The Jaguar C-X75 is getting the turbine engines from the concept car. Photo Credit: Thesupermat/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA

Several years ago, Jaguar showed off a concept supercar called the C-X75, which used electric motors and range-extending gas turbines to drive the wheels. Last year, Jaguar confirmed it for production and recently announced some models would still get turbine engines.

Jaguar making supercars again

Jaguar made one of the all-time great supercars, the XJ220 from the early 1990s. The XJ220 was a mid-engined, all-wheel-drive, 12-cylinder monster that was one of the fastest and most exclusive cars of its day. Jaguar hasn’t made a car like it since.

In 2010, according to Popular Science, Jaguar took a concept car to the Paris Auto Show, called the C-X75. The C-X75 was mean and green, with a 195 horsepower electric motor mounted in each wheel hub, also giving the car all-wheel-drive.

Two gas-powered micro-turbines were stationed in the rear, and they would kick in once the batteries were depleted after 60 miles, similar to the gas engine in a Chevy Volt. In 2011, the car was confirmed for production, according to Top Gear, but the turbines were dropped for a turbo-charged, hybrid four-cylinder.

Turbine the ship around

According to AutoBlog, Jaguar has recently confirmed a small number of the 250 planned units will get the turbines after all.

The rest of the cars will get a turbo-charged four-cylinder engine that will also employ hybrid technology. The powertrain is going to be developed in conjunction with the Williams F1 racing team.

The C-X75 should still produce about 780 horsepower and go more than 50 miles before the battery pack is depleted. Emissions will be very low and gas mileage will be high. It should still get from 0 to 60 miles per hour in close to three seconds and should still top out north of 200 miles per hour.

Will also be very expensive

The Jaguar C-X75 will be green but will, according to Torque News, require a lot of green to buy. It is expected to be between $1.1 million and $1.5 million, according to Jaguar.

For the more budget-conscious, there is the Porsche 918 Spyder, according to AutoWeek, which uses two 109 horsepower electric motors to drive the front and rear axles, along with a 500 horsepower engine. It can get from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds, tops out at 199 miles per hour in gas and electric mode and can get up to 78 miles per gallon. It starts at $845,000.

There’s also the upcoming BMW i8. According to Automobile magazine, it is projected to start at $171,000 when it comes out in late 2013. The car is said to be capable of more than 80 miles per gallon and can get from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 4.6 seconds, about as fast as BMW’s M3. It’s also a plug-in hybrid, using a turbo-three-cylinder in conjunction with its battery pack.

[BMW i8 will eventually get to Momentum BMW, a great place to buy BMWs]

Sources

AutoBlog

Popular Science

Top Gear

Torque News: http://www.torquenews.com/1079/what-jaguar-concept-c-x75-means-company

Jaguar: http://www.jaguar.com/us/en/about_jaguar/news_pr/project_c-x75

AutoWeek: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110321/CARNEWS/110319895

Automobile: http://www.automobilemag.com/green/news/1107_bmw_i8_concept_first_look/interior.html

The greenest vehicles, according to the ACEEE rankings. Click to see full sized image. Image: GreenerCars.org

For the last 12 years, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has released a list of the cleanest vehicles. For the first time, an electric vehicle has topped the list.

The ACEEE rankings

The ACEEE rankings, listed each year on Greencars.org, take into account not only the car’s fuel efficiency and emissions, but also the manufacturing processes involved in making a vehicle. The emissions from creating energy to power all-electric vehicles are also considered. For the last eight years, the natural gas powered Honda Civic has topped the list, along with compressed natural gas and all-electric vehicles. The list includes both overall best ratings and best-in-class ratings.

This year’s best of

For the first time since the list debuted, an electric vehicle has topped the list. The Mitsubishi i, also known as the i-MiEV, is the top of the list.

“Even taking into account the emissions generated from the electricity used to power the i-MIEV, it still handily outscores other vehicles on the market today,” said ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan.

Next on the list are the natural gas powered Honda Civic and the electric Nissan Leaf. One point behind these two vehicles is the ever-popular Toyota Prius. All of these vehicles are available in the United States, though refueling of the natural gas Honda Civic can be difficult, depending on the city and available infrastructure available. Half of the spots in the 2012 Greenest list went to hybrid vehicles, while one-quarter of the spots were highly efficient gasoline vehicles.

