Autoline Daily - Video

China is “getting the lead out,” and this time it’s an American company that’s in trouble. Indicators say the boom times are just getting started for heavy trucks. Holden starts production on an LPG version of the ever-popular Commodore. All that and more, plus we walk around the Scion iQ with head honcho Jack Hollis.

The Chinese government says it will only buy domestic vehicles for government fleets. Fiat will build two factories in Russia to make Jeeps. Meet Toyota’s $83,000 luxury minivan. All that and more, plus an eerie look into the past as we dissect some historical footage.

Volkswagen just posted record financial results for 2011. Its earnings before interest and taxes were up 58 percent to 15.1 billion dollars. Panasonic announced it will supply lithium-ion batteries to Ford for its hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Mercedes-Benz could be toying with the idea of a four-door SLS. Sketches of one popped up in a German patent application. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood.

In somewhat of an unexpected move GM named Jon Lauckner Vice President and Chief Technology Officer starting April first. Images of the all-new Volvo V40 were leaked before the car debuts at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Honda announced its top executive in North America will also become the second highest executive in the company. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Toyota Prius c.

Chinese automakers are invading Europe from Bulgaria to Britain to Sicily. Despite an overall trend downward, teen traffic deaths jump by several percentage points. Peugeot unveils two B-segment concepts ahead of Geneva. All that and more, plus John McElroy explains what Mazda must do to turn itself around.

Hyundai and Kia are being sued for patent infringement with their hybrid technology in the Sonata and the Optima. MINI is showing off a utility version of the Clubman called the Clubvan before it premieres next month at the Geneva Motor Show. February car sales in the U.S. are expected to be near 1.1 million units which translates to a SAAR of 14.3 million units. All that and more, plus a look at a sports car that’s coming out of Mexico called the Mastretta MXT.

The U.S. Department of Transportation proposes new rules to curb distracted driving. Porsche’s gumbo-evoking, not-yet-unveiled SUV gets a new name. Tesla and Mercedes and Mercedes and Renault are partnering up and swapping parts. All that and more, plus Seamus McElroy has the latest details about the new Hyundai Azera and Genesis Coupe.

The folks at J.D. Power just released their latest Vehicle Dependability Study and Toyota carried the day. Its Lexus brand was ranked No. 1. A couple days ago President Obama unveiled his latest budget proposal for the next fiscal year. Among other things, it proposes raising the tax credit for electric vehicles. An extremely rare 1913 Hispano-Suiza is going up for auction at the Amelia Island Concourse next month and it could fetch as much as $1 million. All that and more, plus John breaks down GM’s financial performance for 2011.

Uh-oh, there’s more trouble in green-car land. Like China, EVs are simply not selling in Europe. The stage is set for Ford to unveil its redesigned B-Max compact MPV. It will take a bow in less than two weeks at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Audi is getting ready to drop a bomb — a 450-horsepower explosive charge in the form of its new RS 4 Avant. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and responds to your questions in the weekly “You Said It!” segment.

Yet another study shows that electric cars would do more to damage the environment in China than using gasoline- or diesel-powered cars. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in the U.S. is asking the Obama Administration to tweak its proposed fuel-economy regulations. They want certain credits to start applying right now, not after 2016. Thanks to Land Rover’s surging sales Indian automaker Tata posted a profit that beat analyst’s expectations. All that and more, plus a look at how GM engineers made the 2013 Chevy Malibu as quiet as possible.

Kia released the sketches today of a new concept car called the KH. JD Power predicts car sales in China will hit 35 million units by 2018. Mercedes-Benz developed a seatbelt that’s easier to find and use. All that and more, plus a look at the new Honda CR-V.

Tesla just unveiled its electric crossover, the Model X which is basically a taller version of the Model S sedan. Mitsubishi is set to reveal a new version of its Outlander SUV at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. And speaking of Geneva, Chevrolet will unveil a station-wagon version of the Cruze at the show. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Volvo’s new president in North America talking about how they’re going to be taking the brand more upscale.

It looks like GM is poised to announce a big loss in Europe. Diesels already outsell EVs and hybrids, but could incentives be on the way? The Hyundai Elantra has shed a couple of doors for its new coupe version and added a hatchback for the new GT. All that and more, plus John McElroy responds to your comments and questions in You Said It!

GM faces an uphill struggle to revive Opel, and it looks like they’ll be turning to the UAW’s Bob King to help make it happen. Former U.S. President George W. Bush defends the GM and Chrysler bailouts. Nissan extends a cordial INVITATION for you to preview its next compact car. All that and more, plus a look at the Porsche Singer 911.

