William Maley

Mike Manley has been chosen as the replacement for the seriously ill Sergio Marchionne as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO today. A source tells Automotive News Europe that the decision was made during an emergency meeting of FCA's board of directors today. "With reference to the health of Sergio Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (“FCA”) (NYSE: FCAU / MTA: FCA) communicates with profound sorrow that during the course of this week unexpected complications arose while Mr. Marchionne was recovering from surgery and that these have worsened significantly in recent hours," FCA said in a statement released a few moments ago. "As a consequence, Mr. Marchionne will be unable to return to work." As we reported earlier this morning, Marchionne has been dealing “massive” and serious complications after surgery to his shoulder. Marchionne was planning to announce his successor next April during the company's announcement of 2018 financial results. Manley joined DiamlerChrysler in 2000 as the director of network development for the UK branch. He would hold various positions at DiamlerChrysler and Chrysler before being named CEO of Jeep in 2009. Under his leadership, Jeep has expanded into other markets and sales have quadrupled. He would also be named CEO of Ram Trucks in 2015. Manley prevailed over two other FCA veterans: CFO Richard Palmer and COO of Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, Alfredo Altavilla. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles FCA Announcement July 21, 2018 , London - With reference to the health of Sergio Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (“FCA”) (NYSE: FCAU / MTA: FCA) communicates with profound sorrow that during the course of this week unexpected complications arose while Mr. Marchionne was recovering from surgery and that these have worsened significantly in recent hours. As a consequence, Mr. Marchionne will be unable to return to work. The Board of Directors of FCA, meeting today, firstly expressed its closeness to Sergio Marchionne and his family and underlined the extraordinary contribution, both human and professional, that he has made to the Company in these years. The Board resolved to accelerate the CEO transition process that has been proceeding over the past months and named Mike Manley as CEO. The Board will therefore propose to the next Shareholder Meeting, to be called in the coming days, that he be elected to the Board and serve as an executive director of the Company. In the meantime, in order to provide for his full authority and operational continuity for the company, the Board has with immediate effect granted Mr. Manley all the powers of CEO. He will also assume responsibility for the NAFTA region. Mr. Manley and his management team will proceed with the implementation of the 2018 – 2022 Business Plan as presented on June 1 of this year, a plan that will further assure FCA’s strong and independent future. View full article

@dfelt have I got some good news for you.

*UPDATE* Automotive News Europe is reporting that Jeep and Ram Trucks head Mike Manley will become Marchionne's successor as FCA CEO. We'll have more in an upcoming news story. The era of Sergio Marchionne leading Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ferrari is seemingly coming to abrupt end. Last night, both Bloomberg and Reuters reported that Marchionne would not return as CEO of the two companies due to complications from surgery. Earlier this month, FCA said Marchionne would be going on medical leave for shoulder surgery. Sources tell Reuters that since the operation, the CEO has been experiencing “massive” and serious complications. The boards of FCA and Ferrari are meeting today to decide possible successors. According to one source, the new CEO of Ferrari is expected to be Louis Carey Camilleri - currently a board member and former chairman of Philip Morris International. At FCA, there are three people up for consideration - CFO Richard Palmer, Europe chief Alfredo Altavilla, and head of the Jeep and Ram Mike Manley. Spokespeople for both FCA and Ferrari declined to comment. In addition to his roles at Ferrari and FCA, Marchionne is the Chairman of CNH Industrial, an agricultural and construction equipment manufacturer. According to sources, the board is expected to meet today to discuss a succession plan. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg, Reuters View full article

A new audit released by the U.S. Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General rips the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over its handling of the Takata airbag recall. In the report, the Inspector General says NHTSA's recall monitoring process "does not ensure that remedies are reported completely and in a timely manner," nor does it "verify recall completion rates, although it has the authority to do so." Other issues the audit found included the long time it took the agency to determine the scope of the Takata recall and missing documents due to limited monitoring and inadequate procedures. "In June 2014, RMD [NHTSA's Recall Management Division] received a recall notification for Takata airbag inflators in over 140,000 vehicles. The notification stated that the manufacturer planned to tell owners to take their vehicles to dealerships for repairs in February 2015. However, as of February 2018, RMD had not received the manufacturer's remedy documents, and [the Office of Defects Investigation's] recall recordkeeping system does not indicate that RMD staff requested those documents," the report said. The Inspector General makes six recommendations including better training for staff, creating a system to handle missing documents and communications, and documenting various lessons from the Takata recall. NHTSA in a letter said it "did not endorse all of the report’s findings," but did agree to some of the recommendations. The agency has come under fire for a number of years due to its poor handling of various auto safety issues, including Toyota's unattended acceleration crisis and GM's ignition switch mess. This latest audit is fourth since 2011 by the inspector general. The last audit done in 2015 said NTHSA failed to investigate safety issues carefully, hold automakers accountable, and adequately train their staff which resulted in “significant safety concerns being overlooked.” Source: Reuters View full article

The Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer has been talked about for the past few years, mostly in terms of delays and figuring out what platform will underpin it. But a new report from Road & Track reveals Jeep has something very special in store. An internal document from transmission supplier ZF lists the 2018 production and pre-production vehicles using a version of their 8HP eight-speed automatic transmission. Among the vehicles listed the Grand Wagoneer with the platform code ZS. What makes this more intriguing is the mention of a Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk. The listing says it has a 6.2L V8 and produces 729 PS - about 718 horsepower. Like the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, the Wagoneer Trackhawk uses a beefed-up version of the eight-speed automatic - ZF-8HP95X. Could this mean that Jeep will be launching a mad Wagoneer in the coming years? Possibly not. Road & Track has some possible guesses as to why this is mentioned, Someone goofed while working on this document FCA has built some Wagoneer prototypes with the Hellcat engine, but hasn't made plans to put it into production Source: Road & Track View full article

Volvo is shifting production of XC60s destined for the U.S. from China to Europe in an effort to avoid a 25 percent tariff on Chinese imports. "We will, of course, reshuffle here and take XC60s for the U.S. from our factory in Europe, and let China produce for other markets," Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson told Reuters. Samuelsson went on to say that the shift has already begun. Earlier this month, the Trump administration slapped a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion in Chinese imports, including Volvo's XC60 and S90. Unlike the XC60, the S90 is only built in China, leaving it in a difficult place. In turn, the Chinese government increased tariffs on imported U.S. vehicles to 40 percent. Source: Reuters View full article

Ford's original plan for the GT was to build the model for two years, with 250 units being built each year. Then Ford extended the production run to four years and expanded the total number of vehicles built to 1,000. So how is Ford doing on their production targets for the GT? According to Motor Authority, they haven't gone as planned. This information was first brought to light by a GT message board claiming Ford didn't reach their 250 unit goal for 2017. Motor Authority reached out to Ford and a spokesman confirmed that only 137 GTs were built last year. Why the delay? "This is a hand-built supercar, which we are committed to deliver flawlessly. We built into our process an extended ramp-up due to several factors such as global homologation testing and supplier constraints," the spokesman said in a statement. Multimatic, the company that is building the GT for Ford explained they "hadn't built cars on this scale before" and it them some time to meet its goal of building one car per work day. The company only reached this goal in the middle of last year. Issues with suppliers and minor issues also played a role. Multimatic did say that everything is on schedule for the full run of 250 vehicles for 2018. At the current pace, this would only mean Ford would produce 888 Its, 112 units short from their original goal. The Ford spokesman said they are sticking with their goal of 1,000 vehicles. This likely means Ford will extend production one more year to meet it. Source: Motor Authority View full article

PSA Group has been hard at work on its plan to return to the U.S. by 2026. They already have a brand chosen that will lead the launch (bur aren't saying if it will be Citroen, DS, Peugeot, or the recently acquired Opel/Vauxhall) and has open their U.S. headquarters in Georgia. The next step is figuring out where they'll begin selling vehicles. Larry Dominique, CEO of PSA Group North America told reporters that he has his eyes on 15 states to launch. Among the states mentioned include, Arizona California Florida Georgia Illinois Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Texas Virginia Washington "Those states are of the most interest to me at this point in time because they're high volume and import receptive," Dominique told Automotive News. But there is an elephant in the room concerning PSA's plan, tariffs. As we have been reporting for the past couple of months, the U.S. Commerce Department is conducting an investigation into imported cars and car parts as a matter of national security. This could result in vehicles being hit with a 25 percent tariff. “Tariffs are on our minds. Tariffs impact how fast and at what price point we import vehicles into the U.S. I’m crossing my fingers," said Dominique. According to Bloomberg, PSA Group could look into entering the Canadian market first and play the waiting game for the U.S. if tariffs do go into effect. The company may also offer more expensive vehicles to balance out the hit made by tariffs. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg View full article

Lamborghini has been toying with the idea of electrification for some time. It would allow them to meet stricter emission regulations while retaining their naturally aspirated engines. Their CEO has made it official, the replacement for the Aventador will have electrification. "The next Aventador will be hybrid, with a V12. A decision is made on that and this is something that will keep us different from the others and this is very important," said Stefano Domenicali to Auto Express. In addition, the replacement for the Huracan will go down the electrification route by retaining the V10 and adding an electric motor. We got a hint of this back in March during a interview Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's chief technical officer. The Urus will be the first Lamborghini to be electrified when the plug-in hybrid model launches towards the end of this decade, followed by the Aventador replacement a few years after. Source: Auto Express View full article

