AD #2511 – BMW Unveils New 7 Series, VW And Ford Announce Alliance, EyesOn Design Award Winners Revealed

On today’s show…designers pick out the best-looking vehicles at this year’s Detroit auto show…big trucks post big gains in 2018…and that Ford and VW alliance isn’t as deep of a tie-up as we were expecting. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.

VW AND FORD ANNOUNCE ALLIANCE
We expected fireworks, but all we got was a sparkler. Ford and Volkswagen officially revealed their alliance yesterday and the tie-up isn’t as deep as some were expecting. The two companies will jointly develop commercial vans and medium-duty trucks for global markets which will launch in 2022. VW and Ford say they expect to see an improvement in pre-tax operating results starting in 2023 thanks to that collaboration. In addition, the automakers will explore partnerships on electric and autonomous vehicles as well as mobility services. But they didn’t offer any more details about that. The alliance won’t involve any mergers or equity stakes and will be run by a joint committee, which will be led by Ford CEO Jim Hackett and Herbert Diess, the CEO of Volkswagen.

CARLOS GHOSN DENIED BAIL…AGAIN
Carlos Ghosn has been in jail for nearly two months and it looks like he won’t be leaving anytime soon. The ousted chairman of Nissan was denied bail yesterday, which means he could remain in custody for several months until his trial begins. But that isn’t the end of his legal woes. Reuters reports that Nissan plans to file a civil suit against him in order to claim damages from allegedly misusing company funds. Ghosn, who denies the charges, is accused of underreporting his income for years and making Nissan shoulder personal financial losses.  

Still to come…BMW takes the wraps off the new 7 Series.

EYES ON DESIGN AWARD WINNERS REVEALED
Every year designers from around the industry, past and present, get together to pick out the best you can see at the Detroit auto show. And this year’s EyesOn Design award for Best Concept Vehicle went to the Infiniti QX Inspiration. The judges say it has a new, fresh look that shows extraordinary sophistication and simplicity. The Lexus LC Convertible Concept won for Best Designed Exterior Lighting. And Best Production Vehicle went to the wicked, 700+ horsepower Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

And speaking of the Detroit show, make sure to check out our coverage from this week, brought to you by our signature sponsor, Continental Structural Plastics. We covered everything from new supplier technologies to automaker outlooks for 2019 to hot reveals and beyond! You can find it all at the Autoline on the Road section of our website and on our YouTube channel.

BMW UNVEILS NEW 7 SERIES
But as you know, a number of automakers skipped the Detroit show, especially the Germans. But BMW still acted like it was at an auto show and debuted the new 7 Series sedan. It may just be a refresh, but wow! Does that new grille slap you right in the face. It was inspired by the X7 and is absolutely gi-normous. There’s also changes to the front bumper, hood, headlights, front fenders, rear bumper trim and taillights. As for the interior, it features a new display screen layout and the latest iDrive 7 infotainment control system. Turbocharged 6, 8 and 12 cylinder engines will be joined by a new in-line 6-cylinder plug-in-hybrid variant. The engine is mated to a new electric motor, which combines for a maximum output of nearly 390-horsepower and a 0-60 time of 4.9-seconds. The plug-in also features a 12-kWh lithium-ion battery, but range and price will be released closer to its market launch in April.

Coming up next, big truck sales soar in the U.S in 2018.

BIG TRUCKS POST BIG GAINS
While the market for light passenger vehicles is starting to slow in the U.S., sales of medium and heavy duty trucks continue to soar. According to WardsAuto, big trucks were up almost 11% in December. The medium-duty segment, Class 4 through 7 vehicles, were up 4%, while the big Class 8 semi-trucks posted a whopping 17% gain last month. In fact, every class posted an increase in December. But overall it was a great year for medium and heavy duty trucks in 2018, sales were up 17.5% compared to 2017. And it’s going to be real interesting to see if big trucks can continue the momentum into this year.

Selling financing and insurance is an important part of the business for automotive retailers. Yet, the biggest complaint from customers is how long it takes to buy a car. They don’t like getting handed off to another person as part of the sales process. So, can retailers sell financing and insurance without a dedicated F&I person? Check out our latest Autoline Spotlight from WardsAuto and Ally, which looks at both sides of the issue. You can find that discussion on our website or on our YouTube channel.

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