AD #1587 – Lincoln Continental Revived, Uber Partners to Rent BYD’s, Volvo Plans U.S. Plant
March 30th, 2015 at 11:47am
Runtime: 6:57
- Uber Partners to Rent BYD’s In U.S.
- Lincoln Revives the Continental
- Chevy Dominates 1st IndyCar Race
- Volvo to Build New U.S. Plant
- Chevy Volt’s “Controversial” 5th Seat
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On today’s show… the Chinese finally crack into the American market with the help of Uber, Lincoln unveils the concept that many of us have been waiting for, and how Volvo plans to double its sales in the U.S. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily for March 30th, 2015.
UBER PARTNERS TO RENT BYD’S IN U.S.
There’s been a lot of speculation as to when Chinese cars will come to the U.S. but if you live in Chicago you can ride in one right now. Green Wheels USA has partnered with Uber to offer its drivers the chance to rent or lease BYD e6’s, but the public is also able to rent the EV as well. Green Wheels chose the e6 because its roomy, has great range for an EV, 189 miles, it can be rapidly charged and the vehicle is already used as a taxi in China. Not to mention that Uber likes the vehicle because it wants to be more environmentally friendly. Green Wheels currently has 25 e6’s in its fleet but it just met with BYD and plans to increase that number 10 fold and expand to New York and other cities around the country.
LINCOLN REVIVES THE CONTINENTAL
Lincoln unveiled something of a bombshell last night when it unveiled a concept car called the Continental. The production version will find its way into Lincoln showrooms later next year, at which time the MKS will be dropped from the lineup. Powered by a 3-liter twin turbo V6, this handsome sedan shows a new design language for the brand that is more sophisticated than anything Lincoln has shown for decades. The bow-wave, or eagle wing, grille is gone, signaling a new direction for the styling. Lots of interesting details abound, like the LED headlamp sections that are actually little Lincoln logos. The chrome piece that surrounds the taillights actually lights up and turns red at night. The door handles, or “e-latches” open the doors with a light touch of the fingers. The interior reflects a level of craftsmanship we’ve never seen from the brand. There are 50 patents pending on the seats alone. Even the speaker grilles show an unexpected attention to detail. And with an eye to the Chinese market, the back seat is sumptuous, replete with a custom, chrome laptop that emerges from the center console at the touch of a button. Lincoln execs would not say much about the platform this car is built on, but judging from the proportions it looks to be front-wheel-drive, though all-wheel-drive may not be out of the question. No doubt we’ll learn a lot more in the months to come.
And we’ll be back with more right after this.
CHEVY DOMINATES 1ST INDYCAR RACE
“This aero kit is amazing to drive.” Those were the words of Juan Montoya after he nabbed the top spot in his Chevrolet designed bodywork at the season-opening IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. As you may remember we highlighted both of the new aero kits from Chevy and Honda. And after this weekend’s race, Chevy has got to be feelin’ good about all the work it put into the cars. The manufacturer took 7 of the top 10 spots, including the first 6. It’s only one race, but it looks like Honda may have a little more work to do.
VOLVO TO BUILD NEW U.S. PLANT
Last year Volvo sold about 56,000 vehicles in the U.S. The company wants to grow that to 100,000 annually. And to help reach that goal, the Swedish automaker announced it’s going to build an all-new manufacturing plant in the U.S. Volvo plans to invest $500 million to create the new facility. The company says it has a short list of possible locations but won’t reveal where it will be built until a later date.
And don’t miss our coverage of the New York Auto Show. John will be on the floor of the show interviewing executives and checking out the latest reveals. That starts this Wednesday on our website, Autoline.tv.
Coming up next, a look at the Volt’s “controversial” fifth seat.
VOLT’S CONTROVERSIAL 5TH SEAT
The current Chevy Volt only sits four people. But for the new model, the company added a fifth seat. But some were disappointed by its size. On last week’s Autoline After Hours, John and Gary were joined by Andrew Farrah, the Chief Engineer of the Volt and in the following clip he talks about how current owners reacted to the extra seat.
(The AAH preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
There’s a lot of great insight about the new Volt in that show and you can watch it right now on our website or YouTube channel.
But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
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Comments (44)
March 30th, 2015 at 11:59 am
It looks like Lincoln got the ‘looks’ right, and if they ‘nail’ the driving dynamics with a price that isn’t too steep, they just might have a winner on its hands. It looks like Lincoln is going for the trump over the also introduced at the N.Y. (show) against the CT6 (but we’ll have to see what Cadillac has to offer.
To anyone interested or curious about the new Volt, don’t miss the AAH show; it is a good one.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Now that Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana have right to work laws, it will be interesting to see if that acts as any incentive to Volvo as to where they position the new assembly facility. Will the availability of Automotive workers and Engineers in Michigan tip the scales? John, what’s your opinion? Have the right to work laws really tipped the plant location calculus?
