2010 Opel Astra and Alfa Romeo Milano Styling: Too Close for Comfort?

Many of you, our readers, were quick to point out the Alfa Romeo Milano showcased in the leaked factory spy shots shared one too many styling similarities with GM's forthcoming Opel Astra hatchback. Are we talking about a cloning case here? Absolutely not. Even though we only have these fuzzy photos of the Alfa to go by, the only way you're going to confuse these two cars is if you wasted your paycheck on drinks. But, we think that many of you caught on to something and by that we mean the styling of the rear quarters.

And oh, since we're all quick to jump in the bandwagon when we see a Chinese vehicle 'borrowing' styling traits from other cars it's only fair that we do the same with everyone else.

But before we go into any details, let us say that designs are not finalized in a matter of weeks so don't go and claim that Alfa 'plagiarized' Opel (unless you know something that none of the rest of us don't) just because the Astra made its debut first.

Truth to be said, when we compared the two cars side by side, we were quite amazed by the similarities in the design of the rear quarter panel and the rear-end. If we didn't know any better, we'd say that from the B-pillar and back, it's as if someone drew a rough sketch and gave it to two different design teams for further development: one from Germany and one from Italy.

Just look at the crisp belt-line and how it meets the corners of the same shaped tail lights, then pay attention to the window line, the C-Pillar, the wraparound rear windshield with the roof spoiler and even the styling of the rear bumper with the blacked out apron 'swoopy' curve line.

So in a nutshell, that's what we think. Time to agree, disagree or just simply have your say in the comment section below.

Will Fiat S.p.A. Save the Chrysler Group? Me Thinks Not...

In an announcement Wednesday morning, Fiat S.p.A finalized its purchase / alliance with the Chrysler Group after the U.S. Supreme Court got out of the way of the deal thus opening a new page in Chrysler's history. While there's no way of accurately predicting what the future holds for the alliance, I must say that for numerous reasons that you can read about after the jump, I am not at all convinced that Fiat will save the 'new' Chrysler Group LLC. Maybe Fiat will rape benefit from Chrysler's assets and presence in North America, but that's another story entirely.

First of all let's take a closer look at Fiat S.p.A. The Italian group's automobile portfolio includes three-and-a-half mainstream brands: Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Fiat and its recently revived Abarth marque which is something like BMW's 'M' division. The group also controls the Ferrari and Maserati sports car brands as well as Iveco and Fiat Professional that builds light commercial vehicles.

In the past two decades, Fiat's automobile division has proven successful in building two types of vehicles: city cars like the Panda mini and (Grande) Punto supermini and exotic sports cars such as the Ferrari F430 and Maserati GTs.

Sure the Italians have come up with some really great designs and ideas, but with a few exceptions and for a great number of reasons, Fiat and its Alfa Romeo and Lancia brands have yet to create a model that will dominate or even compete head on with the top-sellers in any other category - at least in Europe.

Speaking about Lancia and Alfa Romeo, while Fiat Group's CEO Sergio Marchionne is 'playing big' with Chrysler LLC, the two historic Italian firms desperately need to update/refresh their model portfolio. We've heard talk about a variety of new models including SUVs, compact MPVs, coupes, sport sedans with RWD - you name it. But sketches and grapevine stories aside, it's just talk until now.

Lancia, which has lost its identity ever since Fiat decided to turn the firm into a faux luxury carmaker for chicks and chick-like hairdressers with a low budget, has been left with an aging Ypsilon that is aimed squarely at women, a remasked version of Fiat's Idea small MPV called Musa and the weirdly positioned Delta that is a C-segment hatch trying to allure D-segment buyers. There's also the PSA Peugeot-Citroen co-developed Phedra minivan but we doubt anyone cares. No sports car, no five-door supermini, no three-door Delta, no sedan...

Alfa Romeo is in a somewhat better position in terms of its car lineup. Aside from the new MiTo hatch, there's also the relatively fresh 159 Sedan and Sport Wagon, the Brera Coupe and Spider, and the 8C Competizione 'halo' supercar. What about Alfa's Golf-sized hatch? Well, it's called 147 and it has been in production since 2000 so it's no match for the modern C-segment hatches. Up until 2007, Alfa also offered the BMW 5-Series rivaling 166 but it went down the same way that the Lancia Thesis did.

