After more than a decade of development, Ford Motor Co. is about to launch the first back-seat safety belts with built-in air bags. They'll be optional, about $395, on the 2011 Explorer SUV available at dealers in December. Ford detailed the bags at an Explorer briefing at its vehicle test center. The bags are sewn inside special safety belts and pop out into sausage-shaped tubes in a crash.
Kelley Blue Book says overall wholesale prices dipped 1.5% in September, led by much steeper declines in CUV prices. Analysts say CUV prices could be weakened further as automakers continue to add new models to the segment.
Euro NCAP handed out nine awards for advanced safety technology at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. NCAP is similar to NHTSA in America. Four of the technologies are also available in vehicles sold domestically.
Detroit automakers are able to boost overall sales figures thanks to rebounding fleet sales, accounting for about 32 percent of sales, with more companies looking to replace aging fleets now that the economy is in a somewhat recovery mode.
NHTSA is changing the requirements for 2011 crash-test star ratings to make them more stringent and consumer friendly. New criteria include a side pole crash and recognition of high-tech crash avoidance features like electronic stability control.