AD #2139 – Giant Diesel Recall Proposed, New BMW X3 Gets 1st M Version, Interesting Story Behind Mazda’s Name
June 27th, 2017 at 11:51am
Runtime: 7:14
To watch this episode on YouTube click here.
- Germany Proposes Giant Diesel Recall
- Germany Sets Up New Testing Organization
- Daily Rentals Get Into Autonomy
- Update on Peugeot’s Return to the U.S.
- New BMW X3 Gets First M Version
- How Mazda Got Its Name
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On today’s show… More bad news for diesels in Germany… BMW redesigns the X3 and adds an M version for the first time… and John has an amazing history lesson on how Mazda got it’s name. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
GIANT DIESEL RECALL PROPOSED
Recently, we reported that German cities Munich and Stuttgart are considering banning diesel vehicles that don’t meet Euro 6 emission standards from the roads. And now the German Transport Ministry wants automaker to recall 12 million diesels to fix engine management software to reduce pollution. According to Reuters the proposal could cost between $1.7 billion and $2.8 billion and it wants carmakers to pay for the fix. Regulators are pushing for a solution before elections are held in September, so this all could just be political theater. But it’s got to be a big blow to the German auto industry which relies so heavily on diesels.
GERMANY SETS UP NEW TESTING ORGANIZATION
And in related news, the German Transport Ministry, also revealed plans to set up a new organization to test vehicle emissions. Reuters reports that the agency will test around 70 cars a year and incorporate real-world driving scenarios, rather than just relying on laboratory tests. Shockingly, current tests don’t factor in the AC, weather or driving style, which all have a negative impact on fuel economy.
RENTALS GET IN ON AUTONOMY
If ride sharing and car sharing with autonomous cars is ever going to catch on, it’s going to require companies with extensive experience managing large fleets. And two of the largest fleet managers in the world are the daily rental companies Hertz and Avis. Now we’re seeing both of them making strategic moves as they plot their future strategies. Avis just signed a deal with Waymo to manage a fleet of 600 autonomous Chrysler Pacifica’s. And Hertz is going to lease 6 Lexus RX450h’s to Apple, which will convert them for autonomous driving. Both companies saw their stock jump on the news.
And we’ll be back with more right after this.
UPDATE ON PEUGEOT’S RETURN TO U.S.
Last year, Peugeot announced plans to return to the U.S. as a mobility company using the brand name “Free2Move.” And it wants to return to the U.S. market as a full retail brand within the next ten years. So, how’s that coming along? Well, they’re showing off some of their ideas on mobility at an exhibition in Kazakhstan. First and foremost is a concept car called Quartz. It’s a hybrid with 500 horsepower and a 50 kilometer of range in electric-only mode. Other products on display are even more mobility focused, like electrically-assisted bicycles and foldable scooters, and even an all-electric moped. Based on Peugeot’s rollout plan, you’ll probably see scooters and mopeds before you see them selling cars in America again.
CAN’T SPELL X3 WITHOUT AN M
BMW is getting set to launch an all-new X3 crossover and here are the highlights. Overall the wheelbase has been extended by over 2-inches and it has dropped up 120-pounds compared to the outgoing model. In the styling department, not only are the openings for the grille, lower fascia and side vents larger, but the LED headlights and fog lights are new up front as are the LED taillights and exhaust tailpipes. And for the first time the X3 will come with an M Performance variant. Under the hood is a 3.0L turbocharged inline 6-cylinder that’s good for 355-horsepower and a 0-60 time of 4.6-seconds. That power is funneled through an 8-speed auto trans and BMW’s XDrive all-wheel drive system. Other enhancements include an aero kit, sport exhaust, 4-piston calipers, electronically controlled dampers, sport-tuned steering and unique wheels. And maybe in a sign that the German automaker is really starting to understand American customers, the X3 will be the first BMW SUV in the U.S. to come with a factory-installed trailer hitch. The all-new X3 hits dealerships this November.
Coming up next, John is here with a history lesson on how Mazda got its name. And you’re not going to believe this one.
HOW MAZDA GOT ITS NAME
Do you know how Mazda got its name? This one’s a doozy. It goes back 3,000 years ago.
Mazda was started by a guy named Jujiro Matsuda. But the company was officially named Toyo Kogyo. Then, when Ford bought it in 1984, the name was changed to Mazda. A lot of people say that was a Westernized version of the founder’s name, Matsuda.
But that’s not what Mazda’s official history says. It says the name comes from the Zoroastrian god, Ahura Mazda. Roughly translated Ahura Mazda means god of Wisdom. And of course Zoroastrianism is 3,000 year old religion from Persia, or what today is Iran.
You know, most car companies have pretty straightforward names, so to learn that Mazda’s name comes from a Zoroastrian god from 3,000 years ago is literally one for the history books.
Be sure to join us this Thursday for Autoline After Hours. It’s all about the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. We’ve got Reid Bigland who runs Alfa worldwide, and Pieter Hogeveen, who runs Alfa in North America. And we’ve got several of my colleagues to get their driving impressions of the Stelvio. So join me and Gary for one of the best programs about the automotive industry
And a programming note here. Autoline Daily will be off all next week as the whole Autoline crew takes a well deserved mid-year break. And we’ll resume our normal programming on July 10. And with that we wrap up today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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Comments (17)
June 27th, 2017 at 12:23 pm
I like the styling of the older BMW X3 over the new one. I like round fog lights and more uncluttered bumper cover surface without chromed plastic parts stuck on to get damaged in a minor impact. Bad move BMW you should have left the older X3 alone simple and smooth is better IMHO.
