William Maley

Dangit, you took my answer.

Another victim has been claimed by Volkswagen's diesel emission scandal. Various reports have Audi either delaying or canceling a number of projects in an effort to save as much money as possible. German business paper Der Spiegel reports Audi's head Rupert Stadler told staff that "all future investments" are now "under scrutiny". Reuters has learned from various sources that Audi has delayed a number of projects including a track that would have been used for self-driving vehicles and facilities to make batteries and concept cars. An Audi spokesman told Reuters that projects pertaining to a technology park known as INovation-Campus have been "postponed for the foreseeable future". Autocar reports that Audi could be dropping two platforms as well; Audi's own MLB (currently underpinning the A4 and A5 and will underpin next A6, A7, and A8) and the mid-engine platform that underpins the R8. These cuts could hamper Audi's plans of introducing a lineup of electric vehicles that were intended help improve its image from the diesel emission mess. But it might also help curb Audi's habit of spending way too much money. Reuters says the Ingolstadt company spends more on equipment, plants, and property than BMW or Daimler. Unsurprisingly, Audi's works council isn't pleased with this news. The council argues that delaying investments could undermine employment at Audi's headquarters. Source: Reuters, Der Spiegel (Subscription Required), Autocar View full article

America. The land of opportunity. Various automakers around the world want to get in on this very lucrative marketplace. But as Automotive News notes, trying to break into the U.S. marketplace is close to mission impossible. Automakers who don't compete in the U.S. see numbers like "16-million-plus sales volume of new cars and trucks" and "average transaction price of $30,665, according to J.D. Power" and want a piece of this. But the U.S. is an unforgiving place. "People around the world look at the sales volumes going on here, and they look at the fortunes being made here, and they look at what the outlook is in other parts of the world -- and they want to be here," said Charlie Hughes, owner of the brand-consulting firm Brand Rules. "But the plain truth is that unless you're coming in with something truly unique, it is just not plausible that you're going to get anywhere in this market." (Author's note: Also, having a bit of luck isn't a bad thing to have either. -WM) Hughes isn't wrong. Automotive News says there are 42 automotive brands that sell 283 nameplates in various models and configurations. Trying to get the attention of a consumer, let alone a large number is a difficult task. Just ask Alfa Romeo and Fiat who are currently struggling in the U.S. One only needs to look at the list of automakers that have packed up left in the past 20 years - Daewoo, Isuzu, and Suzuki. Others haven't even made it to the shore - China's Chery and India's Mahindra. But that isn't deterring a large number of automakers to give it a shot. Here is the current list of automakers that are currently planning entry to the U.S. PSA Group - parent company of Citroën, DS, and Peugeot - has announced plans for a U.S. launch. But it will be a slow rollout beginning with ride sharing service. The company will also conduct a research project to see if it is viable for them to make a launch. Skoda - a brand under the Volkswagen Group umbrella - is reportedly going to make a decision on whether to come in the U.S. next year. Ssangyong Motor Co., a South Korean builder of crossovers has announced that it will enter the U.S. in 2020 Geely Automobile is planning to launch a new brand known as Lynk & Co with the possibility of entering the U.S. No word on a possible date. Alkane Truck Co., a company based in South Carolina plans on building the Dominator, a truck using the chassis of a Brazilian army truck and various components from the U.S. CEO Bob Smith believes this vehicle will fill a niche left by the Hummer H1. "If all you're going to do is enter this market offering the same thing everyone else is already offering, you might as well save your money. The U.S. auto industry is a very expensive place to do business," said Hughes. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Last year, Tesla gave the Los Angeles Police Department two Model S P85Ds to evaluate for possible duty as a police vehicle. It seems the LAPD were impressed that they have decided to equip one of the two models to duty as a patrol vehicle. NBC affiliate KNBC in Los Angeles reports that the LAPD is working with Tesla on an agreement to equip one of the Model Ss with the equipment needed for patrol duty - radios, computer, custody cage, and locking shotgun rack. "They will have an active role equipping this vehicle," said Vartan Yegiyan, LAPD's assistant commander of the Administrative Services Bureau - the group that oversees the vehicles of the department. Once equipped, the Model S will be put to the test with doing patrol work and possibly as a high-speed pursuit vehicle. No matter how the Model S fares in this test, it is still an expensive proposition for the department. Depending on the configuration, a Model S can upwards over $130,000 - this is before it is fitted with all the equipment needed for a police vehicle. The LAPD believes it could be about five years before they seriously consider replacing their conventional patrol vehicles with electrics. Source: KNBC Pic Credit: LAPD HQ on Twitter View full article

