Cadillac ELR Coupe To Be Built Alongside Chevrolet Volt

Cadillac's ELR extended-range hybrid coupe will be assembly-plant buddies with the Chevrolet Volt and its international variations — the Opel Ampera and Holden Volt — when production starts in late 2013. GM will soon be preparing the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to build the ELR; you may remember it as the Converj concept from 2009. If your memory is fuzzy, revisit the Converj here.

The four-seat ELR will borrow some powertrain components from the Volt and feature a T-shaped lithium-ion battery, electric power and four-cylinder engine generator. Like the Volt, the ELR's engine will fire up to feed the battery when the car runs out of juice after driving on electric power only. Beyond those basics, Cadillac hasn’t divulged much regarding the ELR’s specs or price.

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Cadillac Converj Concept at 2009 Detroit Auto Show  
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Cadillac ELR News

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Volvo S60

The 2013 Volvo S60 base model isn't quite a performance machine, but the sedan's stylish looks, contemporary cabin and interior space make it a notable competitor among its peers such as the Audi A4 and BMW's 3 Series, according to Cars.com reviewer David Thomas. To find out what the S60 and an Ikea kitchen have in common, read his full review.

2013 Volvo S60 Review

Recall Alert: 2011-2013 Ford Fiesta

Ford is recalling 154,604 model-year 2011-13 versions of the Fiesta subcompact car due to problems with the passenger side curtain airbag, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Nov. 3, 2009, through Sept. 21, 2012 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb) and have side curtain airbags that may not deploy during a crash if the seat is empty. Although the system was designed to suppress the airbag if no one is in that position, it's not mentioned in the owner's manual as required by law. Also, the airbag could fail to protect the second-row side occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.  

Ford will notify owners shortly, and dealers will reprogram the system's software for free. Owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Research the Ford Fiesta
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2013 Ford Taurus Video

Ford's Taurus has a monstrous trunk and comfortable backseat, but will new interior and exterior enhancements and a more powerful engine make up for the full-size sedan's biggest shortfalls?

Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays thinks it may be time for a full redesign to fix the Taurus’ disproportional cabin dimensions, poor visibility and frustrating MyFordTouch multimedia system.

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2013 Ford Taurus: Car Seat Check
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Urban Car Dealers Get Creative

In most of the country, the car dealership is a standalone building on a strip of road. Sometimes it's a road lined with dealer upon dealer so shoppers don't have to go far if they're cross-shopping. In recent years, these "storefronts" have grown to gigantic proportions with upscale showrooms and service waiting areas with cappuccino machines and free Wi-Fi. The industry has a term for this: the "dealership as destination."

But what about dealerships in the big city? When you think of a city like New York or Chicago, car dealerships don't usually come to mind. Urban density makes creating a dealership you want to visit a lot harder without the luxury of suburban sprawl to build on.

We found three such dealerships around Cars.com's Chicago offices, and the results made for some innovative facilities tucked into urban Chicago, which tied Miami for the fifth-priciest U.S. city in Mercer's 2012 cost-of-living survey. Check them out below.

2013 Ford Focus ST: Car Seat Check

The Focus ST is Ford's take on the sporty hatchback. Its vibrant yellow exterior paint and matching interior trim make it stand out from the compact hatchback pack, as does its tricked-out engine: a 252-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Many families use the regular Focus to haul kids around; how does the ST's backseat handle two child-safety seats?

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

3 In-Car Systems That Keep Teen Drivers Safe

If the thought of your teen getting behind the wheel scares you, one look at the statistics will make that feeling really hit home: In 2010, more than 4,500 young drivers were involved in fatal car crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It's an ongoing problem. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Research Institute reports that one in five ninth- through 11^th-graders has been involved in at least one crash as a passenger in the past year. Research from AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety is just as alarming. It found that drivers aged 16 to 17 are involved in seven times as many crashes per mile driven than drivers in their 40s, 50s or 60s.

In 2007, Congress enacted National Teen Driver Safety Week to raise awareness about the issue. During the third week of every October (the 14-20 this year), several safety organizations launch programs to encourage safe driving for teen drivers and passengers.

One week isn't enough, however, leading several automakers to offer in-car monitoring and safety systems that can help your teen stay safe behind the wheel.

India's Dirt-Cheap Nano Aimed at U.S.

Tata, the Indian automaker that owns Land Rover and Jaguar, may bring its super affordable Nano microcar to the U.S. At least that's what the company's CEO Ratan Tata said in a recent interview.

The Nano would go through intensive modifications before being marketed in both the U.S. and Europe, Tata said. It would have to: The current Nano not only has a two-cylinder engine producing just 37 horsepower, but it also wouldn't come close to meeting the rigorous safety regulations in either market.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Infiniti IPL G Convertible

Infiniti's IPL trim is supposed to up the performance factor of the G line, but according to Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley, you don't get what you pay for. The added price you'll pay for the IPL version of the 2013 G convertible isn't worth the marginal performance upgrades, Hanley says.

2013 Infiniti IPL G Convertible Review

Recall Alert: 2011 Lotus Evora

Lotus is recalling 80 model-year 2011 versions of the Evora coupe due to problems with the engine oil feed pipe, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from February through September 2011 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb) and use an engine oil feed pipe that could rupture. This could lead to a fire.

Lotus has not yet provided NHTSA with an owner notification schedule, but dealers will replace the oil feed pipe for free. Owners can call Lotus at 800-245-6887 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Research the Lotus Evora
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