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Runtime: 10:19
0:38 U.S. Sales Continue to Show Signs of Life
1:43 Skoda Reveals ENYAQ iV EV
3:04 Peugeot Makes Major Updates to 3008 SUV
4:02 All-New Mercedes S-Class Debuts
5:55 Ford F-250 Tremor Review
7:37 Honda Odyssey Driving Impressions
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
U.S. SALES CONTINUE TO SHOW SIGNS OF LIFE
Car sales in the U.S. were down once again in August but they’re starting to trend in the right direction. According to Wards Intelligence, automakers sold more than 1.3 million vehicles last month, down 13% compared to a year ago. However, that is a 7% improvement compared to July. The seasonally adjusted annual rate or SAAR hit 15.19 million units down nearly two million compared to a year ago but up from 14.63 million in July. Even though sales are still down, more automakers posted gains in August, but that was mostly luxury brands. Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche, Volvo, Tesla and Daimler were able to increase sales on a daily selling rate basis. Among the mainstream brands, only Mazda and Kia posted gains. However, Wards is forecasting that the SAAR over the last four months of the year will be below August’s number due to a slow economy and low inventory in key segments.
U.S. Sales August, 2020 | ||
---|---|---|
Sales | 1,325,144 | -12.9% |
SAAR | 15.19 Million |
Sales Gainers | |
---|---|
JLR | +36.2% |
Porsche | +34.7% |
Volvo | +21.6% |
Tesla | +18.0% |
Daimler | +6.9% |
Mazda | +2.2% |
Kia | +1.1% |
SKODA REVEALS THE ENYAQ iV EV
Skoda revealed the all-electric ENYAQ iV utility vehicle, which is the automaker’s version of the VW ID.4. Styling is a bit more aggressive than the ID.4, but does anyone else think the ENYAQ iV looks like if a Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus had a baby? It’s the side profile, along with the character lines down the side and hump over the rear wheels that makes me think that way. Ok, moving on. The ENYAQ iV comes with three battery sizes, five power outputs and either rear- or all-wheel drive. Battery sizes range from 55 kWh to 82 kWh, returning 340 to 510 kilometers or 211 to 316 miles of range, based on the WLTP test. Power output goes from 109 kW up to 225 kW and that helps the performance RS model go from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. The interior is simple with very few knobs and buttons, similar to other EVs, and also features a giant center screen slapped onto the dash. Skoda says the ENYAQ iV can be pre-ordered in many countries right now and the first ones will start being delivered in the spring of next year.
PEUGEOT MAKES MAJOR UPDATES TO 3008 SUV
Peugeot made some major updates to its 3008 SUV. We really like how the frameless grille fades away right before hitting the fang-like Daytime Running Lights, a feature you can find on many Peugeot models. The same can be said of the 3008’s interior, which features the automaker’s i-Cockpit design and is highlighted by a 12.3 inch instrument cluster and 10 inch center display screen. There are a number of gasoline and diesel engines available, including two plug-in hybrid variants. The two-wheel drive version combines for about 225 horsepower, while the all-wheel drive version has nearly 300 horsepower. It’s 13.2 kWh battery returns between 56 and 59 kilometers of range, which is roughly 36 miles. The new Peugeot 3008 goes on sale in Europe before the end of the year.
ALL-NEW MERCEDES S-CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
Mercedes unveiled the all-new S-Class today. And while we’re still digesting the contents of its 60-page press release here are some of the highlights:
– 223 is the internal code name.
– It’s larger in every dimension except rear shoulder room and overall width including mirrors.
– It gets a 3D driver display
– The head-up display has augmented reality and is the equivalent of a 77 inch monitor.
– The nav virtually projects animated arrows to display your route.
– Over 50 electronic components can get over-the-air updates.
– Optional rear steering chops 6 feet off the turning radius to under 36 feet. But that’s still more than an F-150.
