AD #3405 – Ferrari Unveils First SUV; GM’s Cruise Develops Own Chips for AVs; Ram Axes Diesel Powered 1500

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

CHEVY WON’T BUYOUT DEALERS THAT DON’T WANT TO SELL EVs
Chevy could actually benefit from Buick and Cadillac dealers that refuse to go electric. GM is offering buyouts to Buick and Cadillac dealers that don’t want to sell EVs and once a dealer takes the buyout, which about a third of Cadillac dealers did, they’re no longer affiliated with that brand and can’t sell their vehicles. But they are allowed to sell other vehicles from GM. Chevy’s global VP said, “The minute they pull back and say, ‘You know what, I’m not ready to go all in for those brands,’ they’re now 100 percent a Chevy dealer…” I would argue that the dealer could close or switch to another automaker, but I’m sure some will stick with GM. The VP also revealed that Chevrolet is going the opposite route of its sister brands and will not offer buyouts to dealers that don’t want to make the EV switch. But he says the dealers that represent 95% of Chevy’s sales already sell at least one EV, the Bolt, which shows a commitment to the brand.

GM’S CRUISE DEVELOPS OWN CHIPS FOR AVs
And speaking of GM, its autonomous unit Cruise is developing its own semiconductor chips for its AVs. It was using chips from Nvidia but says they cost too much because it couldn’t negotiate lower prices since its volume is so low. So Cruise decided to develop its own chips two years ago and has created four different ones, one is a computing chip that’s the brains of the vehicle, another processes data from the sensors, the third is a chip for the radar and Cruise will later reveal what the last one is for. Cruise says they don’t use as much power which will help increase range. The new chips will debut in the Origin shuttle in 2025.

FERRARI UNVEILS FIRST SUV
It feels a bit odd to say, but Ferrari revealed its first ever 4-door, 4-seater utility vehicle, the Purosangue. Under the hood is a mid-front-mounted 6.5L V12 engine that makes roughly 720 horsepower. Sending power to all four wheels the vehicle will do 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. To make sure it wasn’t just fast in a straight line and performed more like a Ferrari, the chassis and body were completely designed from scratch with an emphasis on rigidity. Suicide doors lead into the cabin, which features 4 fairly luxurious, but highly bolstered seats. And take note of the dash. In front of each occupant is a large bump in the dash with a valley in between them and a display screen in each of those bumps. It’s an interesting look. The Purosangue will cost about $400,000 and deliveries start in the 2nd quarter of next year.

CHEVY GIVES THE TAHOE A BIT MORE POWER
Chevy is giving the Tahoe a bit more power. It introduced a performance version called the Tahoe RST Performance Edition. Underneath the hood is a 6.2L V8, which cranks out 433 horsepower and 467 lb-ft of torque, which is 13 more horses and 7 lb-ft more than the base RST Tahoe. The new model is able to move from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.78 seconds and has a top speed of 124 MPH. The RST Performance Edition also borrows a number of components from the police version of the Tahoe including, police-spec springs, retuned dampers, police-spec chassis calibrations, Brembo front and rear brakes and it has a lower ride height. The new model goes into production in the fourth quarter at GM’s SUV plant in Arlington, Texas. The package costs $8,525 and is only available on the Tahoe RST with the 6.2L Engine. So, its total price is just over $74,000.

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TOYOTA REVEALS GR COROLLA PRICING
And speaking of more power, Toyota revealed pricing for the performance version of the Corolla. Called the GR Corolla, it starts at $35,900 and arrives at U.S. dealers this fall. The model is powered by a 1.6L turbocharged three-cylinder engine that cranks out 300 horsepower and 273 or 295 lb-ft of torque, depending on the version you get. The GR Corolla, which is the first Gazoo Racing vehicle developed for North America, will be built at Toyota’s Motomachi plant in Japan.

HYUNDAI NOT GIVING UP ON IC ENGINES
The Hyundai Group is one of the leaders, among legacy automakers, in the transition to electric vehicles. But the company says it’s not giving up on combustion engine cars. Albert Biermann, Hyundai’s Executive Technical Advisor and former head of R&D, says the automaker will continue to develop IC engines because not all markets are ready to make the EV transition, since they don’t have the charging network needed to make the switch. Biermann says the company needs to continue offering ICE vehicles to remain competitive globally.

CHRYSLER TO END 300 PRODUCTION IN 2023
Chrysler is sending off the 300 sedan with a bang or should we say with the roar of a V8 engine. Production ends following the 2023 model year. It revealed the limited edition 2023 300C, which will come with a 485 horsepower 6.4L HEMI V8 under the hood. That’s enough to carry the heavy sedan from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. As you can guess it also comes with a host of special options, like Brembo brakes, a limited slip diff and unique body accents. Only 2,000 will be made for the U.S. and another 200 for Canada and pricing starts at $55,000.

RAM TO STOP SELLING DIESEL POWERED 1500s IN 2023
But that’s not the only Stellantis vehicle going away for 2023. Early next year production of the EcoDiesel version of the Ram 1500 will end. So, its taking the final orders right now on the truck, which was first offered in 2014.

OPEL REVIVES GSE BRAND
And here’s a last bit of Stellantis news that our European viewers are likely to enjoy. Opel is going to revive the GSE brand. Used previously on vehicles, like the Commodore and Monza, GSE stood for Grand Sport Injection – the German word for injection starts with an “E” – and were known as highly-equipped, sporty models. The new GSe will also signify dynamic and fun to drive cars, but the letters now stand for Grand Sport Electric and will focus exclusively on electrified models. GSe will be its own range-topping sub-brand, kind of like Denali for GMC, that will get its own athletic look and a sporty chassis setup. Opel’s CEO says GSe will make its return “in the immediate future.”

But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for tuning in.