AD #2575 – Chevy Revives Old Names in China, More Info on Cadillac CT5, VW Gauging Reaction to Small Pickup

This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.

The Shanghai auto show is underway and there’s a number of interesting reveals, so let’s jump into it.

TOYOTA TO SELL ELECTRIC C-HR
Toyota is gearing up to launch its first battery electric vehicle in China with the introduction of the electric version of the C-HR. The company didn’t reveal many other details about it other than it goes on sale next year in the country. Toyota also revealed a funky looking battery electric concept called the RHOMBUS. It was created by the company’s R&D center in China and says it aims to “suit the values and lifestyles of drivers born after 1990.” In other words it sounds like an autonomous ride-hailing concept.

HONDA ELECTRIFIES THE HR-V
Honda and its joint venture partner, Dongfeng, introduced a new EV they jointly developed called the X-NV. The model, which is obviously just an EV version of the the HR-V, will be exclusively sold in China starting in the second half of this year.

CHEVY REVIVES OLD NAMES IN CHINA
Chevrolet is reviving a couple of name plates from its past. An all-new Trailblazer and Tracker made their global debut. The Trailblazer is on the right, Tracker the left. As you can see, the utility vehicles picked up on similar styling first seen on the all-new Blazer. No word yet on what markets, outside of China, the Trailblazer and Tracker will be sold in.

BUICK SHOWS 1ST EV & HIGH-END VAN
Buick also had a number of new models to show off. The Velite 6 MAV is the automaker’s first all-electric vehicle. It provides up to 85 kW of power and 301-kilometers or about 187-miles of range. It’s also showing the all-new Encore and a long-wheelbase version, called the Encore GX. The vehicles are fitted with GM’s 8th-generation Ecotech engines and either a 9-speed auto trans or CVT. And lastly is the GL8 Avenir Concept. It’s a high-end van that was developed by GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center.

MERCEDES GLB LOOKS LIKE A RUGGED OFF ROADER
Mercedes took the wraps off the GLB concept. The SUV, which is built on the company’s compact car platform, has a bit of a rugged off-road look. It features a similar interior layout to the B-Class, with a wide infotainment screen sitting on top of three round air vents. The crossover has three rows of seats and can hold up to seven passengers. And it’s powered by a four-cylinder gasoline engine that’s mated to an 8-speed dual clutch transmission, all-wheel-drive is also available. Mercedes says this is just a concept but it doesn’t look like it would take much to get this rolling down the production line.

KIA UPDATES CHINA’S VERSION OF THE FORTE
Kia revealed an updated version of the K3, which is the Forte here in the states. The new model was designed and engineered specifically for the Chinese market. It’s powered by two gasoline engines, a 1.5L and a 1.4L turbo. A plug-in hybrid version will also be available. The new K3 goes on sale in the country in the second quarter of this year.

ASTON MARTIN EV FINALLY READY TO GO ON SALE
Aston Martin is finally here with the production version of its first electric vehicle, the Rapide E. We first talked about the car in 2016. It was going to be developed with Chinese startup LeEco for a 2018 release, but LeEco backed out of the deal. That pushed back its debut and now the car will be limited to 155 examples. It has about 600-horsepower, does 0 to 60 in under 4-seconds and a 65 kWh battery returns over 200-miles of range based on the WLTP test. The Rapide E is available to order now.

Ok enough of the Shanghai show, coming up next we’ll take a look at some of the vehicles debuting at the New York Auto Show.

MORE INFORMATION ON CADILLAC CTS REPLACEMENT
Cadillac has significantly redesigned the CTS and renamed it the CT5. Though it’s still built on the Alpha platform, it’s 5 inches shorter while the wheelbase was increased by 1-inch. The result is a lot more rear seat legroom. Power comes from a 2-liter turbo pumping out 237 horsepower and 350 newton meters. You hear that right, newton meters. GM is starting to use that instead of pound feet. One newton meter is 74% of one pound foot. There’s also a 3-liter turbo that cranks out 335 horses and 542 newton meters, and both engines get a 10-speed automatic with all wheel drive being optional. You can also get Super Cruise as an option. Cadillac put a lot of emphasis on improving the HMI or human-machine-interface. The CT5 gets a 10-inch screen with 1080p resolution. And don’t call it CUE. Cadillac is getting rid of that name, since it had earned itself a bit of a black eye. Now they call it the Cadillac User Experience, but like I said, don’t call it CUE.

VW TESTS THE SMALL PICKUP WATERS IN NY
Volkswagen is showing off its Tarok pickup concept at the New York Auto Show. Built on the company’s MQB architecture, it’s powered by a 1.4L four-cylinder turbo engine that’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and it comes with all-wheel-drive. For even more cargo room, the cab’s rear panel can be folded down, kind of like the Chevy Avalanche. While Volkswagen doesn’t plan on selling it in the U.S., the company is showing it off in New York to gauge consumer response. So, it’s possible we could see it here if the company gets the reaction its looking for. A production version of the Tarok goes on sale in Brazil in the near future.

And speaking of the New York Auto Show, John and Gary are in the Big Apple this week for Autoline After Hours. They’ll be talking about the latest reveals at the show, so tune in this Thursday afternoon to see what vehicle they think stole the show.

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