December 20, 2016
Honda Says It Will Unveil 2018 Odyssey Minivan at Detroit Show
Honda’s onslaught of new products will continue in January with the debut of the 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan at the Detroit auto show, reports Automotive News. The fifth-generation Odyssey that will debut in Detroit promises redesigned styling, powertrain updates and undisclosed “innovative features.” The basics of the Odyssey are expected to be the same: It will use a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and ride on Honda’s light-truck platform that underpins the Pilot large crossover and the Ridgeline midsize truck. Current Odyssey models are front-wheel drive only, though all-wheel drive could be added for the new generation. The 2018 Odyssey is expected to go on sale by next summer. For more on Honda’s 2018 minivan, click here.
Genesis is Serious About Taking on BMW, Mercedes-Benz
Other luxury brands had years to plan the spinoff of their luxury brands. Hyundai did it in nine months, reports USA Today. It's fallen to a veteran auto executive, Erwin Raphael, to try to create a separate identity around the brand called Genesis. That has meant trying to get the word out and educate the dealer network about what it's going to take to please luxury customers. Whether it's building the brand or the quality of the cars themselves, "it's all about the details," says Raphael, Genesis' general manager in the U.S. Fortunately, he's starting off with two models that have already gained good reputations under the former names as Genesis models. Now those two cars, the midsize G80, formerly the Hyundai Genesis, and the full-size G90, successor to the Hyundai Equus, will anchor Genesis as stand-alone nameplate. Find out more about Hyundai’s plans for its Genesis brand here.
Subaru Has High Hopes for Platform, Aiming for 800,000
The fifth-generation Impreza now launching in the U.S. marks the debut of Subaru’s new global platform, which in the next five to six years will underpin all the brand’s models. According to WardsAuto, it’s a platform Subaru sees as an agent of change, designed to bring it even more buyers and hopefully helping extend its 60-month streak of U.S. sales gains. Since 2007, Subaru volume has tripled in the U.S., going from roughly 200,000 annually to nearly 600,000 through November. “This is probably the most exciting news with the whole car,” Todd Hill, Impreza car line manager-Subaru of America, tells media in La Jolla, Calif., at a ’17 Impreza preview. “It’s designed for all future models (and powertrains/propulsion systems) going forward. It’s going to give us greater development efficiency and production efficiency, because there’ll be more shared parts and components and common assembly processes.” Find out more about Subaru’s plans for its Impreza platform here.
Incredible Innovations That Changed the Auto Industry Forever
In a world where new, clever ways of using tech and the cloud are being unveiled on an almost daily basis, the speed of progress on the automobile can look a bit glacial by comparison. CNN reports that in the most basic terms, the cars being sold today are similar to those introduced at the start of the 20th century: a combustion engine driving the wheels through some sort of gearbox, with steering controlled by a wheel at the front of the cabin. Searching back through history reveals, however, that while many of the car industry's ideas are not new at all, it has taken quite a bit of ingenuity to turn them into something people are willing to pay money for. The car industry, you see, is full of examples of innovations that went nowhere until someone – quite often not the original inventor – worked out how to industrialize the idea. Find out more about the innovations that changed the auto industry here.
'Never Say Never' But Lamborghini Will Refuse Autonomous Driving for a Very Long Time
The recent technological developments towards self-driving cars are unlikely to reach the luxury sports sector any time soon, the chief executive of Lamborghini told CNBC. Carmakers have begun introducing technology that will lead to autonomous driving and more vehicles being powered by batteries. But according to Lamborghini's CEO, Stefano Domenicali, the sports car brand will "protect" the desire of its customers to have fun and to enjoy being behind the wheel of its cars for a while longer. "There are certain things on (autonomous driving) technology that can be useful also for our future . . . but for sure in that respect I can guarantee everyone that Lamborghini will have for a long time, never say never in life, but I'd say for a very long time a big and good steering wheel and two pedals to control and enjoy the drive," Domenicali told CNBC on Tuesday. For more on Lamborghini’s plans to stay away from autonomous technology, click here.
What's a Last Survivor Policy?
With all the life insurance choices out there, one option you may not have considered is a “last survivor” policy. This type of policy insures two lives, with the death benefit paid after both of the insureds pass away. Originally designed primarily to pay estate taxes, these policies can be used effectively to meet other personal and business needs throughout your lifetime:
Provide funds to replace lost income for minor children if both parents die
Fund a trust for a special needs child
Access the cash value for business or personal needs, including education funding or dealership expansion
Supplement retirement income or long-term care needs
Leave something for your children, even if you spend all of your assets during your life
A last survivor policy can also provide coverage on two key employees. Or it can be used to fund a buy-sell agreement or equalize your estate to help ensure siblings are treated fairly when a closely held business is passed to the next generation. It may be a more affordable option when compared to separate policies, and may even provide coverage when one individual is uninsurable. Contact Federated Insurance or your local Federated representative for details.
Around the Web
Register for AIADA's Annual Meeting in New Orleans Next Month [Register]
We Finally Get a Look at BMW's X7 Crossover [Autoblog]
Mitsubishi Recalls 50K SUVs [Detroit Free Press]
VW Gets More Time to Strike 3-Liter Emissions Deal [The Detroit News]