William Maley

The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is taking the German opposition with 640 horsepower coming from a supercharged 6.2L V8. But Automobile magazine is reporting that a more powerful version is coming. “The Cold War continues. I don’t know where it stops, but it’s not at 640 hp, that’s for sure,” said a source. Now the current CTS-V outguns the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 by about 80 horsepower. But Cadillac believes the V8 is capable of producing more power. We'll be keeping an close eye on this story. Source: Automobile View full article

Yesterday, Consumer Reports announced the results of their annual reliability survey for 2015. Not surprisingly, the top ten was mostly made up of Japanese and Korean automakers, with Lexus and Toyota taking the top two spots. However, Audi led the Europeans by taking the third spot. For the domestics, Buick landed at number seven on the list. The survey reports that a number of automakers are still having troubles with the infotainment system, but also with transmissions. “We’ve seen a number of brands struggle with new transmission technology. “Whether it’s a complex system such as a dual-clutch gearbox, a continuously variable transmission, or one with eight or nine speeds. Many vehicles require repair and replacements because of rough shifting among the gears and slipping CVT belts,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ Director of Automotive Testing. One other bit of news to come out was the Tesla Model S losing its Recommended rating from the publication. While the vehicle earned top marks when it came to the tests done by Consumer Reports, the respondents tell a slightly different story. Problems listed include pop-out door handles that don't pop out anymore, leaking sunroofs, door rattles, and failure of the electric motor. Source: Consumer Reports Press Release is on Page 2 Consumer Reports’ 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey: New Transmission Technology Problems Emerge Lexus, Toyota, Audi, Mazda, and Subaru Most Reliable Brands YONKERS, NY—While problematic infotainment systems continue to be among the top issues reported by new car owners, Consumer Reports has identified an emerging trend of increased troubles with new transmission systems developed to improve fuel-economy, based on an analysis of its 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey. The findings, released today before the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, are collected annually from Consumer Reports’ subscribers. CR’s 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey takes into account data from more than 740,000 vehicles. This year, Acura becomes the latest brand to see its overall predicted-reliability ranking drop sharply (down 7 places from last year) due to problems with in-car electronics and transmissions for its newest RLX and TLX sedans. CR has already seen these trouble areas drag down overall scores for Ford, Nissan, Fiat-Chrysler and others. “We’ve seen a number of brands struggle with new transmission technology,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ Director of Automotive Testing. “Whether it’s a complex system such as a dual-clutch gearbox, a continuously variable transmission, or one with eight or nine speeds. Many vehicles require repair and replacements because of rough shifting among the gears and slipping CVT belts.” Not all new-generation transmissions are troublesome. Audi and BMW have created reliable dual-clutch transmissions, while the CVTs in Honda and Toyota hybrids have been strong performers. Among the Japanese brands, Lexus pulled off a rare feat, garnering top reliability marks for all seven vehicle lines scored in Consumer Reports survey. But it was the only strong Japanese luxury brand. Nissan’s Infiniti brand has continued its downward trajectory because of problems with its InTouch infotainment system. Although none of Honda’s vehicles rated below average, the brand has dropped a few places largely due to glitches with its infotainment system in redesigned and freshened models. Toyota, Mazda and Subaru were all in the top five. Audi, once synonymous with service problems, continued its recent upward trend leading all European brands and finishing third, just behind Lexus and Toyota. Mini, BMW, Volvo, and Volkswagen all finished in the top 15. Porsche dropped from ninth to 14th place because of a declining score for the Cayman and a below-average debut for the Macan. Korean automakers, Kia and Hyundai, are considerably stronger and continue to rise in Consumer Reports rankings. The sister brands finished sixth and ninth, respectively. For the first time, Kia beat the stalwart Japanese brand Honda, and by a significant margin. The complete reliability results for all 2016 are available at www.ConsumerReports.org, today, and in the December Issue of Consumer Reports, on newsstands November 1. For the second year, Buick was the only domestic brand in the top 10 coming in seventh place. Cadillac dropped seven places to near the bottom, still plagued by its CUE infotainment system. Other General Motors brands, Chevrolet and GMC finished in the bottom third of the overall rankings. Ford remains in the lower half of the rankings as well, but showed significant gains with most of its cars scoring average or better. The redesigned F-150 and Expedition SUV were bright spots, scoring above average in its first year. But the first-year Mustang had issues with its body hardware, drive shaft, and stability/traction control systems. Nine of the 13 Fords Consumer Reports scored had average or better reliability. Tesla’s Model S sedan got high marks in Consumer Reports’ 50-plus performance tests, but its predicted reliability is another matter. CR received about 1,400 survey responses from Model S owners who chronicled an array of detailed and complicated maladies. From that data, the Tesla Model S earns a worse-than-average predicted reliability score. The main problem areas are the drivetrain, power equipment, charging equipment, center console, and body and sunroof squeaks, rattles, and leaks. While the long-running Chrysler and Dodge minivans scraped up an average reliability score for the first time in many years, all of Fiat-Chrysler brands (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat) finished at or near the bottom again. View full article

I don't even think the QX60 is the most recognizable model (no, I didn't look that up. I saw one today). I think that honor falls to the QX80 (formally known as the QX56) because of its odd styling.