– When a side impact is imminent, the body rises 3 inches so the door sill can absorb more of the impact.
– Rear seat passengers get airbags that deploy from the backs of the front seats.
– There are up to 19 motors in the front seats, with 10 different massage programs
– There are vibrating motors in the seat cushions to enhance the sound system. Two resonators are integrated into the backrest of each seat.
– When you talk, the sound system amplifies your voice for rear seat passengers and vice versa.
– The rear headrests are heated.
– In the driving mode called CURVE, the car leans into turns by up to 3 degrees, like a motorcycle. This reduces the lateral forces acting on the occupants.
There is a ton more information about this car, but for now this gives you a taste of some of the highlights of the new Mercedes S-Class.
FORD F-250 TREMOR IMPRESSIVELY SOPHISTICATED
One of the best parts of working at Autoline is that we get to test drive so many different kinds of vehicles. And we jumped at the chance to get in the Ford F-250 Super Duty. Years ago a big brute like this was only for people who worked at construction sites. But that was then. Today, these big trucks come replete with all the comforts and conveniences you’d expect in a passenger car. In fact, make that a top end luxury car. With a price tag that was north of $82,000 the one we drove was an impressively sophisticated truck. At highway speeds the cabin was surprisingly quiet. Keep in mind this was a 4×4 crew cab with a 6.7-liter V8 diesel under the hood. Not only did it come with the Tremor Off Road package it rode on giant 35-inch tires with aggressive tread patterns. Yet, you never had to talk over the noise. At lower speeds you’d feel every bump and roll in the pavement and get that jiggly ride so common in pickups. But that’s the kind of feel that truckers want in their trucks and besides, a truck like this smooths out when you dump a big load in the bed. And I mean a big load. When we hauled a refrigerator back to the house, this Super Duty didn’t even know there was something in the bed. All this helps explain why sales of these trucks are running strong. By equipping them with every conceivable creature comfort, Ford expanded the potential list of customers well beyond construction crews and contractors. But it managed to keep them on the list, too.
HONDA ODYSSEY DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Alright, let’s get back to some minivan talk again. Yesterday I ended on a note about what I didn’t like about the Odyssey, today I’ll start with something I did like. Looking at the front end of this minivan, which is quite short, I thought the engine would be stuffed back under the cowl and difficult to work on. But Honda engineers did a great job of packaging the powertrain under the hood and there’s plenty of space to get at things like the serpentine belt and spark plugs, even the air filter is easy to get to. I’ll also note that the front end is so short and drops off so quickly, I couldn’t see a lick of the hood from my driving position. You might think that makes you feel like you’re sitting really far forward, but you really don’t and get a great view of the road. Another thing that should help instill more confidence in drivers is that Honda reduced brake pedal travel by 20%. It made the change because customers were saying the brake feel was too mushy before. The new setup felt good to me. As a matter of fact the whole vehicle felt good to me. As the driver it doesn’t feel like there’s all that much heft behind you, even though there is. And one way Honda is setting itself apart from other minivans is by making the Odyssey ride more like a utility vehicle. It feels surprisingly planted in corners and the suspension tuning was more aggressive than I was expecting. My personal preference is for a more supple feel in a minivan, but it seems that Honda is trying to blur the lines between minivan and utility, making the choice easier for customers. Honda even hopes to get some more luxury vehicle converts who want more space by upgrading its top-of-the-line Elite trim. Features include new wheels, auto-dimming mirrors, unique materials, new dash trim and piping on the seats in all rows. Maybe it was just the color combination, but it didn’t scream luxury to me. I felt like the Genie from Aladdin before he settled on changing Abu into an elephant. Hmm, not enough. And these new creature comforts are going to cost customers. Pricing is up on all trims and while I don’t know the exact price of the Elite model we drove, it starts at nearly $48,000.
But that wraps up today’s report, thanks for watching and we’ll see you tomorrow with the latest news in the global automotive industry.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.