+++ While some people might not see the need for ALEXA in automobiles, General Motors has previously said “research shows that many customers prefer to use the same voice services they use in their home in their vehicles”. The company also noted they will be able to create custom skills that are related to specific automobiles. This promises to make Alexa more useful as it could allows users to do more than simply adjust the radio or change climate control settings. Amazon is upbeat about Alexa’s potential, but challenges remain. Using Alexa in GM vehicles will require a monthly data plan that costs $14.99 a month. Curic said consumers are actively “resisting” paying these fees so “automakers, in general, are going to have to figure out this data thing”. Interestingly, Alexa isn’t the only thing companies are interested in. Curic said “There is a lot of demand by automakers for having something like a Fire TV in a rear seat”. In essence, this would be a rear-seat entertainment system which could stream content from services such as Amazon Prime Video.This seems like a no-brainer, but Curic suggested Amazon isn’t sold on the idea. As he pointed out, it might not be necessarily given the popularity of tablets and smartphones. However, the company hasn’t made up their mind and automakers “think it’s very important”. Given this, they’re running the numbers to see the idea makes sense. +++
+++ BMW is preparing to launch an assortment of electric vehicles including iX3, iNext and i4. All 3 models will be introduced before the end of 2021, but we can expect more EVs in the future. Little is known about the company’s plan after 2022, but a new report suggests it could include an i6 to battle the Audi e-Tron GT, Mercedes EQ S and Porsche Taycan. The i6 will arrive in 2024 and be a stylish EV that borrows some cues from the 8-Series Gran Coupe. This implies the i6 will be a 4-door coupe, which seems logical given the intended competition. While specifications should be taken with a grain of salt, the entry-level i6 will be equipped with 2 electric motors. The front one will reportedly produce 204 hp, while the one at the rear 340 hp. This setup would give the i6 all-wheel drive and a combined output of 544 hp. There’s also word of an M Performance variant which would use 2 electric motors with 340 hp. This would give the high-performance model a Taycan Turbo-rivaling output of 680 hp. As far as batteries are concerned, the i6 will reportedly be offered with 2 options. The smallest is said to be a 90 kWh battery that provides a range of approximately 560 km in what we can assume is the WLTP cycle. The report also says there could be a larger 120 kWh battery pack, which increases the range to 700 km. +++
+++ Volkswagen said that it would reach a key target in the production of ELECTRIC CARS earlier than previously anticipated. The German automaker will have produced 1 million vehicles by the end of 2023, 2 years ahead of schedule. It now expects to have produced 1.5 million electric autos by 2025, it said. Volkswagen has developed a robot that can charge electric cars autonomously; effectively allowing any parking space to become a charging point. The mobile charging system is comprised of 2 units: a robot and an energy storage device. The robot is summoned by drivers via a smartphone app or through a connected car system and tows the storage device with it to a vehicle. The robot is then capable of opening a charging port and connecting a plug. It can then go and charge other vehicles, returning to collect the energy storage device once the charging process is completed. Each ‘battery wagon’ contains 25 kWh of power and is capable of DC fast-charging at up to 50 kW. The robot is fitted with a range of scanners and sensors to ensure it can move freely around the car park. Mark Möller, the head of the Volkswagen Group Components division, said the system “will spark a revolution” because it can “bring the charging infrastructure to the car and not the other way around”. The system is designed for use in a range of car parks, with Möller claiming it has “enormous economic potential” by reducing the need for fixed charging points to be installed. It would also end the problem of charging bays being blocked by charged or non-electric cars. The system is currently “a visionary prototype”, but Volkswagen claims it could be “made into reality quite quickly”. It added that is has not set a date for a market launch yet. Volkswagen is working on a range of solutions for electric charges. It is one of the firms behind the Ionity 350 kW charging network and has previously shown a prototype of a portable charging station. +++
