Time for Alfa or Sergio to go? That was the title of a Comment piece by our US sales analyst Bill Cawthon which attracted plenty of looks on just-auto this week. Cawthon has decades of association with and analysis of the Chrysler part of Fiat Chrysler and a read is recommended.
Mazda launched its CX-3 B-SUV in the UK this week and I went to England’s north east – with a brief foray through the barbed wire and machine guns (just kidding) across the border into Scotland – to try it on some superb and relatively uncongested roads. I learned Mazda Europe has a policy that local sales units’ new model launches should be in their own countries which suits me fine (Spain is nice in our winter but some of its empty, pool table flat motorways are hardly representative of our crammed river beds) but has led over the years to the odd winter snow-in.
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We learned Honda has axed US production of hybrid and natural gas Civics because conventional engines are now so good and efficient and continued our new Research Snapshot series with electric power steering and start-stop engines and did active safety systems as a June management briefing. And, if video killed the radio star, it looks like crossovers have claimed another convertible. I also put Honda’s anticipatory radar cruise control, new with the recent CR-V facelift, to the test on very busy UK roads.
There was also more than a hint Martin Winterkorn is going to restructure the Volkswagen Group, Honda’s new chief has his hands full and GM and Isuzu are getting back into the US medium truck bed together again.
Have a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts, Deputy Editor, just-auto.com
