The Antithesis of Clean Design

Cadillac went for a streamlined look with its latest Escalade, the head lights flow into a side profile with subtle fenders and devoid of any unnecessary fender vents. The design works as intended until you get to the second row window that is bisected by dividers and plastic space fillers. On a spotless profile the window sticks out as out of place. Engineering logistics certainly dictate what designers can do with the window but the last generation Escalade was able to keep the glass completely clear of any obstructions. On the other hand, Cadillac's competitor Land Rover was able to do an excellent job cleaning up the side profile on its latest Range Rover Sport model. Gone was the unsightly divider of the first generation replaced with just a small plastic space filler at the bottom. It's a small change but it helps greatly in keeping the continuity of the Range Rover Sport design.

 

Too Much of a Good Thing: When LED DRL Go Wrong

Though met with much skepticism at first there is no doubt that LED daytime running lights have become the most universally adopted styling element adopted by virtually every single brand on the market. A simple LED strip no longer cuts it in the competitive DRL market with every working to create a more distinctive and visually impressive design. Unfortunately, the one-upmanship has resulted in a few cases of DRLs that are simply overdone.

Cadillac CTS

Horizontal is the proffered DRL method for most brand and Cadillac would have already done well enough with a fairly simple vertical strip in each head light. In an effort to double the impact Cadillac literally added a second DRL strip integrated into the bumper right below the headlight to make a double decker effect that is two much of a good thing.

Land Rover Range Rover

The latest Range Rover is an evolution of a classic design with a seriously clean design that with almost no superfluous design elements. The only blemish on the clean sheet design are the head lights with DRLs that are too busy for their own good. As one the Cadillac the Range Rover would have done fairly well for itself if they kept things simple with just the outline of the headlight as the DRL but not content Land Rover added a loop that has no business being there.

 Audi A8

As the brand that invented the LED DRL, Audi continues to be one of the leaders in the head light design game, DRLs included. However, Audi misfired with the check mark shaped DRL pattern on the A8. Unlike the two previous offenders the A8 does not suffer from a design that is too complicated or too large but simply from a poor shape selection. The check mark looks good on paper but out of place on a car. The shape is distinctive and powerful in the rear view mirror but the overall impact isn't up to Audi's standard hence the pretty quick update to the A8 headlights with the refresh.

Observations from a non major autoshow

LA, Detroit, Chicago and New York comprise the major auto show circuit in the US that gets the coverage, but you can find an auto show in any major convention center. KWF set out to find out what kind of an automotive experience one can have at these other shows and see what we can observe. No world debuts to catch, no concept cars to see, is this even worthy of being called an auto show? While lacking all the flash and glamour of the big shows you still get an opportunity to see almost every make and model on the market today.  What follows are random observations after numerous hours of looking up and down from all angles, sitting in every back seat and stroking every dash.

Looking at Luxury Brands Selling Prices

There is always a lot of talk about which luxury brand is the best, which luxury brand sells the most, and which brands even deserve to be called luxury altogether. To clear up some of these questions let's take a look at the average selling prices of the biggest eleven brands that claim to sell luxury cars in the United States. While the manufacturers do not release their average transaction prices in the way that they do with overall sales figures here is our best attempt to see who gets the most for their cars on average. At the top is Mercedes-Benz with an average asking price of around 55,000 per vehicle. Mercedes has by far the most models available for sale in the 75,000+ range. Second is BMW which is able to average a little over 50,000 per every vehicle sold. BMW falls behind Mercedes by offering fewer models over 100,000. Up third is Cadillac that benefits greatly by moving a significant amount of its pricey Escalades every month. Following Cadillac is Audi that sells its models for comparable prices as Mercedes and BMW but moves fewer A6 models compared to the competition. Up next is Infiniti that charges around 45,000 on average followed closely by Lexus that loses ground because of a significant amount of ES sales. Lincoln is able to average a little over 40,000 thanks to Town Car and Navigator sales. Right around the 40,000 dollar cutoff Acura suffers by not having a true flagship sedan or having a coupe or convertible version of the TSX. Opening up the premium category Volvo lacks serious firepower without a V8 in its lineup. Second to last Buick is a great example of selling vehicles at a premium but not luxury prices. Bringing up the rear is Chrysler with a majority of its sales comprised by the 200 and the Town&Country minivan.

*The data represented below is an attempt to find out the average selling prices of the luxury brands based on their product mix. The figures are averaged based on sales, thus a brand selling more flagship sedans versus entry level models has a higher average price than a brand selling mostly entry level models. Because of lack of sales figures BMW's M lineup and Mercedes's AMG models were not factored in, thus those brands likely have slightly higher transaction prices than indicated here.

Best SUV Designs On Sale Today

SUVs aren't particularly well known to be automotive design icons like coupes and sedans. Whether you blame it on the size or the need for functionality it's tough to see an SUV being remembered for its design along the lines of a classic E type Jaguar. Nevertheless this isn't to say that there aren't any well designed SUVs on sale today. As in any category to be the best requires you to stand out from the competition. In no particular order here are the best designed SUVs on sale today based on their visual impact, design cohesiveness and ability to convey their off-road capabilities.

Cadillac Escalade

The Escalade owns much of its sales success to its outstanding design. The large grille and chiseled traditional SUV styling give the Escalade a commanding presence that buyers want in this segment.




Dodge Durango

As the recent Dodge commercial points out the Durango did a lot during its two year absence, it transitioned from a pickup frame underpinnings to a Grand Cheeroke shared unibody platform. The Durango also returned with significant styling improvements and is now the best looking large crossover on the market today. A large grille upfront combined with sharp lines give the Durango presence while the rest of the design features softer lines yet still blends in surprisingly well.



Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Durango platformmate also makes the list as the latest generation combines traditional Jeep elements in a fresh new package. Looking more compact and tidier than before the latest Grand Cherokee still looks like a Jeep yet has exciting styling elements such as the character line in the doors, prominent wheel arches and chrome pieces throughout.




Lexus LX 570

The Lexus LX 570 features and incredibly clean design devoid of unnecessary elements that would mar its exterior. The grille, head and tail lights, and side creases result in a classy and elegant SUV fitting its price range.



Volkswagen Touareg

The second generation Touareg features sharper styling than its predecessor. Chiseled grille and headlights are a significant departure from the last model and give the Touareg a better first impression. Concave door design results in a 911 like Coke bottle shape that puts the sport in Sport Utility.




Honorable Mention: BMW X5, Range Rover

Warren Buffett on BYD, Unions and Detroit

Kill It With Fire recently had an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a Q&A session with Warren Buffet. Among the numerous questions answered by Mr. Buffett were a few about the auto industry. As an aside, Mr. Buffett is an excellent public speaker ready to share many funny stories from his life. Mr. Buffett was also extremely generous with his time as he took individual pictures with every attendee. Back on the automotive front, first was a question about Buffett's recent vote of confidence in BYD amid rumors that he might sell his share. Famous for not investing in companies and industries that he does not understand personally, Buffett nevertheless believes that BYD will succeed. Buffett’s reasons behind his optimism about BYD are not based on the company’s battery expertise but are rather much simpler and fundamental. He sees BYD succeeding because it has an excellent management team lead by its CEO Wang Chuan-Fu. Buffett was initially impressed by Chuan-Fu’s ability to turn BYD into a major player in the auto market in under a decade. He was further impressed by Chuan-Fu’s character during the lengthy purchasing process when Chuan-Fu honored the original contract instead of looking for a loophole to void the deal even though his company’s value had gone up fivefold.

Buffett also touched upon the future of Detroit. He likened its demise to that of New England textile mills that lost out to union free Southern states. Buffett eventually sees the area shifting its lost jobs towards other industries, but does not see Detroit returning to its former glory years.

And for those wondering, the world’s third richest man’s daily driver is a gold Cadillac DTS.

What Mercury's Demise Means

The wait is over, Ford announced today that Mercury production will halt in the fourth quarter of this year. Of course, Ford has its glass half-full saying that shutting down Mercury is only an opportunity to improve as a company. The first few paragraphs make it clear.

"Ford Motor Company will expand and enhance its Lincoln brand lineup with seven all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles in the next four years as part of an aggressive growth plan focused on standout product design, class-leading technology and new powertrains – all aimed at competing with Cadillac and Lexus in North America.

Ford also will end production of Mercury vehicles in the fourth quarter of this year to fully devote its financial, product development, production and marketing, sales and service resources toward further growing its core Ford brand while enhancing the Lincoln brand."

Nevertheless, the demise of Mercury does show that today's automotive consumer demands more than ever before. As a brand Mercury cars were slightly fancied up and rebadged versions of everyday mainstream Fords. This no longer works, see General Motors for further evidence.

This is not to say that consumer's aren't willing to pay more for a premium version of mainstream cars. In fact, Ford's focus on the Lincoln brand shows that quality "badge engineering" is the future. The Lincoln lineup is completely based on Ford products, yet they look different inside and out. Even Lincoln's closest competition in Cadillac and Lexus (according to Ford) features a lineup that relies heavily on modified platforms of mainstream cars.

In this sense Ford's emphasis on significantly increased emphasis on the Lincoln brand will be paramount. Ford is going to have to prove to the public that there is a significant difference between a Ford and a Lincoln for the brand to survive and not follow Mercury's fate. Based on the quality products coming out of Ford for the past year, it looks like Lincoln is poised to regain some of its former glory in the coming years.



The MKX is an appealing product, but is it too similar to its Ford counterpart to be considered luxury?

BMW ActiveHybrid X6 Delivers 20% Fuel Economy Improvement

BMW's 480 horsepower X6 ActiveHybrid has been rated by the EPA and the results are in, 17 city and 19 highway for a combined fuel economy of 18 mpg. The X6 ActiveHybrid combines the xdrive50i's twin-turbo V8 with electric motors to improve fuel economy. The nonhybrid X6 xdrive50i has EPA ratings of 13 city and 18 highway, and 15 combined. This means that the hybrid powertrain increases city fuel economy by nearly 31% while only giving a 5% boost on the highway. Overall drivers should expect a 20% improvement in fuel economy compared to the regular V8. A better example of the fuel economy improvement is the fact that the ActiveHybrid X6 has a higher combined fuel economy rating than the six cylinder X6 xdrive30i. However, BMW's focus on performance is evident as the ActiveHybrid's improvement in fuel economy is smaller than that seen by General Motor's SUVs which feature similar hybrid technology. Both companies took part in the Global Hybrid Cooperation. Only time will tell if BMW's focus on extra performance will pay off.

BMW X6 xdrive50i, 400 horsepower: 13/18 (15 combined)
BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, 480 horsepower: 17/19 (18 combined) 20% improvement

Cadillac Escalade 2WD, 403 horsepower: 14/20 (16 combined)
Cadillac Escalade 2 WD Hybrid, 332 horsepower: 21/22 (22) 37.5% improvement

Chevrolet Tahoe 4 WD, 320 horsepoer, 15/21 (17)
Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD Hybrid, 332 horsepower: 21/22 (22) 29% improvement