Listen to “AD #3022 – Jeep Asked to Drop Cherokee Name; Hyundai Reveals IONIQ 5 EV; Lexus Gives the IS More Power” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 11:43
0:07 Jeep Asked to Drop Cherokee Name
0:59 Kia Shows Off Military Concept
1:43 EV Startups Struggle on Wall Street
2:16 Bolt EUV Gets Downgraded Super Cruise System
4:09 Hyundai Reveals IONIQ 5 CUV
6:43 Lexus Gives the IS More Power
8:50 Gordon Murray Dedicates Special T.50 to Niki Lauda
9:54 Continental Invests in AI Chips for AVs
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CHEROKEE NATION WANTS JEEP TO DROP CHEROKEE NAME
Uh-oh. This could be a sticky wicket for Jeep. Car and Driver reports that the Cherokee Nation tribe is asking Jeep to drop the name Cherokee. C&D quotes the principal chief of the Cherokees as saying that Jeep does not honor the tribe by “plastering its name on the side of a car.” This is becoming a big thing. The Cleveland Indians baseball team announced they will change their name and the Washington Football Team already announced they will stop using the Redskins name, so the pressure is on. Jeep put out a statement saying that it is “committed to an open and respectful dialogue” with the Cherokee tribe. But this could not come at a worse time for Jeep. It plans to start making the all-new Grand Cherokee in August and the all-new Cherokee in October.
KIA SHOWS OFF NEW MILITARY CONCEPT
Kia is wasting no time in expanding its military expertise. It recently displayed the Light Tactical Cargo Truck concept at an international defense exhibition. It’s built on a modular chassis that allows for a standard and long wheelbase version, which can then be converted into a mobile workshop, communication hub or troop and cargo carriers. The vehicle is powered by a 225 horsepower diesel engine and mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that drives all 4 wheels. It can also be armored or unarmored and features independent suspension, limited-slip differential and run-flat tires.
EV STARTS STRUGGLE ON WALL STREET
It was a bad day on Wall Street for the EV startups, with Tesla leading the downturn. Tesla is down $158 a share from the beginning of the month. Lordstown, Workhorse, Canoo, and Nikola fell, as well as Nio, XPeng, Li Auto and Kandi. These stocks have been on a tear for months, so it’s not surprising to see a correction. But we’ll have to keep an eye on this to see if it’s just some profit taking or if the market is trying to tell us something else.
| Current Price | $ Change | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | $714.50 | -$66.80 | -8.5% |
| Lordstown | $22.74 | -$2.02 | -8.2% |
| Workhorse | $31.34 | -$1.62 | -4.9% |
| Canoo | $14.66 | -$0.65 | -4.2% |
| Nikola | $20.92 | -$0.44 | -2.1% |
| NIO | $50.68 | -$4.36 | -7.9% |
| XPeng | $38.00 | -$2.88 | -7.0% |
| Li Auto | $27.84 | -$2.00 | -6.7% |
| Kandi | $7.76 | -$0.45 | -5.5% |
BOLT EUV GETS DOWNGRADED SUPER CRUISE SYSTEM
And speaking of semi-autonomous driving systems, the new Chevy Bolt EUV will have a slightly downgraded version of GM’s Super Cruise that’s available in some Cadillac models. The Bolt EUV won’t be able to perform automatic lane changing, which the driver activates by tapping the turn signal. That’s because the model is built on GM’s Global A platform which doesn’t support the feature. Vehicles based on GM’s new Global B architecture can support the function.
