Hino Trucks Rank Highest in Medium Duty Trucks

Medium duty Hino trucks topped in J.D. Power and Associates ratings based on consumer satisfaction in their Medium Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study of 2010.  Based on the research conducted, Hino Trucks positions top in consumer satisfaction with its range of standard medium-duty engines (4 years successively) and in addition ranks top in consumer satisfaction amongst standard medium duty trucks for 2 years running.  Reliability and quality are definitely the most crucial elements of total satisfaction of truck owners.

Currently the truck engine study is in the fourth year, assessed customer views of 2010 model-year Class 5, 6 and 7 trucks designed with both diesel and gasoline engines by considering eight distinctive aspects: engine dependability/reliability; easy access for maintenance or service; acceleration when vehicle is fully loaded, maintenance of speed on grades; vibration at idle, control module (ECM); average fuel economy and engine warranty.

Hino Trucks Rank Highest in Customer Satisfaction

Customer Satisfaction Study which is currently in the nineteenth year, evaluates customer views of 2010 model-year Class 5, 6 and 7 standard commercial trucks.  Six aspects in the product index are employed to figure out overall satisfaction: warranty, engine; cost of operation; ride/handling/braking, cab and body; and transmission.  The analysis even gauges satisfaction with services obtained from a certified truck dealer.  Six factors are measured to arrive at the customer satisfaction index: service quality, service facility; service initiation, service advisor; service price and service delivery. Hino trucks scored the highest in all these factors. Read more »

Toyota Prius – Japan’s Top Selling Car for the Third Year

Toyota Prius hybrid car was Japan’s top selling car of 2011 for the third consecutive year showing that government’s efforts and encouragement might now be bearing fruit.  Despite a sluggish auto market, sales of ecological car models went up remarkably last year.

In the year 2011, the sales of Toyota Motor Corp’s Toyota Prius totaled to 252,528 cars as revealed by Japan Automobile Dealers Association.  The Japanese rival Honda Motor Co’s Fit Subcompact Cars, which are also hybrid cars, ranked second in sales. The tax breaks and government backed incentives could be responsible for the increased sales of these hybrid car models.

Toyota Prius Popularity:

The Toyota Prius basically comes in two unique versions: Toyota Hybrid and Toyota Plug-in Hybrid.  The Toyota Prius Hybrid is sold in four different trim levels: Two, Three, Four and Five.  The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid comes in two unique trims: Toyota Prius Plug-in Standard and Toyota Prius Plug-in Advanced.  Though a few entertainment features have altered for the new model, the Prius didn’t undergo any drastic changes.

Toyota Prius Fuel Economy and Performance:

Toyota Prius offers a great fuel economy.  If you really wish to conserve fuel, you will be happy to know that the Toyota Prius is among the best fuel efficient cars. You will enjoy the comfortable ride offered by Toyota Prius.  The mushy brakes and soft suspension may however displease you.  The  Prius Plug-in is very similar to the original Prius.

Both models of Toyota Prius produce 98 horsepower and come with a 1.8 liter four cylinder engine. Both the models are equipped with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).  The front wheel drive Prius saves fuel by shutting off engine when you stop the vehicle.

Toyota Prius Features:

The Toyota Prius is easily recognizable from far as it has an iconic look.  The two models of Toyota Prius are full of amazing high-tech features which includes a USB Port and Bluetooth. Read more »

Tips for changing your car battery

In today’s life, cars have become prime necessities.  Every day life greatly relies on the cars to journey everywhere.  The cars need to be serviced properly to provide us an exceptional performance.  The Car battery needs to be charged on a timely basis so that it stays in good condition.  There are numerous methods to charge the battery of your car.  You should know the various ways to get the battery of your car charged.

Here are the four common ways to charge a car battery:

1. Regular use of your Car

You may be surprised to know that your car usually charges its battery when it is running. All cars have an alternator which produces electricity every time the automobile is on the move as a belt links a pulley on the flywheel to a pulley on the alternator.  In case your car battery perishes when you are driving along then the alternator might not be generating electric power to charge the battery of your car. In case you have an automobile which has a manual transmission, you might be able to push start the vehicle to have it running.  Driving a car about half an hour ought to charge the car’s battery enough to get it back to normal.  So as to preserve electricity, attempt to switch off any electrical devices that you don’t need, like lights and radios. It will help to direct as much power into the car battery as possible.

