AD #2737 – Hyundai Sonata N-Line Details; Plug-In Hybrid Sales Plunge; Ford Offers Free GT500 Instruction
December 13th, 2019 at 11:58am
Follow us on social media:
Runtime: 9:01
0:07 Daimler’s Credit Rating Cut
0:43 Mercedes Equips Side View Cameras on Actros Truck
1:38 Passenger Drone Market Set to Explode
2:39 Hyundai Sonata N-Line Details
3:37 Ford Offers Free GT500 Instruction
4:16 MINI Cooper SE Range Revealed
5:00 Most Cadillacs Will Be Electrified By 2030
5:49 Kia To Rename the Optima the K5
6:16 Skoda’s Clever Snow Scraper
6:45 Plug-In Hybrid Sales Plunge
7:30 ADAS Making Big Improvement in Safety
Visit our sponsor to thank them for their support of Autoline Daily: Bridgestone.
This is Autoline Daily reporting on all aspects of the global automotive industry.
DAIMLER’S CREDIT RATING CUT
Daimler, which used to be the Rock of Gibraltar from a financial standpoint, just had its credit rating cut. S&P Global Rating just cut Daimler’s credit rating to A-, which is still good, but S&P indicated it will probably cut that rating again in the next two years. The parent company of Mercedes-Benz is being hit by slow sales in China and Europe and it has to invest heavily in electrification. Daimler already announced it will cut 10,000 jobs and warns that its earnings will be under pressure for at least a couple of years.
MERCEDES EQUIPS SIDE VIEW CAMERAS ON ACTROS TRUCK
We’ve seen video cameras used in place of outside side-view mirrors on concept cars for years. But now we’re seeing them on production cars. Lexus is using them on the ES sedan, Audi on the e-tron and Honda on its small city car the Honda-e. And Mercedes is also using the technology for its big trucks. Starting this past June, the camera mirrors or MirrorCam as Mercedes calls it, are now standard on the Actros truck. Two cameras are mounted on the left and right of the roof frame and images are displayed on two upright monitors mounted on the A-Pillar inside the cab. The images are divided into a main and wide-angle view. As you could imagine on a big truck, the system helps improve overtaking, maneuvering, driving in poor visibility or conditions and cornering and braking situations.
PASSENGER DRONE MARKET SET TO EXPLODE
There will be hundreds of thousands of passenger drones flying above us in the next couple of decades. That’s according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan. The first passenger drones or air taxis, will begin operating in 2022 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 46% to reach 430,000 units in operation globally by 2040. The United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and Singapore are expected to be the first adopters while Brazil and Mexico aren’t expected to be too far behind. We’ve seen a number of automakers invest in passenger drones over the last several years because they want to get a slice of what could be a very profitable market.
HYUNDAI SONATA N-LINE DETAILS
Performance sells, especially these days and automakers love it because performance models have higher prices and profit margins. That’s why Hyundai is coming out with a performance version of the Sonata. It’s called the Sonata N-line, which is separate from the company’s performance brand called N. While N cars, like the Veloster N, are full-bore track cars, the N-line is good for a few hot laps. The Sonata N-line gets beefier springs, shocks, and bushings, as well as Continental 245/40R 19 summer tires. The electric steering features a rack-mounted motor, rather than column mounted. And the seats are more heavily bolstered. It gets a turbocharged 2.5 liter that puts out 290 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque and is mated to an 8-speed wet clutch DCT.
FORD OFFERS FREE GT500 INSTRUCTION
Ford is offering a complimentary track experience for owners of the new Mustang Shelby GT500. Called the GT500 Track Attack, you’ll get professional driving instruction at the new Ford Performance Racing School at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. In addition to learning in the classroom, you’ll also be taught cornering, braking and launch techniques from instructors out on the course. Ford is covering the cost of the driving school but owners will have to pay for their travel and hotel. Ford will announce plans and schedules for the GT500 Track Attack in the near future.
