Autoline Daily - Video

Reports are out that several hundred of Nissan’s factory workers in Smyrna, Tennessee met with the United Auto Workers this week at a local hall. GM is boosting plug-in production as it believes that demand for its extended range electric vehicles is going to grow this year. After 75 years in the automotive business, Toyota marks the milestone with a fully interactive timeline. All that and more, plus we take a look at Visteon’s vision of what cars and the technology they’re equipped with will be like in the year 2020.

In one of the fastest growing markets in the world, EVs are going nowhere fast. Meanwhile, the future for EVs on the racing circuit could be looking bright as Formula E kicks into gear. The automotive equivalent of the “little black dress” is here and the secret is velvet. All that and more, plus John McElroy answers your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

In a move that caught most industry observers by surprise, General Motors hired away the top marketing executive from Volkswagen of America. The U.S. Treasury Department is selling off its remaining shares in General Motors. And one of those people who bought stock was GM CEO Dan Akerson. NISMO became Nissan’s exclusive performance and motorsports brand. All that and more, plus John McElroy shows you how the top car companies stack up against each other.

Daimler plays executive musical chairs by making some interesting personnel changes. Hyundai is upgrading the Sonata Hybrid for 2013, which is a good thing because the first version didn’t really deliver one main thing you expect from a hybrid. Yesterday Volkswagen officially announced the launch of the most fuel-efficient production vehicle ever made. All that and more, plus on Autoline This Week our guest is former GM CEO, Ed Whitacre and he talks about the mess he found when he got to General Motors.

The FCC is considering selling off more of the Wi-Fi spectrum in the United States and that has automakers worried. Audi will be pulling the wraps off its version of a plug-in hybrid next month at the Geneva Motor Show. The Golf lineup just got a little bigger with the introduction of Volkswagen’s Golf GTD. The D stands for diesel. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy takes a ride in Acura’s replacement for the RL.

Volvo is introducing a number of new safety-related technologies. One of those is what they call Road Sign Information. It has been reported lately that BMW passed Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury sales leader in the American market. But, M-B says otherwise, if you look at one important stat. The all-new Flying Spur from Bentley will make its global debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. All that and more, plus we get to some of your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

Danica Patrick became the first woman ever to qualify in the pole position for the Daytona 500 yesterday. According to YouTube viewers, Ram’s “God Made A Farmer” was the top ad during this year’s Super Bowl. We’ve reported how EV startup Fisker is desperately trying to find a partner and now it looks like the automaker has found some interest. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy takes a look at the almost all-new Kia Sorento.

SEAT, the Spanish automaker owned by Volkswagen, is set to introduce the all-new Leon SC at the Geneva Motor Show next month. In the third quarter, Ram will offer a diesel package in its 1500 pickup. The UAW has been spectacularly unsuccessful in organizing any of the foreign transplants in the US, but could fix that by changing its sales pitch. All that and more, plus we reveal the identity of our Barn Find, the little blue British-made sports car we showed you on Wednesday.

GM reported its net profits for 2012, and lets just say they’re not very good. Chrysler is holding back the introduction of its mid-size pickup and small commercial van. Michael Dunne is one of the foremost experts on the Chinese automotive industry and he’s predicting some pretty wild developments. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Seamus McElroy has the report on the 7th vehicle in MINI’s lineup, the 2013 Paceman.

The production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C finally hits the Geneva show next month. In our New Technology segment, we take a look at Federal Mogul’s ACIS program, which stands for Advanced Corona Ignition System. Find out which hot-button vehicle from GM may be the first production car in the world to use shape memory alloys. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard takes us for a ride in the 2014 Mazda6.

Anyone who lives in the United States definitely has noticed that the price of gasoline shot up dramatically in the last month. Now, find out why. Holden unveiled the redesigned version of its rear-wheel-drive VF Commodore sedan, which will make its way to the U.S. as one much-awaited Chevy model. Set to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show is the Subaru Outback with the companies Boxer Diesel mated to a CVT. All that and more, plus the UAW once had a monopoly on automotive labor in the United States and Canada but not anymore.

Nissan just reported its earnings for the first nine months of its fiscal year, and it’s a mixed bag, but generally disappointing. Autoline gives a look at a few of the vehicles that were unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show. MINI just introduced the fastest car it has ever made, a souped up version of the Hardtop. All that and more, plus we find out why Chevrolet is really bullish on selling diesels in the American market.