Last August, we reported on a BMW document that revealed the next-generation Z4 and all-new Toyota Supra would have the choice of a 2.0L turbo-four and twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six. Now, a new document from German transmission maker ZF seems to confirm this. The document in question is a "transmission catalogue" that lists the various implementations of the eight-speed ZF 8HP. For the Supra, it has two BMW engines listed - the 2.0L turbo-four with 265 horsepower and 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six with 335 horsepower. The Z4 will get the same engines, but will offer a more potent inline-six with 375 horsepower. Testsuya Tada, the chief engineer on the Supra did confirm the turbo-four to R&T during the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend. He explained that the turbo-four would offer " better weight distribution" and a sharper turn-in. Toyota used the Goodwood Festival of Speed to tease the Supra by running a prototype on the hill climb. Hopefully, Toyota decides to reveal the Supra sometime in the near future. Source: Road & Track View full article

Volkswagen's Chattanooga, TN plant will soon have two more vehicles rolling off the line. Hinrich Woebcken, VW's North American CEO told Autocar that the upcoming I.D. Buzz and Crozz EVs for the region will be built at Chattanooga. “For strong product momentum, they need to be produced in the USA. It’s not possible to come into a high-volume scenario with imported cars. We want to localise electric mobility in the US,” said Woebcken. Woebcken also revealed that the models would be 'Americanized'. Source: Autocar View full article