HYUNDAI REVEALS IONIQ 5 ELECTRIC CROSSOVER
Hyundai unveiled the all-new, all-electric IONIQ 5 and we think it’s going to be very competitive in the EV space. The mid-size CUV comes standard with a rear electric motor and a 58 kWh battery pack. While Hyundai didn’t reveal the range for this setup, based on figures for the larger pack, we can estimate it will be rated around 375 kilometers or 233 miles based on the WLTP test cycle. It will also do 0-60 in 8.5 seconds in this configuration. There’s an AWD setup as well with 173 kW of total power, which brings that 0-60 time down to 6.1 seconds. Moving over to that larger pack, its size depends on the market where it’s sold. Customers outside of North America will have access to a 72.6 kWh battery, while those in North America get a 77.4 kWh pack. Hyundai estimates the smaller 72.6 kWh pack will return between 470-480 kilometers or 292-298 miles of range. There’s also an AWD option for the larger pack, but it’s more powerful with 225 kW of total power and will do 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. The IONIQ 5 can support both 400- and 800-volt charging and in optimum conditions can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes. Now let’s shift our focus to the styling, which was inspired by Hyundai’s first production car the Pony. And believe it or not, this is not a concept or prototype. It’s what you’ll be able to buy in the dealership, including the flush-mounted door handles, which helps improve aero. The same can be said of the interior. It looks like a concept, but features a minimalistic design with two large display screens. It also has cool options like reclining front seats with leg rests, a Head-Up Display featuring augmented reality and a large glass roof. The IONIQ 5 goes on sale in the first half of this year and will be followed by a sedan, called the IONIQ 6 and the IONIQ 7, a large SUV.
LEXUS GIVES THE IS MORE POWER
In our review of the new Lexus IS, we noted that being a Lexus, it still leans towards quiet and comfort rather than raw performance, but today that changes. It revealed the all-new IS 500 F Sport Performance, which rocks a 472 horsepower 5.0L V8 under the hood. Paired with rear-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission, the car will do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. The next most-powerful version in the IS lineup is the IS 350, which features a 311 horsepower 3.5L V6 and will do 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. Now that you know how it stacks up, let’s get to that name: the IS 500 F Sport Performance. A bit of a mouthful, but F Sport Performance is a new trim Lexus is adding to its lineup that will perform better than standard F Sport models and are distinguished by black badging. Ok, back to the IS. It also comes standard with adaptive suspension and a limited slip differential as well as add ons, like performance dampers in the rear and bigger front and rear brake rotors. With the extra goodies the car’s weight is up by 143 pounds, which isn’t a whole lot. Visual changes include a raised hood, longer bumper, wider fenders, unique 19-inch wheels, rear diffuser, quad exhaust, dark window trim, black badging and a new start-up animation in the instrument cluster. The IS 500 F Sport Performance goes on sale this fall.
GORDON MURRAY DEDICATES SPECIAL T.50 TO NIKI LAUDA
Gordon Murray, the famed Formula One designer, unveiled the track version of his T.50. He calls it the T.50S, or more precisely, the T.50S Niki Lauda Fancar. That’s a tribute to F1 champion Niki Lauda and the Brabham BT-46 fancar that Gordon Murray designed for the 1978 season. It had fans at the back of the car that literally sucked the car to the track. It was so much faster than everyone else it was banned after two races. The T.50S also has a fan, but it doesn’t create a vacuum that sucks the car to the track. Instead, the fan helps pull air through the diffusers under the car to generate downforce. It’s all very ingenious, but Gordon Murray makes it sound like he invented the fancar. He did not. Jim Hall came out with the Chaparral 2J and raced it in the CanAm series a decade before Gordon Murray showed up with his fancar.
CONTINENTAL INVESTS IN AI CHIPS FOR AVs
Cars are becoming more and more sophisticated and will need more computing power in the future. That’s why the supplier Continental is investing in Recogni, a startup based in California that’s developing a new type of chip architecture for autonomous vehicles. Financial details weren’t disclosed. The chips use artificial intelligence to help perform object recognition in real time. Continental says it will start producing the new chips in volume production in 2026. While this new investment won’t help with the current chip shortage that’s disrupting production across the global auto industry, it does show companies want to make sure they’ll have a proper supply of chips in the future.
So many auto shows have been cancelled and rescheduled it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on. In fact, we have to wonder: what is the future of auto shows? We’re going to get into that on Autoline After Hours when our guest will be Rod Alberts from the Detroit Auto Dealers Association. They’re the ones who put on the Detroit auto show. But this year they’re doing a completely different kind of event. It will be held outdoors at a private motor club. And they’re calling it Motor Bella. Maybe this is the future of auto shows, maybe not. But we invite you to join us this Thursday to learn what Rod has to say.
But that wraps up today’s show. Thanks for watching and we’ll be right back here again tomorrow.
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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.
