William Maley

Kia has released a teaser shot of a D-segment (midsize) sedan concept that will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The company isn't revealing much about the concept, but did say "with confident, powerful lines which sweep elegantly from Kia's hallmark 'tiger-nose' grille towards the rear of the vehicle, Kia's new concept car embodies modern design and refined, understated energy." Now some believe that this is a preview of the next-generation of the Optima midsize sedan. We'll find out if it is and have more information and pictures when the concept is shown on March 3rd. Source: Kia Press Release is on Page 2 Elegant energy – Kia to show new concept car at Geneva Kia Motors Europe will exhibit a stylish new concept car at the 85th Salon International de l'Automobile in Geneva on 3 March 2015. This new D-segment model is the 11th concept car created by Kia's European design studio in Frankfurt, Germany. With confident, powerful lines which sweep elegantly from Kia's hallmark 'tiger-nose' grille towards the rear of the vehicle, Kia's new concept car embodies modern design and refined, understated energy. The concept has been created as a spacious and versatile accessory to an active lifestyle, as a purposeful, energetic design study for the style-conscious, and as a sanctuary from the stresses of the modern world. View full article

Holden has been in a bit of turmoil for the past few years. With declining sales, plant closures coming in a couple of years, and big changes for the Commodore, steady leadership is key. But in the past six years, Holden has gone through six chairmans. The latest one, Gerry Dorizas only lasted eight months on the job. But there will be a new person in charge. Last Friday, Holden announced the appointment of Mark Bernhard as Managing Director and Chairman of the brand. This is an important milestone as Bernhard is the first Australian to be in charge since 1990. “Mark’s knowledge of GM Holden, our region and GM’s global operations will serve him well in his new role,” said General Motors executive vice president and president of GM International Stefan Jacoby. “He will champion the ongoing transition of GM Holden to a National Sales Company and the repositioning of the Holden brand for long-term growth and profitability.” Bernhard is no stranger to Holden. He started his career at the company back in 1986 within the in the finance division. Since then, Bernhard has held many roles at GM, including the CFO of Holden. "It's wonderful, and quite humbling, to be returning to Holden to lead the company where my career started. I am a Holden man, always have been. [becoming] Managing Director of this company has always been a dream job. While I know that the company is going through a very challenging transition, I also know that it is has a very bright future,"said Bernhard in a statement. "I understand that the transition from being a manufacturing company to a national sales company is not easy. We need to ensure that those that leave us as a result of this change are treated with dignity, respect and most of all, support. But I am really looking forward to leading the re-making of our iconic company as we bring in great new product, continue to revitalise our Aftersales service and re-establish ourselves as Australian customers' favourite car company." Bernhard begins work at Holden in the third quarter. Along with the announcement of a new chairman, GM also announced that Holden will introduce 24 major new models and 36 new powertrains by 2020. “While I can’t reveal all the details, I can say that Holden will debut an all-new Barina Spark in the first quarter of 2016, launch a global Captiva replacement and another all-new, world-class SUV to ensure comprehensive offerings in the crucial SUV market segment," said Jacoby. Also in the pipeline is the next-generation Commodore and a 'true sports car'. Source: Drive.com.au, CarAdvice.com.au, General Motors Press Release is on Page 2 GM Holden Appoints Chairman and Managing Director; Announces 24 Major Vehicle Launches By 2020 Mark Bernhard returns to Holden Holden to deliver product onslaught Mark Bernhard will return to Holden as Chairman and Managing Director, General Motors (GM) Executive Vice President and President of GM International, Stefan Jacoby, announced today. Mr Bernhard began his career in the automotive industry at Holden in 1986, undertaking senior finance roles across GM’s global operations, over the past four decades. He is a former CFO of GM Holden and his current position is Vice President and CFO of Shanghai GM. Mr Jacoby said that given his background and experience, Mr Bernhard is the right person to lead GM Holden. “Mark’s knowledge of GM Holden, our region and GM’s global operations will serve him well in his new role,” Mr Jacoby said. “He will champion the ongoing transition of GM Holden to a National Sales