William Maley

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' New York showing looks to be all performance. We already know the Dodge Challenger Demon which looks to be even madder than the Hellcat will show up, but there is also the possibility of a high-performance Jeep coming as well. Motor Authority has learned from a source that Jeep will be showing the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk - the one with the Hellcat V8 - in New York. This follows a report from last year where Jeep CEO Mike Manley said the model would debut sometime in 2017. The Trackhawk is one of the worst kept secrets in the past few years. Various spy photos and videos have shown Grand Cherokee mules of all sorts running around with key changes to indicate a more powerful engine - larger vents and brakes for example. A number have also reported the distinctive sound of the Hellcat V8. It is still unclear if the Trackhawk will get the full 707 horsepower or be detuned. Source: Motor Authority View full article

Hyundai chose the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, Ontario to debut the all new 2018 Accent. Why Toronto and not Chicago a week before? You only need to look at the sales numbers to find the reason why. In 2016, the Nissan Versa soundly beat the Hyundai Accent by a margin of 52,448 vehicles (132,214 for Versa vs. 79,766 for the Accent) in the U.S. Over in Canada, the Accent is the best selling model in the class with 19,198 models sold last year. The Honda Fit which was the second best-selling model in the class only moved 8,622 models. You might mistake the Accent sedan for the Elantra. This is due to the Accent's new front and rear end styling looking like its bigger brother. At least the overall profile lines up with the current Accent. Before you ask, a hatchback will debut at a later time. The interior is somewhat plain to look at, despite the red and black seat fabric as seen in the photos. A backup camera comes standard, while higher trims get a proximity key and automatic emergency braking. Under the hood is an updated version of the 1.6L four-cylinder powering the current Accent. Power figures are slightly down to 132 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. The upsides according to Hyundai is that overall fuel economy is up seven percent and that low-rpm torque has been improved. Buyers will have the choice of a six-speed manual or automatic. Hyundai has also worked on making the Accent more rigid. Thanks to more high-strength steel being used throughout, Hyundai says the 2018 Accent is 32 percent stiffer. No word on pricing, but the Accent sedan will go on sale sometime in the third quarter. Source: Hyundai View full article

As General Motors and PSA Group continue their discussions (and damage control) on the possible sale of Opel/Vauxhall, a secret plan being developed by Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann has been put on the back burner for the time being. German magazine manager magazin reports that Neumann had been working on a plan that would see Opel transition to selling electric vehicles only in an effort to ensure the brand's survival. GM Europe has been losing money for the past 15 years. In 2016, the branch posted a $257 million loss. Neumann was worried that Opel didn't have the resources to develop both combustion engine and electric drivetrains. The plan would see Opel end sales of combustion vehicles by 2030. To pull this off, the plan would have Opel divide into 'old' and 'new'. Vehicles would be using GM's electric vehicle platform that underpins the Chevrolet Bolt and Opel Ampera-e. manager magazin says the board was going to make a decision on Neumann's plan this spring - May at the latest. Source: manager magazin View full article

Cadillac is going to have a quiet 2017, but 2018 looks to be a blockbuster year as the first of their needed crossovers will launch - the compact XT3. Thanks to a spy photographer, we have gotten our first look at it. General Motors' camouflage department did a really good job of covering up the XT3, so we can't really tell much about the design except that it looks like an even smaller XT5. One detail they weren't able to cover up is the intercooler, leading us to believe that the XT3 will come with turbocharged power - most likely the 2.0L turbo. A nine-speed automatic and the choice of front or all-wheel drive is likely. Platform-wise, expect the XT3 to use the underpinnings of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Source: Car and Driver View full article

