AD #2419 – Opel Concept Hints at Future Design, Kona EV Bests Model 3 & Bolt EV, More People Like to Lease

On today’s show… we go from the old Opel GT to the new one… Hyundai’s performance N brand is doing better than expected… and what if that mid-engine car everyone is talking about is not a Corvette? All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

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

OPEL CONCEPT HINTS AT FUTURE DESIGN
Remember the old Opel GT? Well, here’s an Opel concept car that uses the same name. The Opel GT X Experimental is a small electric SUV with SAE Level 3 autonomous capability. Styling highlights include a crease that runs down the center of the hood and into the fascia and lower bumper. The same effect is reflected in the rear as well. And notice how the shape of the grille and that same crease are mirrored in the steering wheel. Hockey stick-shaped LED lighting in front and rear gives width to the vehicle and a bright neon stripe along the silhouette makes the concept look more coupe-like. This is the first Opel concept car to come out since it was acquired by PSA. By 2021 Opel says 40% of the vehicles it sells will be SUVs and by 2024 all Opels will be electric.

SURE IT’S A CORVETTE?
No doubt you’ve seen spy photos of a mid-engine car GM is testing. If not, Google it. Almost everyone believes it’s a Corvette. However, Autoline viewer Nick B. has an alternate theory. He thinks it could be a Cadillac. He points out that Johan de Nysschen, former president of Cadillac, talked about a halo car that would “stun the world” and hinted it would not be “another large-box conventional sedan.” As Nick points out, the Cadillac Cien has similar body lines to the test vehicle, especially at the back. And that the Cien in the Gran Turismo video game looks even more like it. Automakers have a big influence on how their vehicles will appear in the Gran Turismo games. As Nick sees it, GM would first launch a mid-engine halo car for Cadillac, then follow a year or so later with a Corvette model that has different engine options. That would give the Bowling Green assembly plant more volume and would help pay for the mid-engine design. We think Nick had a pretty compelling theory. What do you think?

HOW MUCH IS THAT RACE CAR IN THE WINDOW?
The all-electric racing series, Formula E recently wrapped up its 4th season. The 5th season kicks off before the year is out in Saudi Arabia and that’s when the 2nd-generation cars take to the grid. So now Formula E owners are selling off their 1st-gen cars and they believe there is a strong secondary market for them. There’s 40 cars total and they’re expected to fetch anywhere between $200,000 to $290,000 each. Let’s hope they’re right. We’re not convinced there’s much of a market for these cars.

Looks like Hyundai did the right thing coming out with its performance brand N. More on that after this.

HYUNDAI’S N BRAND DOING BETTER THAN EXPECTED
Hyundai’s new performance N brand is doing better than expected. Almost 3,000 i30 N’s were sold in the first half of 2018 in Europe. And that number will only continue to grow. The Veloster N for the U.S. and Korea comes out in the 4th quarter and the i30 Fastback N debuts at the Paris auto show in October, then hits European showrooms before the year is out. That will complete the first phase of vehicle rollout. Albert Biermann, head of Hyundai’s performance division, says he has another vehicle, possibly an SUV, already budgeted in his long-term plan. Biermann also adds the N brand “cannot avoid electrification” and “will have an EV sooner or later.”

HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC RANGE REVEALED
And speaking of Hyundai, the EPA has released the official range of the Kona Electric. It has a rating of 258 miles on a single charge. That’s longer than the base Tesla Model 3 and the Chevy Bolt EV. But it’s important to note that the Kona’s 64 kWh battery pack is larger than both those vehicles, which come in at 50 kWh and 60 kWh, respectively. And Hyundai could soon gain another advantage. As we reported, Tesla’s $7,500 tax credit will start to phase out at the end of the year and GM will see the same thing happen soon as well.

Coming up next, Volkswagen puts together a plan to make German line workers more productive.

Be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours this Thursday afternoon when we’ll have Stephen Frey, the Chief Engineer for the Acura RDX in the studio, along with an RDX. We’ll take a deep dive into how it developed that vehicle and the new technology it introduced. Lindsay Brooke from SAE Engineering will also be on the show. We’ll be taking your questions too, so start thinking about what you would like to ask.

VW TO BOOST GERMAN PRODUCTION
Volkswagen currently builds the Golf at a factory in Germany and one in Mexico but WardsAuto reports that the company is consolidating production of the car to its main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. The plant will produce close to one million cars a year. It’s part of a broader effort by VW to increase production at all of its German plants 25% by 2020. And this explains how a high wage country like Germany, can build mass market cars and still make a profit.

MORE PEOPLE LIKE TO LEASE
Leasing has been around for decades and it continues to grow in popularity. It’s not cheaper to lease a car, it’s merely a different way to pay for a car. But more and more people like to do it that way. Cox Automotive reports that nearly one out of three new cars is leased. But it also varies by category. Over half of all luxury cars are leased, while about one in four mass market cars are leased. And leasing could soon spread to used cars. Most dealerships would love to be able to lease the used cars they’re selling. And the used cars they’re selling are mostly coming off lease. If it’s done properly, a dealer would have the opportunity to lease a car to three or four different customers over the life of that car.

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