Company and the repositioning of the Holden brand for long-term growth and profitability.” Mr Bernhard briefly visited Australia today to speak with GM Holden dealers and will take up his new role in the third quarter this year. He will succeed GM Holden Interim Managing Director and CFO Jeff Rolfs. “I want to thank Jeff for taking on leadership of GM Holden on an interim basis. Once the transition with Mark is complete, Jeff will continue to play an important role at GM Holden as CFO,” Mr Jacoby said. Mr Jacoby also announced details of Holden’s major new vehicle launch program, delivering 24 major new vehicle launches and 36 new powertrain combinations over the next five years. “GM is investing significantly to broaden the Holden product portfolio and deliver world-class vehicles,” Mr Jacoby said. “Holden is accessing GM’s global operations to assemble its biggest and best ever product line-up. This new model onslaught will ensure Holden has world-class products in every major segment – a true customer-driven product strategy. “While I can’t reveal all the details, I can say that Holden will debut an all-new Barina Spark in the first quarter of 2016, launch a global Captiva replacement and another all-new, world-class SUV to ensure comprehensive offerings in the crucial SUV market segment. “Supporting this product onslaught is the bold, new Let’s Go There brand campaign and an ongoing commitment to achieving best-practice customer service.” Today’s announcements demonstrate GM’s commitment to Holden and reveal further details about Holden’s long term strategy. In the past 12 months, Holden has also announced: Cascada convertible, Astra hatch and Insignia sedan will launch in 2015; Holden vehicles will continue to be tuned and tested for Australian conditions and customers with the retention of the famous Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria; Holden’s Global Design centre continues to contribute to local and global product programs; More than one-third of Holden’s future product portfolio will be sourced from Europe; The esteemed Commodore nameplate will live on with Holden’s next-generation large car; and Holden will have a true sports car in its future product portfolio. Mark Bernhard Biography Mark Bernhard is currently vice president and chief financial officer of Shanghai GM in Shanghai, China, a position he has held since November 2011. He also was a member of the GM-SAIC joint venture’s Executive Committee. Mark began his GM career with GM Holden in 1986, holding various positions in the Finance function. He relocated to Zurich, Switzerland, in 1996 as Manager of Budgets and Consolidation for the then GM International Operations. In 1998, Mark was appointed Director of Financial Reporting and Analysis for GM International Operations in Detroit. Two years later, he took on the role of Director of Special Projects at GM Asia Pacific in Singapore, working on the acquisition of Daewoo Motor Company. In 2002, Mark became Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Shanghai GM. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the GM China Group in 2005. He returned to Australia in 2007 as CFO and Executive Director of Finance for GM Holden, navigating the global financial crisis. Mark has a Bachelor of Business (accounting) degree from Monash University, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Deakin University. He is an FCPA with CPA Australia and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Mark received the Silver Magnolia Award from the Shanghai Municipal Government, which is given to expatriates for their contribution to the economic development of the city. He also received the 2014 Australia China Alumni Award for Banking and Finance. View full article

Acura is in the midsts of giving their lineup a bit of excitement once again. With such models as the new TLX and refreshed ILX, it seems Acura is figuring out how to make cars that appear to be fun. There could be more excitement on the way. Honda is currently readying a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will go into a number of their own vehicles. This has caused talk of whether or not Acura will use it as well. Car and Driver decided to ask Acura product planner Gary Robinson if the 2.0L turbo engine could go into the ILX. “Acura is always going to get the best engines Honda makes,” he said. And the cars in which they will be found “will always be more powerful” than their Honda counterparts. “Obviously, a 2.0-liter turbo is more of a must-have in the luxury world than it is in the mainstream world, so . . ." said Robinson. Now before you start dreaming of a turbocharged ILX, Robinson explained that the current ILX would require a lot of re-engineering to allow for the turbocharged engine to fit. Most likely it will come when the ILX is redesigned, expected in 2018 or 2019. Source: Car and Driver View full article

