This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.
PARIS SUBURB TESTS “NOISE RADARS”
To reduce noise pollution, a suburb of Paris is using what it calls a “noise radar” to catch noisy vehicles. It’s equipped with four microphones that measure decibel levels and can pinpoint the location of a vehicle using police CCTV cameras, Then it automatically tickets the driver. It’s not in use yet, but will be as soon as they get a permit for these devices.
GM DEVELOPING NEW VEHICLE FOR THE U.S. ARMY
GM Defense was awarded $1 million from the U.S. Army to develop a new Infantry Squad Vehicle or ISV, for prototype testing and evaluation. It’s based on the Chevy Colorado and is powered by a 2.8L diesel engine that’s matched with a six-speed automatic transmission. It features 70% commercial off-the-shelf parts, including high performance parts developed by Chevy Performance. The ISV must be light enough to be sling-loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter and versatile enough to carry up to nine soldiers and all of their gear at highway speeds on pavement and off-road. The Army plans to buy around 650 ISVs by 2020.
FORD REVEALS BIG NUGGET CONCEPT
Ford is rolling out a series of camper vans based on the Transit Custom, called the Nugget, but it must feel that customers want something bigger. The Big Nugget concept is based on the long-wheelbase, high-roof Transit and offers more space for things like a bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette area. Ford says a Transit-based camper van like the Big Nugget is being considered for the future.
GENESIS SUVs ARRIVE IN 2020 & 2021
By all accounts, the Genesis brand makes some very nice vehicles, but in the first half of the year in the U.S., Genesis only sold about 12,000 cars. Everyone knows Genesis doesn’t have any utility vehicles but Motor Trend reports the brand will soon fill that hole in its lineup. The Genesis GV80 will hit the U.S. market in the first quarter of next year and the GV70 will follow in early 2021. It’s also said to be converting the Essentia coupe and Mint city-car concepts into production cars.
SUBARU UPDATES THE IMPREZA
Subaru has made a couple of mid-cycle refresh changes to the Impreza in Japan. The lower air inlet in the front fascia now extends the entire width of the car, the grille design has been lightly massaged, as has the rear lighting design. Subaru’s driver assistance package, called EyeSight Touring Assist, is also standard equipment. While these changes have been released in Japan, we’d expect to see them in all markets where the Impreza is sold.
AUDI DEVELOPS DIGITAL OLEDs
Audi has been at the forefront of lighting technology and in 2016 introduced its first series produced OLED light in the rear taillight of the TT RS. It’s now expanding on that technology with the introduction of digital OLEDs, which are broken up into 50 different segments and each segment can have its brightness adjusted from the one right next to it. That means the same basic hardware could be used on a number of vehicles, but produce a different lighting design for each. Digital OLEDs could also be used to communicate with other road users, like providing a warning that there’s a dangerous situation ahead. Audi will debut the technology at the International Symposium on Automotive Lighting.
IMPORT TARIFFS CAUSING UNCERTAINTY IN AUTO INDUSTRY
President Trump’s trade war is causing a lot of uncertainty in the auto industry. On Autoline This Week, John Murphy from Bank of America, shares his thoughts on how the threat of import tariffs is impacting the industry.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
You can watch that entire show right now on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
And coming up next, John has more to say about the UAW scandal.
TRAINING CENTERS AT CORE OF UAW SCANDAL
At the core of this UAW scandal involving corruption with senior leaders at the union are training centers set up with GM, Ford and FCA. The training centers are actually non-profit corporations set up with the purpose of training and educating UAW workers. It’s part of the labor contracts. The car companies have to set aside money for every hour worked by every UAW employee, and that generates so much money every year, that at times the automakers and UAW have a hard time spending it all.
Take a look at the UAW-GM Human Resources Center located on prime real estate on the Detroit River. It is a monstrously large facility, 398,000 square feet, 7 stories tall with multiple side buildings. No expense was spared, in fact I call it the Taj Mahal. And yet, barely anybody works there. A complaint filed against the UAW in 2010 by some of its own members say only 76 hourly employees were assigned to the building. And they accused the union of staffing it with friends, cronies and relatives.
You know, whenever there’s some sort of malfeasance, they always say “Follow the money.” In this case I’d say, follow the UAW training money. I believe that’s at the core of this scandal.
Just a quick programming note, there won’t be a new Autoline Daily on Monday because we’re taking the day off for the Labor Day holiday.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching, have a great weekend and we’ll see you again on Tuesday.
