Autoline Daily - Video

Car sales in the U.S. continue to grow, hitting nearly 1.2 million units, an increase of 13 percent compared to last year. Infiniti wants to expand its relationship with Red Bull’s Formula One team. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is pushing to sell Jeeps in India. All that and more, plus a look at Opel’s new small car, the Adam.

We bet you didn’t know that Volkswagen has the highest number of employees in the global automotive industry, topping half a million. September light-vehicle sales plummeted in France, making a bad situation even worse. Toyota’s chairman, Fujio Cho was denied permission to land his jet in Beijing as tensions between China and Japan escalate. All that and more, plus John responds to questions and comments in “You Said It!”

Nissan is offering huge discounts for the Leaf in the U.S. in an effort to boost sales. The Greek government is subsidizing the construction of a Formula One race track despite the country’s financial woes. Analysts say Europe needs to take out at least 5 million units of capacity. All that and more, plus we’ll take a look at why the Dodge Charger got to be as good as it is.

Tire prices are expected to drop in the U.S. after a tariff placed on Chinese tire makers expired earlier in the week. Bosch predicts that half of all new cars in the U.S. will be equipped with stop/start technology within four years. John takes a look at the Audi Q3 with Audi of America’s President, Scott Keogh. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Don Butler the Vice President of Marketing at Cadillac.

The Canadian Auto Workers reached a new labor agreement with Chrysler. Jaguar unveiled an all-new two-seat convertible called the F-Type in Paris today. Hot on the heels of its light-duty 1500 model, RAM truck just revealed its latest crop of HD pickups. All that and more, plus we take a look at the new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Toyota doesn’t see much chance of success for EVs in the short term because of limited range and long recharging times. Tesla just launched a network of solar power charging stations to allow Model S owners to power up for free. Chrysler announced that it is suspending testing for its plug-in hybrid program. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

Ward's predicts September sales will hit the best SAAR in three years. GM figures out how to shed pounds by spot welding aluminum. John McElroy takes his first drive of the CODA electric car and gives his initial impressions. All that and more, plus a report from KPMG about using the cloud to improve the automotive supply chain.

A new study says that batteries in the Nissan LEAF degrade faster in hot climates. The Congressional Budget Office says that federal subsidies for manufacturing and purchasing EVs will cost taxpayers around 7.5 billion dollars through 2019. Audi revealed the 2013 S3 which gets a walloping 300 horsepower from a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about whether using ethanol in gasoline hurts our food supply.

Transmission maker ZF is rockin’ and rollin’ as demand for its gearboxes booms. The Volkswagen Passat has passed its previous sales record, which was set in 2001. Prices for red-hot rare-earth metals are finally starting to cool off. All that and more, plus a first drive of the 2013 Ford Fusion and a look at one of the best ads to come out in years.

McLaren is showing off a new supercar called the P1 before its formal debut in Paris next week. Aston Martin just revealed the new 2013 DB9 which will be available in November. BMW is developing a new lineup of engines that will come in three-, four- and six-cylinder sizes as well as gasoline and diesel configurations. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo shares his thoughts on why the 2013 Fusion defines the new Ford.

Ford and the Canadian Auto Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement for a new labor contract. Vehicle registrations in Europe dropped 8.5 percent in August versus the same month in 2011. GM’s 2.5-liter EcoTec four-cylinder engine features the company’s new Intake Valve Lift Control system. All that and more, plus a look at which vehicles are flying off dealer lots the fastest.

The Canadian Auto Workers chose Ford as its strike target as it tries to negotiate a new contract before it expires tonight. General Motors is pushing the U.S. Treasury Department to sell its stake in the company but it won’t because GM’s stock price isn’t high enough. BMW is showing off more of the vehicles it will reveal at the Paris Motor Show. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL.

Volvo is telling its Swedish suppliers they better cut their prices by 25 percent in the next two years, or else. Audi is set to premiere a performance version of its Q5 crossover at the Paris Motor Show in a of couple weeks. And speaking of Paris, BMW just introduced a plug-in hybrid called the Concept Active Tourer before it debuts at the show. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week where we take you inside the top secret design studios at General Motors.