MINI COOPER SE RANGE REVEALED
MINI is gearing up for the launch of its first EV and has released pricing and range estimates. The Cooper SE is estimated to have an EPA range of 110 miles. While that’s well behind other EVs, it’s not too surprising, given the Cooper SE’s 32.6-kWh battery pack. If you remember, the 2017 Nissan LEAF with a 30-kWh battery is rated at 107 miles. Pricing starts at $30,750, which does not include the federal tax rebate of up to $7,500. That puts the MINI in the same price range of EVs like the Nissan LEAF and Hyundai Ioniq Electric.
MOST CADILLACS WILL BE ELECTRIFIED BY 2030
And in other EV news, Cadillac’s president Steve Carlisle says most, if not all, of the brand’s models will be electrified by 2030. That includes a large, all-electric SUV, similar to the Escalade, that will start production in 2023 at GM’s Detroit/Hamtramck plant, confirming our earlier reports. We’re not expecting every model to go electric-only by that time. Carlisle says Cadillac could still sell vehicles with internal combustion engines alongside EVs, depending on consumer demand. Following along with the EVs will be a welcome change by many, real names. Cadillac is going to start phasing out its alphanumeric naming structure. Here’s hoping for a new Eldorado.
KIA TO RENAME THE OPTIMA THE K5
And speaking of name changes, the Korean Car Blog reports that Kia will drop the Optima name in the U.S. and other overseas markets and rename it the K5, which is what it is called in Korea. Kia revealed the all-new version last month and it’s on sale now in South Korea.
SKODA’S CLEVER SNOW SCRAPER
Skoda has come up with another smart, simple solution that its customers will find helpful. You may remember this washer fluid reservoir cap that also acts as a funnel. And now it’s offering a snow scraper that fits right behind the fuel filler or EV plug door. And the corners of the scraper can also be used as a tire tread depth gauge. It fits every Skoda model, except non-electric versions of the CITIGO.
PLUG-IN HYBRID SALES PLUNGE
Automakers believe that plug-in hybrids are the perfect bridge from internal combustion engines to battery electrics. Consumers can experience a pure electric driving experience, but still have the long-distance driving range they’re used to, even in winter. The only thing is, consumers don’t seem to agree. Sales of plug-in hybrids are going nowhere. There are 27 plug-in models sold in the U.S. market, but only 110,000 of them were sold in the first 11 months of the year, and that was down nearly 30% from a year ago, according to data from Wards Intelligence. And that means from a business standpoint that this segment is a disaster.
ADAS MAKING BIG IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY
All that new safety equipment in cars is really making an improvement in safety. General Motors studied the impact of safety technology with the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan. They compared vehicles with this technology to the same kind of models without it, and the results are extremely encouraging. Cars with automated emergency braking had 46% fewer rear end accidents. Rear park assist, which warns when you’re about to back into something, cut those accidents by 38%. Vehicles equipped with IntelliBeam, which automatically dims the high beams, cut accidents by 35%. And lane departure warning cut them 20%. Traffic fatalities in the U.S. have been falling for three years, and as more vehicles get this technology we should see a noticeable reduction in car accidents.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and have a great weekend.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
Share
Permalink
Comments (63)
December 13th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
“PASSENGER DRONE MARKET SET TO EXPLODE”
Fairy tales not worth the paper they are printed on. These drones will be as expensive to use as HELICOPTERS and THEREFORE only the very wealthy will be able to afford them. I will not even bother to look at the link to see all their FAULTY assumptions on which they made this laughable GUESS. Because it is a GUESS, not a Fact.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:18 pm
1. The bulk of the maintenance and cost of a helicopter is due to the highly stressed mechanism that tilts the blades. Since air taxis do not tilt the blades to turn, they should be much less expensive to maintain
December 13th, 2019 at 12:18 pm
“PLUG-IN HYBRID SALES PLUNGE”
Are you surprised? In most cases the price difference is far greater than the meager gas savings, at our DIRT CHEAP gas prices. COnsumers do the RIGHT THING, they are ECONOMIC ANIMALS.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:19 pm
The plug-in hybrid is the prefect solution if you drive longer distances regularly. A full EV is too inconvenient if you happen to drive as I do over 200 miles a day on business trips. It is way too inconvenient to stop and wait a couple of hours for a recharge.
