News – Page 679

Mini concept goes semi-autonomous and green

Beginning in 1959 with its transversely mounted engine, Mini has always been clever with space. With the battery-powered Urbanaut Vision Concept, the brand is going green and semiautonomous at the same time. Designers used augmented reality to create the digital-only concept.

Interior space is maximized for lounging or social gatherings, with a footprint small enough for tight urban parking spaces. When the Urbanaut is stationary, the dashboard lowers and the driver's area becomes a comfortable seating corner — or the "daybed." Leather and chrome are replaced with knitted textiles, and the vehicle has a cork steering wheel. It would be the biggest Mini ever at nearly 176 inches in length — or 8 inches longer than the Clubman.

Mini wants to be an "enabler of and companion for unforgettable times," so expect some of the Urbanaut's design cues to appear on future models.

Old Detroit train tracks to be part of new Ford mobility platform

A set of elevated railroad tracks adjacent to the abandoned Detroit train station that Ford Motor Co. is bringing back to life will become a "first-of-its-kind mobility platform" for testing and showcasing emerging technologies, the automaker said.

Ford released more details last week about its plans for Michigan Central Station, which is under renovation to become the heart of a 30-acre campus dedicated to autonomous and electric vehicles. Work on the project, which started about two years ago after Ford bought the dilapidated 13-story station for $90 million, remains on schedule despite the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. The revived station is expected to be finished by the end of 2022.

The elevated tracks, which saw their last passenger train depart in 1988, will be turned into "an open, versatile landscape" for Ford and its partners to work on self-driving vehicles and micromobility initiatives such as e-bikes or e-scooters, the co…

KC Crain named CEO of Automotive News parent

DETROIT — KC Crain, group publisher of Automotive News, has been named CEO of Crain Communications Inc., the family-owned media company that is the parent of Automotive News and nearly 20 other trade and business titles.

Crain, 40, had been president and COO. His father, Keith E. Crain, remains chairman of the board.

"We're proud of the 104-year legacy of our company and of the continued leadership from within our family," the elder Crain said. "KC has done a terrific job of steering our company in recent years, including strategic acquisitions. This year in particular has been challenging for many media companies, and KC and his entire team have led us to a successful year."

KC Crain started as a reporter for Automotive News and worked through roles including executive vice president and director of corporate operations.

"Leading the company my grandfather started is a true honor," KC Crain said. "Our audiences have never been stronger, and the…

Despite COVID, there’s much to be thankful for

This week, Americans will pause to reflect on a year that most, frankly, would rather forget.

Indeed, even as families try to figure out how to connect over the Thanksgiving holiday, businesses across the country — especially retailers, restaurants and others that interact with living, breathing customers — are grappling with a sharp increase in the spread of the coronavirus, leading to devastating clusters of absenteeism and a return of stricter government limits.

The pandemic has wreaked havoc across our world, our nation and our industry since the virus was first discovered a little more than a year ago. More than 1.3 million humans have died so far because of the virus, including more than 250,000 Americans. Millions who are considered to have recovered from COVID-19 have been left with serious conditions. And broad swaths of the economy — travel, entertainment, dining — have been badly damaged.

But one need not be a blind optimi…

Hyundai suit is latest challenge for retailer

A Hyundai Motor America lawsuit accusing Napleton Automotive Group of deliberately "blowing" engines to fraudulently collect warranty payments is the latest in a web of lawsuits and legal trouble facing the dealership group and its executives.

The automaker filed the lawsuit last week in federal court in West Palm Beach, Fla., seeking more than $75,000 in damages.

Hyundai alleged that since at least 2016, defendants working at Napleton's Hyundai store in West Palm Beach bought certain Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles from auctions and made fraudulent warranty claims for the vehicles to the automaker. Hyundai would then reimburse the dealership for the repair. In some cases, Hyundai would repurchase the vehicles.

Customer vehicles brought in for service, trade-ins and vehicles returned at the end of leases also were used in the alleged scheme, Hyundai said. The store's service director and current and former service techs "deliberately damaged" engines to ma…

Look for women’s success at dealers

TO THE EDITOR:

Automotive News does a great job with the 100 Leading Women special section (Nov. 9), trying to shake this industry loose from a male-centered mindset. And with its "Project XX" special section in 2017, which examined sexism in the auto industry, I do not see how a publication could get more in the face of the mostly male industry leadership in presenting the case for diversity. And yet, the numbers for women barely move forward at automakers, suppliers and dealers for those in management and leadership.

Perhaps it's time to try some bottom-up notoriety. For two decades, the Leading Women project has focused primarily on women in automaker and supplier positions. Perhaps it is time to recognize the successful women in management and key positions at the retail level who deal with the public every day — general managers, sales, service and finance managers — and who are seldom recognized. After all, those are the most visible staff to the custome…

NADA chair: ‘The biggest obstacle is regression’

Rhett Ricart, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, has a message for dealers and automakers as they prepare their business models for a post-pandemic world: Listen to your customers.

