William Maley
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Carlos Ghosn has been sitting in a Japanese jail cell since mid-November on charges financial violations, including under-reporting compensation. It is unclear what awaits him in the coming months, but he believes that his downfall is due the result of "plot and treason" by Nissan executives opposed to plans of a merger between Nissan and Renault.
Today, the Nikkei Asian Review published an exclusive interview with Ghosn from the detention center he is currently being held at. This is quite surprising as Ghosn has been "barred from meeting with his family or Nissan employees".
During the short interview (about 20 minutes), Ghosn dismissed various accusations ranging from his 19-year reign at Nissan being a "dictatorship," to the numerous financial charges he is currently facing. One of those charges deals with $14.7 million in payments to a company run by Saudi businessman Khaled al-Juffali. Ghosn said "the executive in charge of the region signed [the approval]," and the funds came from Ghosn's "CEO reserve," a pot of money that he was free to decide how to spend.
"[Have I] done [something] inappropriate? I am not a lawyer, I don't know the interpretation of [such] facts," Ghosn said.
"These are known by everybody, why didn't they tell me?"
Ghosn also talked about the plans for the deeper integration of Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi. The plan was to have the three closely integrated to ensure "autonomy under one holding company." Ghosn also revealed that he wanted to have Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko in the talks about the integration, but Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa wanted to keep the talks "one-on-one". Allies of Ghosn believed some Nissan executives were worried that Ghosn's power could increase under the integration, prompting them to work with Tokyo prosecutors.
A Nissan spokesman told Bloomberg that Saikawa previously refuted the notion of a coup.
“Nissan’s investigation uncovered substantial and convincing evidence of misconduct,” the company said in a statement.
Source: Nikkei Asian Review, Bloomberg
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On 1/28/2019 at 11:56 AM, Drew Dowdell said:Time to switch it to 4L and find some fun!
You mean like this 😋
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Lexus has some has some big plans in store for the F performance sub-brand. Motor1 is reporting that the luxury brand is planning to keep the Track Edition nameplate for some time.
“The plan right now is to build 60 [RC F] Track Editions...and it’s going to be 40 of the white and 20 of the matte gray [cars for 2020]. It’s [our] intention to have a version of the Track Edition in subsequent [model] years,” said Cooper Ericksen, vice president for product planning and strategy at Lexus.
It is unclear what Lexus has planned for the future of Track Edition. Ericksen said everything is up in the air ranging from improving the performance to possibly applying the treatment to other models (LC Track Edition anyone?).
“We’re having fun with the engineers to figure out what [Track Edition] can look like in the future."
Another item being talked about for F is building a crossover or SUV. Ericken said that a key topic of discussion is whether or not they should focus on doing an on-road version or buck the trend and do an off-road one.
“[What] we're currently trying to figure out is [if] the on-road performance aspect [is] more important [for Lexus] to invest in than the off-road performance.”
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It came as no surprise that Toyota decided to drop the Yaris Liftback for 2019 - they only sold 1,940 models last year. In our original report, Toyota spokeswoman Nancy Hubbell dropped an interesting bit of information by revealing they would have news on the 2020 Yaris at New York. Car and Driver has a possible guess as to what it could be - a rebadged Mazda2 hatchback.
Some quick background: The current Toyota Yaris sedan is just a rebadged version of the Mazda2 sedan sold elsewhere in the world. It was introduced back in 2016 as the Scion iA and then became the Yaris iA a year later.
Car and Driver is expecting the hatchback version to get the same front end as the Yaris sedan, while the rest of the body is unchanged. Power will remain the 1.5L inline-four teamed with either a six-speed manual or automatic.
Source: Car and Driver
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That rumor about Ford introducing a smaller truck below the Ranger from last summer? It seems we have gotten some confirmation on that.
Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets confirmed the plans during the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference in Detroit - the same place where he dropped the F-150 electric bombshell.
Ford is "investing in more affordable versions of our truck business" and that "you can expect new nameplates below where we compete today," Farley said at the conference. No timeframe was given. Interestingly, a Ford spokesman said “we’ll have more details to share about new nameplates in the future.” Usually, they go with the boilerplate answer of 'no comment."
Last July, Automobile magazine reported Ford was working on a replacement for the Brazilian market Courier subcompact pickup truck. The new model would switch from the Fiesta to the Focus platform. Apparently, this project has caught the eye of Ford's U.S. office and there is talk about bringing here by 2022.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
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Only a few months after closing it down, Cadillac is bringing back their Book subscription program. Expected to launch in the second quarter, the revised program will be bringing in their dealers to play a key role.