The big problem is that the electric range is too low to be practical. I am very interested in the new RAV4 plug-in that is being released next summer with 39 miles of EV range and a predicted 5.7 second 0-60. That is a reasonable EV range and reasonable performance. Let’s see if that appears as announced…
December 13th, 2019 at 12:19 pm
2 Maintenance is a tiny component of the overall cost. A Helicopter does not cost as much as a taxi, and same with the stupid drone, it will be much more expensive. Plus they are far less safe than planes.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
4 this may be true price independent, but not if the plug-in price diff is way higher than the meager savings, given our, I repeat, DIRT CHEAP gas prices.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Anyone see the “Easter egg” in the Mini E’s rear taillight (portion/image of the British flag) or am I just seeing things.
And I’ve (and others) have also been skeptical of the passenger drone market expanding to the levels sited in this article. I feel it will be elitist for as long as they exist.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:29 pm
ZR1 owners were offered free driving instruction at Ron Fellows training facility in Las Vegas similar to what Ford is offering for the GT500. I believe with the introduction of the C8 a discounted fee will be offered for the Ron Fellows school but due to the number couldn’t offer all a free ride; I expect the ‘new’ C8 ZR1 may re-instate a similar offer of free training. Kudos to Ford to follow along as these high-end beasts should be driven by well trained individuals (are you listening Hellcat).
December 13th, 2019 at 12:33 pm
7 Some, if not all versions of the current Minis have the Union Jack in the tail lights.
I’ve been very skeptical of the “passenger drone” thing too. Helicopters, and especially multi-rotor ones without pitch adjustment are very inefficient machines. It will take a big battery to fly even a very few miles, and then take time to recharge it. The market for $500 dollar a mile taxi rides will be quite limited.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:38 pm
Cadillac to electrify there fleet by 2030, also in the news manufacturers can’t give away plug in hybrids.
I would get in a drone helicopter thingy in many countries, UAE is definitely not one of them, a little to easy in some of those parts to make you disappear on purpose or accident.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:38 pm
On the story about Plug-in Hybrid Sales Plunge. The problem is that you have a limited number of green vehicle buyers and they are moving to full BEV’s. With the price of new vehicles growing much faster then inflation and some buyers being priced out of the new car market, your not going to get non-green buyers pay extra for a Hybrid or a BEV.
Your going to need big incentives on Hybrids/BEV and car companies are going have to raise the price of IC vehicles to offset the money they are losing on Hybrids/BEV’s.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:40 pm
Loved the After Hours show on the C8. Some interesting challenges in changing from front to rear mid design, some even surprising Tadge. Makes me wonder if a show with Maximum Bob and Tadge would be fun.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Many, or most plug-in hybrids do not have near full power when running only on battery, so if you tip into the throttle very hard, the ICE will start up. Basically, the plug-in aspect just improves the gas mileage for the first several miles, and with cheap gas, why bother?
The plug-ins that DO have full power on battery, like the Volt, and especially the i3 REX, have mediocre mpg when driving on gas. When batteries get cheap enough, there is a “why not” aspect to putting in as big of battery as you can fit into a regular hybrid, but we’re not there yet, and I suspect putting a significantly bigger batter in a car like my Camry, would end up taking away trunk space.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:44 pm
They should be able to produce a passenger drone for less money than a conventional helicopter it should be cheaper to operate too. My understanding is one of the main expenses is FAA certified inspections and overhauls. A conventional Helo has to get minor inspection every 25 hours and major inspection every 150 hours and the engines need rebuilt after 2400 hours. With a lot less parts and components to wear down the cost to maintain should be less. I wonder what the FAA will require for EV drones. I would guess the inspections will be the same but rebuilds and teardowns should be far less.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:46 pm
12 I watched the AAH this morning, and the Corvette guy said they tore apart a Ferrari to learn some things about mid-engine cars. Did he saw what model of Ferrari? If so, I missed it.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
14 The actual mechanical part of the EV things should be simple, just electric motors with gear reduction. The electronics and sensors are fairly complex, but has been done in large enough volume for small, hobbiest multi-rotors, the it is almost free. They’d need redundancy in the electronics, and the autonomous navigation, etc. Still, when you scale it up enough to carry 200 pounds, make it autonomous, and factor in the liability for the crashes, and allow for the very short run time between charges, it doesn’t sound very practical. I guess we’ll find out in due time.
