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Automotive Industry News - September 28, 2018

Regional News

Europe

2018-09-28 – Factbox: impact of latest round of trade tariffs on European companies

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-europe-factbox/factbox-impact-of-latest-round-of-trade-tariffs-on-european-companies-idUSKCN1M81H5

Russia

2018-09-28 – Government will continue to support Russian Machines through government procurements

http://rusautonews.com/2018/09/28/government-will-continue-to-support-russian-machines-through-government-procurements/

News

Aluminum

2018-09-28 – Record-high margins for aluminium sales

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/record-high-margins-for-aluminium-sales-2018-09-28

Autonomy

2018-09-28 – With driverless cars investors don’t care if you’re first

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-28/with-driverless-cars-investors-don-t-care-if-you-re-first

Technology

2018-09-27 – Drivers don’t trust safety tech, rely on it anyway - report

https://www.caradvice.com.au/689985/drivers-dont-trust-safety-tech-rely-on-it-anyway-report/

Auto Show

Paris Motor Show

2018-09-28 – Paris motor show 2018 – the A-Z preview

https://www.autocar.co.uk/slideshow/paris-motor-show-2018-%E2%80%93-z-preview

Suppliers

Microsoft

2018-09-28 – VW steps up drive to connect cars through Microsoft cloud

http://www.autonews.com/article/20180928/OEM06/180929751/vw-steps-up-drive-to-connect-cars-through-microsoft-cloud

Sika

2018-09-28 – Swiss group Sika opens auto products plant in Mexico

https://www.reuters.com/article/sika-mexico/swiss-group-sika-opens-auto-products-plant-in-mexico-idUSL8N1WE1MO?feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29

Thyssenkrupp

2018-09-27 – Thyssenkrupp, under shareholder pressure, to split in two

http://www.autonews.com/article/20180927/OEM10/180929773/thyssenkrupp-under-shareholder-pressure-to-split-in-two

Audi

e-tron

2018-09-28 – EV fast charging to 80% in 12 minutes by 2020 - Audi

https://paultan.org/2018/09/28/ev-fast-charging-to-80-in-12-minutes-by-2020-audi/

2018-09-28 – Audi received 10,000 pre-bookings for the e-tron EV

https://auto.ndtv.com/news/audi-received-10-000-pre-bookings-for-the-e-tron-ev-1923747

Q5

2018-09-28 – Audi Q5 to introduce next-generation plug-in hybrid powertrain next year

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/audi-q5-introduce-next-generation-plug-hybrid-powertrain-next-year

SQ2

2018-09-28 – Hot new 2018 Audi SQ2 revealed in full

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/q2/95793/hot-new-2018-audi-sq2-revealed-in-full

AvtoVAZ

Outlook

2018-09-24 – AvtoVAZ is going for delisting

http://rusautonews.com/2018/09/26/avtovaz-is-going-for-delisting/

BMW

i3

2018-09-28 – BMW i3 updated with more range and new trim options

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/i3/104793/bmw-i3-updated-with-more-range-and-new-trim-options

Ferrari

Portofino

2018-09-28 – Ferrari Portofino: explained in detail

https://www.carwale.com/news/ferrari-portofino-explained-in-detail/

Ford

F-150 Hybrid

2018-09-27 – 2020 Ford F-150 hybrid to be built at Dearborn Truck plant

http://www.autonews.com/article/20180927/OEM04/180929782/2020-ford-f-150-hybrid-to-be-built-at-dearborn-truck-plant

GAC

GS5

2018-09-28 – GAC Motors GS5 spied

https://www.caradvice.com.au/690070/gac-motors-gs5-spied/

Hyundai

Outlook

2018-09-27 – Hyundai’s product line-up until 2022

http://thekoreancarblog.com/2018/09/27/hyundai-product-line-up-until-2022/

Jaguar

XE

2018-09-28 – Spyshots: Jaguar XE facelift spotted road-testing

https://paultan.org/2018/09/28/spyshots-jaguar-xe-facelift-spotted-road-testing/

Lamborghini

Huracan

2018-09-28 – Spied: Lamborghini Huracan Spyder facelift spotted

https://paultan.org/2018/09/28/spied-lamborghini-huracan-spyder-facelift-spotted/

