William Maley

Will Volkswagen make a return with diesels to the U.S. or not? Unfortunately, we're getting mixed messages on this issue. Back in July, Volkswagen of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken said diesel would not a core element of the brand going forward. But they could start selling a diesel vehicle in the U.S. again if it makes sense. “We are not stopping diesel. Wherever diesel makes sense as a package to the car, we’ll continue. But in reality, we have to accept that the high percentage of diesels that we had before will not come back again,” said Woebcken. Last week in an interview with Motor Trend, Woebcken reiterated his earlier statement with the automaker not ruling out diesels in the future. But this week, Volkswagen brand chief Herbert Diess told German business paper Handelsblatt that diesel will not be returning to Volkswagen's U.S. lineup. "At the moment we assume that we will offer no new diesel vehicles in the U.S," said Diess. “The reason is the legal framework.” Who to believe? We're not sure ourselves. Stay tuned. Source: Motor Trend, Handelsblatt, Reuters View full article

Those who were hoping that Mercedes-Benz would bring the X-Class pickup to the U.S., we have some bad news for you. Dietmar Exler, Mercedes-Benz USA CEO tells Automotive News they are passing on bringing the X-Class here for the time being. At the moment, the market doesn't make sense for Mercedes to start selling it. That doesn't mean it will never come. Exler revealed the company will continue its analysis of the U.S. market along with keep track of how well the X-Class is doing in other markets. “It’s the biggest segment we’re not in. It’s overall an attractive, huge segment, but we need to make sure it’s the right time for Mercedes," said Exler. Exler wouldn't give a timetable of when the X-Class could arrive in the U.S. But he did hint that the second-generation model could be in the cards. “Once the next version of the truck comes out -- when we see the next iteration -- there might be an opportunity to bring it in the medium and the long-term.” Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Mazda is the latest automaker to announce that it will be building an electric vehicle. Speaking with CarAdvice, Mazda's head of research and development, Kiyoshi Fujiwara revealed that the company would be building an EV, but for only select markets such Norway. “Of course we need EVs. As you know, in Norway, the complete energy source is water… this means that EV is much better for CO2 in Norway. But not in United States or China… Therefore we are focusing on ICE, but some regions we need EV, so therefore in 2019 [or] in that time frame we will introduce EV where it is needed in the world.” For other markets, Mazda will keep their focus on internal-combustion engines since a majority of consumers are still buying them up. It is likely that Mazda will use one of their current models as a base for their new EV to help keep costs down. Fujiwara explained they have only started work on it and there is the possibility of bringing in Toyota as a partner for this model. Source: CarAdvice View full article

Hyundai has said they are doing one, but it is unknown if it will be any of the vehicles talked about in the story or not.

General Motors will begin importing the Colorado and Silverado pickups into China next year, but you'll only be able to buy them in select markets. Automotive News explains that many Chinese cities have bans on pickups for the fear of aggravating air pollution and causing more traffic issues. But earlier this year, the Chinese Government lifted the ban in four provinces - Henan, Hebei, Liaoning, and Yunnan - in an effort to jumpstart sales of domestic pickups. GM sees an opportunity with this and wants to explore it. But there is a major downside to this. Since GM will be importing the trucks, they'll be hit with 25 percent tariff by the Chinese Government. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Chevrolet Press Release is on Page 2 Chevrolet to Offer Iconic Silverado, Colorado Trucks for Chinese Consumers Brand’s best-selling nameplate and its midsize sibling to go on sale in 2017 GUANGZHOU – Chevrolet announced this evening at an event in Guangzhou that it will make available two classic American trucks – the Silverado and Colorado – in China through parallel import in 2017. The Silverado is the best-selling Chevrolet truck in the world. Since its launch in 1987, three generations have been introduced, with cumulative sales of more than 17 million units. Powered by an EcoTec3 6.2L V-8 engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Silverado delivers peak torque of 624 Nm. It is also equipped with a wide range of smart technologies such as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA), as well as power seats and a Bose® audio system. With its wheelbase of 3,645 mm and length of 5,843 mm, it can handle the toughest jobs expected of a pickup. The Colorado was the industry’s hottest-selling product in the U.S. market. It was named the 2015 and 2016 Motor Trend Truck of the Year. The midsize pickup offers a combination of refinement, maneuverability and efficiency. Powered by a 3.6L EcoTec V-6 engine, it delivers peak torque of 365 Nm and has a towing capability of 3.1 tons. Chevrolet has long been famous for offering the most durable trucks on the market, which embody the charm of freedom while providing an off-road capability. View full article

Hyundai has a major revamp of its crossover lineup on the horizon. Speaking with Automotive News, Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski outlined plans to meet the current demand of crossovers for the U.S. Beginning with their current crossover lineup, the Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport will grow in size and separate from one another. The Santa Fe will grow into an eight-seat crossover, and the Sport will get a name change along with a new design to make it more rugged. The Tuscon will grow as well but will not get a major change in its mission. Hyundai will also be introducing a new B-segment crossover in 2018 to compete with the likes of the Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, and Mazda CX-3. Further down the road, a subcompact crossover will be introduced. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Thanks to the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal and demand for diesel vehicles beginning to shrink, Mercedes-Benz is wondering if it's time to pull back on their diesel efforts in the U.S. "We have to look at that and see whether it makes sense to offer diesels in the future. We have not come to a conclusion but we obviously always tend to develop cars and offer vehicles according to customers' demands," said Matthias Luehrs, vice president of sales and product management for Mercedes-Benz. Dropping diesels for the U.S. "is a theoretical option," he went onto say. Mercedes have already dropped plans for bringing the C-Class diesel, a model that was supposed to go on sale earlier this year. Right now, the priority at Mercedes-Benz is getting EPA certification for the GLS-Class. Other models are expected down the road. Luehrs said the company is currently doing market research and expects the first results to come in early next year. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article