If these things do come into fruition, they might be good candidates for quick change batteries, like those cars in China.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
I’m a bit surprised at the study results from the collision avoidance systems. Emergency braking only cut those accidents by 46% and rear avoidance by 38% which although is a good reduction it begs the question why in the other 54% and 62% of crashes did the system not work? Was it turned off? or some other type of circumstance? I’m still not real sure how automatically dimming the lights reduced accidents by anything as that would seem to affect the oncoming traffic more than the actual vehicle equipped with the feature. So claiming that cut accidents by 35% seems high.
All great improvements but the data seems to be pretty subjective.
December 13th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
16 I could see the manufacturers of the “ultralight” or “Experimental” air craft industry jumping all over personal drones. Those single person crafts don’t abide by the FAA regulations and if manufactured similar to the remote small drones anyone can buy seems they could be fairly cheap. The stabilization would be automated but controls could still be managed by a pilot. Only downside is you cant take a passenger in those crafts.
December 13th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
17 I haven’t tested the automatic emergency braking of my Camry, but I’ve read that these systems will often “soften” a rear end crash, even if it doesn’t prevent it completely.
December 13th, 2019 at 1:10 pm
@15, I too watched it this am and was wondering that also. Wonder what they do with the car or bits of car when they are done.
December 13th, 2019 at 1:16 pm
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/hongkong/getting-there.htm
The Hong Kong-Macau Heli ride is 4,300 HK $ each way, or about $600. The HK $ is worth about as much as a Chinese Yuan ($1=6.5Y, but was 7 in 2013). I’ve done the trip by fast catamaran, which cost far less. But the $600 is not for one mile, but more like 30 miles. OF course you share the heli with other passengers.
December 13th, 2019 at 1:50 pm
21 How many passengers do the helicopters carry?
December 13th, 2019 at 1:52 pm
20 They could auction the parts for charity. Probably some parts, like a crinkle red cam cover saying “Ferrari” would bring pretty good money.
December 13th, 2019 at 1:57 pm
Larry, Maybe you should talk to someone in the helicopter business (or are you an expert in that as well?) Maintenance (parts and labour) are THE largest cost of operating a helicopter. Maintenance, especially on older units, exceeds the original cost of the helicopter and the fuel costs. As usual, you are opinionated but uninformed.
December 13th, 2019 at 2:30 pm
@Lambo #17 – Not all automatic emergency braking systems are the same. Some will bring a vehicle to a complete stop, while others only slow the vehicle down. I think that’s why those numbers look a little wonky to you.
December 13th, 2019 at 2:35 pm
24 Yeah I was reading an article some years ago about a company that was buying up used Bell Helicopter engines because they were more expensive to rebuild than to just replace. So they could be had for next to nothing as they basically became useless for the aviation industry. They provided like 350 HP and were very lightweight. This company put one into Chevy S-10 and I believe are the ones that made the jet powered Motorcycle that Jay Leno owns. Biggest challenge was gearing and exhaust temps. But apparently the engines likely had a lot of life left on them but FAA regulations made them disposable.
December 13th, 2019 at 3:20 pm
“Sales of plug-in hybrids are going nowhere” makes sense today but in 2014-2016, the market was different. There was no affordable, <$40k, BEV with a practical, fast DC charging network. So we bought an end-of-lease, 2014 BMW i3-REx which remains as our backup car. Wednesday, I drove it to Nashville to pickup parts for our Tesla Model 3.
