European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday january 16, 1995 automotive the stars and stripes Page 9 behind Ford motor co. Is recalling the first 133,476 win Star minivans it built to Correct possible electrical defects that could cause fires. The recall includes 1995 models built Between Jan. 31 and _ sept. 19 last year company spokeswoman Linda Lee said  recall involves two separate problems a All of the vehicles might have an electrical Power distribution Box under the Hood with a Loose connection that could result in excessive heat and ignite wire insulation and other nearby parts. A about 72,100 of the vans also might have an instrument panel wire harness that could be pinched causing a Short circuit that could Start an electrical fire. Ford said it had 10 reports of fires related to the Power distribution Box problem and three reports of fires related to the wire harness defect with no injuries in either Case.  a a a a  a a a a a a a a a a Rolls Royce motor cars has reported a 4 percent increase in sales last year with higher volumes in Japan Ana Britain offsetting declines elsewhere. Vickers pc Parent company of the British manufacturer of luxury cars said 1,414 Rolls royces were sold in 1994, up from 1,360 in 1993. Sales Rose by 24 percent in the United kingdom where 460 Rolls royces were sold and by 22 percent in Japan where 116 Rolls royces were  in North America sales fell by 6 percent to 335 cars. Sales dropped by 11 percent to 216 cars in Continental Europe and by 6 percent to 75 cars in the Middle East. Toyota motor sales Usa later this year will Start Selling in the United states the rav4, a new two door sport Utility vehicle aimed at younger buyers. Toyota also this month introduced the 1995 t100 it Rajab pickup truck which is 21.7 inches longer than the regular. Pickup. Equipped with reclined rear scats it can seat six people. The larger t100, which starts at about $17,000, is aimed at mate baby Boomers with a median income of $50,000 who want to move up from compact to larger trucks a. A a a a the introduction of the two models at the North american International Auto show in Detroit underlies Toyota a attempt to stay competitive in the rapidly expanding truck and sport Utility vehicle �markets., v a a a a a a a a. Toyota already markets the land Cruiser full size and 4runner compact sport Utility vehicles in the United states. With a rear door that swings open the rav4 has ice like styling meant to Appeal to younger buyers. Dave Illingworth Toyota divisions senior vice president and general manager would not say How much the rav4 would sell for in the United Stales. The base Model Sells for under $16,000 in Japan. In the last two years the rising value of the yen against the Dollar has proved a headache for japanese automakers who have often been priced out of the Competition by their . Rivals. The higher yen makes japanese imports More expensive in the United states. But Illingworth said Toyota has come up with Cost cutting programs that will mean lower prices for 1995 models. The rav4, which already has sold 50,000 units in Japan and Europe since its May 1994 debut is to hit . Dealerships late this year. Built on a celica platform the rav4 offers both four Speed automatic and five Speed manual transmissions. It will have a 120-horsepower, 2,0-liter, four Cylinder engine. A from the associated press cherokees tailgating Olds on hit list Detroit apr look out Oldsmobile a a jeep is hot on your Trail. A a a. A a a. A a a a a 1 -. A a a a a. The 1993 jeep grand Cherokee 4x4 jumped from no. 54 in 1993 to no. 2 on the 1994 list of the most stolen cars compiled by acc information services. And As with other vehicles High on the list the reason is parts police say. Thieves frequently strip cars for components which Are used for repairs. A a a a a a m a a a a a a a usually when a sport Utility vehicle is stolen it is for a chop shop a an Auto theft expert sgt Leon Plowman said saturday. 1 for the third straight year 1994�?Ts-most stolen Model was the 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass supreme said acc a. Chicago based company that provides vehicle valuations for major insurers. Its figures Are based on 168,421 car thefts tracked in 1994. One thing attracting thieves to the Cutlass supreme is that its parts done to change much from year to year and Are interchangeable with those in other models. Among the top 100, pm had 56 models Honda 22, Ford eight Toyota six Nissan four Chrysler three and Hyundai one the company said.,-. A a / a v a a a a a  statistics showed vehicle thefts Down. 2 percent in the first six months of 1994 from the same period in 1993. There were 1.61 million vehicle thefts in 1993, Down 3.1 percent from 1.56 million in 1992. Hot cars or bilk j the 20 most stolen cars in 1994 1iasi j flank rank year make and Model 1 1994 1993 1 1 1934 old Momie Cutlass supreme 2 54. 1993 jeep grand Cherokee 4x4 3 a 4 a a a a 1887 Oldsmobile Cutlass supreme 4 3 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass supreme 5 12 1983 Honda Accord la 6 �5. 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass supreme 7 21 1992 Honda Accord sex 6 7 1984 Bulck regal 9 13 1990 Honda Accord sex 10 14 1991 Honda Accord sex 11 2 1986 Chevrolet Camara 12 24 1989 Honda Accord la 13 13 1986 Bulck regal 14 6 1987 Chevrolet Camara 15 22 1992 Honda Accord la 15 10 1985 Bulck regal. 