March 30th, 2015 at 12:09 pm
I see there is no head restraint for that rear seat middle occupant in the new Volt. I suspect that seating position does not accommodate a child seat either. In essence, it is a padded floor console extension with a belt system to hold your duffle bag or back pack in place.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:19 pm
The most exciting takeaway regarding the new Lincoln is the implicit shift away from lame, meaningless jumbles of letters and towards actual, iconic names. I hope this is a trend.
Are those BYD vehicles compliant with US safety regulations? The form factor is appealing, but I’ve always been a sucker for the wagon profile.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:19 pm
#2. Mike, I don’t think right to work laws will have much impact on Volvo’s plant location. Volvo will look for proximity to suppliers it can use, meaning being close to other luxury manufacturers such as the BMW in South Carolina or the Mercedes plant in Alabama.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:21 pm
FINALLY….a luxury oem is going back to a name the whole country will recognize.And the new Continental looks beautiful inside and out.Well done Lincoln!
March 30th, 2015 at 12:30 pm
The Continental concept looks pretty good, but it sounds like, under the skin, it is still a Taurus. If the cabin is nice enough, though, maybe potential buyers won’t care.
Regarding the Volt, I know two owners who are fine with its having only 4 seats. I’m sure they’d rather have a bigger battery, giving more electric range, than a 5th seat that would never be used.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
Interesting point John. The right to work laws were cited here in Wisconsin as the key factor in why they couldn’t get plants to locate here. Proximity to suppliers has always been important. Okay, I get it that the Chinese are cheaper, but only until they cannot deliver or the product is rejected. Air freight is not cheap.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:36 pm
If Volvo builds a plant in the U.S., they had better hope to increase sales a lot, or export a lot of vehicles. They now sell fewer than 60,000 total vehicles with 5 or 6 models. Doesn’t a normal assembly plant have about 5 times that capacity?
Are BYD and Geely connected? Maybe they will build the BYD taxis at the Volvo plant.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:39 pm
I found it ridiculous that eveny other indycar in yesterday’s race had to replace there front wing / nose section a couple of times. What a waste!
March 30th, 2015 at 12:46 pm
I was looking at the events schedule for the NY show and noticed there is a pre-show tour for ladies on Saturday morning before the gate opens to the general public. I didn’t know this was a thing. It’s a $53 ticket for a “guided tour by an Automotive expert on what’s important to women at this year’s Show.”
March 30th, 2015 at 12:53 pm
Liking the new Continental, just not loving it. If Lincoln is going to sashay it’s big American azz back into this segment in a big way, they’ll have a hard time with at it with this iteration. It’s just not “bad azz” enough.
March 30th, 2015 at 12:56 pm
Now we have a choice between a stinky, clueless taxi driver or a uber one driving a potentially dangerous Chinese Crap-car, decisions, decisions. #9 Volvo execs are hoping against hope that a US built Volvo will attract more American buyers, yeah good luck with that!
March 30th, 2015 at 12:58 pm
Liking the new Continental, just not loving it. If Lincoln is going to sashay it’s big American azz back into this segment in a big way, they’ll have a hard time at it with this iteration. It’s just not “bad azz” enough. Comon’ Lincoln, where’s your cahoonahs?!
March 30th, 2015 at 1:12 pm
Wow! Lincoln! Now that is how you make a luxury car! Thank you for dropping the MKS name and bringing back the Continental name.
I use to mock Continentals. When my grandma wanted her’s washed, I would drown in embarrassment as I drove it.
If she owned that car. I would driving it morning, noon and night-anywhere.
March 30th, 2015 at 1:19 pm
Just me?
Does the Continental concept remind anyone else of the 1947 model?
https://www.google.com/search?q=1947+lincoln+continental&rlz=1CAZZAC_enUS596US598&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&imgil=Rryq_oNeEmx8cM%253A%253BYYjYiioMvaUvqM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.boldride.com%25252Fride%25252F1947%25252Flincoln-continental-cabriolet&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Rryq_oNeEmx8cM%253A%252CYYjYiioMvaUvqM%252C_&usg=__twIoc8RSwmGJRn6rzh9oGko0W6g%3D&biw=1366&bih=633&ved=0CCgQyjc&ei=W4QZVYGpGcLFgwS0rIPQDw#imgdii=2ubCkNuVU-KRAM%3A%3BQHBvZjwMhSWXPM%3B2ubCkNuVU-KRAM%3A&imgrc=2ubCkNuVU-KRAM%253A%3BCQz8pxCeH9j77M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.carpictures.com%252Fpics%252Ffull%252F10EQB234722216AA%252FLincoln-Continental-Coupe-1947-10EQB234722216AA.jpeg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.carpictures.com%252Fvehicle%252F10EQB234722216%252FLincoln-Continental-Coupe-1947%3B1024%3B768
March 30th, 2015 at 1:25 pm
I just hope that Taurus (Volvo) platform can do it justice. I guess developing an all new platform for a low volume car would be cost prohibitive.
