William Maley

Toyota Motor North America Reports U.S. Sales for July 2018 Toyota division sets light truck sales record Highlander posted best-ever July Lexus RX, NX Hybrid recorded best-ever July PLANO, Texas (August 1, 2018) – Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) today reported July 2018 sales of 208,770 units. With one less selling day in July 2018 compared to July 2017, sales were down 2.1 percent on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis and down 6.0 percent on volume basis. Toyota division posted July 2018 sales of 183,367 units, down 1.1 percent on a DSR basis and down 5.1 percent on a volume basis. Lexus posted July sales of 25,403 units, down 8.4 percent on a DSR basis and down 12.1 percent on a volume basis July 2018 Highlights: Toyota division posted its best-ever month for light truck sales Camry recorded sales of 26,311 units Corolla posted sales of 26,754 units RAV4 posted sales of 41,093 units Highlander sales increased by 11.3 percent, a best-ever month 4Runner sales increased by 26.0 percent Tacoma increased by 25.7 percent, a best-ever July since 1996 Tundra posted sales of 9,478 units Lexus LUVs posted sales of 17,177 units NX Hybrid up 205.1 percent, the seventh consecutive best-ever month NX combined sales of 4,653 units RXh increased by 92.8 percent, a best-ever July since launch in 2005 RX combined sales of increased by 1.5 percent, a best-ever July GX increased by 14.4 percent LS increased by 77.1 percent *Note: Unless otherwise stated, all figures reflect unadjusted raw sales volume TOYOTA U.S. SALES SUMMARY JULY 2018 -- CURRENT MONTH -- -- CALENDAR YEAR TO DATE -- 2018 2017 DSR % VOL % 2018 2017 DSR % VOL % TOTAL TOYOTA 208,770 222,057 -2.1 -6.0 1,398,082 1,377,224 0.9 1.5 TOTAL TOYOTA DIV 183,367 193,155 -1.1 -5.1 1,237,679 1,214,562 1.3 1.9 TOTAL LEXUS 25,403 28,902 -8.4 -12.1 160,403 162,662 -1.9 -1.4 YARIS IA (INCL SCI IA) 2,306 3,333 -27.9 -30.8 18,051 22,081 -18.7 -18.3 YARIS LIFTBACK 162 361 -53.3 -55.1 1,033 7,217 -85.8 -85.7 TOTAL YARIS 2,468 3,694 -30.4 -33.2 19,084 29,298 -35.2 -34.9 iQ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 xD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 xB 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.0 tC 0 7 -100.0 -100.0 1 181 -99.5 -99.4 COROLLA IM (INCL SCI IM) 2,165 1,733 30.1 24.9 13,822 12,664 8.5 9.1 COROLLA SEDAN 24,589 26,600 -3.7 -7.6 174,394 192,196 -9.8 -9.3 TOTAL COROLLA 26,754 28,333 -1.6 -5.6 188,216 204,860 -8.6 -8.1 86 (INCL FR-S) 300 655 -52.3 -54.2 2,588 4,391 -41.4 -41.1 MIRAI 137 82 74.0 67.1 880 790 10.8 11.4 AVALON 2,573 2,859 -6.3 -10.0 22,068 19,594 12.0 12.6 PRIUS 7,265 9,384 -19.4 -22.6 53,436 64,485 -17.6 -17.1 CAMRY 26,311 33,827 -19.0 -22.2 205,106 210,724 -3.2 -2.7 TOTAL TOYOTA DIV. CAR 65,808 78,841 -13.1 -16.5 491,380 534,323 -8.6 -8 CT 0 442 -100 -100 4 4,368 -99.9 -99.9 IS 2,068 2,443 -11.8 -15.3 13,364 14,771 -10.0 -9.5 RC 259 522 -48.3 -50.4 2,008 3,621 -44.9 -44.5 ES 4,551 6,641 -28.6 -31.5 24,452 28,441 -14.5 -14.0 GS 470 652 -24.9 -27.9 4,158 4,205 -1.7 -1.1 LS 712 402 84.5 77.1 5,081 2,257 123.9 125.1 LC 166 313 -45 -47 1,182 1158 2 2 LFA 0 1 -100 -100 2 1 99 100 TOTAL LEXUS CAR 8,226 11,416 -24.9 -27.9 50,251 58,822 -15.1 -14.6 TOTAL TOYOTA CAR 74,034 90,257 -14.6 -18.0 541,631 