Lotus

Facilities: Headquarters

2018-09-28 – Lotus reveals plans for overhauled Hethel HQ

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/lotus-reveals-plans-overhauled-hethel-hq

Mercedes-AMG

One

2018-09-27 – Mercedes-AMG One confirmed as hypercar’s production name

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-geneva-motor-show/mercedes-amg-one-confirmed-hypercars-production-name

Mercedes-Benz

All-Terrain

2018-09-28 – Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain: Explained in detail

https://www.carwale.com/news/mercedesbenz-eclass-allterrain-explained-in-detail/

Nissan

Altima

2018-09-28 – Nissan: Midsize segment still important, but Altima volume undoubtedly smaller

https://www.wardsauto.com/industry/nissan-midsize-segment-still-important-altima-volume-undoubtedly-smaller

Pininfarina

PF0

2018-09-28 – Automobili Pininfarina PF0 partners Rimac for electric powertrain and battery tech

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/automobili-pininfarina-pf0-partners-rimac-electric-powertrain-and-battery-tech

Porsche

935

2018-09-28 – Track-only limited edition model harkens back to the 935/78

https://www.caradvice.com.au/690148/porsche-935-unveiled/

Proton

Outlook

2018-09-28 – Geely to license 3 models to Proton

https://www.carspiritpk.com/2018/09/28/geely-to-license-3-models-to-proton/

Smart

Concept: ForEase

2018-09-28 – New electric Smart ForEase concept unveiled for Paris

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/smart/104786/new-electric-smart-forease-concept-unveiled-for-paris

Tesla

Outlook

2018-09-28 – Citi downgrades embattled Tesla to sell, says the stock is too risky to buy even after big pullback

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/28/citi-downgrades-tesla-to-sell.html

Volkswagen

Passat

2018-09-28 – Spied: B8.5 Volkswagen Passat facelift spotted again

https://paultan.org/2018/09/28/spied-b8-5-volkswagen-passat-facelift-spotted-again/

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2018 Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Museum at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen played host as the automaker unveiled the third-generation of its Cayenne crossover on August 29, 2017. Porsche’s first four-door production model has appealed to more than three-quarters of a million owners over the last decade and a half. As the world’s car buyers shift toward crossovers, the Cayenne emerged as an important chapter in the history of Porsche and this will continue as this new chapter opens.

Initially, the new Cayenne will be available with a choice of turbocharged six-cylinder engines. The standard 3.0L engine produces 340hp and launches the lighter Cayenne to 100km/h (62 mph) in 6.2 seconds. Offered in the Cayenne S, the 2.9L twin-turbo engine increases that output to 440hp and lowers the acceleration time by a second.

To take advantage of the upgraded powertrains, the new 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission changes gears quicker. New ratios improve low-end acceleration while increasing fuel economy.

Completely re-engineered, the new Cayenne adds a number of new features while reducing the vehicle’s weight and fuel consumption. To improve on- and off-road ability, the new model showcases rear-axle steering and Porsche Dyanmic Chassis Control (PDCC) electronic roll stabilization with Porsche 4D Chassis Control tying everything together for better synchronization. Further improvements in the vehicle’s design, including extensive use of aluminum and a lighter lithium-ion battery, have reduced the mass of the Cayenne by as much as 65 kg (143 lbs).

Production of the new model begins in September at the Bratislava plant in the Czech Republic.

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Unifor vs the Detroit Three, Round Two: Fiat Chrysler

One of the most telling comments about Unifor’s negotiations with Fiat Chrysler appeared in Automotive News. Referring to the “preliminary stages” of contract discussions, the newspaper reported that FCA “expressed concern” about “a change to the 10-year wage grow-in for new hires.” This might look like FCA is being stingier than General Motors when it comes to benefits for new employees, but in reality GM most likely will not meet this obligation.

With GM’s new contract, Unifor’s president Jerry Dias touted everything the union gained. While the Oshawa Consolidated plant would close on schedule in 2017, the Oshawa Flex plant would gain new product over the span of the new 4-year contract. Overlooked by most was the fact that GM already planned on closing Oshawa Flex in three years, now workers are provided a stay of execution and guaranteed paychecks for one additional year, but nothing more.

