Autoline Daily - Audio

GM is shaking up its designers in hopes of increasing brand identity. The world's largest automaker wants to move away from the current regional design scheme and toward one with global brand designers. Renault plans to add two luxury brands to its portfolio in an effort to bolster its sales and image. Ford and GM are touting their own environmental accomplishments. All that and more, plus a look at the Dodge Dart.

Lexus is gunning to reclaim the title of No. 1 luxury automaker in the U.S. and is boosting incentives to reach its goal. The Obama Administration is considering filing a World Trade Organization claim against what it sees as Chinese auto part dumping in the United States. Last week Hyundai announced pricing for the hatchback version of the Elantra, now pricing for the coupe is out. All that and more, plus a test drive of the all-new Acura ILX.

NHTSA is expanding its investigation into fuel tank fires in Jeep Grand Cherokees. Looking back now to the early 1990’s. GM just filed for trademark of the name LTS. Could this be what the long-awaited Cadillac flagship will be called? For the first five months of the year, worldwide VW Group sales hit 3.65 million units, an 8.4 percent gain compared to last year. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Paul Ingrassia the author of the new book “Engines of Change.”

BMW just announced the price of its futuristic-looking hybrid, the i8, and man, it ain't cheap! Who says big things don’t come in small packages? Mercedes-Benz and the folks at AMG are hard at work developing the performance version of the company’s new A-Class and it is going to be unimaginably powerful. In its effort to cut traffic deaths in half by 2020, Euro NCAP will add autonomous emergency braking tests to its crash ratings in 2014. All that and more, plus John proposes a brand-new racing series where the only rule is there are no rules.

Automotive executives in Europe are worried about a stagnant economy and slumping car sales. Mercedes-Benz introduced a refreshed version of its GLK sport-utility vehicle. Hyundai just announced the starting price of the 2013 Elantra GT. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

The UAW in its latest attempt to unionize a foreign owned auto plant is targeting Nissan's U.S. factories. Reports are rolling in about legions of unsold cars in China, with factories and dealers reporting different numbers and extra inventory making up the difference. GM and DOW recently earned grants from the DOE for their work in die-casting and carbon fiber respectively. All that and more, plus a look at the Infiniti EX 35.

BorgWarner, one of the largest suppliers of turbochargers, says 80 percent of all passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have a turbo by 2020. Volkswagen is discussing whether to take a stake in commercial truck maker Navistar to help it compete with Daimler in North America. The 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R racecar has just completed its first on-track test. All that and more, plus a look at the all new 2013 Scion FR-S.

General Motors announced it boosted the range of the 2013 Chevy Volt. Opel just showed off the sedan version of the Astra which will make its world premiere this August at the Moscow Auto Salon. Dany Bahar, the CEO of Lotus, was fired because of some sort of improprieties with his conduct. All that and more, plus a look at the new BMW 5 Series.

Ford and GM are in a dispute over tow-ratings for pick-up trucks. Car dealers in China are complaining about growing inventory levels that are hurting their profits. Jaguar designers recently “deconstructed” a model of its XF sedan by destroying it with axes. All that and more, plus we take a look at the new Scion iQ.

The Big Three are making a break for the border. GM, Ford and Chrysler close plants in Canada in favor of cheaper U.S. labor. The head of Fiat/Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, is urging European carmakers to tackle overcapacity issues but the Germans say “nein!” The Honda Fit EV earned the highest efficiency rating of any electric vehicle by the U.S. EPA, Fit indeed. All that and more, plus John answers your questions in “You Said It!”

Infiniti just announced Johan de Nysschen is moving to its brand new headquarters in Hong Kong to take over that brand for Nissan. If you were looking to buy a Fiat 500 Abarth you’re going to have to wait. The EU will present a report to automakers tomorrow proposing lighter carbon-dioxide standards. All that and more, plus a review of the 2012 Subaru Legacy.

Audi’s North American CEO, Johan De Nysschen, has resigned from his post. Chinese automaker SAIC announced it will offer its first electric vehicle for sale this October, the Roewe E50. A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold last month in a private transaction for 35 million dollars, a new record. All that and more, plus we take a deep dive into last month’s car sales.

A new report from ALG says Ford and Hyundai have had the best improvement in perceived quality during the last five years. Analysts at Ford predict the next crop of midsize sedans due to flood the market in a year or so are going to eat into small-car sales. Volkswagen is considering selling its small pick-up, the Amarok, in Canada. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Craig Cole test drives the new Infiniti G37.

Ford is facing a happy problem – it cannot keep up with demand for its vehicles. Yesterday Chrysler was in the news for announcing the Town and Country minivan is going away, today more product information is out, including plans for another SRT model. Freightliner just debuted a super efficient new big rig called the Cascadia Evolution. All that and more, plus John McElroy test drives the 2012 Audi TT-RS.

The National Auto Dealers Association says prices for used compact and mid-size cars will drop by as much as 5 percent in June. Another day, another Chinese rip-off. This time it’s Dongfeng copying the Cadillac SRX. Chrysler plans to keep the Dodge version of its popular minivans while discontinuing the Town and Country. All that and more, plus guest host Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com tells us what to expect for this month’s car sales.