Chrysler is increasing the price of all it’s 2009 models by an average of $500. Shipping costs are also being hiked by about $50 per vehicle. This is obviously due to the rising input costs including the price of fuel but it will hit the already struggling auto manufacturer hard. Chryslers price hike comes after other players like GM and Ford have already upped prices. With the ongoing credit crunch, the outlook for 2008-09 does not look cheerful for most manufacturers.

This must make the guys at Hyundai and Kia proud. The new 2009 Borrego SUV has managed a 5-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute. The Borrego received 5-star front and side impact rating for both front and rear seat passengers. It also scored a 4-star rollover rating for both the two and 4-wheel-drive variants. The tech gadgetyry which enabled the Kia Borrego to achieve this include ABS, four wheel disc brakes, traction control, electronic brake distribution, electronic stability control, driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, side curtain airbags for all three rows and on V-8 models, a driver’s knee airbag.

With a 5 Star rating the new Borrego is ready to battle it out with competitors for a share of the U.S SUV pie.

Major floods have affected many parts of the U.S. over the past few months. Many thousands of cars and SUVs have been flooded and owners would be eagerly selling them off in the used car market. To save used car buyers from buying flooded lemons, Carfax is coming to the rescue. Flood damage information is reported to Carfax from all 50 state DMVs and as a free service to consumers across U.S., is available for reference at www.carfax.com/flood. I would also suggest buyers of used cars to go in for a thorough inspection by a trained mechanic prior to putting the money down on a used car in such a situation.

The fourth edition of the F&F series is an eagerly awaited one with most of the 2001 original’s actors making a comeback including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. The trailer for the latest Fast & Furious flick has been caught online and gives a good insight into what to expect from it when it comes in Summer of 2009. The trailer points to full on action stunts and heists like in the original. The trucks looting the gasoline tanker look great as do the actors. Stay tuned for more F&F info.

Audi is set to star in the upcoming Marvel blockbuster Iron Man along with the primary cast of Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow. Audi has managed to get good placement for the R8 the Q7 and other cars from its portfolio which are used in the movie in multiple scenes. The R8 is going to be Iron Man’s ride in the movie. Audi has also launched it’s own Iron Man mini site. The last time we saw Audi in a major Hollywood movie was in the Will Smith starrer “I Robot”

The site looks cool and has pictures of scenes where the Audi’s are showcased as well as movie trailers and Audi’s Super Bowl TV commercial. Watch out for the Iron Man flick which releases on 2nd May 2008 and is likely to be one hell of a super movie.

Audi Iron Man Mini Site

Dodge’s most successful, in your face American muscle car the Viper has sold 25,000 units since it’s launch about 17 years ago. Dodge has stated that the 25,000th Viper would roll out of it’s Conner Avenue assembly plant on 12th March along with festivities and some bubbly. NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kurt Busch would be the lucky guy getting the keys to the factory fresh 2008 Viper SRT-10 ACR.

The Viper has carried on it’s shoulders the image of being a re-born American muscle car since its inception in 1991. Critics would tell you though that the Viper is one difficult car to take to the extreme and would bite your head off if you even blink more. What the Viper did give muscle car enthusiasts was raw power, lots of torque, straight line speed and looks to match, in a package which even today starts at $87,000, much lower than what a European car of comparison would cost.

What do you think of the Viper? Let the comments roll >>>

Honda’s Acura has released a couple of recall notices for 2004-2008 models of Acura TLs thereby affecting about 273,000 owners. One recall is on account of a windshield wiper issue, caused by a faulty circuit breaker on 129,600 ‘04 and ‘05 TLs which could stop the wipers from functioning, suddenly.

The other recall is due to a more serious issue. High engine temperatures can cause the power steering hose to disintegrate, crack and leak fluid onto the catalytic converter. This could result in excess smoke or even a fire.

Neither issue has resulted in a crash or injury, but Acura dealers have been instructed to replace the power steering hose and, in the case of the windshield wiper motor, inspect the unit and replace it if necessary. Obviously, the repairs would not be charged and it’s good to Acura’s image that they have the balls to recall.

A recent research conducted by CNW Marketing Research reveals that interior conveniences like heated seats and cup holders are higher in priority (73%) for car/SUV buyers than fuel efficiency (67%). Though fuel economy has been moving up the priority scale, it’s still not the foremost as Gasoline is still relatively cheap in the States due to the Government subsidy on fuel. Though companies are spending big money, sometimes upto $5,000-$7,000 per vehicle to meet new stricter fuel economy regulations, customers would not readily shell out the extra cash as it does not make financial sense for them. This is exactly the reason why hybrid sales havent picked up despite the whole hype on social responsibility and being ‘green’.

Buyers realise that at the existing gas prices, it would take them many years before which the incremental cost of a hybrid is recovered. Though people car about fuel efficiency they just don’t want to pay for it and dont want to sacrifice on horsepower, size, interior comforts, etc.

This is outright crazy. An Arabian billionaire Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri has paid the equivalent of $14.5 million for a UAE license plate with only the number ‘1’ on it, at a recent auction in Abu Dhabi. That’s more money that what it would cost to buy a garage full of exotics. So why did Khouri pay this ridiculous amount? He wanted exclusivity and fame, and was willing to spend up to $30 million if the bids would have gone higher. The proceeds from this auction would go to help traffic accident victims in the city, a noble cause.
The question that comes to mind is, which car is the number plate going to be stuck on?