1999 Infiniti G20 on 2040-cars

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Massive Airbag Recall Affects Seven Automakers

The recall of faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata has exploded today to grow to seven automakers. In most cases, only models in certain high-humidity regions were affected because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in its investigation that moisture played a role in determining whether there would be a problem. However, some companies opted for national campaigns. The exact number of affected models for these campaigns isn't yet known at this time. BMW is recalling an undisclosed number of 325i, 325Xi, 330i and 330Xi models from the 2001 through 2005 model years and the 2001-2006 model year versions of the 325Ci and 330Ci for the driver side and passenger side inflators. Only vehicles currently registered in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands are covered under this recall. Neither Chrysler's filing with NHTSA nor its press release list the specific models affected, but a company spokesperson told Autoblog that at this time it only covers the driver and passenger side inflators for the 2006 Dodge Charger in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands In most cases, only models in certain high-humidity regions were affected because the NHTSA found that moisture played a roll in determining if there would be a problem. Ford is recalling an estimated 58,669 cars that include the 2005-2006 model years of the Ford GT for the driver and passenger inflators, the 2007-2007 model years of the Mustang for the driver side and 2004 Ranger for the passenger side. It covers vehicles originally sold or currently registered in, wait for it... Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands. Honda is issuing three separate recalls regarding the problem. First, the company is recalling the 2002-2003 model years Civic, CR-V and Odyssey and the 2003 model year of the Accord, Element, Pilot and Acura MDX to replace the passenger's side inflator. This covers all models nationwide. Second, Honda is repairing the passenger's side airbag inflator in the 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Element, Pilot, the 2003-2004 model year versions of the Odyssey, the 2003-2005 model year Acura MDX and 2005 Acura RL. However, only for vehicles located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Owners will be notified in July. Finally, Honda is separately replacing some models' driver's side inflators.

2019 Autoblog Technology of the Year finalists revealed

Every fall, we line up a range of new models with the latest and most compelling automotive technology from the past year. We test everything from semi-autonomous systems like Tesla's Autopilot to trick suspension setups like the Multimatic spool-valve shocks on the Chevy Colorado ZR2. We spend months paring down the list to a small group of contenders. After testing, dinner and healthy debate, we tally up the votes and name our winner. For Autoblog's 2019 Technology of the Year Award, our three finalists are the Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise, the Infiniti QX50 with Variable Compression Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG E 53 with EQ Boost. Super Cruise is an advanced SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous system, though Cadillac (unlike some of its rivals) is reluctant to push that point. Cadillac would like you to think of this as an advanced driver assistance feature rather than a semi-autonomous system. Super Cruise allows completely hands-free highway driving. Thanks to a driver-facing camera, the system forces the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road even if hands are off the wheel. Although the CT6 is being discontinued, look for Super Cruise to make its way to other Cadillacs soon. VC Turbo is a little more complicated. Basically, Infiniti's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four can vary the compression ratio on the fly. In general, turbocharged engines are more efficient than naturally-aspirated engines when on boost, but can perform worse at low revs. VC Turbo allows for a best-of-both-worlds situation, increasing the compression at low revs and backing it off once the turbo spools up. The best part is that it does so seamlessly, with only a dash readout letting you know what's going on under the hood. Our third finalist is the EQ Boost 48-volt system in the Mercedes-AMG E 53. Like VC Turbo, EQ Boost does a lot just beneath the surface. Mercedes has developed a new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and paired it with a small electric motor. While the car can't run on electricity alone, the motor helps improve both efficiency and performance, smoothing shifts and filling in low-end torque before the turbos spool up. Think torque fill, similar to a McLaren P1. Who can complain about better fuel economy and more torque? Look for the 48-volt system to make its way into most of the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The winner will be revealed next week on Autoblog, and we'll present the award Jan. 15 at the Detroit Auto Show. Related Video:

2022 Infiniti QX60 pricing starts just under $48,000

Just a month after being revealed, the 2022 Infiniti QX60 has pricing. The base model starts at $47,875, which is $2,500 more than the outgoing model. The model line spans four trims, Pure, Luxe, Sensory and Autograph. Each one comes standard with front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive as an option. Adding all-wheel drive adds $2,000 for all trims except the Autograph, which costs $2,900 as it includes the tow package with a hitch, hitch wiring and transmission oil cooler. You can see the base prices for all trims below, and the crossover goes on sale this fall. Pure: $47,875 Luxe: $53,925 Sensory: $57,375 Autograph: $61,375 The QX60 comes pretty well equipped even at the base level. On the outside, it has 18-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights and taillights. Inside it has a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, nine-speaker sound system, power hatch, panoramic sunroof, leather first- and second-row seats, front seats with heat and power adjustment and three-zone climate control. Some of the safety features include front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning and rear parking sensors. Moving up to Luxe adds 20-inch wheels and roof rails outside. Inside it gets a 12.3-inch instrument display panel, heated and cooled seats. Tech upgrades include navigation, ProPilot Assist highway and stop-and-go assistance, surround-view cameras, traffic sign recognition and remote start. Sensory focuses on the interior with massaging front seats, heated outboard second-row seats, power-folding third-row seats, wireless phone charging, motion-sensing power hatch, open-pore wood trim, ambient lighting and a Bose 17-speaker sound system. The top-rung Autograph has a number of exclusive upgrades. The exterior features a black roof and roof rails. The interior gets semi-aniline leather, captain's chairs in the second row with a removable center console, 10.8-inch head-up display, camera-display rearview mirror and adaptive headlights. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.