On today’s show…Aston Martin wants the world to know it’s up for sale…Chinese cars used to have the worst crash ratings, now they’re getting 5-stars…and Kia wants the Stinger to change perceptions about the brand. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.

VOLVO TO SUPPLY UBER WITH AVs
Volvo and Uber just put a big stamp of approval on autonomous technology. Uber will buy up to 24,000 self-driving vehicles from Volvo between 2019 and 2021. They will be outfitted with Uber’s self-driving technology, even though Volvo is developing its own autonomous tech, which won’t show up in a vehicle until 2021. Even though a lot of people think that self-driving cars are years away, this development shows that AVs are right around the corner.

ASTON MARTIN UP FOR SALE
Aston Martin is having one of its best years in nearly a decade and it hopes to keep the momentum going with the introduction of an all-new Vantage model. Note the exterior changes. The signature grille was shoved all the way down to the lower part of the fascia and is larger. The headlights are more aggressive-looking. The rear end tapers more to the bottom of the back glass, which really accentuates the width of the rear, which is aided by a light bar that extends all the way across and wraps into the side fenders. Andy Palmer, Aston’s CEO says the company’s main shareholders may sell the company or do an IPO. Palmer said it makes sense for them to consider this while the company is on a roll. It’s coming out with an SUV in two years.

Toyota has been developing humanoid robots for a dozen years and coming up next, we’ll show you what its latest model can do.

CHINESE OEMs IMPROVE SAFETY
Chinese cars used to have horrific safety problems. Look at this Land Wind video from a decade ago, where the airbag deploys, but then the steering column almost takes the crash dummy’s head off. But the Chinese have learned a thing or two over the last decade. SAICs LDV T60 truck, and the Haval H2, a small SUV, just received 5-star safety ratings from the Australian crash test program. Haval says its next round of SUVs will have new technology, like autonomous emergency braking and lane assist systems.

LINCOLN REFRESHES THE MKC
Lincoln is in the process of putting the front-end styling of the Continental on its entire lineup and now it’s the MKC’s turn. And it gave a few other minor tweaks to the front and rear to help enhance the CUVs styling. For an extra dab of luxury, Lincoln has created 3 Black Label themes for the new MKC, which include a host of premium materials. Look for it to go on sale in the summer of 2018.

TOYOTA REVEALS NEW ROBOT
Toyota really believes that robots will turn into a big business someday. It just revealed the third-generation of its humanoid robot, called T-HR3. It features controls that a human operator wears that allows the robot to mimic movements made by the operator. It also comes with goggles that allow the user to see what the robot sees in 3D and real-time. The goal is to research how robots can interact with humans and assist people at home, in medical facilities, construction sites, or even outer space.

Coming up next, we’ll tell you why Kia thinks the Stinger will change people’s perceptions of the brand.

KIA HOPES THE STINGER CAN CHANGE PERCEPTIONS
You all know who Kia is. But amazingly, something like 40% of Americans are unfamiliar with the brand. With brand ambassadors like LeBron James and the hamsters, maybe that number has come down. But this is a key reason why Kia is introducing the Stinger.

Michael Sprague, COO & Exec. Vice President, Kia Motors America
“We believe that the Stinger is really kind of the inflection point for the brand. Particularly if you look at Kia’s history, we came in 1994. From ’94 through 2008 we developed kind of low cost, good fuel economy, safe vehicles that were kind of nondescript. In 2009 with the launch of the Soul it was the beginning of the transformation. Great design, great technology, great quality, great safety, but people kept telling us they wanted more… So, why are we doing the Stinger? One is, we introduced it at the Frankfurt auto show as a concept in 2011. The media told us to build the car. Consumers told us to build the car. Our dealers told us to build the car. Everybody said you have to build this car. We had a great designer in Peter Schreyer, but we really needed the performance aspects because we wanted the car to drive as good as it looks. We brought Albert Biermann (former BMW M executive) on and he had his hands on the vehicle. And now it truly is a phenomenally driving vehicle, it’s great fun to drive. So, I think it really will transform the brand. I think people will look at us very differently than how they looked at us before. They’ve looked at us really well from 2009 to the current product offerings, but this really sets us apart.”

Let’s see, a rear-drive based performance sedan that handles pretty darn well and has the option for a 365-horsepower twin-turbo V6 with all-wheel drive. Yeah, I’d say you’re setting yourselves apart and can change people’s perception of the brand. The real question is will the Stinger sell?

Orth Hedrick, VP of Planning & Strategy, Kia Motors America
“Kia really does the best when we do things a little bit different. I think for us, we really see Stinger as a segment of one. It’s positioned very similar to a premium mid-size sedan, starting at $32,000, for a fully loaded model up to about $52,000. So, it spreads a wide range. But in addition to that, because of its size, the price and the performance profile there’s really nothing else out like that in the marketplace. And I think for us that’s going to give us an attraction for those folks who are in a mainstream brand, but perhaps also some of those folks who are in premium brands who are just sick and tired of making $800 – $900 a month payments. But they still love the look and feel of a sports performance sedan. So, we’re interested in seeing a broad appeal, which we think we’re going to have.”

Now that you’ve got the “why” and the “who,” let’s get to the “when.” Kia expects Stingers to start arriving on dealer lots in December. And stay tuned for our driving impressions of the all-new Stinger. Those will be coming soon.

And that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.