AD #2380 – Volvo Takes on Tesla Model 3, Mazda Gives Miata More Power, Audi to Test Passenger Drones

On today’s show… Volvo is going after the Tesla Model 3… Audi signs a deal to test passenger drones in Germany… and Jeep reveals the new Renegade. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

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

TARIFFS TO IMPACT MERCEDES’ PROFITS
Automakers are hitting alarm bells over the growing trade war brewing between the U.S. and China. Yesterday Daimler lowered its 2018 profit forecast because it said import tariffs on cars exported from the U.S. to China would hurt Mercedes-Benz sales. The company builds SUVs in Alabama that are shipped to China. And Volvo says the tariffs could threaten a number of the 4,000 jobs it planned to create at its new U.S. manufacturing plant that it just opened. The Trump Administration says its protecting national security but the trade disputes will just end up hurting car sales.

VOLVO SHOWS NEW S60
And Volvo is already showing off the first car it will built at the new facility, the S60. As you can see, the styling has been updated and now resembles the S90. It’s the first car in its line-up to not offer a diesel, instead it’s available with two gasoline engines and two turbo and super-charged plug-in hybrids that crank out 340 or 400 horses. Production of the new S60 kicks off this fall and is also available through the company’s subscription service, Care by Volvo.

VOLVO GOES AFTER TESLA MODEL 3
And in other Volvo news, in a move to take Tesla head-on, the company is going to launch an electric car under its Polestar brand that will compete directly with the Model 3. It will go into production in late 2019 and will be built in Chengdu, China. Volvo is not releasing any details of the car, but the company’s head of R&D, Henrik Green, says that the public wants BEVs that have a driving range of 250 to 300 miles. And Volvo does not expect to lose money on this car. “It will be profitable from Day One,” promises Hakan Samuelsson, the CEO of Volvo Cars. But he also says that it will be a high-spec, premium car, so it sounds like it will probably cost around $50,000, which seems to be the going price for most Model 3’s right now. Polestar’s first car will be a plug-in hybrid coupe that launches in June of 2019. But after that, all its cars will be battery electrics.

Still to come… Jeep takes the wraps off the new Renegade.

STEERING RACK WITH SHOCK ABSORBER TECH
In 2013 IndyCar safety analysis showed that hand and wrist injuries were on the rise. One factor was that molded hand grips had gotten too large, not allowing the driver’s hands to come off the wheel easily. But that has since been addressed. The other was due to the violent rotation of the steering wheel during a crash. So, the director of the engineering and safety department came up with a new steering rack that has internal technology similar to a shock absorber. In the event of an accident, the steering rack hydraulically “latches,” transferring most of the load to the steering arm. IndyCar has been testing the new steering rack this year and it’s been so successful that it could get adopted as soon as the 2019 season.

2019 JEEP RENEGADE GETS A REFRESH
The Jeep Renegade first appeared in 2014, which means it was about time for a refresh. LED headlights are now standard and the front fascia and grille have been redesigned to make it look a little more like the new Wrangler. The rear taillights have also been updated and there’s a number of new wheel designs, including, for the first time, a 19-inch wheel available on the Limited model. The interior features mild update to the center console area and gets the latest UConnect infotainment systems. There’s a number of new turbo gasoline and diesel engines to choose from, including a 1.0L 3-cylinder, but because the Renegade is a global vehicle, it’s currently unclear if any of these powertrains will make it to the U.S. The new 2019 Renegade first goes on sale in Europe in September.

Coming up next, Mazda gives the Miata more power.

2019 MIATA TO DRIFT WITH 181 HORSEPOWER
Mazda’s MX-5 Miata is getting several improvements for 2019. An upgraded engine is the main feature of this new Miata, which now makes 181 horsepower, 26 more than before and 151 pound-feet of torque. The redline has been increased from 6,800 to 7,500 rpm, there’s new intake ports, fuel injectors, a dual mass flywheel and a new exhaust system. The 2019 Miata will be available this fall with pricing to be announced closer to that time.

WHAT’S GOING TO POP.UP NEXT?
As we’ve reported, there’s a number of car companies working on passenger drones. Daimler invested in a German drone company called Volocoptor. The Chinese automaker Geely bought the American drone company Terrafugia. And back in March, Audi, ItalDesign and Airbus revealed an autonomous, passenger drone called the Pop.Up Next. And now Audi and Airbus have partnered with the city of Ingolstadt, Germany to test using passenger drones in the region. These vehicles could be the ultimate solution to areas with bad traffic. You could fly right over it. They’re expected to become quite common in about a decade. And that’s why more and more automakers are starting to get interested.

And don’t forget to join us for Autoline After Hours this afternoon. We’ll have a company called Promethient explaining how its Thermavance technology uses graphene for automotive applications. To learn more about the material, join us Live at 3PM eastern time on our website, Autoline.tv

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