593,145 -9.2 -8.7 SIENNA 6,757 11,100 -36.6 -39.1 52,761 67,258 -22.0 -21.6 C-HR 3,688 3444 12 7 29,927 8942 232.8 234.7 RAV4 41,093 41,804 2.4 -1.7 239,485 226,570 5.1 5.7 FJ CRUISER 0 1 -100 -100 1 3 -66.9 -66.7 VENZA 0 0 0 0 0 13 -100 -100 HIGHLANDER 21,159 19,017 15.9 11.3 135,413 118,992 13.2 13.8 4RUNNER 12,444 9,874 31.3 26.0 77,272 73,395 4.7 5.3 SEQUOIA 907 963 -1.9 -5.8 6,348 7,174 -12.0 -11.5 LAND CRUISER 189 193 2.0 -2.1 1,712 1,725 -1.3 -0.8 TOTAL TOYOTA DIV. SUV 79,480 75,296 10.0 5.6 490,158 436,814 11.6 12.2 TACOMA 21,844 17,372 31.0 25.7 138,110 111,969 22.7 23.3 TUNDRA 9,478 10,546 -6.4 -10.1 65,270 64,198 1.1 1.7 TOTAL TOYOTA DIV. PICKUP 31,322 27,918 16.9 12.2 203,380 176,167 14.8 15.4 TOTAL TOYOTA DIV. TRUCK 117,559 114,314 7.1 2.8 746,299 680,239 9.1 9.7 NX 4,653 5,406 -10.3 -13.9 33,325 31,429 5.4 6.0 RX 9,780 9,632 5.8 1.5 59,831 56,369 5.5 6.1 GX 2,374 2075 19.2 14.4 14,044 12,972 7.7 8.3 LX 370 373 3.3 -0.8 2,952 3,070 -4.4 -3.8 TOTAL LEXUS TRUCK 17,177 17,486 2.3 -1.8 110,152 103,840 5.5 6.1 TOTAL TOYOTA TRUCK 134736 131800 6.5 2.2 856451 784079 8.6 9.2 Selling Days 24 25 178 177 DSR = Daily Selling Rate

FCA US Reports July 2018 Sales Ram brand reports highest July sales ever, Light-Duty retail sales climbed 17 percent Jeep® brand reports highest July sales ever, retail sales rose 16 percent Jeep Cherokee posts best July sales ever, retail sales jumped 73 percent Alfa Romeo July sales increase 65 percent August 1, 2018 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC today reported July 2018 sales of 170,970 vehicles, a 6 percent increase compared with sales in July 2017 of 161,477 vehicles. Overall sales were propelled by the Ram brand and Jeep® brand. The Jeep brand had its best July ever as the Cherokee, Compass and Wrangler nameplates all scored record increases. FCA retail sales increased 6 percent to 153,925 vehicles while fleet sales totaled 17,045. Fleet accounted for 10 percent of overall sales. Jeep Brand Jeep brand July sales rose 15 percent to 79,906 vehicles. It was the seventh straight month Jeep sales have increased over the same month the previous year. Cherokee sales rose 71 percent to 20,210 vehicles, while Compass sales rose 63 percent to 12,300 vehicles, Sales of the Wrangler rose 14 percent to 21,308 vehicles. Ram Brand Ram brand had its best July ever as sales increased 2 percent to 45,065. Ram Light-Duty sales drove the brand’s performance with a total of 27,812 vehicle sales, an increase of 13 percent compared with the same period last year. Retail sales of the Light-Duty increased 17 percent to 26,380. Chrysler Brand Chrysler brand total sales declined 13 percent to 11,624 vehicles. Pacifica sales rose 6 percent to 8,775 vehicles. Dodge Brand Dodge brand sales were flat with last year as sales came in at 31,119 vehicles. Charger and Journey sales both posted increases. Charger sales rose 6 percent to 5,743 vehicles while the Journey rose 23 percent to 8,345 vehicles. It was the highest July for Charger ever and the highest July for Journey since 2015. FIAT Brand Sales of Fiat declined 45 percent to 1,240 vehicles. Alfa Romeo Brand Alfa Romeo brand sales of 2,016 vehicles were up 65 percent compared with the same month a year ago. Stelvio led the brand with 1,014 vehicle sales.

