AD #2486 – Porsche 911 Gets More Sporty, Honda Revives the Passport, Lincoln Takes the Wraps Off the Aviator
November 28th, 2018 at 11:38am
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Runtime: 7:57
0:29 Porsche 911 Gets More Sporty
1:40 Honda Revives the Passport
2:24 Rivian Reveals Electric SUV
3:10 Mazda3 Features More Upscale Styling
3:48 Lincoln Takes the Wraps Off the Aviator
4:39 Toyota Prius Now Available with AWD
5:10 Corolla Hybrid Makes U.S. Debut
6:05 Bosch Brings Automated Driving Closer to Reality
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On today’s show…the ultimate sports car gets sportier…Lincoln blasts off into the mid-size crossover segment…and Bosch makes sure autonomous cars know exactly where they’re at, at all times. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.
PORSCHE 911 GETS MORE SPORTY
Porsche has revealed the 8th generation 911. Let’s look at the highlights. The fenders are wider than before and the front track has been pushed out close to 2-inches. The door handles are flush mounted to help emphasize the body lines on the side. And at the rear, the new 911 has a wider spoiler and light bar, which is more in line with the Panamera and Taycan. Power comes from the next generation of its turbocharged flat-six engine. Rated at over 440-horsepower, it makes nearly 30-horsepower more than the outgoing model, which helps reduce 0 to 100 kilometers time by almost half a second. Rear drive versions do it in 3.7 seconds, all-wheel drive in 3.6-seconds. 1970’s models inspired the interior with clear, straight lines across the dashboard and recessed gauges. A large 10.9-inch display screen sits in the middle of the interior as well. The new 911 starts at just over $114,000 in the U.S. and will hit dealer showrooms in the summer of next year.
HONDA REVIVES THE PASSPORT
Honda is upping its SUV game by reviving the Passport, which will slot between the CR-V and 3-row Pilot in its lineup. It looks a lot like a baby version of the Pilot as many of the styling cues were taken right from the larger utility vehicle. It’s of unibody construction and features fully independent suspension. Only one engine is available, a 280-horsepower 3.5L V6, which gets mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is also available. A 5-inch display comes standard, but higher trim levels get an 8-inch screen. All models feature a 7-inch instrument cluster.
RIVIAN REVEALS ELECTRIC SUV
And speaking of SUVs, we told you you’d be hearing more about EV startup Rivian, which just revealed its electric SUV. The specs are the same as the truck, so there’s not much to talk about there. But the styling is a bit different with some minor tweaks to the front fascia and flatter body sides. We actually think it kind of looks like a futuristic Cadillac Escalade.
And we’ll be back with more reveals from LA, right after this.
MAZDA3 FEATURES MORE UPSCALE STYLING
Mazda revealed the new Mazda3. The styling has been updated and features a more upscale look. It’s the first vehicle in the company’s lineup to offer its new spark-controlled compression ignition engine, what it calls SkyActiv-X. Three gasoline engines are also available, as well as a 1.8L diesel. The engines can be mated to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. And it’s now available with more safety and driver assistance features. The new Mazda3 goes on sale in North America in early 2019 and will be rolled out to global markets after that.
LINCOLN TAKES THE WRAPS OFF THE AVIATOR
Lincoln is jumping into the midsize, premium crossover segment with the all-new Aviator. The three row CUV is available with two powertrains. A twin-turbo 3.0L V6 that’s mated to a 10-speed automatic comes standard. And customers can choose a hybrid version, that uses the same engine, but it’s expected to produce over 450-horsepower and a whopping 600 lb-ft of torque. It also comes with some cool features. The suspension automatically lowers when the driver approaches the vehicle and will automatically adjust when driving over a pothole. Owners can also use their smartphone instead of a key fob, to unlock, lock, start and drive away in the vehicle. The new Lincoln Aviator will be sold in both the U.S. and China.
TOYOTA PRIUS NOW AVAILABLE WITH AWD
Toyota took the wraps off a couple of hybrids. It introduced an all-wheel-drive version of the Prius, which is expected to deliver 50 MPG combined. Just two less than front-wheel-drive models. It uses the same hybrid system as FWD models but it features a newly developed nickel-metal hydride battery, instead of a lithium-ion battery. The company estimates that the AWD version could account for as much as 25% of all Prius sales in the U.S.