Usually, we don't report on wagons in our spying reports because there are no chances they are coming to the U.S. But with the recent rumors of the next-generation Buick Regal possibly getting a wagon variant. we tend to pay attention. Which brings us nicely to a set of spy photos of the 2017 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer. Compared to the current Sports Tourer, the new one shown in these pictures looks to be slightly longer and wider. Up front, the nose looks to be more upright and there are new headlights. Opel has attached body panels behind the c-pillar to try and disguise the slope of the roof and window shape. How does this connect to the Buick Regal? As we reported a couple of weeks ago in the rumorpile, Buick is possibly getting a version of the Insignia Sports Tourer. Wearing the Tourx nameplate, the wagon would get an increase in ride height, body cladding, and all-wheel drive. Opel and Vauxhall are expected to reveal the new Insignia and Insignia Sports Tourer sometime next year. Hopefully then, we'll learn whether or not Buick will get the Sports Tourer or not. Source: Autoblog, Carscoops View full article

MINI is getting ready to introduce its first hybrid vehicle with the upcoming second-generation Countryman crossover. In a statement released yesterday, MINI said the model would use an internal-combustion engine to power the front wheels and an electric motor to power the rear wheels. This also gives the model an all-wheel drive setup. Many believe the Countryman Hybrid would use the powertrain found in the 225xe Active Tourer - a 1.5L turbocharged three-cylinder and an electric motor delivering a total output of 224 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque. A 7.7 kWh battery pack provides an electric-only range of 25 miles and can be fully recharged in 3 hours and 15 minutes. In terms of looks, the Countryman Hybrid will look mostly the same as the standard model aside from an additional cap on the front fender for a charging port. The Countryman Hybrid will go on sale sometime next year. Source: MINI Press Release is on Page 2 Charging ahead – The MINI goes electric. Head of MINI brand management Sebastian Mackensen and Head of MINI series management Peter Wolf preview the first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand. Munich. Hallmark MINI driving fun combined with zero tailpipe emissions. With the introduction of the first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand, this will soon be a reality. The series development process for this car has almost been completed. It features a combustion engine and an electric motor enabling purely electric propulsion for the first time in a MINI. This marks the beginning of a new phase for MINI, and offers a glimpse into a future that is charged with excitement for MINI customers and those drivers yet to experience the thrill of a hybrid. Head of MINI brand management Sebastian Mackensen and Head of MINI series management Peter Wolf offer insight into this new near-series test vehicle, and explain how it retains go-kart feeling in the true spirit of a MINI during a test drive of this model. “With this model we want to convince MINI customers of the benefits of hybrid drive”, says Mackensen, “and impress everyone who already has hybrid driving experience with MINI’s unique go-kart driving feel.” The key to achieving this lies in intelligent energy management which is used to control how the combustion engine and electric motor operate together. For this reason, the first MINI plug-in hybrid model is not solely focused on efficiency, but uncompromising in pursuit of driving fun. At first glance, you wouldn’t recognise the test car as a hybrid model. And that’s not because of the camouflage foil used. The charging socket for the high-voltage battery is discreetly integrated in the left Side Scuttle. Everything also looks familiar in the cockpit. The start/stop button in the centre of the dashboard glows yellow instead of red. As usual, you simply press the button to start the car – this vehicle, however, remains silent as the hybrid model always starts in electric mode. The rpm counter in the instrument cluster on the steering column has been replaced with a power display. Keeping a close eye on this display is particularly worthwhile for the first few kilometres as it informs the driver about the electric motor’s power reserves before the combustion engine fires up. When exactly the combustion engine starts varies depending upon on the vehicle’s speed and the intensity with which the driver operate the accelerator pedal. “After a short time, the driver gets a feel for this”, promises Wolf. And this new driving experience promises a lot of driving fun. The hybrid MINI makes full use of the electric motor’s entire torque, which is available right from standstill, allowing for catapult-like acceleration. Even after leaving the slower pace of the city, this vehicle maintains its zero-tailpipe emissions at motorway speeds. The high-voltage battery under the rear seats provides power for long-lasting electric driving. AUTO eDRIVE standard mode permits speeds of up to 80 km/h, whilst in MAX eDRIVE mode speeds of up to 125 km/h are possible. For Mackensen this is a question of character: “In a hybrid MINI model, driving electrically must also be an exhilarating experience. This means that entirely electric driving is not limited to speeds of 30 or 40 km/h, but to speeds well beyond city traffic pace." Testing the vehicle himself, Mackensen puts the car through its paces and demonstrates that you need to step on the accelerator peddle very firmly indeed to activate the second power source. Then things really start happening. With the combined output of both drives, the first MINI hybrid vehicle demonstrates unparalleled acceleration performance when compared with its combustion-only siblings. However, MINI’s go-kart driving characteristics consists of more than just fast acceleration. Above all, this hybrid MINI has to prove how precisely it handles when taking bends on the most exciting, twisting roads. This is where MINI’s plug-in hybrid concept plays its next trump card. “As far as the chassis and suspension are concerned, nothing changes from the conventionally driven model variants”, says Wolf, “and the set-up benefits a lot from the hybrid concept”. Thanks to the eDrive components, which are positioned very low down at the rear, the car’s centre of gravity is lowered and the weight is evenly balanced between the front and rear axle – ideal for achieving an even higher level of legendary MINI agility. The Hybrid concept provides yet another benefit: the electric motor transmits its power to the rear wheels, the combustion engine to the front wheels. Since the intelligent energy management is linked to the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), traction and drive stability are optimised via the drive system. “As soon as there is any risk of drive slip, the second drive unit is activated to provide additional traction when starting off or ensuring a high level of steering precision when cornering”, explains Wolf. Intelligent energy management offers a further opportunity for both power sources to work together effectively. Driving on the motorway, Mackensen activates a third mode with the eDrive toggle switch: SAVE BATTERY. In this mode, the combustion engine powers the car whilst at the same time, the high voltage battery can retain charge at a constant level or indeed increase charge via a generator. Extended driving in SAVE BATTERY mode enables enough power generation for purely electric driving later. After driving in SAVE BATTERY mode, the MINI drives back into town in silence at the end of the test drive. The status display in the cockpit reminds the driver to recharge the battery via wallbox or power socket. Refuelling is not necessary yet because the MINI plug-in hybrid model merely took a small sip from the fuel tank. Yet another new dimension of MINIMALISM. View full article