Buick is making their Regal Sportback a bit more luxurious with the introduction of a Avenir model for 2019. We first learned about this model thanks to General Motors’ 2019 fleet order guide last week. The Avenir transformation on the Regal begins outside with a three-dimensional mesh grille, 19-inch wheels finished in Pearl Nickel, LED headlights, and Avenir badging on the doors. Step inside to find either a ebony or beige design theme with diamond quilt-stitched front seats; embroidered headrests, an 8-inch touchscreen with navigation, 8-speaker Bose audio system, and a wireless charging pad for your smartphone. A driver assistance suite of features that includes blind spot monitoring,lane change alert, rear-cross traffic alert, and rear parking sensors come standard. Adaptive cruise control is standard. Buick will only offer one powertrain configuration on the Regal Avenir; the turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder producing 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. This will come paired with a nine-speed automatic and front-wheel drive. Pricing hasn't been announced, but we're guessing it will slot between the Essence and GS. The Regal Avenir arrives at Buick dealers this fall. Source: Buick 2019 Regal Avenir Offers Sleek, Versatile Luxury Premium Line Extends to Buick’s Freshest Face SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — With the addition of the Regal Avenir — the fourth Buick globally to get an Avenir trim in less than a year — the momentum behind Buick’s highest expression of luxury continues to grow. Since its introduction last fall, Enclave Avenir has set the pace for Avenir, selling faster than all other Enclave trims and comprising 20 percent of total Enclave sales in the United States. A similar story is unfolding for the new LaCrosse, where Avenir is selling 70 percent faster than other trim levels. “Avenir sales have exceeded our expectations,” said Phil Brook, vice president, Buick and GMC Marketing. “Buick customers value the exclusive styling, premium features and convenient experience Avenir provides, and we are excited to extend that successful formula to Regal.” Half of all Regal Sportback buyers are choosing the top trim level, and within the midsize car segment demand is growing for more premium vehicles. Over the past four years, demand has risen 30 percent for midsize cars priced from $30,000 to $40,000, reflecting the increasing customer demand for more luxury, convenience and safety without compromising overall value. Buick’s first cloud-connected1 Infotainment System debuts on Regal Avenir, enabling embedded apps and enhancing how customers interact with vehicle features such as profiles, available navigation, voice recognition system updates and applications. Owners will now be able to personalize their user preferences and seamlessly take that profile with them into any compatible vehicle. “Innovation comes standard with Avenir,” said Chris Hay, Product and Pricing director, Buick and GMC. “It is a place for us to showcase our latest ideas to promote occupant well-being before we roll them out to other vehicles in our portfolio. The Enclave Avenir was the first Buick with Evonik Acrylite exterior lighting, a Rear Camera Mirror and an ionizer, and now Buick’s latest infotainment interface will come standard with the Regal Avenir.” Other Avenir-exclusive interior details include a Whisper Beige interior theme with Ebony accents, unique diamond quilt-stitched front seats, embroidered first-row headrests and Avenir-scripted sill plates. An Ebony interior theme is also available on Avenir models. On the exterior, Regal Avenir’s more dramatic look features the unique Avenir three-dimensional mesh upper grille inspired by our award-winning concept cars. Avenir script badging on the front doors and exclusive 19-inch Pearl Nickel wheels create more visual differentiation and complement the Regal’s timeless design. Numerous safety and driver assistance technologies2 available on other Regal Sportback models come standard on Avenir, including Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, LED headlamps with auto leveling, cornering lamps and driver side auto-dimming mirrors. Additional active safety technologies, including Adaptive Cruise Control - Advanced, are also available. A 250-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 260 lb-ft of torque, a nine-speed automatic transmission, ample cargo space with a discreet rear opening and tri-folding 40/20/40 rear seats, wireless charging, navigation and Bose eight-speaker premium audio also come standard on Avenir. Pricing will be announced early fall 2018 when Avenirs arrive at dealers. View full article