Daimler reported its earnings for 2012 this morning and the numbers are solid, but not anything like some other manufacturers. Automakers are making another run at using plastic windows, but they can pose some real issues. Carmakers are using more and more of one common material, but that is going to lead to higher prices. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy takes a look at the new 2014 Kia Forte.

China is suffering through the worst air pollution the modern world has ever seen. MINI just introduced the all-new Paceman, which is based on the same platform as the Countryman. When the new S-class Mercedes comes out later this year it will be able to claim it was the first in the world to offer a certain technology. All that and more, plus we get to your comments and questions in this week’s edition of You Said It!

One company just reported its earnings for the first nine months of its fiscal year, and it’s doing better than most automakers who report full year earnings. Consumer Reports has been testing small displacement turbocharged engines and let’s just say they did not get a thumbs up, except for one automaker. Lincoln dropped sales and market share because Ford is very slow in getting its new MKZ to the dealers, which may come as a bit of a surprise. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard says that half a liter makes all the difference in the Mazda CX-5.

New U.S. car sales figures are out for the month of January, and they look very strong. Red Bull Racing inked a four-year deal with one carmaker to become the Vehicle Performance Partner of the team. At a labor conference in Washington D.C., UAW President Bob King and former Brazilian President Lula da Silva urged union members to get more active in politics. All that and more, plus host John McElroy gives his driving impressions of the 2014 Subaru Forester.

Fiat reported its 2012 financial earnings, and the results look pretty good, as long as you include Chrysler. Automakers are having a tough time selling EVs but that isn’t stopping California; it is not backing down from its zero emission mandate. Yesterday we reported that Fisker is desperately trying to find a deep-pocket partner and now it looks like the company might have one. All that and more, plus John McElroy has a look into what the 2014 Subaru Forester is all about.

Chrysler posted strong financial earnings last year but the company is still too reliant on the U.S. market. Speaking of financial earnings, Ford’s UAW employees are going to reap the benefits of the company’s positive results. Find out how much they’ll receive in profit sharing checks. Fisker just hired a consulting group to help it figure out how to save cash as it looks for a partner or a buyer. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

Ford is the first automaker to release its 2012 earnings, and we take a deep dive into the places where they're winning and losing. At long last we'll see the clean diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze debut in the U.S. John McElroy asks Johan de Nysschen why Infiniti has changed its naming scheme to focus on the letter Q. All that and we take a look at the all-new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder.

Dodge is chopping production at one of its engine plants as sales of the Dart continue to disappoint. Ford is the next in a line of automakers to offer deep discounts on its electric vehicles. Could a bi-annual styling change become the norm for the industry? All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with the Lincoln Motor Company's Matt VanDyke.

In a new memoir, GM's former chairman says he wanted Mark Reuss to succeed him. Peugeot and Bosch announce a battery-free hybrid system that's lighter and cheaper. BMW and Toyota cement their agreement to collaborate on a host of new projects including a sports car. All that and more, plus John McElroy responds to your questions and comments in this week's edition of You Said It!

As Europe continues to slump, more factories are on the chopping block. John McElroy is out testing the 2014 Subaru Forester and he has an impressive demo of the vehicle's all-wheel drive capabilities. And, maybe automakers should stick to what they're good at; a new study suggests car nav systems can't compare to smart phones. All that and more, plus Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, is back with his recipe for maximizing the potential of Corvette. See what his new lineup would look like.

Toyota will be getting a new chairman later this year to replace current chairman Fujio Cho. Big truck sales in the U.S. last year hit their highest total since 2007. Bob Lutz paired up with a company that is removing the hybrid powertrain from Fisker Karmas and replacing them with Corvette motors. All that and more, plus we’ll show you a company that is working on a low-cost hybrid that doesn’t need any batteries.

Last night on Autoline After Hours we learned about some of the coolest aerodynamic tricks they’re using on the new Corvette. It looks like the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins may be getting some new competition. At yesterday’s Montreal Auto Show Honda pulled the wraps off its concept car called the GEAR. All that and more, plus host John McElroy recently invited four of the editors from Ward’s Auto World on Autoline This Week to talk about where they see engine technology going.

As car sales continue to grow, and as automakers bring more new models to the market, suppliers need to boost their production capacity. The Toyota Prius passed the Honda Civic to become the best selling car in California last year. One top executive at GM says the price of a Volt could be dropped by thousands. All that and more, plus host John McElroy takes a walk around the Mopar Garage with Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar.