"Book 2.0 really works even more closely with our dealer network because we think there's a lot of opportunity as you go forward. We're going to base it off the dealer network," said Cadillac marketing chief Deborah Wahl.
"We have to recognize that all of us — from the manufacturers to the dealer networks — we have to evolve our models to keep up with where consumers are."
The first phase of the program launch will see a small number of pilot programs launch in select cities. Interestingly, New York which was one of the first markets for the original Book will not be involved for the time being according to Wahl.
Cadillac was one the first automakers to launch a subscription program back in March 2017. For $1,800 per month, a subscriber could pick from a number of Cadillac vehicles and swap in/out with no long-term commitment. The fee also covered various items such as maintenance and insurance. But Cadillac surprised everyone when it announced they would be shuttering Book back in November.
“We are hitting the pause button for a brief time to make some tweaks to Book [by Cadillac] based on our learnings,” a spokesman for GM said at the time.
It was unclear why Book closed down. Cadillac said there was a small group of customers that took advantage of swapping vehicles. There was also talk that certain aspects of the system, such as the back-end became a bit too costly. Dealers were not too happy about not being involved in this program. Cadillac handled many of the details such as delivery and service.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
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9 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:
How much snow are you forecast for @William Maley ?
We're expecting somewhere between 5 to 7 inches according to the current forecast.
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57 minutes ago, William Maley said:
Depends how the weather is later today. At the moment, it is currently lightly snowing.
And now the snow is starting to fall a bit more steadily.
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46 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:
I think a black on black Trail Boss trim is about as pretty as this new Silverado gets.
@William Maley will you be taking it out in the massive snow storm you are getting right now?
Depends how the weather is later today. At the moment, it is currently lightly snowing.
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19 hours ago, balthazar said:
Interested in the rear seat area- the bottoms flip rearward... what's beneath the seat? If it's a carpeted steel wall- can you tell how it's attached to the body (bolted or spot-welded)?
You have a little storage box that holds the emergency jack. (I have included a picture below). Judging from how this piece is installed - a few bolts - I believe this can be removed.
I can't fully tell how the steel wall is attached to the body.
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On 1/25/2019 at 8:18 PM, dfelt said:
That is the best looking image of that ugly mug!
William, does the seat go all the way down to the floor or does it stop and still have considerable gap underneath?
If the seat is all the way back for long legs, how much room is between the back of the front seat and the back seat? Can a person site behind the driver?
Yes Tall person who has found like the 2007 Escalade over the 2006 I could not sit in with out being seriously reclined due to the seat not going all the way down to the floor for us very tall body people..
And welcome to what will be known as the @dfelt/basketball player seat space tests.
To begin, the front seat does go a way decent way down - but not all way the way to the floor. I was able to stick my hand vertically with no issue. Now, I think most tall people will not have any issues if you avoid the sunroof. My tester lacks it and there is a large cutout in the roof panel. With my seat in place, I have about 5 to 7 inches of space between my head.
At first glance, I thought the Silverado would be ok with the front seat all the way back as I found the standard seating position to be similar to a large luxury sedan. But putting the seat all of the way back, I found that I had a small gap between my knees and the seat.
I'll work on getting some photos later in the week to illustrate this.
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17 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:
Did you put a bag on its hood while you were driving it? ('cause its sooooo ugly)
But then again, all black like that and it becomes a 'butterface'...
Heh. As my younger brother put it, at least its less ugly. (I think I like it).
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54 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:
How is the ride? Bouncy or more soft?
Bouncy. Can't tell if its due to the Z71 off-road package or the tires. I think I've been spoiled by driving too many Ram 1500s.
35 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:How is the forward visibility from the driver's seat? The front end seems awfully tall..
About what I expected where I can't fully place where my front wheels or front end at the moment. I expect this go away in a few days time.
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"I love it when a plan comes together." Hannibal from the A-Team.
I wasn't expecting to get back into a review vehicle for some time as the Detroit Auto Show tends to reduce the number of vehicles available - they're reserved for those coming out-of-state and OEM representatives. I thought next month is when I would begin my rotation once again. But a surprise email this morning from General Motors asking if I was able to take a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado today. Of course!