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Comments (35)
August 30th, 2019 at 12:43 pm
You’ all drive safely this weekend. There are too many on the road who won’t.
August 30th, 2019 at 12:48 pm
I may need to drive away from a hurricane.
August 30th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
A million dollars to develop and build a working prototype? That’s quite the bargain for the military. However seems like with such little investment GM will be scavenging as much Colorado parts as possible. Wouldn’t the military possibly get a better vehicle if it was a ground up design and not some modified production truck? Just a thought!
John; Funny you would have the segment on the big nugget concept right after yesterdays AAH highlighted the 24% drop in RV sales. I think that was the correct percentage. Might not be a good move for Ford.
The UAW scandal; Uhhh what can you say other than money breeds corruption. If I were a member I would be extremely upset and be considering a class action lawsuit for some union dues to be refunded. This will no doubt have a long term affect on the union that isn’t even close to being realized yet.
August 30th, 2019 at 12:59 pm
3 The Taliban and ISIS use near-stock Toyota Hilux trucks.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:06 pm
Hopefully we aspire to be a bit better prepared than the taliban and isis.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:08 pm
Big Nugget.
Am I the only one who sees a problem with this name?
August 30th, 2019 at 1:43 pm
5 I agree, but as you said, for 1M, that prototype must be close to a stock Colorado, with jump seats in the bed.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:52 pm
7 $1 mill is nothing, usually it costs billions to develop a new model, maybe it’s seed money, maybe GM will charge an arm and a leg when it sells them the 650 copies and make a profit on the whole thing.
I doubt that even a souped-up COlorado will be a match for a Toyota Hilux, esp an equally modified one.
This reminds me of the unfortunate superiority of the AK-47, a reliable design that works under all kinds of adverse conditions,vs the more complex rivals the US army uses.
August 30th, 2019 at 1:58 pm
Does anybody believe Genesis’ truly lousy results are due to its not having SUVS? Really?
BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Lexus sell tens of thousands of small, midsize and flagship sedans and coupes. Genesis’ 2,000 a month (less) is truly pitiful.
Its SUVs may sell a little bit more, like 3,000 a month, but don’t expect any better. Total, at best, 5,000 a month, which is less than even Volvo, and MUCH less than the above four makers, who routinely sell 25 and 35,000 units a month.
And please don’t tell me that you know a lil’ old lady who owns a Genesis and is very happy with it. So what? You need to find another 20,000 of them every month!
August 30th, 2019 at 2:09 pm
6 Yes the name sounds way too close to butt nugget. Either way I’m not real sure why Ford would be considering this. There are already third party RV manufacturers that have been making camper vans from the these higher roofed vans like the Transit, MB Sprinter, Nissan NV, Ram promasters.
I remember when GMC built their own RV back in 1973 thru 1978 but it was FWD using the powertrain from the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. This allowed for a very low to the ground, flat floor without a driveshaft hump. They seem to be collectors items now but was much different than a conversion van.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:27 pm
9 Genesis can keep trying and maybe one day they will be as accepted as Acura, and Infinity. I don’t see them achieving the success that Toyota managed with Lexus but no one else has either. I don’t even think it has to do with the quality or characteristics of the car. It may very well be on par with similar vehicles in its class. The problem is the foundation Kia. Toyota, Honda and Nissan came to the US with cars that were better than what the US manufacturers offered. So they gained a decent following and reputation early on. Kia came late to the party and offered nothing more than super cheap alternatives with a great warranty. They became viewed as disposable cars. So without ever building a reputation for being able to build cars on par with the rest of what’s offered they launch a luxury brand?
I think the Hyundai and Kia vehicles are finally of decent quality and are loosing the disposable reputation but its probably too early for a luxury brand. IMO
August 30th, 2019 at 2:33 pm
10 I always found it interesting that those GMC motor homes had dual rear axles, while they were front wheel drive. About 2/3 of the weight must have been at the back, so they probably didn’t go as well in ice and snow as a typical front wheel drive car or minivan.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:39 pm
11 That’s the thing, Hyundai-Kia have tried 15 times already to sell luxury cars in the US and failed each time. And even if they ever sell the same number that Acura and Infiniti sell (which is similar to Lincoln’s and Caddy’s numbers), I doubt they will make a dime on such small volumes.
