Daily Archives: June 3, 2018
Donald Trump Wants to Keep German Luxury Car Makers Out
A short Tweet from US President Donald Trump is causing a lot of panic for German luxury car companies. The outspoken leader also singled out Mercedes-Benz in his statements.
Citing German magazine WirtschaftsWoche as source, Fortune said in their translation of the news that Trump is looking to ban German cars in the American soil. Unnamed diplomatic personalities close to French President Emmanuel Macron claimed Trump told his counterpart in France that he will be maintaining his trade policy “until no Mercedes models rolled on Fifth Avenue in New York.”
Although there was a special mention of Mercedes in his statement, it was reported that the decision would also affect other German automakers like Porsche and Volkswagen (including its Audi brand).
Earlier, Trump was pushing for heavy tariffs on car imports. It should be noted that under national security laws, up to 25% levies can be imposed. That resulted in the stocks of European and Asian car makers sliding down. The Wall Street Journal traced the move back to Trump.
Saving Domestic Jobs
“There will be big news coming soon for our great American Autoworkers. After many decades of losing your jobs to other countries, you have waited long enough!” the flamboyant president posted in Twitter last May 23.
There will be big news coming soon for our great American Autoworkers. After many decades of losing your jobs to other countries, you have waited long enough!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 23, 2018
Based on the US president’s Tweet, he is keeping out the foreign players in order to boost domestic jobs. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross defended the move saying, “there is evidence suggesting that, for decades, imports from abroad have eroded our domestic auto industry.”
“When you walk down Fifth Avenue, everybody has a Mercedes-Benz parked in front of his house,” Trump said according to Wall Street Journal’s translation of the comments in Bild, another German magazine. “You were very unfair to the U.S.A. It isn’t mutual. How many Chevrolets do you see in Germany? Not many, maybe none, you don’t see anything at all over there. It’s a one-way street,” he added.
Will There Be a New Dodge Viper?
The Dodge Viper is probably one of the most iconic cars of our generation. With its production tracing back from 1992 to 2010 and then making a comeback in 2012, it was sad to see it go last year. So, during the recent interview of Fiat Chrysler Automotive CEO Sergio Marchionne, he was asked if there are plans to revive the sports car.
Based on Marchionne’s statement, the future of the Viper remains bleak. He said that the Viper cannot stand on its own because it needs to share its architecture. Then, it needs a platform specifically designed to house its American engine. Another factor holding back the return of the sports car was its low sales volume.
With that, the rumors about the sixth-generation Dodge Viper were doused. It was previously speculated that there were plans for the new model to ditch its V10 engine in favor of a new naturally-aspirated V8. The unit will be able to produce 558 hp for its base trim and up to 710 hp for its range-topping trim. Reports claimed too that the upcoming Viper will get a lighter platform, but it will retain its distinctive shape as well as its front-engine and rear-drive set-up.
For now, it appears that the fate of the Viper has been sealed though.
Dodge Continuing the Charger and Challenger
Despite the heartbreaking developments about the Viper, Dodge will go on with its Charger and Challenger models. Marchionne said that the two will get an upgraded architecture.
The FCA CEO noted that they will likely continue using the Giorgio platform for the cars. However, the architecture needs an upgrade to make the models more competitive. He hinted that by the time they are finished reworking the current platform, we might not be able to recognize it from its origins.
Alfa Romeo To Add Full-Sized And Crossover SUVs In 2022 Lineup
Given the growth of the crossover’s popularity, it’s pretty interesting to know that Alfa Romeo only has one crossover in its lineup, the Stelvio. That is about to change as the company revealed it will get two new SUVs—a crossover and a full-sized, three-row SUV—in 2022. That’s four years from now, but let’s hope that the automaker will fulfill its promise of two additional SUVs.
During the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ capital-markets day in Italy, Alfa Romeo announced that in the next four years, investors and fans of the brand should be ready for the brand-new SUVs.
The subcompact SUV crossover will be in competition with the Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Mercedes-Benz GLA Class. The three-row SUV will try to take a chunk out of the market dominated by the Audi Q7, BMW X5, and Mercedes-Benz GLE Class. Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio, on the other hand, is in direct competition with Mercedes GLC Class, BMW X3, and Audi Q5.
There are no details yet about these two new SUVs for 2022, but we can expect the full-sized SUV to use the rear-wheel-drive-based architecture of the platform currently used on the Giulia and the Stelvio. There will also be a hybrid powertrain seeing as this is a segment that Alfa Romeo is keen to enter.
The smaller crossover will use a front-drive layout that will be more space efficient considering that most crossovers could only fit in five people max. The platform is going to be shared with the upcoming Giulietta compact car.
In the past, there have been problems about Alfa Romeo’s ability to meet its deadline (sounds familiar, Tesla?), and this ambitious new project could meet some surprises and challenges along the way, too. Alfa Romeo is working to reenter the US market, and this could be the trigger that would reopen the door. There’s going to be a new GTV and 8C sports car, too.
3 Things To Know About The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport Landmark Edition
Be prepared to be wowed by the Landmark Edition of the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The Discovery Sport first came into our consciousness in 2014 as the replacement for the Freelander. Since then, it has become the fastest-selling Land Rover of all time, prompting the company to create a series of special-edition models.
1. Exterior
The Landmark Edition for the Discovery Sport has a subdued appearance and does not look any different from the regular Discovery Sport. It is meant to be that way, though you’ll easily find the differences in the Carpathian Grey roof and the Graphite Atlas accents on the grille, bumpers, and wheel arches. There’s a couple of pairs of 19-inch Mantis wheels that are in Gloss Dark Grey.
There are three hues to choose from if you want the Landmark Edition. There’s Narvik Black, Corris Grey, and Yulong White. Experts agree that the white exterior color palette is the best one for the grey roof and body accents.
2. Interior
The inside of the Landmark Edition is as elegant as they come. The seats are wrapped in grained leather in Ebony color and a matching headliner. On the center stack is a dark grey aluminum trim and panoramic roof. Additional tech and features are the Meridian sound system and a heated steering wheel. It’s not much more than what’s already in the standard model, but these are tech features you won’t get access to even in the options list.
3. Powertrain
The Landmark Edition is using the lone 2.0-liter Ingenium diesel engine that is shared with the XE sedan. You can get it in either the 150, 180, or 240 horsepower. This output is paired with 317 pound-feet of torque. To get the car to 62 mph from a complete standstill, you’ll need 8.9 seconds. The top speed is 117 mph.