+++ FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES (FCA) is offering its most generous discounts in a decade as it looks to boost sales from its Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands. FCA had accumulated a stock of as many as 70.000 unassigned cars at the start of December due to a move to streamline manufacturing by using data analytics to forecast demand. A number of dealerships claim that this supply has prompted FCA to force them to buy vehicles from a ‘sales bank’ that they believe could be hard to sell. The practice of using a sales bank involves an automaker building up an inventory of tens of thousands of vehicles that its dealerships haven’t ordered. FCA recently introduced a tool headed by former Amazon executive Mark Stewart that aims to predict how many vehicles and the exact vehicle trims that the car manufacturer should sell. FCA claims this new system saved it $445 million through the third quarter and trimmed 140,000 vehicles from its total inventory. The car manufacturer denies operating a sales bank and says the over-supply is simply a short-term side effect of this new system. While dealerships may not be all that pleased buying from FCA’s inventory, now could be a good time for consumers to buy as many FCA models are available to the general public with employee pricing. FCA sales staff have also been asked to work overtime to sell more vehicles and reduce unassigned inventory to zero before Christmas. FCA is planning to streamline the development process of new or updated models, so they can bring them to market faster than before. This reorganization, which will be led by FCA’s chief technical officer Harald Wester, is the company’s answer to a rapidly changing technology landscape, according to CEO Mike Manley. “The industry has never experienced technological change at the pace we are now seeing, so we’re unleashing the creative energy of our engineers and technical experts for the benefit of our customers and stakeholders worldwide”, Manley said. FCA has already announced its plans to reduce complexity and speed up the decision-making process, investing €9 billion for the launch of 30 new electrified models worldwide. These include plug-in hybrid vehicles from Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, as well as a new battery-electric Fiat, among others. FCA’s thinking is similar to that of Ford’s, where CEO Jim Hackett is also pushing to bring design concepts into the real roads faster. Speeding up the process means that the car maker must get rid of many layers of approvals and bring the final decision-making at the lowest possible level, a concept that has been a signature feature of the tech world for some time now. I still don’t know however if the merger with PSA will accelerate these changes; reports suggest that when the 2 car makers complete their union, the vast majority of their models will migrate to just 2 platforms from PSA. There’s talk also about FCA using the Alfa Romeo-exclusive Giorgio platform on more models from now on, including the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee. +++
+++ FORD is aiming to use its tie-up with Volkswagen on electric vehicle platforms to expand the range of Mustang EVs beyond the recently revealed Mach-E. The US manufacturer caused a storm in November when it revealed the Mustang Mach-E as its first bespoke EV. High-level sources have indicated that Ford is already considering expanding the family to appeal to a wider range of customers. Ford of Europe’s chief designer Murat Gueler said: “The Mustang influence wasn’t considered until an earlier direction with the car wasn’t really working. Once we introduced Mustang as inspiration, it came together quickly. We’re really excited by what this brings to the electric car, and yes we have already talked about expansion, to some sort of family”. Ford already has a plan for smaller EVs, based on an agreement with the Volkswagen Group to license its MEB all-electric vehicle platform. But I understand that in early November executives and engineers from Ford met VW counterparts to discuss how the new architecture (which underpins the ID.3) could be adapted to better fit Ford’s needs. A particular area raised during the talks is said to be the position of the front bulkhead and cowl; the base of the windscreen, in effect. VW has pushed the cowl relatively far forward, lengthening the gap between the steering wheel and the base of the screen to help fit the augmented-reality head-up display tech from the ID.3. This makes the bonnet quite short, so it’s harder for Ford to create a smaller model with the stance, roofline and profile of a Mustang. Ted Cannis, global director of electrification at Ford, told us: “It’s key that we have enough flexibility, and it’s important to have enough differentiation and the kind of performance you expect from a Ford. A lot of that was done in the early part of the negotiations with VW. The parameters that we’ve seen, we can make a great Ford”. Gueler told that any smaller Mustang EV would have a different profile than the Mach-E, but the vehicle would almost certainly be a crossover in any case. The MEB platform can support rear and four wheeldrive, and it’s likely that Ford would offer both layouts and a number of different battery sizes. That could give the baby Mustang EV up to 306 hp and a 480 kilometre range. The deciding factor on badging the smaller EV as a Mustang could be customer reception to the Mach-E. Resistance to the badge (which replaces all Ford branding on the Mach-E) could yet lead to a rethink on how to somehow mix the latest arrivals with the existing model in an EV family. +++