Ford and General Motors are feuding over a Chevy Silverado ad that aired during the Super Bowl last night. The head of the giant dealership group, Group 1 Automotive, says new car sales only account for 20 to 25 percent of a dealer’s profits. Chinese car exports are expected to grow by 50 percent this year. All that and more, plus a look at the styling of the Chevy Malibu Eco.

Mazda reported its latest financial numbers for its most recent fiscal quarter and the results don’t look good. The company’s revenue fell by 17 percent and its losses exploded. Toyota believes its going to come roaring back this year and sell almost 9.6 million vehicles. Fiat announced it will unveil a four-door version of the 500 at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard reports on the 2012 BMW 3-Series.

Sales of new cars and trucks blew out of the gate in the American market last month. Even though General Motors spends less on research and development than Volkswagen and Toyota, the company is No. 1 when it comes to generating patents. Remember that California woman that was suing Honda in small-claims court because her Civic Hybrid didn’t deliver the fuel economy promised on the window sticker? Yeah, in a shocking bit of news she actually won the case! All this and more, plus the latest news from Mopar.

Chrysler posted its financial results for 2011, and the numbers look pretty good. Total revenue came to $55 billion, a 31 percent increase from the prior year. The head of the NHTSA says the agency will decide next year if it will impose regulations for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Navistar, the maker of International trucks potentially faces some huge fines for selling heavy-duty diesel engines that do not meet emission standards. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the “You Said It!” segment.

Yazaki is hit with a massive fine for its bid-rigging scheme. Aussies are experiencing the lowest car prices in 36 years. And, just like a good pork roast, the economic recovery continues low and slow. All that and more, plus a look at Federal-Mogul’s innovative lighting solutions.

The National Automobile Dealers Association just released its latest Dealer Attitude Survey and for the third time in a row Hyundai topped the charts. Luxury sales in China skyrocketed last year. The California Air Resources Board approved new regulations that mandates that one out of every seven new cars sold in the state must be zero-emission by 2025. All that and more, plus a look at all the aerodynamic tweaks GM engineers made to the Chevy Malibu Eco.

Nissan just announced it will build a third plant in Mexico. The company plans to invest 2 billion dollars in the facility, with production scheduled to begin sometime in 2013. Opel has delayed the launch of the Ampera to fix a potential coolant leak in the battery. Ford’s successful “Drive One” slogan is being retired, replaced by another two-word catchphrase. All that and more, plus guest host Murray Feldman from FOX2 News, Detroit shares some of his thoughts on the resurgent American auto industry.

Japanese auto supplier Yazaki was hit with a record fine from the Japanese government over a bid rigging scheme involving wire harnesses. Limo Broker, a British limo company, is making a stretched version of the Audi R8. The city of Trollhättan, Saab AB and The Wallenberg Foundation have shelled out more than 4 million dollars to buy and preserve Saab’s official museum. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the “You Said It!” segment.

It's predicted that in four or five years Russia will be the largest car market in Europe – beating out Germany. General Motors is putting enormous pressure on Opel to finally become profitable again, and now the company is in talks with SAIC to sell cars in China. Automakers fight for every ounce of weight they can take out of their vehicles. Today’s bulky and bloated lead-acid batteries are prime, low-hanging fruit that’s ready for pickin’. All that and more, plus a look at the new 2012 Honda CR-V.

Ward’s Auto is forecasting that car sales this month in the U.S. market will jump nearly 10 percent compared to a year ago which translates to a SAAR of 13.9 million vehicles. Honda delivered its first Fit EV as part of its Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program. Scosche, a company that sells electronic accessories, just introduced a device that can block mobile phones while in the car. All that and more, plus find out why Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says the Jeep Liberty is the most important product the company is investing in.

GM announced that it sold just over 9 million vehicles globally last year which sparked off a flurry of news reports over who’s the Number One automaker in the world. Chinese automaker Youngman Lotus and Turkish private equity firm Brightwell Holdings intend to place bids for Saab. Hyundai will supply six-speed automatic transmissions for the Dodge Dart. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about the pitfalls and benefits facing automakers in China.