Considering the full life cycle

Another factor considered in the ACEEE rankings is the full lifecycle of the vehicle. The Green Score measures tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, effect of the fuel extraction or creation and manufacturing processes. The full lifecycle of vehicles is important to consider because the manufacturing of vehicles often has as much of an impact as years of driving.

[Toyota, Atlanta, GA carries both new and used highly efficient vehicles.]

Driving the cleanest vehicle

The absolute best possible vehicle to drive, when considering green criteria, is the vehicle you already own. Manufacturing a new vehicle, even a greener vehicle, takes a significant amount of time, money and environmental resources. A used vehicle that is not driven often, on the other hand, is greener because it does not use manufacturing resources. There are highly fuel efficient used vehicles available, some made as early as the 1980s and 1990s. If you are looking to replace your car, choosing a greener vehicle and recycling your old vehicle is the best option.

Sources

CleanTechnica
GreenerCars report (PDF)
Wired.com

Cadiallc's ad for the ATS, titled "Green Hell," was the most watched Super Bowl car ad. Photo Credit: AutoViva/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY

The auto industry has been the biggest spender on advertising during the Super Bowl for some time, and this year’s game was no different. However, the one that most people watched was “Green Hell,” an ad for the soon-to-be-released Cadillac ATS.

Car makers spend a lot on Super Bowl

The smallest cost involved in the Super Bowl for car makers is giving the game’s MVP a Corvette. Advertising during the Super Bowl is a huge business and one 30-second spot this year, according to MSNBC, cost an average of $3.5 million and between 2002 and 2011, various companies spent $2.5 billion buying ads to air during the game.

A full 10 percent of that, $250 million, was spent by Budweiser alone in that time. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, the biggest single business sector buying ads between 2007 and 2011 has been car makers. Car firms spent $172.2 million during that four-year stretch, and in 2011 captured four of the top 10 most-watched ads, according to Nielsen ratings. Previous to 2011, only two car ads had been among the top 10 most watched Super Bowl ads.

Take the green pill

An ad for the Chevrolet Camaro, according to AutoBlog, titled “Miss Evelyn,” was the most-watched commercial during Super Bowl 45 in 2011. In 2012, the ad that took the top honors once again was an ad by General Motors.

Cadillac is in the midst of heavily promoting the ATS sedan, which is going on sale later this year. The ad for the ATS that aired during the game, narrated like other Cadillac commercials by actor Lawrence Fishburne from the “Matrix” films, extolled the car’s rigorous testing at the legendary and infamous Nurburgring in Germany.

As noted in the commercial, and in the video series on Cadillac’s website, the Nurburgring is one of the most challenging environments for a car and the driver. The “Ring” as it is sometimes called, has long been used for Formula One and other race competitions and was labeled by racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart as “The Green Hell” because the track is surrounded by the countryside in West Germany.

Nielsen estimates 111.3 million people in the United States and a total of 1 billion worldwide saw the ad, making it the most-seen television commercial in history. Of course, it was helped by the fact that Cadillac’s ad aired right after the two-minute warning.

May make a difference

Consensus is that Super Bowl ads work. More people bought cars in 2011 than in 2010. Given all the buzz surrounding the ATS, the ad’s popularity certainly doesn’t hurt. The ATS has been purpose-built by Cadillac to punch the BMW 3 series right in the grill, and if the success of the CTS series has been any indicator, it should be up to the task.

[The 3 Series is still a great car, and Houston is a BMW hotbed.]

Sources

MSNBC

Wall Street Journal

AutoBlog

Cadillac: http://www.cadillac.com/flash.html

The Department of Energy has froze federal loan funding for Fisker Automotive. Photo Credit: Mr.Choppers/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA

The United States government has suspended loans to Fisker Automotive, the startup company building the Karma luxury sedan. Employees are being laid off as the company restructures.

Department of Energy turns lights off on Fisker funding

Fisker Automotive had previously been green-lit for a $529 million in loans from the Department of Energy, according to AutoWeek. Like all loans from the DOE, the loan came with certain conditions that had to be met, notably production goals.