Unlike the Ford Fusion which will end production in 2020, the fate of the Lincoln MKZ is very unclear. Will it go away? Will it become something else? What we do know is that MKZ will be kicking around for a couple more years. CarsDirect has gone through the order guide for the 2019 MKZ and pulled out some interesting tidbits. The first is the removal of the Black Label trim. Aside from exclusive interior appointments, Black Label also gave owners "membership privileges" such as 4-year maintenance plan, and getting special access to events and restaurants. This is likely an effort to reduce complexity of the MKZ lineup - now comprised of MKZ (base), Reserve I, and Reserve II. If you desire the 3.0L biturbo V6, you'll need to jump up to the top-line Reserve II. Previously, you could order this engine on mid-level models. Depending on whether you opt for front or all-wheel drive, the V6 produces either 350 or 400 horsepower. Like many Ford models, the 2019 MKZ will get the Co-Pilot360 suite of active driver assists as standard. This includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop & go capability, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. Pricing will now range from $36,990 for the base model and climb to $51,740 for the Reserve II with AWD. Source: CarsDirect View full article

The 2018 Subaru Legacy finds itself in a difficult spot. Like other midsize sedans, the Legacy has been seeing its sales fall down as more buyers are trending towards trucks and utility vehicles. But Subaru is trying to stop the bleeding somewhat by introducing an updated Legacy with various improvements to the exterior and mechanical bits. Is it enough? Compared to the last Legacy I drove in 2015, the 2018 model has some minor changes. The front now comes with a wider grille, updated design for the headlights, and a new bumper. The 2.5i Sport adds blacked-out trim, fog lights, and a set of 18-inch wheels with painted inserts. This helps makes the very plain design stand-out slightly more. Subaru’s safe approach to design continues inside. There are only a couple of changes like a new steering wheel and updated controls for the climate system. While it lacks in overall excitement, the Legacy’s earns top marks in overall usability as controls are easy to find and reach. Material quality sees an improvement as Subaru has added more soft-touch plastics throughout. The Legacy’s interior feels quite spacious thanks in part to a large glass area and thin roof pillars. Those sitting in the front will find the seats to be a little too firm, but they do provide an excellent amount of support for any trip. The back seat has more than enough legroom for tall passengers. The same cannot be said for headroom as those over six-feet will find their heads touching the liner. Open up the trunk to find 15 cubic feet of space, slightly smaller than the Hyundai Sonata I reviewed a few weeks back. My Sport tester came with an 8-inch touchscreen featuring Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system. The system gains an upgraded processor to address complaints of Starlink being somewhat slow. It makes a big difference as the system starts up much faster and is more responsive when going to different functions. The system also earns points for being easy to use with large touchscreen tiles and shortcut buttons on either side. I did have an issue of Starlink not recognizing my iPhone 7 Plus. The system saw something was plugged into the USB port, but couldn’t figure out what it was. It took a reset of my phone and restarting the vehicle before it would work. After this, Starlink had no issues finding my phone and bringing up the CarPlay interface. Under the hood is a 2.5L boxer-four producing 175 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT and Symmetrical all-wheel drive. Around town, the engine is very responsive and gets up to speed a decent clip. On the highway, the 2.5 struggles to get up to speed at a decent clip. A lot of the slowness can be attributed to the Legacy’s weight. My 2.5i Sport tips the scales at 3,538 pounds. This is 143 pounds heavier than a 2018 Toyota Camry XSE four-cylinder that I recently drove. The CVT Subaru uses is one of the best in the business. It doesn’t have the rubber-band issue - engine RPMs rise at a quick rate before falling during acceleration - and has been calibrated to have ‘steps’ to mimic a regular six-speed automatic. EPA fuel economy figures for the Legacy 2.5i are 25 City/34 Highway/29 Combined. I saw an average of 28.2 mpg on a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. Despite this model being badged as a ‘Sport’, the Legacy doesn’t fully live up to this. There is a fair amount body lean when cornering and the steering is a bit too light in terms of weight. At least the AWD system provides tenacious grip to keep you on the road. You would be forgiven if you thought the Legacy was a luxury sedan due to its ride quality. Most bumps and imperfections are soaked up by the suspension. This comes down to a new set of dampers being fitted for 2018. Another improvement comes in the form of noise isolation. Subaru has added more sound-insulating material and acoustic glass for the 