AD #2247 – Global Sales on Record Pace, Velodyne Improves Lidar Technology, Ford Upgrades the Super Duty
December 6th, 2017 at 10:36am
Runtime: 6:32
0:29 Global Sales on Record Pace
1:12 New Velodyne Lidar Achieves Level 5
2:26 Kia Opens Stinger Salons
3:07 Lexus Teases New Flagship Crossover
3:42 Ford Upgrades Super Duty
4:39 How Jeep Improved Wrangler’s Aerodynamics
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On today’s show… automakers are on pace to set another global sales record… Ford updates its Super Duty pickup… and how Jeep improved the Wrangler’s aerodynamics without compromising its iconic design. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
GLOBAL SALES ON RECORD PACE
Car sales around the world remain strong. WardsAuto reports that automakers sold 8.1 million vehicles worldwide in October, which is about 3% higher compared to last year. Sales in North America dipped 1% but it was the only region to see a drop. In Asia, sales were up a little over 1%. Europe posted an impressive 7% gain. And sales in South America skyrocketed 23% in October. Through the first 10 months of the year, automakers have sold close to 79 million vehicles, which is a 3.4% gain compared to last year. And it puts the industry on pace to set a global record in 2017.
VELODYNE GEARS UP FOR LEVEL 5
We’ve seen a lot of activity with autonomous vehicles recently and now Velodyne, one of the leaders in Lidar technology, just introduced its next-gen system to help enable Level 5 autonomy. It can scan close to 1,000 feet, which is twice the range of its last system, and it has 10 times the resolving power. Along with extended range, the new Lidar unit features upgraded object identification software, which means it can detect and recognize objects at highway speeds. The new unit is also smaller, lighter and uses less power than the previous one. Velodyne didn’t reveal its price but it won’t be cheap and that’s why the company is pitching this as a solution for fleets rather than personal cars.
Still to come… Kia is setting up special sites around the country to showcase the new Stinger.
KIA OPENS STINGER SALONS
As we reported a few weeks back, Kia hopes that its new Stinger sedan will change people’s perception of the brand. And to give potential customers a better idea of the car is all about, the company is setting up what it calls “Stinger Salons” across the U.S. The interactive sites will showcase the car’s evolution from concept to production vehicle with custom videos and virtual reality modules. There are Salons currently open in Maryland, Illinois and New York with locations in California, Texas and Georgia soon to follow. And if you want to learn more about the Stinger, check out my driving impressions of the car. We’ll provide a link for you to check that out.
LEXUS TEASES NEW FLAGSHIP CROSSOVER
We’re only one week removed from the LA Auto Show but that isn’t stopping Lexus from thinking about next month’s Detroit show. It’s teasing a new concept it will debut called the LF-1 Limitless, which was designed by Toyota’s CALTY design center in California. You can’t see much, but we can tell that the taillights wrap-around the back of the vehicle. There aren’t any other details but Lexus calls this a “flagship crossover that redefines the boundaries of luxury.” And we’ll see if that’s the case in another month or so.
FORD UPGRADES SUPER DUTY
The truck war continues to rage on and Ford is the latest to grab bragging rights. The 2018 Super Duty can now claim best-in-class horsepower, torque, towing, gooseneck towing and payload. In fact, torque has increased 10 lb-ft to 935, which is starting to get awfully close to the mythical 1,000 lb-ft category. A new dually version of the F-450 has been added to lineup as well, which will be available before the end of the year.
Coming up next, how Jeep improved the Wrangler’s aerodynamics without changing its look.
HOW JEEP IMPROVED WRANGLER’S AERODYNAMICS
The Jeep Wrangler’s boxy design is iconic. So, when it came to creating the new model, designers couldn’t stray much from what we’re used to but aerodynamic improvements were needed. On last week’s Autoline After Hours, Mark Allen, the head of Jeep design, shared how designers were able to keep the Wrangler’s classic look while also improving its aero.
(Clip from AAH #401 can only be viewed in the video version of today’s show.)
You can watch that entire show right now on Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
And speaking of After Hours we’ve got another great show for you this Thursday. John and Gary take a deep dive into all the changes Ford made to the new Mustang. That’s tomorrow afternoon on Autoline.tv.