The DOE has disbursed $193 million for development and production of the Karma, the company’s flagship sedan. The remaining funds were slated for production of a second model, the Nina, which was supposed to be released this year. However, the company has pushed the Nina back for a 2013 release, triggering the need for a consult with the DOE.

The DOE has blocked release of the remaining $336 million in funding until it is satisfied with Fisker’s progress. In the meantime, according to AutoBlog, 26 people at Fisker’s plant in Wilmington, Del., and 40 contractors at the company’s facility in Anaheim, Calif., have also been let go.

Nina close to production

A Fisker spokesman told the press that DOE loan negotiations are fairly “standard” given the circumstances and the political climate. Vice President Joe Biden, according to CBS, has publicly backed Fisker opening its factory in his home state of Delaware.

Production for the Nina, which according to AutoWeek will be a moderately sized sedan, roughly between a compact and mid-size in proportion. The Nina is going to be built in Delaware, at a re-fitted former General Motors factory.

The turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been sourced from BMW, and the car is almost ready for production. Some engineering work still needs to be completed and the factory needs more equipment in order to begin production, which is scheduled for later this year.

[BMW engines are also great in BMWs and a great selection is available at Momentum BMW]

Lean, green and mean

Fisker uses a similar drive train to the Chevrolet Volt. The Karma and the upcoming Nina are powered by a battery pack, but a gasoline engine kicks in once the battery is depleted, acting as an on-board generator. Performance isn’t known, but it uses a similar engine to the Karma, which has a maximum range of 300 miles and gets from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.2 seconds. The Nina, according to AutoBlog, is projected to retail for about $45,000.

The closest competition is the Tesla S and the Lexus GS 450h. The Lexus, a traditional hybrid, is going on sale later this year. It will produce about 338 horsepower, can get up to 34 miles per gallon highway and nips from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.6 seconds. The Tesla S is a fully electric car, but is more expensive than the Nina. The base model also has a lesser range. The base model’s 40 kWh battery pack only goes 160 miles on a charge and starts at $49,900.

Sources

AutoWeek

AutoBlog

CBS

AutoBlog: http://green.autoblog.com/2011/10/07/fisker-nina-match-bmw-5-series-size-price-compete-with-3-series/

Lexus: http://www.lexus.com/models/GSh/

Tesla: http://www.teslamotors.com/models/options

Tesla continues to produce high-tech, luxury green cars. Image: namho/Flickr/CC BY

Tesla Motors Co. has been teasing car aficionados for months with tantalizing hints about its new all-electric crossover SUV, the 2014 Tesla Model X. But the one leak that seems to be getting the most buzz is its revolutionary “falcon doors,” which may just do gull wing doors one better.

Opening the door

The first hints about the revolutionary doors design came in a tweet from Elon Musk, chief executive officer of the California-based luxury electric automaker:

“The most interesting view of the Model X is really with the doors open.”

[Economy, performance and a great deal -- Scion, Atlanta]

Hints of the Model X

So far, we have been told that the Model X will be faster than the Porsche 911, have a roomy interior and come with an all-wheel drive option. The teaser image used on invitations to the big unveiling event later this week is vague on details, but it hints at being a sleeker, slimmer version of the Model S.

Amir Iliaifar, writing for Digital Trends, points out that Tesla has been making the electric powertrain for Toyota’s RAV 4 EV and speculates that the Model X might contain similar components. That might give some clues about how the car will handle and behave.

‘Like the wing of a bird’

But the doors are still getting the most attention at the moment. Theo O’Neill of Wunderlich Securities, an expert on green technology, recently saw photographs of the soon-to-be-revealed concept. He gave his impressions to the Silicon Valley Mercury News:

“The doors of the Model X lift up and fold — like the wing of a bird. You can walk right up to the edge of the seat. It’s the ideal solution for disabled children, or any parent who has to lean over to buckle a car seat.”

Green Car Reports suggests that Tesla may have solved “the number one problem with gull-wing doors — namely that once raised, they make getting in and out particularly difficult in tight spaces.”

A live unveiling

The Tesla X will be unveiled at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9. The event will be held at Tesla’s new Los Angeles design studio and will be broadcast live on the company’s website.

Gearing up for production

The 2014 Tesla Model X will go into production later this year, following the follow the run of the 2012 Model S.

