Auto Lovers Land

After a slow — and reluctant — entry into the emerging market for battery-electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is determined to carve out its place in the luxury EV segment. Since introducing its first long-range model, the EQS sedan, in late 2021 it is rapidly growing the family of dedicated EQ-badged offerings. Mercedes new all-electric SUV, the 2023 EQS SUV, carries over many of the tenets of its sedan sibling. That includes an SUV version of the flagship EQS nameplate which is rolling off Mercedes’ big assembly line in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Not surprisingly, the EQS SUV has much in common with the sedan, including the German marque’s underlying Electric Vehicle Architecture. It also adopts the distinctive “one-bow” design language — though, in SUV form, it’s a bit taller and little less radical looking. And that’s a good thing, as I learned after spending a week behind the wheel of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. Overview Where the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan serves as the all...

Kia Motors is looking to be more than merely an automaker. Kia’s Jochen Paesen at the “Opposites United” exhibition at 2023 Milan Design Week. The company, which has rebranded itself as a mobility supplier, landed at the 2023 Milan Design Week with an exhibition two years in the making. Located at the Museo della Permanente in Milan, the exhibition takes visitors through five rooms, each possessing an immersive quality meant to signify what’s inherent in the design of Kia’s automobiles: technology, nature, joy, progress and serenity. Interestingly, there are no cars being shown; this is a pure design exercise. But it functions as a way for the brand to elevate its approach to carmaking.  To get a sense of the exhibit and what it means, we traveled to Milan and sat down with Jochen Paesen, Kia’s vice president of interior design, to get a sense of the future of the exhibition and what it means for the brand. Jochen Paesen : If you look at this exhibition, there’s no automot...

Since the 2015 model year, BMW has marketed the subcompact 2 Series as a two-door or four-door coupe. In any form or trim, the BMW 2 Series offers eager performance at a better price than its larger brethren. However, the M2, built by the company’s M motorsports division, is really something special.  The BMW M2 is a two-door coupe, available with a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed auto with paddle shifters. Overview The BMW M2 is a two-door coupe, available with a 6-speed manual transmission. That right there sets this little coupe apart from the modern run of the mill offerings. But the M2 also brings a state-of-the-art suspension, chassis, tech package and sporty interior worthy of its premium badge. This coupe is a driver’s car, and it’s among the best in the world.  Exterior As mentioned, the M2 is available only as a two-door coupe. If you want the four-door Gran Coupe, you’re limited to other 2 Series models. Either way, you’re getting an attractive, s...

Stellantis is proposing buyouts as a way to cut 3,500 jobs   from its U.S. hourly workforce and the UAW’s angry about the idea. New UAW President Shawn Fain offered an angry response Stellantis’ buyout plans for hourly workers. “Stellantis’ push to cut thousands of jobs while raking in billions in profits is disgusting,” said UAW President Shawn  Fain in a statement . “This is a slap in the face to our members, their families, their communities, and the American people who saved this company 15 years ago. Even now, politicians and taxpayers are bankrolling the electric vehicle transition, and this is the thanks the working class gets. Shame on Stellantis.” The UAW statement noted the auto company “made $18 billion in profits in 2022, and paid CEO Carlos Tavares $25 million.” Stellantis hasn’t offered comment on Fain’s response or the plan. The details of the plan were laid out in a letter from United Auto Workers Local 1264 President Doug McIntosh. The now-p...

The noise of construction briefly gave way to the sounds of celebration Monday evening as Ford Motor Co. marked the official launch of Michigan Central, a billion-dollar project which, declared CEO Bill Ford Jr., is meant to deliver “breakthrough solutions at the intersection of mobility and society.” Bill Ford Jr. called billion-dollar Michigan Central project as the “intersection of mobility and society.” Buzzwords and catchphrases aside, the sweeping program serves as a milestone for both Ford and the City of Detroit. In 2018, the automaker’s CEO announced plans to establish a major presence in Corktown, the Motor City’s oldest extant neighborhood. It will serve, the CEO explained, as ground zero in Ford’s transformation from a motor vehicle manufacturer into a broader mobility company. Among other things, it will house the company’s electric, autonomous and connected vehicle operations. The heart of the project is the old Michigan Central Station and its 18-story office towe...

Several automakers will release sales figures for April next week and the expectations are rising they will be better than expected, as inventories of new vehicles climb to their highest level in two years. Automakers appear to enjoying another strong sales month as April draws to a close. “Amazingly, the new-vehicle market is healthier now than at the start of the year,” according to analysts at Cox Automotive, adding new-vehicle sales in April are likely to reveal the market has caught spring fever when announced next week. Sales remain brisk The sales pace, also known as the seasonally adjusted annual rate, or SAAR, in April is expected to finish near 15.1 million, a large gain over last year’s supply-constrained level of 14.3 million. April’s sales pace is also forecast to show improvement over last month’s 14.8 million pace, the updated Cox analysis released this week noted. “Relatively strong sales in the wake of rising interest rates and worsening economic headwinds sug...

General Motors outperformed analysts’ expectations for the first quarter of the year, raising its full-year guidance numbers in the process. General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra said the company delivered “strong earnings.” For the first quarter of this year, GM reported adjusted pre-tax profit of $3.8 billion, or $2.21 a share, on revenue of $40 billion. That’s a slight decline from the year-ago period’s pre-tax profit of $4 billion on revenue of $36 billion. When it comes to the company’s bottom line, it reported net income of $2.4 billion, which was also down from last year’s result of $2.9 million, or down 18.5%. GM’s stock closed down 4% to $32.91, although the tide is turning in early afterhours trading. “Once again, we delivered strong earnings and I appreciate the efforts of everyone involved including the GM team, our dealers, our suppliers, our unions, that all helped us meet strong customer demand for our products,” GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said during a call w...