ON THE TABLE

January 9, 2013

(Images courtesy of The Lincoln Motor Company)

Lincoln will introduce the MKC Concept, "a vision of how Lincoln will enter the industry’s fastest-growing small luxury utility segment," at the Detroit Auto Show media preview this week. “We are reinventing Lincoln by focusing on the largest and fastest-growing segments of the luxury market, while offering clients something different,” said Jim Farley, executive vice president of Global Marketing, Sales and Service and Lincoln. “The just-introduced MKZ re-establishes Lincoln in the largest luxury segment, and the MKC Concept highlights a key opportunity in the fastest-growing part of the luxury market.” The second new Lincoln after the recently introduced MKZ, the MKC is expected to hit showrooms one year from now.

 Dan "Captain Queeg"Akerson. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Akerson, GM's "Accidental Tourist" CEO was interviewed in GM PR's house organ - aka The Wall Street Journal - today and I found particular interest in one exchange (my comments in parentheses). WSJ: What are a few things you want to accomplish during your tenure? Akerson: I would like to see Cadillac become a global brand. (The likelihood of that happening? Slim. And none.) I would like to see Opel cut its losses this year by anywhere from one-third to one-half. (Throwing good money after bad, now there's a strategy.) I would like to see Chevrolet become a true global brand. It is number four in the world today. I think it has to move up. I am not satisfied with fourth place. (I would like to see the Lions win a Super Bowl too.) I would like to get to investment grade rating this year. I would like to purchase the remaining shares, or have the government exit in one form or another. (So you can cash out in a year, right, Cap'n?) - PMD

 Chevrolet. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The new global advertising theme for the brand is "Find New Roads," which replaces the short-lived "Chevy Runs Deep." I was never a fan of "Chevy Runs Deep" as I viewed it as a positioning line that never should have seen the light of day. I'll reserve judgment on the new theme until I see actual executions. It could be good, but it could be decidedly ordinary and boring as well. A giant "we'll see" at this point. - PMD

 GM. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Rumors have been flying for a while now that GM was contemplating a freshening of its recently introduced Malibu because it hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire. Automotive News is reporting the same thing this week. Remember, the Malibu is the car that GM's "Accidental Tourist" CEO rushed to market because it was going to be hot and they needed it. Well, it hasn't worked that way. Maybe it's because the Malibu looks like it was designed by a couple of different design studios within GM Design. Or maybe it's the fact that hanging the Camaro-esque tail on it doesn't really work. But now that Honda has rushed a successful change to its Civic to market after only eighteen months, GM is contemplating the same for the Malibu. Memo to GM: Keep Captain Queeg as far away as possible from any decisions on making changes to the Malibu. He doesn't have a frickin' clue. - PMD

 NHTSA. Hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturers would have to equip their "quiet' vehicles to make sounds under proposed regulations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in order to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. The rules were ordered by Congress three years ago. NHTSA suggests that designing the vehicles to make noise at speeds below 18 mph would prevent about 2,800 injuries over the life of each model year of vehicles. How the hell they came up with that number is anyone's guess. Current working suggestions for these sounds for hybrid and electric vehicles are not limited to electronic tones, interestingly enough. Other options include audibly voiced suggestions like: "Walk much?" "What in the hell is the matter with you?" "Seriously?" "Don't even think about it." And "Nice shorts."

 Dieter Zetsche. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Ending 2012 with a bang, the Daimler CEO told the German newspaper Boersen-Zeitung that he hoped Mercedes-Benz would return to the top spot in the premium car market ahead of Audi and BMW by 2020. "I am confident that we will be ahead of our rivals by 2020 at the latest," he told the publication in an interview before the end of last year. Really? You're kidding, right? Zetsche has been making lame-ass pronouncements like this for several years now, completely ignoring the fundamental realities of the situation and the fact that Mercedes-Benz has well and truly lost its mojo. It just isn't the same company that it was and every new attempt at reinventing the magic seems to come up short. And to make matters worse, far from being content to just beat the three-pointed star like they're convincingly doing right now, Audi and BMW fully intend on burying Mercedes once and for all. Zetche's constant reminders that "it won't be long now" before Mercedes-Benz returns to its rightful place at the top of the luxury heap sound a lot like GM's wishful thinking of not too long ago that it would get back to a 30 percent market share here in the U.S. As if. And a return to the top is notgonnahappen for Mercedes either. Like GM, Mercedes blew it. The company and its executives thought their golden run would go on forever and they did nothing to stop the downward spiral. Zetsche's glowing pronouncements grew tedious a long time ago. Mercedes should instead concentrate on what it does best and not worry about what its rivals are doing. Wait a minute, what does Mercedes do best again? Therein lies the problem. - PMD