We’ve got more of the latest reveals from the Detroit auto show today. Cadillac finally took the wraps off the production version of the ELR which is based on the same technology as the Chevy Volt. Volkswagen unveiled a diesel plug-in-hybrid SUV concept called the CrossBlue. Hyundai is showing off a concept that hints at the design direction for the next-generation Genesis. All that and more, plus one analyst predicts this could be a good year for truck sales in the U.S.

We’ve got the first reveals from the Detroit auto show. The 2014 Chevy Corvette made its hugely anticipated debut in front of a giant media turnout. Jeep unveiled the 2014 Grand Cherokee and Compass. And Lincoln is showing off a new crossover concept called the MKC. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard, has all the details on Mercedes’ new debut, the CLA-Class.

Foreign automakers keep adding more manufacturing capacity in North America and that is especially true for one country. Tom Doll, CFO of Subaru of America, tells Autoline it needs figure out how to do an STi version of the BRZ “before the tuners figure out how to do it themselves.” Ford is making some significant upgrades to its 3.2 Liter Power Stroke diesel going in the U.S. version of the full-size Transit van. All that and more, plus we have some pretty educated guesses as to who will win the North American Car of the Year award.

Peter Welch was just named the new president for the National Auto Dealers Association, and he’s got the resume to back up that decision. Automakers keep teasing us with sneak peeks of what they will unveil at next week’s Detroit auto show, but Nissan is taking a different approach by showing off its new global display stand. Chevy has a bunch of new products to roll out for 2013, and coming with them is a new ad slogan. All that and more, plus host John McElroy talks with Ben Bowlby, the creator and designer of the DeltaWing race car.

We take a look at some of interesting new technology coming out of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Dodge will pull the covers off the newest model in the Dart line-up, the GT, at the Detroit auto show. Hyundai teases us with its latest concept, the HCD-14. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard takes a ride through Europe in the diesel version of the Fiat Bravo.

Since 2006 the bus industry in the U.S. has grown between 5 and 10 percent a year, which could be why one Chinese automaker will open an electric bus factory in California. Some car dealer associations are suing Tesla because it's selling cars in its own stores instead of going through the existing franchised dealer network. PSA, the parent company of Peugeot and Citroen, desperately needs cash and may sell its stake in parts maker Faurecia. All that and more, plus a look into the all-new 2013 Toyota RAV4.

In China you can now get a ticket for running a yellow light. The debate over DuPont-Honeywell’s new automotive refrigerant heats up after it fails Daimler’s internal safety test. One man’s trash is another man’s… garage floor? All that and more, plus John McElroy talks with the head of BMW i design about what went into the interior of the i3 electric.

Kia just promoted its chief of design to become one of three presidents in the Hyundai-Kia group and it’s something of a bombshell. Mr. Imre Molnar, 61 years old and the provost of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, died of a heart attack while out bicycling in California five days ago. Toyota has just unveiled the 14th generation of the Crown series which first made its debut in 1955. All that and more, plus in this edition of Barn Finds, can you tell what kind of car this is?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety lambasted one car company for having some of the worst crash test results in its new small overlap test. Nevada has granted a German auto supplier approval to test autonomous cars on its public roads. A company called Energy Power Systems says the lead-acid battery is going to make a comeback and it has a prototype that could prove it. All that and more, plus John McElroy talks with Dan Barile of Mercedes about its wild looking concept, the Ener-G-Force.

General Motors announced this morning it’s going to buy 200 million shares of its stock from the U.S. Treasury. We've looked at the sales numbers for hybrids and electric cars in China, and they're miserably low. GM just appointed a new vice president of purchasing, Grace Lieblein. All that and more, plus host John McElroy gets to your questions and comments in this week's edition of You Said It!

Mercedes-Benz is not only lagging behind BMW in sales, it’s also lagging in market value. The 2013 Chevy Cruze will be equipped with a new single-stage "smart airbag." An organization called Noise Free America just chose this month’s winner of what it calls the Noisy Dozen. All that and more, plus John McElroy sits down with (pun intended) Michael Miner, the manager of product planning at Faurecia Seating to show a future seat design that it’s showing to automakers.

It looks like Jaguar will be the next in a line of automakers to go diesel in the U.S. Backup cameras are about to become required equipment, but John McElroy has a common sense alternative that will be easier on consumers' pocketbooks. A new vehicle from a Chinese automaker has failed the "sniff test" so don't breathe too deeply. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week, which commemorates 30 years of Honda manufacturing in America.