Kia just revealed a new three-door hatchback called the Procee’d before it debuts at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month. Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn says the sales growth in China is slower than expected but the market is still very healthy. BMW is working with Pininfarina and Bertone to design and assemble limited-edition vehicles. All that and more plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

Ford’s board of directors may be close to announcing a succession plan to replace CEO Alan Mulally and it appears Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas, is the heir apparent. Peugeot just introduced the world’s first diesel hybrid crossover, the 3008 HYbrid4. Nissan just unveiled a fuel-cell SUV concept called the TeRRA before it debuts at the Paris Motor Show. All that and more, plus a peek at what Ford is doing to reduce distractions while driving.

Chrysler just gave its dealers a sneak peek at what’s coming down the product pipeline and there are some interesting revelations. Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech has a rosy prediction for his company’s performance in China next year. General Motors is lending a helping hand to those less fortunate. All that and more plus a look at what GM can get its European operations back on track.

Ford announces its plan to expand and boost sales in Europe. Renault just introduced a small premium sedan for the Indian market called the Scala. Land Rover unveiled the all-new Range Rover which is up to 926 pounds lighter than the outgoing model. All that and more, plus a look at the new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman.

Ford revealed a brand-new lineup of commercial vehicles that will be sold in markets around the world. Kia unveiled its new flagship sedan called the Quoris which will be sold outside of South Korea for the first time. Mazda took the wraps off the wagon version of the Mazda6 before it debuts at the Paris Motor Show. All that and more, plus a look at the design highlights of the 2013 Ram 1500.

August sales are in and the results have taken many analysts by surprise. GM may be having second thoughts about its alliance with PSA. Volkswagen just unveiled its seventh-generation Golf in Berlin, Germany. All that and more, plus John dives into all the technical details of the new 2013 Honda Accord.

Automakers sold over 6.5 million vehicles worldwide in Jul, an increase of over 7 percent compared to last year. General Motors is shutting down its hybrid program for full-size pick-ups and SUV’s. Engineering students in Belgium working with an automotive supplier called Materialise, have made a body for a formula racing car, using a stereo lithography machine. All that and more, plus a look at the new 2013 Nissan Sentra.

The Ford Focus is the world’s best selling car in the first six months of the year. Fiat will unveil a new 4x4 version of the Panda at the Paris Auto Show. A gallon of unleaded gasoline now costs about 9.50 a gallon in some regions of Italy! All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week, where we take you inside Bob Lutz’s garage.

It looks like GM is suffering a brain drain in its R and D department. The latest senior leader to depart the company is Chris Borroni-Bird. Nissan just introduced the all-new Almera at the Moscow International Autosalon. This large sedan is specifically designed to handle Russia’s rough roads. Audi could be scrapping its all-aluminum space frame. The next-generation A8 may ride on a completely different platform. All that and more, plus a look at the Land Rover LR4.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says the company is guaranteed to lose money on every zero emission vehicle it makes. Mazda just revealed the all-new 2014 Mazda6 at the Moscow Auto Show. The head of General Motors International Operations says the company plans to invest 1 billion dollars in Russia over the next five years. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

Ford is taking its troubled luxury brand to China. Lincoln vehicles will be sold in this red-hot market starting in the second-half of 2014. Vehicle manufacturing in Mexico is expected to grow by 1 million units over the next three years. The Canadian Auto Workers Union and the Detroit Three are facing off in their latest round of contract negotiations. All that and more, plus a look at a new electric-motor technology.

The French government is accusing Hyundai and Kia of dumping cars in the French market. Car plants in the second quarter of the year hit 100 percent capacity utilization in North America. General Motors and Chrysler have banned President Obama and Mitt Romney from visiting its plants until after the election. All that and more, plus John shares his idea of how GM can save Opel.

European automakers say the 2020 emissions target will add a hefty increase to the price of cars -- we'll tell you how much. BYD has a car that comes when it's called -- for only $10,000! Camaro's chief engineer explains away the criticisms of the sports car's weight problem. All that and more, plus Seamus McElroy has an overview of the new Ram 1500!

Nissan hires the top car tester away from Consumer Reports. Engineers explain what has to be done to meet the new small off-set crash test devised by IIHS. We get a first look at the Toyota Auris, set to debut in Paris next month. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in this week's edition of You Said It!

