JULY 4, 2018
Monday, July 2, 2018 at 12:20PM HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
With car sales permanently ensconced in the dumper it seems, it's nice to know that car companies aren't totally giving up on them, even if it's just a summer smoke-and-mirrors effort, which the new 2019 Buick LaCrosse Sport Touring model qualifies as. With the ST you get a body color grille surround and side vents (they're finished in chrome on other models), a rear spoiler, a (now-obligatory) black mesh grille, 19-inch midnight silver wheels, and “ST” badging on the trunk lid. And there are five available exterior color options: White Frost Tricoat, Satin Steel Metallic, Quicksilver Metallic, Red Quartz Tintcoat and Ebony Twilight Metallic. At least the 2019 LaCrosse ST has a standard 310-horsepower, 3.6L V-6 and a 9-speed automatic transmission. The LaCrosse ST starts at $40,295 (including a $925 destination fee).
A new 7.2 kW charging system is the big news on the 2019 Chevrolet Volt. With the new 7.2 kW system, a complete recharge can be achieved in as little as 2.3 hours with a 240-volt outlet and supporting hardware. The new system is standard on the 2019 Volt Premier model and available on the LT trim. A 3.6 kW charger is standard on the Volt LT. The new charging system is part of the Volt’s extended-range electric propulsion system, which with a full tank of gas and a full charge offers an EPA-estimated 53 miles of pure EV range and 106 MPGe, or gasoline equivalent. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered generator kicks in to extend the driving range to a total of 420 miles (675 km) on a full tank. The new system offers a number of additional enhancements for the 2019 Volt and increases the vehicle’s all-electric utility for owners who take advantage of “opportunity charging,” or plugging in around town to top off the battery charge. In addition to the new charging system, the 2019 Volt offers a number of enhancements. For those in colder climates who want to use as little gas as possible, the 2019 Volt allows activation of the automatic engine-assisted heating system to be deferred until much lower temperatures — minus 13 degrees / minus 25 degrees C — for more all-electric operation. The 2019 Volt also features new Low and Regen on Demand profiles that enable increased regenerative braking capability when drivers let off the accelerator pedal. A new Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system with an 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen incorporates a new Energy App. The app’s Impacts Screen shows drivers how driving style, route, weather conditions and cabin comfort setting may affect range and conveys the impact more intuitively based on mileage rather than the previous numerical “score.” The 2019 Volt also introduces its first power driver’s seat. The six-way seat is standard on Premier and available on LT models.
A Brief Interlude.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: I had the opportunity to try out a 2018 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 AWD over the last week, but since I was very ill I must admit I didn't drive it enough to form any deep impressions. I did like the "exclusive" paint, which doesn't show up in the pictures; it's like an electric cranberry and it actually came off well. The design of the Q60 is decent. I don't like it as much as recent sport-oriented efforts from other manufacturers, but I do like it better in the flesh and out in the real world than I thought I would. The interior was light in color, which is never my favorite, but everything was placed well and worked well, so it would seem to live up to its "enthusiast car" credentials, especially given the overall excellent feel of the car (although it had more "nanny" items on board than I even care to contemplate). But no doubt the main attraction is the 3.0-liter, Twin Turbo, 400HP V6 with 350 lb.ft of torque. It's almost worth the fairly steep price of admission for this car alone because it is an outstanding engine, but I must admit there would be several choices at this price range that I would consider first. I look forward to spending more time in one of these in the future, but for now my initial impressions are somewhat favorable, despite the gimmickry. -PMD
2018 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 AWD: $65,705 ($54,000 Base price; 3.0-liter, Twin Turbo, 400HP V6 with 350 lb.ft of torque; Infiniti Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive; 7-speed automatic gearbox; Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; Dynamic Digital Suspension; Independent front and rear suspension; 20-inch aluminum wheels; P255/35R20 all season performance tires, front and rear; Sport brakes with red painted calipers; Zero-lift aerodynamic concept; Infiniti Drive Mode Selector; Vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering; Exclusive Red Sport 400 exhaust tips, Active Trace Control, Hill start assist; Automatic on/off LED headlights with LED DRLs; LED fog lights, front turn signals and rear brake lights; NOTE, this car has pretty much everything you can think of, moving on; Sensory Package (Sport) - Infiniti InTouch Navigation, with Voice Recognition, Infiniti InTouch Services, Sirius/XM Traffic, Heated front seats, Heated Steering wheel, Remote engine start - $2,250; PROASSIST Package - Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Backup Collision Intervention; Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, Front and rear sonar system, Predictive Forward Collision Warning, Forward Emergency braking with pedestrian detection, Rain-sensing wipers - $2,250; PROACTIVE Package - Intelligent Cruise Control, Direct Adaptive Steering, Lane Departure Prevention with Active Lane Control, Distance Control Assist, Blind Spot Intervention, Adaptive Front Lighting System with auto-leveling headlights, High Beam Assist, Front Pre-Crash Seat belts, Advanced Climate Control System, Eco pedal - $2,850; Exclusive Paint and Silver Optic Fiber Interior Trim, $800; Illuminated Infiniti kick-plates, $400; Carbon Fiber Package - Carbon fiber rear decklid spoiler, Carbon fiber exterior mirror covers, Carbon fiber fog lamp finishers, Carbon fiber fender vents - $2,250; Destination charges, $905.)
