Autoline Daily - Video

Ford, Daimler and Peugeot all reported their financial numbers for the first half and the results are mixed. Traffic deaths in the U.S. are up 13.5 percent in the first quarter of this year. Kia is coming out with an all-new version of its compact minivan, the Carens at the Paris Auto Show. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

A Finnish company Valmet makes its money by building cars for other manufacturers that lack capacity, which seems like an oxymoron in Europe nowadays, but Mercedes just hired them to build 100,000 cars. Ford says it has shaved 30 percent from the cost of its latest hybrid by sharing parts and in-sourcing development. Goodyear announces it’s looking at replacing petroleum with soy-based oils in tir...

Amid rising costs in Japan, Nissan is moving production of the Rogue SUV to Korea. The move will better utilize plant capacity at an existing Samsung factory. Following OnStar's move to launch an OEM car sharing service, BMW is starting its own BMW On Demand service in Manhattan. PSA will begin building commercial vans for Toyota based off current Peugeot and Citroen models. The move is likely an...

Patrick Pelata is out at Renault-Nissan. The former COO resigned after a botched espionage scandal last year. The Jul SAAR numbers are in and they're up 20 percent from last year when the Japanese tsunami put a damper on sales. GM announced the Chevy Trax will be built in Mexico later this year. All that and more, plus a peak at the latest episode of Autoline This Week!

Cadillac will unveil its ad campaign for the new ATS small sedan during the Olympic opening ceremonies. The French government is telling PSA it needs to meet conditions for stimulus funds. Ford is in talks with Canadian labor over cost issues, the company is also looking to cut 15 percent of its Aussie workforce due to low demand. All that and more, plus Autoextremist Peter De Lorenzo on why GM sh...

OnStar's people behind the blue button are looking at enabling their customers to rent out their cars while not in use. BMW will start building their X1 CUV in China, freeing up capacity at the X1's German plant for export to the USA. Opel gets a new leader to reshape GMs struggling European brand. All that and more, plus we look at how Ford is combining stop-start technology with its EcoBoost eng...

France's president derides PSA's cuts as too harsh and urges management to renegotiate. Also in the Old Country Ford and other automakers are reporting slumping sales in the first six months of 2012. Hyundai is hurting for vehicles to sell. With only 27-days' supply in the U.S. and a corporate cap on production at 7 million vehicles. All that and more, plus a look at the Audi S5 coupe.

The head of General Motors’ European operations, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, just stepped down from his position and will be replaced by GM Vice Chairman, Steve Girsky. Mitsubishi just sold its NedCar plant in the Netherlands for only one Euro! The new Fiat 500L will be the world’s first production car to come with a coffee maker. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Ralph Gill...

PSA says it will cut jobs and close a factory due to the languishing European economy. Opel is debuting its ADAM subcompact, a sportier alternative to the Agila it already makes. Amid mounting lawsuits and other challenges Mahindra finally pulled the plug on its move to launch a small truck for the U.S. market. All that and more, plus we pick the order for tonight's AAH fantasy draft.

Rental car company Hertz announced it’s adding the Porsche Panamera to its fleet. Chevy and Chrysler are offering new incentives to try and boost sales. Researchers at Michigan State University have come up with a new biofuel-production process which produces energy more than 20 times higher than existing methods. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It...

Mini is investing major money into expanding its capacity in the U.K., yet the company is looking to build cars elsewhere too. The Eurozone economic woes are hitting Thailand’s auto industry hard, that country’s exports to Europe fell 10 percent. Despite the popularity of crossovers, minivans soldier on to the tune of 500,000 annual sales. All that and more, plus Dodge launches the Dart’s ad campa...

The city of Guangzhou, China, like Beijing and other large cities in the country, is limiting car sales to try to reduce pollution and traffic jams. Chrysler is considering a small, unibody lifestyle pickup truck targeted at outdoorsy millennials. Truck maker Navistar announced it plans to use selective catalytic reduction to reduce greenhouse gases in its diesel engines. All that and more, plus a...

To help combat its losses in Europe, GM’s supervisory board approved a new plan to restructure Opel. Prices for used cars are starting to fall because sales of new cars are picking up this year. Chrysler is optimistic about pickup sales going forward and is considering adding a third shift at its Warren Truck Plant. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about the candidates for t...

Fiat plans to increase its stake in Chrysler by purchasing shares from the UAW healthcare trust fund. Ford is closing its only plant in the Philippines as part of a restructuring effort in the region. John sits down with the Energy Secretary to talk electric cars. All that and more, plus Andrew Justus drives the new Lexus ES.

Car buyers are paying an average of 500 dollars less on new vehicles compared to a year ago. Volvo has developed a new fuel saving system for commercial trucks called I-See that harnesses a trucks kinetic energy to save on fuel. A test drive of Ford’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost-powered Taurus as well as the company’s 1.0-liter three cylinder engine. All that and more, plus a look at John’s trip to the 24...

A strong yen continues to drive auto production out of Japan as Toyota and Nissan announce planned production cuts. Ford releases the F-150 Limited, the new top of the line truck is set to cost more than the Platinum Edition's 44 thousand dollar price tag. The Taurus is set to get a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine to help Ford's large car achieve 32 MPG highway. All that and more, plus a look at the Aud...

When U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu first took office in 2009 he was not a very big fan of hydrogen fuel cells but things have changed, including the secretary's stance on hydrogen. Volvo says it’s looking for a partner in North America within the next 5 to 6 years to produce vehicles. Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn is considering retirement before the company’s next mid-term review which is fi...

The gap in quality among carmakers continues to shrink according to J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey. Audi just announced that Scott Keogh will replace Johan de Nysschen as President of the company’s U.S. operations. Chevy just announced the base price for the 2013 Malibu is just over 23,000 dollars, which is a small increase over the current Malibu. All that and more, plus a look at the all-ne...

Ward’s reports despite a falling SAAR last month it is sticking with its sales forecast for the year of 14.5 million units, citing growing employment and consumer confidence. Toyota says their Lexus brand has nine, as in one more than eight, LFAs remaining. Sales of the 375,000 dollar vehicle have almost reached the end of the planned 500 car production run. In autonomous car news, Europe’s SARTRE...

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...

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 m...

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...

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...

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, plu...