Today, the reliable SuperCharger network has at least five, coast-to-coast routes and spans from inside Canada and Mexico. The unreliable Electrify America claims coast-to-coasts routes and some Canadian stations. The growth of fast DC chargers has all but eliminated the need for a plug-in hybrid.
December 13th, 2019 at 4:01 pm
Maybe Skoda should look at putting capless fuel filler ports on their cars before getting all clever with the add-ons, fuel caps are so 20th century.
December 13th, 2019 at 4:17 pm
18
Experimental aircraft can carry passengers. They just cannot be used for commercial purposes.
December 13th, 2019 at 4:48 pm
It sounds like Brexit might soon be finalized, and we may learn if BMW and other car companies will leave the UK, to avoid tariffs, and other issues, with moving parts and cars going between Britain and the continent. Could all Mini production join the Mini EV in China?
December 13th, 2019 at 5:01 pm
30) May have to think twice before moving Mini:
https://ride.tech/electric-and-hybrid/pitch-china-ev-sales-tumble/
December 13th, 2019 at 7:47 pm
31 I think the Mini EV that will be built in China is for global markets, more than just for China. As far as BMW in the UK, I suspect what they do will depend on what arrangements are worked out over the next few months. If they can’t easily operate in the UK, getting parts from, and selling cars in continental Europe, they will move Mini from the UK. They will leave Rolls-Royce in the UK, no matter what, because Rolls “has” to be in England, and price is no object, so 20% tariffs on parts wouldn’t matter.
December 13th, 2019 at 8:03 pm
I’m not buying the idea of hundreds of thousands of passenger drones at any point in the near future. Nobody seems to mention air traffic control. As controlled as our skies are for commercial traffic, how in the world are they going to keep thousands of drones darting around the skies of a city in check??? It would seem that air traffic patterns would need to be developed along with air traffic controllers, and that’s just not going to happen. Certain distances between drones will need to be maintained and it’s just a nightmare waiting to happen, especially when half a dozen of these things are looking to occupy the same space. When you have a fender bender on the freeway, you simply pull over and take care of it. When you have a fender bender in the air, people are going to be falling out of the sky! Please tell me how this part of it is all supposed to work???
December 14th, 2019 at 5:36 am
I think the plan for these passenger drones is to be autonomous (air traffic control without this feature would be unattainable). However, I don’t think this will be a widespread phenomenon for quite some time if ever. And to quote Thorton Melon (from “Back to School”), where do you think this is going to happen: “how about Fantasyland”.
December 14th, 2019 at 7:32 am
22 As i have not used the heli service (I went from HK to Macau and back in a fast catamaran) I would not know, but maybe the link has something about it.
34 They expect to start in the Middle East where the sheikhs waste their easily gained petrodollars on exotic cars for police cruisers or in casinos without much thought.
24 So these drones were hit over the head by the Flying Drone Taxi fairy and will have zero maintenance costs, and be much safer than Helicopters? Can any rational person buy this fantasy?
December 14th, 2019 at 7:37 am
35 On a related topic, Many taxis where I live and also in other places (Wash DC is the first time I used one) use Priuses (the regular one, not the larger Prius V). When I used my first one in Wash DC it was a new 2010 model that year, and I sat in the passenger seat since the previous model had an atrocious rear seat, no headroom, little legroom. I asked the driver and he claimed he was getting 50 MPGs average.
But the problem was, NONE of these savings was passed to ME the consumer, the taxi fare was the same if I had used a Lincoln Town car with its poor but spacious bench seat in the back and its EXCELLENT passenger seat.
So why in the world would I use a Prius taxi again if I had a choice?
My point is, these drone taxis will NOT be very popular because their GREEDY operators will NOT have fares much lower than their competition helicopters with pilots, just lower enough so the customer does not take the piloted heli.