+++ GENERAL MOTORS said it is issuing recalls for more than 900,000 vehicles worldwide in 2 separate campaigns to address brake software issues and fire risks. The largest U.S. automaker is recalling more than 550.000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Cadillac CT6 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles due to a potential software glitch that could disable vehicle brake systems and notifications. The error, which GM said was rare, may result in the vehicle’s electronic stability control or anti-lock brake system becoming disabled. GM said the vehicle’s diagnostic system will not illuminate the instrument cluster alert. Dealers will reflash the software to address the issue. GM is also recalling more than 400.000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks because battery positive cable rings may have been manufactured with excessive glue, potentially resulting in a fire risk or stalling. GM dealers will inspect vehicles for glue or other contamination and replace damaged components if necessary. One fire has been reported and no injuries linked to the campaign. Some vehicles are covered by both recalls. The recall was prompted by a report of a stall by a GM employee in Canada. +++
+++ Changing times mean changing tactics. To keep earnings flowing, HONDA boss Takahiro Hachigo is overhauling everything from product development to production. The effort means forging more loose partnerships to tap new technologies, while passing on capital tie ups that might undermine Honda’s independence. Hachigo said, when he as asked about the road to electrification when demand for hybrids and EVs is still undeveloped: “I believe hybrid vehicles will play a critical role. The objective is not electrification, per se, but improving fuel efficiency. And we believe hybrid vehicles are the way to abide by different environmental regulations”. About full-electric vehicles, Hachigo said: “Are there really customers who truly want them? I’m not so sure because there are lots of issues regarding infrastructure and hardware. I do not believe there will be a dramatic increase in demand for battery vehicles, and I believe this situation is true globally. There are different regulations in different countries, and we have to abide by them. So it’s a must to continue r&d. But I don’t believe it will become mainstream anytime soon”. When asdked, about Honda’s roadmap for introducing autonomous driving, Hachigo said: “Honda’s overarching objective is to make cars accident-free. To achieve this, we need to reduce human error from human decision-making, and we need to relieve driving fatigue and make driving more comfortable. Thus, we are focusing on Honda Sensing, and we will improve each and every element of Honda Sensing as we go forward. Right now, concerning the technologies, we have well-established expertise in automatic lane changing and also in hands-off steering. We have established these technologies, but at the same time, you have to think about what the social demand is and what legal environment we have to operate in. Now is the time for us to ponder how we can introduce these services to the market. We are looking at the right timing and the right vehicle model. Our plan is to cascade Honda Sensing down to mass-market models such as the Civic. Instead of going for a setup that requires expensive radars or lidars, we would like to develop these functions in an affordable price range. When it comes to Level 3, you will need a more expensive ADAS system to realize this. We will be cautious in trying to identify what vehicle model will be optimal for this. So, I don’t have any timeline or any vehicles decided for Level 3 autonomous driving”. When asked about how much longer Honda can remain independent because Japan’s auto industry is consolidating, Hachigo said: “Basically, we do not have any intention of having a capital tie-up. The reason is, once we have a capital tie-up, that other party will have some voice in our management, which means in some instances, we may not be able to move in the direction we want. So how will we survive in this environment? One example is our relationship with GM, which is a win-win collaboration and not a capital tie-up. We work together on hydrogen fuel cell stacks, electric car components as well as Cruise. We are open to this type of partnerships. We would like to be capital independent. As long as we can keep coming up with new proposals, I believe that given our company’s size, we can continue to have a viable business in the future”. When asked about the new global vehicle architecture that Honda will launch next year, Hachigo said: “The production side, development side and partners will all derive merits. The concept is to divide the architecture into different zones. So that means man-hours can be reduced. We aim to reduce development man-hours by 30 % by 2025. We will be able to simplify and also make production more efficient. By 2030, we want to reduce internal factory costs by 10 %”. +++
