William Maley

The Zeta RWD platform had so much promise when it launched with 2006 Holden Commodore. Plans were drawn up for a number of models that would have included a number of the GM brands, including Cadillac. But the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent bankruptcy of GM saw many of those plans go into the trashbin and would ultimately mark the beginning of the end of Holden's local production. We have learned about one of those Zeta projects. Motoring reports that Holden was working on a Zeta-based SUV that would compete against the Ford Territory, a model that used the underpinnings of the Falcon. “There was an SUV and that was probably one of the defining moments around global Zeta and it was probably one of the defining moments around Holden’s success in Australia,” said Mark Sheridan, former head of Holden's advanced vehicle design chief and one the key people behind the development of Zeta. “Ford made a really good decision around Territory … We looked at cars exactly like that way back on Zeta and the GM leadership at the time said no. They said ‘we can do these better and more efficiently because they are the types of cars we do, off North American architectures rather than the Zeta architecture.” Sadly, General Motors would not build that SUV for Holden. Insiders at Holden believed that if the project was allowed to continue, it might have helped keep local manufacturing. “That (Zeta SUV) would have given us a portfolio that would have given us a much bigger stretch across the marketplace and that would have given people a choice,” Sheridan said. “If that had been allied with the Zeta architecture or something that we manufactured in Adelaide, then Adelaide wouldn’t have had the volume issues and the productivity issues and the cost issues it had.” This isn't the first story of a Holden project being canned. As we reported last year, there was a secret project for an electric supercar that could rival the Bugatti Veyron in terms of performance. Source: Motoring View full article

There have been countless rumors and leaks pertaining to the next-generation Jeep Wrangler. But now we have something official from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. An employee from FCA tweeted out a picture charting how some of its plants will retool for various products in the coming year. The picture confirms that the Wrangler will be shown in November and enter production sometime in the fourth quarter. There is also the mention of the next Ram 1500 debuting in January with production beginning sometime in the first quarter. It would be safe to assume that the Wrangler will be shown at LA and the Ram 1500 at Detroit. We also learned that an updated Cherokee will go into production early next year, but no mention of a possible reveal date. Source: Jeff Bennett on Twitter View full article

That is what Kia is banking on with the launch of Stinger in Australia

Do you remember the Volkswagen Kübelwagen? You might know it better as the Thing sold in 1970s. Volkswagen could be bringing it back as an electric vehicle. Speaking with Car and Driver, Volkswagen brand boss Herbert Diess said the upcoming MEB (Modular Electrification Toolkit) architecture might be the perfect platform to bring back some of the company's iconic vehicles like the Thing. “MEB is flexible—rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive—and we have so many emotional concepts. I don’t know if you remember the Kübelwagen. This Thing is a nice car. Then there are all the buggies, the kit cars. We have the bus. We have the various derivatives of the bus. We have so many exciting concepts in our history that we don’t have to do a Beetle,” said Diess. This possible idea isn't that all surprising as Volkswagen as the I.D. Buzz was inspired by the Microbus. Speaking of the Beetle, Car and Driver asked if there will be a replacement for this model. As we have reported previously, the Beetle could be canned due to poor sales. “No decision yet. The next decision on the electric cars will be, ‘What kind of emotional concepts do we need?’ [A decision] might happen next year. This Beetle won’t go electric; the next one might, if there is a next one. We have a good chance on the electric side to do derivatives and emotional derivatives. It’s probably more efficient to do so than in [internal combustion] cars,” said Diess. “We could [build an electric Beetle], because it is rear-wheel drive, no grille. If we wanted to do a Beetle electrically, it would be much better than the current car. Much closer to the history of the Beetle. [But] I think the Microbus is a much better emotional concept for the brand than the Beetle. If you go to California, everybody would say it’s the bus.” Source: Car and Driver View full article