2018 model. The end result is barely any tire of wind noise coming inside. Some engine whine does come inside during hard acceleration. Subaru still leads the pack when it comes to active safety. The optional EyeSight driver-assist suite uses stereo cameras to see the road ahead and feed that data to the adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and pre-collision braking systems. The adaptive cruise control system is one of the best as the system is able to adjust the speed and distance in a very smooth manner whenever the system detects a vehicle in front. The 2.5i Sport begins at $26,345. My tester came equipped with an option package that included the EyeSight suite, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Rear Active Braking, and Navigation for $2,095. That brings the as-tested price to $29,300. Taking into consideration the long list of standard equipment and the sporty touches, the Sport offers a lot of value. Subaru’s changes to the 2018 Legacy help improve what we would consider being a competent midsize sedan. There lies the problem with the Legacy. Unlike other manufacturers that have stepped their efforts in terms of design, features, and other elements to try and draw people back to midsize sedans, Subaru just did the basics and didn’t bring forth something compelling. Previously, you could argue that all-wheel drive was the Legacy’s trump card. But considering how many crossovers have that as an option, it just doesn’t work anymore. Subaru better have something special for the next-generation model due out in 2020 or we might have another casualty. Disclaimer: Subaru Provided the Legacy, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2018 Make: Subaru Model: Legacy Trim: 2.5i Sport Engine: 2.5L DOHC Boxer-Four Driveline: CVT, All-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 175 @ 5,800 Torque @ RPM: 174 @ 4,000 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 25/34/29 Curb Weight: 3,538 lbs Location of Manufacture: Lafayette, Indiana Base Price: $26,345 As Tested Price: $29,300 (Includes $860.00 Destination Charge) Options: EyeSight + Blind Spot Monitoring + Reverse Automatic Braking + High Beam Assist + Navigation - $2,095 View full article

Toyota is planning a big push with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. According to Reuters, the Japanese automaker is doubling-down on investments for fuel cell vehicles by making improvements to reduce costs and building different models including commercial trucks. “We’re going to shift from limited production to mass production, reduce the amount of expensive materials like platinum used in FCV components, and make the system more compact and powerful,” said Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer of the Mirai. Currently, Toyota hand builds the Mirai at a plant in Toyota City. Everyday, about 6.5 cars roll out of the plant. This is due to the detailed inspections that partially assembled models go through. The parts comprising the Mirai are quite expensive as well. According to analysis done by Strategic Analysis Inc., it costs Toyota about $11,000 to produce each of the fuel cell stacks. Blame the use of the platinum, titanium, and carbon fiber for the stacks. Toyota has been building up production capacity as it expects sales of FCVs to increase from about 3,000 to over 20,000 after 2020. This will help reduce the cost of each fuel cell stack to $8,000. “It will be difficult for Toyota to lower FCV production costs if it only produces the Mirai,” said a source, That's where an expansion of FCVs come in. Toyota is planning a "phased introduction' of other FCVs, including SUVs and commercial trucks starting around 2025. Toyota declined to talk about future products, but did reveal that it has built prototypes of small delivery vehicles and transport trucks with fuel cell powertrains. “We’re going to use as many parts from existing passenger cars and other models as possible in fuel cell trucks. Otherwise, we won’t see the benefits of mass production,” said Ikuo Ota, manager of new business planning for fuel cell projects at Toyota. Why is Toyota doubling down on fuel cells? Sources say that Toyota believes demand will increase as more countries, including China "warm to fuel cell technology". The company also sees FCVs as a hedge against battery materials such as cobalt becoming scarce. But there is still one issue that Toyota, and other automakers build FCVs still need to solve; infrastructure. There aren't many hydrogen refueling stations around. For example, the majority of hydrogen stations in the U.S. are in California. Not helping is a current shortage of hydrogen at refueling stations in California. Green Car Reports says this issue is due to various problems with supplier Air Products. The company said that it hopes to restore hydrogen supplies sometime in early August. Source: Reuters, Green Car Reports View full article

So something like this..?