Nutson's Auto News Nuggets - Week of November 10-16, 2014

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

Auto Central Louisville, KY November 16, 2014; Every Sunday, along with senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau I give you our "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to digest nuggets.

If you are a car nut like we all are here at The Auto Channel, you can easily wish to "catch up" on these stories as well as the past 19 year's 1,745,999 automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news, video, audio, rants and raves just search The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive.

Hey Boston TV viewers, you can now enjoy The Auto Channel TV Network "Free and Clear" on WHDT Channel 3 in Boston and on your local cable systems, along with South Florida auto fans who can continue to watch The Auto Channel TV Network on WHDT-TV Chanel 9 in West Palm Beach as well as cable channel's 17 and 438, channel 9 Miami and channel 32 Fort Meyers-Naples, enjoy and thanks for the positive feedback....See you next week, LN

Nutson's Automotive News Factoids Week Of November 10-16, 2014

* Motor Trend named the Volkswagen Golf family -- Golf 1.8T, Golf TDI Clean Diesel, Golf GTI and e-Golf models -- as the 2015 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

* Dedicated product specialists are playing an increasingly larger role in the sales process at dealerships, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study. Mercedes-Benz ranks highest in sales satisfaction among luxury brands, with a score of 761, and also improves the most (+33 points) from 2013. For a fifth consecutive year, MINI ranks highest among mass market brands, with a score of 727, a 9-point increase from 2013. Among mass market brands, Buick improves the most (+32 points) year over year and ranks ninth in 2014, moving up from 13th in 2013.

* We note that the garnering by BMW’s MINI brand of the prize for being the highest ranked mass-market brand for sales satisfaction by J.D. Power comes some weeks after the brand scored near the bottom of the Initial Quality Survey by Consumer Reports. Who are you to believe?

* According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), the average fuel economy, based on the EPA rating on the Monroney Label, of cars, light trucks, vans and SUVs purchased in October was 25.3 mpg, the same as September, but down from 25.8 mpg in August. Vehicle fuel economy is up 5.2 mpg from October 2007, the first full month of monitoring by UMTRI.

* New vehicle technologies are getting way ahead of systems to protect the privacy and security of data about the consumer. The Association of Global Automakers took a big step this week in attempting to protect data as they announced agreement by the member OEMs on a platform to protect information such as geolocation, driver behavior, biometric information and other elements. Among the concerns are whether and when data can be shared with government entities.

* Takata, under intense pressure to mitigate fallout from their faulty airbags, is adding two production lines at their Mexico plant to make replacement inflators. Production has been delayed by the need to install new testing and tooling equipment. Senate hearings begin next week on the airbags and a grand jury is looking into the handling of the problem as well. Senators evaluating airbags? There must be a good joke to be had there.

* In another case of questionable procedures by automated ticketing, a class action suit is being filed in Florida against red-light camera tickets that were not properly handled. It seems that camera company ATS made ticketing decisions that by law have to be made by law enforcement personnel. During recent elections automated ticketing issues appeared on dozens of ballots around the country and went down to defeat in most jurisdictions.

* Performance car enthusiast will be pleased to know that the much-anticipated, intensely-hyped Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is beginning to arrive at dealers. The supercharged, 707-hp Hellcat is the most powerful and fastest muscle car ever produced and comes with either an 8-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission. Prices start at $60,000.

* Automotive News Europe reports that the Volkswagen Group announced plans to add an autonomous driving proving ground to its Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany. The existing test track is already being used to its limit but adjacent property that had been a military equipment testing facility has become available. The German Association of the Automobile Industry predict the first self-driven vehicles will be produced in about 15 years.

* Mercedes-Benz is playing the name-game too, just like Caddy and Infiniti did. So that you are not confused, M-B is changing the way it identifies its cars and light trucks. The change comes about as it prepares to launch 30 models by 2020. The new nameplates will begin appearing next year when Mercedes will launch redesigned or freshened versions of all of its crossovers and SUVs. The new nomenclature is a “simpler, more transparent and more logical system for the designations of our model series, with the aim of providing clear orientation for our customers,” according to Jens Thiemer, head of Mercedes brand marketing communication. Mercedes will have five core models: A, B, C, E and S. All crossovers will have a GL in their name “in a tribute to the legendary G-Class,” the company said.

* Mercedes-Benz recalled 2015 C-class cars because some may lose steering control at low speed. Around 10,500 cars are affected.

* Ford started building its new aluminum-bodied F-series pickup this week. It's expected to offer 20 percent better fuel economy coming in part from its 700 pound weight reduction. The new F-150 is a game changer and may just leave GM and Chrysler trucks in the dust of a steel mill.

* It's back. Mercedes-Benz is reviving the Maybach name for a second time. Maybach will become the ultra-luxury sub-brand of Mercedes and offer a more spacious and opulent S-Class sedan. The new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 will be celebrating its world premiere in Guangzhou and Los Angeles later in November.

* The Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga established guidelines for giving labor groups that sign up at least 15% of workers access to plant facilities and to regular meetings with management. The policy applies to any organization including the United Auto Workers and the American Council of Employees, an organization led by workers who spearheaded efforts to defeat the UAW in a union vote in February.

* NASCAR's Chase for the Cup is set up for the final round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Racing for the Sprint Cup championship are four drivers who have never won the crown. Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing, Joey Logano of Team Penske, Ryan Newman of Richard Childress Racing , and Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing will do battle with the highest finisher coming out the champ. Noteworthy is that no driver from Hendrick Motorsports is a contender. And, if Joey Logano wins that will give Team Penske its second championship this season, having won in INDYCAR.