But that’s it for today, 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 (21)
December 6th, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Is that Velodyne the same company that made my 1990′s powered subwoofer?
December 6th, 2017 at 12:02 pm
The capacities of today’s pickups boggles me, but it continues raise a question of safety. Here you can have any weekend warrior buy one of these, strap on a trailer and go towing; with no experience on how to handle the weight that is behind them. I have the same problem with motor homes. If a work truck weighs over 26,000 lbs, the driver needs a commercial driver’s license. I know the same coule be said about sports cars & Demons, but they don’t sell 30,000 of those a month.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:08 pm
#1 I have answered my own question. I found that it is, in fact, a spinoff of the same company.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:17 pm
#2 Lisk
I think you are on to something and I agree; besides, other than bragging rights, those absolute numbers really don’t mean (that) much.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:33 pm
So How long before Kia gets into the major race events? If they want to change peoples perception of the company they should consider showing if they can build something to compete reliability and performance wise with the other automakers. Right now the perception is they can compete with the econo-boxes of other makers.
December 6th, 2017 at 12:44 pm
#2 Lisk your right and You Tube is filled with video of these people with more vehicle than they can handle. People retire take part of their savings and go buy a 45ft motorhome tipping the scales over 35k lbs and just head out like its a van.
I was surprised my state required nothing more than operators license when I bought mine at 40ft, 36k lbs, & air brakes. I had a CDL and drove truck for 5 years back in college so I was glad I didn’t have to do anything but some probably should.
December 6th, 2017 at 1:17 pm
#2, 4 A lot of pickup buyers seem to want bragging rights, and the “macho” look, never mind that these heavy, and “lifted” trucks present a lot of extra risk to those of us who drive other vehicles.
I remember that years ago, maybe when the first ML350 was going into production, Mercedes made it a point to have bumper height compatible with that of cars, within reason. You don’t see much of that now.
#5 Maybe Hyundai should get into NASCAR, and run a Genesis G80. Then, there would again be something running that is at least sold with the same drive train configuration as the race car.
December 6th, 2017 at 1:23 pm
It looks like, in most states, a regular driver’s license is all you need, even for the biggest RV’s. A number of states require CDL or similar for truck over 26,000 pounds, but the requirements don’t apply to RV’s. They should.
http://changingears.com/rv-sec-state-rv-license.shtml
December 6th, 2017 at 2:43 pm
Didn’t NASCAR start going down hill after Toyota made its debut; coincidence perhaps, but me, not so certain. Adding Genesis would only add another foreign competitor, dilute the brand (again) and NASCAR would homogulate anyway, so other than a Hyundai (looking) body would be practically the same as what’s out there today. NASCAR almost needs to start from scratch, and if it wants to include other than American (based) vehicles, at least start with factory produced equipment that IS derived from stock. Just my two-cents worth. (sorry for the diatribe)
December 6th, 2017 at 3:02 pm
@Lambo2015 #5 – While at the Kia Stinger drive event someone asked if the brand would enter into racing with the Stinger. All they would say is there maybe some news on that coming soon. So, it sure sounds like they will.
December 6th, 2017 at 3:05 pm
I’ve known some people who were really pi**ed when Toyota got into NASCAR, but I didn’t much care, either way, since the cars had long since gone from being real cars. I have lost even more interest, with NASCAR’s “playoff” stuff. To me, a championship for a motor racing series is not the same as baseball or football.
I found the “North American Touring Car” series interesting, based on actual cars like Accords and Dodge Stratus, but the series only lasted a year or two. I guess people wanted only V8′s with carburetors, to race as “stock” cars.
December 6th, 2017 at 3:23 pm
NASCAR was growing when its cars really looked like cars you could own. Nothing “stock” about the things they race today. Trying to equalize competition is ruining interest.
December 6th, 2017 at 3:31 pm
#9 Totally agree, and IMO NASCAR has done a huge dis-service to the manufacturers by trying to keep the races close. There thought was to make it more of an even playing field making the cars basically the same and hence turning it into a driver competition. This also contributes to the spectators caring even less about the “Race on Sunday what you drive on Monday” attitude. People don’t follow a race team cause its Chevy or Ford anymore. They just don’t care cause they are the same car essentially. If they really wanted to garner manufacturers support they should go back to stock-car racing. I would love to watch what professional drivers could do with a stock Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, and let Toyota and Kia join the fun. Shorten the race to 100 miles so its not a 4 hour event and it would do wonders for manufacturers. I know this already goes on in SCCA, ARCA and other divisions but if NASCAR ran one I think it would be popular.
December 6th, 2017 at 4:16 pm
The aero improvements on the Jeep Wrangler reminded me again about the real bad problem of any blunt ended hatch back, or SUV. In the winter especially, the back windows are covered with road dirt and snow in no time at all. No manufacturer as far as I know is trying to do anything about the swirling effect immediately behind the vehicle. You just end up using your rear wiper/washer.
I had an ’83 Mazda GLC hatch back which at that time, an after market supplier in England made plastic winglets that you could clip onto the vertical sides of the hatch. That helped a lot.
December 6th, 2017 at 4:35 pm
Years ago, my Chevy Celebrity wagon had a wing thing above the top of the tailgate, that helped a little to keep the rear window clean. Generally, though, all non-sedans need rear wipers. My cars have them, except for the Corvette. I suspect the Vette doesn’t have one, both to save a little weight, and because it would look “tacky” on such a car.
December 6th, 2017 at 4:36 pm
I agree with the sentiment about NASCAR. It’s the National Association for Stock Car Racing. Nothing stock about it today. With the latest format, I have found it easier to record the race and fast forward to the end unless there is a caution. OMG, watching a restrictor plate race is even more boring. Back when they raced real stock cars, there was room for a lot more independents to mix it up. This “Play-off” format just elevates a small group of drivers, and makes the others just filler on the track. Even if one of the drivers that get’s knocked out of the chase happens to win, nobody cares. I find the season gets less and less interesting as the number of drivers in the chase dwindles down. you get points for winning, you get points for segment wins. The day will come when we see the chase winner have the cruise control on for the last race and finish the race last.
NASCAR has forgotten that they became the dominant racing format on TV when on a snowy winter in the North, at Daytona the lead drivers took each other out on the last lap and proceeded to punch it out on the back stretch. Remember when manufacturers had to actually produce a certain number of actual race cars to be sold to the public to be able to race that model for a NASCAR race? Exhibit A, the Daytona Charger. Watching a Fast and Furious movie where they modify street cars and race is closer to the original NASCAR than today’s NASCAR is. The cable networks are full of shows where guys are building hot rods, customs, and race cars. Doesn’t NASCAR see this and realize that people want the real thing, not some class racing in vehicles that are all the same except for the vinyl wrap.
December 6th, 2017 at 4:45 pm
#13 I’d like to see them race “real” Camaros, Mustangs, etc., if tbey can make them reasonably safe. Maybe all of tbose air bags would help make today’s road cars safer on race tracks, like they do on highways. I don’t want to see NASCAR kill multiple drivers a season, like in the “old days.”
December 6th, 2017 at 6:54 pm
Did anyone ask the Jeep guy for old versus new aero numbers? Saying “I think we did a good job” tells me nothing, did any of their changes really affect anything or are they just something he can talk about on a TV show to make it sound like they are trying?
December 6th, 2017 at 8:39 pm
17 Yeah, they talk about aerodynamics, but I suspect any improvement would be small. For good aerodynamics, a vehicle needs to be shaped more like a Prius, but quite understandably,Jeep people wouldn’t want that.
December 7th, 2017 at 10:22 am
#17 Lets be honest the Jeep Wrangler was never designed to be a highway cruiser. When they make of list of the Wrangler “customer demands” yeah better fuel economy is probably on their list but is trumped by off road capability, ground clearance, Wheel travel, large wheels, and maintaining the original design cues which all conflict with aerodynamics.
So I think its something they look at to help MPG and found small subtle changes they could make while maintaining the design. But yea I’m sure its small.
December 7th, 2017 at 10:42 am
I’ve known several Wrangler owners, and “the look” and image is the main reason they bought them. My Mini and Prius have probably seen more off-road use than two of them. Still, people like bragging rights about off-road prowess, as people like bragging rights about 0-60 times.