The current trend in powertrains is to downsize engine displacement to meet emission standards. Paired with a set of turbochargers, three-cylinder and even two-cylinder engines can produce enough power to move large vehicles. But this trend is coming to an end in Europe. Reuters reports that a number of European automakers are beginning to scrap their small displacement engines for larger displacement ones. With a number of real-world tests showing these engines produce higher CO2 and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than in the lab, and stricter tests coming in the next few years, automakers are making a costly reversal. "They might be doing OK in the current European test cycle, but in the real world they are not performing. So there's actually a bit of 'upsizing' going on, particularly in diesel," said Pavan Potluri, an analyst with IHS Automotive. Industry sources gave Reuters some examples of automakers going bigger in terms of displacement. General Motors will ditch the 1.2L diesel in 2019. The smallest engine will be 25-30 percent bigger in displacement Renault will be increasing an almost 10 percent increase on the 1.6L diesel engine in the near future Volkswagen will replace the 1.4L three-cylinder diesel for a new 1.6L in their Polo subcompact "The techniques we've used to reduce engine capacities will no longer allow us to meet emissions standards. We're reaching the limits of downsizing." said Alain Raposo, head of powertrain at the Renault-Nissan alliance. We can't help but wonder if this change will extend into the U.S. There are a small number of three-cylinders engines on offer, but many automakers have been swapping V6s for turbocharged four-cylinders. Source: Reuters View full article

Mercedes-Benz will be launching the E-Class All-Terrain wagon in Europe to take on the likes of the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country. But Mercedes might bring the All-Terrain to the U.S. "We're still debating that and thinking about it. It's a very, very exciting vehicle, and we're taking a look at overall production, volumes that we have to have and business case and so on. So we'll see. Decision not finally made," said Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Dietmar Exler. Mercedes already announced that the regular E-Class wagon would be coming to the U.S. early next year, so trying to build up a case for bringing the All-Terrain becomes slightly easier. Also, a number of automakers that still sell wagons in the U.S. make them somewhat capable off-road to take advantage of the current SUV/Crossover craze. If Mercedes' U.S. office is able to make a case, Exler said it could arrive as early as next year. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

