AD #2241 – Labor Dispute Could Delay Kona, Daimler Tests Drone Delivery, Our Impressions of Kia’s All-New Stinger
November 28th, 2017 at 11:43am
Runtime: 7:52
0:30 Labor Dispute Could Delay Hyundai Kona
1:20 Shell Joins IONITY Joint Venture
2:16 Companies Should Mind Data Collection Laws
3:57 Daimler Tests Drone Delivery
4:59 Impressions: Kia’s All-New Stinger
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On today’s show… a labor dispute could delay the introduction of Hyundai’s new Kona CUV… Mercedes tests on-demand delivery with drones… and my driving impressions of the new Kia Stinger. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
LABOR DISPUTE COULD DELAY KONA
We recently noted that part of the reason Hyundai’s sales are off in the U.S. is because the automaker is cutting back on its fleet sales, but pointed out it could get a boost before the end of the year with the Kona CUV arriving early. However, that year-end boost doesn’t look like it will be coming. Reuters reports Hyundai’s workers at its plant in South Korea have stopped building the Kona. The automaker’s labor union says that Hyundai wants to add more automation at the plant and outsource more assembly, which would lead to a number of layoffs. The two sides are currently in negotiation over worker pay and the union warned of a wider strike if things don’t change. There’s no way to know how long this will last, but every day it does, more than 1,200 less Kona’s are being produced.
SHELL JOINS IONITY TEAM
Earlier this month BMW, Daimler, Ford and the VW Group formed a new joint venture, called IONITY, which will build a high-power charging network for EVs across Europe. And now the group is a little bit bigger. Shell has partnered with IONITY team. Other energy suppliers have announced their own plans to put charging stations in Europe, but Shell says IONITY will be the key to addressing long distance travel in the region.
Still to come… Mercedes tests delivering packages with drones.
BE MINDFUL OF DATA COLLECTION LAWS
Cars in the future are going to generate a lot of data and there’s going to be a big opportunity for automakers to make a boatload of money by monetizing that data. However, companies will need to be careful and pay attention to different data collection laws not only between countries but also between states. On a recent Autoline This Week, Jennifer Dukarski, a lawyer with Butzel Long, discussed the issue.
(Clip from ATW #2136 can only be viewed in the video version of today’s show.)
You can watch that entire discussion right now on Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
And don’t forget to check out our coverage of the LA Auto Show. John will be on the floor of the show, talking with the people who helped create the new reveals. Look for those interviews starting tonight.
DAIMLER TESTS DRONE DELIVERY
Delivering packages with drones could become a big business and that’s why Mercedes-Benz recently tested on-demand delivery using drones. Over a ten day period the company made 100 flights over the city of Zurich without any incidents. Two drones were used along with two Vito vans that had landing platforms integrated on the roof. The company is still studying the results but it’s very bullish on the technology. You may remember that it introduced a concept last year called the Vision Van, that features a fully automated cargo space to load packages onto a drone for delivery.
Coming up next, what it’s like behind the wheel of the new Kia Stinger.
IMPRESSIONS: ALL-NEW KIA STINGER
Last week we showed you what Kia thinks its all-new Stinger can do for the brand and a little bit of why and who will buy the car, but now it’s my turn to tell you what it’s like. And I’m here to tell you it’s a good car… if you view the Stinger as it was designed to be. The chief designer at Kia Motors Europe describes this best. “The new Kia Stinger is a true gran turismo, a car for spirited long-distance. It’s not about outright power, hard-edged dynamics and brutal styling all at the expense of luxury, comfort and grace. The Stinger has nothing to do with being the first to arrive at the destination, this car is all about the journey.” That about sums up my experience. The Stinger has good power delivery from its optional 365-horsepower V6 and a sporty enough suspension that allows you to enjoy tight, twisting roads, but still soaks up the bump so well you don’t feel as though you’re going as fast as you really are. And if there’s anything great about the Stinger, it’s its Brembo brakes. They’re save-your-butt good and even feature a software tune that limits the effects a driver feels from brake fade. If there’s anything to complain about on the Stinger, I would have to say it’s the interior. Kia did say it paid close attention to the seats, which can be had with Nappa leather and 16-way adjustability, but I don’t think it paid enough attention to the dash layout. I wish the driver’s gauges were a little more sporty and youthful looking and I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of these high mount, “floating” display screens. They just look like somebody went “Oh Blank! We forgot a infotainment screen. Let’s just slap one on top of here.” Kia must have also forgot that no one is buying sedans right now, especially performance sedans. I’m not so sure Stinger sales are going to be very good, but they may not need to be. If the Stinger can truly change people’s perception of the brand, like it thinks it could, Kia might be OK with a few less sales. But it may not even come to that. Kia says there are already 25,000 people with their hands in the air, saying they want a Stinger. And I hope I’m wrong because the Stinger is a good car and I like when brands try break out of the shell they’re perceived to be in.
