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    Genesis Neolun Concept Previews Future Luxe EV SUV, Likely Named GV90

    The Genesis Neolun concept previews a future large electric SUV that we expect to be called the GV90. The concept has smooth bodywork painted in a pretty mix of Midnight Black and Majestic Blue, and it features fancy coach doors.Inside, the Neolun’s interior is covered in cashmere and leather, with a real wood floor; the front seats also swivel to face the rears.As has become tradition at the New York auto show, Genesis presented its vision for the future at its luxurious showroom, Genesis House. The Neolun concept is a large and opulent SUV, with smooth bodywork and a decadent cabin. We believe this concept previews a future electric SUV, expected to be called the GV90, that should arrive in the coming years.Neulon Is a Large, Luxe Two-Row SUVThe Neolun’s name comes from the Greek word neo for new and the Latin word luna for moon. The combination and the concept’s tranquil design are said to be inspired by Korean moon-shaped porcelain jars.GenesisThe Neolun sports a roof rack that raises when needed but otherwise hides, sitting flush with the roof. Genesis’s distinctive twin-line headlights and taillights are also integrated smoothly into the bodywork, with the headlights forming a triangular grille shape as seen previously on the sporty X series of concepts. The Neolun is painted a mixture of Midnight Black and Majestic Blue—a deep, lustrous hue.In typical concept-car fashion, the Neolun ditches B-pillars in favor of coach doors. Notably, Genesis says the development of these doors has “reached a level where its application to production vehicles is now feasible.” Electric side steps automatically lower when the doors are opened to ease ingress and egress.GenesisThe cabin is spacious, with just two rows and kingly captain’s chairs for the second row. There is a unique heating system that has heating films on the dashboard, door trims, floor, seatbacks, and console sides. This is meant to efficiently radiate heat throughout the car, instead of blowing directly out of vents in the dash. The sound system is also said to be “advanced,” with the tweeters, midrange speakers, woofers, and subwoofers situated to create an “immersive audio experience.”The front-row seats can swivel, and a large screen lowers from the roof for the rear passengers. The cabin is upholstered in Royal Indigo cashmere and Purple Silk leather, paired with a real wood floor.GenesisGenesis says that they “don’t do show cars for the show business,” indicating that a version of the Neolun concept will reach production. This flagship SUV will come soon, and we expect to see it within the next five years.Other Genesis StoriesCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

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    Nissan to Launch 7 New Models and Refresh Most of U.S. Lineup by 2026

    Nissan plans to launch seven new models in North America and refresh 78 percent of its U.S. lineup by 2026. Nissan’s three-year business plan will also see 30 new models launched around the globe, with a nearly even mix of electric and gas-fed powertrains.Nissan also aims to greatly reduce the price of its next-gen EVs by sharing a variety of development costs; it expects EV and ICE models to cost the same by 2030.Nissan is looking towards the future with a new three-year business plan that involves launching seven new models in North America. The company says it will also refresh 78 percent of its existing U.S. lineup during that time as it prepares for more electric vehicles. In the United States, Nissan plans to invest $200 million in its integrated customer experience too. That’s part of its goal to increase North American sales by 330,000 units in 2026 compared with 2023. Nissan hasn’t yet revealed the powertrains of the U.S.-bound vehicles. However, we know that at least some of them will be electrified, as Nissan plans to launch plug-in-hybrid models and a system called e-Power. The latter powertrain features a gas engine that acts as a generator and powers the electric motor(s), which alone will drive the wheels. As things currently stand, the company has no hybrid or plug-in-hybrid options in the United States.NissanOver the next three years, Nissan also plans to launch 30 new models around the globe, with 16 being electrified and 14 having internal-combustion engines. With those new vehicles taken into account, the brand is planning for electrified vehicles to account for 40 percent of global sales by 2026 and 60 percent by 2030. For its next generation of electric vehicles, Nissan plans to significantly reduce the price. The company says it aims to cut costs of those next-gen EVs by 30 percent compared with the current Nissan Ariya by sharing a variety development costs. Using that approach, production is slated to begin in 2027, with the company planning to achieve pricing parity between its EVs and ICE cars by 2030. Nissan says its two-part plan is intended to “drive value and strengthen competitiveness.” It will also focus on a broad product offensive, a ramped-up electrification effort, new engineering and manufacturing approaches, and the utilization of strategic partnerships to improve global sales. Globally, the company plans for 53 percent of its new models released in the next three years to be electrified, while 47 percent will be gas-powered. Nissan says its plan shows a clear path to the company’s future. “It illustrates our continuous progression and ability to navigate changing market conditions,” said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. “This plan will enable us to go further and faster in driving value and competitiveness. Faced with extreme market volatility, Nissan is taking decisive actions guided by the new plan to ensure sustainable growth and profitability.”Related StoriesJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

