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Runtime: 7:56
0:07 Jeep Gladiator Impressions
3:32 Roush To Build Autonomous Agricultural Vehicle
4:02 Byton Completes Winter Testing in Mongolia
5:10 U.S. Car Sales Rebound in March
6:01 Top Automakers Struggle in March
6:34 Automakers & SAE Form New AV Consortium
7:03 Toyota Grants Free Access to EV Patents
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This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.
JEEP GLADIATOR IMPRESSIONS
The mid-size pickup segment has seen significant growth over the last several years and one of the most interesting examples is about to hit the market, the Jeep Gladiator. There’s no other truck that offers its combination of features. Fold down windshield, removable doors and roof (hard or soft top), manual transmission, lockable storage under and behind the rear seats, half fold down tailgate (we’ll get to that in a moment) and an optional diesel engine. No word yet when we’ll see the diesel. At launch the Gladiator will only be available with a 3.6L Pentastar V6 that produces 285-horsepower. We already mentioned the manual, but an 8-speed automatic can be had as well. Both setups are rated at 19 miles to the gallon combined. Maximum towing capacity comes in over 7,000-pounds, while payload tops out at 1,600-pounds. I just got back from driving the Gladiator. I’ve got to say leading up to it, I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to drive a truck and it hardly disappointed. Some will say it’s just a Wrangler with a bed on the back, but with a longer wheelbase and a rear suspension setup that borrows design from the Ram 1500, the Gladiator has much better on-road manners. The engine has confidence-inspiring acceleration when needed and real-world fuel economy is right on par with EPA-estimates. And the off-road prowess of Jeep never ceases to amaze me. But it’s not all sunshine and roses. The interior seemed a bit cramped. There’s plenty of head room, but the walls seem to come closing in. The steering was too light at times and the truck would wander slightly in its lane. Not bad, but noticeable. I attributed this to the solid front axle. And I’m not sure how useful the Gladiator’s short 5-foot bed will be to truck customers. It does fit most motor and pedal bikes and the half fold down tailgate does extend bed use. When half folded, the top of the tailgate lines up with the top of the wheel wells. So, up to 19 sheets of plywood or drywall can be laid flat on top of each other. Lastly is price. Aside from the Honda Ridgeline, all other mid-size pickups start well under $30,000. The base price for the Gladiator is just over $35,000. A Rubicon model starts at $45,000 and don’t be surprised to see loaded models crest $60,000. But I’d like to know if you think the Gladiator will be a sales success? If so, who should be worried? Toyota with the Tacoma? GM and its mid-size twins? Or is Ram crossing its fingers that the Gladiator won’t steal its sales? Let us know in the comments.
ROUSH TO BUILD AUTONOMOUS AGRICULTURAL VEHICLE
Roush Industries, which is best known for its high-performance aftermarket vehicles and parts, is teaming up with FarmWise, a San Francisco agricultural startup, to build autonomous vegetable weeders. Roush will build 12 units this year and make more in 2020. FarmWise says the autonomous weeders, which can operate 24/7, will help save on labor costs, increase the yield of crops and replace herbicides.
BYTON COMPLETES WINTER TESTING IN MONGOLIA
The Chinese electric startup Byton, is gearing up for the introduction of its M-Byte SUV. The company just completed winter testing in Mongolia, where engineers drove prototypes for thousands of miles on both open roads and test tracks. The company focused on durability and powertrain calibration. Byton is also currently testing the M-Byte in North America and production of the model is scheduled to begin at the end of the year in China.
We have a great Autoline After Hours lined up for this Thursday. Joining John and Gary is the one and only, Sandy Munro. This time he’ll be here to tell you all about his teardown of a Chinese version of a Tesla Model 3. How does it differ from a U.S. model? What has improved since his last teardown? Tune in at 3PM Eastern Time on Thursday to find out.
U.S. CAR SALES REBOUND IN MARCH
After a slow start to the year, U.S. car sales rebounded in March. According to Wards Intelligence, automakers sold over 1.6 million light vehicles last month, which is a 1.5% gain on a daily selling rate basis. And that’s with one less selling day compared to a year ago. The SAAR surged to nearly 17.5 million, which beat analysts’ expectations of 16.8 million. So, what’s going on? Most experts predicted sales would fall. Could it be that the government shutdown and severe winter storms tamped down sales, and now consumers are buying again? Or is the economy stronger than economists realize? After all, unemployment is at record lows and wages are rising. Either way it’s good news for the industry.
| U.S.SALES MARCH 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1.61 M | +1.5% |
| SAAR | 17.48 M | |
| Source: Wards Intelligence | ||
TOP AUTOMAKERS STRUGGLE IN MARCH
But while sales improved, most of the top automakers struggled in March. General Motors recorded a 5% drop. Ford’s sales tumbled about 2%. Toyota barely eked out a gain and FCA and Nissan were both down about 4%. Honda was the only full-size manufacturer to outpace the overall market. And passenger cars continue to slide. Carmakers sold 42,000 fewer sedans than a year ago.
| U.S. SALES MARCH 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| GM | 271,112 | -5.1% |
| Ford | 224,303 | -1.8% |
| Toyota | 214,945 | +0.1% |
| FCA | 198,991 | -3.9% |
| Nissan | 150,768 | -3.8% |
| Honda | 148,509 | +8.2% |
| Pass Cars | -42,356 | -7.9% |
| Source: Wards Intelligence | ||
AUTOMAKERS & SAE FORM NEW AV CONSORTIUM
General Motors, Ford and Toyota, along with the Society of Automotive Engineers, are forming a consortium to create safety standards for autonomous vehicles, that they hope will become a framework for future regulations. Called the Automotive Vehicle Safety Consortium, the group will focus on data sharing, testing guidelines and how self-driving cars interact with other vehicles on the road. The goal is to speed up development of autonomous vehicles.
TOYOTA GRANTS FREE ACCESS TO EV PATENTS
And to help speed up the adoption of electrified vehicles, Toyota is granting royalty-free access to nearly 24,000 patents it holds on EV technology. It will also provide technical support, for a fee, to any manufacturer that uses its EV systems and technology in their vehicles. Toyota is granting licenses to its patents starting now through 2030. Reducing emissions and pollution is a top priority for the company and it hopes this will help achieve that goal.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and we’ll see you tomorrow.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.