+++ KIA has increased sales in Europe for 11 consecutive years and its sales are steady this year in a declining market with a 1 % rise in the first 9 months to boost market share to 3.2 % from 3.1 %. The main task for Emilio Herrera, who became Kia Europe’s chief operating officer in April 2018, is to continue the upward trend despite the huge challenge posed by the need to comply with the new European Union CO2 emissions limits. The Spanish executive is confident that Kia will avoid paying fines for missing EU CO2 targets. He says automakers will have no choice but to electrify their ranges, even in smaller segments. When asked on his opinion about Renault’s plan to launch a €10.000 electric car in Europe within 5 years, Herrera said: “That is a very bold statement. One of our biggest challenges is to make EVs profitable, and the smaller the car, the more complicated that is. Therefore, a €10.000 EV is very challenging and not very realistic. We know how difficult it is because we are looking to produce an electric version of the Picanto. There is nothing confirmed yet, but we’re really looking at it. But I don’t think that it could be less than €10.000, unless you strip the vehicle down to the bare bones. The base price for our gasoline-powered Picanto is €13.500 in The Netherlands. An electric version would cost close to €22.000. You have to add €8.500 to the gasoline price. So as long as there are fiscal incentives to support sales of EVs, it could be feasible. But I think those incentives will be gone in 5 years because there will be so many EVs on offer by then that the governments would not be able to support them. Nevertheless, I am still bullish about the future of full-electric vehicles. The main reason is that there is no other choice. Why is Volkswagen suddenly heading in this direction now? Not because they like it but because they are forced. Volkswagen Group sells 4 million cars in Europe; they need to offset that with EVs to avoid paying the EU’s CO2 fines. Now, Volkswagen says when they start the mass production of the ID3 battery-electric car that they will be able to sell it for €33,000 in The Netherlands. I think it’s a bold statement. It’s a C segment vehicle; we’re not talking about a Smart. We at Kia today are not capable of launching an electric vehicle at €33,000. But even if governments are withdrawing incentives for EV purchases, we will have no choice but to build an electric Picanto. The A and B segments are so important in Europe. In Italy, those segments account for 50 % of the market. We will have to have an A segment car that is electric. Our goal is to have an electric car in almost every main segment where we compete. Even if it’s not confirmed today, I think we have no choice. Take a country like France, which is heavily pushing EVs. The government is giving €6.000 for an EV, plus another €2.500 if you scrap your vehicle. That’s a huge investment of public money. If the share of EVs gets to 20 % and you have to pay €6.000 – €8.500 for each one, is that sustainable? And besides, a lot of the income from governments in Europe also comes from taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel. If we reduce fuel consumption, maybe they tax electricity, so electric cars are going to become more expensive to charge”. When asked if building EVs on the same platforms as combustion cars would give more flexibility, Herrera said: “If you have a dedicated EV platform, it’s easier and the packaging is also easier. If you have a traditional platform, let’s say the one we use for the Ceed, and you want to make this car an electric vehicle, it’s not so easy because of the packaging. Where do you put the battery? It’s feasible but it’s more complicated. If you start with an electric platform, it is much easier. In the future, we will have both dedicated EV platforms and flexible platforms for both combustion cars and EVs. One example is the Imagine concept we showed at the Geneva show this year. The plan is for this to become a mass-produced vehicle in 1 or 2 years and to have a dedicated electric platform”. When asked if plug-in hybrids are a long-term solution in Europe, Herrera said: “With today’s range of nearly 60 km, people who consistently charge the battery at home can use it to commute to work every day using only the electric motor. Plug-in hybrid sales, however, have been very volatile. Demand really depends on the support given by the different governments. The best example is the United Kingdom. Once the government removed its support plug-in hybrid sales dropped 50 %. People are not ready to buy them. Something similar happened in the Netherlands. Meanwhile Sweden in July 2018 started a scheme that was favorable to plug-in hybrids so sales skyrocketed. 