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    Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis Recall over 147K EVs for Potential Power Loss

    Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have issued a recall for 147,110 EVs over a damaged Integrated Charging Control Unit.The damaged component can stop charging the 12-volt battery, causing a loss of power to the wheels.A wide range of models are affected, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, the Kia EV6, and the Genesis GV60, Electrified GV70, and Electrified G80.Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have issued a recall for 147,110 electric vehicles, according to documents filed last week with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall centers around a damaged charging unit; the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) might stop charging the 12-volt battery, possibly leading to a loss of power to the wheels. A variety of EVs are affected.KiaHyundai will recall 98,878 models, which include EVs from the company’s Genesis luxury brand. The affected vehicles include the Hyundai Ioniq 5 from the 2022 through 2024 model years and the Ioniq 6 from the 2023 and 2024 model years. The Genesis GV60, Electrified GV70, and Electrified G80 from the 2023 and 2024 model years are also affected. Kia is also recalling 48,232 copies of its electric EV6 from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 model years For all brands, dealers will inspect and replace the ICCU and its fuse, if needed, along with performing a software update for the ICCU. This will all be done free of charge. Hyundai and Genesis owners are expected to be notified on May 14; Kia owners will receive their notification letter on April 29. Other RecallsCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

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    McLaren’s Ownership Officially Passed On to Bahrain

    Bahrain has officially taken over full ownership of McLaren.The Bahraini fund Mumtalakat was already McLaren’s largest shareholder but now takes full ownership of the greater McLaren Group.In addition to the sports-car manufacturer, the McLaren Group owns a majority stake in McLaren Racing, which owns teams in the Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula E, and Extreme E racing series. After years of kicking desperately below the surface to keep afloat, McLaren has been sold to Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund. Mumtalakat, as the Bahraini fund is known, was already McLaren’s largest single shareholder before today, but now, the fund has taken full ownership of the McLaren Group. McLarenThe change in ownership “marks a major milestone,” according to the company, and should help inject more stability into the company after multiple years of rocky production and staff layoffs. The company has been facing financial troubles since 2020. In the years since, the automaker has been forced to lay off 1200 employees, temporarily pause production, and sell both its headquarters and heritage collection of vehicles to pay for the production of the Artura. “Marks a Major Milestone””We are delighted at Mumtalakat’s continued commitment to McLaren through this deal,” said McLaren Group executive chairman Paul Walsh.”This will further enable us to focus on delivering our long-term business plan, including investment in new products and technologies, whilst continuing to explore potential technical partnerships with industry partners,” Walsh continued. McLaren2023 McLaren Artura.His sentiments were echoed by Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, CEO of Mumtalakat: “This reorganization and new simplified structure positions McLaren for success and opens up strategic avenues, which include exploring new partnerships to enhance the company’s growth over the coming years.”In addition to the sports-car arm of the company that currently builds the 750S, GTS, and Artura sports cars, the McLaren Group also owns a majority stake in McLaren Racing, where the company employs factory teams in sports including Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula E, and Extreme E. More on McLaren’s Financial TroublesDespite being considerably younger than most legacy automakers, McLaren has produced its fair share of historically great cars. From the three-seater F1 to the blisteringly quick P1 and Senna models, McLaren has cemented itself as one of the greats. Because of that, we’re glad to see the company story continue. Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

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    Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300 Recalled for Risk of Exploding Airbag

