Still, the offer to cross-shop all three cars at once is enticing. And if the 2011 Cruze is as good as GM says it is, Chevy’s got nothing to fear.

Jeff Winger and his lovable band of misfits will star in a three-part story that follows the Greendale Community College crew as they drive to an Emmy Awards party and talk about what the evening may or may not have in store. Since Infiniti is official automotive partner for the event, the cast will be riding in the stylish new QX56, naturally.

We don’t know yet which characters will be involved in the storyline, but the Infiniti QX56 does have three rows of seating to fit Jeff, Britta, Abed, Shirley, Troy, Annie, and Pierce. Professor Duncan will presumably have to hitch a ride on Señor Chang’s scooter.

Infiniti also plans to show off their new M37 and M56 luxury sedans at the event. Stars will be shuttled to and from the red carpet in either the M or QX. Not a bad way to make an entrance if you ask us!

Sales are so hot that Hyundai has been running its plant in Montgomery, Alabama at maximum overtime for several months to meet demand. With new Sonatas still in short supply, Automotive News reports that Hyundai is shifting production of its Santa Fe crossover vehicle to free up capacity.

The Santa Fe is reportedly scheduled to move to a plant in West Point, Georgia that’s owned by corporate cousin, Kia. Hyundai’s crossover will be built alongside the new Kia Sorento, with which it shares a platform.  A source familiar with the issue said that new workers have already been hired to staff the second production line.

Though Hyundai is staying tight-lipped on the subject, this is obviously good news for the company and good news for the local economies in Montgomery and West Point.

In fact, there is currently an around-the-world race taking place right now made only of these ultimate commuter cars. The Zero Race, as it is called, is made up of teams from four continents that compete to traverse the planet in 80 days using no gas at all. The only rules of the race are that the vehicles:

• Be propelled by an electric motor
• Drive at least 250 kilometers (about 155 miles) distance at an average speed of at least 80 kilometers per hour (about 50 miles per hour)
• Be able to reach a maximum distance of 500 kilometers per day (about 310 miles), with a recharge stop of 4 hours during the competitor’s lunch break
• Carry at least two people on board

The race started on August 16 in Switzerland and you can follow along on their journey here.

I had the opportunity to drive around in one of the original versions of these commuter cars two years ago. The Sparrow was originally conceived of and produced by Lee Iaccoca and I had a chance to take one out for an exhilarating spin around the block. Some say the concept was ahead of its time. While that may be true, I definitely had fun putting the pedal to the metal in this baby. And the looks that I got from passerby’s were priceless.

I happened across another electric commuter car at this year’s Plug-In 2010 conference called the Arcimoto Pulse. The Pulse is less designed for speed as it is for comfort and efficiency. It features room for two and a has an MP3 stereo system to accompany your ride around town. It has a 40-mile range, a top-speed of 65 mph, and charges in 4 hours.

Electric commuter cars revolutionize the way we think about mobility. Does it really make sense, for example, to drive our SUVs that seat eight if we are going solo to our jobs? These cars are yet another example of the wide variety of technologies that are shifting our transportation sector towards clean electric drive.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.

I happened across the Smart ForTwo ED a few weeks ago at the Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, CA. This annual conference was the place to be to catch a glimpse of some of the most innovative cars of the future. The convertible Smart definitely caught my eye on the exhibition floor and I contacted Rick Bourgoise, Director of Communications for Smart USA, to find out more.

Rick told me that the Smart ForTwo ED has been in development in the U.K. since 2007. An electric version was part of the initial vision for the Smart ForTwo, given its mission to be one of the cleanest automotive product lines in the world. In fact, the original design was built to accommodate an electric vehicle powertrain without compromising the structure of the vehicle itself. The Smart ForTwo ED is nearly identical to the conventional ForTwo – the battery pack and electric drive system take up the same space once occupied by the engine and fuel tank.

The Smart ForTwo ED is optimized for urban driving. The car is powered by a 30 kW drive motor from electricity stored in a 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. Smart says that initial acceleration is brisk and that top speed will be a highway-capable 60 miles per hour.

