Autoline Daily - Video

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.

OnStar's people behind the blue button are looking at enabling their customers to rent out their cars while not in use. BMW will start building their X1 CUV in China, freeing up capacity at the X1's German plant for export to the USA. Opel gets a new leader to reshape GMs struggling European brand. All that and more, plus we look at how Ford is combining stop-start technology with its EcoBoost engines.

France's president derides PSA's cuts as too harsh and urges management to renegotiate. Also in the Old Country Ford and other automakers are reporting slumping sales in the first six months of 2012. Hyundai is hurting for vehicles to sell. With only 27-days' supply in the U.S. and a corporate cap on production at 7 million vehicles. All that and more, plus a look at the Audi S5 coupe.

The head of General Motors’ European operations, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, just stepped down from his position and will be replaced by GM Vice Chairman, Steve Girsky. Mitsubishi just sold its NedCar plant in the Netherlands for only one Euro! The new Fiat 500L will be the world’s first production car to come with a coffee maker. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Ralph Gilles, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Chrysler’s SRT Brand.

PSA says it will cut jobs and close a factory due to the languishing European economy. Opel is debuting its ADAM subcompact, a sportier alternative to the Agila it already makes. Amid mounting lawsuits and other challenges Mahindra finally pulled the plug on its move to launch a small truck for the U.S. market. All that and more, plus we pick the order for tonight's AAH fantasy draft.

Rental car company Hertz announced it’s adding the Porsche Panamera to its fleet. Chevy and Chrysler are offering new incentives to try and boost sales. Researchers at Michigan State University have come up with a new biofuel-production process which produces energy more than 20 times higher than existing methods. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

Mini is investing major money into expanding its capacity in the U.K., yet the company is looking to build cars elsewhere too. The Eurozone economic woes are hitting Thailand’s auto industry hard, that country’s exports to Europe fell 10 percent. Despite the popularity of crossovers, minivans soldier on to the tune of 500,000 annual sales. All that and more, plus Dodge launches the Dart’s ad campaign.

The city of Guangzhou, China, like Beijing and other large cities in the country, is limiting car sales to try to reduce pollution and traffic jams. Chrysler is considering a small, unibody lifestyle pickup truck targeted at outdoorsy millennials. Truck maker Navistar announced it plans to use selective catalytic reduction to reduce greenhouse gases in its diesel engines. All that and more, plus a look at the most expensive MINI that you can buy.

To help combat its losses in Europe, GM’s supervisory board approved a new plan to restructure Opel. Prices for used cars are starting to fall because sales of new cars are picking up this year. Chrysler is optimistic about pickup sales going forward and is considering adding a third shift at its Warren Truck Plant. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about the candidates for the 2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year award.

Fiat plans to increase its stake in Chrysler by purchasing shares from the UAW healthcare trust fund. Ford is closing its only plant in the Philippines as part of a restructuring effort in the region. John sits down with the Energy Secretary to talk electric cars. All that and more, plus Andrew Justus drives the new Lexus ES.

Car buyers are paying an average of 500 dollars less on new vehicles compared to a year ago. Volvo has developed a new fuel saving system for commercial trucks called I-See that harnesses a trucks kinetic energy to save on fuel. A test drive of Ford’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost-powered Taurus as well as the company’s 1.0-liter three cylinder engine. All that and more, plus a look at John’s trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A strong yen continues to drive auto production out of Japan as Toyota and Nissan announce planned production cuts. Ford releases the F-150 Limited, the new top of the line truck is set to cost more than the Platinum Edition's 44 thousand dollar price tag. The Taurus is set to get a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine to help Ford's large car achieve 32 MPG highway. All that and more, plus a look at the Audi allroad.

When U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu first took office in 2009 he was not a very big fan of hydrogen fuel cells but things have changed, including the secretary's stance on hydrogen. Volvo says it’s looking for a partner in North America within the next 5 to 6 years to produce vehicles. Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn is considering retirement before the company’s next mid-term review which is five years away. All that and more, plus we head down to Smyrna, Tennessee to pay a visit to Nissan’s sprawling manufacturing campus in this week’s Autoline This Week preview.

