Automotive News - January 21, 2008 - (Page 22)

22 • JANUARY 21, 2008 DETROIT AUTO SHOW Horbury wants a more aerodynamic F-150 Rick Kranz rkranz@crain.com ROGER HART A challenge for the F-150: How do you reduce air drag on an open pickup box? DETROIT — Ford’s restyled, re-engineered 2009 F-150 pickup will go on sale this fall, but designers already are thinking about how to create a more fuel-efficient body shape for the next-generation F-150. The major issue with all pickup design is the open cargo box, which creates tremendous drag, says Peter Horbury, Ford Motor Co.’s North American design director. “We are working on that now to see if there is some kind of breakthrough to manage the air properly,” Horbury says. He says Ford’s designers are inter- Peter Horbury: Looking for “a breakthrough to manage the air properly.” ested in “active aerodynamics” — design elements that are activated while the vehicle is moving. No specifics were mentioned. America’s new corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, law calls for a fleet average of 35 mpg for 2020. The two-wheel-drive 2008 F-150, equipped with an automatic transmission and standard V-6 engine, has a rating of 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway. “What we do with future pickup trucks is really an open question,” Horbury says. “We know what the American pickup truck looks like.” One possibility is a more sloped windshield. “Do we move the windscreen further forward, for example?” to improve airflow over the passenger compartment, Horbury asks. “Nissan has a hard time trying to sell people that idea, but maybe the time has come.” He adds that improving pickup aerodynamics “is going to be a real test of our design skills.” c VW hints at vehicles for new N.A. plant Diana T. Kurylko dkurylko@crain.com No more droughts In the U.S., Volkswagen will introduce Tiguan SUV in June Coupelike Passat CC sedan in September Rebadged Chrysler minivan, the Routan, in fall Redesigned Rabbit in 2009 Redesigned Jetta in 2010 Larger Passat sedan in 2011 New crossover or SUV in 2011 or 2012 ROGER HART DETROIT — Volkswagen won’t disclose the location for an assembly plant that it wants to build in North America, but a senior executive hinted last week at the products the plant will build. Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, said the company will decide this summer where to locate the plant. One or more of VW’s core vehicles for the United States — the Jetta and Passat sedans, the Tiguan SUV and a new crossover — will be produced there. “This is an integral part of increasing capacity and building a new plant here,” said Jacoby. Volkswagen has rejected a proposal to expand its factory in Puebla, Mexico, Jacoby: Plant site which produces will be decided the Jetta and New this summer. Beetle. “Puebla has come to its limit,” Jacoby said. and price with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Likewise, the Passat would more closely match the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The Jetta and Passat still would be priced higher than their rivals, but the premium would be reduced to 5 percent or so from the traditional 10 percent premium, he said. Mercedes debuted two versions of the GLK in Detroit: the off-road-friendly Freeside, shown, and the sporty Townside. M-B could build C class in U.S. Shift would be considered if sales keep rising April Wortham awortham@crain.com No more droughts In the past, VW dealers suffered through boom-and-bust cycles as Volkswagen launched vehicles at irregular intervals. Now Volkswagen is trying to time its launches more smoothly. The new Tiguan SUV debuts in June, and the Passat CC — a coupelike four-door unveiled at the Detroit auto show — is due in September. A rebadged Chrysler minivan, the Routan, follows late this year, and the redesigned Rabbit debuts in 2009. The next-generation Jetta arrives in 2010 and a larger Passat in 2011, and an as-yet-unnamed crossover or SUV will be launched in 2011 or 2012. VW will relocate its U.S. headquarters to Virginia in April. Jacoby said 120 VW and Audi employees have agreed to move. About 300 new employees will be hired in Virginia to fill vacancies in marketing, sales and service, Jacoby said. Six hundred employees in quality control, engineering and customer relations will remain at the headquarters in suburban Detroit. After the move, Volkswagen and Audi will have a combined staff of 1,000 U.S. employees, about 400 fewer than it has now. c Key products The new assembly plant — which will produce up to 250,000 units a year — will be somewhere in the Eastern time zone. VW is still considering sites in Mexico, Canada and the United States, said Jacoby. He labeled as “speculation” a report in Automotive News last week that Volkswagen had narrowed its site search to North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The new assembly plant is the key to Volkswagen’s plans to raise U.S. sales to 800,000 units a year. To boost sales, Jacoby is counting on four key products: the Tiguan SUV, a new mid-sized SUV or crossover, and the Jetta and Passat sedans. The Jetta is produced in Mexico, but the Passat and Tiguan are assembled in Europe. Currency fluctuations have made it difficult for Volkswagen to make a profit on vehicles exported from Europe. To revive sales, Jacoby wants to match the Jetta more closely in size DETROIT — Building the new GLK in the United States wasn’t an option for Mercedes-Benz. Unlike the GLK’s Alabama-made cousins — the M, R and GL classes — the compact SUV shares a platform with the C class, which is built in countries including Germany and South Africa. But if Mercedes’ overall sales keep rising in the United States, local production of the volume-leading C class would be a logical step, says Mercedes Car Group COO Rainer Schmueckle. “If we perceive developments on the purchasing-power side of the United States continuing as they did in the last several years, maybe the day will come when we are discussing adding capacity” to Mercedes’ Vance, Ala., factory, Schmueckle said. He added that no decisions have been made. Schmueckle spoke with Automotive News at the auto show, where Mercedes debuted two versions of the GLK. Both the sporty Townside and a more off-road-friendly Freeside will arrive at dealerships this fall. Because the GLK shares most of its electronics, chassis and interior parts with the C class, building it in Alabama would require setting up a second set of parts logistics, Schmueckle said. “It’s certainly one of the thoughts for the future of that site, if we would want to give ourselves a larger presence in North America,” he said. “If you would want a small SUV” to be produced in the United States, he added, “you would have to think about the C class first. To do that separately now was not possible.” Mercedes has spent between 70 and 80 million euros ($102.3 to $117.0 million at current exchange rates) on its Alabama operations since a $600 million expansion was completed in 2004, Schmueckle said. Most of that was spent with suppliers for tooling and fixtures to help push the plant’s annual capacity above 160,000. In 2007, the Alabama plant produced 174,356 vehicles. c Hyundai upgrades next Sonata’s interior April Wortham awortham@crain.com DETROIT — What’s the one thing Hyundai Motor Co.’s U.S. product chief would change about the Sonata sedan? No question about it — the interior. And he’s about to get his wish. “The interior was pretty darn good, but it wasn’t outstanding. It wasn’t great. And our competitors have been raising the ante on interiors lately,” said John Krafcik, vice president of product development and strategic planning for Hyundai Motor America. The 2009 Sonata debuts at the Chicago Auto Show next month, when it also goes on sale. Bragging to reporters at the Detroit auto show, Krafcik said the interior of the restyled Sonata is “fantastic in terms of quality of materials, fit and finish and overall design.” He drew a comparison to the Chevrolet Malibu, which has made waves in the mid-sized sedan segment. “We’ll put our base-end Sonata interior against the highest-end $28,000 Malibu, and I think we’d come out ahead,” Krafcik said. A 2008 four-cylinder Sonata with a manual transmission costs $18,345, including delivery charges. Hyundai has not released pricing on the 2009 model. Under the 2009 Sonata’s hood, Krafcik said Hyundai has improved the power and fuel economy of the four-cylinder and V-6 engines. c