The National Electric Vehicles Sweden (NEVS), the folks who bought up the assets of Saab have licensed the Turkish government to use the aged Saab 9-3 as the basis of a new national vehicle. "We bought Saab 9-3’s intellectual property rights, but not its name," said Fikri Isik. Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister. "The brand [of the car to be developed] will be a Turkish brand, it will not be Saab. We will develop the technology in Turkey." Isik told the Turkish government-backed national television network, TRT, that the government had two options: go at it alone and spend $1 Billion dollars on developing their own vehicle or work with someone who has a platform ready to go. Development of this new vehicle will be handled by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK) which hopes to begin production in 2020. A photo released by TÜBITAK shows three camouflaged prototypes with front ends from the unloved Cadillac BLS. At launch, the new vehicle will come diesel and gas four-cylinder engines. TÜBITAK hopes to launch an electric version down the road. Source: aa.com.tr View full article

For the past week, I have been driving an Infiniti Q50 and for the most part, I have liked it. The model has the makings of an excellent compact luxury car with a powerful V6, expressive exterior, and a nice balance of sport and comfort for the ride. I don't even mind the direct-steer system which replaces many of the mechanical parts for an electrical system that turns the wheel based signals from the input on the wheel. But as I driving the Q50, I felt something was missing. It was only when I writing some notes on it that I figured out what was missing, an identity. Not only for the car, but for Infiniti itself. In psychology, identity is used to describe the items that make a person unique. Our little things and quirks that make us who are. For automakers, figuring out what they want to their identity to be is a crucial piece. Not only does it bring people into your showroom, but it also gives you a selling point. Something you can draw on in your promotions to the final sale. This is a key part for luxury automakers since identity is one of the main selling points. A luxury car is seen as a statement of identity - this is who I am and this is why I drive this car. For many luxury automakers, figuring out their identity is easy. Just off the top of my head, I was able to put an identity for most of the luxury players. Audi: Modern Design BMW: Driving Mercedes-Benz: Quality Jaguar: Luxury and Sport Cadillac: The American BMW Lincoln: American Luxury Trying to define the Japanese luxury automakers has and is still an issue. Lexus is the only one that you could say has an identity - luxury with reliability. Acura is hedging their bets on technology. But Infiniti hasn't been able to come with something they could say 'this is our identity'. Consider when Nissan was launching the brand back in 1989 to 1990. The first commercials showed forests and birds, but nothing about the car. It was hard to tell if Infiniti was a car or a nature preserve. Infiniti did change this with later ads, but there wasn't that hook. Something that could say 'I bought an Infiniti for this reason'. Now it seemed Infiniti was possibly going in the right direction when they brought on Johan de Nysschen back in 2012 to help get the company going in the right direction. Aside from the 'Q' nomenclature, de Nysschen brought a number of changes to the automaker; moving the headquarters to from Yokohama, Japan to Hong Kong; partnering with the Red Bull F1 racing team, setting up a number of studios around the globe, and creating the wild Q50 Eau Rouge which was rumored to go into production. It seemed that company was going in the right direction for creating an identity. Then in 2014, de Nysschen left to take on another automaker - Cadillac. Since then, plans for a high-performance Q50 has been shelved and it seems Infiniti is lost, wondering what their next move should. This isn't a good thing when it seems every other luxury competitor is passing you by. With two new models over the horizon - the Q30 and QX30 - Infiniti should take some time out and figure out who they are. Then they might have a real chance to make a stand in the marketplace. Maybe for some inspiration, they could watch this commercial for the J30 sedan. View full article

Reuters is reporting that Volkswagen developed several versions of its "defeat device" software for their diesel models. Three sources tell the news service the company used the different versions of the software on four diesel engine types. If this proves to be true, this could indicate a widespread cheating program at the company, not the rogue engineer claim that executives have been using as a defense. This also puts Volkswagen in a difficult position when it comes to potential fines. If executives are found to play a role in the plot to cheat emissions tests, fines could increase by a fair amount. "The more higher-ups that are involved, the more the company is considered blameworthy and deserving of more serious punishment," said Brandon Garrett, a corporate crime expert at the University of Virginia. Spokespeople for Volkswagen and Volkswagen of America declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigations by itself and outside parties. Source: Reuters View full article

