+++ The ALFA ROMEO Giulia has received a lot of praise since it was introduced nearly 2 years ago but the model has also been plagued by problems. Since the company is looking to take on established players such as BMW and Mercedes, these reports are damaging the company’s reputation just as the automaker is trying to find its footing in North America. Things came to a head earlier this week when Road & Track took a spin in the Giulia Quadrifoglio. While this normally won’t be a problem, the magazine’s test car was an unmitigated disaster as the model struggled to complete a single lap on the Gingerman Raceway without issues. Automakers keep a close eye on what the press has to say and magazine’s description of the event as “embarrassing, disappointing, unnecessary, and dumb” certainly caught their attention. Shortly thereafter, the magazine was put in touch with Reid Bigland who is the head of Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Bigland apologized for the issues and stated the car was shipped straight from the factory and bypassed the normal dealer inspection process which caused it to miss several software updates. The executive went on to admit Alfa Romeo has “experienced some challenges” with the car’s software. If Bigland is to be believed, the Giulia’s software is essentially an evil poltergeist that is responsible for everything from sunroofs that refuse to close to check engine lights that never seem to go away. Most of the software issues appear to be fixed but not exactly reassuring when the problems keep happening. +++
+++ As the world of electric cars continues to develop, BMW is planning to update the i3 and offer it with an improved range. Under the NEDC test cycle, the latest i3 with its 94 Ah battery pack has a theoretical range of 300 km. However, the German carmaker is looking to improve that range by installing the i3 with a larger 120 Ah battery. This could increase the car’s electric driving range by about 60 percent and will likely debut after the facelifted i3 S premieres at September’s Frankfurt Auto Show. It’s difficult to say if BMW intends on offering the larger battery pack as an option or if it’ll become standard in the 2019MY i3. However, if Nissan and Tesla achieve their range goals with the Leaf and Model 3, BMW would be wise to make it the only available battery. +++
+++ There have been some reports claiming that the new generation DACIA Duster would gain a 7-seat version. However, it seems that the Romanian automaker has no plans of offering such a model, as the brand’s Sales and Marketing Director, Francois Mariotte, revealed during a recent ceremony at the Tangier, Morocco plant. “The priority when renewing the Duster is to keep all the strengths of the actual model, and one part of this is the chassis or the platform. When you want to transform a car that is a 5-seater from a 7-seater, there is no way: you will lose the compactness and the 4×4 capabilities of the car. I know there is a lot of noise going around about a 7-seater of the Duster. But it’s not on the plan. You can forget it”. Besides dismissing the so-called ”Grand” Duster, the official also confirmed the new generation’s public debut for the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The 2018 Duster is expected to use a reworked version of the platform that underpins the current model and to carry over most of its engine lineup. However, expect it’s believed that a new diesel unit, namely Renault’s 1.6-liter dCi, will make its way into the budget SUV. As usual, lesser models will be offered with front-wheel drive, as the all-wheel drive system will be reserved for more expensive grades. +++
+++ GENERAL MOTORS is apparently considering killing off 6 slow-selling models by 2020. But is that really likely? The news is mentioned in a story where UAW president Dennis Williams notes that slumping US car sales could threaten jobs at low-volume factories. Still, we’re skeptical that GM is really serious about killing those cars. Reuters specifically calls out the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Sonic, and the Chevrolet Volt. Most of these have been redesigned or refreshed within the past few model years. 4 (the LaCrosse, Impala, CT6, and Volt) are built in the Hamtramck factory in Detroit. That plant has made only 35,000 cars this year; down 32 percent from 2016. A typical GM plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year. Of all the cars Williams listed, killing the XTS, Impala, and Sonic make the most sense. They’re older and don’t sell particularly well. On the other hand, axing the other 3 seems like an odd move. It would leave Buick and Cadillac without flagship sedans, at least until the rumored Cadillac CT8 arrives. The CT6 was a big investment for GM and backing out after just a few years would be a huge loss. It also uses GM’s latest and best materials and technology, making us even more skeptical. The Volt is a hugely important car for Chevrolet, and supplementing it with a crossover makes more sense than replacing it with one. Offering one model with a range of powertrain variants like the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius might be another route GM could take. All 6 of these vehicles are sedans/hatchbacks. Yes, crossover sales are booming, but there’s still a huge market for conventional cars. Backing away from these would be essentially giving up sales to competitors from around the globe. The UAW might simply be publicly pushing GM to move crossover production to Hamtramck to avoid closing the plant and laying off workers. Sales of passenger cars are down across both GM and the industry. Consolidating production in other plants and closing Hamtramck rather than having a single facility focus on sedans might make more sense from a business perspective. GM is also trying to reduce its unsold inventory, meaning current production may be slowed or halted while current cars move into customer hands. There’s a lot of politics that goes into building a car. GM wants to do what makes the most sense from a business perspective, while the UAW doesn’t workers to lose their jobs when a factory closes. When these 2 desires don’t line up, there’s always a lot of rumors, and speculation. For now, the automaker is remaining mum on its future products. +++
