Nearly 50 vehicles meet tougher criteria for 2016 to take home the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, earning good ratings in all five IIHS crashworthiness evaluations and an advanced or higher rating for front crash prevention. An additional 13 models qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK.
The baseline requirements for both awards are good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as a standard or optional front crash prevention system. The 48 winners of the “plus” award have a superior- or advanced-rated front crash prevention system with automatic braking capabilities. These vehicles must stop or slow down without driver intervention before hitting a target in tests at 12 mph, 25 mph or both. Models with a basic-rated front crash prevention system, which typically only issues a warning and doesn’t brake, qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK.
IIHS inaugurated TOP SAFETY PICK in the 2006 model year to help consumers home in on vehicles with the best safety performance. The TOP SAFETY PICK+ accolade was introduced in 2012 to recognize vehicles that offer an advanced level of safety.
Fifty-three automotive journalists from Canada and the United States have voted the Honda Civic as the 2016 North American Car of the Year. The Volvo XC90 was picked as the 2016 North American Truck/Utility of the Year.
Both vehicles were previous winners. The Civic won in 2006 and the XC90 in 2003.
The awards – now in their 23rd year – are unique in the United States because instead of being given by a single media outlet they are awarded by an independent group of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites.
The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, comfort, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7699852-north-american-car-truck-of-the-year/
The vehicles deemed the 16 Best Family Cars of 2016 were announced today by Kelley Blue Book, www.kbb.com, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. After extensive testing and evaluation, with a keen focus on safety, comfort, convenience, spaciousness for both passengers and cargo, and fit of various rear-facing and forward-facing child safety car seats, the KBB.com expert editors recommend their choices for a diverse group of vehicles that best meet the needs of today’s modern families.
“For two weeks’ time we drove, lived-with, folded-down-seats-of, paired-phones-to and installed-baby-seats-in each and every one of the contenders,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst of Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. “We loaded cargo, contorted ourselves into third rows, watched movies on rear-seat screens, toted rowing teams to marinas – in short, we did everything that you and your family might do with a vehicle day-to-day. And we did all this with a certain sense of what a family needs and wants, since many of our testers are simultaneously parents of kids ranging from mid-twenties to newborn. So this wasn’t just a cursory exercise, but instead it drew heavily upon our family-car experiences, needs and wants.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7748351-kelley-blue-book-best-family-cars-2016/
Taking center stage at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show are more than 20 vehicles that made their world debut during the Media Preview including the Kia Niro, Ram Power Wagon, Nissan Armada, Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, Chevrolet Trax, Hyundai Santa Fe and Infiniti Q50 among others. More than a dozen concept cars are also on parade, including the Acura Precision, Buick Avista, Genesis Vision G, Kia Telluride and Nissan Murano Winter Warrior.
This year marks the 108th edition of the Chicago Auto Show. First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America and has been held more times than any other auto exposition on the continent. The show runs from Feb. 13-21 and opens at 9 a.m. each day. There are nearly 1,000 different vehicles on display throughout the more than 1 million sq. ft. of McCormick Place.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7660251-chicago-auto-show-2016/
Spring is around the corner, and it won’t be long before it’s prom and graduation seasons for many high schoolers. Rites of passage for many, these are times for teens to celebrate, but can also be times of poor decision-making, especially when vehicles are involved. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 2,524 teen drivers and passengers were killed and 177,000 were injured in 2013. Twenty-seven percent of these fatalities occurred between April and June, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
“The statistics are staggering, especially when you consider that most of these accidents and fatalities are preventable,” said Randy Petro, Mercury Insurance’s chief claims officer. “We don’t want any families to suffer through the loss of a child, so Mercury is taking action with the launch of the ‘Mercury Insurance Drive Safe Challenge.’”
The Mercury Insurance Drive Safe Challenge kicked off with a free defensive driving program, which included hands-on driving skills training and classroom material. An interactive website provides teens with detailed instruction, as well as gives parents the tools to shape responsible driving behavior.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7772251-mercury-teen-drive-safe-challenge/
The Here For America initiative today released International Automakers in America: Building More Than Cars, a report detailing the significant effect international automakers and dealers have on the U.S. economy. The report shows the $73 billion cumulative investment in American jobs and manufacturing.