Europe’s financial troubles are starting to hurt automakers, forcing them to cut costs wherever they can. Peugeot just announced that it’s dropping out of the 24 hours of Le Mans this year. Kia is going back to the drawing board to improve the stop/start system in its Rio and Soul models. As we told you when the story first broke a couple of years ago, Toyota’s problems with unintended acceleration were largely due to driver error, and now the National Academy of Sciences concluded the same thing. All that and more, plus John answers your questions in the "You Said It" segment.

The average age of vehicles on roads in the U.S. increased again last year to 10.8 years. Mercedes-Benz is considering exporting engines built in the U.S. Japanese conversion company, Campinn just unveiled a camper add-on for the Toyota Prius at the Tokyo Auto Salon. All that and more, plus guest host Mark Phelan from the Detroit Free Press shares his hits and misses from this year’s Detroit Auto Show.

All the world is watching the Eurozone right now, and the news is very pessimistic as consumer confidence plummets and unemployment rises. But maybe some new product will help. Fiat will introduce a five-door version of its scrappy little 500 at the Geneva Motor Show in March. A great bit of news for Chrysler: it can’t keep up with demand for the Jeep Wrangler. All that and more, plus a look at Mazda’s Skyactiv technology.

Audi unveiled a new technology called Traffic Jam Assist at CES which autonomously drives a car at speeds up to 37 MPH. Electric cars and fuel cell vehicles are selling so poorly in China, the government will drop the sales tax on those cars in an effort to boost sales. The 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class hybrid comes with a feature that allows the car to cruise along on battery power alone. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about how African-American men essentially saved Cadillac in the depths of the Great Depression.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are engaged in a knock-down slug-fest to claim the No. 1 sales race for luxury cars in the American market, yet both companies claim they have no interest in the top sales slot. Rolls-Royce had its best sales year ever in 2011, selling more than 3,500 cars. Mopar announced the availability of a laundry list of accessories for the new 2013 Dodge Dart. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and responds to your comments in the "You Said It" segment.

Join John McElroy as he hits some of the highlights of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Falcon Motor Sports revealed a light-weight sports car called the F7. Mercedes is going back in time with a display of its 1952 SL. Honda and Lincoln unveiled concepts that hint at the future design for both companies. All that and more, plus find out which car a panel of designers voted the best looking at the show.

Join John McElroy as he hits some of the highlights of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. There were a lot of BIG reveals to be seen this year including the brand-new 2013 Ford Fusion, a duet of radical concepts from Chevrolet and a cherry-red bombshell with a Lexus badge. Find out about all of these exciting vehicles and more.

Tata Technologies, the engineering services company that’s part of Tata, is revealing a compact four-seater called the eMO—short for Electric Mobility. Opel is celebrating its 150th Anniversary this year. BASF is showing off a plastic wheel concept, the world’s first production ready plastic wheel which reduces weight by 30 percent compared to aluminum wheels. All that and more, plus a look at the 2013 Lexus GS.

A survey of automotive executives found a majority believe the electric car market will be less than 15 percent of car sales by 2025. The Chinese government is removing incentives and streamlined approval processes for foreign automakers, but will keep them in place for state-owned car companies. The new Chevrolet Sail just made its debut at the New Delhi Auto Expo. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about the finalists for the North American Truck of the Year award.

Move over Nano, there’s a new ultra-cheap car in town! Indian automaker Bajaj introduced a new low-priced vehicle called the RE60. Fiat just increased its stake in Chrysler. It now controls 58.5 percent of the Auburn Hills-based automaker. Tata had a big day at the New Delhi Auto Expo, showing off several new products and concepts. All that and more, plus a look at December sales.

Bentley sales are back to pre-recession levels and the super-luxury brand is considering building an SUV. The price tag? At least 140,000 dollars. Ford will unveil a redesigned version of its popular EcoSport B-segment SUV at the New Delhi Auto Expo this week. It's an important product for the company and CEO Alan Mulally will be on hand for the reveal. In related news, German supply giant Bosch is making a big investment in India. All that and more, plus a look at the North American Truck of the Year finalists.

The Polk company says worldwide car sales could hit 77.7 million units in 2012, about a 7 percent gain compared to 2011. Mopar is set to unveil a couple of new packages at the Detroit Auto Show next week. A man in Southern California is looking to shatter the current land speed record of 763 miles an hour, by hitting 2,000 MPH! All that and more, plus John McElroy and two of his fellow NACTOY jurors predict which of the three Car of the Year finalists will win the award.