One of the most popular vehicles among executives in China is the Buick GL8 minivan. Volkswagen just opened a new product-development and emissions-test laboratory in California. Honda kicked off production of the redesigned 2013 Accord at its plant in Marysville, Ohio. All that and more, plus guest host Todd Lassa from Motor Trend shares some interesting analysis on whether the American love affair with cars is fading.

A federal appeals court rejected challenges to prevent the increase of ethanol in gasoline. Bentley just previewed its latest automobile at the Pebble Beach Concours, the Mulsanne Convertible Concept. Many Ford Ranger owners are switching to other brands including Chevrolet, Toyota and Nissan. All that and more, plus guest host, David Kiley of AOL Autos shares a few of his thoughts on the car business.

General Motors’ CEO Dan Akerson is planning a reorganization that would see the company move towards a more global structure rather than being run by regional powers. A new study says that average sales per dealership will set a record this year. Meritor WABCO has developed an air dryer for large trucks they claim is more efficient than competing systems on the market. All that and more, plus John shares his thoughts on the Fiat 500 Abarth.

Don Butler, the vice president of marketing for Cadillac tells Autoline when its plug-in electric vehicle, the ELR will become available. Kia released details on the new Sorento before it officially debuts at the Paris Motor Show. Red Bull Racing took one of its Formula One cars to New York City to “sing” the U.S. national anthem. All that and more, plus a look at Meritor Wabco’s next-generation electronic stability control system for large trucks which has a feature that makes competing systems look primitive by comparison.

The CAW enters negotiations today, Ford says Canadian labor is the most expensive in the industry. Dr. Canadce Wheeler, a technical fellow at General Motors, talks about how ethanol has kept gas prices lower than they would be otherwise. Fisker just hired the recently-retired Tony Posawatz to be its new CEO. All that and more, plus You Said It!

The IIHS just found a new way to destroy cars. The organization recently developed a test to simulate crashing into a tree, with numerous models failing with flying colors. BMW is allowing its dealers to reprogram its Stop-Start system so owners will not have to disable it each time the car is started. John talks with Candace Wheeler, a Technical Fellow at GM R and D about alternative fuels that are less alternative and more fuel. All that and more, plus a look at Chrysler's quality testing.

VW has publicly bragged that it will be the biggest car company in the world by 2018 but one automotive analyst believes it’s going to come up short. A new study shows that young people aren’t buying cars like they used to. The Indy Lights series, which is the farm system for the IndyCar Series, is going to get a new race car and it could be the Delta Wing. All that and more, plus a look at the fastest MINI ever built.

GM CEO Dan Akerson is taking GM employees down a peg. The former naval officer criticized employees for leaks to the media, and the company’s products for not being competitive. Auto workers in South Korea are striking for higher pay and an end to night shifts which the workers say are dangerous. Frito-Lay, the snack foods division of PepsiCo, is increasing it’s fleet of EV delivery trucks. The fleet is now the nation’s largest. All that and more, plus we pump up some tires.

Renault is making a big push into Africa in hopes of boosting sales. Right now it’s building the largest assembly plant on the continent. Ford’s commercial vehicle partner, Jiangling Motors will take a stake in the Taiyuan Changan Heavy Truck Company, allowing the Dearborn automaker to expand into China’s heavy-duty truck market. Chrysler is set to introduce a CNG version of the Ram 2500 HD pick-up truck later this month. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo sounds off on a group of governors joining forces to save the auto industry.

Official pictures of the new Honda Accord are out and the images are more of the same. Despite what the automaker might say, it’s yawn-tastic. Toyota says it will sell fuel-cell cars in the U.S. in 2015, though the cars will likely only be sold in certain areas where the infrastructure exists to fuel them. BMW’s Mini brand is earning some cute points and making a stir in track and field events at the Olympics. All that and more, plus an update from John at MBS.

Spyker and GM are facing off in court. The small Dutch automaker alleges GM wrongfully forced it to take Saab into bankruptcy. John has some updates from the MBS conference in Traverse City, Michigan. Chrysler may share its popular Uconnect infotainment system with cars on the Fiat side of the Chrysler-Fiat conglomerate by adapting the software to specific regions around the globe. All that and more plus a quick look at the Hyundai Elantra GT.

With all the 2Q numbers in Toyota sold more than a million more units than it did last year when Japan was ravaged by natural disasters. The company also may have passed GM again to take the sales crown. In our tour of the GM Design Center we saw a lot of great cars, including one with an interesting history. The Nurburgring gets a bail out to stave off bankruptcy. All that and more, plus we ask Ed Welburn where GM's super secret Studio X is located.