Sources

Autoblog
Digital Trends
Green Car Reports

Used cars are getting more expensive, thanks to reduced inventory and better demand. Image: Flickr / kb35 / CC-BY

A new National Automobile Dealers Association guide on used cars estimates that the price of used cars will be going up. For most consumers, this means used cars will be more expensive and less available.

Expected price jump

The NADA research expects two distinct levels of price jumps in used vehicles this year. The average compact or midsized used car is expected to go up in price by 2.7 percent or more in 2012. Vehicles that use more fuel, such as SUVs, are expected to go up in price only 1.4 percent this year. This means that the average used midsize sedan that is five years old or newer will sell for an average of $11,850.

Lower production, fewer trade-ins

Part of the reason used vehicles are getting more expensive is simply supply. Vehicle manufacturers have been making fewer cars because of reduced demand for new cars. More and more consumers are also holding on to their cars for longer, waiting to trade them in until the economy is in better shape or they feel more comfortable with the expense. This means there have been fewer new cars entering the system and fewer trade-ins building inventory at used car dealerships.

Effects of a drop in inventory

This drop of inventory of used vehicles is expected, in part, to contribute to an improved average gas mileage of cars on the road. In the United States, the average age of cars on the road is 11 years. Eleven years ago, average gas prices were around $1.70 per gallon, about half of current prices.

[Scion Atlanta GA can help you find a great new or used vehicle.]

The drop in available inventory means the vehicles that were popular when gas prices were lower are the vehicles available as used inventory at the moment. That means any new fuel efficiency standards will take at least 10 years to be fully effective.

Saving money on a used car

Though the price of used cars is expected to go up in the next year, it is still possible to save money on a used car purchase. There are plenty of used vehicles available that get more than 30 miles per gallon, and many of them were built in the 1980s and 1990s. Low mileage means that the car is likely in better shape, but high mileage cars can be a good deal. Have a mechanic check out whatever car you are considering purchasing.

Sources

MSNBC
SmartPlanet
NADA guides

Chevrolet believes it will be the one to survive the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. (Photo Credit: Public Domain/Truthanado/Wikipedia)

Sunday’s General Motors’ Super Bowl ad for the Chevrolet Silverado, set amidst the backdrop of the 2012 Mayan apocalypse, claims that a Ford F-150 owner didn’t make it to safety because of his choice of vehicle. Ford, which isn’t buying into GM’s Mayan calendar jockeying, has demanded that the ad be removed from circulation, reports the Detroit Free Press. General Motors has thus far stood by its pronouncement.

Mayan calendar ad ran during first quarter

During the first quarter of the television broadcast of Sunday’s Super Bowl contest between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, a General Motors commercial ran which introduced a nightmare landscape of destruction ripped straight from the Mayan calendar. The year is 2012 and the Mayan apocalypse is upon the Earth.

Amidst the flames, pestilence and rubble, a cadre of Chevrolet Silverado drivers take a moment to converse at a meeting point before embarking upon a long day of strenuous work, presumably involving cleanup. General Motors takes this opportunity to opine that even when humanity has come to the end of its roughly 200,000-year run, having the right truck means the difference between living to fight another day and falling into the darkness.

That truck, according to General Motors, is the Chevrolet Silverado.

A dialogue occurs between two of the survivors. One wonders whether Dave, a Ford F-150 owner, will be in attendance:

Chevy apocalypse survivor #1: “Where’s Dave?”

(Awkward silence and long faces)

Chevy apocalypse survivor #2: “Dave didn’t drive the longest-lasting, most dependable truck on the road. Dave drove a Ford.”

‘Chevy trucks: From the beginning of your work day to the end of the world’

In a written statement, GM identified that Ford requested even before the Super Bowl air date that the Mayan calendar apocalypse ad be pulled, and called the Chevrolet Silverado commercial both unfair and untrue.

“The devastation and destruction predicted to occur (in 2012) by the Mayan calendar includes giant attack robots, meteors and frogs falling from the sky,” noted GM. It also pointed out that the advertisement is clearly a spoof, and that Ford should relax.

“We stand by our claims in the commercial, that the Silverado is the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickup on the road. The ad is a fun way of putting this claim in the context of the apocalypse,” GM Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick said in a statement to the automotive media.