GM takes the wraps off the all-new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra ahead of their Detroit debut. Renault dumps its stake in Volvo trucks. The finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards have been announced; we'll tell you which ones are in the running. All that and more, plus John McElroy gets a walkthrough of the BMW i3's styling with the head of the company's i design.

Bill Ford Jr. has purchased the oldest surviving Ford automobile. Find out what it is. Indianapolis will embrace natural gas and electric vehicles as it requires city vehicles to dump petroleum in coming years. Think right-to-work means the end of the UAW? Think again. All that and more, plus John McElroy responds to your questions and comments in this week's edition of "You Said It!"

A Chinese company bought battery maker A123 Systems, which is good news for one EV manufacturer. Japanese automakers are still having trouble in China due to anti-Japanese sentiment. Daimler AG is investing $100 million in its Detroit Diesel plant. All that and more, plus a look at Ford's 1.0 Liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine in the 2014 Fiesta.

The state of Michigan's right-to-work legislation will have immediate implications for the UAW. A test done by Consumer Reports shows that Ford's hybrids fall short of their EPA ratings, but this problem doesn't end with the Dearborn auto maker. Manufacturers are always looking for new ways to improve fuel efficiency, and one company has some new technology that can do just that. All that and more, plus John talks with Mazda's John Doonan about its latest effort to use diesel engines in long distance races.

Looks like Buick is really starting to get some momentum, thanks largely to lowering one key number. The Cadillac Cue and MyFord Touch systems have been heavily criticized for being awkward to use; we’ve found that a key factor is how you use them. New York City is being sued over red-light traffic cameras. All that and more, plus host John McElroy talks with Lexus' Mark Templin on the public's reaction to its new styling.

John talks with the head of BMW’s i Design about the exterior styling elements of the i8 Concept. Guest host Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com gives her analysis of November's sales numbers. All that and more, plus we have the results of this week's poll question, who you thought was the biggest winner in LA.

Nissan is changing the LEAF to a different name in China, the Venucia C30. As if it didn't already have enough problems, Peugeot workers are protesting the company’s plan to shut down a plant in 2014. Chrysler pays the remainder of a $3,500 bonus to hourly workers earlier than needed, perhaps to gain favor with the UAW. All that and more, plus we take a look at Ford's first plug-in hybrid, the C-MAX Energi.

The U.S. Department of Energy is set to announce a new project to develop low-cost batteries for electric vehicles. Chevy unveiled its new race car for NASCAR and says it will closely resemble the production car. The 2014 Mazda6 will be the first vehicle in Mazda’s line-up to feature its SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine. All that and more, plus John talks with Lincoln’s John Clinard on why it decided to showcase classic cars from its past at the LA Auto Show.

In an effort to move production out of Japan, Honda wants to boost exports from the U.S. Ram Truck is launching a new commercial truck division called Ram Commercial. It will even offer a full-sized van based on the Fiat Ducato. Diesel powered cars are starting to catch on in the American market, up over 25 percent through October this year. All that and more, plus guest host Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics gives his thoughts on the state of electric vehicles.

Amid all of the destruction and chaos caused by Superstorm Sandy, there may be a silver lining for the auto industry. Apple's digital assistant Siri will be making its automotive debut in a couple of Chevrolet models. The abruptly ousted GM marketing chief, Joel Ewanick, has landed at Fisker, for now. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo has the High-Octane Truth about Volkswagen's key to success.

Hyundai and Kia could be starting to feel the repercussions of misrepresenting fuel economy, but this problem may have deeper implications beyond the Korean automakers. Aston Martin is looking for someone to take a stake in the company. See who's scrambling to place their bids. General Motors takes the wraps off its new Chinese EV, the Sail SPRINGO EV. All that and more, plus John McElroy talks with Ashley Denmead from Carbon Revolution, a company that has figured out how to make wheels out of carbon fiber.

General Electric announced it will buy 2,000 Ford C-MAX plug-in hybrids for its fleet, see what Ford is willing to do in exchange. BMW will show off a plug-in hybrid at the L.A. Auto Show next week. Nissan released an upgraded version of the LEAF in Tokyo today with changes based on feedback from owners. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in "You Said It!"

A partnership with Chery will help Jaguar Land Rover cut vehicle costs in China. Spanish carmaker SEAT is struggling to sell cars in China, so its parent company is stepping in to help. Honda and Nissan have cut profit forecasts due to protests over disputed territory, but one Japanese automaker is actually increasing theirs. All that and more, plus we take a look at Volkswagen's all-new 2013 Jetta Hybrid.