If you are considering buying a used car this year, then we have some good news for you. A new vehicle depreciation report from used car value service, Black Book and Fitch Ratings Inc., says that 2015 will see used car values depreciate 14.5 percent. This is an increase from 2014's deprecation rate of 12.1 percent. So why the increase in depreciation? It comes down to two key factors; an increased supply in used cars and a larger volume of off-lease vehicles. “2014 depreciation was defined by pockets of volatility due to seasonality, harsh weather patterns and falling fuel prices impacting smaller cars and trucks of all sizes. Looking ahead, lower consumer demand and CAFÉ-driven model competition will place higher depreciation pressure on smaller car segments particularly, but trucks should have stable retention in 2015 due to balanced production levels and strong housing and service economies,” said Anil Goyal, Vice President of Analytics and Strategic Partnerships for Black Book. Source: Auto Guide, Kicking Tires View full article

One of the big surprises and head-scratchers at the Detroit Auto Show was the Volvo S60 Cross Country. Taking the formula of the V60 and XC70 Cross Country, Volvo applied it to the S60. But according to Car and Driver, we'll on see around 500 S60 Cross Countries come to the U.S. in 2015 - likely wearing the Austrian Gray shown on the show car or white and black. Meanwhile in such markets as Russia and India, the Cross Country may actually take the place of the standard S60. So why even bring the S60 Cross Country to the U.S. if there will only be a small number of them? According to head of Volvo's North American head Lex Kerssemakers, the model is an experiment for the company to see if it can attract a certain type of buyer: those who want the idea of an SUVs and crossovers, but not in an SUV- or crossover-sized package. “There are so many niches popping up these days. You see our competitors trying to fill all sorts of niches, and I’m not convinced that the consumer is really ready for all those niches. But in all fairness, you don’t know until you have tried. You can test and clinic whatever you want, but at the end it’s the real life in which you have to find it out. We’ll see how it works,” said Kerssemakers. “So what we did is we tried to combine the popularity of the [sedan] market and add a more expressive dimension to the exterior, and last but not least, offer the increased ride height so you’re sitting two and a half inches higher off the road. We said, ‘Let’s see if we can create that market.’" Source: Car and Driver View full article

I highly.. HIGHLY doubt it.

Here's a bit of head scratcher. A member of the Allpar.com forum did a bit of poking around Chrysler's secure dealer site, DealerConnect and found an interesting configuration for the 2015 200. The site listed a a 2.2L 16-valve “DeTomaso” turbodiesel four-cylinder engine. Now Automotive News was able to confirm the existence of this engine on the site. So what could this engine be? Well Automotive News has learned that Alfa Romeo is working a 2.2L turbodiesel producing somewhere between 135 and 210 horsepower. If Alfa Romeo was to share this engine, it would give the Volkswagen Passat TDI some much needed competition. But what the “DeTomaso” name? This is speculated to be a red herring to throw people off. Chrysler's powertrain spokesman Eric Mayne denied the existence of the engine when asked about it. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

A couple weeks back, we reported that a Mitsubishi executive says talks between them and Nissan/Renault has stalled, but didn't go into details as to why. But Automotive News has shined a light as to possibly why and where it stands now. According to a source at Mitsubishi, the company ended talks with Renault about using the midsize Latitude/Samsung SM7 sedan built in South Korea because the Yon suddenly appreciated. This is turned undercut the plan's profitability when paired against the U.S. Dollar and Japenese Yen. A Nissan source goes onto say that Nissan has begun talks with Mitsubishi about using one of their sedans. A Mitsubishi spokesman says at this time that plans to replace the Galant are on indefinite hold. While he declined to comment on the talks between Mitsubishi and Nissan, he did say that working with Nissan is “one option.” In the meantime, Mitsubishi has moved up the replacement for the compact Lancer to the top of its priority list. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

