William Maley

Jeep is seeing record sales of the Wrangler, Through November, sales climbed 25 percent over 2017, to 220,232 vehicles. This year also saw monthly sales record of 29,776 Wranglers sold in April. But there is a bit of problem with the Wrangler. According to Automotive News, dealers have over a 100-day supply of the model. In the beginning of November, dealers were sitting on a 156-day supply of Wranglers. The number has fallen to 135-days at the beginning of this month. But it is still a perplexing problem. How can Jeep dealers have such a huge backlog of Wranglers, despite selling a fair number of them? There are two reasons. The first deals with production. FCA's Toledo, Ohio plant has undergone some changes that allow it to produce nearly double amount of vehicles of the previous line. CEO Mike Manley has said the additional capacity will allow Jeep to expand sales of the Wrangler to other markets. But the other reason is a bit troubling. Some dealers tell AN that the Wrangler is getting too expensive. The starting price of the Wrangler two-door rose $3,950 over the previous generation, while the four-door Unlimited jumped $3,550. The Wrangler is one of the few FCA vehicles that "has traditionally been retailed with little or no consumer cash". "I have the largest Wrangler supply I have ever had. That car has gone up in the last three years $12,000! These freakin' things are $55,000 now. I think that vehicle is price-sensitive, and I think they went a little far with the pricing. They were a little aggressive," said an unnamed dealer in the Midwest. The dealer said the "higher average transaction prices" could lead to higher resale value, "but it's bad when you start putting the price to the point where consumers can't buy them." Other dealers are confident they can continue to sell the Wrangler, despite the higher prices. "We've built capacity and just need to continue to adjust to it. I don't think there's an issue for that car at all," said Eric Nielsen, dealer principal at Nielsen Automotive Group in northern New Jersey. "As with any vehicle within the industry, there is some seasonality when it comes to the Wrangler, and dealers are already preparing for a strong spring," a spokesman for FCA told AN. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

It seems a bit odd to be driving the Giulia Ti almost half a year on from spending a week high-performance Quadrifoglio. This felt like I had a nice slice of cake and was now facing a bowl of vegetables. Trying to keep an open mind on Ti was going to be difficult, considering the mixed opinions I had with the first Giulia. But I knew that I had to try. I actually prefer the toned-down nature of Ti Sport compared to Quadrifoglio as lacks the aggressive bumper treatment and cloverleaf emblems on the fenders. Some items such as the uniquely styled wheels do carry over and add a small sporting touch. The only item I would change is the color. Grey just makes the design somewhat boring. The blue I had on the Quadrifoglio works much better as it allows the design to stand out. The interior is still very much a mixed affair. Most of the materials are what you would expect to find a luxury car of this caliber with soft-touch plastics, leather, and metal trim. But Alfa clearly cut some corners such as the cheap plastics used on the center console. The front sport seats provide excellent bolstering and comfort for any adventure you decide to take. Rear space is almost non-existent for most adults. Alfa Romeo did address one of my complaints with that I had with 2017 Giulia. 2018 models now have the option of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is shame that it is an option, but it does make using infotainment system somewhat less frustrating. Some of the issues I had with the system in both the Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Ti are present in this Giulia. Going through a number of menus to accomplish simple tasks, slow performance, and a small number of crashes during my weeklong test. I really hope Alfa Romeo is working on some updates to get this system in order. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder delivering 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with an eight-speed automatic and optional Q4 all-wheel drive. I really liked this engine in the Stevlio as moved the compact crossover without breaking a sweat. In the Giulia, this engine makes this sedan fly away from stops. It is said the turbo-four can hit 60 mph in just over five seconds, which is fast for the class. One disappointment is the engine sounding like a diesel at idle, not something you want to have in an Italian sport sedan. EPA says the Giulia Ti with AWD will return 23 City/31 Highway/26 Combined. My average for the week landed around 23.6 in mostly city driving. One trait that both the Ti Sport and Quadrifoglio share is the handling. The chassis underneath allows the Giulia to dart around in the corners and keep body motions well in check. Steering is another bright spot where the vehicle would instantly respond to any input, along with provide good feedback. Ride quality is slightly better than the Quadrifoglio as only a small number of bumps come inside. Put the Giulia into Dynamic (sport mode) and the ride does become somewhat unbearable. Unfortunately, my Giulia Ti tester had an issue with the brakes. Whenever the brakes were applied, there was a noticeable screeching noise coming the rear of the vehicle. At first, I thought something had gotten lodged in the brakes. But the noise would go away after I had been driving for a bit. Park the car for awhile and drive it once again, the noise would return. This likely hints at something being warped - a bit disappointing for a vehicle that only had a few thousand miles on the odometer. The Giulia is one of those vehicles I really want to like a lot more than I currently do. Alfa Romeo still has a number of issues they need to address sooner than later. I only would recommend this model for those who understand what they’re getting into. Gallery: 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Q4 Disclaimer: Alfa Romeo Provided the Giulia, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2018 Make: Alfa Romeo Model: Giulia Trim: Ti Sport Q4 Engine: 2.0L Turbocharged MultiAir SOHC Inline-Four Driveline: Eight-Speed Automatic, All-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 280 @ 5,200 Torque @ RPM: 306 @ 2,000 - 4,800 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 23/31/26 Curb Weight: N/A Location of Manufacture: Cassino, Italy Base Price: $41,995 As Tested Price: $51,885 (Includes $1,295 Destination Charge) Options: Ti Sport AWD Package 22S - $2,500.00 Driver Assist Dynamic Plus Package - $1,500.00 Ti Leather Package - $995.00 8.8-inch AM/FM Bluetooth Radio with 3D Nav - $950.00 Harman/Kardon Premium Audio System - $900.00 Driver Assistance Static Package - $650.00 Vesuvio Gray Metallic - $600.00 19-inch x 8-inch Bright 5-Hole Aluminum Wheels - $500.00 View full article

