Autoline Daily - Audio

Ford is on pace to sell close to a million vehicles in China this year. The head of VW’s global works council says installing a works council at the company’s Tennessee plant will be an important factor in building other models there. Cadillac reveals the all-new 2015 Escalade. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in You Said It!

Mitsubishi taps Thailand to build the new version of its Mirage. General Motors is set to expand online sales for its entire dealer network in the U.S. We take a look at a few of the highlights for the new 2014 Kia Soul. All that and more, plus parking a car with the touch of a finger using Bosch’s newest technology.

In an effort to attract new buyers, Audi plans to move downmarket by offering A-class luxury. As sales plummet, Volvo North America axes its CEO and names a temporary replacement. Jerry Seinfeld says automakers need to rethink their advertising. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week in which Ford’s Jim Farley explains dealership WiFi will be used to learn more about you.

Electric vehicle and plug-in sales take a surprising tumble in September. Audi moves forward with plans for another crossover. Winnebago upfits the new Ram ProMaster into two different RV models. All that and more, plus Jim Hall is back with an all-new lesson in design terminology: Bone Line.

Hyundai announces a new plan to help out laid off government employees. Chevrolet and GMC just announced new CNG versions of their full-size heavy-duty pickups and full-size vans. Kia announced it will sell an electric version of the Soul in the U.S. All that and more, plus a deep dive into September car sales in the American market.

A group of workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee plant is fighting the UAW’s attempt to organize the facility. In an unsurprising move, Aston Martin ended production of the Cygnet. Even though September car sales in the U.S. are expected to drop, it wasn’t all bad news for automakers. All that and more, plus a look at the new 2014 Toyota Corolla.

Sales of new cars continue to grow all around the world but it varies greatly by region. Nissan will continue selling the current generation Rogue alongside the all-new 2014 model and will rename it the Rogue Select. Chevy showed off two new Silverado concepts at the Texas State Fair. All that and more, plus a look at the diesel version of the Ram 1500.

Nine Japanese suppliers have pleaded guilty to a price-fixing scheme in the U.S. and will have to pay a hefty fine. To help encourage automakers to adopt crash avoidance systems, the IIHS is now testing cars equipped with them. GM just took the wraps off the heavy-duty versions of the 2015 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week which is all about cars in the Henry Ford Collection.

Several European automakers and their Chinese joint venture partners are battling over who gets to sell imported cars. Toyota will start exporting Corollas built in the U.S. to 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The new twin-turbo V6 in the upcoming BMW M3 will be the smallest displacement engine offered in that car in over two decades. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy takes a look at the refreshed 2014 Toyota Tundra.

Fiat is delaying Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S. once again. In a first for the Euro NCAP crash test program, a Chinese developed car received a 5-star overall crash rating. Hyundai will show off a 1000 horsepower version of the Genesis Coupe at this year’s SEMA show. All that and more, plus a look at Infiniti’s new steer-by-wire system in the Q50.

General Motors is back to investment grade status for the first time since 2005. Sergio Marchionne makes a calculated move in taking Chrysler public once again. Production of Jeep’s new Cherokee stalls out due to reported quality problems. All that and more, plus John McElroy explains why the auto industry is getting its butt kicked by the oil industry.

Dan Akerson, Chairman and CEO of General Motors, adds Tesla to the list of companies he’s bashed. Goldman Sachs says EU car sales are set to rebound in the near future. Honda finally puts a price to the hybrid version of the Accord. All that and more, plus John McElroy talks to Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top about his love for cars and the origin of “Cadzilla.”

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has tapped Ron Bloom to advise him on buying the rest of Chrysler from the UAW’s VEBA health care trust fund. And speaking of Chrysler, it’s taking a more “hands on” approach to boosting engine output. Johan de Nysschen, the head of Infiniti says the company needs to “de-Americanize” its cars in order to boost sales globally. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week all about converting fleet vehicles to run on propane.

PSA, the parent company of Peugeot-Citroen, is considering selling a stake in the company to its Chinese partner Dongfeng. Volkswagen said it will only offer turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines within the next 3 to 4 years. A new report says, the number of people using car sharing services will increase 6 fold by the end of the decade. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in You Said It!

After it looked like car sales in Europe were starting to recover in July, they slid back down again in August. Consumer Reports names the Chevy Silverado the number one pick-up truck. A group of California car dealers are asking the state to investigate fraudulent advertising by Tesla. All that and more, plus John shares his impressions of the electric version of the Volkswagen Golf.