2014 will go down as the year as the recall, but also the year where many glaring issues of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were made evident - mostly due to the GM ignition switch mess. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told reporters on Tuesday couldn’t keep pace at current staffing levels with 75,000 complaints coming in every year. “It’s no longer reasonable frankly to expect an office with 8 screeners and 16 defects investigators to adequately analyze 75,000 complaints a year,” said Foxx. Now there appears to be change in the air. The Detroit News reports that President Barrack Obama is proposing to increase NHTSA's budget for its Office of Defects Investigation from $10.7 million to $31 million. The increase would add NHTSA to add add 57 people to a staff of more than 100 and also use stronger data mining and monitoring tools to detect problems faster. “This is about giving NHTSA the tools it needs,” said Foxx. However, some folks on the Senate Commerce Committee isn't fully on board with a budget increase. “We think there are ways too that you could reform and accomplish some things (without higher funding). Clearly, we want to work with them, but it’s going to be tough in this budgetary environment with all the constraints that we’re dealing with to get significant increases in funding for any agency,” said Senator John Thune, R-S.D, chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. Others think the increase is a step in the right direction. NHTSA needs to do something and obviously they are getting a lot of complaints. (NHTSA’s) ability to field all of the complaints has been difficult in the last couple of years — and people paid a price for that,” said Senator Dean Heller, R-Nev. Source: The Detroit News, 2 View full article

It seems the Chevrolet Bolt concept we saw at Detroit last month is possibly going into production. Reuters has learned from sources that production for the Bolt and sister Opel model will kick off in October 2016 at General Motors' Lake Orion assembly plant. The plant is currently home Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano. Sources say the company is planning to build around 25,000 to 30,000 units per year. As for Bolt itself, it will use GM's Gamma small car platform and will share the same basic set of components as the next-generation Sonic due out in late 2016. Sales will begin in early 2017. A GM spokesman declined to comment on the report. Source: Reuters View full article

Something made up by the PR department

Infiniti is readying to join the mess that is the compact premium crossover segment. Next month at the Geneva Motor Show, the Japanese luxury automaker will reveal the QX30 concept. In a press release, Infiniti says the QX30 is for those who seeking an "urban week and get-away weekend" lifestyle. Judging from the teaser show released by Infiniti, the QX30 concept looks be a high-riding version of the Q30 concept shown at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. We can make out a set of trapezoidal tailpipes, small liftgate, and slim taillights. Now its been reported that the Q30 and QX30 will use Mercedes-Benz's MFA architecture - the one that underpins the Mercedes-Benz CLA and GLA-Class models. We'll have more information and pictures when the QX30 debuts next month. Source: Infiniti Press Release is on Page 2 Infiniti gears up for premiere of QX30 Concept in Geneva Hong Kong – Infiniti will take the covers off the QX30 Concept at the Geneva International Motor Show next month. The QX30 Concept is the Infiniti design vision that will inspire a new premium compact crossover targeted at a new generation of premium customers. Set to be revealed at Infiniti's press conference scheduled for 12:30 p.m. local time on March 3 in Geneva, the QX30 Concept aims to reignite the premium compact segment with a distinctive approach to design that looks beyond the practicality and conformity expected of the segment. The potential customers for such a concept are searching for a product to suit their "urban week and get-away weekend" lifestyle, and the QX30's compact footprint matches that. Combining the sleek lines of a coupe with the rugged looks and commanding seating position of a crossover, the QX30 Concept foreshadows an urban explorer which is equally at home in the city as it is on the open road. View full article

Ever dreamed of owning a concept car? We'll you'll have your chance to bid on one in a few months time. RM Auctions has the Buick Blackhawk Concept from 2001 that will be crossing the auction block. The Blackhawk concept mixes vintage Buick design and components with modern technology. The styling is a combination of the late forties Roadmaster and Y-Job concept. There is a power retractable top which is made out of carbon fiber and stows in the decklid. Power comes from a 455 cubic-inch (7.5L) V8 from the 1970 GS Stage III with 463 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. This is paired up to a four-speed automatic. The Blackhawk was sold back in 2009 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ as part of a sale of a selection of GM's heritage fleet. At the time, it sold for $522,500 after the buyer's premium. The Blackhawk will be crossing the block on May 2nd as part of RM Auctions sale of the Andrews Collection in Fort Worth, TX. Source: RM Auctions, Barrett-Jackson Picture Credit: RM Auctions View full article

Yeah that surprised me too. I'm guessing either they got it fixed or they have a separate update for V6 models.