Midengine Corvette, Large SUVs to be Delayed by Strike, Firm Says
The UAW's strike of General Motors will push back the launch of the automaker's long-anticipated midengine Chevrolet Corvette and will delay a number of high-margin SUVs, according to LMC Automotive. Automotive News reports that the forecasting firm said Wednesday that the next-generation Corvette, originally expected to begin production at GM's Bowling Green assembly plant in Kentucky in early December, will be delayed at least two or three weeks, with the potential to be pushed back into 2020 the longer the work stoppage persists. Production of both short- and long-wheelbase versions of the next-generation GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Suburban will be pushed back at least a month. All of those vehicles were set to be redesigned as early as next April. Read more here.
Zero Percent Financing is Back Big After Slow September Sales
The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV can be purchased with 0% financing this month. After a tough set of sales results for automakers last month, zero percent financing appears to be coming back with a vengeance in October, reports The Detroit Bureau. U.S. News & World Report released its “Best Deals” for the Columbus Day holiday and while just a few months ago, it was nearly impossible to find zero percent deals, some automakers must be ready to make a deal. “September car sales were slow, and shoppers are in the driver’s seat for the remainder of 2019,” said Jamie Page Deaton, executive editor of U.S. News Best Cars. Often the magazine’s best deals are a collective mix of leasing and buying options, for the holiday celebrating the man that kind of discovered America, it’s all about buying a vehicle. And the mix of available vehicles with either zero-percent interest or massive cash back is diverse. Read more here.
Tesla Smart Summon Feature is Called 'Glitchy' by Consumer Reports
Tesla Inc.’s Smart Summon, the semi-autonomous feature some owners can use to fetch their cars, doesn’t live up to the Model 3 maker’s marketing hype, Consumer Reports magazine said. The Detroit News reports that the magazine spent several days testing the feature, which allows Tesla owners to tap their smartphone and remotely call for their car to pick them up. Tesla customers have flooded social media with a mixed bag of video reviews. Some show the system working as intended, while others capture scrapes with surrounding vehicles and narrowly avoided accidents. Consumer Reports found the feature to be “glitchy” and said that it “at times worked intermittently, without a lot of obvious benefits for consumers.” The feature, which is part of a $6,000 so-called Full Self Driving option, is not “consumer-ready technology,” the magazine said. Read more here.
Nissan Plans Shareholders' Meeting to Vote in New Top Management
Nissan Motor Co. is considering holding an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting early next year following the recent adoption of a new management team, a person with knowledge of the matter said. According to Bloomberg, incoming Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida, 53, will probably join the board, along with new Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta, 49, the person said. The meeting is being held to formally appoint the executives to the board after their promotion, which will happen no later than Jan. 1. The changes are aimed at aligning new top management with the automaker’s board, which has acted rapidly and decisively in the past month to replace former CEO Hiroto Saikawa after a pay scandal. Nissan’s board itself underwent a big overhaul earlier this year following the arrest of Carlos Ghosn for alleged financial crimes. Read more here.
Volvo's First EV Will Run Native Android
Volvo is one week away from unveiling the first EV under its own brand, an all-electric version of the company’s popular XC40 SUV. On Wednesday, the Swedish automaker said the car will mark another first, too: it will be the first Volvo car with an infotainment system built on Google’s new embedded Android Automotive software. According to The Verge, that means the new electric XC40 will come with features and apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps built in, with no need for an Android smartphone. The SUV’s infotainment system will also have access to the Play Store, allowing owners to download apps that Google’s approved for automotive use. The deep integration of Android will allow drivers and passengers to use Google Assistant to change things like climate settings, and it will also enable over-the-air updates that can add new features or address some maintenance issues, according to Volvo. Read more here.
Around the Web
2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Review [MotorTrend]
Lexus Teases EV Concept Bound for Tokyo Motor Show [MotorAuthority]
Chevy Blazer 3-Row Spied in Thin Camouflage [Autoblog]
Fed Officials Last Month Worried Trade War Could Curb Hiring, U.S. Economy [WSJ]