June 27th, 2017 at 12:26 pm
Mazda’s name is fascinating, though I’m not sure it was Ford’s influence that changed the name. Every motorized vehicle built by Toyo Kogyo (which was first known as Toyo Cork Kogyo, because yes, that’s what they made was cork) was called a Mazda, since the introduction of it’s first vehicle the Mazda-Go which was an autorickshaw.So, Toyo Kogyo used the Mazda name from the beginning of it’s automotive history in 1931, long before Ford’s involvement.
June 27th, 2017 at 12:51 pm
John: “Then, when Ford bought it in 1984, the name was changed to Mazda.” My mother purchased a Mazda in 1972 in Europe, John, which were common vehicles back then. So the name Mazda preceded the take-over by Ford.
June 27th, 2017 at 12:54 pm
If I remember correctly, all of the BMW’s “X” vehicles are produced in South Carolina, so maybe the article I saw in my local paper today coincides with the new model(s). It was stated that BMW would hire 1,000 new employees for its S.C. plant and is planning to increase production from 400,000 to 450,000 per year.
June 27th, 2017 at 12:57 pm
As a program suggestion, the NHTSA is using the new president’s call for deregulation to request six changes from Bloomberg:
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in fiscal 2018 budget documents provided to Congress that it’s considering six areas for deregulation, including standards for rear-view mirrors and backup cameras in passenger cars, an electronic stability-control mandate for heavy trucks, and a rule allowing car dealers to install switches to deactivate airbags in customer vehicles.”
The details are sparse and I could not find them on the NHTSA web site. Perhaps you might reach out and share?
June 27th, 2017 at 1:44 pm
@Lex – The images of the new X3 we showed in today’s show are all the M version. The other models are not as aggressive looking. Not sure if you saw this, but based on your comments it’s likely more cluttered than you’d like. If you would like to look at pictures just click the headline for that story and it will take you to BMW’s site. Scroll to the bottom and look for the xLine gallery.
June 27th, 2017 at 2:11 pm
General Electric registered the name Mazda for its tungsten filament light bulbs in 1909 and continued to use the name Mazda for its tungsten light bulbs until 1945.
June 27th, 2017 at 2:32 pm
John: I suggest you check out
http://www.mazda.com/en/about/profile/history/1920-1979/
1931/10
·Three-wheel truck production starts.
Mazda’s first production vehicle was a three-wheeled truck called the Mazda-go. In 1931, 66 units were built. Mitsubishi’s triple-diamond logo can be seen on the fuel tank because, until 1936, Mazda vehicles were marketed through the Mitsubishi Corporation’s sales network.”
The story about the link with the 3,000 year old Persian religion may be a little far-fetched.
June 27th, 2017 at 2:33 pm
#2, #3: Every vehicle that Mazda ever made was called a Mazda. That’s the brand name. But Toyo Kogyo was the official name of the company until 1984, when it was changed to Mazda. 1984 is the year that Ford took a controlling interest in the company.
BTW, Honda’s official name is Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha.
June 27th, 2017 at 2:35 pm
#8. Wim, if the story is far fetched, then it is Mazda that’s doing the stretching. Here’s the link from Mazda’s own website that explains it all: http://www.mazda.com/en/innovation/mazda-stories/mazda/behind/
June 27th, 2017 at 2:48 pm
#9, sorry John meant to clarify that as well, that the name was used for a long time, but the company was called Toyo Kogyo. If fact Wim’s mother’s car key probably said “Toyo Kogyo” on it, and not Mazda. At least that is what my neighbor’s 1978 B2000 Sundowner pickup had on it’s key. Ford did acquire “controlling” interest in Toyo Kogyo in 1984, which at the time was only 34% ownership. They did probably change the company name to Mazda, sounds like the heavy handed and useless kind of thing US car companies do when they acquire fantastic competitors. They don’t bother to use the assets they have acquired because of “not invented here syndrome” GM/SAAB, Ford/Jaguar, Ford/Volvo, Ford/Land Rover, GM/Isuzu…and so on.
Let’s remember too for a long time Datsuns were made by a company called Nissan
June 27th, 2017 at 6:30 pm
#7 I remember seeing Mazda light bulbs, and I was born in 1946, so some of those light bulbs lasted quite a while.
June 27th, 2017 at 7:42 pm
#12, Kit, was born in 1942 and remember seeing the Mazda name on boxes of Christmas tree lights, which, because of their seasonal use, lasted a long time.
June 27th, 2017 at 7:43 pm
Whoops, meant to say I was born in 1942.
June 28th, 2017 at 8:45 am
As the owner of a couple of 60′s Studebakers, I was surprised to see MAZDA in the owners booklet that pertained to light bulbs.
June 28th, 2017 at 9:46 pm
John,
I totally agree that you and your crew deserves time off but I may go into a deep depression without Autoline Daily, Afterhours and This Week.
You guys are awesome!
June 29th, 2017 at 9:06 am
Lucky you, taking next week off–June sales are being reported on the 3rd, spoiling more than a few people’s dream of a 4 day weekend!