March 30th, 2015 at 1:32 pm
Thanks for the link HtG.Great cars,including the 47 caddy at the bottom.Reminds of an old saying,”if you can afford a Cadillac,buy a Lincoln”…
March 30th, 2015 at 1:38 pm
FINIALY A NICE LINCOLN THAT’S EASY ON THEE EYES WELL DONE LINCOLN . IF CAN MAKE TO THE NY AUTO SHOW IT WILL BE ON MY TOO LOOK LIST VERY BEATUIFUL LOOKING CAR
March 30th, 2015 at 1:50 pm
15 I’d think they should be able to make a soft riding, quiet car with that platform, which is what they need. From the press release, it appears that driving dynamics are not a high priority; it sounds like the car is mainly intended to be luxurious in the back seat. It must be designed for the oligarchs of China.
March 30th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
looks like Autoline is already tweeting pics of the Continental from NY. They say Mark Fields picked the wheel design. It’s the part of the car I don’t quite get. Why am I thinking stylized lightning? Didn’t Lincoln use that imagery sometime? I’m prolly confusing things
March 30th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Wide whitewalls on steel wheels with wheel covers like on the ’47 Lincolns might look good.
March 30th, 2015 at 2:26 pm
I can understand that large luxury cars exist to provide more rear seat space than mid-size luxury cars. In this regard, the Continental should easily out-sell (price and/volume) the MKS (which offered nothing vs. the MKZ).
The real qustion is Cadillac. It seems they split their CT6 bet between the spacious XTS and the driver’s-oriented CTS. Didn’t anyone at Cadillac notice that Lexus couldn’t walk that line (between the ES and LS, the GS is lost)?
March 30th, 2015 at 2:51 pm
i always thought that ford selling jaguar was a big mistake. this new concept of a warmed over taurus is a waste of money. a V8 rear wheel drive is the only way to go. also the body should be made much more rust resistant using aluminum and galvanized lower body panels.
March 30th, 2015 at 2:52 pm
#4,6,15 – DISCO!
So they DO listen to us here in the AD forum – lol. We’ve been harping on the need to ditch the alpha-numeric naming convention for years now.
#14 – Though I do agree with your take, if the final product looks anything like this concept, it’ll do reasonably well in sales.
I actually found some of those exterior lines and proportions a bit reminiscent of the Chrysler 300.
Given that auto makers have thus far only gone retro with coupes and crossovers (or whatever you cal the PT Cruiser and Chevy HHR) I wonder how a retro full-sized luxury sedan would go over: http://images.cryhavok.org/d/27110-2/Lincoln+Continental+Concept.jpg
March 30th, 2015 at 3:47 pm
WOW.. Now that’s a LINCOLN!!! So happy to see that they are finally moving toward being “Lincoln”, again… My only worry is that there will be too much “regular Ford” underneath… Not that that being “Ford” is a bad thing, but a Lincoln needs to be a Lincoln… It is kind of like Cadillac being unique, at least in some ways, to other GM products (ie some engines)…
By the way, I was just kind of getting used to the Lincoln “winged” grill… With the possible except of the late Pontiac, it has been a problem with American cars jumping around with grill styles so much that they don’t have real identity, which is especially important to luxury brands…
Also, it looks to me that the nice Lincoln styling will be appealing to younger buyers, yet without turning off the “seasoned” buyers…
I believe that this has been the problem with Cadillac sales, lately, in that while they seem to be pretty great cars, they are still seen by many younger buyers as for older buyers like gramps had and not really a “cool” brand…
It is really too bad that GM let the “standard of the world” languish so long and lost its cache..
IMO GM should probably axe Caddy and focus on Buick using the good tech that they have developed for Cadillac… While Buicks were once seen as an “old guy’s” brand, it seems that they are getting more acceptance from younger people.. Now, if Buick can just get back to where the were in great styling a model cycle or so ago, and especially some of those awful looking interiors (especially that goofy pad on the top of the dash!!!)..
March 30th, 2015 at 4:08 pm
#26 Quote: “IMO GM should probably axe Caddy and focus on Buick using the good tech that they have developed for Cadillac”
Okay, now you’re talking nonsense. Wash your mouth out with Lava-Boy.
I don’t know who you’ve been listening to, but I see plenty of sub-50′s men and women driving the new Cadillacs (here in the metro Detroit area).