Ford defends market leadership

Ford’s global marketing chief Jim Farley pointed to Ford’s 35 years of ongoing dominance in the U.S. pickup truck market, and insisted that Ford will continue to challenge General Motors’ claims regarding durability.

Through legal counsel Lynne Matuszak, Ford issued a cease and desist letter.

“I write to demand that you refrain from running this commercial,” writes Matuszak. “Ford demands that Chevrolet immediately cease and desist from making any unsubstantiated and disparaging claims regarding Ford’s pickup trucks.”

The ad not only ran during the Super Bowl, but it can be seen on the Silverado website, as well as on Facebook.

GM fires back

“We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize,” said Ewanick. “In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away.”

[If you have a different view of the apocalypse, perhaps a Mazda in Valparaiso can help.]

The Chevrolet take on the Mayan apocalypse

Sources

The Blaze

Detroit Free Press

Universe Today: http://www.universetoday.com/38125/how-long-have-humans-been-on-earth/

USA Today

Mazda is bringing a Special Edition of the MX-5 Miata to the Chicago Auto Show. Photo Credit: Citizenofthedeep/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA

Mazda has been producing the Miata, also called the MX-5, for more than two decades. To commemorate the longevity of the sporty little roadster, Mazda is debuting a special edition at the Chicago Auto Show with some tasty-looking additions to the trim.

More than 20 years in production

The Mazda MX-5 Miata, also called just the Miata or the MX-5, is one of the best-selling convertibles in the world. The Miata isn’t as crazy-fast as other available roadsters, but instead takes its cue from classic convertibles from decades past by putting a small engine in a small but light convertible. They are fun to drive and won’t break the bank, which is why the company has made more than 900,000 of them, according to USA Today, since the model was introduced in 1989.

[Look for a new Miata at Kennedy Mazda]

To commemorate the continuing success of the car, Mazda is going to unveil a special edition of the Miata at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, where it made its 1989 debut. The new car won’t be made in huge numbers, but is getting some unique styling cues that won’t be available on any other MX-5 model.

Black top

Most of the additions to the Special Edition Miata are aesthetic rather than mechanical. That said, they will also make the car more visually attractive. The only available engine is a 167 horsepower four-cylinder engine.

The car is based upon the Grand Touring trim, according to MotorTrend magazine. Just like the Grand Touring trim, the car has a retractable hard top, but the roof for the Special Edition will be black. The body will be available, according to Cars.com, in white or red, the first off-color top for the model.

The car also gets 17-inch black wheel rims, a piano black interior, heated black leather seats and the Premium entertainment and connectivity package. It includes remote-keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity and satellite radio. The car also gets the Suspension package, which adds Bilstein shocks and a sport-tuned suspension. It comes with a six-speed short-throw manual transmission or six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Still the cheapest in class

It isn’t known how much it will cost, according to the Chicago Tribune, but Mazda is only making 450 of them. That said, the Grand Touring trim with the Suspension and Premium packages comes to $31,785, which includes a $795 destination fee.

Aside from the Miata, the only other roadster, meaning a two-seat convertible, that is less than $40,000 is the MiniCooper Roadster, which starts at $25,050 for the base model, $28,050 for the Roadster S and $35,200 for the John Cooper Works model. The next cheapest roadster by any carmaker in the U.S. is the Nissan 350Z Roadster, which starts at $40,050.

Sources

USA Today

Cars.com

MotorTrend

Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/autoshow/sns-mazda-to-show-mx-5-miata-special-edition-at-c-20120206,0,4766548.story

Mazda: http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayHomepage.action

MiniCooper: http://www.miniusa.com/#/MINIUSA.COM-m

Nissan: http://www.nissanusa.com/

A new electric car, the Mistubishi i, is starting to hit dealerships nationwide. Photo Credit: LSDSL/Wikimedia Commons.

Green vehicles are all the rage, including the first generation of electric vehicles. The third EV from a major manufacturer, the Mitsubishi i, has only been available for a few months, but is spreading across the United States.

First delivery taken in Illinois

Mitsubishi is the third car maker to unleash an electric vehicle in the United States, joining Nissan and Chevrolet, as it has begun rolling out the Mitsubishi i, also known as the i-MiEV. According to AutoBlog, the first models of the small electric car arrived in November and were only available in California, Oregon, Hawaii and Washington state.

