Autoline Daily - Video

The electric version of the Honda Fit will only be available for lease in select cities in the U.S. GM’s sales chief in the U.S. says sales in 2012 won’t grow that much. Conversely, J.D. Power says next year’s sales rate could hit 14 million units. BMW just bought a 15 percent stake in a company called SGL Carbon, a maker of lightweight materials. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This...

More news from the L.A. Auto Show: Honda unwraps its latest CR-V; Lincoln shows off its updated MKS and MKT models; and Hyundai reveals its new Azera. The much-talked-about new fuel-economy rules in the U.S. are official. In a good bit of news for the industry, dealership showroom traffic is up. All that and more, plus Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, sounds off on Fiat’s troubles.

We’ve got a couple unveils from the L.A. Auto Show. Cadillac finally showed off the new XTS which replaces the DTS and STS in the line-up. And Ford debuted the all-new Escape which comes with a host of new features. GM’s VP of U.S. Sales says this month’s seasonally adjusted annual rate or SAAR, could hit 14 million units. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo shares his thoughts on...

Consumer Reports conducted another survey asking Americans if they are in favor of higher fuel-economy standards, and guess what? Of course they are! Sales of the Fiat 500 are going slow in the American market, in fact Ward’s data shows there was a 30 percent decline in October compared to September. Ford is making some big changes to the Mustang for the 2013 model year. All that and more, plus Jo...

Mercedes unveiled the new ML63 AMG before it debuts later this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Daihatsu also revealed three quirky looking concepts before they debut at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show. The Chevy Volt is under investigation after one NHTSA used in a side-impact crash test caught on fire three weeks after the test. All that and more, plus a look at the design of the new Volvo S60 R...

Chinese automakers are borrowing a military strategy from Mao Tse-tung called “Encircling the City from the Countryside.” Honda and Mitsubishi revealed several vehicles they will show at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. Audi will no longer offer manual transmissions on its S4 and S5 models in Europe. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about issues facing car dealers in the U.S.

Cadillac is teasing us with a shot of the production version of its XTS sedan, which will formally debut next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Suzuki previewed a new small-car concept that supposedly gets up to 75 miles per U.S. gallon. Ford officially began production of its 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine in Germany. All that and more, plus we drive the 2012 Toyota Camry.

General Motors reported somewhat disappointing third quarter earnings this morning. Even though the company sold more vehicles than it did a year ago, its profits fell 12 percent. Volvo will offer an aftermarket ECU upgrade for select models that will boost horsepower and torque. Nissan is showing off the third generation of its Pivo concept car. All that and more, plus John answers your questions...

Toyota’s quarterly profit plummeted 72 percent to about 1 billion dollars. General Motors is changing the leadership of its European operations. Ferrari is having a phenomenal year. It’s already sold 5,165 cars and its revenue is up 19 percent. All that and more, plus a look at one of the latest safety systems being developed by supplier company Continental.

Chrysler’s skilled-trade workers are appealing the new UAW contract because union leadership overrode their votes after rejecting it. Japanese automakers, unions and dealers are all concerned that high car taxes and the strength of the Yen could destroy the industry in the country. General Motors may void the deal to sell Saab because it’s worried it could hurt its business in China and elsewhere....

Kia expects subcompact sales in the U.S. to double by 2015. Car production in China is expected to top 30 million units by 2015 which will far exceed market demand. The overall car theft rate in the U.S. in 2009 dropped over 20 percent compared to 2008. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with the Vice President of Chevrolet marketing, Chris Perry.

In a surprising bit of news, Nissan is relocating Infiniti’s headquarters to Hong Kong. The Chevy Cruze is already on pace to pass the Cobalt’s best ever sales year. Volkswagen is showing off the new CC before it debuts later this month at the Los Angeles Auto Show. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo shares more memories of his favorite Chevy cars.