Surprisingly, Lancia sold more cars in Europe than Alfa Romeo did in the first four months of 2009 (Lancia: 38,617 units, Alfa: 36,761 units). But either way, those numbers are very low. Just to get an idea, during the same sale period in Europe, MINI sold 38,879 units, Volvo 65,345 units and Skoda 155,864 (the Fiat brand delivered 352,234 cars).

But the lack of models or ones that aren't successful/competitive, isn't the only problem that Fiat faces in Europe. In a recent study performed by J.D. Power, Fiat scored in the bottom quarter of more than 20 brands in vehicle quality and reliability in key European markets. "Fiat is below average in each of three markets that we measure -- Germany, France and the U.K. -- particularly in terms of vehicle quality and reliability," said Dave Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power.

What I'm trying to say here is that the Fiat Group is not as successful and problem-free as many have portrayed the company to be. I've been hearing many voices around the net (mainly from sites in the U.S.) saying that Fiat will develop an array of sub- and compact models for Chrysler and Dodge based on its cars.

Maybe I'm missing something here, maybe I'm completely wrong, but if it's so easy and Fiat does have the funds, then could someone please explain to me why has it taken so long for Fiat to introduce core models like the Alfa 147 and Lancia Ypsilon replacements, or why is the company absent from important segments like compact MPVs and SUVs?

Furthermore, as much as many would like to see American consumers abandoning larger vehicles (cars and trucks), this won't happen anytime soon. Maybe they'll downsize, but don't expect to see cars like the Panda or the Ford Fiesta coming anywhere close to the top spots in the sales chart. So while Fiat is really good in creating city cars, in order to succeed in the U.S., the company will need to focus on compact and mid-size sedans such as the Honda Civic and Accord as well as (like it or not) trucks and SUVs of various sizes.

And let's say for the sake of conversation, that Fiat will find the funds and the way to create or share front-wheel drive platforms for compact and mid-size models with Chrysler and its brands. What will happen with the American carmaker's larger models including trucks, SUVs and rear-wheel drive cars like the Chrysler 300?

Unlike Chrysler's previous owner, Daimler, Fiat does not have a (mainstream) rear-wheel drive platform nor any SUV models (or experience for that matter). As you may already know, the Chrysler Group's 300 sedan, Dodge Challenger and even the new Jeep Grand Cherokee use a fair amount of Mercedes hardware beneath the sheetmetal. Maybe Chrysler's acquisition could justify the costs of developing a rear-wheel drive platform that could be used on Alfa Romeo models also. Maybe Fiat could inject some cash into Jeep and use the platforms and AWD systems to develop its own range of SUVs.

Too many maybes, too many questions, very few answers. If you've had the patience to reach the end of this lengthy post, I'd really like to hear your opinion on the matter. - John

BMW 5-Series GT: What Should the 'GT' Stand For?

You've got to love those marketing folks. I mean, '5-Series GT' sounds pretty cool and certainly much better than the initial 'PAS' moniker that stands for "Progressive Activity Sedan." To be totally honest, the newest 5er justifies the 'Gran Turismo' badge in the sense that it has the core qualities of a GT: it promises to cover large distances super fast and in absolute comfort for its passengers.

But somehow a vehicle that looks like it tries to merge a station-wagon with an MPV and an SUV with a sedan and a coupe, all at the same time, doesn't quite sit well with us a GT, at least not in the classic way we interpret it. So, as our friend 'Sergejs' humorously proposed, enlighten or amuse us with what you think the acronym "GT" should stand for in the new bimmer by leaving us a comment below.

Live Photos of the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee from New York

We don't know about you, but the more we look at the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the more we're warming up to its exterior styling. Check out these live photos that were shot earlier today during the unveiling of the vehicle at the New York Auto Show and tell us what you think about Jeep's new proposal in the SUV segment by leaving us a comment below.