December 14th, 2019 at 1:37 pm
36 Yeah, taxi prices are generally the same, regardless of the car, except for “premium” taxis some places, like NYC. In my limited experience using taxis, I don’t pick the cars. I ride in what’s available.
Also, in my limited experience with Uber, about 8 rides, vehicles vary widely. I have ridden in a Prius V, a RAV4, a Nissan Sentra, and a Ram 2500 diesel crew cab pickup. All were the same, cheapest Uber price category. The guy with the monster truck was apparently driving for Uber, just for fun. Given the high purchase price, and operating expense of those trucks, there is no way he could be making money.
December 14th, 2019 at 4:37 pm
37 I only use taxis to go to and from the airport, and then I get to reserve them. If I have no reservation, there is a long line of taxis at the airport in the old country, and you have to choose the first one. About a third to a half are E class diesels and the rest are Skodas, much smaller, and with an utterly uncomfortable back seat (backs like 2X4s) and a few Toyotas, all of them diesels. If the taxi is lousy, I yield my place to the next passenger and get the much better one behind it.
December 14th, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Today I had time around noon to go test drive cars, and the weather was fine, but I did not feel like it. It did not help that the dealerships are in the western part of town and I am in the NE.
December 14th, 2019 at 4:57 pm
The last time I used a regular taxi was about two years ago, to a cruise ship terminal 3-4 miles away. It costs about half as much to take a taxi both ways, than to park at the terminal. I just call a taxi company to go to the port, and take the first one in line to return home. If I do another cruise from here, I’ll use Uber, as I have my last few airport/hotel trips. From my experience, Uber just works better than taxis, and is cheaper. Maybe I’ve been lucky.
December 15th, 2019 at 11:02 am
“The verdict:
Smooth, silent and strong, the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In hybrid drives well and looks sharp, but it suffers from an inferior interior. ”
This car would do all of my daily miles on pure electricity, except for long trips and maybe a few weekend invitations. There were about 130 used ones on sale at cars.com, but this review has made me a bit sceptical. of course they compare the interior to that of the Germans, who have the best in the business (along with the previous LS Lexi)
https://www.cars.com/research/cadillac-ct6_plug_in-2017/consumer-reviews/
December 15th, 2019 at 12:06 pm
41 It sounds like it works pretty well, but is already an “orphan,” last imported for the 2018 model year. I don’t know that I’d have much confidence in a dealer’s knowing how to work on the powertrain a few years down the road.
As far as the interior, it’s certainly not as nice as an S-Class, but it’s nicer than any cars I’ve had.
December 15th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Sean,
Cadillac dropping alpha/numeric naming and Hyundai dropping names in favor of it? It
s a crazy car world after all!
December 15th, 2019 at 4:16 pm
43 It looks like Hyundai, or at least Kia, is using both alphanumeric and names, with the K5 borrowing from the K900, and the Telluride, borrowing a name from a town famous for lead mining. At least the K5 won’t have the Canine Hundred option, like the expensive Kia.
December 15th, 2019 at 6:33 pm
Caddy interiors are fine. Too much plastic in some areas and too hard and flat seats for my taste. Still, I have thoughts of buying an suv if it wins my fancy. I’m reluctant only because I don’t want to get to know the service writers by name!
December 16th, 2019 at 6:00 am
I don’t have the CT6 hybrid, which were all made in China, but my CT6 Luxury (model) has a very nice interior. Even the seats, which some feel are weak, were very comfortable to me, this after just taking a 400 mile trip (S.C. to FL) and back. The seat actually got more comfortable as the trip wore on. All I can say is that I love mine; you just need to evaluate for yourself. And while the hybrid has the four cylinder turbo, my 3.6 six yielded 30 mpg at hwy (70 mph) speeds.
December 16th, 2019 at 8:14 am
46 The only vehicle I’ve driven with the 3.6 is my friend’s Camaro, and it works great in that application. The ~4000 pound CT6 weighs only about 400 pounds more than the Camaro. I suspect that engine is less impressive in the ~4700 pound Traverse/Encore, especially when they’re full of people and stuff, but I’m sure it works ok in those too.
