Autoline Daily - Video

GM is all in a tizzy because it says Volkswagen has been spreading the speculation that Opel is up for sale and that it's hurting GM. Hyundai's home office in Korea wasn't very happy with the new Sonata, saying it was too radical. But that didn't matter to consumers as sales increased 30 percent over the old model. Instead of measuring things gone wrong, Strategic Vision is measuring things gone right and overall ownership experience. Their unique system shakes up the rankings compared to more traditional schemes used by J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. All that and more. Plus, a look at Ford's vehicle to vehicle communication technology.

Car makers and the UAW are in agreement, but not on wages or benefits yet, their new found common ground is that the Obama Administrations proposed 56.2 MPG CAFE target will hurt jobs. Speaking of the UAW, the union is in talks with Volkswagen about union representation at the company's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Toyota is merging its two subsidiaries, Toyota Auto Body and Kanto Auto Works to gain efficiencies for the company, which is hurting from the strong Yen. All that and more, plus John talks about young people going for imports and the UAW in the "You Said It!" segment.

While Chinese car sales have slumped lately due to the expiration of government incentives, luxury car sales are booming in the People’s Republic. Peugeot is the first automaker to announce a diesel hybrid vehicle with their 508 RXH earning 70 MPG in European testing. Speaking of diesels, sources at GM have said the Cruze will offer an oil-burning engine in 2013 and that it will rival the Prius for fuel economy! All that and more, plus Seamus McElroy test drives the redesigned Hyundai Accent.

The UAW has its sights set on organizing the new VW plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the AP says some workers at the plant have actually reached out to the union. The new CAFE rules proposed by the Obama administration will not be as harsh for light trucks as originally thought. Trucar.com says young buyers prefer foreign nameplates, with Scion, Mitsubishi and Mazda leading the demographic. Jeep was the top domestic brand but it came in 12th place! All that and more, plus we preview this week’s Autoline Detroit featuring Volkswagen’s head of design, Walter de’Silva.

BMW just introduced the new 6 Series Coupe which is slightly larger and offers three engine choices. Fiat's commercial vehicle brand, Iveco revealed an updated version of the Daily which goes on sale in September. Land Rover released some important figures on the new 2012 Range Rover Evoque which gets impressive fuel economy thanks to lightweight construction and a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. All that and more, plus a preview of this week's Autoline about why hybrids represent a very small slice of the total automotive market.

June sales in the U.S. market will be announced tomorrow and almost all the analysts are predicting it will be a decent month . . . at least by today’s standards. Michigan’s new Republican Governor, Rick Snyder, initiated a letter that was sent to regulators in Washington D.C. questioning the proposed 56.2 mile-per-gallon standard. 14 other state leaders followed suit. Around 85,000 hybrid drivers in California will no longer be able to use carpool lanes. All that and more, plus a look at the new Toyota Prius v.

Carlos Ghosn, the head of Nissan and Renault, raked in almost $11.5 million dollars last fiscal year, which makes him the highest paid executive at a Japanese car company. Ford is working to increase capacity at its plant in the United Kingdom that builds four-cylinder EcoBoost engines because demand is so high in Europe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued fuel-pump labels for E-15 - gasoline that's blended with 15 percent ethanol - which warn consumers not to use E-15 in vehicles older than model year 2001. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo shares his latest compressed auto thoughts in social media speak.

Nissan released more details on its "Power 88" business plan including how it intends to average one "all new" vehicle introduction every six weeks for the next six years. Turkey of all places is really starting to emerge as an important market for vehicle assembly. Holden, GM’s Australian subsidiary, could be in deep trouble because of political flip-flopping and budget cuts in the country. All that and more, plus John reviews the 2011 BMW Active Hybrid 750 Li.

Saab announced it will pay its employees this week, after getting an infusion of $18 million from a Chinese company that ordered 582 cars. Nissan just announced a new midterm business plan called "Power 88" to pull itself out of the sales doldrums. The Obama administration is proposing a new CAFE standard of 56.2 miles per gallon. All that and more, plus a look at how Mini is letting drivers connect to their cars via their iPhone.

Lots of news about electric cars. Think, the electric car company out of Norway, filed for bankruptcy yesterday. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says the LEAF will be profitable by 2014. And GM just unveiled an electric version of the Beat in India. Ford dropped to 23rd place in J.D. Power's latest Initial Quality Survey, after being the highest-rated non-luxury brand last year. Volkswagen just demonstrated a semi-autonomous vehicle that it calls the Temporary Auto Pilot, or TAP. All that and more, plus a preview of this week's Autoline Detroit with Derrick Kuzak, the head of all product development at Ford.

As we’ve been reporting, Saab has some serious financial issues and now it’s unable to pay its workers. The UAW and unions representing Fiat workers came to an agreement to negotiate together on issues concerning them collectively. Hyundai is pulling a Hawtai in China, exaggerating sales of its Sonata YF sedan. All that and more, plus a look at an innovative new safety feature that’s dirt cheap and could be a life saver.

Ford says it’s tweaking the software behind its SYNC and MyFord Touch systems because of customer complaints about the technologies. The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing another reduction in the use of cellulosic ethanol, the third straight year its slashed requirements. Over the last year, Detroit automakers have boosted sales in California while their Japanese rivals have seen their market share drop in the state. All that and more, plus, we find out the draft order in next week's automotive draft on After Hours.

China wants to be in a position to dominate the global market for electric cars and the government is offering subsidies of $7,700 for plug-in hybrids and over $9,000 for EVs. Chrysler has been at the bottom of Consumer Reports' reliability and road-test scores for years, but the magazine just tested eight of its 2011 models and says its cars are improving. MINI just released photos and information on its latest model, a two-door, two-seat coupe. All that and more, plus John responds to questions and comments in the "You Said It!" segment.

Good News! Ward's is predicting June Sales will increase over May's Daily Sales Rate. At the same time, used car prices, which rose sharply in May, have been returning to earth this month. Ford says this is their 'last chance' to revive their Lincoln brand, and the company is investing $1 billion toward rolling out new products for the luxury brand. All that and more, plus John's segment on the versatile, venerable and value-minded Nissan Versa.

Last week Mazda denied it would build a plant in Mexico, today the company announced it will build a factory in Mexico. And with Mazda dropping out of the Flat Rock plant in Michigan and moving to Mexico, Ford may want to move the Mustang which is also made in Flat Rock. Just a few days after blocking a bill that would drop subsidies for ethanol, the U.S. Senate turned right around and approved a bill that would end them. All that and more, plus a preview of this week's Autoline Detroit with special guest Bob Lutz.