Muscle Car V8 Sound Comparo: New Camaro SS vs Challenger R/T vs Mustang GT

Masculine looks aside, one of the main traits of any authentic pony car is the sound of its V8 engine. With this in mind, Edmund's Insideline created a short video with the audio tracks of the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and 2010 Ford Mustang GT. For the record, it seems that the Mustang was filmed on a different location than the other two cars, something that could have affected the sound quality. Either way, judging by this video, we'd give first place to the Stang because its V8 churns out a more consistent and less chainsaw-like sound with our second vote going to the Chevy. Check out the video after the jump cast your vote.

Via: Insideline

SEAT’s Badge Engineering: What’s next, the Cupra R8?

Badge engineering is a term used to describe the rebadging of one vehicle to another with minimum aesthetic changes. One example is the Korean Daewoo Gentra that has been morphed into the Chevy Aveo and quite recently, into the Pontiac G3. Another example is the SEAT Exeo sedan that premiered in Paris which is basically a previous-gen Audi A4 with a new fascia and tail lamps. But while no one actually cares if the Aveo is a rebadged Gentra (or the other way around), we reckon that VW Group’s decision to remask the B7 Audi A4 will have a negative effect on both brands and especially on Audi. -Continued

The VW Group has come a long way with Audi which until the early 90’s, was seen by most consumers as more of an alternative to BMW and Mercedes than an equal opponent. It took money, time and tremendous effort to establish Audi as a worldwide recognized premium brand.

The Germans have also been trying for years now to cultivate an image for SEAT as the youthful, sporty brand within the VW family –something like a Spanish version of Alfa Romeo. The results of course, are far from triumphant but no one is to blame than VW’s high-rank execs who for one decided to produce cars like the Toledo and its siblings, a vehicle that does not know if it’s a minivan, a hatchback, a liftback or a sedan.

It’s no secret that like other major players in the industry, the VW Group exercises component, platform and engine sharing within its brand portfolio that includes Skoda, VW, Audi, SEAT, Lamborghini and Bentley. But by introducing a car like the Exeo that is clearly recognizable as a rebadged A4, one of Audi’s most important and well sold models, you’re basically weakening the brand’s premium image (at least in Europe) in the same way that Chinese knockoffs do.

As for SEAT, while the Exeo might bring new clientele into its showrooms, we believe it further deepens the problem with the Spanish marque’s identity crisis. Just take a look at the automaker’s vehicle line-up: Ibiza, Leon, Toledo, Altea, Altea XL, Altea Freetrack, Alhambra and Exeo. The only (relatively) sporty and youthful cars we see here are the Ibiza and Leon.

Chevrolet Volt Hybrid: From Concept to Production

So now that all the pizzazz surrounding the Volt has calmed down and while we wait… a couple of years to see how GM’s revolutionary plug-in electric / gasoline hybrid drivetrain works in real life conditions, let’s take a closer look at how the 2007 Detroit Show concept evolved into the final production car that was revealed to the public last week.

If you’re expecting to read a 2,000 word analysis on the Volt’s design, sorry guys, you lucked out. We’ll be short and to the point: our take is that Chevy’s design team essentially went back to the drawing board and created a conservative 4-box saloon sprinkling it with a handful of styling elements from the concept. -Continued

We understand that Chevy’s designers had to adapt the Volt’s styling and body analogies to our everyday needs but the end result is nothing out of the ordinary and that’s a damn shame for a car that means so much for the future of a troubled company like GM.

Yes, it may look more distinct than the current Toyota Prius or the forthcoming Honda Insight, but then again, what’s the difficulty with that? We can think of more than a dozen or so everyday family cars that manage to stand out from the crowd and they’re not even hybrids.

If you want an example then how about the European market Honda Civic hatchback? Now here’s a production family car that not only looks futuristic in and out having most of the competition licked for style, but it also does it without any compromises whatsoever in terms of interior space or functionality. Why is it so hard GM?

Picture Quiz: Who Designed the Chevrolet Volt?

All in all, GM gave out 13 pictures of people that took part in the development of the Chevrolet Volt electric hybrid. From this group of GM employees, six were involved in way or another with the Volt’s design. In the photo gallery after the jump there are two lead exterior designs, an exterior design manager, an interior design manager, a lead interior designer and a design director. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Think you can prove the saying right by distinguishing the designers from their coworkers in other departments? Just to help you out, we’ve added the first name of the employees on each photo. And since we're apparently being sarcastic, humorous answers will be widely appreciated. -Continued