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Nuclear deal could make Iran next big car market

Iran is a huge and hugely appealing target for Western firms - it's population is nearly the size of Germany's, it is well educated and includes a substantial middle class, and there is a built-in industrial capability. Because of the sanctions that have been in place for nearly five years now over its nuclear program, however, its citizens and domestic industry haven't been able to purchase and expand, so investment opportunities are not only manifold, they are severely undervalued. Most of the auto industry has been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the Iranian game to start. A report in Automotive News says that Iran's two automakers, Iran Khodro and SAIPA - Societe Anonyme Iranienne de Production Automobile - produced one million light vehicles last year for 77.5 million people. According to Wikipedia there were 200 vehicles per 1,000 citizens in 2012, and that was before the industry took a nosedive. That number puts it between Uruguay and Jamaica. Chery, Kia, Peugeot, and Renault were the carmakers with major operations in-country before all but Chery pulled out. In the vacuum, Chery and other Chinese automakers have thrown lots of product at the market, getting 27 models in a range of segments built or supplied there, with results that are probably best described as ambivalent among observers but financially lucrative for the Chinese. Peugeot has re-established ties, and Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen were attendees at the Iran Auto Show last November. The domestic companies say that this time they want local investment that includes technology transfer, so the Western carmakers that do decide to get in will find tougher negotiators than before. Peugeot, for instance, had a 51-49 partnership with Iran Khodro before pulling out; the new agreement is a 50-50 venture. As a 'gift' to the world for a final deal that encourages global investment, Bloomberg says that the price of crude would go down by $15 per barrel. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Kia Peugeot Renault iran sanctions khodro

Driving the Aston Martin DBX, Audi SQ5 and Hyundai Palisade | Autoblog Podcast #670

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Contributing Editor Joe Lorio. First, they talk about driving the Aston Martin DBX, Audi SQ5 and Autoblog's new long-term Hyundai Palisade. They discuss the news, including the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, the BMW i4 and iX, and the Kia EV6. Last, but not least, they dig into the mailbag to help a listener choose a replacement for a long-serving Honda Pilot. Autoblog Podcast #670 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 Cars We're Driving 2021 Aston Martin DBX 2021 Audi SQ5 Long-term 2021 Hyundai Palisade News 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is here: gigantic, luxurious and packing big V8 power BMW EV news BMW Group announces an armada of EVs that includes the full Mini range BMW i4 revealed as the 3 Series' EV sidekick BMW iX xDrive50 isn't just greener on the road, but from the get-go Kia EV6 electric car revealed with curvy sheetmetal Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: Aston Martin DBX in Stirling Green | On road, off-road and on the track

2018 Kia Stinger GT Long-Term Review Update | It's an ideal grand touring car

When you think GT car, you probably conjure up images of European sports coupes. Aston Martin DB11s, Ferrari Portofinos and the like. Surely you think of the Maserati Gran Turismo, its name literally being the long form of GT. They all share some key features. They're incredibly beautiful and stylish, they're very fast and they're actually reasonably comfortable and practical. You know what else fits that description? Our 2018 Kia Stinger GT. It nails all those criteria, and for a heck of a lot less money than those exotic coupes. First off, the Stinger GT is arguably the most distinct and exciting car in its small-to-midsize luxury sport sedan segment. It looks hunkered down over its massive 19-inch wheels. The proportions are proper with a long nose, short deck, and plenty of space between the front wheels and the base of the windshield. Its fastback shape both evokes classic coupes while also disguising its practical hatchback. It's a car with real presence wherever it goes, and the fact that it isn't selling in Camry numbers means that it's still rather cool to see one in the wild. In fact, when I came back from one of my press trips and was on the airport shuttle back to the parking lot, the driver became really excited when he saw I was driving our Stinger. He started asking me questions about it and how much he loved it when he saw it at the last Detroit Auto Show. So that's style nailed down. As for performance, the Stinger GT has plenty of that, too. Even though it's been in our fleet a few months, the twin-turbo V6 still impresses with its 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. After just a minute delay when hitting the skinny pedal, boosted power hits with a rush, and of course that power is available throughout the rev band, meaning you never have to work the engine hard to go fast. It's coupled with an extremely composed chassis that doesn't lean too much, and is happy to leap into action at the behest of the very quick steering wheel. This all-wheel-drive model does feel a little less quick to turn in than the rear-drive model we had earlier this year, but it does also provide a certain feeling of security if the rear gets loose. Its big Brembo brakes bring the Stinger to a halt in a hurry, too, and with solid brake feel. It's all good enough that senior editor Alex Kierstein took one to a racetrack. The biggest issue I have with the car is the transmission.