2. Automotive Battery Charger

Battery chargers connect into a standard 110 volt domestic electric outlet, and then they charge your car battery when it is not linked to your car.  Read more »

EMIRAI : Futuristic Car Interface from Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi exhibited their brand new concept, the EMIRAI at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show that ended recently. Smart Cars and Concept Automobiles have been around since quite some time.  When you think of Concept Automobiles, vehicles that are equipped with every little thing like air conditioners using solar power as well as many LED Displays and devices may come to your mind.  However, Mitsubishi’s Car Interface EMIRAI has gone a step ahead.  It has brought to life an all new Dashboard using its brand new concept and smart engineering.

Till now, we have only come across tiny displays embedded in the dashboard in style of LCD panels.  But the EMIRAI shows what you can expect from a car in ten years time.  Mitsubishi’s EMIRAI comes with a dashboard along with curved display employing the rear projection technology.  Actually the most exciting and fascinating part of this vehicle is the fact that the display dashboard which offers rear projection sustains touch inputs pertaining to its several operations.

Amazing features of Mitsubishi EMIRAI

Mitsubishi’s EMIRAI boasts of many amazing features that make it stand out among the futuristic smart cars.  The vehicle is based on the concept of biometric interface. This advanced concept may turn out to be one of the most appealing features of next generation of concept automobiles in the next decade.  The car’s steering wheel possesses an innovative interface equipped with buttons that change form and which are designed to be elevated making just the necessary control buttons functional whilst keeping the remaining buttons retracted.  A few controls for the display may also be controlled by simply sliding fingertips above the elevated switches rendering it easier for use because they can be handled while not actually looking at them. Read more »

How to look for signs of Odometer Tampering?

If you are planning to buy a used car or truck, one thing you should look out for is odometer tampering. Often, people try to increase the car’s resale value by tampering the Odometer. There are different means by which fraudsters alter the Analog or Digital Odometer to hide facts regarding car’s mileage. Anyway, there are ways and means to detect and find out if there has been any foul play.  Here are a few tips you may follow to identify any tampering in Analog or Digital Odometer.

Tips to detect Odometer Tampering

Analog Odometer Tampering Signs:

Relatively older Used Cars will possess an Analog Odometer. Here are the signs you should look for in Analog Odometers:

• Check whether you see any misaligned digits. Check closely for numbers of larger denomination.
• Check if there are any screws missing in the dashboard near the gauge cluster
• Check whether the dashboard is used or whether it is new. Check whether the instrument panel has been replaced.

Digital Odometer Tampering Signs:

Most modern vehicles possess a Digital Odometer. Here are a few signs which will reveal to you digital tampering.

• Examine car tires with regard to wear and tear, if the four tires match one another as well as the original company sales specifications.
•  Inspect the seat, gas pedal, brake pedal and upholstery deterioration.
•  Conduct an automobile history report which reveals the automobile’s paper trail since it pertains to odometer issues, accidents, title brand as well as frame damage.
•  Conduct an engine as well as transmission fluid analysis. Experts examine the fluid by parts-per-million, evaluating data comparing with original maker’s specifications to determine how the car was maintained.
•  By carrying out these inspections, you can determine if an automobile’s engine or transmission parts have been raced, overheated, filled with additives to conceal mechanical issues or flooded. Read more »

How to choose the right Engine Oil for your car or truck?

Just about every vehicle’s engine needs motor oil for it to operate properly.  With no motor oil, the automobile will be unable to deliver the full overall performance which it has been manufactured to give.  That is why it is essential that the vehicle is filled with the proper motor oil regularly.  Engine oils are available in many varied forms.  When speaking of forms, there are specific scopes which engine oils are available in.  Altogether you will find typically four or five variations.  Your selection of which scope engine oil and which size you select will entirely depend on the car that you are using.

Not all engine oils are the same. The various types of engine oil available in the market are designed for different purposes.   Are you wondering which engine oil to use?  How often to change the oil? Whether to use oil additives? Whether to go for synthetic oil? Here we will discuss tips for selecting the right engine oil for your car or truck.

