AD #2753 – Hyundai Elantra Impressions; FCA Forms Electric JV With Foxconn; JLR Creates “Morphable” Seat

This is Autoline Daily with the latest news in the global automotive industry.

FCA FORMS ELECTRIC JV WITH FOXCONN
FCA is lagging in electric cars and in China. But it’s trying to plug that gap, by forming a joint venture with Foxconn to manufacture electric cars in China. They are also going to be internet-connected cars. Foxconn is a contract manufacturer which also makes most of Apple’s products in China. And it is fascinating to see FCA team up with a contract manufacturer of high tech equipment rather than teaming up with another Chinese car company. We don’t have much more details than this because neither company is commenting publicly.

CAR SALES UP IN EUROPE IN 2019
Passenger car sales dropped in the U.S. and China last year but they were up a bit in Europe. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, car registrations in the European Union hit 15.3 million vehicles, up 1.2% compared to 2018. It’s the sixth consecutive year of growth. The year started off slow due to the impact of the new WLTP emission test that went into effect in September of 2018. But thanks to a strong final quarter, and particularly December’s 21.7% increase in sales, carmakers in Europe finished 2019 on a positive note.

SENATE APPROVES USMCA
The USMCA, the trade pact which replaces NAFTA, was approved in the U.S. Senate yesterday. The pact now heads to President Trump to sign. Under the new deal, vehicles must use at least 75% parts or components from the U.S., Canada or Mexico, to avoid any tariffs. That’s up from the 62.5% required under NAFTA. It also mandates that 40 to 45% of a vehicle’s content must be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour. Vehicles that don’t meet the requirements are subject to a 2.5% duty. Canada still needs to approve the deal but this is good news for automakers and suppliers, since it eliminates the trade uncertainty they were facing.

JLR CREATES “MORPHABLE” SEAT
More and more people worldwide are living a less active lifestyle, which can lead to a number of health issues, including weaker muscles, so Jaguar Land Rover developed a new seat that reduces health risks from sitting too long. The “morphable” seat uses a series of actuators in the foam to continually create micro-adjustments that make your brain think you’re walking. By simulating this, the system helps mitigate health risks from sitting down too long. The new seat is also customizable for the driver and passengers.

CORVETTE V8 MAKES WARDS 10 BEST LIST
Every year, the editors at Wards evaluate the newest engines and propulsion systems in the market and then choose the ten best. The only V8 to make the list this year is the 6.2L small block in the mid-engine Corvette. On Autoline This Week, we’re joined by several Wards’ editors and they explain why they chose that engine.

Bob Gritzinger, Wards Intelligence
“You know, it’s hard to argue with that application. They’ve (General Motors) just done tremendous work and it’s not just taking the engine from the front of the car and stuffing it in the middle. They did all kinds of engineering work with the intake with the sump. I mean the DCT alone is a marvel, the Tremec DCT.”
 
Tom Murphy, WardsAuto
“490 horsepower or 495 if you spring for the Z51 performance package. 465 pound feet of torque or 470 if you get the sport exhaust. You know, we drove the lower level one, the 490 and 465, and just found it absolutely thrilling. 0 to 60 (MPH) in 2.9 seconds and I was shocked at how tame it sounded. I was expecting this roar from behind me when we were driving it and it was really an enjoyable daily driver, from a sound standpoint. I thought it was great.”

For more about the other engines and propulsion systems that made Wards’ list, you can watch that entire show right now on our website, Autoline,tv or just look for it on our YouTube channel.

BUICK GETTING REBADGED CHEVY BOLT FOR CHINA
Buick doesn’t offer any plug-in vehicles, except in China. They’re sold under the Velite brand, which includes the Velite 5, a rebadged version of the Chevy Volt. Motor1 uncovered a story from Chinese publication, Auto Home that claims Buick will be getting another rebadged Chevy for its Velite family. This time a reworked Bolt EV to be sold under the name Velite 7. As you can see, there’s a number of significant design changes and it also comes with less power; 174 horsepower or 130 kW vs. 201 horsepower of 150 kW for the Bolt. No other details are to be had at the moment, but we’d like to know what you think of the styling changes. Is it better looking than the Bolt?

AUDI ADDS Q5 & A8 PLUG-IN HYBRIDS TO U.S. LINEUP
Speaking of plug-ins, Audi is introducing two of them to the U.S. market, the Q5 SUV and A8 luxury sedan. But Audi better get ready for EV enthusiasts to rip it a new one because of the extremely limited EV range of those cars. Get this, the Audi Q5 plug-in only delivers 20 miles of pure electric driving. The A8 only delivers 17 miles. And that’s in ideal conditions. In the winter those numbers will be cut significantly. But Audi points out the PHEV’s are a second faster 0 to 60, they qualify for about $6,700 in federal tax rebates, and also qualify to drive in high occupancy lanes. 

NEW SET PIECE DETAILS
It’s time to introduce you to another member of our new set. I’m going to take you back to 2014 when I was fortunate enough to drive the new Audi A3 around Silicon Valley, California. At dinner, we were treated to lead designer Dany Garand hand-sketching the car while explaining the design philosophy behind its looks. As a side note, if you ever get the chance to hear a designer explain design. Take the time to listen, you’ll learn something. But it was such a cool experience to hear Garand talk about shadow play, tension in body lines and even how certain body lines were influenced by waves and meant to catch light. Another interesting tidbit was how in Audi design in general the top portion of the car or cabin will take up ⅓ of the entire side view while the lower portion takes up ⅔ rds. And best of all, Garand hand-sketched an A3 for everyone that went on that trip…

• What struck me while writing this
• Took the time but doesn’t know me
• If it were me
• Cool to get original artwork
• What did I do right to deserve this?

Last but not least for me, thanks to everyone that corrected my foolish mistake yesterday, saying the Porsche Boxster and Cayman GTS were getting an in-line 6. Of course, being Porsche, it’s a flat 6. 

John will be back with his car of the week review right after this.

HYUNDAI ELANTRA IMPRESSIONS
We get a lot of different cars and trucks coming through the Autoline garage and this week I was in the Elantra. Other automakers need to really pay attention to what Hyundai is doing, which is to offer a lot of value for the money. The base price for the Elantra Limited I drove was $23,730 including destination charges. It has all the latest safety equipment like forward collision avoidance, blind spot detection and all that. You get USB ports, an aux jack and power outlet–which used to be for cigarette lighters. You get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, heated front seats, wireless charging and a remote key fob. But the one I drove had an option package with an 8-inch nav screen, smart cruise control, a power sunroof and forward collision braking with pedestrian detection. The only thing is, that package cost $3,350 which brought the price of the car to $27,215. To me, the Elantra at $24,000 is a screaming bargain. At twenty-seven grand, I think I would start looking at the Sonata. But of course, that’s just the MSRP and no doubt you can go haggle a better price with your local friendly dealer.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and have a great weekend.