General Motors has issued a recall for 3,296 pickups and SUVs for a problem for the ignition switch. The Associated Press reports that the key in the switch can get stuck in the "start" position and then slip to "accessory" if bumped. This is due to the lock gears in the ignition have a larger diameter than the specifications allow. If this happens, this will cause the loss of power assistance to the brakes and steering, along with possibility of no airbag deployment. This seems very familiar to another ignition switch problem on older GM compacts last year. The models affected include, 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty 2015 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe 2015 Chevrolet Suburban Unlike the recall last year which caused GM to pay a large amount in fines due to the problem being kept under wraps, this one was quickly identified. The AP says an employee had this problem and notified officials at the automaker via the Speak Up for Safety program. GM found five other cases of this fault, but no injuries or deaths were reported. GM says in a statement that dealers will replace the ignition-lock housing on the affected models. Source: Associated Press via The Detroit News, General Motors Press Release is on Page 2 GM Statement General Motors is recalling 3,073 full-size trucks from the 2014 and 2015 model years in the U.S. Some of these vehicles may have an ignition lock actuator gear with an outer diameter that exceeds specifications, which may make turning the ignition key difficult. The ignition key could get stuck in the "start" position. This may be more likely at higher interior ambient temperatures. If the vehicle is driven with the key stuck in the "start" position, and the vehicle experiences a significant jarring event or the vehicle's interior temperature cools, the ignition lock cylinder could move out of the "start" position, rotate past the "run" position, and move into the "accessory" position, leading to loss of power steering assist, power brakes and potentially air bag deployment in certain crashes. Dealers will replace the ignition lock housing. The affected vehicles are the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LD, and GMC Sierra LD models and 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD, Suburban, Tahoe, and 2015 GMC Sierra HD. GM is aware of five shutoffs but no crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition. Including Canada, Mexico and exports, the total recall population is 3,296. View full article

When the Volkswagen Eos ends production in a few months time, that will leave Volkswagen with only one convertible in their lineup - the Beetle Cabriolet. But Car and Driver says a replacement is on the way. According to a source at Volkswagen, the company is planning on sending the next-generation Golf Cabriolet. No timeframe was given as to when we'll see it, but expect it not to look that much different from the current model sold elsewhere. Now it should be noted that the Golf Cabriolet wasn't the only option on the table for the U.S. The source said there was a cabriolet using the Passat platform as an option, but that idea was canned. Source: Car and Driver View full article

Mary Barra, General Motors' CEO tells USA Today in an interview that the company is "among the leaders" in the development of self-driving cars. Now this claim seems a bit dubious since the only pieces of self-driving technologies that GM is working on is the Super Cruise system that will be debuting on the Cadillac CT6. and the company disclosing that it's running a fleet of driverless Volts at the Warren Technical Center. The remaining efforts are being kept confidential at the moment. "Things are moving quickly in autonomous (cars) because there's so many different pathways and the standards aren't even set. A lot of people can claim leads because people are making advancements in different areas," said Barra. We recommend you check out the rest of the article as Barra talks about Apple, Tesla, and the current relationship with NHTSA. Source: USA Today via Detroit Free Press View full article

Just when you think the hole Volkswagen has found itself in can't get any deeper, it has. Earlier this week, The Associated Press reported that Volkswagen disclosed to the EPA that 2016 model year TDI models have a different piece of software that would allow them to pass the emissions test. This software makes a pollution-control catalyst heat up faster to improve the performance of a device which cleans up the nitrogen oxide into harmless hydrogen and oxygen. Now fitting a device like this isn't illegal unless you don't disclose it during the emission certification process. Janet McCabe, acting assistant EPA administrator for air quality wouldn't say if Volkswagen's failure to disclose this device is illegal. "I don't want to speak to any potential subjects of an enforcement activity," said McCabe. This puts Volkswagen in a more precarious situation. If the EPA rules that this software was implemented as cheating device, it would the fine that much larger and call into question the claims made by Volkswagen executives that it was small group who did this. Despite this and other issues Volkswagen finds itself in, CEO Matthias Mueller said in a speech yesterday, that he sees the company bouncing back in a couple of years. "We have a good chance of shining again in two to three years," Muller said. "We will significantly streamline structures, processes and (decision-making) bodies. We must become leaner and take decisions more rapidly," he went on to say. Muller's speech comes on the heels of news that Volkswagen has ordered a mandatory recall affecting 8.5 million TDI vehicles in the European Union that will begin early next year. Source: Associated Press, Reuters View full article