It is no secret that Bentley is working on an electric vehicle. What has been unclear is when said vehicle is expected to launch. Recently, Automotive News Europe had a sit-down with Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark where he revealed that electric cars are seen "as another growth opportunity in a five- to 10-year period." Why the long period? "The problem is, with the size of our vehicles and the frontal area we push through, current battery-power density limits the size of the car with a credible driving range. The Jaguar I-Pace is the perfect-size car for the battery technology, but it’s too small for us. It’s all driven by power density of the battery, but there’s nothing industrialized in the supply chain before 2023-2024-2025. Only then does it open up the size of the vehicle and the category you can make a credible battery-powered car," said Hallmark. Hallmark wouldn't say what Bentley's full-electric vehicle would look like, but past rumors point to the possibility of the Mulsanne replacement of going full EV. Bentley knows that it needs an EV sooner or later. Hallmark said 40 percent of Bentley customers would consider buying an electric vehicle. Also, a set of possible Bentley customers, "the upper liberals and the post-moderns" are trending towards Porsche and Tesla models. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required) View full article

The dream of Carlos Ghosn spending the holidays outside of jail has been dashed. Early this morning in Tokyo, prosecutors re-arrested Ghosn on new charges that allege he shifted personal trades to Nissan to "make it responsible for 1.85 billion yen ($16.6 million) in appraisal losses," around October 2008. Prosecutors also allege that Ghosn had Nissan " deposit a total of $14.7 million on four occasions between June 2009 and March 2012 into a related bank account." This re-arrest allows prosecutors to detain Ghosn for another 10 days to allow them to continue building their case against him. It may also hurt his chances of getting bail down the road. Lawyers for Ghosn declined to comment. The new allegations would be in violation of Japan’s Companies Act and is seen as a more serious charge than under-reporting income. According to Bloomberg, Ghosn could be facing a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a 10 million yen fine (about $89,980). “It’s a very serious charge. If there was a conviction, I think it would mean that there’s been a judgment that it’s more than just typical self-dealing corporate malfeasance but something that really harmed the company and was particularly malevolent in terms of the amount of planning that went into it,” said Colin Jones, a professor of law at Doshisha University in Kyoto. Source: Bloomberg (Subscription Required) View full article

General Motors got a rude awakening if they picked up a copy of the Detroit Free Press or Detroit News. Right on the front page is a large ad by Canadian union Unifor accusing GM executives of having the lack of support toward Canadian and U.S. plant workers after announcing certain products would be "unallocated" and bringing up the possible worry of plant closures. One ad says, "U.S. and Canadian workers made GM," that follows with the question, "Why should our jobs and our products go to Mexico? Keep our plants open." Automotive News notes that the ads weren't in any Candian papers. The most likely reason for that is that Unifor officials would be meeting with GM today at the Renaissance Center. “GM needs to know that we are not accepting their announcement. It is crystal clear to myself and the leadership of the union that GM is leaving Canada. The newspaper ads are to let them know we are dead serious,” said Unifor president Jerry Dias. Dias said the ads are to show GM that it will have “a real problem” selling new vehicles to consumers on either side of the border starting next year. “GM has betrayed consumers in Canada and the United States. People are finally saying to GM, ‘You have gone too far.’ This is going on on both sides of the border,” he said. GM in an emailed statement to Automotive News said, "The GM restructuring decisions are extremely difficult for all of us in Oshawa, but we believe the best approach is to work together to support our employees including support for local training and transition initiatives in the Durham Region. We remain strongly committed to Canada and will continue to engage in dialogue with Unifor." GM also confirmed the meeting with Unifor but declined to provide any details about it. Kristin Dziczek, vice president of Industry, Labor & Economics at the Center for Automotive Research said Unifor faces an uphill battle with GM as their negotiations don't till 2020, a year after the UAW does theirs. "The UAW is going to go after any new product allocations for their two plants that are set to close and others that are underutilized," she said. "If there's product to be got, the UAW is going to go after it first." Dziczek also notes that Unifor's ads have "somewhat have a point" regarding GM's plants in Mexico, which are more utilized than many plants in Canada and the U.S. "They have to look like they're fighting like mad, and there are lots of ways of doing that. This is one way." We have a picture of the ad from the Detroit Free Press below if you're interested in what it looks like. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

It hasn't been easy for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn and aide Greg Kelly since being arrested last month. In that time, the two have been brought up on various charges alleging financial misconduct and having their stay of detention being extended. But there appears to be some good news over the horizon. Today in a Tokyo courtroom, a judge rejected the request of prosecutors to extend Ghosn's and Kelly's detention by an additional 10 days. The Japan Times reports that prosecutors were seeking an additional 10-day extension related to a "separate warrant served to Ghosn" under the allegation that he understated "his remuneration by ¥4.2 billion in the automaker’s securities reports for the three business years through March this year." Lawyers for Ghosn said they are planning to apply for bail, which could mean Ghosn could be out of jail by Friday. But Japanese prosecutors have appealed the decision. According to Automotive News, there is no set date for a possible decision. As for Kelly, lawyers are planning to file for bail either today or tomorrow. “The chances of bail are very high. To begin with, this isn’t a case that should need such a lengthy detention,” said Nobuo Gohara, a lawyer and former prosecutor. Tsutomu Nakamura, a former public prosecutor doesn't share the same view. He tells Bloomberg that the decision made by the court doesn't mean Ghosn will walk out immediately. “The prosecutors will file the complaint against this judge’s decision immediately. I think that the prosecutors failed to prove the seriousness of the case,” he said. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg (Subscription Required), Japan Times View full article