Ford has announced that the first batch of 2015 Mustang convertibles is on its way to showrooms across the country.
December isn’t exactly the peak buying season for convertibles, but Ford argues that its drop-top Mustang is perfectly outfitted for cold-weather cruising.

“Cold weather may have come unseasonably early this year, but with available heated seats, remote start and selectable drive modes with a snow/wet setting, Mustang is the perfect offering for the season,” said Mustang brand manager Melanie Banker. “While these seats also have a cooling feature, we suspect customers won’t be using this function for a few more months.”

The new convertible Mustang is available in GT form, outfitted with a 435-horsepower V8 engine, or in the lesser trim levels powered by Ford’s V6 or EcoBoost four-cylinder engines.

Buyers will have a chance to pick up the open-air Mustang later this week.

AAA’s research team has issued a report warning drivers to be aware of the limitations of blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning systems.
The organization suggests both technologies have great potential to keep drivers safe, however tests found several scenarios un which the systems failed to perform up to broad expectations.

Blind-spot monitoring systems, which mostly rely on short-range radar, encountered trouble when detecting fast-moving vehicles that are quickly approaching in an adjacent lane. Over-reliance on the technology can lead to accidents if drivers are not paying close attention to mirrors, particularly when merging onto a highway.

The blind-spot monitors were also less sensitive to motorcycles, sounding an alert an average of 26 percent later than passenger vehicles.

“Alerts were often provided too late for evasive action,” the AAA noted.

The limitations of lane-departure warnings are more obvious, with reduced effectiveness when the road lines are worn or in construction zones and intersections.

The AAA claims its engineers found significant performance differences between various test vehicles, though the organization has not detailed which models are better or worse. An Acura RLX, Cadillac Escalade and Mercedes-Benz CLS were used in the tests.

“Some blind-spot monitoring systems we tested had a short detection range, which meant that a vehicle was already in the blind spot before the alert came on,” said Megan McKernan, engineering manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California. “The lane-departure warning system on several vehicles experienced false-positive and miss-detections, which resulted in an inconsistent driver warning.”

The AAA recommends that drivers review the systems and be aware of the inherent limitations when on the road.

Ford is reportedly warming to continuously variable transmissions, after rejecting early examples of the technology.
The company is one of the few major automakers that has not embraced CVTs to improve fuel economy in smaller vehicles. The Blue Oval did offer the technology in several models a decade ago, ranging from the C-Max to the Freestyle, however the drivetrain option has since been phased out of the non-hybrid lineup.

Ford’s development head, Raj Nair, suggests Ford’s experience with CVTs “wasn’t all good,” according to an Automotive News report.

“They are getting better. And we are taking another look, particularly in the low torque applications,” the executive added.

The Fiesta’s 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine is likely among the first candidates to fit the criteria, along with the company’s 1.6- and 2.0-liter small engines, though Nair did not mention which models are under consideration for a CVT.

After several months of evaluation, the jury has released its list of finalists for the 2015 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year (NACTOY) awards.

The three finalists for North American Car of the Year are the Ford Mustang, Hyundai Genesis and Volkswagen Golf/GTI. On the truck/utility side of things, the jury will choose from the Chevrolet Colorado, the Ford F-150 and the Lincoln MKC.

The winner in each category will be announced at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

The NACTOY selection process happens in three phases. Jurors from automotive publications first pool all eligible vehicles (of which there were more than 50), then pare those selections down to a short list for the car and truck/utility categories. From those short lists (below), the finalists are chosen and a vote is held to determine both winners.

2015 North American Car of the Year short list
Acura TLX
Audi A3
Chrysler 200
Ford Mustang
Honda Fit
Hyundai Genesis sedan
Hyundai Sonata
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Toyota Camry
Volkswagen Golf/GTI

2015 North American Truck/Utility of the Year short list

Audi Q3
Chevrolet Colorado
Chevrolet Tahoe
Ford F-150
GMC Canyon
Lexus NX
Lincoln MKC
Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
Nissan Murano
Porsche Macan
Subaru Outback
Toyota Highlander

BMW has announced an executive shakeup, confirming CEO Norbert Reithofer’s successor and the departure of development chief Herbert Diess.
The company’s current production head, 49-year-old Harald Krueger, will be promoted to take the reins from Reithofer, who will be departing in May — ahead of schedule.

Reithofer’s early departure has been partially blamed on Diess, who allegedly left to take a position at Volkswagen after he learned that he would not be promoted to the chief-executive position, unnamed sources have told Reuters.

VW has tasked Diess with leading its passenger-car brand, taking over the responsibility from group chief Dr. Martin Winterkorn.

“With Herbert Diess we will be welcoming an outstanding personality and one of the most capable minds in the automotive industry to our Company,” Winterkorn said in a statement. “At the same time, this step puts the executive management of both the Group and the brand on an even broader footing.”