Honda, Mark Rechtin. Editor-in-Chief's Note: In a story in this week's issue of Automotive News, Rechtin, who's based in L.A., gets down to the nitty-gritty of Honda's decision to redo its 2012 Civic, a car pilloried by critics and enthusiasts alike for being very "un-" Honda. A notable quote from Rechtin's story? "We saw that it wasn't going to be best in class," Vicki Poponi, American Honda assistant vice president of product planning said. "We saw that we didn't go far enough. There was no wait-and-see, no gnashing of teeth or debates about what we have to do. Everybody was right on board." Didn't go far enough? Honda guessed that after the Lehman shock consumers would want to scale back, tighten their belts and buy uninteresting cars. They guessed wrong, and the competition blew by the Civic. Check the story out here. It's worth the read. Especially since Honda operatives knew the 2012 Civic wasn't going to measure up before it even came out. - PMD

 Nissan. From the 'You Gotta Be Frickin' Kidding Me" File comes word that Nissan will debut the release of a new show "fragrance" in Detroit that the brand hopes will become its trademark smell, according to Automotive News. Nissan will also unveil a flashy new display by George P. Johnson Co. The specially crafted aroma is labeled thé vert oriental in French, and it is said to evoke the smell of green tea "during Chinese spring harvest." It gets worse. Nissan is hoping that the "brand smell" will be such a hit with auto show visitors around the country that its U.S. dealers will agree to use the fragrance in their showrooms. "We're hoping our dealers will embrace it," Erich Marx, the brand's director for interactive and social-media marketing, says. "We'll be measuring the reception." Memo to Nissan: When you start worrying about the smells projected at your auto show display you have clearly lost your way. Here's another clue: Firing people is still an acceptable way to get an organization's attention. And, finally, just off the top of our heads: What in the hell is going on down there?

(Mercedes-Benz)

The new 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 4MATIC will make its global debut in Detroit next week. The redesigned, performance-oriented 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system will be standard equipment on the E63, which will also be available as a new S-Model 4MATIC as well. The S-Model 4MATIC will be offered in sedan and wagon configurations. This is the first time an AMG passenger car will have the 4MATIC system. All E63 models will feature a 5.5-liter AMG V8 Biturbo, which is unique in the segment for its blend of high performance and low fuel consumption, according to Mercedes. The E63 AMG 4MATIC sedan will deliver 550hp and 531 lb-ft torque, while the E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC sedan and wagon will both deliver 577hp and 590 lb-ft torque (with a zero to 60 time of 3.5 seconds). The cars also feature a redesign and numerous restyled features both inside and out. Perhaps most interesting is the line in the press release that reads, "Distinctive to all E63 AMG 4MATIC models are highest quality materials, excellent workmanship and the exclusive ambiance." Wait a sec - shouldn't "highest quality materials, excellent workmanship and exclusive ambiance" be what all Mercedes-Benz models are about??? Just sayin'... The 2014 E63 AMG 4MATIC will be available in the U.S. this summer.

(Toyota)
Toyota will debut its all-new Lexus IS compact sport sedan at the Detroit Auto Show media preview next week. The IS model range will include IS 250, IS 350, and the first IS to feature Lexus Hybrid Drive, the IS 300h, which will be available in Europe, Japan and other international markets. F SPORT models will be available across the full range.