The gap in quality among carmakers continues to shrink according to J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey. Audi just announced that Scott Keogh will replace Johan de Nysschen as President of the company’s U.S. operations. Chevy just announced the base price for the 2013 Malibu is just over 23,000 dollars, which is a small increase over the current Malibu. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Ford Escape.

Ward’s reports despite a falling SAAR last month it is sticking with its sales forecast for the year of 14.5 million units, citing growing employment and consumer confidence. Toyota says their Lexus brand has nine, as in one more than eight, LFAs remaining. Sales of the 375,000 dollar vehicle have almost reached the end of the planned 500 car production run. In autonomous car news, Europe’s SARTRE program to enable follow the leader style road trains on highways recently completed its first public road test. The test featured three Volvo cars following a Volvo truck on a Spanish highway at 53 mph. All that and more, plus You said It!

GM is shaking up its designers in hopes of increasing brand identity. The world's largest automaker wants to move away from the current regional design scheme and toward one with global brand designers. Renault plans to add two luxury brands to its portfolio in an effort to bolster its sales and image. Ford and GM are touting their own environmental accomplishments. All that and more, plus a look at the Dodge Dart.

Lexus is gunning to reclaim the title of No. 1 luxury automaker in the U.S. and is boosting incentives to reach its goal. The Obama Administration is considering filing a World Trade Organization claim against what it sees as Chinese auto part dumping in the United States. Last week Hyundai announced pricing for the hatchback version of the Elantra, now pricing for the coupe is out. All that and more, plus a test drive of the all-new Acura ILX.

NHTSA is expanding its investigation into fuel tank fires in Jeep Grand Cherokees. Looking back now to the early 1990’s. GM just filed for trademark of the name LTS. Could this be what the long-awaited Cadillac flagship will be called? For the first five months of the year, worldwide VW Group sales hit 3.65 million units, an 8.4 percent gain compared to last year. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Paul Ingrassia the author of the new book “Engines of Change.”

BMW just announced the price of its futuristic-looking hybrid, the i8, and man, it ain't cheap! Who says big things don’t come in small packages? Mercedes-Benz and the folks at AMG are hard at work developing the performance version of the company’s new A-Class and it is going to be unimaginably powerful. In its effort to cut traffic deaths in half by 2020, Euro NCAP will add autonomous emergency braking tests to its crash ratings in 2014. All that and more, plus John proposes a brand-new racing series where the only rule is there are no rules.

Automotive executives in Europe are worried about a stagnant economy and slumping car sales. Mercedes-Benz introduced a refreshed version of its GLK sport-utility vehicle. Hyundai just announced the starting price of the 2013 Elantra GT. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

The UAW in its latest attempt to unionize a foreign owned auto plant is targeting Nissan's U.S. factories. Reports are rolling in about legions of unsold cars in China, with factories and dealers reporting different numbers and extra inventory making up the difference. GM and DOW recently earned grants from the DOE for their work in die-casting and carbon fiber respectively. All that and more, plus a look at the Infiniti EX 35.

BorgWarner, one of the largest suppliers of turbochargers, says 80 percent of all passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have a turbo by 2020. Volkswagen is discussing whether to take a stake in commercial truck maker Navistar to help it compete with Daimler in North America. The 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R racecar has just completed its first on-track test. All that and more, plus a look at the all new 2013 Scion FR-S.

General Motors announced it boosted the range of the 2013 Chevy Volt. Opel just showed off the sedan version of the Astra which will make its world premiere this August at the Moscow Auto Salon. Dany Bahar, the CEO of Lotus, was fired because of some sort of improprieties with his conduct. All that and more, plus a look at the new BMW 5 Series.

Ford and GM are in a dispute over tow-ratings for pick-up trucks. Car dealers in China are complaining about growing inventory levels that are hurting their profits. Jaguar designers recently “deconstructed” a model of its XF sedan by destroying it with axes. All that and more, plus we take a look at the new Scion iQ.