August 30th, 2019 at 2:58 pm
11 I know one person who has a Genesis, a G80. It’s an old man, a retired engineer, not a lil’ old lady. He likes the simple, intuitive controls, the high standard equipment content, the non-turbo V6, and the good warranty which, the last I knew, he hadn’t used. A similarly equipped E-Class would cost about $20K more, but would have a turbo 4 instead of the non-turbo six. In CR’s tests, the G80 and E-Class had the same acceleration, within a tenth of a second. The Benz got better mpg, but needed premium, while the G80 uses regular, so the fuel cost would be about a tossup.
As far as the $20K price difference for an E-Class, maybe you’d get a lot of that back if you kept the car 4 years. It’s really too early to know.
13 Yeah, they may never make money with Genesis, but Hyundai is a big conglomerate with deep pockets, so they keep trying. I suppose the parent company’s having deep pockets is why Mitsu stays in the US market, even though they don’t do very well.
August 30th, 2019 at 3:04 pm
11,13 Speaking of KIA, about a year ago, a friend bought a KIA Cadenza, which was a very good value, used. It is their competition for Toyota Avalon, and is actually a pretty nice car, but new, costs almost as much as a similarly equipped V6 Avalon. Used, 3 or 4 years old, it costs about half as much as an Avalon.
August 30th, 2019 at 3:18 pm
14 That can also be attributing to Genesis’s problems. They could build an amazing car but without the reputation to go with it the resale has to be horrible on them. Most all luxury cars depreciate pretty bad anyway and I’m guessing it will be hard to sell a 5 year old Genesis with 80K on it. But maybe that’s where they’ll excel. If the depreciation is similar to an E-class that was 20K more new, the used Genesis may be a bargain when compared to a similarly used E-class.
August 30th, 2019 at 3:41 pm
The Genesis’ are very good values but when you get to their level you’ve got to have style to make the mark; they are basically ‘frumpy’ or ‘stogie’ in my opinion and that for one is holding them back.
GM’s Army vehicle could be just what they are looking for. With the diesel engine and bare bones utility it may be more than fine. This, of course, will be a personnel mover and won’t be a heavily protected vehicle for traversing dangerous roads (i.e. urban IED areas). More of the original Jeep of WWII and Korea era type general utility vehicle.
August 30th, 2019 at 3:45 pm
16 The Genesis would still have powertrain warranty left, which should help its resale value, at least a little.
August 30th, 2019 at 4:55 pm
17 Yep, you are sure right about Geneses being frumpy/stodgy. My friend’s silver G80 almost defines “generic,” like many generations of Camry. A different color would help, but not enough.
August 30th, 2019 at 9:59 pm
9 “And please don’t tell me that you know a lil’ old lady who owns a Genesis and is very happy with it. So what? You need to find another 20,000 of them every month”
14 No matter how hard I tried, you had to tell this tired story for the 15 th time.
What in the world difference does it make if it is an old woman or an old man?
The proof is in the truly DISMAL numbers, and as I said and I repeat, adding a coupke SUVs will not help. It did not even Help Acura or Infiniti, and they are doign 10 times better than Genesis.
As I said and repeated, H-K tried this 15 times and failed every time. It is a sign of stupidity if thye insist. and NO they are NOT good values, if you want automotive greatness and a GREAT value, buy a used S class or an E. OR a 7 or 5.
Then again, don’t, because you will raise those prices next time I buy.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:07 pm
14 Υοur old friend shoulda got an Impala. even better so-called ‘value’. Not!
PS You keep comparing apples and oranges.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:10 pm
14 Who wants to pay $60,000 for a Kia (that’s what the K 900 will set you back) and when they ask you what car you drive, you have to say a lousy Kia?
When you can buy a FANTASTIC S class for $15k 2007-2013, which cost $100k new?
THAT is value. $ 60k for a lousy Kia is NO value.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:13 pm
20 Yes, I expected this reaction from you. You don’t seem to realize that there is more to the car business than sales numbers, and with Genesis, that might improve. By your criteria, Ford pickup trucks must be the best vehicles in America, and Porsche Cayman and Boxster must really suck, since they sell only a few thousand a year.
We all know that, in most cases, used cars are “better buys” than new cars, but if you want a car equipped a certain way, or a certain color, etc., that might not be an easy option.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:17 pm
“The 2020 Lincoln Aviator, a much-championed midsize crossover only just entering dealerships, has earned the second recall of its very short life. The crossover, along with the current- and previous-generation Explorer, the Ford Expedition, F-150, and Super Duty line are nameplates involved in a recall concerned with seatback strength.