COROLLA HYBRID MAKES U.S. DEBUT
The company also unveiled a hybrid version of the Corolla, the first time it’s available in the U.S. It features an adapted version of the Prius’s hybrid system. A 1.8L four-cylinder gasoline engine, with two motors, that’s mated to a CVT. Like the AWD Prius, it uses a nickel-metal hydride battery instead of a lithium-ion one. It’s projected to get at least 50 MPG combined. The Corolla Hybrid goes on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2019.
Coming up next, Bosch creates a system to make highly automated driving a reality.
BOSCH BRINGS AUTOMATED DRIVING CLOSER TO REALITY
Before Level 4 and 5 autonomous driving becomes a reality, vehicles will need to know exactly where they are, at all times. And the German supplier Bosch has created a solution to allow for this. Its system uses surround sensors, satellite navigation and inertial sensors to determine the vehicle’s position on a high definition map. The surround sensors collect info about stationary surroundings like guardrails or signs. That data is sent to the Bosch cloud to make an independent map of the HD map. Both maps are then compared to give a more precise location of the vehicle. The car is also equipped with satellite sensors and those receivers determine its position from several satellites. To offset the effects of imperfections, like satellite orbits, satellite clock errors and atmospheric disturbances, the vehicle motion and position sensor uses signals provided by a correction service. The correction data is created by a network of reference stations, which receive signals and send them to a data processing center. The signals are then compared with reference stations to create detection data which is then sent to the vehicle. The vehicle motion and position sensors then process that data to determine the actual position of the vehicle. If the car goes through a tunnel and the signal is lost, inertial sensors in the car take over to determine where it’s at. Bosch believes the redundancy in its system is necessary for the car to always know where it’s at.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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Comments (31)
November 28th, 2018 at 11:50 am
It looks like the new 911 will be automatic only. That’s sad, even though the PDK outperforms a manual. At least the “lesser” Cayman and Boxster are available with a 3 pedal manual.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:56 am
That new Lincoln Aviator is one handsome vehicle. I’d drive it!
November 28th, 2018 at 12:01 pm
I find it interesting that Toyota is using NiMH batteries in their newest hybrids, the 4wd Prius, and Corolla hybrid. Is it because the NiMH batteries will probably have a longer lifetime than lithium batteries? The NiMH cells may cheaper, but not by much, if at all.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:02 pm
Sean: You neglected to mention the inclusion of AWD as an option on the Mazda 3. This is BIG in this segment and hopefully will help stem the tide of CUV conversions within the Mazda ranks.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:05 pm
“The three-row, midsize premium utility elevates Lincoln’s design vision while delivering on Quiet Flight, a key brand concept that supports tenets of beauty, gliding, human and a crafted sanctuary.”
This takes marketing BS to a new level.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:09 pm
A rich news day..
Porsche 911: When you are iconic and excellent, you can charge whatever the hell you like, such as $115k BASE price for the new 911. Which looks great on the outside, but its interior is not that of a $115k+++ car. Plus, the steering wheel in your video looks like they forgot to bolt the top of it on.
Honda Passport: I know some here are unbelievablye excited by this new breadvan on stilts, but I sure am not one of them, and question the wisdom of Honda to offer not one, not two but THREE similar-sized and powered crossovers, when only ONE of them (the CR-V) had strong sales the past few years. Do NOT assume that Honda always know what they are doing. Until recently, they had several TERRIBLY Selling niche models nobody bought., and they only discontinued them after many years of losses. Apparently they must have had some champion in the Exec Suite. as for these HP numbers, 280 from a 3.5 lt 6 is nowhere as bad as 280 from some coffeemaker 4 from Volvo with 8 turbos, BUT is will still be nothing like the DIVINE 4.4 lt V8 I enjoyed from 2005 to 2017 in my “Magnificent 7″… a 1998 model, the last time the 7 looked truly beautiful…
Rivian, Mazda, Aviator… The Rivian is attractively priced, considering. The Mazda, I bet will get rave reviews and sell next to nothing. The Aviator, a breadvan on stilts with 450 HP and 600 lbft, is a new height of the RIDICULOUS. So the housewife who hated the minivan because she looked too old driving it, needs 450 HP and 600 Lbft to carry her offspring to their lessons and games and shop at the Mall…. Just Ridiculous.
The AWD Prius and the Corolla 50 MPG HYbrid. THIS IS why Toyota is crying all the way to the bank and every other maker of affordable cars seems to be in a permanent crisis. These two products are FAR more impressive to the WISE observer, despite the still ugly front end of the Corolla, for their engineering and economic achievements, than ANY other shiny vehicle shown today. The MPG of the AWD Prius is DOUBLE what the next best AWD ( A Subaru no doubt) can achieve. This is Automotive EXCELLENCE. Now let’s see how high the usual suspects will jump.
