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Drew Dowdell

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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    I don't see why people buy the Bolt... but people still do.
  2. Drew Dowdell
    It's not that it was priced too high for the market. It's that they were only building the expensive trims first. It's the same mistake that GM made with the first gen SRX, they built a bunch of high option V8 models and very few V6 models, when it was the lower end that customers wanted at first. You're right though about the QX50. There is nothing special about it. Their variable compression turbo 4 didn't leave me thinking it was any better than a regular turbo 4.... and in fact it was noticeably less refined.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    Making it an all electric with such a tiny range really extra double dog did them in. 58 miles is pathetic. Electric lawnmowers run longer than that.
  4. Drew Dowdell
    You'd probably like a Maxima.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    Recliner charging?
  6. Drew Dowdell
    The QX50 was billed as the most important product in Infiniti's lineup this decade, however sales have not met expectations. Year to date sales through March for the QX50 were just 3,583 units. This contrasts starkly with the 12,830 units the larger and more expensive QX60 moved in the same time frame. President of Infiniti Christian Meunier blamed the weak sales on a poor launch of the car due to production issues and a mix of product positioned too high in the market. Infiniti is in the process of correcting the error with a new trim level and more options on the lower trim levels. The Infiniti QX50 is assembled at a new plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico run as a join venture between Nissan Motor Company and Daimler. The plant has suffered from quality control issues and other production problems. Infiniti expect sales of the QX50 to turn around during the summer once the supply chain issues are sorted. View full article
  7. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "Infiniti Admits QX50 Is Not Selling Well"
    The QX50 was billed as the most important product in Infiniti's lineup this decade, however sales have not met expectations. Year to date sales through March for the QX50 were just 3,583 units. This contrasts starkly with the 12,830 units the larger and more expensive QX60 moved in the same time frame. President of Infiniti Christian Meunier blamed the weak sales on a poor launch of the car due to production issues and a mix of product positioned too high in the market. Infiniti is in the process of correcting the error with a new trim level and more options on the lower trim levels. The Infiniti QX50 is assembled at a new plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico run as a join venture between Nissan Motor Company and Daimler. The plant has suffered from quality control issues and other production problems. Infiniti expect sales of the QX50 to turn around during the summer once the supply chain issues are sorted.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    @smk4565's goal posts are elusive, hard to pin down creatures.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    I wonder if they'll do full-size or mid-size.
  10. Drew Dowdell
    Fresh on the news that Ford invested $500 million into electric truck startup Rivian in order to gain access to the startup's EV platform, General Motors CE) Mary Barra confirmed that General Motors is working on an EV pickup of their own. This was during an investors earnings call when Barra said GM has "an industry-leading truck franchise as well as EV capability" and that the company "would not cede our leadership on either front". Talks between Rivian and GM were rumored to have broken down over GM's insistence that they have exclusive access to the platform. If that is the case, then there is a possibility that Ford may not be the only manufacturer other than Rivian to use the skateboard platform. Any EV from GM will likely use GM's new BEV3 platform that it plans to unveil in 2021. GM plans for at least 20 all-electric or fuel-cell vehicles by 2023. View full article
  11. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "Barra Confirms GM is Working On EV Pickup"
    Fresh on the news that Ford invested $500 million into electric truck startup Rivian in order to gain access to the startup's EV platform, General Motors CE) Mary Barra confirmed that General Motors is working on an EV pickup of their own. This was during an investors earnings call when Barra said GM has "an industry-leading truck franchise as well as EV capability" and that the company "would not cede our leadership on either front". Talks between Rivian and GM were rumored to have broken down over GM's insistence that they have exclusive access to the platform. If that is the case, then there is a possibility that Ford may not be the only manufacturer other than Rivian to use the skateboard platform. Any EV from GM will likely use GM's new BEV3 platform that it plans to unveil in 2021. GM plans for at least 20 all-electric or fuel-cell vehicles by 2023.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    Apparently Rivian wants to put chargers in "active lifestyle" locations.... so parking for trail heads, ski resorts, stuff like that. Places where you go and stay a while anyway so you don't mind if your vehicle is nursing on the grid while you head down a black diamond.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    Cadillac's flagship is and has been the Escalade for more than a decade. I still think Cadillac's strategy is going to be offering the largest vehicle in a price class. The CT5 aligned against the 3-series, the CT6 aligned against the 5-series, etc.