    Stellantis is recalling nearly 285,000 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 cars from the 2018 through 2021 model years.The issue is a defective inflator in the cars’ side curtain airbags that could cause the airbags to rupture, potentially sending metal fragments into the cabin.The automaker will notify owners of the recall on May 3 and will replace the inflators free of charge. Stellantis, in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has announced the recall of 217,802 Dodge Charger and 67,180 Chrysler 300 sedans, all from 2018 through 2021 model years. The problem is a defective side curtain airbag inflator, an issue that is predicted to affect about 1 percent of the recalled vehicles.Chrysler2019 Chrysler 300.In the recall report, Stellantis says that the “suspect inflators” were used between July 2018 and May 2021 and then were no longer used in the cars, based on production records. The automaker said that its analysis of the issue shows the vehicles “may have had moisture introduced into the inflator during supplier manufacturing that may cause internal corrosion over time and potentially leading to Stress Corrosion Cracking in the inflator.”The issue could cause the airbag to rupture and even to send metal fragments into the cabin, leading to injury. Stellantis said that as of February 2024, it is aware of two warranty claims and five customer assistance records, but no reports of injuries. Recalled vehicles will get both side curtain airbags replaced with new ones using inflators manufactured outside the recall period, according to NHTSA documents.Owners will be notified of the recall starting on May 3. In the meantime, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger owners can check the NHTSA recalls site to see if their vehicle is affected. Laura Sky Brown has been involved in automotive media for a very long time, and she sees it as her calling to guard the legacy and help ensure the continued high quality of Car and Driver. She was one of the first staffers at Automobile Magazine in the ’80s and has worked for many other car magazines and websites as a writer, editor, and copy editor ever since. It has been her privilege to edit many of the greats of automotive journalism over the years, including the ones who currently write for C/D. More

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    Honda 2W Sales Breakup February 2024 – Domestic, Exports, Activa, Dio, Shine, CB350

    Honda ActivaThe sales grew drastically in the case of motorcycles like Hornet 2.0, Livo, Dream and Unicorn 160 when compared to numbers from a year beforeIndia’s largest scooter manufacturer, HMSI (Honda Motorcycles and Scooters Ltd), ended the month of February 2024 on a positive note. The company has made significant advances in expanding the sales envelope and the results are respectable with 83.18% YoY growth in domestic market and sales more than doubled at 117.97% YoY growth in exports.Honda 2W Sales Breakup February 2024 – DomesticIn domestic market, HMSI’s primary contributor is Activa and will probably be that way for a long time, considering the pull it has on Indian buyers. At 2,00,134 units, Activa accounted for 48.11% of Honda’s domestic sales. Numbers saw 14.69% YoY growth over 1,74,503 units sold in February 2023 and gained 25,631 units in volume.CB Shine took the 2nd place in the charts with 1,20,119 units sold last month. When compared to the 35,594 units sold last year, numbers more than quadrupled at 237.47% YoY growth, gaining 84,525 units in volume. Shine accounted for 28.88% of Honda’s domestic sales. Dio doubled its numbers with 104.63% YoY growth selling 29,649 units over 14,489 units sold last year.Dio accounted for 7.13% of Honda’s domestic endeavours and gained 15,160 units in volume YoY. Unicorn showed stellar growth with 23,293 units sold and 1,693% YoY growth over 1,339 units sold a year ago. Recently launched Shinda 100 sold 22,644 units and SP160 sold 5,155 units. Also at the 5,100 units mark was Dream commuter with 5,103 units and 983.44% YoY growth.Honda 2W Sales Breakup February 2024 – DomesticLivo commuter bike saw 3,211 units sold and the bike registered 1,246.4% YoY growth over 222 units sold a year ago. H’ness sales have grown 549% YoY by pushing out 2,072 units last month. Recently launched CB350 (Classic) sold 1,784 units. The biggest sales comeback was demonstrated by Hornet 2.0.The bike sold 1,442 units as opposed to just 5 sold last year. Resulting in 28,740% YoY growth. Next in line was CB200X pseudo ADV with 750 units sold. With the recent price slashing exercise, CB300F sold 308 units and CB300R sold 219 units. The company’s 500cc twinner sold 66 units and the recently launched XL750 Transalp sold 18 units.In total, Honda’s domestic sales accounted for 4,15,967 units last month. When compared to the 2,27,083 units sold in February 2023, there was an 83.18% YoY growth and the volume gain stood at 1,88,884 units YoY.Honda 2W Sales Breakup February 2024 – ExportsExportsDiscontinued in India for slow sales, Navi is Honda’s highest exported vehicle shipping out 13,393 units last month. Navi accounted for 31.7% of Honda’s total exports and the 52.49% YoY growth brought a 4,610 units volume gain. Dio stood in 2nd place with 9,423 units and contributed 22.3% of Honda’s total exports. Dio saw 174.4% YoY growth and gained 5,989 units in volume. Rockstar in the domestic market, Activa saw 4,992 takers globally and saw 966.67% YoY growth.CB Shine and Dream sold 4,170 and 4,112 units and registered 297.9% and 416.58% YoY growth respectively. Honda CB350 and Hornet 2.0 sales fell close together at 1,976 and 1,780 units respectively. Hornet 2.0 saw 74.51% YoY growth. Hornet 160R and Livo sales fell close together with 1,076 units and 1,000 units respectively. Where Hornet 160R registered 60.12% YoY growth, Livo’s was 150% YoY growth.CB200X sold 280 units and Unicorn 160 sold 48 units last month. In total, Honda’s exports stood at 42,250 units, up from 19,383 units sold a year ago. This accounted for 117.97% YoY growth and gained 22,867 units in volume YoY. More