Finally, the really long paragraph on Bosch ( wasn’t Bocsch one of the participants in the big Diesel CHEAT?) Autonomous nonsense. Really? Level 4 and Level 5? Sounds very impressive, IF you did NOT read yesterday’s article I posted Twice, where it is found out that even a MILD Rain makes all this tech FREEZE.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
The “long version” release video for the Passport showed off-road stuff, looking like they want it to compete with Wrangler, never mind that it will be used mostly to go to the mall, Walmart, and the soccer field, like the rest of the crossovers and SUVs out there. That “macho” image, if used in advertising, will probably help sales, though.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:23 pm
That’s a huge price jump for the “base” Porsche 911. The current one is ~$92K.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:30 pm
Regards NIMH vs Lithium in the new AWD Prius, Toyota is only using NIMH batteries for the AWD vehicles, they are sticking with Lithium for the FWD. Toyota implies in the press release that it is because NIMH has superior performance in cold weather, and a little Googling seems to confirm that.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:36 pm
9 The Corolla hybrid also uses NiMH.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:46 pm
The Rivian P/U and the SUV look pretty good, styling wise…………….until you see the ‘beady eyes’ of the front. As good as it may be, I’m not driving that.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:29 pm
I don’t like the front of those Rivians at all, but the rest looks ok. It will be interesting to see if they actually make it to production. I haven’t heard much about Elio lately.
Yesterday, I saw a black Tesla Model 3 are a restaurant, and black may be the best color. It makes the frond end kind of disappear.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:43 pm
7 have not seen that version, but if they really want to take sales from the Wrangler, good luck.. The Wrangler is a unique vehicle, almost like a Hummer, looks different even than the other Jeeps. The Wrangler Truck they just introduced is also true to that styling. IF the passport does indeed have off road capabilities, it would be easier to try to steal sales from other off-road capable Jeeps like the Cherokee and the Grand Cher. But the photos and videos I have seen make the Pilot look like any other crossover, and nothing like any Jeep. Esp the Wrangler.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:45 pm
12 Most cars look their best in black, said a former landlady of mine. I was able to live with the Model 3 front end, in any color, if I see it mostly from above (when I walk past a parked one) and not from the front.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:47 pm
12 PS The Elio is still dead. What a fraud. Unsafe at any speed, but would get approved, because it pretends it is not a car but a covered motorcycle. The gullible fools who invested in this contraption nobody asked for, have lost tens of millions, and counting. And $7-8,000 for this toy? You can get a used Nissan Leaf for less, and with only few miles.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:49 pm
13 I meant make the Passport, not the Pilot, look quite generic and not like any Jeep.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:58 pm
What they showed in the video made it look like they might be targeting serious off-roaders, but the vehicles they listed as competition were 4-Runner, Grand Cherokee, Blazer, Murano, and Edge. They didn’t show any H/K vehicles in their chart. Yeah, Wrangler is still a “one of a kind” vehicle, in appearance, and in having a folding top, removable doors, etc., along with the off-road capability. Of course, most any vehicle, like a Corolla, has all the off-road capability 95% of SUVs ever use.
November 28th, 2018 at 2:22 pm
I am very excited about the new 2019 Honda Passport. The interior is excellent except for the dark headliner and the lack of rubber or plastic cladding on the back of the second row of seats. The entire cargo compartment should have both carpeting and reversible hard plastic panels for ease of cleaning. The rear taillights are lacking in style and the reverse lights need to be moved off the rear bumper and onto the rear hatch on either side of the license plate as to better illuminate the area behind the vehicle when reversing or lining up to attach a hitch. The roof rails should be streamlined in a silver or chrome finish to minimize the outdoorsy and rough look of the vehicle in the same way Toyota has done with the new Rav4 and its different trim levels.
The flat black ascent traveling up from the lower front bumper should be replaced with smooth body color plastic like in the Ridgeline which the New Passport resembles in the front. The lower front bumper could probably do without the secondary outer square turning signal light and the fog light could then be pushed further out to the corner of the vehicle. I would guess we are only seeing the Elite trim of the new Passport with all of it’s blacked out wheels and side view mirrors.
I hope the EXL and Touring trims come with either 17 or 18 inch polished aluminum wheels and body color mirrors. Also I would like to see a Saddle Brown Leather interior color choice on higher trims.