  14. Drew Dowdell
    Sometimes sibling rivalries work. Such is the case with Hyundai and Kia. Hyundai unveiled the tiny crossover Hyundai Venue this month at the New York International Auto Show. Once it hits the market, it will be the shortest crossover available. One of the downsides of the Venue and its main rival the Nissan Kicks is the lack of all-wheel drive. Even Kia's own Soul does not have all-wheel drive. Kia, with an eye on the Venue, is looking for its own small crossover, but with all-wheel drive capability. They recently showed the Kia SP Signature Concept which shares its dirty bits with the next generation of the Hyundai Creta, a small SUV only sold overseas. Still larger than the Venue, this model is likely to see production for the US market under the Kia badge. The timeline for such an introduction is still uncertain, but it could happen as soon as the Los Angeles Auto Show late in 2019. View full article
  15. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "Kia Looking to Bring Out Tiny Crossover Also"
    Sometimes sibling rivalries work. Such is the case with Hyundai and Kia. Hyundai unveiled the tiny crossover Hyundai Venue this month at the New York International Auto Show. Once it hits the market, it will be the shortest crossover available. One of the downsides of the Venue and its main rival the Nissan Kicks is the lack of all-wheel drive. Even Kia's own Soul does not have all-wheel drive. Kia, with an eye on the Venue, is looking for its own small crossover, but with all-wheel drive capability. They recently showed the Kia SP Signature Concept which shares its dirty bits with the next generation of the Hyundai Creta, a small SUV only sold overseas. Still larger than the Venue, this model is likely to see production for the US market under the Kia badge. The timeline for such an introduction is still uncertain, but it could happen as soon as the Los Angeles Auto Show late in 2019.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "Cadillac SuperCruise Getting Big Upgrades"
    Cadillac's SuperCruise is currently considered the best of the hands free driving systems on the market, but some recent upgrades to Tesla's AutoPilot are pushing Cadillac to innovate further. Cadillac plans to roll out SuperCruise to all of its models starting with the 2020 model year. Before that happens, Cadillac has some updates in store. Cadillac is able to push updates to the SuperCruise system via an over the air package. While not considered a "next generation" of SuperCruise, Cadillac will be adding capabilities. Those could be features like automatic lane changes and wider availability of the system on interchanges. In addition, the just released Cadillac CT5 gets slightly upgraded hardware over the CT6. One area where Cadillac has made improvements is in feedback to the driver. If SuperCruise can't see road markings due to poor road conditions like snow or heavy rain, the system will display a message as to why it cannot engage. SuperCruise monitors data from customers and they analyze why the system disengages. This data is then used for further development and refinement of the system. Cadillac said in vehicles so equipped that 70 percent of all highway miles driven are traveled with SuperCruise active.
  17. Drew Dowdell
    The 3.6 with the 10-speed in such a light for its size vehicle is fine as a base powertrain. Why shouldn't the CT6 compete with the E300 by offering a V6 in place of a 4-cylinder?
  18. Drew Dowdell
    This whole crossover craze has gone a bit too far....
  19. Drew Dowdell
    Well, so much for that...
  20. Drew Dowdell
    I'd take on with an automatic at $151 a month, but like @ocnblu I would go way over on mileage... though not quite as far.
  21. Drew Dowdell
    We've been reporting that the future of SMART in the U.S. was uncertain. In an email to TechCrunch, Daimler has announced that SMART will end sales of their one model, the SMART EQ Fortwo, at the end of this model year. Mercedes-Benz dealers in the US and Canada will continue to service and support SMART owners. The SMART EQ Fortwo is a electric only vehicle with a range of about 58 miles. SMART stopped selling the gasoline version of the car after 2017. Daimler is not killing the brand entirely. They have joined with Chinese manufacturer Geely to produce the SMART brand for China and other global markets. SMART vehicles are the primary vehicle in car sharing company Car2Go's fleets. Car2go recently rebranded to ShareNow in partnership with BMW and has added CLA and GLA models to its fleet. View full article
  22. Drew Dowdell
    More information about "SMART Exits North America"
    We've been reporting that the future of SMART in the U.S. was uncertain. In an email to TechCrunch, Daimler has announced that SMART will end sales of their one model, the SMART EQ Fortwo, at the end of this model year. Mercedes-Benz dealers in the US and Canada will continue to service and support SMART owners. The SMART EQ Fortwo is a electric only vehicle with a range of about 58 miles. SMART stopped selling the gasoline version of the car after 2017. Daimler is not killing the brand entirely. They have joined with Chinese manufacturer Geely to produce the SMART brand for China and other global markets. SMART vehicles are the primary vehicle in car sharing company Car2Go's fleets. Car2go recently rebranded to ShareNow in partnership with BMW and has added CLA and GLA models to its fleet.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    15 years ago I would have said a car like the venue would never sell. Now it probably will be one of Hyundai's best sellers
  24. Drew Dowdell
    We haven't had a good one here in so long, there's no way to tell how the market would respond these days.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    The European car market as a whole has been in decline for six consecutive months as of March 2019 with 19 out of 27 markets posting declines. March numbers were down 3.6 percent over the same month in 2018. Looking at the first quarter of 2019 paints an even bleaker picture with only 6 countries recording growth. While overall demand is down, the demand for electric vehicles grows. The sales of EVs exceeded 100,000 units for the first time ever with a total of 125,400 EV and PHEVs sold. That is an increase of 31%, mostly in Germany, Norway, Spain, and the Netherlands. Much of that growth is attributed to the Tesla Model 3 entering the market and becoming Europe's top selling electric car. Model 3 sales jumped from 3,747 units in February to 15,755 units in March. It was also the best selling premium mid-size car in the EU. Diesel on the other hand is facing continuing losses. Registrations of new diesels have moved from 44.8 percent of all registrations in March 2017 to 31.2 percent of all registrations in March 2019. Analysts expect diesel to continue to fade as more cities put in diesel bans and stricter emissions regulations come into effect. View full article
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