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Suzuki details 2019 Jimny engine and safety specs

Last month, we were able to publish official images of the upcoming new generation Suzuki Jimny SUV. Now, Suzuki has released a detailed mega-gallery of the boxy 2019 Jimny and some essential information on its powertrain and safety tech. The big news is that the Jimny's introductory engine choice will be bigger than anticipated, as it will be the 1.5-liter, 100-horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 96 pound-feet of torque. For the time being, no other powertrain options are available, and there's no word yet of a hybrid variant. The offered transmissions are a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic, and 4WD mode is switchable from a separate gear lever with high and low range. Curb weight is mentioned to be as low as 2400 pounds. As for the Jimny's safety, there's now automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning combined with "Weaving Alert," and also traffic sign detection — certainly high tech for a very small SUV. But it's outside the reach of any road signage where the Jimny is designed to shine, as the image gallery shows with photos of the vehicle off-road. The Jimny's approach angle is 37 degrees, the ramp breakover angle is 28 degrees and the departure angle a nice 49 degrees. The minimum ground clearance is mentioned to be roughly 8.3 inches. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Suzuki Jimny View 16 Photos News Source: Suzuki Suzuki SUV Off-Road Vehicles suzuki jimny

Jaguar I-Pace named World Car of the Year

NEW YORK — The Jaguar I-Pace has been named World Car of the Year, an award meant to honor the most significant new car introduction and conferred by an international jury of automotive journalist judges. The group announced the winners of additional awards at the New York Auto Show, with the Audi A7 named World Luxury Car of the Year, the McLaren 720S recognized as World Performance Car of the Year, and the Suzuki Jimny named World Urban Car. The I-Pace additionally took home two other awards: World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car of the Year. The WCOTY team of 86 jurors hail from 24 countries, and the organization is independent and not tied to any publication. This is the 15th year for the awards. For this year's World Car of the Year award the top three finalists were the I-Pace, the Audi E-Tron, and the Volvo S60/V60. Previous WCOTY winners were the Volvo XC60 in 2018 and the Jaguar F-Pace in 2017. View 74 Photos

Japan may aid carmakers facing U.S. tariff threat

TOKYO — Japan is considering giving carmakers fiscal support including tax breaks to offset the impact from trade frictions with the United States and a sales-tax hike planned for next year, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Going into a second round of trade talks with the United States on Sept. 21, Japan is hoping to avert steep tariffs on its car exports and fend off U.S. demands for a bilateral free trade agreement that could put it under pressure to open politically sensitive markets, like agriculture. "If the trade talks pile pressure on Japan's car exports, we would need to consider measures to support the auto industry," a ruling party official said on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the matter. The auto industry accounts for about 20 percent of Japan's overall output and around 60-70 percent of the country's trade surplus with the United States, making it vulnerable to U.S. action against Japanese exports. Japan's biggest automakers and components suppliers fear they could take a significant hit if Washington follows through on proposals to hike tariffs on autos and auto parts to 25 percent. Policymakers also worry that an increase in the sales tax from 8 percent to 10 percent planned for October 2019, could cause a slump in sales of big-ticket items such as cars and home. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has twice postponed the tax hike after the last increase from 5 percent in 2014 dealt a blow to private consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy. To prevent a pullback in demand after the tax hike, the government may consider large fiscal spending later when it draws up its budget for next year, government sources said. "One option may be to greatly reduce or abolish the automobile purchase tax," one of the government sources said. The government is also considering cuts in the automobile tax and automobile weight tax to help car buyers, the source added. Reporting by Izumi Nakagawa and Tetsushi KajimotoRelated Video: Image Credit: Getty Government/Legal Isuzu Mazda Mitsubishi Nissan Subaru Suzuki Toyota Trump Trump tariffs trade