Using a 220-volt outlet, like the kind your clothing dryer plugs into, this Smart can fully charge in less than eight hours and offers a range of 82 clean miles on a single charge.

For those cutting-edge early adopters looking for a clean ride for their urban commute, Smart USA is now accepting “hand-raisers” who are interested in being part of their field test trial program. They will offer a limited number of Smart forTwo EDs in five target markets: Portland, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Orlando/Tampa, and cities along the I-95 corridor from Boston to D.C. The vehicles will be available starting in October 2010 for a four-year lease for $599/month. Production-ready vehicles for sale are expected to be available in 2012.

Rick mentioned that each field test driver will have their own web page that details real-time usage of their Smart forTwo ED. This information is intended to provide drivers and Daimler (manufacturer of the Smart ForTwo ED) data that will be used to inform the ultimate design of the production-ready version.

While being an early adopter is not for everyone, having the chance to test out future car technology (while getting a lot of head-turning attention on the road) is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

There are a wide variety of options for clean mobility in the near future, and the Smart ForTwo ED is a welcome addition to the bunch.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.

The plug-in H3 was on display at last month’s Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, CA. The new and improved H3 runs solely on electricity for the first 40 miles. After that, a fuel-efficient gasoline generator kicks in for trips longer than 40 miles. This makes the H3 an E-REV, or an “extended range electric vehicle,” similar to the platform of the Chevy Volt.

I spoke with David West, Raser’s Vice-President of Marketing, to find out how this vehicle works. “To make our trucks green, we don’t propel the vehicle any longer with gasoline. We replace it with a custom electric motor and battery pack. The motor has to be powerful enough to propel the car, yet small enough to be able to fit in the available space. We take out the old gas engine and put in a small EcoTech 4-cylinder engine from GM. This combustion engine provides auxiliary power to the vehicle when needed,” West told me.

Raser Technologies decided to focus on converting large trucks because they are the number one selling vehicles in America and are most commonly used by fleets. They plan to deliver EREV pick-up trucks to fleet buyers first, while developing similar products to consumers within the next few years.

While taking a test drive in the vehicle, I asked David, “You must get all kinds of interesting looks from people on the street, don’t you?” He replied, “Yeah, I get some people who drive past us on the street all the time and tell us ‘We don’t believe you!’”

Believe it or not, this car shows that even massive cars like the Hummer can benefit from electric drive technology. As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “The Hummer is not what is wrong…it is the engine, it is the technology, so what we have to change is not the car and the size of the cars, what we have to change is the technology.”

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.

With its chiseled good looks and abundance of hi-tech features, it’s easy to see why Cadillac has a hit on their hands.

The SRX takes after Cadillac’s striking second-generation CTS sedan, with crisp lines and a powerful stance that makes it look eager to pounce. The design is taut and muscular and dynamic. Catch a glimpse of the SRX lit up across a deserted parking lot at night and your pulse will quicken with anticipation. When’s the last time a luxury crossover did that for you?

For better or for worse, Cadillac’s direction for the SRX is 180 degrees from the segment’s perennial sales champion, the Lexus RX. Where the SRX looks hard-edged and aggressive, the RX is soft-spoken and delicate.

The difference continue inside, as well. The SRX again draws inspiration from its CTS sibling with an angular center stack that’s framed by metallic trim. The dash is covered in synthetic leather and held together with upscale French stitching that can also be found on the door pulls, seats, and steering wheel. It’s a nice touch that adds a feeling of craftsmanship, even if it is a bit overdone in places.

Fit and finish in the car I drove was very good but still not quite in the same league as the Lexus. Some of the plastics felt tinny and not all of the seams along the dash were perfectly uniform. Still, these are nitpicks on an otherwise excellent design.

Adding a bit of theater is an optional navigation system with a crisp LCD screen that motors into view only when needed. When not in use for directions or the optional rearview camera, it slides back down halfway and becomes a conventional readout for audio and HVAC.

Parked in the center of the speedometer is a beautiful LCD display that displays trip computer functions like fuel economy, tire pressure, and even the speed limit of the road you’re traveling on. Set a destination on the navigation system and the display will show the next turn on your route so that your eyes don’t have to wander far. It’s a gorgeous piece of kit that’s well integrated and very handy.