While dealers have been on a "roller coaster of unpredictability" this year — propelled by closed showrooms, government-ordered lockdowns, factory shutdowns and tight inventory — Ricart said the crisis also has pushed the digital world into "hyperdrive," accelerating consumer and dealer adoption of online vehicle sales.

"Digital retailing won't work for every customer and every transaction, but it should be in a dealer's wheelhouse for every potential customer interaction," he said last week during an Automotive Press Association webinar.

Ricart cited a July NADA dealer survey that found 82 percent said the digital process is here to stay. They also said home test drives and home delivery of new vehicles as well as pickup and delivery f…

Coalition to push for ZEV transition

A coalition launched last week will advocate for national policies to enable 100 percent electric vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2030.

The Zero Emission Transportation Association is pushing for "an accelerated transition to electric vehicles, which will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, secure American global EV manufacturing leadership, dramatically improve public health and significantly reduce carbon pollution," the group said in a statement.

The nonpartisan organization, based in Washington, is backed by 28 corporations representing several industries. Members include EV manufacturers and startups, such as Tesla Inc., Rivian, Lordstown Motors and Lucid Motors, as well as ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies and regional utility providers.

"For the first time in a generation, transportation is the leading emitter of U.S. carbon emissions. By embracing EVs, federal policymakers can help drive innovation, create hundreds of thousands of new job…

Subaru boosts sports car feel in 2022 BRZ

THERMAL, Calif. — Take one glance at the redesigned 2022 Subaru BRZ and it's clear the coupe remains unlike anything else in the automaker's crossover-heavy lineup.

The elements that defined the original BRZ are still there: rear-wheel drive, a low center of gravity and an emphasis on the driver.

But Subaru has addressed one common BRZ gripe — lack of power— with a new, naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine with 228 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque. The engine replaces the coupe's previous 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with 205 hp and 156 pound-feet of torque.

The newest BRZ is the first Subaru in the U.S. to get the naturally aspirated version of the 2.4-liter engine. A six-speed manual transmission remains standard, while a six-speed automatic transmission with a sport mode will be available.

"This new BRZ just continues to show our commitment to having an ultra-pure sports car in our lineup," Michael Redic, car line planning manager at Subaru…

With QX55, Infiniti back in segment it pioneered

As Infiniti reinvents its product portfolio and brand strategy, the Japanese automaker's latest model returns to a market segment it helped invent.

The QX55 coupe-style crossover, scheduled to arrive in U.S. stores next spring as a 2022 model, positions Infiniti in the high-margin sporty crossover segment now dominated by Germans brands.

The new crossover hints at the brand's future design direction, Infiniti Americas Group Vice President Jeff Pope told Automotive News last week.

"This is the first vehicle in Infiniti's turnaround strategy and also shows the element of where we're going with the brand," Pope said. "It's going to attract an individual that's style-oriented, possibly younger."

Coupe-like crossovers are finding a market among young families by combining the utility of a crossover with the sporty styling of a sedan. U.S. sales of luxury crossover coupes rose 34 percent last year, led by the Audi Q8, accordin…

Lincoln’s market share rising, but reliability questions raise red flag

In a tough year for much of the industry, Lincoln is gaining market share faster than most of its rivals. But it's also selling the industry's least-reliable vehicles, according to a new survey that signals the luxury brand could have trouble keeping those new customers coming back.

Through a combination of fortuitous product timing and the foresight to invest in remote customer experiences ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, Lincoln is tied with Tesla for this year's biggest share gains among luxury brands, according to internal company data. Lincoln's share has risen eight-tenths of a percentage point to 5.5 percent.

At the same time, Lincoln ranked last in the latest installment of Consumer Reports' annual reliability study, out last week. Its average reliability score was just 8 out of 100 — 21 points below Tesla, which was second to last. (See story, Page 21.)

Lincoln was "dragged down" by its crossover-focused lineup, including…

Next-generation Civic is mission critical for Honda

LOS ANGELES — The Honda Civic has been a staple of American motoring for nearly 50 years — but more than that, it has been a cornerstone of Honda Motor Co.'s popularity with U.S. consumers.

Now, despite an onslaught of small crossovers intent on digging into the compact car's coveted sales base of mostly young, first-time buyers, Honda is moving to keep its Civic franchise fresh.

To continue capturing the shrinking but passionate pool of U.S. car buyers, Honda is rolling out the 11th-generation Civic sedan next year. A nearly finished prototype, presented last week, offers an evolutionary upgrade from the current generation, which has been a sales success despite some questionable styling cues.

"We know that passenger cars have been shrinking — and maybe even more during the coronavirus with a huge rise in the popularity of SUVs," Gary Robinson, American Honda Motor Co.'s vice president of automobile product planning, said during a product presentation …