The Auto Channel’s John Heilig gave out his commendations and reviews on the 2008 Nissan Versa. Here are some bits of his insights courtesy of TheAutoChannel.com:

The Nissan Versa became one of my North Carolina cars this year. Carolina cars are those I was fortunate enough to be able to use in my frequent trips down south to care for an ailing family member. In these trips we put an enormous amount of miles on the cars and learned to know them pretty well.

I must honestly admit that I probably would have preferred a larger vehicle for the trip, especially since the return voyage involved transporting a lot of stuff back home. But on the other hand, the compact nature of the Versa made fuel purchases minimal, and the versatility of the Versa (oops, I did it again) offered more than adequate carrying capacity for all we needed.

On the positive side, the Versa was comfortable on long rides and was easy to park and maneuver.

SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Nissan Versa 1.8 SL HB
Engine: 1.8-liter I-4
Horsepower/Torque: 122 hp @ 5200 rpm/127 lb.-ft. @ 4800 rpm
Transmission: CVT
Wheelbase: 99.8 in.
Length x Width x Height: 177.5 x 67.3 x 55.5 in.
Tires: 185/65R15
Cargo volume: 17.8/50.4 cu. ft. (rear seat backs up/folded)
Economy: 27 mpg city/33 mpg highway/30.0 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 13.2 gal.
Price: $17,285 (includes $625 destination charge and $1,100 in options)

Ford Motor Co. said that it plans to install a new family of turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engines dubbed the EcoBoost. The engine will be used on half a million vehicles over the next 5 years, including the 2009 Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex.

The MKS sedan, which the company expects to launch later this year, will be the first Ford vehicle with EcoBoost as an option, according to RTT News. The company noted that EcoBoost will give the MKS's 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 the power and torque of a V8.

According to reports, the EcoBoost will include four- and six-cylinder variants. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost will be used for the Explorer America Concept and select vehicles. It is expected to generate 275hp and 280 pound-feet of torque. A twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, which will be used in the all-wheel-drive MKS, will make 340hp and 340 lb-ft of torque.

The America Concept equipped EcoBoost will be introduced at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Dearborn-based automaker said that the technology will provide a fuel-economy improvement of 20-30% over current engines. What’s more, the engine is relatively affordable compared with diesels and hybrids. The EcoBoost range is aimed to be applied in a wide variety of applications, including cars and trucks.

Additionally, the automaker said that it also plans to install hybrid and diesel powertrains in additional vehicles and is developing plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells for future applications.

Ford said on Thursday that its December vehicle sales in the United States dropped 9.2% from the previous year due to a weak demand for both cars and trucks. To note, the automaker, sold 212,094 vehicles in December, down 9.2% from 233,621 vehicles sold in the same month in 2007. In December, retail sales dived 13% and fleet sales plummeted 1% compared to a year earlier.

It seems to me that the auto rivalry is intensifying as previously predicted. One automaker innovates, the other upgrades and invents. Nice scenario. But the competition will get tougher and tougher and the upgrade of the ball joint won’t simply suffice.

It is not expected that all of us would know each part of the vehicle and what such part does. But it sure does help if we know what certain parts and features are for so that we can use them as they are designed to be used. For example, what is the choke and what does it do? I am going to share with you on this post just what the choke is all about.

The choke is used on engines with carburetors to help in starting a cold engine. Now, the engine needs to burn fuel rich mixture to start it. The choke is sits at the top of the carburetor and it is its job to keep out air rushing into the combustion chamber. Without that extra air, the engine will be burning a very rich mixture.

Apart from blocking off the entry of air into the combustion chamber, the choke also creates a pressure in the manifold which draws more fuel into the chamber. This means that a very rich fuel mixture will be injected into the engine.

After the engine has been injected with a rich mixture, it would of course need air to continue running. To allow air to enter the carburetor, the choke is designed to be slightly offset on one side which will allow air rushing inside to push it aside. But the choke does not fully allow air to rush in instantly. It slowly allows them in with the aid of a temperature sensitive switch. When the engine temperature reaches a certain pre-set constant, the choke will then no longer block the entrance of air into the system.

The newest Dodge Ram will arrive at dealerships with Chrysler's fuel-efficient HEMI® Hybrid. The company has confirmed that their state-of â€"the-art two-mode hybrid will join the light-duty Dodge Ram powertrain lineup for 2010. Joining Chrysler's hybrid vehicle lineup is the the Dodge Ram HEMI(R) Hybrid.

Chrysler also confirmed that it would launch a Cummins turbodiesel engine in 2009 for the Dodge Ram 1500 unit last year. The engine will assemble 50- state-of-the art emissions standards and at the same time will bring 30-percent fuel economy development.

"Dodge Ram is known for capability, utility and performance," said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President - Product Development, Chrysler LLC. "The addition of hybrid and diesel powertrains to our all-new Dodge Ram 1500 lineup is sure to attract an array of new customers looking for the ultimate combination of full-size pickup fuel efficiency, performance and capability."

Most vehicles today still use internal combustion engines. But the increasing threat of climate change has automakers scrambling to develop powertrains which are eco-friendly. These powertrains though are still in the development process. But, they will soon be available in the auto market.

One of these powertrains developed by automakers includes the one on the Chevy Equinox which recently received the Green Car Vision Award from the Green Car Journal. This is according to The Auto Channel.

The Chevy Equinox is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell which has been developed by General Motors. The said vehicle beat four other vehicles for the award which are the BMW Hydrogen 7, Honda FCX Clarity, Phoenix Electric SUT, and the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid all of which are equipped with components more valuable than a heater core.

Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal had this to say: "The Equinox Fuel Cell is visionary on many levels. Zero-emission vehicles destined for our highways in the years ahead will take many forms, from small car platforms to large. Powering a popular crossover model with a future fuel such as hydrogen, and doing so seamlessly with an efficient powerplant that creates no CO2 greenhouse gases, is exemplary and Chevrolet should be commended for this."

The development of the Chevy Equinox shows that General Motors is also serious with the development of powertrains for the future. The power of the vehicle comes from the fuel cell where hydrogen fuel is stored. The energy produced from the fusion of hydrogen fuel and the oxygen in the atmosphere powers the Equinox. This means that the vehicle does not burn petroleum fuel nor emit greenhouse gases.