But that wraps up today’s show. Thanks for watching and we’ll be right back here again tomorrow.
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Comments (14)
November 28th, 2017 at 11:56 am
Sean, I echo your thoughts on floating screens. the scream cheap to me.
November 28th, 2017 at 12:01 pm
Sean I agree with the pop up video screens and just wish manufacturers would get on the ball and design a place in the dash for your smart phone. Regardless if it is integrated with the car and can transfer the display from your phone to a infotainment screen I would still like a place to set my phone where it is visible and possibly cordless charging. I would never pay for navigation on a car today with so many better options available via my smart phone.
November 28th, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Kit: In response to a question you asked of me before Thanksgiving about my ceramic brake pads wearing the rotors, I wish I knew conclusively.
I’ve been using ceramics exclusively for so long, I honestly don’t recall what my rate of rotor replacement or resurfacing used to be when I was running semi-metallic pads. All I remember is brake dust coating my wheels on a weekly basis.
Nowadays I probably replace my rotors about every 5 years or so, with a resurfacing every time I replace pads. All I know is I’m able to do a complete pad and rotor job for under $300 myself versus the $1,200 Lexus wants to charge.
November 28th, 2017 at 12:35 pm
Sean, while I can see your point about the after-thought integration of the video screen, perhaps they put it there to limit eye travel between the road and the interface.
While having a video display well integrated into a more central locale in the dash would be more appealing, maybe this location is a ‘safer’ one when it comes to distracted driving.
November 28th, 2017 at 12:38 pm
“Hyundai wants to outsource more assembly” what? Korean labour rates are too high ????
November 28th, 2017 at 2:07 pm
I think the infotainment screens are becoming a far too great a part of the vehicle integration process. What used to be a switch on the IP is now an icon on a screen, something with no tactile feedback. And the floating screens look like they are ready to detach at any moment. Event crazier are the motorized ones that pop up out of the dash. Is that going to last 10 years or longer.
As to the usefullness, I personally don’t see much difference between reading a text and reading through songs on a play list, yet one is legal and the other not. I love high tech gizmos, I really do, but with all the distractions involved in piloting a two-ton
projectile at 70 mph, do we need more?
November 28th, 2017 at 2:13 pm
The Kona looks a little too busy to me (styling wise) but my tastes are probably more austere than what is being considered stylist today.
And my first statement probably predicates my next statement as far as choices or picks; I’d probably be more inclined to purchase the new ’18 Buick Regal GS than the Kia Stinger on similar performance and styling comparisons.
And put me down for another vote against the add-on look of the info-screen remembering a few years ago when even the Mercedes had those ‘pimples’on their dash.
November 28th, 2017 at 2:24 pm
#6 I agree the amount of functions and software available in todays infotainment systems can be a huge distraction. Its to the point I would prefer they disable most everything that cannot be done using voice commands or the touch of a single button. Equally frustrating is when I have a passenger with me that can input navigation directions or change more complicated features that are blocked when the car is in motion.
It would be nice if they could place the screen out of the reach of the driver and then allow all functions to be used. Of course some idiot would crash reaching across the car to surf their playlist.
November 28th, 2017 at 3:30 pm
#6 – I agree completely on the parallel between the infotainment screens and texting. But I doubt we’ll ever see legislation banning the use of these things…
November 28th, 2017 at 5:24 pm
3 @MJB. Thanks for the info. I tend to be easy on brakes, and not keep cars to high miles, so I rarely wear out brakes.
Speaking of screens, the Tesla 3 has nothing but an afterthought looking screen for nearly all controls. Here’s some Tesla news from AW.
http://autoweek.com/article/green-cars/tesla-model-3-delays-are-costing-company-8000-minute-report-says?utm_source=DailyDrive20171128&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=image-center&utm_content=body&utm_campaign=awdailydrive
November 28th, 2017 at 5:32 pm
#2 My 2017 Prius has a place in the console, with cordless charging, to put a phone. It takes up some space, but is convenient. My other cars have cup holders that hold my phone nicely, but you lose space for a cup. Since I am usually alone when driving, I only have one cup, so the “lost” cup holder is not a problem.
November 29th, 2017 at 9:46 am
I think the stinger will be popular. And hopefully get better.
November 29th, 2017 at 12:07 pm
@MJB – Even if the screen was put there for sight purposes, I think it could have been integrated better.
Also, got an email from a Kia person yesterday and he has heard that “a mount like that allows the vents to be positioned higher on the dash which makes the occupants more comfortable when the HVAC is on.” Not sure how I feel about that. I’ll have to start comparing vent placement I guess.
November 29th, 2017 at 4:12 pm
Thanks, Sean.