AD #2176 – Daimler to Restructure Company, ADAS Technology Has Impact, Volkswagen Introduces New Small CUV
August 24th, 2017 at 11:50am
Runtime: 6:43
To watch this episode on YouTube click here.
- Daimler to Break Into Three Companies
- Ford Makes Key Management Changes
- Mid-Size Pickup Sales Breakdown
- ADAS Technology Proving to be Effective
- Volkswagen Introduces the T-Roc CUV
- BMW Adding Roadster Version of i8
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On today’s show… Daimler is going to break up into three separate companies… VW adds yet another crossover to the lineup… and all that ADAS technology is truly reducing car crashes. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
THREE ARE BETTER THAN ONE
Daimler is going to change the structure of the company. Daimler is going to get broken up into three separate companies, Mercedes-Benz cars and vans, Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses, and Mercedes-Benz financial services. Daimler believes this will unlock shareholder value that will provide the company with more money to invest in autonomous and electric vehicles. Analysts say that the truck and bus group alone could be worth 31 billion euros. Daimler’s total market capitalization is around 64 billion euros. The plan could be announced at the company’s shareholder meeting in April of 2019.
FORD MAKES KEY MANAGEMENT CHANGES
And speaking of corporate shake-ups, Ford just named Jason Luo as the new chairman and CEO of its China operations. He will be in charge of its import business, Lincoln, and joint ventures. Luo joins Ford from the supplier Key Safety Systems, where he was president and CEO for the past 10 years. By the way Jason Luo was our guest at the Autoline Supplier Symposium. If you want to see what he was talking about we have a link in the transcript or description box for you to check out. Ford also announced that its VP of Powertrain Engineering, Bob Fascetti is retiring. He will be replaced by David Filipe, who’s been with the company for 25 years and was most recently the vehicle line director for North American trucks, large SUVs and commercial vehicles. Bob Fascetti was our guest on Autoline This Week recently, and well provide a link for that interview too.
How’s the market segment for small pickups doing? That’s coming up next.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE SMALL PICKUPS?
The small pickup segment in the U.S. captured a lot of media attention when Chevrolet, GMC and Honda jumped into it. Now Hyundai just confirmed it’s going to join the club with the Santa Cruz, and Ford will be back in a couple of years with the Ranger. No wonder there’s so much interest, the segment continues to grow and gain market share. The Toyota Tacoma leads the segment, followed by the Chevrolet Colorado and the ancient Nissan Frontier. Next up is the Honda Ridgeline, but don’t get too excited by the huge sales increase. That’s compared to a year ago, when production was still ramping up. Last on the list is the GMC Canyon whose sales are down considerably. Maybe that has to do with the Honda Ridgeline getting into the segment. Even so, GMC says it cannot keep up with demand for uplevel crew cabs and that it’s adding capacity to make more Denali versions.
| 2017 U.S. Compact Pickup Sales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Tacoma | 111,615 | +0.3% |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 61,507 | +1.8% |
| Nissan Frontier | 45,460 | -1.03% |
| Honda Ridgeline | 21,182 | +253 |
| GMC Canyon | 17,649 | -15.5% |
| TOTAL | 257,413 | +2.6% |
ADAS TECHNOLOGY REDUCES ACCIDENTS
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that lane-departure warning systems are helping to cut down on crashes. The technology helped reduce single-vehicle, sideswipe and head-on collisions 11% and lowered injuries by 21%. If all vehicles were equipped with lane departure warning, it says 85,000 crashes and 55,000 injuries could have been avoided in 2015. Blind Spot Detection lowered the rate of lane-changing crashes by 14% and injuries by 23%. If every vehicle was equipped with the technology it could reduce car crashes by 55,000 a year.
Coming up next, as the world moves to crossovers Volkswagen just added another one to its lineup.