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    500cc+ Motorcycles Sales February 2024 – RE650, Z900, Hayabusa, Ninja

    Suzuki HayabusaFor the month of February 2024, the big bike segment accounted for a total volume of 3,497 units and more than doubled in numbers YoYThe iconic motorcycle manufacturer, Royal Enfield, continued to dominate the 500cc+ Motorcycle Sales February 2024 charts like clockwork. The company has a cost-effective lineup based on its 650cc parallel twin engine. Owing to their value proposition, Royal Enfield 650 motorcycles hold 90% of big bike segment’s market share.500cc+ Motorcycles Sales February 2024The chart was led by the 650 Twins (Interceptor 650 & Continental GT 650) with 2,070 units sold and accounted for 59.19% of total big bike sales. When compared to 1,170 units sold last year, 650 Twins saw 76.92% YoY growth and 900 units gained in volume. Super Meteor 650 stood in 2nd place with 1,073 units and 30.68% of total big bike sales.Kawasaki’s affordable 4-cylinder lineup includes Z900 and ZX-6R and both these bikes enjoyed good reception from buyers. Kawasaki sold 82 Z900 bikes and 79 ZX-6R bikes last month. Z900 saw 43.86% YoY growth with 25 units gained in volume. Triumph Street Triple RS took 5th position with 29 units sold.The mighty Suzuki Hayabusa sold 28 units, but the appeal seems to be down reflected by the 17.65% YoY decline. India’s most affordable 200bhp litre-class bike, Kawasaki ZX-10R, sold 25 units and registered 56.25% YoY growth with 9 units gained in volume. Honda has been gaining traction in big bike sales after a very long time and even featured in the top 10 with XL750 Transalp at 8th position.500cc+ Motorcycle Sales February 2024The recently launched XL750 sold 18 units last month, which is a good start. At 9th and 10th position, we have Kawasaki Versys 650 and Ninja 650 with 18 and 12 units sold respectively. While Versys quadrupled its numbers with 200% YoY growth gaining 6 units in volume, Ninja saw a 7.69% YoY decline, losing 1 unit in volume. Triumph sold 10 units of Speed Twin and Tiger 900 each, securing 11th and 12th position respectively.Big bikes under 10 units salesHarley-Davidson Nightster sold 9 units and saw 800% YoY growth as opposed to 1 unit sold in February 2023. Triumph sold 6 units of Tiger Sport 660 and registered a 45.45% YoY decline. Selling 5 units each, we have Kawasaki Z650 RS and Triumph Bonneville T120. Coincidentally, not only did they sell 5 units each, but they also registered 150% YoY growth over 2 units sold last year and gained 3 units in volume.The same coincidence was seen with Harley-Davidson Pan America and Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster. Both bikes sold 3 units each, up from 1 unit sold last year and gained 2 units in volume and 200% YoY growth. Also at the 3-unit mark, we have Kawasaki Z650 which registered a 62.50% YoY decline.Four motorcycles sold 2 units each last month. These are Kawasaki Vulcan S, Triumph Bonneville Bobber, Speed Twin and Scrambler 1200. There was no sales growth to highlight with these motorcycles. There was only one motorcycle recording 1 unit sales last month, which was Harley-Davidson Sportster S.There were quite a few motorcycles last month which didn’t see any takers. These are Triumph Trident 660, Rocket III, Tiger 1200, Kawasaki W800, Ninja 1000SX, Versys 1000, Suzuki V-Strom 650, Katana, Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 114, Fat Bob, Street Glide, Roadking (not Yezdi) and Honda Goldwing. In total, there were 3,497 big bikes sold last month. 142% YoY growth and 2,055 units gained in volume were impressive. More

