AD #2785 – Would Be Geneva Reveals Revealed; BMW Top U.S. Exporter by Value; 2021 Ford F-150 Spy Shots?

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

The coronavirus may have cancelled the Geneva Auto Show, but automakers are doing virtual reveals online. At 1 pm eastern time today we’ll be doing a live YouTube interview with Stephanie Brinley from IHS Markit, on how cancelling the show and probably other auto shows will impact the auto industry, so be sure to tune in to that. But in the meantime let’s get to the cars.

HYUNDAI SHOWS SLEEK EV CONCEPT
We start with Hyundai which unveiled an all-electric concept called the Prophecy. Hyundai uses a lot of mumbo-jumbo designer talk, like saying the car is “balancing nature and technology, emotion and practicality.” But it is a cool design, very sculptural and fluid. It’s extended wheelbase and short overhangs give it good proportions. It features long, unbroken lines running from nose to tail. The front end is simple and clean, and almost looks like a Japanese car from the 90’s. Note the interesting use of pixelated lighting on the rear spoiler and taillights. Though Hyundai did not show the interior, it says the car uses a joystick instead of a steering wheel to provide more room for the driver. Hyundai says it’s going to sell 640,000 battery electric and fuel cell cars a year globally by 2025, and hopefully the Prophecy shows the design direction it will take.

ALL-NEW MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
Mercedes revealed the new E-Class and let’s go through some of the highlights. It will first be offered in sedan and wagon variants and for the first time in the U.S. an All-Terrain model, which looks like it has a slightly raised suspension and black fenders over the wheel arches. The coupe, convertible and long-wheelbase version for China will follow soon. There will be a wide range of powertrains globally, which includes gas and diesel engines that are paired with 48-volt and plug-in hybrid technology as well as optional all-wheel drive. The AMG version comes standard with all-wheel drive and an electric motor sandwiched between the turbocharged 3.0L engine and 9-speed transmission. The setup produces 429 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque. The interior of all new E-Classes will come standard with two ten and a quarter inch display screens, but will have the option for two 12.3 inch screens. It goes on sale in Europe this summer and in the U.S. this fall. Click on the headline in the transcript or look for the link in the description box below to learn more.

DETAILS ABOUT VW’S ID.4 ELECTRIC CROSSOVER
Volkswagen shared some details about its upcoming ID.4 electric compact crossover. It has a range of 500 kilometers or about 310 miles. It will first be available in rear-wheel drive, while an all-wheel-drive system will be added later. The ID.4 will launch this year and will be produced and sold in China, Europe and the U.S.

AUDI TAKES WRAPS OFF A3 SPORTBACK
Audi took the wraps off the fourth-generation A3 Sportback, which is slightly longer than before but its height and wheelbase remain the same. It features an updated exterior design, including new LED headlights. The interior comes with a new shifter, aluminum or carbon inlays and a standard 10.1-inch touchscreen. It’s being launched in Europe with three engine choices, a 1.5L gasoline engine and a 2.0L diesel with two power outputs. The engines are mated to a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. More engine options will be added later, including electrified versions. Presales of the A3 Sportback begin this month in Europe and deliveries to customers start in May.

BMW i4 CONCEPT HINTS AT PRODUCTION VEHICLE
BMW showed off the i4 concept and oohwee the twin kidneys grilles are starting to look more like twin nostrils. But this is BMW’s all-new, all-electric sedan, which we’ll see a production version of in 2021. The interior is also said to give a glimpse at the production version, which is purposefully minimalistic and features a large, curved display screen as its focal point. BMW will be shooting for a range of 600 WLTP kilometers, which converts to a little over 330 EPA miles. The i4 will have an output of up to 530 horsepower, which means there will be other models with less power and its fastest 0 to 100 km/h time will be approximately 4.0 seconds.