December 16th, 2019 at 9:19 am
46 of course I would never buy anything without a thorough test drive, but the review is quite comprehensive, and I can already look at the photos of the interior.
42 That interior is not only inferior to the S class and the A8 (and the 7 I owned) but probably also than those of the cheaper 5, E and A6. And the LS too.
And the used prices for the CT6 Hybrid were not low. They were young, 2 year old vehicles, at most 3 (2018-19 models) but the cheapest, at almost $30k, had a carfax sheet that mentioned “lemon” and “accident” and of course I would not give it the time of day. Not for $30k!
December 16th, 2019 at 10:00 am
29 Brett your right the Experimental crafts can carry passengers but I believe only if the pilot is has a pilots license. Where the singles flying alone anyone can jump into a pilot.
33 Not all planes are in contact with Air traffic control. Especially if on a private runway. The small planes that do not have oxygen supplements are limited to the air-space below 12,500ft. So its not like the drones and commercial craft would be in the same area. Other than landing and take off the commercial crafts will be much higher than a drone. Still I agree with your concern in a major city as it could get very congested. My guess is people will not want the excessive whine of the drones and will block them just when everyone thinks its going to be huge.
December 16th, 2019 at 10:02 am
I looked at the photos of the interior again (driver’s seat and dashboard). There is not one square inch of wood veneer, which makes it a no-no in by book, especially for such a flagship sedan that is compared to the S class and similar vehicles. (it really is between this group and the E class, and the E class I own has acres of brilliant wood all over the dash and doors, and none of these dull, cheap plastics the CT6 has.
Really disappointing, given how great the exterior of the CT6 looks, especially in Black.
December 16th, 2019 at 10:19 am
46) Chuck, Your 30 mpg is very good! I’ll take another test drive when we are ready for a new vehicle. I’m curious how many times you had to take your car into service while under warranty; Seems like you had good luck with yours.
I can’t honestly say the interiors are inferior as others in its class. Maybe it just comes down to personal taste. I like European leathers. They are more supple, but I don’t think they last any longer than others. Now that most seats found in higher grade models are top stitched and no longer use a welt cord, all of them look pretty good regardless of the type of leather used.
December 16th, 2019 at 10:28 am
“Tesla, General Motors and other automakers are pushing Washington for tax extenders that would extend the federal incentive for electric vehicle purchases.
Talks in the U.S. Congress over the weekend focused on the reinstatement of tax extenders that will not only benefit electric car manufacturers but those involved in biofuel and short-line railroad industries. If the Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now (GREEN) Act gets the thumbs up, the cap for EV sales for manufacturers will be raised to 600,000 from 200,000 units and also reduce the tax credit from $7,500 to $7,000.
There will also be tax credits for the purchase of used electric vehicles with certain limitations such as the vehicle was used and registered in the U.S., will be sold for less than $25,000, tax credit can’t exceed 30 percent of the selling price, among others.”
December 16th, 2019 at 10:29 am
Are luxury models not having real wood trim make them inferior? I guess if your willing to spend extra thousands$ just for a shiny piece of wood,….go for it.
December 16th, 2019 at 10:33 am
51 Yeah I was thinking the same thing as my CTS with the 3.6L is lucky to see anything over 25mpg. Mine is also 7 years old so years of improvements behind the CT6.
I’m not sure a wood veneer is a sign of luxury anymore. Everyone knows its not real wood but a plastic look-a-like. It seems to be going the way of the wood sided station-wagon. Being replaced with fabric, carbon fiber and other new textures. Personally Id take a fully leather wrapped steering wheel over one of those half wrap and partial wood looking wheels any day. The wood veneer just looks dated to me and although better looking than a plain colored plastic piece it seems manufacturers are trying to find something other than wood.