When Toyota introduced the Prius into the U.S. back in the early 2000s, it was a different time. Gas prices were quite low and everybody was gobbling up big SUVs like they were going out of style. A small vehicle that got high fuel economy numbers didn’t seem that appealing. But then gas prices rose and consumers began to see the inherent value in the Prius. Before too long, the Prius would become the gold standard of hybrid vehicles. Now with gas prices being somewhat steady again, consumers have gone out and started buying larger vehicles again - in this case, crossovers. But the Prius is still around, welcoming those who want to get the most out of a tank of gas, Last fall, the Prius underwent a massive redesign with the big news being a new platform. Is this Prius still the top hybrid? The Toyota Prius has never been considered to be a sexy or stylish vehicle. Nor has been considered to be ugly. It has just sat in the middle of the design spectrum. Toyota decided to bust the Prius out of that design lull with a very polarizing look for the new model. Standing in front of the Prius for the first time, I thought that it looked like a cat toy. This impression comes from a pointy nose, triangular headlights, and creases in the hood. The side profile follows the ideals set by the last-generation model with some aggression. There is sculpting along the doors and rear fenders. The Prius’ interior always looked and felt like an afterthought with a dreary design and cheap materials. Thankfully, Toyota moved the interior up the priority list for the forth-generation Prius and it shows. Stepping inside, you can tell there is a noticeable improvement in material quality. Many surfaces are covered with soft-touch plastics. The center stack and console feature contrasting black and white plastic trim. The white trim is an interesting choice and might make some people think that Toyota’s designers watched a bit too much Star Wars when working on the Prius. Compared to the last Prius, the new model is considerably more comfortable and you could do a long trip without having any issues. The front seats have been lowered slightly and the setback has been slightly angled back. The back seat is slightly smaller than the previous-generation - legroom is down two inches. But an average-sized adult should fit with no issues. Cargo space has been increased to 24.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats. On the technology front, the Prius has seen some major improvements. The center mounted instrument cluster with graphics commonly seen on a microwave has been ditched for a new setup with two color screens. The left screen handles speed and basic trip information. The one on the right shows driving data, a powertrain diagram, and tips on improving overall fuel economy. The displays are very vibrant and easy to read at a quick glance. Below that lies a seven-inch touchscreen with Toyota’s Entune infotainment system. Entune’s interface looks slightly dated to competitors and getting into the navigation system is a bit of a mess - you hit the apps button and then hit navigation on the touchscreen. Still, we think Entune is one of the easier systems to use and is quite fast. The powertrain for the Prius is comprised of a 1.8L Atkinson-Cycle four-cylinder engine and two electric motors/generators. Total output stands at 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. The base Prius Two sticks with a nickel-metal hydride battery, while higher trims - like our Three - get a compact lithium-ion battery pack. A CVT routes power to the front wheels. The Prius does take its sweet time to get up speed on the highway and rural roads. This also means you’ll need to plan your passes carefully. But the Prius does zip around the city with no issues - the electric motors offer instantaneous torque and the gas engine is ready to kick in when more power is needed. One improvement we’re glad to see is how much further you can just travel in EV mode. Keep a light foot on the accelerator and you’ll be able to travel a fair distance on just the battery alone. The CVT keeps itself in check most of the time. The only time it makes itself noticeable is during hard acceleration. The 2017 Toyota Prius Three is rated by the EPA at 54 City/50 Highway/52 Combined. Our average for the week was a very surprising 60.2 mpg with most of our driving done in the city. The Prius has never been known for being a decent handling vehicle. Going back through our previous Prius reviews, we have complained about the poor body control and steering that felt like you were stretching a rubber band. But the new Prius is quite shocking. Going around a corner, the Prius doesn’t show any real sign of body roll. Steering has some decent heft and feels more natural. What happened? A lot of the credit has to go to the new underpinnings of the Prius - Toyota New Global Architecture (TGNA). This architecture introduces a new chassis design for the Prius, along with a lower center of gravity. Toyota will be introducing this architecture on other models in the future and it looks to be a winner. One area that the Prius is still struggling is the brakes. The pedal still has a vague feeling and you can’t help but wonder if the vehicle will come to a stop. Toyota has made sure the Prius was still a comfortable car to do the daily grind. Over potholed roads, the Prius’ suspension was able to soak up bumps without them making their way inside. Wind noise is almost nonexistent with a low coefficient of drag of 0.24 probably helping. Road noise is another matter as a fair amount comes inside. The combination of low-rolling resistance tires and not enough sound deadening material on the floor are the possible causes. Toyota could have just rested on their laurels and keep the basic formula that has served the Prius for many years. But instead, Toyota made some massive changes to the Prius and it has resulted in making the model become more well-rounded. The design will not appease everyone and the Prius could do with a little bit more power. But the changes made to the interior and chassis along with the impressive fuel economy more than overshadow these issues. The Prius is not only the hybrid that stands above the rest, it has finally moved on from a science fair experiment to an actual vehicle. Disclaimer: Toyota Provided the Prius, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2016 Make: Toyota Model: Prius Trim: Three Engine: 1.8L DOHC 16-Valve VVT-i Four-Cylinder, Electric Motor Driveline: Continuously Variable Transmission, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 95 @ 5,200 (Gas), 121 (Total) Torque @ RPM: 105 @ 3,600 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 54/50/52 Curb Weight: 3,050 lbs Location of Manufacture: Aichi, Japan Base Price: $26,250 As Tested Price: $29,842 (Includes $835.00 Destination Charge) Options: Advanced Technology Package - $1,935.00 Body Side Molding - $289.00 Carpet Floor Mats/Cargo Mat - $225.00 Door Edge Guards - $125.00 Rear Bumper Applique - $69.00 Wheel Locks - $65.00 Cargo Net - $49.00 View full article