Crossover vehicles are hugely popular as family cars and Cadillac wisely added a few family-friendly features. The optional rear seat entertainment system, for example, features two screens that can run independent video sources in case Johnny wants to watch a movie while Susie plugs in a video game console.

Your kids won’t mind the back seat but taller adults may. Headroom is tight due to the sporty roofline and space-stealing UltraView panoramic sunroof. That sunroof affords a lovely view for everyone, but because it comes standard on all but the base model SRX, shoppers should consider how often they’ll be transporting tall adults in the rear seat.

Speaking of height, Moms and Dads will no doubt love the power rear cargo door, which makes loading and unloading a one-touch affair and can be programmed to open part-way. This selectable height setting can really come in handy if your garage has low-hanging pipes or storage racks that might otherwise wreck a nice paint job.

As you’d expect of a Cadillac, the SRX comes loaded to the gills with safety features. Anti-lock brakes, traction control, and electronic stability control are all standard – as are front, side, and side-curtain air bags. The SRX was also named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an award that requires top scores in four different types of crashes.

Out on the road, the Cadillac’s standard 3.0-liter V6 engine produces a competitive 265-horsepower but only 223 lb-ft of torque, meaning that you have to rev the engine a bit to really get moving. The 6-speed automatic transmission proves an unwilling partner, though, stubbornly refusing to downshift as it tries to preserve fuel economy. Acceleration is fine for most situations but I found the sluggish transmission frustrating when trying to slice my way through heavy LA traffic.

The conservative transmission tuning is a shame because the SRX rides on an athletic chassis that really comes alive when you pick up the pace. If anything, this playful spirit is what sets the edgy Cadillac most apart from the soft and isolated Lexus.

There’s an optional turbocharged V6 engine that boosts horsepower to 300 and torque to 295 but it requires a substantial amount of optional equipment and results in a sticker price that’s about $15,000 over the base SRX. Fuel economy also drops to an abysmal 15 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. Considering that most other competitors can meet or exceed the turbocharged Cadillac’s performance with their base engines, the upgrade hardly seems worth it.

Standard on the turbo models and optional with the standard V6 is a new all-wheel drive system that is among the most sophisticated in the segment. It collects 200 readings per second from twenty sensors and routes power among the wheels with surgical precision. A fancy electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle shuffles power side-to-side as you corner.

The net effect is an almost surreal feeling of agility and control. This Caddy loves to dance and the all-wheel drive system’s boost to roadholding and traction makes it well worth the $2,500 that it adds to the bottom line.

Even with options like the all-wheel drive system, rearview camera, navigation, and UltraView sunroof; the Cadillac SRX is priced competitively for the segment. Base models with the standard V6 and front-wheel drive start at $33,830 though most buyers will find themselves in the low-$40k range, right in the heart of Lexus RX territory.

By standing so close to the Lexus in terms of price, Cadillac is inviting comparisons. You’ll need to decide if you want soft and civilized or edgy and fun. And though you’ll have to sacrifice some speed and refinement to get it, the Cadillac SRX is a compelling choice for buyers who want an edgier alternative to the luxury crossover status quo.

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Photos courtesy GM

It happens to be driven by Josh and Rebecca Tikell, who also directed the award-winning documentary, Fuel.  The couple drove the algae plug-in hybrid across the country last year to promote Fuel. They are also working on a new documentary at the moment called, “Spill,” which brings attention to this summer’s Gulf Oil Spill and its aftermath.

So, what’s the deal with the plug-in hybrid algae car? Well, for one, it uses no petroleum. The vehicle is either propelled by electrical energy only (stored in the onboard battery pack underneath the rear cargo space) or by a blend of electrical energy and algae fuel.

Rebecca told me that the car is capable of traveling 30 miles in all-electric mode. The blended mode kicks in after 30 miles, delivering an estimated 150 miles per gallon over those first 100 miles. After the first 100 miles, she says that the Prius still gets superb mpg. The most efficient driving mode is all-electric, of course, and you can plug the converted car into any standard 110-volt wall outlet and fully charge in just six hours.

