New Sprinter Stateside
The latest version of the Sprinter will roll into dealers soon, with the choice of a 154-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel or a 254-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 gas engine. It's longer, wider, taller (inside and out), and has larger door openings to access the up to 600-cubic-foot interior. Despite just a 20-inch step-in height, hi-roof models boast seven feet of headroom, with payload up to 5770 pounds, GVWR up to 11,030, and towing up to 2500. Standards now include 10,000-mile oil-change intervals, power windows and locks, better mirrors, tilt/telescoping wheel, CD player, adaptive ESP designed to determine center of gravity based on load, and a new load-securing system. Optional ParkSense will safeguard front and rear bumpers, but you'll still have to look up for tree limbs and roof overhangs.
I'm Smarter--and Older--Than You Are
SEMA researchers recently studied pickup buyer backgrounds. Here's a quick summary of what they found. Note the disparities between near-identical trucks like Silverado and Sierra, Dakota and Raider, and Colorado and Canyon.
| Truck | Mean Age | Buyers 18-24 | H.S. or Less | College Grad |
| Avalanche | 43.95 | 5% | 35% | 30% |
| F-Series | 47.51 | 2% | 28% | 41% |
| Ram | 47.03 | 2% | 43% | 28% |
| Sierra | 48.93 | 1% | 40% | 33% |
| Silverado | 45.95 | 6% | 52% | 20% |
| Titan | 48.96 | 2% | 25% | 44% |
| Tundra | 46.35 | 3% | 19% | 50% |
| Canyon | 51.22 | 2% | 38% | 39% |
| Colorado | 49.23 | 4% | 39% | 28% |
| Dakota | 53.73 | 1% | 44% | 22% |
| Frontier | 51.14 | 2% | 29% | 34% |
| Raider | 43.87 | 5% | 35% | 31% |
| Ranger | 49.73 | 7% | 35% | 32% |
| Ridgeline | 50.24 | 1% | 21% | 58% |
| Tacoma | 46.10 | 4% | 21% | 47% |
Legal Watch
A judge ruled a car dealer can be sued by passengers in a limo who weren't wearing seatbelts when it crashed into a tree...Authorities say DaimlerChrysler ads in Germany must include fuel use when emphasizing performance...Ford and International Truck & Engine are still working out their issues over the 6.0-liter, but 6.4 production hasn't been affected.
Mitsubishi Wins Dakar...Again
No surprise in the desert as a Mitsubishi Ralliart Pajero won the 29th Dakar rally with Peterhansel and Cottret in the cockpit. American Mark Miller, CEO of Arciero-Miller Racing, finished fourth in a VW Touareg, the highest finish ever for an American in the four-wheel category.
Nuts&Bolts
• For the third consecutive year, the Range Rover has won the Prestige SUV category of R.L. Polk's Auto Loyalty Award.
• GM is studying options for its Allison Transmission unit, including potential sale. Perhaps Caterpillar's expanding line of medium- and heavy-duty automatics is having some effect?
• Toyota could have as many as 15 assembly plants in North America by 2015. Maybe not good news for Detroit, but it could help some workers or the manufacturing economy.
• Ford's Edge HySeries concept, with fuel cell, dual electric motors, and a lithium-ion battery, is said to go 25 miles on electricity alone. With 5400 pounds and some serious engineering yet to do, this won't be on the road any time soon.
• According to a glass industry group, more than 36 production vehicle platforms at the 2007 NAIAS (Detroit auto show) used laminated glass in side, rear, or roof window applications, up from just three five years ago.
• Monaco Coach and International Truck & Engine have agreed on a joint venture to manufacture rear-engine diesel chassis for the RV industry. International also bought Workhorse, another RV chassis manufacturer, in 2005.
• Coincident with President Bush's State of the Union address, the Sport Utility Vehicle Owners of America group released a statement explaining how energy policy changes could hurt recreational towers. Among the statistics cited: 99 percent of cars sold in the U.S. have lost the ability to tow (2100 pounds was the value given) since the beginning of fuel-economy mandates in the 1970s.
• Fleets and Fuels magazine is bullish on biomethane as the emerging fuel for 2007. We're not sure where to take this, but we'll print your best responses.
• Phoenix Motorcars has taken initial orders for its zero-emission, all-electric sport/utility truck for municipality and utility services. It's said to have a range of 130 miles, recharge time of 10 minutes, lifespan of 12 years minimum and be capable of carrying a full load and five passengers at 95 mph. We can't think of any public servant in our municipality who should be driving anything that fast.