This particular Silverado is an LT Trail Boss Crew Cab with the 5.3L V8 and eight-speed automatic transmission. Base is $48,300 and my as-tested price comes to $55,965 with a few option packages like the Convenience package (front bucket seats, dual-zone climate control, and heated steering wheel).
First Impressions?
- Even though it may appear the truck is black, it is actually painted a dark blue (blame my iPhone). Even though I'm not sold on the design on the Silverado as a whole, the Trail Boss make it look aggressive.
- Interior looks a rehash of the one seen in the previous Silverado. Material quality is better, but I was kind of hoping more in terms of design.
- 5.3L V8 doesn't feel muzzled when leaving a stop or needing to accelerate quickly - THANK YOU GM!
- Haven't quite figured out how to open the power tailgate. Spent a few moments just pressing the button and not having the tailgate come down. Need to some reading in the owners manual.
I'll be trying my best to update this piece with other observations and impressions throughout the week. You can also drop some questions below if you want to something about the truck.
Gallery: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss Crew Cab
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There is a growing number of automakers who are announcing plans to electrify their lineup, while others are considering it. GMC is the latter category according to a new report from CNBC.
“Certainly, it’s something we’re considering," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC when asked if there was the possibility of an electric Sierra.
Aldred wouldn't say much more than that except mentioning that General Motors CEO Mary Barra has already made comments about "an all-electric future."
It wouldn't be surprising if an all-electric Sierra sparks an all-electric Chevrolet Silverado since they are basically the same truck, allowing GM to take advantage of economies of scale and spreading the cost of development. But the cost of batteries is still a big drawback. Researchers at Boston Consulting Group say each individual battery cell generally cost $150 to $200. Aldred said that battery tech is still expensive "that makes it difficult to target mainstream segments, unless a carmaker like GM is willing to accept lower margins." But that's where GMC could take the lead as it is currently positioned as something more premium than its Silverado brethren, with such features as the Multi-Pro tailgate.
Ford has already announced plans for an F-150 EV, and there is start-up automaker Rivian with the R1T that is expected to go into production in late 2020.
Source: CNBC
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Saying he wants to give a fresh start for the Nissan-Renault alliance, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa has announced that he'll be stepping down as CEO in the coming months. In the meantime, Saikawa will be focusing on "reforming the poor governance" that weakened the Japanese automaker before leaving.
Saikawa has been leading the charge of ousting former Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn, a bit surprising since Saikawa was a protege of Ghosn. As we reported a month ago in the rumorpile , the relationship between Saikawa and Ghosn has been strained due to the two clashing on various issues. There was talk about Ghosn ousting Saikawa during a board meeting in November, but that would not happen as Ghosn would be arrested before it.
Saikawa's reign as Nissan CEO has been problematic with a number of vehicles being recalled in Japan due to improper inspections and declining sales in the U.S.
Source: Bloomberg
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When Fiat Chrysler Automobiles unveiled their latest five-year plan last year, it mentioned about launching a subscription program for Jeep owners that would launch sometime in 2019. This program appears to be moving forward along with a new peer-to-peer car-sharing program.
Bloomberg reports that FCA will be launching two pilot programs, while Motor Authority has learned about a third pilot. All of the programs will take place in Boston and last for about three months.
Here are the three programs in detail,
- The first program will see FCA team up with peer-to-peer car sharing service Turo and allow owners to rent out their vehicles to help "offset their car payments," when they are not using it. Jeep is inviting owners in the Boston area over email to sign up and will be limited to the first 100.
- Program two will have FCA and car rental firm Avis working together on a subscription service that will allow Jeep owners to swap into other FCA products like a Dodge Charger or Ram 1500. Again, it will be limited the first 100 people who sign up.
- Program three that was brought to light by Motor Authority is known as Car "Borrowing". Teaming with Avis, FCA will be offering Jeep owners the ability to "purchase six "Jeep Coins" that entitles them to a one-day rental" of most products from the FCA lineup. The coins will be good for a year, and owners can either pick up the vehicles or have them dropped off.
“All these people who are casually going, ‘Is it for me or not for me?,’ I can then get them as potential prospects to sell them a brand-new Wrangler. We’ll find out what’s good and what’s bad, what customers like and what they don’t like, and ultimately from that we’ll decide if we want to do this as something we promote to our dealerships at the time of sale,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of the Jeep in North America to Bloomberg.
“We know all the pluses and minuses of subscription services, we’ve seen some challenges. Let’s step our toe in, let’s see if this is, No. 1, right for the brand. If it makes sense, let’s try it.”