While plug-in hybrid Prius conversions have been around for awhile now, this is the first one powered by algae fuel (others have used petroleum). Josh and Rebecca have algae fuel for their car provided by Sapphire Energy. The beauty of algae fuel is that it is one of the most sustainably produced fuels in the world. Find out how algae fuel is produced here.

I plan on following up with Josh and Rebecca to learn more about this technology and find out how close we are to actually getting cars like this on the market. Needless to say, it is an exciting time in automotive history and I am glad that we are using our ingenuity to solve one of the most critical issues of our day.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.

While the 2011 Ford Fiesta is known for being an economical and fuel-efficient vehicle, it delivers supremely well in the comfort and connectivity department.

The model I drove came with Ford’s SYNC system, which seamlessly detected my iPhone and downloaded my contacts in minutes. I made and received several hands-free phone calls this way without a problem. Callers were easily identified on the 4-inch multifunctional LCD display, which was positioned high on the instrument panel where you don’t have to take your eyes completely off the road.

In addition to hands-free calls, you can also send text messages using nothing but voice commands. SYNC has the capability to offer turn-by-turn navigation and a handy “business search” when you’re seeking out a nearby locale. After a few days of use, I found myself wishing that all new cars today had a program like SYNC to increase driver safety.

In terms of interior ambiance, the Fiesta was surprisingly chic. I enjoyed the sleek colored lighting that illuminated the interior during the evening. The Fiesta is engineered with an acoustic-laminated windshield and sound-absorbent material to minimize road noise. That translated to a very crisp and clear listening environment when speaking with passengers or listening to SIRIUS radio on the Fiesta’s 80-watt premium sound speakers.

The Fiesta also really impressed me with its numerous safety features. The car comes equipped with seven standard airbags, including side-curtain airbags and a driver’s knee airbag. When making tight turns at high speeds, the Fiesta felt sturdy and in control, thanks to its electronic stability control system that applies the brakes or reduces engine power when it detects a skid or slide. I also really appreciated the integrated blind spot mirrors that helps when changing lanes or backing up.

Overall, the 2011 Ford Fiesta lives up to the reputation that Henry Ford Jr. envisioned when the first-generation Fiesta emerged in the 1970s. Ford’s original idea was to create an efficient car for the masses, similar to the role the Model T played at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, there are over 12 million Fiestas on the road. With this new sixth-generation Fiesta, Ford got it right – especially when it comes to comfort and safety features. Hopefully, the Ford Focus Electric (due in 2012) will also have some of the same features. And maybe – just maybe – we can hope for an improved, more efficient electric drive Fiesta in the future, as well.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.

I test drove the Ford Fiesta for one week all across Southern California. I usually only test drive hybrid and plug-in vehicles, but I gave the Fiesta a shot because it is known to be a fuel-sipping, low-emitting vehicle with an attractive price tag.

Let’s talk efficiency first. It is clear that Ford paid a lot of attention to how to maximize efficiency from this vehicle. From its very responsive PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission to its aerodynamic exterior, the Fiesta is designed to eke out the highest mpg possible. The model I drove came with the Super Fuel Economy Package, which offers additional aerodynamic details such as underbody shields and blockers on the lower grille.

Over the course of 350 miles, I averaged 33.7 mpg. This is what I would have expected, given the EPA estimate of 40 mpg (hwy)/29 mpg (city). However, I can’t say that I drove the Fiesta very efficiently. Since the Fiesta is also engineered to provide a smooth ride, even at high speeds with its electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) system, I could easily put the pedal to the metal and feel like I was just cruising.

I could have maximized more mpg if the Fiesta had an efficiency gauge that showed me real-time fuel consumption. Efficiency gauges now come standard in most hybrid models so that drivers know how their fuel consumption varies according to how one drives. In lieu of an efficiency gauge, I set the Fiesta on cruise control at 65 mph for longer freeway trips during my last 100 miles of traveling. As expected, my fuel economy increased significantly to over 40 mpg at times.

However, the Ford Fiesta is not only known for its fuel economy. It also stands out for its cutting-edge features intended to enhance the overall driving experience. In the second installment of my review, I attend to those creature comforts that really make this economy model stand out from the rest of the pack.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.