Autos
*Base price on the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line is $24,170, not including the $625 destination. The hybrid Green Line, which went on sale in October, has EPA fuel-economy estimates of 25 m.p.g. and 32 highway, the highest highway estimate among sport-utility vehicles. The Green Line has a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, 4-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor/generator that provides power assist in acceleration.
*Honda is using the Tokyo Motor Show to introduce a gas/electric sports car, the CR-Z. The CR-Z comes with new Honda hybrid system that allows designers to get around the bulkiness typical of gas/electrics. The result is a sleek, cutting-edge look, the automaker says without giving specifics.
Recalls
*BMW is recalling 29,250 2005-06 5- and 6-Series cars and X5 sport-utilities powered by V-8 engines to fix an electronic control unit that can cause the engine to stall and increase the risk of a crash.
*Ford says parts to fix 3.6 million vehicles involved in a high-profile recall will not be fully available until later this year. Ford is working to supply the cruise-control switch parts to dealers. The automaker has recalled more than 10 million vehicles since 1999 because of engine fires linked to the cruise control systems.
*Line Skies is recalling about 1,250 2006 Line X-Fly and Line Pro skiboards because improperly installed screws can cause the bindings to pull off of the skiboard. Call 800-987-2576 or visit www.lineskis.com or www.cpsc.gov.
*MacLean Quality Composites is recalling 330 Reynolds UL bicycle forks because the tips can separate from the legs. Call 866-798-3040 or visit www.reynoldscycling.com/recall or www.cpsc.gov.
Air
*Nine months after launching three daily round trips between Duluth and Milwaukee, Midwest Airlines will discontinue that service. The flights will end Dec. 1 after the airline reported it wasn’t making enough profit on the route. People who already booked flights will likely be placed on Northwest Airlines flights, Midwest officials say.
*Officials of Sioux City, Iowa, have had a change of heart about the Sioux Gateway Airport’s unflattering three-letter identifier — SUX. Instead of trying to change the code used by pilots and airports that’s printed on tickets and luggage tags, it’s now the centerpiece of a new marketing campaign with T-shirt and caps sporting the slogan, “FLY SUX.” It also forms the URL of the airport’s Web site: www.flysux.com
FYI
*Five Chinese manufacturers will display vehicles at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show in January, including three first-timers. Geely International Corp., which was at the 2006 show, and Changfeng Motor Group, which showed vehicles this year, are returning. New exhibitors are BYD Auto Co., Li Shi Guang Ming Auto Design Co. and China American Cooperative Automotive Inc., U.S. distributor of Zhongxing Automobile Co.
*HD (hybrid digital/analog) digital radio receivers are available for most 2008 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models and some 2005-2007s as a dealer-installed option. The only 2008s that won’t accept HD radio are the Ford E-Series van and Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car and Mercury Grand Marquis. The HD Digital Radio Alliance says the technology improves sound quality and allows more than one broadcast on the same channel. Ford says the HD receivers and installation should cost “significantly less than $500” on models. BMW made HD radio a factory-installed option on all its models in May.
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Quick Trips are compiled from the notebook of Rick Popely and from Tribune news services.