50 % of our sales in Sweden are plug in hybrids. We have our highest market share ever in Sweden because of that. In the future the different technologies will coexist and manufacturers will have to find the right balance. One area where we are all challenged is by the limited supply of batteries. That is also true for plug-in hybrids, even though the battery is smaller. We have signed contracts with just 2 suppliers, LG Chem and SK Innovation. When we signed those contracts 2 or 3 years ago, nobody was expecting these sales figures. Now, we are trying to renegotiate those contracts but it’s not easy because they are seeing demand from every manufacturer. This means the battery availability problem isn’t solved yet, but it is improving. We have managed to secure more supply from local suppliers, but it was very difficult to increase the supply this year. But the problem next year and in 2021 is that I need the batteries in Europe. Otherwise, I will have to pay big fines for missing EU CO2 reduction targets. This is exactly what I told our vice chairman Euisun Chung: either we have the EVs or we have to pay huge fines. I told him there are 5 possible scenarios. 1) You pay the fine, which is a no-go at a Korean company. 2) You reduce your volume significantly to offset the CO2. 3) Pool with Tesla. 4) Leave the European markets, which is what Infiniti did. 5) Make sure you have enough EVs so that they offset the CO2 from the combustion cars. That is what we will do. We’re lucky to have the cars and more batteries starting next year so that the 40,000 EVs we plan to sell will help us offset the CO2 from the rest of the cars”. When asked how the market will evolve in 2020 as the new CO2 limits take effect, Herrera said: “The number of cars offered in the market will decline. Therefore, there will be less price competition than we have this year. I have heard competitors say they will cut sales to rental cars. The same is true for self-registrations, which are also less profitable. When is comes to combustion vehicles, demand will still be there, but the offer will be smaller because I cannot sell all the combustion vehicles I want next year unless I can offset their CO2. This year we will sell 20,000 battery-electric vehicles and 15,000 plug-in hybrids between Optima and Niro. We will also sell 30,000 Niro hybrids. Next year we need 40,000 EVs, so twice as many as in 2019, and about 50,000 plug-in hybrids. We will achieve such a significant increase with plug-in hybrid versions of the XCeed and the Ceed Sportswagon, plus the Niro and the Optima. The number of hybrids will remain the same, as there will still only be the Niro. The car based on the Imagine concept will come in 2021. And, we will add a fuel cell vehicle at the end of next year or early 2021. We’ won’t sell a lot of them, as Hyundai is not selling a lot of Nexos, but it’s part of our electrification program. Next year we will also have a plug-in hybrid and a hybrid version of the renewed Sorento. As far as mild hybrids are concerned, the entire Ceed range will get that powertrain. The Sportage already has”. When asked about the takeup for the 3 versions of the Niro, Herrera said: “The hybrid is the best-seller while the plug-in hybrid is the least popular. With the battery-electric version, we sell whatever volume we get from Korea. The Niro EV is much more popular than the Soul EV that we also sell in Europe. I think that is because of the design. The Soul’s boxy design can be polarizing, although it has sold very well in the United States”. When asked if the decline in diesel demand is tailing off, Herrera said: “Demand is improving in Germany. But overall in Europe it’s still declining, especially because of the southern European countries. Kia share is 19 % versus a market average of 31 %. The reason is because diesel is a fleet business, which is less relevant for us”. +++
+++ NISSAN has told its managers to slash non-essential spending as the automaker grapples with slumping car sales and tumbling profits, 3 company sources with knowledge of the matter told. The penny-pinching drive is in place for the rest of financial year until end-March and will most likely continue into the coming business year, they said. Managers have been told to put the kibosh on unnecessary travel, sales incentives and promotional events to “conserve every yen”, as one source put it. Meetings that 3 or 4 people would once have traveled to attend in person, might now only have one Nissan representative, the sources said, while other gatherings and dinners have been canceled altogether or replaced by video-conferencing.The extensive spending cuts come in tandem with Nissan’s decision this month to order a 2-day furlough for U.S. employees on January 2-3. There is also an effective travel ban for staff in the United States, where sales have been particularly hard hit, one source said. While the automaker is not facing any cash crunch, the actions underscore a deepening sense of crisis at Nissan which has been rocked by the ouster of scandal-hit leader Carlos Ghosn, the departure of other top executives and strained relations with alliance partner Renault. In April, it embarked on a wide-ranging turnaround plan to revive sales and boost profits but the business outlook has worsened more than anticipated, the sources said. In November, it reported 70 % slide in second-quarter operating profit and cut its full-year forecast to an 11 year low. The de facto freeze on non-essential spending is “increasingly a modus operandi at Nissan globally”, a second source said, adding: “The house is not on fire, but there’s something smoldering”. The 3 sources declined to be identified as Nissan has not publicly disclosed the extent of the cuts. A Yokohama-based Nissan spokesman said: “Given the business and operational situation we face, we’re carrying out moves to cut expenses”. The sources stressed that the automaker had sufficient cash resources. According to a 4th Nissan source, the automaker has good credit lines and plenty of cash, including money in China, which he said is years of accumulated profit from Nissan’s China joint-venture operations. This week Nissan’s stock hit lows not seen since September 2011 after Jun Seki, its vice chief operating officer and a former contender for CEO, said he was leaving the firm to become the president of Nidec. Yesterday, the automaker named executive officer Hideyuki Sakamoto as a candidate for the board of directors following Seki’s resignation. +++
