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2018 Honda Accord charges into slumping sedan market

DETROIT - Honda on Friday revealed its newest-generation Accord, one of four re-engineered midsize sedans that Asian automakers are betting on to win market share as Detroit automakers shift focus to SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks. The new Accord, like rival Toyota's all-new Camry arriving this month, offers major improvements in fuel economy, technology, styling and safety. Honda declined to discuss details ahead of Friday's event in Detroit. The Accord and Camry are pillars of their manufacturers' US businesses, each selling well over 300,000 vehicles a year. In the coming months, Nissan is expected to launch a new Altima midsize sedan, and Hyundai will launch a new Sonata. Both are popular marques that will be promoted heavily. "There has been no new news on the midsize sedan side for three years, and we think this is a great opportunity to bring attention back to the segment," said Jack Hollis, Toyota's head of marketing for North America. Year to date, US passenger car sales are down 11.4 percent, and sales of midsize sedans are down 14.2 percent. Still, Americans bought 7.1 million sedans in 2016. With General Motors and Ford cutting sedan production, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles abandoning the segment, Honda and its Asian rivals could boost sales with updated models, dealers said. "They could take share from other brands, which is traditionally what happens when a new product is launched," said Pete DeLongchamps, vice president for manufacturer relations at Group 1 Automotive Inc, the third-largest US auto dealer group. "NOT FINDING A PLACE WITH CONSUMERS" The Accord for years was Honda's top-selling model in the United States. Within the past year, US sales of the Honda CR-V have eclipsed the aging Accord, and Honda has expanded production capacity for the compact crossover. Passenger-car sales have steadily declined since 2012, when they made up 51.2 percent of the US market. Sedans have sagged to a 38.1 percent share in the first half of this year. IHS Markit said US consumer loyalty to SUVs and pickup trucks has risen since 2012, but declined for sedans. The new Accord and Camry "may stem the decline," said IHS Markit's Tom Libby. "I don't think they will cause a marked reverse." Improvements to the Accord should boost sales at Galpin Honda in San Fernando, California, general manager Ed Hartoonian said.

Intel-Mobileye tech in 2M BMWs, VWs, Nissans will crowdsource maps for autonomy

Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich said on Monday 2 million vehicles from BMW, Nissan and Volkswagen would use its unit Mobileye's technology to crowdsource data for building maps that enable autonomous driving. The world's largest chipmaker bought Israeli firm Mobileye last year to compete with peers such as Qualcomm and Nvidia Corp and tap the fast-growing market of driverless cars, filled with a complex tangle of alliances. (VW, for example, is also working with Nvidia.) Krzanich was the keynote speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show. He said data from Mobileye's Road Experience Management software would gather data to build and update scalable high-definition maps. He also announced that Intel would be working with Ferrari on AI drones to cover Ferrari Challenge North America Series racing. The drones would provide video of the races, but ultimately they would provide drivers with data — video that would let them see their racing performance from overhead, but also telemetry information about, say, how they enter and exit a turn. Intel will also tie up with SAIC Motor Corp, which will use Mobileye technology to develop Level 3, 4 and 5 autonomous cars in China, the chipmaker said. Krzanich also said Intel had not received any information of customer data being compromised so far after the company confirmed last week that security issues reported by researchers in its widely used microprocessors could allow hackers to steal sensitive information from computers, phones and other devices. Security researchers had disclosed two security flaws exposing vulnerability of nearly every modern computing device containing chips from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and ARM Holdings. Reporting by Philip GeorgeRelated Video: Image Credit: Intel Auto News Green CES BMW Ferrari Nissan Volkswagen Technology Autonomous Vehicles CES 2018 nvidia intel mobileye

Nissan, Toyota offering payment deferments to people affected by government shutdown

Two weeks into the budget-related government shutdown and it sounds like some progress is finally being made, but that doesn't really help furloughed government employees pay their bills. To help out a little, Nissan and Toyota are joining Hyundai with offering payment deferments to current owners and lessees.
In a release, a Nissan spokesperson said the company is "sympathetic to any of our customers who find themselves in difficult financial circumstances - many times outside of their control."
Both Japanese automakers are allowing payment extensions of up to 90 days without penalties or fees. Unlike the Hyundai Assurance Plan, though, it doesn't seem like the Nissan or Toyota assistance will be extended to those who are still in the buying process. Scroll down for press releases from both companies about their respective payment deferment programs.