VW ADDS T-ROC TO THE LINEUP
Small crossovers are big right now and Volkswagen just introduced an all-new one. The T-Roc sits below the Atlas and Tiguan in VW’s lineup, but it shares the same MQB platform as the larger CUVs. A total of 6 gasoline and diesel engines are available that range from 115-horsepower up to 190. There’s the choice of a manual transmission or 7-speed DCT as well as an option for all-wheel drive. VW’s new adjustable Digital Cockpit is available on the T-Roc. A 6.5-inch infotainment screen is standard while an 8-inch version is optional. As of now, there’s no plans to bring the T-Roc to the U.S., but we’ve got to believe it won’t stay that way for long.
BMW TEARS THE ROOF OFF THE i8
BMW is getting set to introduce the third member of the i family. Coming for 2018 is a Roadster version of the i8. Other than a section of the roof missing, not much else looks different with the car. And it’s probably going to take more than scooping out a portion of the roof to help the i8. BMW has only sold 275 so far this year in the U.S.
Don’t forget to join us for Autoline After Hours this afternoon when we’re going to be talking about HCCI engines. A company called Nautilus says it has the solution on how to make these engines work and if they’re right, it could be a game changer for the internal combustion engine. So join John and Gary for some of the best insights as to what’s going on in the automotive industry.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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Comments (12)
August 24th, 2017 at 12:12 pm
This is off-topic from today’s show, but after yesterday’s hate fest on electronic shifters, I decided to check out the one used in Buick LaCrosse, and some Cadillacs. I don’t see the problem. It is easy to use, smooth actuating, and well-labeled. I”d like it better if it shifted into park automatically, like a Prius, when you turn the car off, but the “park” button on the top of the shifter is very convenient to use.
August 24th, 2017 at 1:05 pm
Kit, thanks for investigating that. Most shifters now-a-days are really electronic anyway, so it makes sense to get that shifter out of the way.
August 24th, 2017 at 2:21 pm
I have no problem with the electronic shifters. And,I like the new rendition of the ‘typewriter’ drive.
August 24th, 2017 at 2:26 pm
I have an XT5 with the eight speed, which has the electronic shifter. You can push the Park button but the transmission does shift into Park when the engine is shut off automatically. While it is a little different, as Kit suggests, it is easy to use.
August 24th, 2017 at 2:31 pm
From the XT5 owners manual: When the vehicle is stopped, press ENGINE START/STOP to turn off the vehicle. The transmission will shift to P(Park) automatically.
August 24th, 2017 at 2:46 pm
5 Interesting. I’ve run into Prius owners who didn’t know their cars did it, and now…
The salesman at the local Buick/Cadillac/GMC dealer didn’t know it either.
August 24th, 2017 at 5:05 pm
This morning, I specifically asked the salesman if the car shifted to park automatically when you shut it off, and he said “no.”
August 25th, 2017 at 6:42 am
Well, I guess you have to consider the source; my source was a cut and paste from the Cadillac Owners Manual. (plus I have the car; when you turn off the engine, the car does not roll).
August 25th, 2017 at 8:39 am
It seems that car sales people, in general, need better training on product features. There is a lot to know, though, with the constantly changing infotainment systems, etc.
August 25th, 2017 at 11:01 am
My mother has a new XT5 and I find the transmission shifter ridiculous. The GMC version and the buttons used in all Lincolns are a much better, simpler and more space-efficient solution. Her shifter is much more confusing and difficult to use than the shifter in her SRX was. How is that deemed to be progress?
August 25th, 2017 at 11:07 am
On the T-ROC, I fail to see why VW would need to offer six engines that span only a 75 horsepower spread. Even if a couple of them are diesels, its still overkill and wastes money and resources. The F-150 will sell more units, be used for many more purposes and offers fewer engines. Direct competitors to the T-ROC offer as few as one engine choice and still sell successfully. VW needs to learn that their customers will live with fewer choices and their bottom line will benefit from it.
August 25th, 2017 at 4:18 pm
11 The six engines are offered in Europe, not North America. Europeans still like having choice of power trains, like in the U.S. in the 1960′s, when you had six or more engine choices in a Dodge Coronet.