MAXpayload: News. Rumors, and stuff we though you should know about. From RV Lemon Law's, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Duramax, Cummins-Chrysler, and the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 APEAL survey.
Quality isn't Appealing
J.D. Power and Associates 2009 APEAL survey (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) seeks to find which vehicles are the most appealing to buyers. This year the top brand was Porsche; Ford and Dodge both made notable improvements. At the segment level Volkswagen collected four wins (including the Tiguan) while Ford, Nissan, Honda and Mercedes-Benz each garnered two. If you look at JDP's Initial Quality Survey results you'll find quality isn't necessarily a big part of appeal…only Porsche and Cadillac score well in both surveys.
Suzuki Gets Big Quality Boost
When J.D. Power announced its Initial Quality Study this year, Suzuki was the most improved nameplate, leapfrogging all the way from 32nd to 9th overall. Most of this can be traced to Suzuki—the 11th largest vehicle builder in the world—now building all of their cars in Japan and dropping all Korean-sourced models produced in conjunction with Daewoo.
Cummins-Chrysler Contract Canceled
But the engine isn't dead. The agreement between Chrysler and Cummins for a new light-duty V diesel was canceled as a result of Chrysler's money problems, but there is no reason there couldn't be a new contract written. And if Chrysler doesn't step up, maybe Nissan will, to stuff it in the next-generation Titan likely produced alongside the Dodge Ram.
A Lemon Law That Isn't
The Good Sam RV owner's club has drafted a lemon law for RVs. The outline is based on results from Good Sam's own surveys that found 98 percent of its members were concerned with the quality of RV manufacturing, 93 percent with the availability of competent RV service, and 87 percent with the existence of adequate lemon law protection. High fuel costs were the only other category of concern to more than 80 percent of the members. The results don't surprise us at all. Note that as of this writing, the RV Lemon Law outline has not been adopted by any legislative body in the U.S.
Duramax 4.5 Needs Only Green Light
GM's new Product Guru and former Powertrain director Tom Stephens tells WardsAuto.com the 4.5-liter Duramax is “ready when needed and essentially complete.” The 4.5 fell victim to GM's budgetary woes and dropping demand for diesel based on lower gasoline prices.
Mahindra Here and Dare
The Mahindra pickup has been delayed again, slightly, attributed to the builder wanting to have every single detail done right when it launches. More than 300 dealers have signed on and production is scheduled to begin in December, with the first trucks at dealers in February 2010. Pricing should be out by the time you read this (check www.trucktrend.com) and with most companies canceling or delaying diesel plans, this will be the only sub-3/4-ton pickup with a diesel.
BACK to BUSINESS
The news from Detroit and Washington was fast and furious during the summer, with endless releases on financial and judicial hearings, personnel changes, and which plants are closing and retooling. The headline that caught our eye unlike any other? “Chrysler Resumes Production.” It was just in time given dealers were running low on minivans and Wranglers.
Our second favorite? GM's note about the new board of directors going to the proving ground to drive the company's product, clearly a concept well past due.
Almost lost among all that was the Fed stepping in with new economy standards, which means California wouldn't have its own, saving untold billions in R&D and implementation. Not coincidentally, there are revised rules at the EPA, which will make the case for diesel even harder, among them the assumption that Americans do 43 percent of their miles in the city and 57 percent on the highway.
After weeks of zero production counts and pitiful sales figures, the new Chrysler and GM are back in the business of building cars and trucks. Ford never quit, but the fallout from the others certainly put added strain on its plans, operations, and suppliers.
What Have You Bought Now?
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. General Services Administration has ordered 14,105 fuel-efficient vehicles for the federal fleet (of approximately 215,000 total vehicles) using $210 million of funds from the ARRA, bringing their total fuel-efficient order to 17,205 units for $287 million. Apparently they got a good deal or they're all compacts—less than $17,000 on average per unit. Ford got the most orders and delivered the lowest price, Chrysler the opposite, and GM in between. GSA did not specify what the 3100 hybrids were that they averaged $25,000 each for in April.
And You Thought the Mileage Hike Was Tough
NHTSA has published a new rule (38 pages, see http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-17533.pdf) regarding brake requirements on tractor-trailers to be phased in between August 2011 and August 2013. Most tractor-trailers of 80,000 pounds GVW and less must be able to stop from 60 mph in 250 feet, down from the current standard of 355 feet (310 feet for severe service tractors); in light-load conditions the value is 235 feet. The rule does not currently apply to trucks above 80,000 GVW because feasibility studies show the rotor diameter required might not fit within the wheel, nor does it apply to single vehicles like buses.
It's been many years since Truck Trend tested a pickup that needed more than 200 feet to stop from 60 mph and that was an anomaly. Most pickups stop in the 130-145-foot range, perhaps a good thing to remember if you have to stop your pickup in a hurry with a real truck behind you.