Yesterday, news broke that General Motors and PSA Group (owner of Peugeot and Citroen) were in discussions on possibly selling Opel and Vauxhall. Already, the possible sale is under intense scrutiny from various European governments and unions. There are concerns about jobs being cut with this deal, and none are too happy that officials from local governments and unions were not included in the talks. There is also the possibility of political backlash coming to Germany and France as both will be holding elections later this year. "It's unclear whether GM will keep an Opel stake, who pays what and if anything will go through at all, given the political backlash," a source told Reuters. GM and PSA have declined to say what possible cuts to the workforce, plants, and other items that could be part of the deal. GM Europe employs roughly 38,000 workers - 19,000 are in Germany. “Almost all experts say that with this deal now being prepared between the large French, almost state-owned conglomerate and Opel, that especially the German Opel plants may be on the losing side,” saud Rainer Einenkel -- former works council chief at Opel’s Bochum plant, which was shut down. “The government has an interest in a successful future for the company and its sites. The government will, in light of the talks it’s holding with all parties involved, form an opinion,” said Steffen Seibert, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief spokesman. Over in Great Britain, there are concerns of Vauxhall being on the chopping block. Part of this comes from Britain deciding to the European Union. By leaving, the country would lose access to the EU Single Market which guarantees unconstrained trade across the member states. It would mean various countries would be leveraging tariffs on British-made goods, making production in the country less competitive. Also, if the deal was to go through, Vauxhall could be one of the first things to go when it comes time to cut costs. Unite, the British worker's union said the president of GM gave them assurance last year that there would not be any surprises in terms of GM's plants in Britain. With this deal, the union says those commitments had not been held. "It cannot be that the future of UK car workers’ jobs now lie in the hands of the French government and their backing for Peugeot," said Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey. Because of this, General Motors and PSA Group find themselves in damage control mode. GM CEO Mary Barra sent a memo to staff in the U.S. and Germany explaining the deal would be good for GM's future growth, the longevity of Opel's German operations, and shareholder value. “While there can be no assurance of any agreement, any possible transaction would enable PSA Groupe and Opel Vauxhall to leverage their complementary strengths, enhancing their competitive positions for the future in a rapidly changing European market,” said Barra in the message. A source tells Bloomberg that Barra and GM President Dan Ammann plan to meet with German government officials sometime in the future about the deal. Next week, PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares will meet will officials. According to a source, Tavares plans on keeping Opel's management structure and keeping the brand as a German one. Source: Bloomberg, Reuters, 2 View full article

I think this thread needs to be locked for a bit.

The current Ford Focus has been with us since 2012 and it is getting somewhat long in the tooth when compared with the likes of the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, and refreshed Mazda3. But Ford is on the case as we have gotten our first look at the next-generation Focus caught by a spy photographer. It looks like Ford is planning to do some evolutionary changes in terms of the Focus' exterior to keep it in line with other Ford models. The interior looks to be taking some ideas from the new Fiesta and refreshed EcoSport with a similar center stack design. Reports say Ford will go with an all turbocharged engine lineup with the 1.0L three-cylinder EcoBoost being the base engine. ST and RS variants are expected down the road. We expect to see the next-generation Focus sometime next year. Source: Car and Driver, Left Lane News View full article

Smart already finds itself in a small niche by selling small city cars in North America, but a new letter reveals that the brand will be entering an even smaller one. Automotive News obtained a letter from Dietmar Exler, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA which says the brand will cease sales of gas-powered models by the end of this year, becoming an electric-only brand. “Developments within the micro-car segment present some challenges for the current Smart product portfolio. Therefore, with the launch of the fourth-generation Smart ForTwo electric drive this summer, the Smart lineup will consist exclusively of the zero-emissions Smart electric-drive coupe and cabrio in the U.S. and Canada,” Exler said in the letter. Mercedes-Benz spokesman Rob Moran tells Automotive News the plan at the moment is to stop production of the gas model for North American in April and continue sales until all of the models are gone. Smart has never done well in the U.S. Their best year was in 2014 with 10,453 models sold. Since then, sales have been steadily declining thanks to low gas prices and consumers going towards crossovers. In 2016, Smart only sold 6,211 models. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article