Because GM’s Oshawa complex has so many employees nearing retirement eligibility, the plant will be relatively inexpensive to close. The company won’t need to hire too many new workers in the next four years simply because they don’t expect to be around that long. What should they care how much a new hire is expected to make in ten years when they won’t be employed in five?

Fiat Chrysler is a different story. While Brampton will be the specific target for the union, FCA just invested billions of dollars into the Windsor plant with plans to build the Chrysler Pacifica for another decade. Following the history of Chrysler minivans, the Pacifica will be replaced sometime in 2026 or later. The contract under negotiation today with Unifor will be updated in four years with another and, most likely, another four years after that. Windsor will have employees in ten years, unlike workers in Oshawa.

Jerry Dias needs to recognize the difference between GM and FCA, and quickly. He was quoted saying that FCA is “frankly not thrilled with the GM pattern…But the pattern is the pattern.”

If you’re expecting to close the doors of your factory in four years, you can promise anything you want for “10-year” employees, simply because you won’t have any. If you’re expecting to be around for a decade or more, promises for future employees mean something. Can Jerry Dias be so naïve as to not understand this?

In the next few years, FCA will have excess capacity in the United States. If Unifor doesn’t see the potential of job losses, they will pay dearly in lower membership very quickly.

AutoForecast Solutions (AFS) provides business intelligence and forecasting services to the global automotive community. Our customers gain access to detailed light-vehicle, powertrain, and drivetrain production databases and advisory services supported by our world-class proprietary planning tools. Authors Sam Fiorani and Joe McCabe, along with the staff of AFS, each have over twenty years of direct experience in the automotive industry.

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Unifor vs the Detroit Three, Round One: General Motors

It was a daring move. Unifor president Jerry Dias dug in his heels with General Motors, as his first target, and said he wouldn’t move unless the men and women he represented were given job security. With the backing of the UAW and nearly no prospects for new products, a stalemate and the obvious long strike were inevitable. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

Thousands of Unifor members and much of the business media in Canada and the US waited for the white smoke to rise from the chimney as midnight approached on September 19. When they emerged, Dias proudly announced, “our fear of a [General Motors] closure in 2019 is over.” But is it?

The new GM contract, approved by 64.7% of voting Unifor members, presents the path forward for four facilities in Ontario. Oshawa Consolidated, currently producing the Chevrolet Equinox will close in 2017 as was previously planned. Woodstock Parts Distribution Center was not specifically called out in the early reports, but the St Catharines Propulsion plant is expected to get C$150 million for new engines and transmissions. Another C$400 million is earmarked for the Oshawa Flex plant to upgrade it for even more flexibility.

General Motors was selected as the most vulnerable of the “Detroit Three.” FCA and then Ford will follow using the newly inked contract as a template.

Although a win for Unifor, here’s why this isn’t the perfect deal that union members think it is.

The net employment remains static with 2,700 workers in Oshawa, 1,570 in St Catharines and 85 in Woodstock. In Oshawa, 700 part-time employees move up to full-time status.

St Catharines gains more engines and updated transmissions, many of which will be used in Oshawa and Ingersoll.

Next year, Oshawa Consolidated closes. This has been on GM’s schedule for a long time and includes the end of the Chevrolet Equinox overflow production. Nothing new here.

Cadillac’s big XTS sedan will get an update and production of the Chevrolet Impala will increase its output, primarily adding fleet models. Replacing the lost Buick Regal production, net production change at the Oshawa complex will be about zero. Overflow production of the Chevrolet Equinox will be replaced by overflow production of Chevrolet Silverado full-sized pickups from the Fort Wayne (Indiana) plant, again basically a wash.

All of these changes are, most likely, temporary. GM’s original plan had the Oshawa Flex plant losing its products by the end of the decade. With the current Unifor contract coming up for renewal in September 2020, these new products will have time to run their course and Oshawa can close only a year later than originally planned.

According to General Motors, nearly all of St Catharines’ workers are eligible for retirement right now. Three-quarters of Oshawa workers and 85% of Woodstock’s staff can retire today. Because of this, the cost to close these properties in the next four years will be very small. On the other hand, potential new hires will lower the labor cost in Canada going forward at the cost of years of experience.

As the negotiating parties emerged with their new tentative agreement, Dias’ enthusiasm had many wondering, “what does GM get out of this plan?” After reviewing it, the question now arises, “what did Unifor get?”

Aside from 700 workers moving from part-time to full-time status and secure jobs into 2020, GM has given up precious little in order to secure stable production for four more years. Unless something shocking happens in the next four years, GM’s footprint in Canada will be much smaller in 2020.

It was a daring move, and GM couldn’t be happier with it.

AutoForecast Solutions (AFS) provides business intelligence and forecasting services to the global automotive community. Our customers gain access to detailed light-vehicle, powertrain, and drivetrain production databases and advisory services supported by our world-class proprietary planning tools. Authors Sam Fiorani and Joe McCabe, along with the staff of AFS, each have over twenty years of direct experience in the automotive industry.

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Are We at the Tipping Point of the Canadian Automotive Industry?

For years the Canadian automotive industry has been on the decline. In a mature market such as Canada, there are many stakeholders that can influence the success or failure of its domestic automotive footprint. The federal and provincial governments have not provided the level of financial incentives that have been offered in the United States and Mexico for new investment. While the Canadian automotive workforce is highly educated and skilled, factors such as the high cost of energy have made investing in Canadian plants less desirable when compared to US or Mexican plants. Over the last decade or so, production plants in St. Thomas, Oshawa, Windsor, and Ste. Therese (Quebec) have all been closed.

While there has been investment made to existing facilities, it has been a fraction of the amount spent on plants in the US and Mexico. Aside from the niche Multimatic plant in Markam, only one vehicle plant (Toyota in Woodstock) has opened since the turn of the century. Since 2000, plants in Ste. Therese (GM, 2002), Pillette Road (Chrysler, 2003), Ontario Truck (Ford, 2004), Oshawa Truck (GM, 2009), and St. Thomas (Ford, 2011) have closed with the GM Oshawa 2 plant scheduled to end production in 2017. These closed plants account for nearly one million units of lost capacity in Canada.

Studies have shown that one assembly worker equates to nine other jobs supporting the automotive community. A continued decline in the market sets off the dominoes to a tipping point where the industry is unsustainable.

After more than a decade of ill health, the Canadian industry has someone who wants to perform CPR. Unifor’s Jerry Dias decided to make a stand during this year’s labor negotiations. The labor union’s president announced that if GM, Ford, and FCA do not make some investment in new products for their Canadian facilities, workers would strike.

Dias is looking specifically at GM’s Oshawa and St. Catharines plants, Ford’s Windsor engine plant, and FCA’s Bramalea plant. He expects to get a product commitment from the three automakers during this year’s negotiations, which will officially start September 6. With contracts set to expire on September 19, a small window is open for three companies to find product to fill four plants for the next four years.

And the union is behind Dias. At General Motors, 97.1% of the union’s membership voted to authorize a strike. At Ford and FCA, the vote in favor accounted for 99%.

In June, Dias told the Detroit Free Press, “we are going to bargain some increases in economics, but I have no intention of negotiating economic suicide.”

Negotiations are all about give and take. Simply demanding new product this year will be economic suicide for the union. The union has precious little they are willing to give, mainly because they have very little to give back. Over the last decade and a half, workers have seen little in the way of pay raises and been asked to lower costs. On the automakers’ side, they have very little to provide. Automakers are profitable and have been bailed out with the help of Canadians, but there are few new products to add and excess capacity in US and Mexican plants to exploit. All of the stakeholders need to bring something to the table to find an equitable resolution.

Currently, General Motors’ Oshawa plants are operating with excess capacity. When the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain are redesigned next year, production will be spread across three plants: Ramos Arizpe and San Luis Potosi in Mexico and the Ingersoll plant in Ontario, which has its own Unifor contract expiring in 2017.

Ford and FCA have more to lose in a battle with Unifor, but they also have more to give. Ford’s Oakville plant is already dedicated to producing the Ford Edge crossover for most global markets and also is the sole source of the Lincoln MKX. FCA’s Bramalea plant produces the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger along with the Chrysler 300, which share very few parts with other models, but other plants could be retooled to accept the next generation of the large cars.