October sales numbers reveal that the fourth quarter may end up better than we thought. Toyota gets in the robot game with an exo-skeleton that assists in walking. Leaf sales are beating the Volt by a wide margin. All that and more, plus Peter De Lorenzo reflects on GM stylist Bill Mitchell.

Lars Ulrich, the head of diesel marketing for Bosch in North America, says diesel sales will hit a critical mass sometime in the middle of this decade. Analysts at Morgan Stanley suggest buying Ford and Peugeot bonds because they are safe investments that pay better than government securities. All that and more, plus John test drives a vehicle that could be the last of its breed.

Volkswagen set a goal of becoming No. 1 in the world by 2018, but it looks like the company could get there this year. MINI is introducing a roadster version of its popular small car, its first ever two-seat drop-top. Renault revealed a new small car for the Indian market called the Pulse. All that and more, plus a look at which car companies raked in the most money and had the best profits for th...

Victor Muller has thrown in the towel, agreeing to sell Saab to the Chinese. Caterham wants a piece of the Indian pie as it moves to build cars in the sub-continent. Opel Ampera sales are off to a surprising start. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with J Mays and a walkaround of the Ford Evos concept.

Volkswagen posted astounding numbers in the third quarter, with a HUGE jump in revenue. French automaker PSA is finally taking steps to reduce its workforce as part of a bid to save money next year. The 2012 Ford Ranger just aced Euro NCAP’s battery of crash tests. All that and more, plus a look at a pedestrian safety system from German supplier company Continental.

Ford has a good quarter but slips a bit in Europe and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the company takes it on the chin in quality ratings, but are these surveys worth taking seriously? John Mendel from American Honda says the company is about to rebound from losses suffered earlier in the year. All that and more, plus John McElroy answers your comments and questions in You Said It!

The bowtie brand prepares to make a big splash at SEMA with its Z-Spec small cars. Ford inches toward an investment-grade rating. Thailand highways turn into parking lots, literally. All that and more, plus a look at how BMW is merging high performance and high fuel economy with the new Z4.

Car sales continue to be one of the few bright spots in the American economy and the October SAAR is looking up. Rolls-Royce is expanding its global footprint with plans to open dealerships in Brazil and Chile next year. Google has set a goal of hitting 1 million miles with its autonomous cars. All that and more, plus a look at how ZF is making it easy for automakers to electrify vehicles.

The National Auto Dealers Association is commissioning a study to see if OEM mandates ever really translate into more sales or higher profits for dealers. New fuel economy standards proposed by the Obama Administration earlier this year are under attack. People are hanging on to their cars longer. This has been bad news for dealers, automakers and suppliers, but it’s great for repair shops and par...

Argentina is punishing companies that are hurting its trade balance. Nissan is one of those companies. Prices for iron ore, aluminum and other commodities are plummeting, and it’s all because of the Chinese economy. Car sales in the U.S. have steadily increased throughout the year and the top economists at Ford and GM say next year will be even better. All that and more, plus John responds to your...

Hourly workers at Ford in the U.S. ratified a new labor contract but now the attention will turn to the voting on the Chrysler contract. The price of steel could fall by nearly 300 dollars a ton compared to its peak in April. Several lawsuits have been filed against suppliers, accusing them of an international price fixing scam involving wire harnesses. All that and more, plus a walkaround of the...

In somewhat surprising news, Daimler announced it’s fired the head of Mercedes-Benz USA, Ernst Lieb. There’s been a lot of drama between Volkswagen and Suzuki lately, and now The Wall Street Journal reports Vee Dub will not sell its 20 percent stake in the Japanese automaker. Toyota is ready to open its latest plant, located in Blue Springs, Mississippi and home to the 2012 Corolla. All that and m...

The voting on the UAW contract at Ford swung to 62 percent in favor over the weekend. Toyota is building a hybrid racecar to compete in the 24 hours of Le Mans and other FIA World Endurance Championships. BMW just introduced the all-new 3 Series which will go on sale next February. All that and more, plus Bob Lutz gives us a walk-around of the new Lotus Evora.