AD #2293 – Titan Redesign Pays Off for Nissan, Volvo Introduces 1st Three-Cylinder Engine, Why Ram Ditched Crosshair Grille

On today’s show…Nissan’s redesign of the Titan pickup is paying off…Volvo introduces its first three-cylinder engine…and Ram explains why it got rid of its iconic crosshair grille. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.

AUDI & PORSCHE DEVELOPING EV PLATFORM
Last year, Audi and Porsche teamed up to develop electric vehicles and now we’re learning more about the partnership. The two companies are currently working on an exclusive architecture for EVs called the Premium Platform Electric. It’s a scalable architecture that will accommodate both SUVs and sedans and is expected to result in three model families. It’s a big project, there are 550 Audi employees and 300 from Porsche developing the platform. Audi and Porsche say the cost would be 30% higher to create a platform like this on their own. The first models built on the new platform will launch in late 2021.

CHEVY BENEFITS FROM MODEL 3 ISSUES
And in other EV news, as we’ve reported, Tesla and GM will be the first automakers to sell 200,000 plug-in vehicles in the U.S., which is when federal tax incentives for plug-ins start to run out. Some are predicting Tesla could hit that number by fall and while GM won’t be too far behind, it’s benefiting from having the only affordable, long-range EV you don’t have to wait for. Tesla recently sent an email to some customers who made early reservations for the base Model 3, that their vehicle won’t be delivered until early next year. That’s got some ticked off that they have to wait so long and worries them that they might miss out on the tax credits. And now some Chevy dealers are starting to see an increase in Bolt EV sales. Tesla isn’t too worried now, with some 400,000 reservations for the Model 3, but this was always a risk with trying to sell a mass-market EV. The general buyer isn’t as forgiving and if delays continue, it’s possible we could see a whole lot more cancelled orders.

DILLON WINS DAYTONA 500
The NASCAR season kicked off yesterday with the wreck filled Daytona 500. It was the inaugural race for Chevrolet’s new NASCAR bodywork, modelled after the Camaro ZL1. Austin Dillon won the race and longtime Autoline Daily viewers will remember he’s sponsored by Dow Automotive which is also a great sponsor of ours.

Still to come…Volvo makes history with the new XC40.

VOLVO INTRODUCES 1ST THREE-CYLINDER ENGINE
Volvo recently introduced the XC40 and now we’re learning more about what will power the small SUV. For the first time ever in the company’s 91-year history, it will offer a 3-cylinder engine. The 1.5L unit comes standard with a 6-speed manual transmission and an optional 8-speed automatic will follow next year. A 150-horsepower diesel and a gas engine that produces 190-horsepower are also available. A hybrid and pure electric are coming at a later date. It does not seem like the 3-cylinder will make its way to the U.S., but we do get the new more upscale Inscription model, which includes some unique styling.

TITAN REDESIGN PAYS OFF FOR NISSAN
Back in 2004 Nissan decided to jump into the full size pickup segment with the Titan. It made a whole lot of sense, the pickup segment offers huge volume and profits. But try as it may, it never made a dent against the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado or the Ram. But two years ago, Nissan decided it had to make another go of it. So it completely redesigned the Titan, and came out with a heavy duty version and also added a diesel. That made a big difference. Last year sales of the Titan shot up more than 140%. The numbers are still not that big. Nissan only sold 53,000 Titans last year. And it’s no threat to Ford, Chevy or Ram. But if Nissan can keep on growing sales, it’s going to get some decent volume out of the truck.

And speaking of trucks. Coming up next, the head of Ram, explains why the company ditched its crosshair grille for the new pickup.

WHY RAM DITCHED CROSSHAIR GRILLE
The crosshair grille on Ram pickups is one of its most iconic features but the company decided to abandon it for the new model. On Autoline This Week, Jim Morrison, the head of the Ram brand, told us why the company made the change.

(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)

If you want to learn more about the new Ram, you can watch that entire episode on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.

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