NEW PORSCHE 911 TURBO S
And Porsche introduced its new top of the line 911 Turbo S, which is the quickest and most powerful 911 Turbo ever. It’s powered by a new 3.8L six-cylinder boxer engine that’s mated to an 8-speed dual clutch transmission. The setup cranks out 640 horsepower, 60 more than before and 590 lb.ft. of torque. The 911 Turbo S now rockets from 0 to 60 MPH in just 2.6 seconds, which is two tenths of a second faster than before. But all that power doesn’t come cheap. The Coupe costs just under $205,000 and the cabriolet has a price tag of over $217,000. Orders for the 911 Turbo S start soon and they’ll arrive at U.S. dealerships by the end of this year.

BMW AGAIN TOP EXPORTER BY VALUE IN U.S.
For the sixth consecutive year, BMW was the top automotive exporter by value in the U.S., according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina exported more than 246,000 of its X crossover models last year, which had a total export value of $9.6 billion. The models produced at that plant are sold in 125 countries around the world. The Spartanburg facility is BMW’s largest globally. The plant built more than 411,000 models last year and has a capacity to produce 450,000 vehicles annually.

TOYOTA AND FAW TO BUILD NEV PLANT IN CHINA
Despite the coronavirus wreaking havoc on the Chinese production industry, Toyota is still making plans in the country. The automaker and its joint venture partner FAW are investing about $1.2 billion to build a new plant that will make new-energy vehicles and have a capacity of 200,000 units a year.

ALFA ROMEO COMES OUT WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE GIULIA GTA
To celebrate its 110-year anniversary, Alfa Romeo is coming out with a limited-edition model. Called the Giulia GTA, it’s based on the Giulia Quadrifoglio and its name is borrowed from the Giulia Sprint GTA from 1965. The new Giulia GTA is a track only car that is powered by a 2.9L V6 twin-turbo that cranks out 540 horsepower and it moves from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. There’s also a modified version called the GTAm, which is street legal and features two racing seats, a roll bar and six-point seat belts. And thanks to the adoption of lightweight materials, especially a number of carbon fiber components, the GTA is 220 pounds lighter than the Quadrifoglio. If you’re interested you better act fast because Alfa will only make 500.

CUPRA PRODUCES FIRST MODEL FROM THE GROUND UP
CUPRA, the performance motorsport division of Spanish automaker SEAT, developed its first model from the ground up, an SUV called the Formentor. The sleek utility vehicle merges elements from SEAT, like the front and rear lighting signatures with sporty features and an emphasis on the long hood and rear end. The interior is highlighted by an LED light strip that bends across the top of the dash and into the doors as well as a 12-inch center display screen and copper accents that can be mirrored on the exterior. The Formentor will be launched with two powertrain options. One is 2.0L turbocharged gas engine that produces about 300 horsepower and is mated to all-wheel drive. The other is a plug-in hybrid setup that combines a 1.4L gas engine with an 85 kW electric motor and a 13 kWh battery pack. It produces nearly 245 horsepower and provides around 50 kilometers or 31 miles of range. Both setups are matched with a dual clutch transmission. Deliveries begin in the 4th quarter, but no word on pricing yet.

FAURECIA DEVELOPS CAMERA LENS CLEANING SOLUTION
We have another camera and sensor cleaning solution to show you from the supplier Faurecia. This one is for camera lenses. While the lenses have a hydrophobic coating that will help repel water, they’re more sensitive to fluid buildup, which can impair vision. So, Faurecia’s camera washing solution uses a mixture of fluid and compressed air to clean off the lens. You can hear it working here… A hood sits overtop of the lense and sprays the mixture from a very close distance. Because it uses air as well, the system actually uses less fluid than if it was just a fluid-based system. Also that hydrophobic coating will break down over time, so a system like this would be even more important over the life of the vehicle. Faurecia says the jet of air can be generated by an on-demand compressor or a compressor and tank system, which could also be used for other vehicle features like the ride control system.

A viewer sent us a couple of pictures of a camouflaged Ford truck, which they believe is the 2021 F-150. If it is that truck, there’s a couple of things we notice. The grille doesn’t extend as much into the front headlight assemblies, which gives them a more blocky-look, kind of like the Super Duty trucks. And the rear taillights look more like the ones on the 2014 model year F-150. Let us know what you think of the styling changes.

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