Mitsubishi has unveiled a new three-year strategic plan called 'Drive for Growth'. The Japanese automaker wants to increase unit sales and revenue by 30 percent - about 1.3 million vehicles sold in the case of the former. It also plans on improving profit margins from 0.3 to 6 percent. To pull this off, Mitsubishi will be working on reducing costs in development and manufacturing, along with investing $5.3 billion for new products and revamping key markets. In terms of products, Mitsubishi is planning on launching 11 new and redesigned models over next three years. For the U.S., this means the Outlander PHEV and upcoming Eclipse Cross. The U.S. will also see Mitsubishi work on improving their dealer network. "We will re-energize our dealership network. We are reviewing our incentive plans, both to attract new dealers and to encourage existing ones to achieve better sales," said Trevor Mann, COO of Mitsubishi Motors. The goal is to see a 30 percent increase in sales to 130,000 vehicles by the 2019 fiscal year. For other markets, this is what Mitsubishi is planning, For Southeast Asia (Mitsubishi's largest and most profitable marketplace), a new assembly plant in Indonesia and the launch of Xpander multi-purpose vehicle The focus in Japan is revitalizing their mini-car business after the fuel economy manipulation scandal China will see an expansion in dealers with the goal to sell 220,000 vehicles by 2019 There will be one thing the U.S. will be missing out from Mitsubishi. It was expected that the tie-up with Nissan that begun last year would provide some help for the U.S. But according to Automotive News, Mitsubishi will be going on its own for this region. There are three reasons for this; antitrust concerns between the two companies, vehicles using common engines and platforms not being ready, and Mitsubishi wanting to build the brand back up on their own strengths. Source: Mitsubishi Motors, Automotive News (Subscription Required) Press Release is on Page 2 MITSUBISHI MOTORS LAUNCHES ‘DRIVE FOR GROWTH’ PLAN TO INCREASE VOLUMES, REVENUES AND PROFITABILITY Three-year plan targets more than 30 percent increase in unit sales and revenues Operating profit margin to reach 6 percent or more Capital expenditure and R&D investment to increase to more than 600 billion yen over the three-year period Product renewal to accelerate with launch of six new models including Eclipse Cross SUV Market expansion planned in ASEAN, US and China TOKYO, Japan – Mitsubishi Motors today launched "Drive for Growth," a three-year strategic plan to deliver sustained and profitable growth, targeting an increase of more than 30% in both annual unit sales to 1.3 million vehicles and in revenues to 2.5 trillion yen. Under the plan, Mitsubishi Motors aims to achieve an operating profit margin of 6% or more by the end of fiscal 2019, up from 0.3% in fiscal 2016. The plan combines a product renewal program with targeted market expansion and operating efficiency improvements. Osamu Masuko, Mitsubishi Motors chief executive, said: "Drive for Growth is a new roadmap for Mitsubishi Motors. We will rebuild trust in our company as our highest priority, successfully launch new vehicles, and achieve a V-shaped financial recovery. These will be the foundations for our future sustainable growth, which will involve increased capital expenditure and product development spending." The Drive for Growth plan involves a 60% increase in annual capital expenditure to 137 billion yen in fiscal 2019 – lifting spending as a proportion of sales to 5.5% a year. R&D expenses will rise by 50% to 133 billion yen over the same period. In total, this will amount to more than 600 billion yen in investments. Even with these increases, Mitsubishi Motors will maintain financial discipline and generate positive free cash flow during the period. The company intends to establish a competitive dividend policy comparable to those of other Japanese automotive manufacturers. As part of its investment drive, Mitsubishi Motors plans to strengthen its four-wheel drive SUVs and pick-ups, and to launch 11 models including the XPANDER and Eclipse Cross. The product renewal program will coincide with a market expansion drive in the ASEAN region, Oceania, United States, China and Japan. Mr. Masuko said: "This is an ambitious program to maximize our strengths in growing product segments, especially four-wheel drive, and to pursue growth in markets where our brand has strong potential, particularly the ASEAN region. This growth program will also involve an efficient and disciplined operating structure as we continue to manage costs." Under Drive for Growth, Mitsubishi Motors is targeting a market share of 10% in ASEAN. Sales activities will be reinforced in the US. The company's presence in China will be strengthened with the introduction of models such as the Outlander and Eclipse Cross. And the company will invest in its sales network and product portfolio to return to profitability in Japan by the end of the plan. The strategic plan is based on three strategic initiatives: Product renewal: During the period of the plan, Mitsubishi Motors will launch 11 new models, of which six will be entirely new model changes – averaging two each year – while the remainder will be important updates of existing vehicles. By the end of the plan, the company expects its five best-selling global models consisting of SUV, 4WD, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) to account for 70% of total sales volume. Reflecting the shift to lower emission models, the company also announced that it plans to provide electrified solutions across its core model range including an EV kei car from 2020. Focus on core markets to drive revenue growth: This year's opening of a new assembly plant in Indonesia, and the recent launch of the XPANDER multi-purpose vehicle, will drive the growth of the ASEAN business, the group's largest and most profitable operation. ASEAN volumes are expected to rise from 206,000 units a year to 310,000 units a year in 2019. Mitsubishi Motors will also launch new models to assist the turnaround of its important mini-car business in Japan. In the US, the company will improve its dealership networks, targeting a 30% increase in unit sales to 130,000 units in fiscal 2019. In China, Mitsubishi Motors will double the number of dealerships and more than double sales to 220,000 units in fiscal 2019. Cost Optimization: Mitsubishi Motors will tightly manage production costs, with a target to reduce monozukuri costs by 1.3% per year, in spite of large investments in R&D. Alongside cost management, the company will benefit from growing synergies from its membership of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Mitsubishi Motors is seeking synergies totaling more than 100 billion yen over the course of the plan, with the bulk of these to come from efficiencies in procurement and costs avoided in R&D. Mitsubishi Motors will contribute its expertise in PHEV technology, its capabilities in SUVs and pick-ups, and market strengths in the ASEAN region to the wider synergy program of the Alliance, which aims to double annualized synergies to more than 10 billion euros by the end of 2022. "We are refreshing our product line-up, investing in R&D and targeting core market growth," added Mr. Masuko. "Drive for Growth will enable us to continue the transformation of the company over the next three years." View full article