From a manufacturing perspective, choosing GM as this year’s target for Unifor could speed the company’s exit from Canada. Ford or FCA could offer a new product for their existing plants. An equitable resolution with GM may need to be different than the other two. General Motors simply has no plans to keep the Oshawa facility going past 2019. From a powertrain perspective, St. Catharines is a key source of engines and related components for vehicles across North America, including those built in Canada. If Unifor were to take action, striking at St. Catharines would provide the most harm to GM. However, General Motors maintains other powertrain facilities outside of Canada which, with little investment, could absorb the St. Catharines volume. Unifor will have to weigh the risk/reward balance should they choose this course of action.

Labor represents only about 5% of the cost to assemble a vehicle. GM has recently shown their willingness to invest in Canada as an innovation and information technology hub. It is our viewpoint that GM will continue to invest in Canadian labor but not necessarily in manufacturing but to aid Canada’s push to become the “Silicon Valley of the North.” We are seeing this across the other OEMs as well. Although the Unifor negotiations are making labor the current hot topic, it is not the only thing affecting GM’s willingness to maintain Canadian automotive manufacturing.

As long as Canada can keep the smaller footprint of Ford, FCA and a few transplants happy, the Maple Leaf can keep two million units of vehicle production. Unifor will need to back off from its demanding stance in order to keep everyone happy and retain the handful of plants that it covers. The hardline approach being taken by the union will hasten GM’s exodus and could push the other automakers to leave with them.

The future of the Canadian automotive space will be impacted by many groups including labor, the OEMs, the supply base, government, utilities, and the supporting community. All of these stakeholders need to understand the importance of the automotive footprint in Canada and the costs of an equitable solution.

 AutoForecast Solutions (AFS) provides business intelligence and forecasting services to the global automotive community. Our customers gain access to detailed light-vehicle, powertrain, and drivetrain production databases and advisory services supported by our world-class proprietary planning tools. Authors Sam Fiorani and Joe McCabe, along with the staff of AFS, each have over twenty years of direct experience in the automotive industry.

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Did Ford lose Truck of the Year or did Chevrolet win it?

Among the biggest automotive stories of last week was announcement that the Ford F150 did not win Motor Trend magazine’s normally undisputed Truck of the Year (TOTY) competition. As the SEO-friendly shock waves rippled through the blogosphere, few writers took the step back to see if it was in fact shocking. Was it that the F150 isn’t as great as thought or was the Colorado just better than expected?

Long-time readers of the 65-year old magazine know how the [Car, Truck, SUV] “of the Year” awards are judged, but few online publications flushed this out in their click-bait articles. A quick refresher will show how the 2015 Truck of the Year award was won by Chevrolet instead of lost by Ford. It’s not as surprising as headlines would have readers believe.

When the field of new vehicles is compiled, comparisons between them are obviously impossible. How would anyone be expected to compare the likes of a Mitsubishi Galant to a BMW 5-Series and have the Mitsubishi come out on top? It happened in 1989’s Import Car of the Year. The simple answer comes down to its peers. The magazine stated the award winners are measured on whether or not they are a “game-changer”

In Motor Trend’s annual competitions, each model is not compared to the other nominees. Instead, each of the nominees is ranked amongst its peers and its relative standing among them is compared. So how does that place the Colorado easily above the Ford F150?

First, there’s the traditional lack of competition for this award. Normally, if you launched a new truck, you’d get the TOTY trophy. In past years, such luminous stand-outs as the 1990 Ford Aerostar, 1991 Mazda Navajo, 1992 Ford Econoline van, 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche, 2006 Honda Ridgeline, and back-to-back winners of the Ram 1500 (the magazine concluded that adding a light-duty diesel was enough to call the ’14 model “significantly updated”).

The full-sized pickup arena is a highly competitive (and highly profitable) group. Since the introduction of the T300 Dodge Ram more than two decades ago (and the emergence of the Toyota/Nissan threat over the last 15 years), nobody in this market is willing to give an inch. If there’s something to be exploited like towing, hauling, interior room and comfort, fit and finish, or electronic do-dads, it’s being done. There’s no quantum leap to be taken. Even Ford’s new aluminum structure just lightens the vehicle to place it more in line with the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500.

Headlines like the Kansas City Star’s “Motor Trend not impressed with aluminum Ford F-150” and the Buffalo News’ “Ford’s new aluminum F-150 pickup loses Motor Trend’s top ranking to Chevy” don’t tell the proper story, but they sure get people to click on blogs.

