On today’s show… Honda engineers came up with a clever way to add more trunk space to the new Accord Hybrid… Porsche and Aston are expanding their brands way beyond the automotive industry… and Acura teases the all-new RDX. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

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

RENAULT FORMS JV FOR CHINESE LCVs
The Chinese market for light commercial vehicles, or LCV’s, is closing in on 3 million sales annually and demand is increasing for European style vans. So Renault and Chinese automaker Brilliance are forming a joint venture to build LCVs in China starting in 2020. The JV will manufacture vehicles for Renault and Brilliance’s Jinbei and Huasong brands, in three segments, minivans or what they call MPVs in Europe, as well as medium and heavy vans. The companies are aiming to sell 150,000 vehicles annually by 2022.

ACURA TEASES ALL-NEW RDX PROTOTYPE
Yesterday Honda showed a new Insight Prototype, today Acura is teasing an all-new RDX Prototype. For the first time, the crossover was designed and developed in America and rides on a new, Acura-exclusive platform. It appears much more shapely than the current model and funny enough, has one of those “shark fins” we were talking about yesterday. It also wears the brand’s new signature grille along with a sleek set of headlights. The interior is all-new and features a similar gear and drive mode selector as the NSX. The user interface and operating system were designed from a clean sheet as well. Like the Insight, the new RDX Prototype will make its debut at the Detroit auto show.

Honda faced a real challenge in developing the new Accord Hybrid and that’s coming up next.

JEEP WRANGLER COMES WITH TOOL KIT
We love when car companies add thoughtful touches to their vehicles and Jeep is one of the best. Every new Jeep Wrangler comes with this little tool kit in the center console. It has a socket wrench and several Torx bits that are used to remove the roof, fold down the windshield, adjust the rear view camera, and take off the doors. In fact the door hinges have “T-50” cast into them so you know exactly which Torx bit to use when you want to go for that open air driving. It’s small touches like these that cement the brand loyalty of your owners.

HONDA ENGINEERS SHRINK HYBRID PACKAGE
Honda faced a major challenge developing the new Accord hybrid. It wanted more trunk space and a 60/40 fold-down rear seat. On the old hybrid, the battery and power electronics, what they call the IPU, were blocking the way. So Honda engineers set out to shrink the package. Battery technology is better so they made it smaller. They also shrunk the electronics. All together the IPU is now one third smaller. That allowed them to move it out of the trunk and under the back seat. There still wasn’t enough room so they made the gas tank smaller, 40 liters versus 60 liters on the old one. The driving range on the new hybrid is actually less than before, but it’s still better than the gasoline-only Accord. And this is a great example of the kind of trade offs engineers have to go through in developing a car. They sacrificed a bit of range so that the car would be more user friendly, and that should help Honda sell more Accord hybrids.

Don’t forget to join us later this afternoon for Autoline After Hours and our annual Presents and Coal show. Who will we rip to pieces for being naughty? And who will we praise for being nice? This is going to be a fun show. And a programming note here. Autoline Daily and After Hours will be off the air next week as the crew takes a well deserved year end break. And we’ll be back here again on January 3rd.

Coming up next, why in the world are Porsche and Aston Martin designing condos in Miami?

PLEASE LIKE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE
We’ve seen automakers, like Cadillac, Ford, Porsche, Volvo and Hyundai recently roll out new subscription-based programs that lump all the costs of ownership, including insurance, into one payment. This allows automakers to avoid used vehicles pilling up as they come off lease. They can manage which models are included in the subscription program and how often they’re swapped out. With some programs, customers can get in a new vehicle whenever they want. And we may be seeing a shift in consumer preference. One expert says the trend to longer term loans could signal that people are ready to embrace a subscription-based ownership model. How about you? Are you ready to switch over to paying for your car like you pay for your phone?

PORSCHE & ASTON TEST RESIDENTIAL MARKET
For the better part of a century luxury car brands only did one thing. They made luxury cars. But now they’re beginning to discover that their brands have cachet well outside the automotive industry. Porsche and Aston Martin recently designed luxury residential buildings in Miami. The entranceways and public areas use design themes developed by each car company. And if you want them to design your own personal condo they’ll do that too. All you have to do is open your checkbook, but you better be ready to spend millions. And who ever thought we’d see the day when two of the most glorious names in sports cars would turn their attention towards high-end residential buildings?

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