According to Ford, vehicles may have left the factory “missing the third pawl required for seatback strength,” meaning that seatback may not stay in place in the event of a crash. The recall covers more than half a million vehicles sold in North America.”
NOT Ready for Prime Time.
Imagine such recalls for the S class. I can’t.
Lincoln is NOT a true luxury maker.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:21 pm
20 Aren’t you up way too late, just to post nastiness here? It must be at least 3:00 am where you are.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:21 pm
My taxi driver just took me to the airport for my 6 AM flight. Had to start at 3:30 AM and wake up at 3, and she asked for 40 instead of the normal hours 30 euro fare.
It was my first drive in her new E Class (of course Diesel) 220. She claims it has a 2.2 engine. The car is far inferior to mine in interior luxury (it has none) but it does have all the elecrtronic bells and whistles and multiple screens and something like an i drive.
She already did 27,000 km in ONE month. She does over 100,000 km a year, closer to 200,000. Her previous 3 liter E class diesel had ewood and leather and was far more luxurious. But this one got 5.8 lt/100km while the old got 9 and 11.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:22 pm
26 27,000 km a month for 20 years. Try that in a … genesis.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:26 pm
21 A tranverse engine FWD Impala is not direct competition. A G80 is longitudinal engine, RWD, or 4WD if you want, like an E-Class, and unlike the Benz, you can get 6 cylinders and no turbocharger, if you want.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:30 pm
27 You’d use a lot more fuel. It’s unknown how long the car would last.
August 30th, 2019 at 10:40 pm
27 Are you sure about that, unless the car is driven 24/7 with multiple drivers. It’s about 23 mph average, if it’s going 24/7. If she drives it 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, she is averaging about 75 mph.
August 31st, 2019 at 3:38 am
28 Phulease. You are just agruing for the \sake of argument.
OK, scrap the Impala, get a Chrysler 300 or Charger, with leather. These are RWD and have a good long wheelbase to boot.
You will still pay HALF of what you pay for the Genesis, and I know for a fact that you can get unbelievable deals on the 300. in the $20s! So even one third the price of the Genesis.
So explain to me, this is a frank and serious question, why the G 80 is two or three times better than the better looking RWD Chrysler 300 with leather.
And if you can, I invite anybody else in this forum to enlighten me.
And I would bet anything you want that even with the funny looking SUVs, the Genesis brand will keep selling little and bleeding billions.
At least if it was a Hyundai or Kia, the millions who buy the cheaper models would brag that their maker also makes the Hyundai or Kia G 80. Now they can’t. better luck next time
Written at SHiphol Airport at my gate, my flight to DTW is still an hour (45 min) away, so don’t cry for me.
And remember, anecdotal evidence of what one or even ten buyers feel about a car is in no way a subdstitute for the HARD FACTS that were cited on the show today, the Dismal, Horrific Failure of Genesis with barely 2,000 units a MONTH, after the dismal failures of the previous so-called luxury car attempts by H-K.
August 31st, 2019 at 7:57 am
31 I agree that the 300 is a good comparison, except that, comparably equipped, a G80 and 300 are much closer to the same price than you say. A base G80 has leather, all of the usual safety gadgets, etc., for an MSRP of ~$44K. With a 300, you need to get at least a mid-trim Touring L, and check boxes to get the same equipment, and it will be ~$39-40K MSRP. I don’t know what “incentives” either has.
In CR’s surveys, the G80 is more reliable than the 300, and has better owner satisfaction. I certainly agree that the 300 looks better. In CR’s road tests, the G80 and V6 300 are very similar in most areas. They are so close in most dimensions, interior and exterior, that it seems Hyundai may have benchmarked the 300 in coming up with the G80.
August 31st, 2019 at 3:50 pm
It looks like Ferrari F1 is getting things together, at least for qualifying.
September 1st, 2019 at 3:43 pm
…and Ferrari finally got a win this year, and LeClerc his first win. It was a sad weekend at Spa, though, with the death of F2 driver Antoine Hubert in a crash on Saturday.
September 3rd, 2019 at 10:52 am
DETROIT – Ford is recalling more than 550,000 trucks and SUVs in North America because seat backs may not properly restrain people in a crash.