General Motors reported its second-quarter earnings, and it was a fairly weak performance. Car sales in the U.S. were up slightly last month, but they show the market is slowing down. Vehicles equipped with manual transmissions have accounted for 7 percent of sales so far this year, up from around 4 percent last year. All that and more, plus a look at the 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Convertible.

Ford seems to have a lot of former GM executives at its in-house marketing agency, Team Detroit. Very unusual to see all those former execs in the same place. BMW says it's building more cars than last year but making less money. Sales are up six percent, but profits are off 28 percent at the German automaker. Volkswagen is adding another shift to its Chattanooga, Tenn., plant to meet demand for the Passat. With all the new hiring VW is doing the company says it prefers fast food workers to people with manufacturing experience. All that and more, plus it's time for You Said It!

Chrysler, Honda and Mazda released their figures for the second quarter. All sold more cars than a year ago but Mazda was the only one to lose money! Ford's days down under may be numbered. The company recently cut production and slashed jobs at the plant building the Falcon. A survey of the 20 most popular commercials on YouTube found that six of the 20 are car related! All that and more, plus a look at a new trend in paint.

Joel Ewanick, the Chief Marketing Officer at General Motors abruptly left the company over the weekend. Volkswagen is investigating its Chinese partner, FAW over allegations that it illegally copied its technology. Kia just revealed the 2013 Forte which is also known as the Cerato in other markets. All that and more, plus a look at how GM engineers were able to cut weight from the all-new Cadillac ATS.

Lotus' new owners are really changing things up at the firm founded by Colin Chapman, DRB-Hicom is slashing new models among other things. Sergio and Volkswagen are at it again. This time the Fiat-Chrysler CEO is accusing VW of starting a price war in Europe in an attempt to steal away market share. France is trying to prop up its car industry with investment credits and low cost financing, but is it just a band-aid? All that and more, plus a peek at the upcoming episode of Autoline This Week.

More financial numbers are in today. Volkswagen, Nissan and Hyundai all posted their second quarter profits. Hyundai dropped its industry-wide global sales forecast for the year because of economic concerns in Europe and China. Mazda is teasing the upcoming 2014 Mazda6 before it debuts next month at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. All that and more, plus a look at how Cadillac is rewriting the book on underbody aerodynamics.

Ford, Daimler and Peugeot all reported their financial numbers for the first half and the results are mixed. Traffic deaths in the U.S. are up 13.5 percent in the first quarter of this year. Kia is coming out with an all-new version of its compact minivan, the Carens at the Paris Auto Show. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

A Finnish company Valmet makes its money by building cars for other manufacturers that lack capacity, which seems like an oxymoron in Europe nowadays, but Mercedes just hired them to build 100,000 cars. Ford says it has shaved 30 percent from the cost of its latest hybrid by sharing parts and in-sourcing development. Goodyear announces it’s looking at replacing petroleum with soy-based oils in tires. All that and more, plus a look at the Volkswagen Golf R!

Amid rising costs in Japan, Nissan is moving production of the Rogue SUV to Korea. The move will better utilize plant capacity at an existing Samsung factory. Following OnStar's move to launch an OEM car sharing service, BMW is starting its own BMW On Demand service in Manhattan. PSA will begin building commercial vans for Toyota based off current Peugeot and Citroen models. The move is likely an effort to improve the cash flow situation for the ailing PSA. All that and more, plus an in depth look at the 2013 Cadillac XTS.

Patrick Pelata is out at Renault-Nissan. The former COO resigned after a botched espionage scandal last year. The Jul SAAR numbers are in and they're up 20 percent from last year when the Japanese tsunami put a damper on sales. GM announced the Chevy Trax will be built in Mexico later this year. All that and more, plus a peak at the latest episode of Autoline This Week!

Cadillac will unveil its ad campaign for the new ATS small sedan during the Olympic opening ceremonies. The French government is telling PSA it needs to meet conditions for stimulus funds. Ford is in talks with Canadian labor over cost issues, the company is also looking to cut 15 percent of its Aussie workforce due to low demand. All that and more, plus Autoextremist Peter De Lorenzo on why GM should have an official museum like many other automakers.