December 16th, 2019 at 11:05 am
I suppose extending tax breaks for EV’s are unavoidable, but still cannot find reason for them. In reality, they only serve as a tax break for the rich and create an economic bubble. Isn’t it enough for manufactures to offset EV costs by jacking up the price of ICE vehicles? Most people still don’t want an EV. When 70% of the EV’s in China are fleet and Gov’t vehicles, this has to tell you something!
December 16th, 2019 at 11:23 am
51, I’ll give a couple more details, if interested; first the CT6 can have anything from vinyl to aniline leather depending on model (base to Platinum); mine has leather (not aniline) on touch surfaces (Luxury), the better leather is in the Platinum model (quite a bit more expensive than my model). Also, for those considering purchase, I would stick to a ’19 or ’20 model which has the 10 speed automatic tranny (reported harsh shifts from the 8 speed). One more consideration is that the ’20 model may be the last (conflicting reports); so buyer beware.
December 16th, 2019 at 11:38 am
50 Have you looked at the interior of a recent E-Class? You might be disappointed. I suspect yours is much more “elegant” than the current one.
December 16th, 2019 at 11:39 am
51 it is not personal taste. You know when you see a true luxury car. The reviewers are not biased against Caddy. Historically also, I always liked Caddy exteriors (except for the comically short wheelbases for such long cars, back in the day), but their interiors were really not up to par, and even the most important interiors, the ones the driver gets to see in front of him every day, dashboard, gauges, etc.
December 16th, 2019 at 11:41 am
57 of course I did, and so did my taxi driver who replaced her centenarian E class 3 lt diesel with 4,000,000 KM with a new and supposedly vastly more fuel efficient 2.1 lt “250″ diesel.
I also did not like most new BMWs at the dealers a few years back, which I saw while waiting for an oil change, and would not bother test driving any of them, esp the way overpriced, ugly 6 series.
December 16th, 2019 at 11:45 am
57 you are right, both inside and out, and its classic style will never age. I will donate it to charity long before that.
This reminded me of the frequent styling changes of many popular models, including the Camry and the Corolla. It is not just that many object to the grille etc, it is that, unlike the VW Golf, to mention a car in their price range, they don’t have any strong distinguishing characteristics so you can look them from a mile away and say “That’s a Camry or a Corolla”. I think this is not good marketing/selling, the cars should have character unique to their brand. even Current Mercs and BMWs and even Audis, and above all Porsches, have that character.
December 16th, 2019 at 11:45 am
54 I think your CTS would have the “old” 3.6, which doesn’t get as good of mpg as the new one, partly because it doesn’t (I think) have cylinder deactivation. I’m sure the cylinder deactivation is part of why my Corvette, with its 6.2, gets.29+ mpg on long trips on the interstate, at 75-80 mph.
56 I’ve read a couple places, one being autonews, that CT6 production at Detroit/Hamtramck will end in January 2020. Also, there are no plans to import the car from China. I’d like to see them reconsider dropping the car, but I doubt that will happen.
December 16th, 2019 at 11:49 am
55 there are GINORMUS breaks for ICE cars, which have gotten away with MURDER. They do not pay even 10% of the pollution they cause, if they did, gas prices would have to be $10 a gallon. So drop it about the alleged help to BEVs, ICES have received TRILLIONS, literally, over the years, in 2019 dollars.
TOday I walked to the office, luckily it was very early (5:30 – 6:00 AM) and the lot I had to cross was empty, and traffic was light, so I was able to inhale very good quality air. The times I go just an hour later, it is really disgusting and unhealthy to inhale the exhausts of all those geniuses who sit on their fat asses in their cars, listening to the radio or texting, or having breakfast, and of course all the traffic.
December 16th, 2019 at 1:05 pm
The OEMs are to blame for not educating consumers on the great benefit of a PHEV. Poor marketing and promotion is why this technology is not selling stronger. I have yet to find one single reason why a PHEV is not more versatile, efficient, and offers increased performance. Plus, here in California, the PHEV can qualify for the HOV sticker!