After a major refresh for the 2017 model year, Acura is giving the MDX a number of modest changes for the 2019 model year. The big changes of note deal with the MDX's mechanicals. Acura has reprogrammed the nine-speed automatic transmission that is said to provide smoother starts and will prioritize second-gear when leaving a stop. The previously optional stop-start system becomes standard on all MDX models. Acura's Active Damper System (ADS) that was only available on the Sport Hybrid model is added the MDX with the Advanced package. Next up is an A-Spec appearance trim that brings a revised front fascia, black trim, 20-inch wheels, seats upholstered in Alcantara and leather, thicker steering wheel, and other minor changes. The remainder of the updates are as followed, Four new colors: Majestic Black Pearl, Performance Red, Canyon Bronze Metallic, and Apex Blue Pearl (exclusive to A-Spec) New trim options including Desert Olive Ash wood 4-Way Power Lumbar adjustments for front seats The MDX is powered by either a 3.5L V6 (290 horsepower) or a V6 hybrid powertrain (321 horsepower). Pricing for 2019 MDX ranges from $45,295 for the base FWD model to $61,045 for the SH-AWD model with Advance & Entertainment packages. Pricing includes a $995.00 destination charge. No word on how much the Sport Hybrid will set you back. Source: Acura 2019 Acura MDX Arrives with Luxury and Performance Upgrades Plus First A-Spec Variant Jul 17, 2018 - TORRANCE, Calif. Best-selling three-row luxury SUV of all-time boosts luxury appeal with upgraded interior and expanded color palette A-Spec sport appearance package available for the first time on MDX Available Active Damper System and wider wheel & tire option improve dynamic experience 9-speed automatic transmission enhanced for smoother, more fluid acceleration feel The 2019 Acura MDX arrives in dealerships today boasting upgraded interior fitment, new available premium exterior colors, drivability and dynamics enhancements, and an A-Spec sport appearance package. The 2019 MDX with standard AcuraWatch® technology and available Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) carries a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP1) of $44,300 (excluding $995 destination and handling) while the new MDX A-Spec starts at $54,800 with standard SH-AWD®. The 2019 MDX lineup will be further strengthened by the arrival of the 2019 MDX Sport Hybrid, going on-sale next month. With nearly a million units sold since its inception, the MDX is the best-selling three-row luxury SUV of all time2. It is the only three-row luxury SUV in segment with six straight years of more than 50,000 sales3, and is the #1 retail-selling three-row model in segment year-to-date4. Interior and Exterior – More Luxury, More Choices Building on a major design refresh in 2017 and key technology updates in 2018, the 2019 Acura MDX comes with new interior enhancements designed to up the luxury quotient. New features include available authentic Desert Olive Ash wood trim, high-contrast seat and door panel stitching, and contrasting front seat side garnishes. Driver and front passenger seats now feature standard 4-way power lumbar adjustments, while the Technology and Entertainment packages receive an updated second-row seat configuration, allowing easy passage to the third row. The MDX with Advance Package adds trim-exclusive matching wood center console trim. The 2019 MDX expands its color palette to a total of nine options, including a rich new Gunmetal Metallic and four new available premium colors—Majestic Black Pearl, Performance Red Pearl, Canyon Bronze Metallic and the A-Spec-exclusive Apex Blue Pearl. Newly-designed 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels grace the Advance Package with a machine finish and Shark Grey accents, gaining a half-inch in width (up from 8.0 inches) and shod with wider 265/45-series tires (up from 245/50). MDXs with the Advance Package also gain body-color lower garnishes. A-Spec Variant Joins MDX For the 2019 model, MDX adds an all-new A-Spec sport appearance variant. Available exclusively with Acura's torque-vectoring Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®), A-Spec features a more athletic stance highlighted by exclusive half-inch wider 20-inch Shark Grey aluminum alloy wheels wrapped in low profile 265/45-series tires. An aggressive new front fascia, body-color lower sills, larger-diameter exhaust finishers, as well as gloss-black and dark chrome trim for the headlights, grille, window surround and rear tailgate spoiler further distinguish the MDX A-Spec. Interior enhancements feature sport seats trimmed in rich red or black leather with black Alcantara™ inserts, high-contrast stitching, unique A-Spec gauges, sport pedals, Alcantara door inserts, gloss-black trim, a thicker-rimmed A-Spec-badged steering wheel with paddle shifters, and an exclusive A-Spec door step garnish. Performance, Ride and Handling Refined The 2019 MDX can now be optioned with Acura's Active Damper System (ADS), previously available only on the MDX Sport Hybrid, offering both ride comfort and handling advantages while further expanding the dynamic "range" of the driver-selectable Integrated Dynamics System. The responsive 3.5-liter direct-injected i-VTEC® 24-valve V6 engine continues to power MDX with 290 peak horsepower (SAE net) and 267 lb.-ft. peak torque (SAE net), in either standard front-wheel drive configuration, or the available SH-AWD® system. SH-AWD® delivers up to 70 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels and the ability to distribute up to 100 percent of that torque between the left and right rear wheels to optimize available traction and sharpen steering and handling response. The 2019 model year also brings significant drivability enhancements to MDX. Its 9-speed automatic transmission gains a smoother, more fluid acceleration feel in normal driving by prioritizing second-gear starts. When demand is higher in conditions such as full-throttle acceleration, certain uphill and towing situations, and when S-mode is selected, first gear starts are then prioritized for maximum available acceleration and pulling power. Further drivability refinements are realized via an upgraded Idle Stop feature that is now standard across the MDX lineup for 2019. System enhancements shorten engine re-start response and operational smoothness via a new brake pressure trigger and software upgrades, resulting in a more natural, seamless feel. The 2019 MDX with front-wheel drive has an EPA fuel economy rating of 20/27/23 mpg (city/highway/combined)5, A-Spec is rated at 19/25/21, and all other models with SH-AWD® have an EPA rating of 19/26/22 mpg (city/highway/combined)2. Standard Safety and Driver-Assistive Technology All 2019 MDX trims will come standard with the AcuraWatch™ suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, including Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow, and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW). In addition to AcuraWatch technology, all MDX's boast a comprehensive array of active and passive safety features, including Acura's Advance Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, advanced front, side, and side-curtain airbags, front pre-tensioning seatbelts, 4-channel anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution, Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System. 2019 MDX Pricing and EPA Fuel Economy Ratings Trim MSRP6 MSRP6 Including $995 Destination Charge EPA MPG Rating (city/highway/combined)5 MDX (FWD) $44,300 $45,295 20/27/23 MDX (FWD) with Technology Package $49,300 $50,295 20/27/23 MDX (FWD) with Technology & Entertainment Packages $51,300 $52,295 20/27/23 MDX (FWD) with Advance Package $56,050 $57,045 20/27/23 MDX (FWD) with Advance & Entertainment Packages $58,050 $59,045 20/27/23 MDX (SH-AWD) $46,300 $47,295 19/26/22 MDX (SH-AWD) with Technology Package $51,300 $52,295 19/26/22 MDX (SH-AWD) with Technology & Entertainment Packages $53,300 $54,295 19/26/22 MDX A-Spec (SH-AWD) $54,800 $55,795 19/25/21 MDX (SH-AWD) with Advance Package $58,050 $59,045 19/26/22 MDX (SH-AWD) with Advance & Entertainment Packages $60,050 $61,045 19/26/22 MDX Sport Hybrid TBA ← ← 1. MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) excluding tax, license, registration, $995 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary. 2. Based on Autodata total sales of all luxury three-row SUVs 1980 to 2018CYTD June. 3. Based on Autodata total sales for all three-row models in the Mid Premium CUV segment. 4. Based on Urban Science retail sales for all three-row models in the Premium Upper Mid-size CUV segment 2018CYTD May. 5. Based on 2019 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors. 6. MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) excluding tax, license, registration, $995 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary. View full article