On Friday, we brought you the news that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would be pulling Chrysler and Dodge from South Africa. "This unfortunate situation has arisen from our principals in the USA no longer building Chrysler or Dodge vehicles in Right Hand Drive configuration," the company told Wheels24. But there was a wrench thrown into this story, courtesy of FCA's Australian office. “I am not at liberty to comment on South Africa’s decision. What I can tell you is that Australia will continue to sell the right-hand drive Chrysler 300 as an ongoing product in our lineup. In relation to Dodge, at this stage, this brand is represented as a parts and service operation only,” said FCA Australia's manager of public relations Alessia Terranova. This left us confused. Was FCA ending RHD production or not for Chrysler and Dodge models? Thankfully, we might have some clarity. “We do continue to build the Chrysler 300 RHD at the FCA Brampton Assembly Plant,” said Lou Ann Gosselin, head of communications for FCA Canada to The Truth About Cars. It seems for the time being, FCA will continue to build RHD variants of the 300 which plays into the comment made by FCA Australia. We're wondering if there was some sort of miscommunication that to this confusion. We also need to note that Chrysler isn't a big seller. To use Australia as an example, Chrysler has only sold 210 300s so far this year. Source: The Truth About Cars View full article

Last summer, Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier said a decision on whether or not the brand would come to the U.S. would be made sometime next year. But it seems that decision has been put on the back burner. Autocar reports that Skoda is taking the lead on developing a new low-cost vehicle for emerging markets. Earlier this year, Volkswagen had entered a partnership with Indian automaker Tata Motors to do the same. However, this would be dissolved as cost targets were not met. “We will need more time to work on the US plans now. The Group has asked us to lead development of a platform with a strong focus on India and to investigate building that business sustainably and in a predictable manner," said Maier. “That is a huge task, and we must always approach projects one step at a time. There is no hurry to rush into the US and no deadline to even decide if we should be looking to go there. There’s no need to make a decision right away.” The last two lines are very interesting, considering that Maier was gung-ho on entering the the U.S. last year. As we reported back in December, an anonymous Volkswagen board member said it would be mad for Skoda to enter the U.S., hinting that plans were scrapped. We'll keep you posted if anything changes. Source: Autocar View full article

When Polestar announced their first model, the 1, they said it would be available through a subscription for either two or three years. But it seems that you might be able to buy one outright if you have the cash. "I think it would be very difficult to me to turn around to a customer who walks in with a 'hundred-and-x thousand dollars' and says, 'I want to buy one.' I think I'm not particularly convinced that I'll be turning them away and saying, 'Absolutely not, sir or madam. You have to have it on subscription.' I think subscription is going to be a key part of it," said Jonathan Goodman, chief operating officer of Polestar to Roadshow. "I can't see us being a hundred-percent subscription, but that'll be the main offer we go through. If someone wants to buy a car, we need to look at the possibility of doing that, as well." If one was to buy a Polestar 1, how much would they be looking at? A statement from World Media Wire (marketing agency working with Polestar) said, "The target retail price of the Polestar 1, if purchased outright, is 1.3M SEK (130k Euro)." So we're looking at a price tag of $153,000. Source: Roadshow View full article

Almost two months ago, Audi introduced a new naming system for their powertrains. Instead of 2.0T and 3.0T, Audi would use a two-digit number ranging from 30 to 70 that give a power range. For example, models with the 30 badge would produce between 109-128 horsepower. Models with the 50 badge produce between 281-308 horsepower. We're not fully sure if someone at Audi hit their head or something because this seems very confusing. Thankfully, it seems the U.S. will be spared from this naming system. An Audi spokesperson told Car and Driver that U.S. models will not have this system. Source: Car and Driver View full article