The first two programs have already launched, while the third program is expected to launch sometime later this year.
Source: Bloomberg , Motor Authority
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In news that will likely not shock a lot of people, Toyota has dropped the Yaris Liftback for 2019. This was confirmed by Toyota spokesperson Nancy Hubbell to CarsDirect. No reason was given as to why the liftback variant was being dropped, but we have to assume falling sales were the key reason. In 2018, sales dropped 77.6 percent to 27,209 models - only 1,940 of those were the liftback.
Toyota is keeping the sedan variant but has dropped the price to $16,380.
CarsDirect speculates this might have been a tough decision based on fleet documents that list the 2019 Yaris Liftback production as "TBA" for a number of months after issuing order guides.
Interestingly, Hubbell told CarsDirect that Toyota has an announcement concerning the 2020 Yaris at the New York Auto Show in April.
Source: CarsDirect
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Tesla announced yesterday that it will reduce production hours for the Model S and Model X. This follows news of Tesla cutting seven percent of their workforce and dropping 75D variants of the S and X.
“We recently announced that we are no longer taking orders for the 75 kWh version of Model S and X in order to streamline production and provide even more differentiation with Model 3. As a result of this change and because of improving efficiencies in our production lines, we have reduced Model S and X production hours accordingly,” Tesla said in a statement to Bloomberg.
According to unnamed current and former employees, Tesla has set "substantially lower daily production targets" on the Model S and X. Tesla declined to comment when asked about the production targets.
This is causing concern to grow about the demand for Tesla's more expensive (and profitable) vehicles, as it gears up to get more Model 3s out the door.
Source: Bloomberg
Hat tip to @balthazar for notifying us about this story.
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Now it is official. Carlos Ghosn has stepped down as chairman and CEO of Renault late on Wednesday. The announcement was made this morning by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in an interview with Bloomberg television.
"Carlos Ghosn just resigned last night. Now it's time to define and put a new governance in place," said Le Maire.
Renault's board of directors have decided on making outgoing Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman, and promoting Thierry Bollore as CEO during an emergency meeting today.
Renault is the last automaker in the alliance to deal with Ghosn. Since he was arrested back in November, both Nissan and Mitsubishi have kicked him out. But Renault kept him as chairman and CEO until they had all of the information on his alleged misconduct. This caused the relationship between Nissan and Renault to be become further strained.
Source: Bloomberg, Renault
Board of Directors communication
Boulogne-Billancourt, 24 January 2019 – Renault's Board of Directors met on January 24, 2019 at 10 a.m. under the chairmanship of Philippe Lagayette, Lead Independent Director.
The Board has taken note of the resignation of its current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Board praised the Alliance's track record, which has enabled it to become the world's leading automobile manufacturer.
The Board of Directors has decided to provide Renault with a new governance structure and, on this occasion, to institute a separation of the functions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
In addition to all the functions normally performed by the Chairman of the Board, the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Renault will have to evaluate and, if necessary, change Renault's governance in order to ensure the transition to the new structure. He will present his proposals on the evolution of governance to the Board of Directors before the next General Shareholders' Meeting.
In addition, Renault's Board of Directors wishes to supervise actively the functioning of the Alliance and decides to give its Chairman full responsibility for managing the Alliance on behalf of Renault, in liaison with the Chief Executive Officer.
In this capacity, the Chairman of Renault's Board of Directors will be the main contact person for the Japanese partner and the other Alliance partners for any discussion on the Alliance's organization and evolution. He will propose to the Board of Directors any new Alliance agreement that he considers useful for Renault's future. He will be Renault's main representative in the Alliance's management bodies and at Nissan when Renault has the right of proposal.
The Chief Executive Officer will coordinate for the company the Alliance's activities in the operational field under the authority of the Chairman.
The Board co-opted Mr. Jean-Dominique Senard as new Director and elected him Chairman.
On the latter's proposal, the Board appointed Thierry Bolloré as Chief Executive Officer.
The Board expresses its confidence in the new leadership and wishes it every success in its mission.
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Mazda has some big ambitions with the upcoming 2019 3 and that is reflected in the pricing. The model will now start at $21,895 for the sedan and $24,495 for the hatchback - includes an $895 destination charge. For those keeping track, the 2019 3 sedan is $2,905 more expensive than the 2018 sedan, whereas the 2019 hatchback is $4,255 more than the 2018 model.