17 15 1986 Cadillac Dankle 13 8 1987 Chevrolet Caprice 19 19 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Clera 20 23 1987 Bulck regal source acc information services of Chicago ass Chrysler Cirrus targets imports by Ann Marie Job a the associated press it has the most rear legroom in its class and impressive trunk space. It cd mics quite Well dressed with Standard Auto malic transmission anti lock brakes air conditioning and Power windows and door locks. And it looks like it rolled off a Honda or Toyota Assembly line. The 1995 Cirrus is Chrysler corp s latest Effort to pry Loyal Honda and Toyota families from their vehicles. Starting at $17,435, the Chrysler. Cirrus a provides a fully equipped. V-6-powered. Car for several thousands less than the competitors said  general manager Steve Torok its a family Sedan that straddles both the compact and midsize segments. As Torok noted it a provides almost Compa Rable room and features for less than midsize alternatives such As Chevrolet Lumina and Ford  with 3718 inches of Back seat legroom. For example the Cirrus rivals the midsize Ford Taurus while offering 2.8 More inches than the midsize Toyota camry. The 15.7 cubic feet of Cirrus trunk space equal that of the midsize Chevrolet Lumina Sedan and surpass the compact Honda Accord. Yet the Cirrus Overall comes in. A practical size a the same total length As the Accord though the 108-Inch wheelbase of the Cirrus is about an Inch longer than the accords and is 2 inches longer than the Taurus. The Cirrus is pretty on the outside too. None of those Plain old family Sedan looks Here. From its  and a Hood that a wider than it is  a japanese import styled rear end with a High deck the Cirrus is expressive. Its also the first car to Wear Chrysler newly revived badge from the Vicy first Chrysler Auto in 1924, featuring a Seal and ribbon with Chrysler a a name the badge had been replaced in 1962 by Chrysler a pent astar the Cirrus comes in two models a la and Lxi. Both have Long lists of Standard equipment with the upscale $19,365 Lxi adding leather Interior Premium sound system and eight Way Power Driver seat. The la and Lxi have the same transverse mounted 2.5-liter, single overhead Cam 24-valve v-6 and four Speed automate transmission. The engine is a re Vised version of the 3-iter v-6 used in Chrysler minivans. Fuel Economy is respectable a 20 Miles per gallon in the City and 29 mpg on a the Highway. The engine by the Way is Mitsubishi built and comes from Japan. The test car an Lxi powered along commendably with the 164-Horscpow or v-6, though you  Call it neck David Kimball left Chrysler corp. General product manager and . Cunningham executive vice president of sales and marketing hold an award Given to the 1995 Chrysler Cirrus earlier this month at the Auto show in Detroit the Cirrus was named the 1995 North american Auto shows car of the year. Snapping performance Zero-to-60-Mph it time is estimated at some nine seconds. The engine is quite quiet but gets noisy when pushed. Horsepower is just under the 170 horses of the new $22,300 Honda Accord v-6 Sedan and greater than the 130 horsepower of a four Cylinder pow cred Accord that starts at $17,550. Its also More than the 140 horsepower of the v-6-powered Taurus that starts at $17,585. But its less than the 188 horses of the v-6-Powcrcd camry that starts at More than $21,800. Steering in the Cirrus is very responsive and the Lxi a sport tuned four wheel Short Long Arm Independent suspension kept me out of  Cirrus also has a Low cowl giving Good visibility for front seat riders. But the High trunk lid and the rear window shelf trial slopes upward As it meets the rear window obscure the View when you re backing up. On the plus Side they also can deflect the Bright lights of some Jerk tailing you too closely. Front and rear scats Are quite comfortable part of an Overall ergonomically sound and Well styled Interior. Even the fake shiny Wood around the ventilation controls fits in nicely and the Small holes on the Lxi a leather scat surfaces make for an unusual Jazzy appearance. Two front air bags Are Standard and front shoulder belts Are height adjust Hie though in the test car  Belt did no to retract automatically a couple times after being unlatched. Instead it Laid in the doorway and prevented the door from closing. A in Back there a Good legroom even with the front seats Back on their tracks All the w a. Because the front buckets sit up quite High its easy to tuck your toes beneath the scats. But the rear windows open not quite Halfway. The test cards Sheet Metnik work was impeccable but the Power Antenna Rose and retracted loudly and the Windshield wipers had a mind of their own when turned on. The Cirrus trunk space is expandable because the rear setback folds Down allowing Long items to pass through and there a no leftover. Chrysler looks to sell some 62,000 Cirrus models in the 1995 Model year but production capabilities Are 200,000 annually once the Plant is up to full production Speed spokeswoman Pamela Gross said. The Cirrus will be joined this year by a sister car the Dodge stratus the Cirrus helps Bridge the Gap in Chrysler showrooms Between the Neon and Chrysler la cars. The stratus replaces the Dodge tween 38 and 50 years of age h a medi spirit. Chrysler a targeted buyers Are bean household income of Chrys Ler looks for 60 percent to be College educated and about half to be women