AD #2270 – Ford Spends Billions on EVs, Ferrari Wants to Take on Tesla, Eyes on Design Winners

On today’s show…Ford cuts back on passenger vehicles…Ferrari wants to take on Tesla… and Kia takes the wraps off the new Forte. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show that covers all aspects of the global automotive industry.

FORD CUTS BACK ON CARS
As we’ve reported, the whole world is going crazy for crossover vehicles. And to help deal with the shift in consumer taste, Ford is going to introduce more SUVs to its line-up, while cutting back on passenger cars. It wants to increase its SUV mix by 10%, while lowering sedans by the same rate. Some new models could include “authentic off-roaders and high-performance city crossovers.” At the same time, the company is beefing up its line-up of electrified vehicles. It’s spending $11 billion to rollout 40 new electrified models globally by 2022, including 16 battery-electric vehicles. Ford says these moves will help make it stronger, more profitable and provide better returns.

INFINITI PLANS ELECTRIFIED LINE-UP
Recently a number of automakers have announced plans to electrify their line-ups within the next decade. And now Infiniti is joining the party. By 2021, all of its new vehicles will offer an electrified powertrain. One of the options will be its e-POWER technology, which uses a small gasoline engine to charge a high-output battery. The company will also introduce its first pure EV the same year. Thanks to the new commitment, Infiniti expects half of its sales will be electrified vehicles by 2025.

FERRARI WANTS TO TAKE ON TESLA
And speaking of electric luxury cars, Ferrari will introduce a battery-powered supercar to take on the Tesla Roadster. CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the Detroit auto show “People are amazed at what Tesla did with a supercar. I’m not trying to minimize what Elon did but I think it’s doable by all of us.” However, he did not say when it would launch. Marchionne also revealed that Ferrari will introduce its first SUV in late 2019 or 2020.

Still to come…a look at the best-looking vehicles at the Detroit auto show, according to designers.

INDYCAR DEBUTS NEW AERO KIT
2017 marked the last year that manufacturers were allowed to design their own aero kits for the Verizon IndyCar racing series. Drivers disliked the fact that many of the little aero pieces could easily break off. But the new universal bodywork was just unveiled at the Detroit auto show and there’s the belief more manufacturers will join the series because they won’t have to spend millions designing aero kits. The design was inspired by Indy cars of the early 1990s with the hope it will create more exciting racing. The large rear wings that created a ton of downforce, but also produced a lot of turbulence, are gone. It’s a much sleeker design. Weight has been reduced and shifted forward as well, for better overall balance. So the cars should be faster and following distances cut in half. The racers will be starting their engines on March 11th.

EYES ON DESIGN WINNERS
Every year Eyes on Design descends on the Detroit auto show with over 30 of the best designers, past and present, in the industry, to hand out awards for best designs. So, it’s a great honor for an OEM to get an award and this year’s winners were just announced. The Infiniti Q Inspiration won for both Best Concept Vehicle and Best Interior Design. Best Production Vehicle went to the BMW X2. It also took home honors for Vehicle Harmonization. The Ram 1500 was awarded Best Designed User Experience and Innovative Use of Color was given to the Nissan XMotion. Congrats to the winners.

Coming up next, Kia reveals the new Forte.

KIA REVEALS THE NEW FORTE
Kia took the wraps off the new Forte. It’s styling has been slightly refreshed but it still retains the look of the outgoing model. The length of the vehicle has been increased, which was used to provide extra legroom for passengers and more cargo space in the trunk. The vehicle is powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine that features Atkinson Cycle technology and a cooled EGR system. The engine can be mated to a six-speed manual or what Kia calls an Intelligent Variable Transmission or IVT for short. Built in house by the automaker, the IVT is a modified CVT that uses a chain-like belt instead of a push belt, which helps it mimic a conventional automatic transmission. The setup is expected to deliver a combined 35 MPG, which is 3 better than the current model. The new Forte goes on sale later this year in the U.S.

For more from the Detroit auto show, be sure to check out our coverage. We talked to automakers and suppliers about their latest reveals, newest technology and how new trends are impacting the industry. Look for that on our website or on our YouTube channel.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.