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - January 21, 2008

Campi will move fast to buy global Ford rolls out new F series — but will it stay No. 1? GM will push metro megastores BMW: We may need a 'green' brand Competition claims traditions German summit Toyota: We have enough plants for now Chinese pitch innovation, not just price Mercedes in, Cadillac out as sponsor of Masters golf tournament Auto show walkaround: Chasing the YIPS around Detroit New Acura TSX will get a diesel Toyota: We'll crack 35-mpg CAFE before 2020 Audi predicts 1 million global sales in 2008 Toyota crosses over into tricky segment LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Digital edition is a 'quantum leap' KEITH CRAIN: Here they come, ready or not EDITORIAL: Incentives war isn't the answer to sales downturn LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Toyota over Chevy? Don’t be too sure DIGITAL EDITION: You did your homework Chrysler concepts show brand tweaks Chrysler: 'Hemi is not powertrain of the future' Some of what we heard at the Detroit auto show Corvette has a future — but maybe a lighter, greener one Nissan exec: Cube is coming to America Subaru relies on new Forester Farley: Ford must groom the market Ford still funds Jag, Land Rover product development Ford will probably develop its new rwd cars in the U.S. Volvo considers North American production Good design: Solving problems, making a statement Horbury wants a more aerodynamic F-150 Hyundai upgrades next Sonata's interior M-B could build C class in U.S. VW hints at vehicles for new N.A. plant Customer demand for CTS sedans strains production capabilities at Cadillac GM to test ZR1 carbon fiber weight savings Honda Pilot has more room, power Indiana plant will boost Honda's flexibility Zetsche sees 20% diesel mix for Mercedes-Benz GM hopes to have E-Flex test vehicles ready by June GM to increase Enclave output Cadillac aims high with Provoq Pontiac to launch G8 marketing in March Big-truck sales fall 43.5% in Dec. Personnel Buckle up for a rocky '08, economists warn Canada sales up 2.4% in '07 Gioia: Ford hybrids will be profitable by year end American Honda opens workplace diversity office Dealers From CDs to Sync: Auto industry races to adapt in-car IT trends Microsoft exec sees a car as 'another room in the house' China's Geely plans plant in Mexico Chrysler exec: China exporters need time Murtaugh: Nissan deal won't affect Chrysler-Chery venture Strike by writers makes TV iffy for auto marketers Super Bowl auto advertisers get pre-game jitters Final Say GM bumps buyout total to 46,000 GM considers U.S.-made Astra Good Karma: Mean, green, fighting machine Purves confirms it: The end is near Rehab for designers: A change can do you good Tata's achievement: Redefining 'cheap' Fans remember auto commercials with sports themes Which brand is stronger — Scion or Prius? Engine advances bring cleaner emissions a step closer Suppliers to the 2008 Ford Focus Varable compression ratio makes a comeback Change the engine's stroke Integrate components to boost efficiency Reduce the size of the engine Eliminate the cams and count the savings ZF expects surge in new orders American Axle's rising son may be another Dauch Honda taps Web for workers Trelleborg unit adds tech center Kia restricts hiring at Ga. plant to Web applicants Magna pursues Ogihara Supplier personnel Age of intelligent transportation is getting closer Plastic spoiler saves weight Automotive News' cartoonist looks at 2007 8 will enter European Automotive Hall of Fame Pininfarina lifted family business to new heights Merciless cost cutter Calvet rescued PSA Opel boys turned bicycle venture into automaker Giacosa fathered the Fiat 500 JCI to supply batteries to Chinese automakers Automakers will spend more on digital ads Ford snares star role in return of 'Knight Rider' GM Certified markets online to Hispanics Writers' strike could benefit auto marketers

Automotive News - January 21, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.