“The United States today is a great place to build and export cars,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of Global Automakers and spokesman for Here For America. “International automakers accounted for nearly half of all U.S. auto production last year and exported over 750,000 of these vehicles to countries around the world.”
International Automakers in America was released at the 10th annual American International Automobile Dealers (AIADA) auto industry summit. Highlights from the 2016 report include the nearly 700,000 direct jobs generated by international automakers and dealers and the record 8.3 million vehicles sold in the U.S. last year.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7796651-global-automakers-impact-report/
Auto and tech companies are coming together to put driverless cars on the road. Data is what's powering the race. From design and manufacturing to safety and services, data is informing every step of the process towards fully autonomous vehicles. As transformative as they are, self-driving, connected cars are just one component in a much-larger data-collection network soon to be on the world's roads and highways.
What's the future of transportation look like with self-driving and human-driving cars side-by-side? How will the data--some estimates go as high as 1GB per second--from driverless cars be put to use?
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7889731-bloomberg-western-digital-bgovdata/
Automakers from around the globe are gearing up for the grand opening of the 2017 Chicago Auto Show, which opens to the public on 10am. Saturday, Feb. 11, at McCormick Place.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle are expected to be on hand Saturday, Feb. 11 for the ribbon cutting ceremony, which will officially open the 2017 Chicago Auto Show. With more than one million sq. ft. of exhibit space, the show is the largest in North America and has been held more times than any other auto exposition on the continent.
Taking center stage at the 109th edition of the Chicago Auto Show are more than 20 vehicles that made their world debut during this week’s Media Preview, including Dodge Durango SRT; Ford Expedition; Hyundai Elantra GT; Mitsubishi Outlander Sport; Nissan TITAN King Cab and Midnight Editions; TRD Sport editions of the Toyota Tundra and Sequoia; Subaru Legacy; and Volkswagen Atlas Weekend Edition Concept.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7660252-chicago-auto-show-2017-cas17/
Sometimes, a reliable set of wheels is all that stands between a veteran and their dreams. This month, more than 100 veterans and their families will be getting keys to newly-refurbished vehicles as part of Progressive’s fifth annual Keys to Progress® event. This year, Progressive will donate its 500th vehicle. The vehicle giveaways will occur on November 9 at 68 locations across the country, including Progressive Service Centers, one-stop facilities where Progressive handles claims and coordinates repairs for customers.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8204351-progressive-keys-to-progress/
GAC Motor, China’s fastest-growing automaker, has wowed the Fortune Global Forum 2017 (“the Forum”) as the official service car provider with 380 cars including the GA8 sedan, the GS8 SUV and the GM8 MPV. The vehicles have provided safe and reliable service for leaders of the 152 Fortune 500 companies who attended, in addition to more than 1,100 distinguished guests from around the world. During the Forum, 40 CEOs from Fortune 500 companies including McKinsey & Company, Aisin Seiki (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and iFLYTEK Co., Ltd visited GAC Motor’s factory in Panyu, Guangzhou to get a glimpse of China’s advanced smart manufacturing capability.
“We are proud to have had the chance to display our advanced smart manufacturing capabilities to some of the world’s top corporate leaders,” said Yu Jun, president of GAC Motor. “Being chosen as the official service car provider for the Forum is a recognition of GAC Motor’s accomplishments in openness and innovation; it further enhances our brand’s international influence. After years of development, the Chinese automotive industry is now capable of creating top auto brands, and we hope to build GAC Motor into a world-class Chinese brand.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8241551-gac-motor-fortune-global-forum/
Today at the North American International Auto Show, Kia Motors America (KMA) hosted the global debut of the all-new 2019 Forte which enters its third generation with a more sophisticated design and desirable features that transforms one of Kia’s best-selling vehicles into something more than a compact car meant for getting people from one point to another. Thanks to a number of improvements, Forte now offers drivers a higher level of comfort, fuel efficiency and advanced driver assistance technologies that are aimed to make the journey – whether a short commute or long haul – a more rewarding and decidedly upscale experience.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8246051-kia-2019-forte-north-american-international-auto-show/
In this video you can see the reasons to convert your car to natural gas. That will your contribution for 30% lower greenhouse emissions and for saving over 1 billion $ each day for oil imports to the US.