Motor Trend, in earlier reviews, expressed how well it towed, resisted dents, and drove. In the TOTY article (and reprinted by the F150’s hometown Kansas City Star newspaper), the Ford “only” recorded a 1-2 mpg improvement over the competition. Even with that substantial 10-20% gain, Motor Trend Editor Edward Loh said, “the advantages of going to aluminum didn’t really appear to us in testing.” As good as the new F150 is, it fails to exceed the competition by a wide enough margin to be noteworthy. But why did the excellent Ford F150 come in THIRD in this competition?

In second place, Ford’s Transit full-sized van was described as “insane…it’s like the Transformer of vans and it drives really well.” When compared to the Mercedes-Benz/Freightliner Sprinter, Ram ProMaster, Nissan NV van, and ancient GM vans, the Transit has been a winner in most reviews. But even this van, as the Kansas City Star described for its “handsome design, excellent handling, overall capacity, and best-in-class fuel economy,” could not take first place.

Even more neglected than the full-sized van market is the field of mid-sized pickups. Since the demise of the last generation Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon in 2012 and the Ford Ranger in 2011, the needle among these smaller load carriers hasn’t moved much. And there was no need to move it. Toyota consistently moves Tacomas off the lot because of the lack of competition. All GM had to do was to introduce a modern truck, and the accolades were more than ready to be showered upon them.

By all accounts, the Colorado/Canyon pickups are modern, economical, and capable. Compared to the aging Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, and….well, that’s it, the Colorado/Canyon are Motor Trend’s definition of Truck of the Year.

With the Golden Calipers securely on GM’s shelf, the next step is for Toyota to launch an updated Tacoma at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, right in GM’s front yard. With the new Colorado/Canyon believed to have the most “game-changer” credentials this year don’t expect the game to be changed much because of them. The ’15 Transit and F-150 will have the larger, more lasting effect on their respective competition.

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Behind the wheel of the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander GT

Mitsubishi has been desperately working to shake off the calls of their impending death. They’ve introduced new products from the fully electric Mitsubishi i to the tiny Mirage and the Outlander Sport over that last few years but none have rocked the market. The latest in this lineup spent the week in the AFS offices. While the Outlander GT doesn’t look out of place among crossovers, Mitsubishi did bring the right tools to the party. Three rows of seating provide room for seven passengers. Folks in the back row need to be the size of children, but the other five seats are roomy and comfortable. Front seats in the leather interior of our tester featured heating, a very desirable option, especially among buyers in the north. Mitsubishi’s 6B31 3.0L SOHC V6 produces 224hp, which may seem low compared to many other V6s on the market, but the Outlander does not feel underpowered. Mated to a six-speed automatic and Super All-Wheel Control, the Outlander GT moves smartly through traffic and handles bad weather with aplomb. During out test, a few inches of snow fell and stopped much of the other traffic from climbing the local hills. With the help of the Outlander’s AWD, we were able to get around the neighborhood without a hint of trouble. At the same time, the car sipped gas at a rate of about 23 mpg. Among the surprising features of this model are the Adaptive Cruise Control and the Forward Collision Mitigation systems. The radar-based cruise control system works smoothly keeping spacing between vehicles at adequate intervals, and is rarely found on cars at this price point. When the Outlander approaches another vehicle too closely and not using cruise control, a warning screams “BRAKE!” on the instrument panel, another unexpected inclusion on this vehicle. On the downside, the Outlander has Mitsubishi’s Lane Departure Warning system. This is quite an effective system to warn the driver that they have moved across the lane lines. The system shuts off when a turn signal is applied, letting the vehicle know that the driver plans to switch lanes. But when driving on narrow roads, the LDW siren sounds far too often, seemingly as the vehicle approaches the middle or roadside lines. Fortunately, there is a LDW off button. The Outlander GT is an excellent choice in the crowded crossover market. Model: 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC Final Assembly: Okazaki, Japan Engine: Mitsubishi 6B31 2,998cc SOHC 24-valve V6 224hp Transmission: JATCO JF613E 6-speed automatic with all-wheel drive Base Price: $27,795 As Tested: $34,720 EPA Fuel Economy: 20 city, 23 combined, 28 highway

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AutoForecast Solutions at the 2014 North American International Auto Show. Check out our website at autoforecastsolutions.com to see what we provide for the automotive industry.