San Diego – For the first time ever, the Hyundai brand has produced the most leaders on Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index™ (TQI), leading in three segments. The San-Diego-based research firm today announced 2007 results, based on the ratings of new vehicle owners in 19 product segments.

The only other brand to produce three leaders was Nissan. Hyundai Motors had a total of five leaders (the Kia brand earning two more), Ford Motor and BMW Group each earned three (one for BMW, two for Mini); GM, Honda, and Mercedes each earned two with Dodge, Lexus and Volkswagen each earning one. BMW repeated as the top scoring brand, the eighth time in nine years, and Volkswagen of America kept its claim as the best full-line corporation.

Honda, the self-proclaimed "most fuel efficient car company in America" has earned, for the fourth consecutive time, the title of "Greenest Automaker" from Union of Concerned Scientists. The UCS gives out the award on a biennial basis to the automaker with the least CO2-emitting vehicles.

"Honda remains the greenest U.S. automaker. The company installs clean technology across its entire fleet of cars and trucks and that consistency makes it a top environmental performer. Honda is one of only two automakers to have better-than-average global warming scores in every class of vehicles it sold in MY2005," said Don MacKenzie, a vehicles engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists. "In addition, Honda continues to have the best smog score in four out of the five classes."

The auto industry is bracing itself for its biggest shift since Henry Ford used an assembly line to roll out Model Ts. The race to develop and implement a new kind of fuel - both environmentally-conscious and affordable - has been going on for years now, but we’re still a while away from a full-scale gasoline overhaul. Ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen, and lithium batteries are all vying for the title of gas killer, but there’s a new contender making a lot of noise - and that contender is...air? Well, compressed air.

The second generation of the Dodge Ram made the pickup truck one of the most popular pickups in the market. Marketed for the 1994 model year, the Ram is designed with the iconic grille which gives the vehicle its aggressive look. The popularity of the Ram’s grille has, in fact, set a benchmark for its competitors. This is where Chrysler took an advantage over its American competitor like General Motors and Ford. From that model year to the 2007 model year, the Dodge Ram has been known for that iconic nose and its power. Recently, the 2009 model year version of the Dodge Ram was spotted and its manufacturer has divulged some information concerning the upcoming version of the Ram.

Honda today announced that a gasoline-electric hybrid version of their new 2008 Honda Accord will not be produced. "We have found that our hybrid system works better on smaller cars," said Chris Naughton, a Honda spokesman. This announcement comes just days after Honda was awarded the “Greenest Automaker” by the UCS.

 

It seems that GM really is serious about producing their plug-in gas-electric hybrid concept car, the Chevrolet Volt. To move development along, GM today awarded two separate contracts, one Compact Power and one to Continental Automotive, to design and test new lithium-ion batteries that may power the car.

"Given the huge potential that the Volt and its E-flex system offers to lower oil consumption, lower oil imports and reduce carbon gas emissions, this is for sure a top priority program for GM," said Wagoner, who added that the company is trying to produce the Volt as soon as it can.

The Toyota Hybrid X, like the current Prius, is a car meant to stand out of the crowd, to say "Hey, look, I'm a Hybrid!" In fact, we are pretty sure the success of the Prius has a lot to do with its futuresque styling. The Hybrid X has an even more exaggerated sweeping style to it - design elements that will surely find their way into the updated Prius when it comes out in 2009.

It's official: the Audi RS 4 Cabriolet will be available in the U.S. as a 2008 model, arriving in the fall, 2007. According to Audi, "approximately 300 of the limited-production RS 4 Cabriolets will be sold in the U.S." The RS 4 Cabriolet will share the same 420 hp engine as the RS 4 sedan, and will only be offered as  a six-speed manual. The Cabriolet will have 19" RS 4-style alloy wheels, a four-link front and trapezoidal- link rear sport-tuned suspension with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC), and quattro(R) all-wheel drive with an asymmetrical dynamic torque split. A new $750 titanium package will also be available, which includes titanium colored 19" RS 4- style alloy wheels, black front grille, black side window moldings, black interior headliner, and piano black interior trim.

Although not as sleek or refined as one might hope, the new lithium-powered superbike by Lightning Motors is making progress. The newest prototype, with 28 lithium batteries stuffed underneath, can go from 0-60 in about 3 seconds, top out at around 100 mph, and crank out 70 horsepower.

Toyota today announced that they have sold their one-millionth hybrid vehicle, a number that includes the worldwide sales of both the Prius and Camry Hybrid. Approximately half of these units - some 541,210 - have been sold in the US alone over the last 7 years. 

"The cost benefit of hybrids is becoming more apparent with climbing gas prices," said Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president. "We anticipate combined sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids of a quarter million units in the U.S. during calendar year 2007."

Despite a decrease in tax credits from the IRS for hybrid vehicle ownership, the increase in gas prices, and expanding awareness of global warming in the US, have continued to drive hybrid sales to new levels. In fact, last month, Toyota reported the sale of 36,101 hybrid vehicles - an increase of 102 percent over last May.