The reason for the higher price tag is due to the 2019 model being only offered with the 2.5L four-cylinder producing 186 horsepower and six-speed automatic. A 2.0L SkyActiv-X compression-ignition engine will be joining the lineup later in the year and possibly help drop the price somewhat. Those wanting a manual will need to pony up $28,395 for the top-line Premium hatchback. It isn't available on the sedan All-wheel drive is optional on the sedan and hatchback, but only with the automatic.
Standard equipment on the base sedan includes 16-inch wheels, cloth seats, and a 8.8-inch infotainment system. Stepping up to either the Select trim on the sedan or base hatchback will add 18-inch wheels, keyless entry, push-button start, i-Activsense active-safety features, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Higher trims add a power driver's seat, heated front seats, Bose audio system, LED lighting, and a heads-up display.
The 2019 Mazda3 arrives at dealers in March.
Source: Mazda
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Toyota is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Land Cruiser by introducing a special edition model at the Chicago Auto Show in a couple of weeks. The Land Cruiser Heritage Edition comes with some special touches such as the vintage "Land Cruiser" badging on the side, bronze 18-inch BBS wheels, black exterior trim, and the removal of the running boards and lower side-molding to improve ground clearance. The interior is draped with black leather and bronze accents.
It will still be powered by a 5.7L V8 engine with 381 horsepower, eight-speed automatic, and four-wheel drive.
No mention of price, but Toyota is only planning on building 1,200 Heritage Edition models. It arrives at dealers later this summer.
Gallery: 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition
Source: Toyota
2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition Celebrates 60+ Years as SUV Icon
- Exclusive Exterior and Interior Trim, Limited Availability
- Special Bronze-colored forged-aluminum BBS Wheels
- 381-hp V8 and 8-Speed Transmission
- Full-Capability 4-Wheel Drive with Advanced Chassis Control
- Standard Features Include Downhill Assist Control, Hill Start Assist, CRAWL Control, and Off-Road Turn Assist
PLANO, TX, January 23, 2019 – Six decades and millions of adventurous miles in the making, the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition melds exclusive design with added function for its debut just ahead of the Chicago Auto Show, where it will be shown to the public for the first time.
The Land Cruiser Heritage Edition honors this legendary vehicle’s continuous evolution, from bare-bones, mountain-climbing 4x4 to world-renowned, full-capability premium-luxury utility vehicle. The Heritage Edition also celebrates the Land Cruiser’s continuous place in Toyota’s U.S. lineup since 1958. For the 2020 model year there will be 1,200 Heritage Editions available, with units going on in late summer of 2019. Pricing will be announced closer to on-sale date.
The 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition, only offered as a two-row model to maximize cargo capacity, is dressed elegantly for the occasion. The choice of Midnight Black Metallic or Blizzard Pearl exterior color is uniquely styled with a black-accented grille and bronze-colored BBS 18 x 8.0-inch forged aluminum wheels featuring a “TOYOTA” center cap. A vintage-style Land Cruiser exterior badge evokes the vehicle’s long, accomplished history in an understated way.
To complement its purpose-built overlanding focus, the running boards and chrome lower body side moldings of the standard Land Cruiser are deleted, while darkened headlight housings, fog lights with dark chrome surrounds and side mirrors with darkened chrome details underscore the vehicle’s sophisticated presence.
Highlighting the Land Cruiser’s renown for blending luxury with capability, the Heritage Edition is exclusively outfitted with black leather-trimmed upholstery. The bronze wheel color carries inside for the contrast stitching used throughout the cabin, including the steering wheel, door trim, center stack, console and seats. Finally, the Land Cruiser Heritage Edition features all-weather floor mats and cargo liner, so it’s ready to get out and have fun.
V8, 4WD Powerhouse
The Toyota Land Cruiser remains a benchmark for combining no-compromise capability with coddling luxury. Its sole available powertrain is a brawny yet refined 381-horsepower 5.7-liter DOHC V8 engine, which produces 401 lb.-ft. of torque. The 8-speed Electronically Controlled Automatic Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) teams with a versatile full-time 4WD system, which uses a TORSEN limited-slip locking center differential and a 2-speed transfer case with selectable low-range.Land Cruiser’s off-road capability is rooted in high-strength body-on-frame construction and sophisticated double-wishbone front and four-link coil-spring rear suspension. Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) hydraulically adjusts the stabilizer bars to enhance on-road smoothness and off-road wheel articulation. Off-road prowess is supported by a plethora of advanced assist technologies, including Downhill Assist Control, Hill Start Assist, CRAWL Control, and Off-Road Turn Assist. Using the Multi-Terrain Select system, the driver can match wheel slip control to the surface and driving conditions.
