AD #3192 – Ford Reports Q3 Earnings; New IIHS Side Crash Test; Cool New Headlight Technology

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

FORD REPORTS ITS Q3 EARNINGS
Ford reported its third quarter earnings and we think the company has some explaining to do. More on that in a minute. First the numbers. Ford sold just over a million vehicles worldwide over the last three months, down 14% from last year. It raked in more than $35 billion in revenue, and posted a net profit of $1.8 billion. Here’s why we think the company has some explaining to do. Let’s compare it to General Motors. Ford sold 300,000 fewer vehicles than GM, but brought in nearly $9 billion more in revenue. Super impressive. But GM posted over half a billion dollars more in net profit. Specifically, Ford posted a net profit margin of 5%, while GM posted one of 9%. So our question is: where did all the money go between the top line and the bottom line at Ford?

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Q3, 2021 Earnings
	Ford	GM
Sales	1 Million	1.3 Million
Revenue	$35.6 Billion	$26.7 Billion
Net Profit	$1.8 Billion	$2.4 Billion
Net Margin	5.1%	9%

IIHS INTRODUCING NEW SIDE IMPACT CRASH TEST
Just when automakers thought they were doing a good job meeting side impact standards, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is raising the bar. It’s introducing a new, tougher side-impact test that addresses higher-speed accidents. The current test smashes a 3,300-pound barrier into the side of a vehicle at 31 MPH. The new test uses a 4,180-pound barrier that hits the car at 37 MPH. The surface of the new barrier also features a different design that mimics how an SUV or pickup collides with another vehicle. The IIHS just tested 20 small SUVs using the new procedure and only one, the 2021 Mazda CX-5, earned a good rating. For comparison, all of the SUVs earned a good rating in the old test. Nine received acceptable ratings in the new test, eight earned marginal ratings and only two received poor ratings, the Honda HR-V and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. For now, the IIHS will use both tests in its ratings but starting in 2023 the new test will replace the old one. Drivers of a vehicle that earns a good side-rating are 70% less likely to die in a left-side impact than a vehicle with a poor rating. Side impacts still account for 23% of occupant deaths in passenger vehicles.

Over the last decade Jeep was one of the wonder stories of the auto industry. Sales grew exponentially as the brand added more models and branched into new markets. So now what can it do to maintain that kind of growth? Are electric vehicles the answer? We’ll be getting that later this afternoon on Autoline After Hours with Jim Morrison, who heads up the Jeep brand in North America. And if you’ve got questions you’d like us to ask him, post them in the comments section, tweet them to us, or send an email to viewermail@autoline.tv. Then join John and Gary for some of the best insights into what’s going on in the automotive industry.

RIVIAN VAN DETAILS REVEALED IN NHTSA DOCUMENTS
We’re learning more information about Rivian’s delivery van from an owner’s forum that picked up on a document filed with NHTSA. There will be two vans at first, the 500 and 700, which represents the cargo capacity. A 900 version is also scheduled to be offered at some point. It also notes the 500 will be available in left- and right-hand drive variants. While it doesn’t reveal battery size, it shows there will be two FWD vans, one single motor and the other dual, and an AWD version with two single motors. The first examples of the vans are expected to launch in the U.S. before the year is out.

HONDA READY FOR SEMA
Now let’s shift over to Honda who’s racing into SEMA with a prototype version of its new turn-key Civic Si race car that’s designed for Touring Car competition. The car doesn’t feature a sunroof, sound proofing, underbody coating and seam sealer, which reduces weight and makes it easier to install the roll cage. After that it gets all sorts of performance and safety components.

But if racing is not your thing and you still want that really sporty look, Honda’s showing a number of cosmetic accessories for the Civic Si that will be available through dealerships, including front side and rear spoilers as well as black wheels and new emblems and logos.

With overlanding being the new hotness, it’s also showing how you could equip the Passport and Ridgeline for that sort of thing.

And this being Honda, it will have an Africa Twin all decked out for overlanding, too.

But it’s cool car is a 1996 Accord Wagon that’s been slammed to the ground and has a $6,500 Civic Type R crate engine shoehorned under the hood. It’s even painted to look like the Japanese Touring Car Championship-winning Accord from the same era. SEMA kicks off in Las Vegas next week.

HYUNDAI MOBIS SHOWS OFF COOL NEW TECH
Hyundai Mobis, the parts and service arm of the Hyundai Group, is showing off some cool technology. Its new HD Lighting system has the ability to turn off individual pixels, which creates a gap in the beam, so it doesn’t blind other road users, like we’ve seen from Audi. But it goes beyond that.

A projector system has the ability to display icons on the road that provide information to the driver as well as pedestrians and other drivers. For example, it could project an image that indicates there’s a slippery spot in the road or construction up ahead. But we think the coolest examples are the ability to show lane markings at night, turn signals and even the width of the car, so you know if you can fit into a tight spot. And I’m not sure if any of you noticed, but I also think the vehicle shown in this video is the all-new, all-electric IONIQ 6 sedan that should be making its debut sometime soon. Let us know what you think?

The other tech from Hyundai Mobis is what it calls an e-corner module. It’s a wheel assembly that incorporates the steering, braking, suspension and drive motor into one unit. And with the ability to turn up to 90-degrees it allows the vehicle to move sideways or even rotate in place. The Hyundai Group has plans to get into PBVs or Purpose Built Vehicles, like mobility shuttles. And Hyundai Mobis says it plans to build a skateboard module with four e-corners by 2023 and by 2025 will incorporate it with AV tech.

KIA REVEALS U.S. SPORTAGE
Kia teased the new Sportage for the U.S. the other day and now here it is. But you already knew what it looked like because it’s the same as the global Sportage that debuted earlier this year. However, there are some important things to note. It’s quite a bit larger than the outgoing model, overall length is 7-inches longer, which results in 28% more cargo room and 3 more inches of legroom for rear seat passengers. And thanks to ground clearance increasing by more than 2-inches it gave Kia the confidence to offer new, more rugged X-Line and X-Pro trim lines. Both come standard with AWD, but all the ruggedness of the X-Line is cosmetic. It features unique bumpers, 19-inch wheels, raised roof rack rails as well as black mirrors, window surrounds and roof rack. The X-Pro isn’t much more capable. It has the same design features, plus a few more, and adds knobby BF Goodrich tires and Multi-Terrain drive modes. Powering the first versions available in the U.S. is a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that’s estimated to get 187 horsepower. It’s paired to an 8-speed automatic and either front- or all-wheel drive. But Kia says stay tuned for the LA Auto Show that starts on November 19th because it will reveal more information about the Sportage Hybrid. A plug-in hybrid is expected to debut a few months after that. And while we’ve shown you the interior in the past, we should note that Kia is changing the name of its infotainment system from UVO to Kia Connect because it says the system does so much more now, including over-the-air updates. The Sportage goes on sale early next year.

VW OFFERS PUMPKIN CARVING TEMPLATE
If you’re looking for a last minute pumpkin carving idea for Halloween, Volkswagen has got your back. It has a free stencil that you can download to make your pumpkin mimic the face of the all-electric ID.4, but with a little more attitude.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching.