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Automakers want to stop the EPA's fuel economy rules change, and why that's a shortsighted move

With a Trump Administration looming, the EPA moved quickly after the election to propose finalizing future fuel economy rules last week. The auto industry doesn't like that (surprise), and has started making moves to stop the EPA. Ford CEO Mark Fields said he wanted to lobby Trump to lower the standards, and now the Auto Alliance, a manufacturer group, is saying it will join the fight against cleaner cars. The Alliance represents 12 automakers: BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, VW, and Volvo. Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Alliance, told Automotive News that the "EPA's sudden and controversial move to propose auto regulations eight months early - even after Congress warned agencies about taking such steps while political appointees were packing their bags - calls out for congressional action to pause this rulemaking until a thoughtful policy review can occur." The EPA was going to consider public comments through April 2017, but then said it would move the deadline to the end of December. That means that it can finalize the rules before President Obama leaves office. The director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, Jack Gillis, said on a conference call with reporters last week when the EPA originally announced its decision that it is unlikely that President Trump will be able to roll back these changes. Gillis also said on the same call that any attempt by the automakers to prevent these changes would be history repeating itself. "These are the same companies that fought airbags, and now promoting the fact that every car has multiple airbags," he said. "These are the same companies that fought the crash-test program, and now are promoting the crash-test ratings published by the government. So, it's clear that they're misperceiving the needs of the American consumer." There are more reasons the Allliance's pushback is flawed. Carol Lee Rawn, the transportation program director for Ceres, said on that call that the automotive industry is a global one, and many automakers are moving to global platforms to help them meet strict fuel economy rules around the world.

Range Rover Sport SVR, Mazda CX-3, this week's news | Autoblog Video Podcast #533

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Reese Counts. We'll talk about the latest news and discuss a couple of the cars we've had in the office, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR and the Mazda CX-3. We also have a look behind the scenes of a video we shot in Iceland. And of course, we'll help choose a new vehicle for a listener in our "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #533 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown This week's news Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR Mazda CX-3 Iceland behind-the-scenes look Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Land Rover Mazda Crossover SUV mazda cx-3

Mazda6 sees gains in ugly month for midsize sedans

Though June overall wasn't a terrible month for automaker sales, at least for the most part, it was pretty hideous for midsize family sedans. Basically every single model in the segment saw declining numbers including the Subaru Legacy, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Passat, and even perennial volume sellers such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. All of these cars are down in year-to-date numbers, too. But there's one bright spot, and it comes from Mazda. Mazda reports that the Mazda6 actually had a really good month. It sold 3,204 examples of the family sedan in June 2018, compared with 2,360 in June of last year. That's a nearly 36 percent increase month-over-month. It was also enough to bump Mazda6 sales for 2018 ahead of 2017's numbers through June. Those numbers also put the Mazda6 ahead of the Volkswagen Passat for June, and just 20 vehicles shy of the Subaru Legacy. Admittedly, these are still small numbers all around. In the same month, Honda sold over 26,000 Accords, and Toyota sold about 27,000 Camrys. Sales of Mazda's other vehicles also indicate that crossovers really are the new hotness. The CX-5 sold a whopping (relatively) 12,710 units. The CX-3 and CX-9 sold about 2,300 examples each, which is below both Mazda3 and Mazda6, but both crossovers gained more this month and over the year than both cars. Mazda3 is actually down this month and overall. All of this also seems to give some credence to Ford's decision to move away from traditional sedans. Still, for fans of more conventional cars, it's a bit heartening to see that more niche players can find some success with the design. We're also pleased to see such an excellent sedan recognized with actual buyers. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda6 Signature View 17 Photos Image Credit: Mazda By the Numbers Mazda Sedan