Hyundai just named Christopher Chapman as its Chief Designer in the U.S. He’ll be responsible for new vehicle and concept designs. Biodiesel incentives are set to expire at the end of the year in the U.S. Edmunds predicts that car sales will end up at 12.8 million units in the U.S. this year. All that and more, plus a look at the brand new Buick Verano.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently recommended that all mobile phones be banned in cars, even hands-free phones. But in a startling outbreak of common sense, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he does not support the ban. Rumors are swirling around Italy that Luca di Montezemolo might run for prime minister. GM engineers are working to eradicate noisy brakes. All that and more, plus a look at the new Volkswagen Golf R.

Audi will introduce an all-wheel-drive, limited-edition version of the A1 which goes on sale next year, but not in the U.S. Pricing and a few technical details on the Tesla Model S have finally been released. Mercedes just started exporting the E-Class out of China and Honda is exporting Fits built in China to Canada. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in the “You Said It!” segment.

Two former UAW officers were just sentenced to prison for extortion. A company called True Car is infuriating dealers because the method it uses to turn leads into sales is killing profits. The next-generation Audi A3 is going to share some pretty significant parts with Skodas . . . and tens of other vehicles! All that and more, plus a look at how Lexus is getting the word out about its brand-new GS sedan.

Well, as we’ve been predicting for over a year, Saab is filing for bankruptcy and will likely liquidate its assets. Chevy will debut an RS version of the Sonic at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Car sales this month in the U.S. could reach 1.23 million units, which is a 15 percent gain from November. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Hyundai Accent.

The finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards were announced. Former DaimlerChrysler CEO Tom LaSorda will join Fisker and Mercedes-Benz USA announced its replacement for former CEO, Ernst Lieb. Google was granted a patent for a vehicle that can switch from being human driven to autonomously operated. All that and more, plus Mark Fields, the head of Ford in the America’s, explains how Ford is reacting to all the negative publicity its been hit with regarding MyFord touch and its dual clutch transmissions.

Opel has been struggling for some time now, but it looks like the situation will get worse before it gets better. Sergio Marchionne says he expects Fiat and Chrysler to post a 3 billion dollar operating profit in 2012. Tomorrow, the final Cologne V-6 will be installed in the last Ford Ranger pickup. All that and more, plus guest host Christie Schweinsberg from Ward’s Auto fills us in on the winners of their annual 10 Best Engines List.

In response to the U.S. placing tariffs on Chinese-made tires, China will impose tariffs on imported cars from the U.S with engines larger than 2.5-liters. The National Traffic Safety Board is calling for a nationwide ban on cell phone use and other electronic devices while driving. It’s back! Chrysler announced it will reopen its Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit to produce the next generation SRT Viper. All that and more, plus guest host Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com, shares her picks for the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards.

In yet another sign that electric cars might not catch on as fast as some automakers expected, Nissan is stopping construction of a battery plant in Portugal. Long-time industry executive Sue Cischke is retiring from the Ford Motor Company, where she was group vice president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering. Last week Chrysler taunted us with a few teaser shots of Dodge’s latest compact car, the Dart. Now it’s hinting at what’s going on inside. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and responds to your comments. That's right, it's time for another "You Said It!"

Last week we reported that GM was going to switch battery suppliers for the Chevy Volt. But GM tells Autoline Daily that is not the case at all. BMW is following Mercedes-Benz and Audi into the four-door coupe market with the 6 Series Gran Coupe. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are renewing efforts to block the use of E-15, or gasoline with 15 percent ethanol. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Buick Regal GS.

General Motors is going to change battery suppliers. It had been buying batteries from LG Chem, now it will switch to batteries from A123. A new study shows there are now more electric car charging stations in the United States than there are gas stations that sell E-85 fuel. Taiwanese automaker Luxgen revealed its latest car, the Luxgen5. All that and more, plus a look at Hyundai’s funky looking new car, the Veloster.

The Detroit News reports that UAW president Bob King is calling Nissan a human-rights violator, but he offers no specifics. Nissan, of course, says the accusations are baseless. Renault is releasing details about its facelifted Scenic and Grand Scenic models. GM and Chrysler dealers who lost their franchises when the two companies went bankrupt want to take their case against the feds all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. All that and more, plus we take the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe for a spin.

The Chevrolet Volt seems to be getting slammed by everyone right now and it looks like GM has a full blown public relations disaster on its hands. Chinese consumers prefer foreign car brands, due to big gaps in quality and reliability with the homegrown ones. Dodge is bringing back the Dart name for its new replacement for the Caliber. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in the “You Said It!” segment.