(Audi)
Audi will unveil the new high-performance SQ5 at the Detroit Auto Show. The new top-of-the-line model is powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter TFSI V6 with 260 kW (354 hp) and 470 Nm (346.65 lb-ft) of torque and was designed specifically for markets such as the United States, Canada and China, among others. It will go zero to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Equipped with an eight-speed tiptronic and quattro permanent all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, the Audi SQ5 is 30 millimeters (1.18 in) lower, has firmer springs and shock and 20-inch wheels with 255/45-series tires (21-inch wheels are available). There are details galore in the new SQ5, too many to list here, however. It will arrive at U.S. dealerships in the third quarter of 2013.

(Hyundai)
Hyundai will debut the HCD-14 concept at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show next week. The HCD-14 is said to be "a glimpse into future Hyundai premium vehicle design, advanced 3-D gesture-based technology controls, and spirited driving dynamics." The concept will be revealed to the media at 3 pm EST, Monday, January 14.

(Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz has restyled the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet for the 2014 model year. The design has been freshened both inside and out, and according to Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars, "Three words suffice to very briefly characterize the Coupe and the four-seater Cabriolet: stunning, athletic, passionate." Uh, well, okay, if you say so. Among the highlights are a redesigned front end with new headlamps, new, more V-shaped front bumpers with large air intakes, and new tail lights and a wide rear bumper with a chrome trim element - all of which are designed to emphasize the cars' athletic, sporty appearance and emphasize their close relationship with the redesigned E-Class sedan. Among the enhancements in the restyled interior are a redesigned center console without a gear selector lever, as well as a new three-spoke multifunction steering wheel with DIRECT SELECT shift lever and shift paddles. A highlight of the E-Class Cabriolet is its acoustic soft top with high-grade insulation, giving it the lowest noise level in its class, according to Mercedes. Both the Coupe and Cabriolet receive many new assistance systems that combine comfort and safety, and comprise what Mercedes refers to as "intelligent drive." Many of these optional systems are from the future S-Class, including DISTRONIC PLUS® with Steering Assist, which can help the driver keep the vehicle centered in its lane and can semi-autonomously track lines of traffic, and for the first time, BAS PLUS® with Intersection Assist, a brake assist system that is able to detect crossing traffic and pedestrians, and boost the braking power applied by the driver accordingly. The E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet will be available as either E350 (direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 - 302 hp, 273 lb.-ft.) or E550 (direct-injection biturbo V8 - 402 hp, 443 lb.-ft.) models, with the Coupe also being available as the E350 4MATIC. The 2014 E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet will be available in the U.S. this summer. (As an M-B devotee, I find these cars - the Coupe especially - to be exceptionally appealing. The E-Class lineup has become increasingly luxurious over the years, as Mercedes has added many S-Class features to its mid-level lineup, and I expect the 2014s are no exception. I am a bit concerned, however, about the ongoing and seemingly relentless focus on technology that attempts to do the driver's job in the name of safety. Although for now, these new systems are optional - I guess there's that, at least. -WG) 

(Porsche North America)
Porsche will introduce its Cayenne Turbo S to the media next week at the Detroit Auto Show. The new Cayenne Turbo S has higher performance with its 550 hp Turbo V8 (an increase of 50 hp from the Cayenne Turbo) and it employs advanced active chassis technologies that "allow it to surpass the driving performance of many sports cars, while preserving the off-road capability, ride comfort and towing ability typical of the Cayenne," according to Porsche. The exterior of the Cayenne Turbo S includes front air intakes and rear view mirror trim painted in high-gloss black. The standard 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels with colored Porsche badges are exclusively tailored for the Cayenne Turbo S with their inside surfaces painted in high-gloss black. The wheel arch extensions and rear spoiler separation edge are painted in exterior color and dual twin-tube sport tailpipes in polished aluminum are featured.

The new Cayenne Turbo S has 550 hp and 553 pound-feet of torque. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and has a top track speed of 175 mph.

Porsche designers created two exclusive two-tone leather interior packages for the Cayenne Turbo S. It's shown in the Black/Carrera Red. Black/Luxor Beige is available.

The Cayenne Turbo S is scheduled to go on sale in the spring of 2013 and is priced from $146,000, not including a $975 destination charge.

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

By the way, if you'd like to subscribe to the Autoline After Hours podcasts, click on the following links:

Subscribe via iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=311421319

Subscribe via RSS:

http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/podcasts/feeds/afterhours-audio.xml