+++ The merger of PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is the largest transaction involving 2 automakers since the takeover of Chrysler by Daimler some 2 decades ago. It’s the most dramatic response yet by the industry to the demise of the combustion engine and the massive expense of investing in electric vehicles. So why aren’t investors more excited? PSA shares have fallen about 10 % since news of the talks with FCA first leaked at the end of October. FCA’s have gained about 16 %. Before the deal emerged, PSA was valued more highly than Fiat but that has reversed. PSA investors think FCA is getting a better deal and they do not seem to believe the merger will create much value. And, in fairness, the history of automotive mergers is not a happy one: Daimler and Chrysler’s failed marriage is a textbook example of the culture clashes that supposed “mergers of equals” can spawn. Yet PSA and FCA seem much closer philosophically (both sets of managers are firmly committed to creating value for shareholders, something you can’t always say of large manufacturers) and they have ample reason to try to make this tie-up work. The memorandum of understanding unveiled last week at least attempts to address PSA investors’ frustration with the initial deal terms. FCA will still pay its shareholders (including the billionaire Agnelli family) an extremely generous €5.5 billion special dividend before the deal closes, even though its balance sheet is comparatively weak, and it is exposed to far greater legal risks (involving diesel, tax and alleged trade union malfeasance). PSA shareholders will get a distribution worth around €3.2 billion. To try to balance things out a little, FCA plans to keep its holdings in robot-maker Comau until after the deal closes, meaning an estimated €250 million proceeds from a sale will be shared equally by both sets of shareholders. Even so, the French side is being very generous financially in exchange for gaining control of the boardroom. PSA boss Carlos Tavares will have the casting vote. Is it worth it? Tavares has shown it is possible to make money in Europe, where PSA sells 80 % of its vehicles. But the continent is probably going to be a brutal market for the next few years. Automakers there may be obliged to offer big discounts to persuade customers to purchase electric vehicles and thus help the automakers avoid regulatory fines. PSA’s impressive margins (it achieved 8.7 % in the first half of 2019) might not last forever. By contrast, FCA’s North American truck and SUV business accounts for about two-thirds of its revenue and should not be as vulnerable to regulatory upheaval. President Donald Trump is not a fan of stringent fuel economy rules. The 2 parties are ruling out plant closures but still expect to generate €3.7 billion in yearly cost-savings. Taxed, capitalized and adjusted for the cost and time the savings will take to achieve, these are worth around €4 billion to each side. Tavares’s record of turning around businesses is certainly impressive. He transformed PSA and then repeated the trick with the Opel / Vauxhall unit acquired from General Motors. Fiat will not offer as many quick wins: The Italian automaker has already slashed costs and optimized its working capital. But savings from common vehicle platforms and purchasing could be substantial. It is probably unrealistic to expect shareholders to price in all the promised benefits now. Tavares will have to show them that not all marriages are doomed to fail. +++
+++ The TESLA Model 3 may soon receive a new 100 kWh battery pack and the same Ludicrous Mode as the Tesla Model S Performance. If Tesla’s entry-level model receives both of these upgrades, it could potentially become the company’s quickest-acceleration production vehicle (until the new-age Roadster arrives). The current Model 3 Performance, sitting at the top of the family, features a 75 kWh battery pack so a 100 kWh battery would represent a 33.3 % jump in capacity. As the Model 3 features a shorter wheelbase than the Model S and Model X currently offered with a 100 kWh battery, it’s highly unlikely Tesla will simply take its existing 100 kWh battery and place it under the skin of the Model 3. Instead, we may instead see a more power-dense battery. Anyone who has driven a Tesla Model 3 Performance will tell you that it is a very quick car. In fact, it can rocket to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds. There is talk about the car receiving a $2,000 software upgrade to boost acceleration that could see that 0-100 kph figure drop into the 2-second range. If a 100 kWh battery and Ludicrous Mode both find their way into a future derivative of the Model 3, it’s entirely possible it may be able to hit 100 kph in less than 2.5 seconds. +++