+++ An anonymous source, so we might want to take it with a grain of salt, has revealed for a JEEP Wrangler forum the new generation model, JL, is set to appear for the first time at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. The American event is starting December 1, so if the report is legitimate we might be seeing some weeks ahead an online reveal of the highly-anticipated off-road icon. And the same source gives fans another reason to rejoice; apparently dealers will already have the model on display starting mid-late December. The powertrain options at launch should include an updated version of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 linked to manual or automatic transmission. The latter will be bundled exclusively with a new turbocharged 2.0-liter, and a diesel should appear as a 2019 model year for those looking for off-roading prowess. The new source of information also has some bad news: the 2-door Sahara will be axed. In return the company is introducing a power sliding hard top (PSHT) after the initial introduction. Jeep officials apparently also hinted the Unlimited will come with a longer wheelbase than today, while a majority of aftermarket parts sold for the outgoing Wrangler (JK) will remain compatible. Frugal start/stop technology is also confirmed, along with 33-inch tires for the Rubicon that also gets a redesigned transfer case handle. +++
+++ LYFT has formed a self-driving car division, company executives said, a bold investment for the second-largest U.S. ride-services firm as it jockeys for position in the highly competitive autonomous vehicle race. The executives said the company would soon open a facility in Palo Alto, California, that would eventually be staffed by “several hundred” engineers. Lyft engineers will collaborate there with autonomous vehicle experts from other companies to build self-driving systems. “We are putting down the accelerator significantly on investment on this”, Raj Kapoor, chief strategy officer for Lyft, told reporters at its San Francisco headquarters. The move marks a striking strategy change for Lyft, which said previously it would leave the building of self-driving systems to others while allowing partners to test their autonomous cars in Lyft’s ride-hailing network. Lyft previously announced partnerships with Alphabet’s self-driving division, Waymo, technology company Nutonomy, and automakers General Motors and Jaguar Land Rover. Lyft’s new effort could put it in direct competition with some of those partners. The company, which will not be manufacturing the actual cars, offered no time line for its self-driving ambitions. Executives said Lyft would share data from its self-driving efforts with other companies joining the collaboration. Lyft does not have a permit to test autonomous cars in California, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. The company plans to launch a pilot with Nutonomy in Boston by year-end. Building autonomous driving systems is a complicated and expensive endeavor, and brings a new layer of complexity to Lyft. Unlike its far larger rival, Uber Technologies Inc, which has tackled everything from food delivery to flying cars, and expanded overseas, Lyft has operated strictly as a ride service for people in the United States. Lyft’s 700,000 drivers complete more than 200 million rides and 1.2 billion miles (1.9 billion km) a year in the 350 cities where it operates, which executives said gave the company detailed knowledge of traffic patterns, bridges, construction and other roadway data critical for building autonomous systems. “The one thing that is very, very key is the scale that we have”, said Luc Vincent, vice president of engineering. None of those miles have been driven with autonomous technology, experts point out, meaning Lyft will be starting from scratch in a business where Waymo, Tesla and Uber have been operating for years. “It does still take a lot to do this, even if there is lots off-the-shelf technology, to engineer them together and create systems and put them in a vehicle”, said Jeremy Carlson, an automotive analyst at IHS Markit. Lyft’s new push comes as Uber is facing a lawsuit from Waymo over alleged theft of trade secrets relating to self-driving technology designs. Lyft in April raised $600 million in new funding. The company has begun preparations for an initial public offering, sources close to the company told Reuters. +++
+++ After TESLA owners in South Korea were initially shunned by the government for its generous electric vehicle subsidies, the nation’s Ministry of Environment has done a backflip and will offer discounts to newly-registered Tesla vehicles. Currently, Electric Vehicles that are eligible for the incentives of up to 26 million won ($23,278) have to be fully charged in less than 10 hours using a 7 kilowatt-hour charger. As the Model S 70 and 90 models sold in South Korea take at least 13 hours to fully charge, they didn’t fit the government’s criteria. However, it has been announced that from September, the 10-hour charging rule will be abolished meaning the starting price for a Model S 90D will drop from 115.7 million won ($103,071) to approximately $80,000. Under new rules, the government states that Electric Vehicles must be capable of supporting a 32 ampere low-speed charger and a 100 ampere high-speed charger in an attempt to not provide incentives to vehicles with poor quality batteries. The generous subsidies also mean that when the Model 3 arrives in South Korea next year, prices could be as low as 20 million won ($17,760). +++
+++ The strategies employed by the VOLKSWAGEN Group worldwide have paid off, as the German giant managed to deliver a total of 5,115,900 vehicles in the first half of 2017. This represents an 0.8 percent increase over the previous period. Europe was the automotive firm’s most important market, accounting for 2,271,800 cars, up 3.5 percent, followed shortly by Asia-Pacific, where 1,986,200 units were delivered to customers, including 1,862,000 in China. The Germans did well in North America too, shipping 3.9 percent more cars from January to the end of June. In the United States, sales rose by 7.2 percent, to 293,400. In South America, sales were up by 11.4 percent, contributing with the delivery of 248,300 vehicles. As usual, Volkswagen Passenger Cars were the most favored, accounting for 2,935,100, up 0.3 percent, followed by Audi with 909,000, Skoda, Seat and Porsche, with 585,000, 246,500, and 126,500, respectively. Deliveries of Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicles rose by 5 percent, to 249,800, and MAN and Scania truck divisions did well too, registering a 6.9 percent and an 8.2 percent increase, respectively. +++