I heard no mention of a surround view camera system. This is very important for all Honda vehicles.
In the Honda Passport debut video, they said that the target audience were younger buyer. I beg to differ. I see this as the perfect vehicle for those empty nesters who no longer need a Minivan or Large SUV like the Odyssey or Pilot, but want more interior space, AWD and horsepower then offered by the CR-V.
I will be taking it for a test drive once it arrives at my local Honda Dealership.
November 28th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
What do you have on the back of your head? First noticed it in yesterdays broadcast and saw it again today. Looks like a ribbon. Just curious………..
November 28th, 2018 at 2:33 pm
18 They seem to be going with the “macho” look for the Passport. The video seemed to indicate that a lot of black plastic is part of the deal. I doubt that black wheels are mandatory, but they said 20 inch wheels are standard. By “standard,” I suspect they mean mandatory, unless they offer 22 inch wheels as an option. I suspect 17 or 18 inch wheels would work, and fit over the brakes, but you’d have to buy them aftermarket.
Using the 3.5 engine seems a smart move. Not everyone wants a turbo four, which is what you get in some of the competition.
November 28th, 2018 at 3:33 pm
That new 911 looks awesome. Didnt think from earlier spy shots it would look even better than the 991.2 version but the latest is the best looking 911 to date…
Lincolns aviator is a home run for sure. Wow…
No wonder gm is closing plants to focus on more cuv s and electrics…
That new aviator looks as if cadillacs going to get some serious competition from Lincoln.
November 28th, 2018 at 3:51 pm
The Aviator is rear drive based. Maybe a stretched version of that platform could be used for a proper Continental, if Ford ever decides to get back into the car business.
November 28th, 2018 at 4:46 pm
20 Kit, I am hoping someone from Honda Design and Production might read my comments and hopefully influence these small changes to the vehicle before Honda begins actual production. I am an Empty Nester who was thinking about the Jeep Grand Cherokee at one time but decided against it when it failed the passenger side front overlap crash test. My Wife said no way would she sit in the front passenger seat of that Jeep. Has Jeep fixed that issue?
November 28th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
Honda might use different “decor” on the different trim levels. Autoweek says black wheels are standard on Passport, but surely there would be options, other than aftermarket wheels.
I don’t know if they have fixed the crash test issue on the GC. I’ll see if I can find anything about it.
November 28th, 2018 at 5:13 pm
There’s probably little chance that the GC, or the equally bad Explorer would be fixed yet, since the tests were done as recently as June 2018. The Kia Sorrento did well.
If you can convince your wife that you won’t run off the road and hit a tree with the right front corner when she’s a passenger, she might be ok with the Jeep. Yeah, it probably doesn’t work that way:-)
November 28th, 2018 at 6:20 pm
It is true that the new 911 (in the US) cannot be had with a manual transmission? If so, what is the world coming to?!
Sean, my grammatically-sensitive wife is cringing and bad-mouthing you on the use of “..where it’s at.” I know it’s a pain but you instead could say, “…where it is located.”; or “…where you are.” Don’t worry though. I get grief for this stuff too.
November 28th, 2018 at 6:27 pm
26 I searched around, and from what I could find, yes, the new 911 will be automatic only. You can still get a manual in Cayman and Boxter.
November 28th, 2018 at 6:30 pm
26, 27 For the $23K price increase, you get a free automatic transmission, whether you want it or not.
November 28th, 2018 at 6:31 pm
Lex and Kit, I usually like your comments, but 23 and 25 seems to be the result of drinking IIHS Koolaid. The small overlap test has very little relationship to real world safety. Please do not make purchasing decisions based on it.
When IIHS developed the test, they were looking for maximum visual shock in order to earn they way back into media coverage. Well, a vehicle hitting a rigid barrier without engaging its main source of energy absorption (longitudinal frame rails) certainly creates a big mess. But IIHS cooked the books when they claimed its safety case… they struggled to find real world injuries/deaths from small overlap collisions… the injuries/deaths in the few cases they found were the result of concatenated events such the vehicle veering/rolling-over into a ditch and/or the vehicle careening into a building or imbankment.
November 28th, 2018 at 6:36 pm
29 I mostly agree with what you say about that small overlap test, and I buy cars that probably haven’t even been tested, and wouldn’t do well, like a Corvette.
November 28th, 2018 at 8:27 pm
R and T says a manual trans will be available in the new Porsche 911, but other sources say PDK only. I guess we’ll have to wait for conclusive info.