The town of Normal, Ill., recently got the first six i models to be sold outside those West Coast states, as the city took delivery of the cars for use as city fleet vehicles. Normal, according to USA Today, is also where Mitsubishi has one of its North American factories, though the i is actually imported from Japan.

Tiny electric city car

The i is smaller than its electric competitors, the Leaf and the Volt, though the Volt also has an on-board gas engine as a range-extending generator. According to Car and Driver, the American version is larger than the Japanese version, as the car had to be lengthened by eight inches and widened by 4.3 inches, in order for reinforcements to be installed to bring the car in line with American crash safety regulations. That said, it is still only the size of a MiniCooper.

[Another great city car is the Scion IQ, which can be found at Sandy Springs Scion in Atlanta, Ga]

The steering is tuned by the Lancer Evolution team, which Car and Driver praised in a recent drive test. The electric motor is not very powerful, producing only 66 horsepower. Getting from 0 to 60 miles per hour is painstakingly slow, as it takes 13 seconds to get there. The car has a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which has an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

Charging the car will take up to 22 hours using the traditional 120-volt outlet, but if owners purchase a 240-volt charging kit that’s available through Best Buy, it comes down to seven hours.

Shorter range but cheaper

The Mitsubishi i has a shorter range than any of its contemporaries, as it can travel only about 62 miles when fully charged. The Nissan Leaf, on the other hand, can travel 73 miles on a charge. The Chevrolet Volt has an electric-only range of up to 35 miles, according to Chevy, though it can go up to 350 miles using the range-extending gas engine.

The i also costs much less than the other two EVs currently available. The Volt, before the $7,500 tax credit, starts at $39,145 before options. The Leaf starts at $36,050. The i, on the other hand, costs $29,975, before the tax credit. For those want an electric city car, it’s a fairly attractive choice. It will be available nationwide, according to Car and Driver, by this summer.

Sources

AutoBlog

USA Today

Car and Driver

Chevrolet: http://www.chevrolet.com/volt-electric-car/

Nissan: http://www.nissanusa.com/

Honda recalled small numbers of three different models in the last week. Image: JD Hancock/ BY

Thursday Honda announced its second small-scale recall in less than a week. Coming right on the heels of a small recall of Ridgeline pickups, Honda announced it will be recalling certain 2012 Accord and Crosstour models over potential problems with the side airbag system.

Both two-door and four-door models affected

The recall affects only 347 vehicles, according to a notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted on its website. According to the Japan-based automaker, some two-door and some four-door versions of the 2012 Accord and Crosstour passenger cars are affected.

[Howdy Honda, your friendly dealer in Austin] 

Side curtain airbags may not inflate

The recall is over potential problems with the the inflators of the side-curtain airbags. Either the passenger-side or the driver-side airbags may be affected. The inflators may not have been manufactured according to factory specifications, and could potentially prevent the airbag from deploying in the event of a collision. That could lead to an increased chance of injury.

Owners to be notified after Feb. 10

Honda says it will start notifying owners of the affected vehicles beginning on Feb. 10. Owners will be urged to take their vehicles to the closest dealer to have them inspected. If an owner’s vehicle is affected, the driver-side or passenger-side curtain airbag system will be replaced at no charge.

For questions and comments

For further information, or if an owner feels his or her vehicle may be affected, Honda’s North American arm can be contacted at 1-800-999-1009. The safety recall campaign numbers are S19 for the Honda, and S20 for the Crosstour.

Or, concerned owners can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can also be contacted online at http://www.safercar.gov. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safety recall campaign number for both models is 12V030000.

Just over 200 Ridgelines recalled last week

Last week, Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall of 206 of its 2011 and 2012 Ridgeline pickups. A factory slip-up led to full-sized tires being installed as spares, instead of the undersized version normally installed. Therefore, the placard attached inside the driver-side door jamb incorrectly displays the incorrect inflation information for the installed tire. If a driver, in the event of a flat tire, utilized the spare, under-inflated to the posted specifications for the smaller spare, it could increase the chances of an accident.

Sources

In Auto News
Family Car Guide
Chicago Tribune