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Porsche, Jaguar continue dominance in 2015 JD Power APEAL study

The top of JD Power's 2015 APEAL Study has not changed much in the last year. Porsche remains No. 1 with Jaguar nipping at its heels, although both premium brands saw their overall score fall compared to 2014. For those that need a refresher, the APEAL Study looks at how "gratifying" a vehicle is to own and drive, rating cars and brands on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average for 2015 has increased from 794 to 798, while the total number of automakers that finished above the curve increased from 16 to 20. While Porsche and Jaguar finished at the top, their scores dropped eight and seven points, respectively, to 874 and 855. The top "non-premium" brand was Mini, which scored an impressive 825, up from 795. If the BMW-owned British marque is still a bit too premium for your tastes, last year's non-premium winner, Hyundai, did climb five points and is this year's runner up. At the opposite end of the scale, Smart sits at the very bottom of the rankings, with a score of 683 (it didn't appear on the 2014 rankings). Fiat also dropped, from fourth worst in 2014 to second worst in 2015, despite the 500 being named most appealing city car. Subaru made an impressive climb, from third worst to seventh, falling just 10 points shy of the industry average and two points south of the non-premium average. In the individual vehicle segments, eight brands earned multiple awards, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Porsche earning three apiece. Surprise segment victories included the new Ford Expedition, which beat out Chevy's popular Suburban. The Infiniti QX80 bested the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for best large luxury SUV, and the Dodge Challenger beat its muscle car rivals from Ford and Chevy. Most of the victories, though, were quite predictable. The Mazda6 and CX-5 took wins for the midsize sedan and compact SUV categories respectively, while the Volkswagen Golf captured the compact car win. The Ford F-150 won the large pickup category, while the Porsche Cayman was named most appealing compact premium sporty car. Check out the official release on the 2015 APEAL Study, available below, from JD Power. 2015 U.S. APEAL Study Results The latest safety-related technologies are among the drivers of customer satisfaction with new vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S.

World record practice jump doesn't go as planned for Chicherit

French rally driver Guerlain Chicherit is a very lucky man. He had hoped to beat Tanner Foust's 332-feet car jump record (which nearly went awry itself) with a 360-foot leap in a specially built Mini to score a new Guinness World Record at the French ski resort of Tignes. However, things didn't go to plan, and Chicherit suffered a massive crash during the attempt. According to The Local, emergency services were on the scene immediately, and he was transported to the hospital by helicopter, but Chicherit is in better condition than anyone could have expected. He has been on Facebook since the crash and appears to be in great spirits. He wrote: "I have to stay to the hospital for the night just for safety, I'm all ok !!!" The jump was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 16, but heavy fog delayed it until today. Warning: The crash is quite graphic, but remember Chicherit wasn't seriously injured. Scroll down to see it all from multiple angles and in slow motion. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mini recalls 30K Hardtops to improve side-impact protection

Mini is recalling 30,456 units of its two-door models because they don't conform to federal side-impact requirements for the rear seat passengers. According to the documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (here as a PDF), this includes 15,653 examples of the 2014-2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop, 14,782 units of the 2014-2015 Mini Cooper S Hardtop, and 21 of the 2015 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop (pictured above). Those with production dates between December 2013 and March 2015 are affected, the automaker reports in a statement to Autoblog. According to NHTSA, the agency tested a 2015 Cooper and Cooper S Hardtop on July 1 and 2, but the S didn't meet one of the impact requirements. The analysis showed that rear passengers in these vehicles were potentially in greater danger in a crash. Upon further research, the government and Mini found more models potentially affected. The automaker isn't aware of any reports of accidents or injures from this problem. To rectify the situation, dealers will add more energy-absorbing material in the space between the rear interior panels and the exterior of the hatchbacks, which will take around four hours. The campaign to fix them will begin on Sept. 12. RECALL Subject : Side Impact Crash Worthiness/FMVSS 214 Report Receipt Date: JUL 17, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V450000 Component(s): STRUCTURE Potential Number of Units Affected: 30,456 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MINI COOPER 2014-2015 MINI COOPER S 2014-2015 MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS 2015 Details Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles and 2015 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop 2 Door vehicles. The affected vehicles do not meet the side impact performance requirements for the rear seat passengers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection." CONSEQUENCE: If the side impact performance requirements are not met, rear seat passengers may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash. REMEDY: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will install additional energy absorption material between the rear interior side panels and the exterior vehicle body, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 12, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.