There seems to be a mis-perception on the general perception of Cadillac (if that even makes sense). I’d be really interested to see a valid survey of folk of all age groups nation-wide to see what percentage of buyers actually would consider buying Cadillac. There seem to be too many generalizations floating about on who is and is not interested in buying certain brands.
March 30th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
aliisdad, I meant to include a little
in there after the Lava-Boy reference. I’m certainly not trying to stir up any dust here.
March 30th, 2015 at 4:45 pm
The Continental Concept looks terrific, that is, until you recall the stunning Buick Avenir Concept at the 2015 NAIAS. I’d love to see Lincoln return to it’s former role as a genuine competitor to Cadillac, let alone the European Luxury Imports, but I’m not sure this Continental is daring enough.
March 30th, 2015 at 5:24 pm
25, 26 Cadillac needs to get rid of CUE, and use Chevy or Buick (or Chrysler) infotainment stuff. Then, they need to lower prices to undercut Benz and BMW to jump start the brand.
Unless we are missing something, this Continental is a styling exercise, rather than anything to compete with the Germans, but if it is quiet and comfortable, and is priced right, it should sell decently, because it looks good, and uses a good legacy name. The “Lincoln specific” 3.0 turbo is either a de-bored/stroked 3.5 or a bored/stroked 2.7. The original of either engine might be better, but to some people, brand-specific is good.
March 30th, 2015 at 5:53 pm
I think the Continental looks much like the MKS it replaces; Perhaps lengthened and front & rear restyle. I like the look and its interior. My only fear is that it will be over priced. Trying to fathom it to be front wheel drive confuses the heck out of me.
March 30th, 2015 at 6:15 pm
If they make the police Taurus AWD I’m sure they can do the same with this version as well.
March 30th, 2015 at 6:20 pm
Yeh, that’s a fifth seat, and I’m the king of England! Maybe if you’re drunk and can’t feel the rest of your body it would work, otherwise, NOT A SEAT.
March 30th, 2015 at 6:37 pm
31 …and the Taurus SHO is AWD. It seems that styling and interior would be the big thing with that Continental, but from what I read, the ride of the MKS is underwhelming, and would need work.
March 30th, 2015 at 6:42 pm
32 I thing everyone knows that the 5th seat, if they do it, would be for occasional use, mostly by small people. I don’t think it’s that controversial that they have center rear seat belts in a Yaris or Accent.
March 30th, 2015 at 6:58 pm
The center is also a good spot for a child safety seat. Some parents already do that in other makes.
March 30th, 2015 at 7:16 pm
I think the center seat would be more useful if the center cup holders were removed. I mean, who needs cup holders anyway?; I always keep the beer can in my hand. Just fun’in!
March 30th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
I think I’m catching auto show fever. Not fun’in
If it would only warm up here in NY.
March 30th, 2015 at 8:24 pm
FINALLY Lincoln is back. Let’s hope they will not ruin the design between now and production time.
Thank god they brought back a real name. They cannot get rid of the mk- quick enough. No one will aspire to owe any mk whatever—horrible horrible names for there vehicles and vehicles not inspiring as well.
Good job Lincoln. Keep it up, suicide doors?
March 30th, 2015 at 10:16 pm
As a fan of the 40, 41 Continental this ones exterior is not bold enough. Interior looks OK.
Not bold enough to make a big dent in the competition.
Look to Jaguar for the right exterior design.
March 31st, 2015 at 12:36 am
#39,It wouldn’t be a Continental it would be a Jag!
The new Continental is a Great Design piece of automotive art.The only thing left to do is GET Rid Of THE “DOLLAR GENERAL” wheels.Have Chip Foose design them to complete the Total package.
Well Done Lincoln Motor Company!!!
March 31st, 2015 at 9:14 am
That Lincoln Continental looks great. Give it the right price, and make it reliable, this will be a winner.
Does the e6 meet all the U.S. safety standards? What is its insurance institute rating?
March 31st, 2015 at 8:04 pm
@16 – I see more of the 62 model in there. Fact is they even considered suicide doors, maybe this is what turn my attention to that model year. I also see Taurus proportions, even though this is probably bigger. Looking cross brand, I see Kia, Hyundai and a bit of… Quatroporte. Nice and detail rich but not original. I think it’s a pity Ford doesn’t have a RWD platform for this car, this means that it will look good but it will not compete with Cadillac. Love the name though.
April 1st, 2015 at 11:27 am
That’s odd. I posted a comment here yesterday regarding the Lincoln Continental trunk lid, it being rather narrow with a very high liftover would make it difficult to load the typical buyers golf club bag. I guess that comment offended the moderator because my post was removed?!