How to select Engine Oil for the Car?

There are various factors which decide which Engine Oil will suit your car.  Once you ascertain that these specifications are met, you can be sure that you have got the right Engine Oil which is compatible with your vehicle.  Here are a few major factors that affect the selection of the Engine Oil.

1. Oil Viscosity

Multi-viscosity motor oils engineered a long time back imply you don’t need to bother about making use of diverse oils for summer and winter. Read more »

Hino Truck Engines receive J.D. Power Honors for 2011

The 2011 U.S. Medium-Duty Truck Engine and Transmission Customer Satisfaction Study carried out by the US-based J.D. Power and Associates has once again honored Hino Trucks engines with the Number 1 ranking.  Hino Trucks USA has got the highest ranking for four years in a row scoring 794 on a 1000-point scale. The result was based on the responses received from 1,037 people who were primary maintainers of conventional cab medium-duty trucks that were one year old. The survey was carried out between the months of June and August this year. Cummins Inc. with 763 points was ranked second, followed by Paccar which scored 747 points and Navistar which obtained 742 points.

Reliability and Performance of Hino Truck Engines

According to the senior manager of the commercial vehicle practice at J.D. Power, Brent Gruber, the study gauged customer perceptions of 2010 model-year Class 5, 6 and 7 trucks with diesel and gasoline engines. It gave manufacturers a thorough and objective estimation of customer satisfaction regarding products and other related dealer services.

To get an idea of the overall engine satisfaction, eight different factors were considered: engine reliability/dependability; maintaining speed on grades; ease of access for maintenance or service; control module (ECM); acceleration when fully loaded; average fuel economy, vibration at idle; and engine warranty. Read more »

Nissan PIVO EV concept at Tokyo Motor Show

Nissan will be unveiling two concept cars – the PIVO 3 Electric Vehicle and the NV35O light commercial van – and its smart house technology at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show, 2011.  Besides these it will also have on display concept cars that were unveiled at previous motor shows.

The Nissan PIVO 3 Electric Vehicle

This concept car is a three-seater electric vehicle designed for urban commuters.  Nissan said the vehicle will be best suited to big city commuters driving on crowded roads.  The other electric vehicles will be the ESFLOW electric sports car which was unveiled in March at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and the TOWNPOD crossover EV which had been unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in September 2010.

The PIVO 3 is the third model of PIVO electric concept cars developed by Nissan, the original PIVO being a star exhibit of the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, while the PIVO 2 had been unveiled in 2007. The fully rotating cabin design that did away with reversing was the unique feature of the first two PIVO vehicles. However, the PIVO 3 does not feature this distinctive design but has a slightly more conventional arrangement. In the PIVO 3 the driver’s seat is located centrally in front of the two passenger seats at the back thus featuring a 1+2 layout. Its body is barely three meters in length partly due to the in-wheel motors used for propelling the car.

Despite not having a rotating cabin, the PIVO 3 will do away with reversing due to its zero turn gap capabilities and its wide steering angle that enables the car to do a U-turn on roads that are only four meters wide.

But this concept car’s most futuristic design feature is the Automated Valet Parking that allows the PIVO 3 to drive automatically, find a parking space and then park without the need for any driver. The vehicle has the ability to charge itself and can be summoned by the driver by smartphone.

The NV350 Light Commercial Van

This concept vehicle which will also be unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show is a light commercial van that is going to be launched in the summer of 2012 in Japan followed by other markets, and comes in above the NV200. The van has keyless push button ignition, which according to Nissan is a world first for any commercial vehicle, a dash-mounted shift lever, and a foot-operated parking brake. It also has a multi-function display that is positioned in the center stack. A reversing camera will be made available optionally as an extra.

The NV350 has a cargo area that is up to three meters long. It has 50:50 split fold-forward rear seats as well as embedded mounting nuts in the interior side panels to make it possible for the cargo area to be customized using shelving fixtures and hooks. Nissan claims that the NV350 also has improved fuel economy

Nissan’s third display will be its Smart House “NSH-2012″ technology, which through a combination of fuel cells, solar panels, and power stored in a Nissan LEAF’s batteries will be able to provide a home with a steady power supply independent of power outage or weather conditions.

The 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011 will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from December 3 to December 11.