+++ +++ TOYOTA recently filed a trademark for the name 4Active with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, although I’m not sure if or when the nameplate will be put in use. The trademark application was filed on December 9, 2019 and is for “automobiles and structural parts thereof”. It’s not unusual for car manufacturers (and other companies) to trademark names like this with no intention of ever launching products with such names. However, some journalists think this name could be used by a future model. We all know that Toyota will start to build a new SUV at the factory it is co-creating with Mazda in Alabama. While limited details about this model are available right now, the 4Active name could work quite well and would complement the existing 4Runner in Toyota’s model range. Alternatively, 4Active could also be used to denote an all-wheel drive variation of the Alabama-built SUV. One of the most intriguing concepts launched by Toyota in recent years was the FT-4X unveiled at the New York Auto Show in 2017. Toyota has never said if this vehicle will make it to the production line, but it would certainly suit the automaker’s new-found (and welcomed) obsession with launching eye-catching, exciting, and capable vehicles and could act as a rival to the Jeep Compass, or a future sub-Wrangler baby off-roader from Jeep. If Toyota does intend on using the 4Active name for a new SUV, we’ll likely see prototypes of such a vehicle out and about in the coming year or so. +++
+++ Following news from a few years back indicating that the Ford Fiesta was then the best-selling car ever in the UNITED KINGDOM , I did some digging and uncovered the rest of the top 10 most popular nameplates from the past 50-odd years. Compiled by The Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders, the list reveals Ford and Vauxhall have proved firm favourites with the British public since at least 1965: the 2 brands accounting for 7 of the top 10 cars.The Volkswagen Golf also makes an appearance (ranking 7th with over 1.8 million sales) as does the original Mini. Bringing up the rear is the Metro, which collectively sold just under 1,5 million models in its Austin, MG and Rover forms. The top 10 most popular cars in the UK ever are: 1. Ford Fiesta – 4.132.294 all-time sales; 2. Ford Escort – 4.105.192 all-time sales; 3. Vauxhall Astra – 2.845.357 all-time sales; 4. Ford Cortina – 2.589.351 all-time sales (despite a relatively short lifetime, the Cortina still ranks as one of the UK’s most popular cars, largely thanks to its unrivalled sales dominance in the 1970s); 5. Vauxhall Corsa – 1.829.581 all-time sales; 6. Vauxhall Cavalier – 1.816.529 all-time sales (like the Ford Cortina, Vauxhall’s Cavalier was enjoyed huge success with British salesmen during 20 years of production); 7. Volkswagen Golf – 1.813.373 all-time sales; 8. Ford Focus – 1.769.687 all-time sales (a replacement for the Escort in all but name, the Focus has an impressive sales record for a car only launched in 1998); 9. Original Mini – 1.581.887 all-time sales (the original Mini is a true British icon that lasted 41 years in various different guises and still hasn’t been eclipsed by the relaunched, BMW-owned Mini Hatch); 10. Metro / R100 – 1.498.169 all-time sales (Austin, MG and Rover badges all adorned the Metro at one point of another during a 17-year lifespan, which was eventually rebranded as the R100 in 1994). +++
+++ The VOLKSWAGEN Passenger Car division has a lot on its plate this coming year, when they will launch 34 new models, out of which 12 will be SUVs. Now, I seem to have an idea of what 3 of them will be called: the T-Sport, T-Coupe and T-Go. These monikers were trademarked with the German patent office, and while the filings do not state on what they will be used, the nomenclature does follow the brand’s subcompact and compact crossovers, namely the T-Cross and the T-Roc. So, what do we have here? It’s pretty much anyone’s guess at this point, but the T-Coupe suggests that a new coupe SUV is on its way to dealers. Think America’s Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport for reference, with the latter being essentially the same car, bar the sloping roofline behind the B pillars. The T-Sport meanwhile could be the Euro-spec variant of the Nivus, which is about to be uncovered in South America and will cross the Atlantic Ocean. As for the T-Go, it might be a jacked-up city model, but keep in mind that these are pure assumptions. Some of these vehicles will be based on the VW Group’s versatile MQB platform, which underpins a wide number of cars, from the latest Golf Mk8 to the Skoda Superb and from China’s Tharu to the Seat Tarraco. Electrification could perhaps play a role in some of them, although do not expect any BEVs, as those are part of the ID family. +++