The Big Three are making a break for the border. GM, Ford and Chrysler close plants in Canada in favor of cheaper U.S. labor. The head of Fiat/Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, is urging European carmakers to tackle overcapacity issues but the Germans say “nein!” The Honda Fit EV earned the highest efficiency rating of any electric vehicle by the U.S. EPA, Fit indeed. All that and more, plus John answers your questions in “You Said It!”

Audi’s North American CEO, Johan De Nysschen, has resigned from his post. Chinese automaker SAIC announced it will offer its first electric vehicle for sale this October, the Roewe E50. A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold last month in a private transaction for 35 million dollars, a new record. All that and more, plus we take a deep dive into last month’s car sales.

A new report from ALG says Ford and Hyundai have had the best improvement in perceived quality during the last five years. Analysts at Ford predict the next crop of midsize sedans due to flood the market in a year or so are going to eat into small-car sales. Volkswagen is considering selling its small pick-up, the Amarok, in Canada. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Craig Cole test drives the new Infiniti G37.

Ford is facing a happy problem – it cannot keep up with demand for its vehicles. Yesterday Chrysler was in the news for announcing the Town and Country minivan is going away, today more product information is out, including plans for another SRT model. Freightliner just debuted a super efficient new big rig called the Cascadia Evolution. All that and more, plus John McElroy test drives the 2012 Audi TT-RS.

The National Auto Dealers Association says prices for used compact and mid-size cars will drop by as much as 5 percent in June. Another day, another Chinese rip-off. This time it’s Dongfeng copying the Cadillac SRX. Chrysler plans to keep the Dodge version of its popular minivans while discontinuing the Town and Country. All that and more, plus guest host Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com tells us what to expect for this month’s car sales.

Dany Bahar, the CEO of Lotus, has been suspended from the company because of an unspecified complaint over his conduct. To try to boost sales, China will revive a cash-for-clunkers program. Nissan is looking for serious growth in Russia. It wants to nearly double its market share in the country by 2016! All that and more, plus a look at the design of the all-new Dodge Dart.

The UAW wants to organize Volkswagen’s plant in Tennessee but it won’t get help from German union IG Metall. One way Nissan is getting a best-in-class 38 MPG highway mileage in the new Altima is by gearing it way down with its CVT. Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad from last year, the one with rapper Eminem, just won the top award in the advertising business. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Cadillac XTS.

BMW has been socked with a big fine in Switzerland for blocking vehicle sales to Swiss customers. The Cadillac Escalade is here to stay and the redesigned 2014 model will ride on the next-generation GM pickup platform. Parking is notoriously expensive in New York City but this spot takes the cake! All that and more, plus Isaac Bouchard samples the 2012 BMW M6.

A professor at the Center for Automotive Research in Germany predicts that Hyundai-Kia will overtake Volkswagen to become the largest automaker in the world by 2020. Fiat and Mazda just partnered up to jointly develop a sports car based on the next generation MX-5 Miata. General Motors, Daimler, BMW, PSA and Honda are all shipping vehicles out of China. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

A study released by two universities indicates ethanol production in the U.S. significantly reduced gasoline prices last year. J.D. Power says American consumers are finally warming up to small cars, but could there be other factors at work? A private-equity firm is looking to take over recreational-vehicle maker Winnebago in order to make Chinese cars. All that and more, plus John McElroy takes a peek at the Toyota Prius c.

Chevy is bringing back a rear-wheel-drive, V-8-powered sedan in the U.S. for the first time in 17 years. Ford is pricing its new C-MAX hybrid around 26 grand, undercutting the Prius v by about 500 dollars. Lexus stopped production of the HS250h hybrid because of poor sales. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Dr. Walther Kiep, the longest serving member of Volkswagen’s supervisory board.

NHTSA is proposing that all large commercial vehicles, coaches and other buses be equipped with electronic stability control systems, just like cars. It’s estimated over the next three years Ford will come out with more new models faster than anyone else. Everybody knows Volkswagen makes cars, but did you know they’re also in the food business? All that and more, plus John McElroy sounds off on some internet nonsense.