On today’s show… Hyundai redesigns the Sonata… Mazda redesigns its dealerships… and Michelin figures out how to print more tread onto worn out tires. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

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

SIGNIFICANTLY REDESIGNED SONATA
When the current generation Sonata hit the market a few years back, Hyundai was met with criticism for toning down the styling too much from previous more expressive styling. Looks like the automaker got the memo. It’s getting ready to launch a significantly redesigned Sonata for 2018. The changes include: a new grille, lower fascia air ducts, headlights, hood, wheels, roof, deck lid, taillights and an all-new rear end where the license plate has been moved to the bumper. Additional tweaks include: a new three-spoke steering wheel, piano-key buttons for the audio and HVAC controls, improved suspension, a new 8-speed auto trans for the 2.0L turbo engine and standard Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert. Hope you got all that. The 2018 Sonata hits showrooms this summer.

MAZDA DEALER MAKEOVER
Speaking of redesigns, Mazda is ordering is U.S. dealers to redesign their stores. Mazda’s sales are going nowhere in the American market so the automaker is working on ways to better engage with its customers. As you can see, the makeover will give the buildings a more modern appeal with an open floor plan. No word when we’ll see one of these new Mazda dealerships, but it still seems to be in the early stages of development.

Panoz just unveiled an electric race car ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and that is coming up next.

VW’S WEAK EU COMPENSATION OFFER
In September of 2015 Volkswagen admitted to cheating on emission tests in the U.S. with its diesel vehicles, which led to billions in fines, a rush to come up with a fix, vehicle buy-backs and compensation for owners. But in Europe it’s a different story. Through its interpretation of the region’s emission requirements, Volkswagen says it did not break the law and that it would not compensate European diesel owners. What it did offer was a fix, in the form of a mesh screen that went in front of the Mass Airflow Sensor and a software recalibration, to bring down NOx levels. But EU officials, including some from Germany, want the company to come up a better compensation package. And it looks like the company is bending, well, just a little bit. Volkswagen says it will offer European customers an extra two years on their warranty. That’s really not all that much and no doubt there will still be a lot of angry owners in Europe.

DON’T CALL IT A STATION WAGON
Have you seen the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake? It’s the station wagon version of the XF sedan. Of course Jaguar would never call it a station wagon, because for whatever reasons, being seen in something called a station wagon carries a stigma with it. In Europe they’re called estates. But Jaguar is not even calling it that, for the same reasons. That’s why BMW and Mercedes call their station wagons shooting brakes. It’s why Subaru came up with the name Sportback. And it’s why Jaguar invented the name sport brake. But no matter what they want to call them, these cars are still station wagons.

PANOZ’S 24-HOUR EV RACER
Electric cars can be blindingly fast–for a little while. Then the battery runs out. But that’s not deterring Panoz.Take a look at the Green4U Panoz Racing GT-EV. They’re showing it off at LeMans and are hoping to get a Garage 56 clearance to run it in the 24 Hours race, but not this year. Here are the most important specs. It has up to 450 kilowatts of total power, that’s over 600 horsepower. It has a top speed of 180 mph, a 110-mile range in race conditions, and a removable battery pack for battery swaps during pit stops. All-wheel drive and a total weight, including batteries of 2,750 pounds.

Coming up next, Renault is accused of sexism with its latest tv ads.

MICHELIN 3D PRINTS TIRE OF THE FUTURE
Michelin revealed a wild tire for the future called the VISION. It’s an organic, airless, tire and wheel, that’s made from bio-sourced and biodegradable materials. And with the help of 3D printers the tread on the tires can be changed based on the level of wear or the driving conditions. It’s also equipped with sensors to provide real-time feedback to the driver and the car. While this does look like it came from a science-fiction movie, Michelin says that the technology in the VISION is part of its R&D efforts and not too far fetched to make it a reality.

RENAULT ACCUSED OF SEXISM
This last story cracks us up. Renault just launched a line of nail polish for women that can also be used to cover up scratches on cars. That prompted women’s groups to accuse Renault of sexism. One group, a feminist collective, says this “reduces women to their beauty concerns and their inability to drive.” But we think they ought to look at any television ad for the Ford F-series or Ram pickups. They never show a woman in those ads. Quite the opposite, they are as macho as can be. In fact, they practically ooze with masculine testosterone. And yet, after decades of this kind of theme, no one has ever accused them of being sexist.

Be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours this afternoon. Joining John and Gary is Michael Lovati from Volkswagen, to talk about the brands all-new crossover, the Atlas. So if you have any questions about that vehicle, send them our way to viewermail@autoline.tv. And then join us at 3PM eastern time on our website, Autoline.tv, for some of the best insider discussions in the business.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.