Runtime: 8:01
0:31 Audi Pulls Out of Detroit Show
1:03 Mazda Names New CEO
1:47 UPS Reveals Electric Delivery Vans
3:06 Aston Shows Off Lagonda SUV
3:49 VW Takes Wraps Off New Hot Hatch
4:27 Dodge Creates Police Version of the Durango
5:18 Designing Vehicles That People Can Trust
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On today’s show…Audi won’t attend next year’s Detroit auto show…Aston Martin shows off a new SUV for its Lagonda EV brand…and we’ll explain why automakers now have to design vehicles that people can trust. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
AUDI PULLS OUT OF DETROIT SHOW
The Detroit auto show just received another blow. After Mercedes and BMW announced earlier this year, they won’t attend next year’s event, Audi just revealed it won’t attend next year’s show either. But it’s not too surprising, over the last several year’s Mazda, Porsche, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover, have all skipped the show as well. But it’s clear automakers believe they’re better off holding special events to introduce new vehicles, instead of sharing the stage with their competitors during an auto show.
MAZDA NAMES NEW CEO
As we reported earlier in the week, Mazda is one of the best performing automakers in the U.S., with sales up 15% in the first four months of the year. And now the executive who runs the company’s American operations is being rewarded for the turnaround. Mazda announced that it named Akira Marumoto as its next President and CEO starting in June. He’s replacing Masamichi Kogai, who will become the company’s chairman. Even though sales are up in the U.S., Reuters reports that one of Marumoto’s goals will be to boost profitability in North America, which have sagged due to discounting vehicles and slumping passenger car sales.
UPS REVEALS ELECTRIC DELIVERY VANS
Package delivery giant UPS wants to make its fleet of vehicles safer and more efficient, so it’s going to test 35 electric delivery vehicles in London and Paris. UPS has tapped UK-based technology firm ARRIVAL to help it develop the vehicles, which look similar to a number of passenger shuttles that have been shown off recently. They are referred to as, lightweight composite vehicles that have a battery range of more than 150-miles or 240-kilometers and come equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. UPS has invested pretty heavily in green vehicles, $750 million since 2009, which includes an order for 125 of Tesla’s electric semis.
Still to come…Volkswagen shows off a new hot hatch.
ASTON SHOWS OFF LAGONDA SUV
Aston Martin is creating a new brand for its electric vehicles, called Lagonda. And at the Geneva auto show earlier this year, it revealed an EV sedan called the Vision Concept that hints at the brand’s styling. Now the company is teasing an SUV that will be its first production model, which will be unveiled in 2021. As you can see, the yet-to-be named SUV, features wild styling that’s similar to the Vision Concept. The company didn’t reveal any details about the SUV but the previous concept featured solid state batteries that will provide a range up to 400 miles. So, it’s likely the SUV will use a similar system.
VW TAKES WRAPS OFF NEW HOT HATCH
And speaking of concepts, Volkswagen revealed the Golf GTI TCR Concept in Germany. But as you can see, this is nearly production ready. It’s a special edition of the race car with same name. It’s powered by a 2.0L turbocharged engine that’s mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. It cranks out 286 horsepower, 273 pound feet of torque and has a top speed of 164 MPH. While this will make it into production, there isn’t any plans to sell it in the U.S. at the moment.
DODGE CREATES POLICE VERSION OF THE DURANGO
GM and Ford both offer SUVs for law enforcement. And now FCA will join them with a police version of the Dodge Durango. It’s powered by a 5.7L HEMI V8 and an 8-speed automatic transmission that’s the same powertrain combination most commonly used in the police version of the Charger. The company is currently taking orders of the Dodge Durango Pursuit but only for a limited time.
Coming up next, a look at why automakers need to design vehicles that customers can trust.
DESIGNING VEHICLES THAT PEOPLE CAN TRUST
With more technology being added to cars, automakers can no longer design vehicles that delight customers, they now have to design vehicles that build trust. On Autoline This Week, we’re joined by Phil Gilbert, the General Manager of IBM Design and he talked about how automakers can achieve that trust.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
You can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and have a great weekend.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.