Skid plates help to protect the front suspension, radiator, fuel tank, and transfer case, and Multi-Terrain Monitor provides nearly 360-degree visibility on tight trails. Equipped with a standard Trailer Towing Package, the Land Cruiser can pull a trailer up to 8,100 pounds.Roughing It in Luxury
The 2020 Heritage Edition features Land Cruiser’s full complement of amenities, including ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel with power tilt and telescoping and memory, power moonroof, four-zone automatic climate control with 28 cabin air vents, and Smart Key keyless entry with push-button start. For additional storage options, the Heritage Edition removes the cool box in the center console of the front seat.A 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system features standard Premium JBL® Audio with Integrated Navigation, 14 JBL speakers, split-screen capability, advanced voice recognition, Siri® Eyes Free mode, SiriusXM® Satellite Radio, Bluetooth® connectivity and music streaming, and Qi wireless phone charging with compatible phones.
Toyota Safety Connect (with three years of complimentary service) uses onboard cellular technology, independent of the driver’s phone, to provide such services as Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assistance Button (SOS), and GPS-enhanced Roadside Assistance.
All Land Cruiser models come standard with Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P). Using millimeter-wave radar and a monocular camera sensor to detect a preceding pedestrian or a preceding vehicle, TSS-P Pre-Collision System is designed to automatically apply braking if necessary to help mitigate or avoid collisions in certain conditions. The system includes Lane Departure Alert with Sway Warning System, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and Automatic High Beams.
In addition to TSS-P, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are also standard.
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The number of automakers teaming up to share and develop new vehicles and technologies is growing in an effort to help reduce costs. A new report from German paper Handelsblatt says that BMW and Daimler are considering such a move.
Speaking to sources at both companies, BMW and Daimler are looking into possibly jointly developing their next-generation compact cars (BMW 1-Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class) - as part of a wider cooperation that includes sharing autonomous car tech. Working together on a new compact car platform would save the two companies billions in investments. If the two decide to move forward with this, the first cars aren't expected to arrive until 2025.
But trying to sell this idea to BMW and Mercedes-Benz engineers may be the difficult part according to the report.
Daimler and BMW have teamed up before,
- In 2015, the two along with Audi purchased Nokia's mapping software, Here.
- Last year, BMW and Daimler merged their short-term rental services to create a better presence in the mobility market.
Source: Handelsblatt, Automotive News (Subscription Required)
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Even though Carlos Ghosn is in jail in Japan and no longer in charge of Nissan and Mitsubishi, he still holds the chairman position at Renault. But new reports reveal that he'll be stepping down later this week.
Reuters has learned from three sources that Ghosn has agreed to resign from Renault. This stems from Renault's largest stockholder, the French government calling for a leadership change. Also, Ghosn's latest request for bail was rejected by a Tokyo court. This comes a couple days before an emergency board meeting at Renault where they will consider appointing outgoing Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman, and promoting Thierry Bollore as CEO.
Renault did confirm the meeting, but a spokesman did not respond to any questions about what will take place at the meeting.
The departure of Ghosn at Renault is being seen as the first step of smoothing out the rocky relationship between it and Nissan. As we have reported previously, Renault has been questioning Nissan's rationale of removing Ghosn. Partly this is due to Nissan trying to balance out the relationship between the two companies - Renault has voting power on Nissan's board, but Nissan doesn't have any sort of voting power on Renault's board.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Reuters
Tesla Changes Up Nomenclature For Model S and X
in Tesla
Posted
Before January comes to a close, Tesla has announced some more changes for the Model S and X. Instead of using 100D and P100D to designate models, Tesla will be using the naming system found on the Model 3. This is how it will break down.
There will also be base models known as the Model S and Model X. They'll get the same 100 kW battery as in the extended range models, but range will be locked to 310 Miles (Model S) and 270 miles (Model X). You can pony up $8,000 to gain the extra range (335 for the Model S, 295 for the Model X).
Earlier in the month, Tesla dropped the 75D and made the 100D the new base model (which in turn raised the base price by $15,000 or more).
Source: Tesla
Hat tip to @dfelt for tipping us to this story
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