AD #2923 – Chevy Trailblazer Impressions; Tesla Battery Day Disappoints Investors; Kia Unveils New Sorento

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

TESLA BATTERY DAY DISAPPOINTS INVESTORS
Tesla’s highly anticipated Battery Day was last night and while there were some significant announcements, investors were mostly unimpressed. Elon Musk revealed the company is developing batteries that are more powerful, longer lasting and half as expensive as its current cells. Thanks to these innovations, Musk says Tesla could offer a $25,000 vehicle within three years that’s on par with a comparable gasoline powered car. A new high performance version of the Model S called Plaid was also introduced. It will have a top speed of 200 MPH and a range of 520 miles. It goes on sale next year with a $140,000 price tag. As I said, investors weren’t impressed with the event. They were expecting Musk to announce a “million mile” battery that can last 10 years as well as a specific cost reduction target that would cut the price of an EV below an ICE car. Neither of which was revealed and that dropped the company’s market cap by $20 billion. But if you want to hear what the experts have to say, head on over to our YouTube channel for our breakdown of the event with Sandy Munro and Bob Galyen and get some great insight from two of the most foremost EV experts in the world.

FORD REACHES DEAL WITH CANADIAN UNION
Ford and Unifor, the union that represents Canadian auto workers, tentatively agreed to a new three-year collective bargaining agreement. The automaker will invest nearly $1.5 billion at three of its plants in the country, which employ about 5,400 workers. Part of the deal includes building five electric vehicles at its Oakville, Ontario plant, the first of which will roll down the assembly in 2025, while production of the fifth model kicks off in 2028. That plant currently builds the Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Edge but those will be phased out in 2023. Ford will also produce a new 6.8L engine and assemble batteries in the country as well. The deal still needs approval from union members and it sets the pattern for upcoming negotiations with FCA and GM.

And be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours tomorrow afternoon. We’ll be talking about design because our special guest is Brian Smith, the Exterior Design Director at Cadillac. Also joining John and Gary for that show is the Autoextremist, Peter DeLorenzo. So, join us tomorrow at 3PM eastern time for some of the best insider discussions in the automotive industry.

KIA UNVEILS NEW SORENTO
Kia introduced the all-new Sorento. It’s styling has been updated and has a more rugged SUV look. The new model also features the next evolution of the company’s tiger nose grille along with standard LED headlamps. The interior has a new 12.3-inch instrument cluster as well as a standard 8-inch or available 10.25-inch center touchscreen. There’s several powertrain options to choose from, a 2.5L four-cylinder that’s mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. A 2.5L four-cylinder turbo that’s matched with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission. A 1.6L four-cylinder turbo hybrid that’s paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and a 44-kW electric motor. That model gets an estimated 37 MPG combined. And finally, a plug-in hybrid will be available next year. It has a similar powertrain setup as the regular hybrid, except it’s equipped with a 66.9 kW electric motor. That model will have an all-electric range of 30 miles. And the Sorento comes standard or offers a whole host of new driver assistance technology. The new Sorento goes on sale later this year but no word on pricing yet, that will be revealed later.

SPECIAL EDITION RDX BUILT ON SAME LINE AS NSX
Honda created the Acura Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio to build the NSX but more of the brand’s so-called everyday vehicles are rolling down the same line as the supercar. Acura calls these PMC Edition models and the RDX is now following in the footsteps of the TLX and MDX. Spec-wise, these models are the same as any top-of-the-line RDX, but with exclusive black 20-inch wheels, black chrome exhaust tips as well as black roof, mirrors and door handles. The grille surround also matches the Thermal Orange Pearl paint finish, which is reflected in the stitching for the seats, center console, door panels, steering wheel and floor mats. The RDX PMC Edition will be limited to 360 examples in the U.S. and Acura says pricing will be in the low $50,000 range. 

MERCEDES INTRODUCES LIMITED EDITION SEMI TRUCK
You know, it’s not uncommon to see these limited-edition cars, but Mercedes is now applying the same philosophy to one of its big commercial trucks. The Actros Edition 2 will be limited to just 400 examples and is made for customers who want the greatest amount of functionality. There’s a very wide range of additional options, including carbon fiber and Nappa leather and like so many of these limited-edition models many of those components are blacked out, even the wheels. The semi-truck segment is really starting to get crowded and this may be a way for Mercedes to help set itself apart from the crowd.

BMW SHOWS OFF NEW M3 & M4
BMW revealed the new M3 and M4 and it did something a little unique. M cars usually look very similar to their non-M counterparts, but with a bunch of go-fast goodies tacked on. Not the new M3. It wears a completely different face than the current 3 Series. More specifically, it’s the same face as the 4 Series and new M4 with the automaker’s giant twin-kidney grille. BMW says the large openings help provide sufficient airflow to the radiators, which keeps the turbocharged in-line 6-cylinder engine lurking under the hood nice and cool. That engine will come in two power outputs; 473 horsepower and 503 horsepower and can be mated to either an 8-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. All that power helps return a 0 to 60 time as fast as 3.8 seconds. For the first time, all-wheel drive will be available in the summer of next year. Now let’s get to some of those go-fast goodies. Both performance cars get electronically controlled shock absorbers, chassis bracing to improve rigidity, performance brakes, light-weight wheels, carbon-fiber roof and unique aerodynamic elements to increase downforce. Look for the new M3 and M4 to hit the market in March of 2021. The M3 will have a starting price of about $71,000 while the M4 starts at about $73,000.

TRAILBLAZER DISAPPOINTS AT FIRST BUT TOTALLY REDEEMS ITSELF
The latest test car we had in the Autoline Garage is the new Chevrolet Trailblazer. Chevy claims it’s the fastest selling vehicle in the American market based on its turn rate. But that’s also because there is such low inventory that they sell as soon as they come off the truck. There’s practically nothing on the dealer’s lot to choose from. At first glance the Trailblazer seems to have nondescript styling. Or at least the dark blue one we drove did. Dark colors tend to hide character lines. This was also true of the all-black interior. Everything seemed to disappear into a black abyss. So our first impressions weren’t that favorable. The price didn’t help either. While the base price of the Trailblazer is $19,000, our all-wheel-drive LT cost over $28,000. We weren’t expecting something that expensive. But after spending a few days in the Trailblazer we started to warm up to it. The chassis is very well engineered, probably the best we’ve experienced in the segment. It has excellent road isolation, with minimal road and wind noise, and the cabin is unexpectedly quiet. The suspension provides a nice supple ride, even over rough pavement, but also holds up well under cornering. While you get some engine noise when you put your foot into it, it’s a nice low growl. Our test model had the 1.3 liter turbo with a 9-speed automatic and even though it only develops 155 horsepower, it felt more than adequate for everyday driving, and delivers a decent 28 mile per gallon rating. First impressions count for a lot and our first impression wasn’t all that good. But this is a vehicle that deserves a second look. The Trailblazer seems to be one of those vehicles that grows on you. All you have to do is spend some time in it and pay attention to what it’s doing.

But with that we wrap up today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.