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    Electric 3W / Rickshaw Sales Feb 2024 – Mahindra, YC, Saera, Dilli, Piaggio, Bajaj

    Image for illustrationIn February 2024, the electric 3W retail sales has posted a double digit YoY growth while MoM sales dipped marginallyFollowing our two earlier sales reports wherein we analyzed electric car and electric two wheeler retail sales for the month of February 2024, we now take a look at three wheeler sales also in the electric category. The electric three wheeler segment is divided into various categories and sales figures included sales of vehicles like three-wheeler (goods), three-wheeler (passenger), three-wheeler (personal), e-rickshaws, and e-rickshaws (carts). Sustained demand across the passenger category while last-mile operators for e-commerce businesses, food deliveries and other similar applications has shown off a good sales trajectory.Electric 3W Sales In February 2024Electric 3W sales last month stood at 50,585 units, a YoY growth of 40.10 percent over 36,106 units sold in February 2023. It was however, a decline by 5.09 percent on a MoM basis as compared to 53,298 units sold in January 2024. Sales in this segment were also lower when compared to 57,511 units sold in December 2023 indicating that the past three months have been unfavorable where electric 3Ws are concerned.Electric 3W / Rickshaw Sales Feb 2024 vs Feb 2023 – YoY ComparisonMahindra Group led the segment with 5,010 unit sales last month, a 33.03 percent YoY growth over 3,766 units sold in February 2023. MoM sales also improved by 7.01 percent from 4,682 units sold in January 2024. Most sales were amassed by Mahindra Last mile Mobility with 4,707 units sold last month while Mahindra Limited sales stood at 291 units and Mahindra Reva at 12 units.At No. 2 was YC Electric with 3,356 unit retail sales last month posting a 28.09 percent YoY growth from 2,620 units sold in February 2023. MoM sales dipped marginally by 0.56 percent from 3,375 units sold in January 2024. The company’s electric 3W portfolio currently includes Yatri Super, Yatri Deluxe and Yatri in the passenger segment while its commercial lineup includes the E-Loader and Yatri Cart.Electric 3W / Rickshaw Sales Feb 2024 vs Jan 2024 – MoM ComparisonSaera Electric sales grew to 2,090 units, up 12.61 percent YoY from 1,856 units sold in February 2023 while MoM sales suffered a setback of 11.40 percent when compared to 2,359 units sold in January 2024. Dilli Electric and Piaggio sold an equal number of electric 3 wheelers last month at 1,990 units. However, Piaggio posted an even greater MoM decline and hence lost its No. 4 position held in January 2024 to Dilli.Ranked at No. 4 on this list was Dilli Electric with 1,990 units sold last month, a 27.24 percent YoY growth from 1,564 units sold in February 2024 while MoM sales fell albeit marginally by 0.85 percent from 2,007 units sold in January 2024. Piaggio sales of its electric 3W models Ape E-City FX Max passenger carrier and Ape E-Xtra FX Max cargo carrier posted lower MoM but it was a significant YoY growth of 87.56 percent when compared to 1,061 units sold in February 2023. It was followed by Bajaj Auto with 1,379 unit sales last month, a 12.67 percent MoM decline from 1,579 units sold in January 2024. Electric 3W OEMs with Double Digit YoY GrowthLower down the sales list were a host of OEMs that have posted double digit YoY growth though most of them have experienced lower MoM sales. Mini Metro sales grew to 1,154 units last month, a YoY and MoM growth of 22.51 percent and 3.50 percent respectively. Unique International recorded retail sales at 1,028 units with a 24.61 percent YoY growth but 7.72 percent MoM de-growth.The list also included Hotage  EV (996 units), Energy Electric (919 units), Champion PolyPlast (910 units), JS Auto (903 units) and Alfine Industries (867 units). Other OEMs who manufacture electric 3 wheelers added 27,993 units to total sales last month, a YoY growth of 44.01 percent from 19,438 units sold in February 2023 while MoM sales dipped 6.87 percent over 30,059 units sold in January 2024. More