AUTONEWS

Coronavirus just lopped 10% off the value of your car 

New car sales took a nosedive in Q1 of this year as the coronavirus pandemic took shape, though there's a glimmer of hope the losses may be softer than previously anticipated in April. But what about used cars?
Automotive News reported Monday dealers find themselves in an odd situation where retail prices are off by just 1%, while wholesale values are down between 10% and 12%. Yes, the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, likely sucked at least 10% of your car's value away, according to data from Cox Automotive.
The discrepancy between prices and values has dealers in a quandary as many fear taking on too many used cars that won't sell for prepandemic prices. However, Cox Automotive said it may also be a time for dealers to mark prices down, sell current used car inventories and take on fresh inventories at lower values.
Although used car prices are pretty stable at the moment, data from JD Power forecasts prices to drop 7% through June before a slow recovery. The dip in prices better matches additional data surrounding values currently, but the price recovery also takes into account a gradual recovery in the market through the latter half of this year. With COVID-19, most goals have quickly become moving targets.


The Buick Regal TourX is a wagon with tons of space for the dogs.


The BMW X2 offers a low-load cargo area that makes it simple to put dogs and their crates into.


Adventure seekers can take the pups just about anywhere with the Jeep Wrangler.


The Chrysler Pacifica will handle kids and dogs. Plus, there's a plug-in hybrid option.


The Honda Fit is for the dog lover on a budget, and it still comes packed with tons of active safety equipment.


The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is spacious and has standard leather seats, which makes it easy to clean dog hair.


The Subaru Crosstrek is also rather affordable, comes with standard all-wheel drive and will fit fido quite well.


We don't necessarily agree with Autotrader on this one, but Dog Mode will, indeed, keep the pups cool while away from the car.


The Toyota RAV4 is a solid all-rounder, and it's just as good for the dogs.


On the luxurious side of things, the Volvo V60 Cross Country will coddle humans and dogs just as well.

© Provided by Roadshow

MOTO GP

If there are no MotoGP races in 2020, Petronas Quartararo wants to keep it in 2021 

If there is no MotoGP season in 2020, Fabio Quartararo(image above) wants to keep it in 2021 - a successor is looking for a young driver and not Rossi
Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has already indicated the possibility that might not have any MotoGP races in calendar year 2020 . Because even if the situation of the corona pandemic improves in some countries, the Motorcycle World Championship is positioned internationally. This worst-case scenario now also plays a role in the mind games of those involved.
If the season is completely canceled, Razlan Razali, the head of the Petronas team, would like to be treated in 2021 as if it were the 2020 season. Specifically, the manager from Malaysia speaks about Fabio Quartararo's Yamaha contract, because the Frenchman will drive in the factory team from next year.
"We need to discuss what happens if there are no races. This year we would have had a great chance of winning the World Cup with Fabio. If there are no races, we want to continue with the 2020 deal in 2021," Razali is quoted from the 'TMCBlog' . "We will fight for that."
"In the worst case, we don't have a World Cup at all. I would therefore suggest that everyone continue with their contracts of 2020 in 2021. We will insist and fight for Fabio to stay with us in his last year. We want him with him Fight for the title. The goal is a couple of victories and at least second place in the World Cup. "
A clear announcement from Razali, because he wants to harvest the fruits of success with Quartararo. For 2020, the 20-year-old has received full material from Yamaha and is practically on an equal footing with Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi. Thanks to this support, Razali believes there are chances to challenge Marc Marquez.
But even if Razali could implement his dream scenario, it is also clear that Quartararo will switch to the factory team sooner or later. A successor must be sought. "In principle, we want talented, young drivers," he pushes into the same notch as team boss Wilco Zeelenberg . A new talent from Moto2 would be the wish.
"There are some riders that we are considering. If Franco [Morbidelli] one we will keep him good year. We’ll also watch Xavi Vierge in our Moto2 team to see if he’s doing anything special to join the MotoGP team. We’ll also look at two or three other riders in Moto2. ”
That Petronas prefers to look for young drivers is bad news for Valentino Rossi. Yamaha has promised that he will get a factory motorcycle for 2021 if he wants to continue. It would be logical if he then took over from Quartararo in the satellite team.
But Razali says: "We know the stories of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo who want to join our team without having spoken to us formally. Our principle is that we want to develop young drivers. We have some in mind. This includes Xavi Vierge. " Vierge finished ninth in the Moto2 race in Qatar.
Razali also announced this week that he is no longer the head of the Sepang International circuit. His successor is Azhan Shafriman Hanif. Razali now only wants to look after the racing teams in all three classes. 

© Provided by motorsport.com 

TOYOTA

Company upgrades 5th gen Hiace with Safety Sense for JDM

Last February 2019, the all-new Toyota Hiace made its global debut in the Philippines. A few months later, the more luxurious Super Grandia followed, and we thought that would be the end for the fifth generation Hiace that has been produced since 2004.
Despite the introduction of an all-new model last year, it seems the previous-generation Hiace H200 continues to be produced and sold in Japan. And what's more bizarre is the fact that Toyota even updated the people carrier with new safety features for the 2020 model year.



The latest update on the Japanese Hiace comes in the form of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS). Yes, the van now comes standard with the latest version of TSS, which can help drivers cruise through the Japanese roads safer. As a result, the Hiace now comes with a pre-collision system or automatic emergency braking (AEB), Automatic High Beam, Lane Departure Alert, and Lane Tracing Assist. As we found out for ourselves, LTA can even detect and follow the car ahead should there be no visible lanes.



Optional upgrades on the Hiace include a new digital mirror; basically a rearview mirror with a screen. The digital mirror is then complemented by a panoramic around view monitor which is displayed on the infotainment screen. Rounding up the optional upgrades is Toyota’s Acceleration Suppression Function (ASF) system which helps prevent sudden unintended acceleration (SUA).
To help drivers use and understand the new safety better, Toyota also upgraded the gauge cluster. A 4.2-inch screen, similar to the one in the Fortuner, has been fitted into the cluster, displaying various parameters and even shows when TSS functions are being used.



The updated Hiace H200 with Toyota Safety Sense is scheduled to go on sale in Japan starting May 1 and is standard on all trim levels. No new engines here or body updates here. This means the Japan-spec Hiace H200 continues to be offered with either a 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine, a 2.7-liter gasoline mill, or a 2.0-liter gasoline unit, all of which are paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission.



Considering that Toyota still updated the aging H200 model, it seems as though it might still be staying around for a while. Well, for Japan at least.

Source: Jose Altoveros

RENAULT

Dividend abolished at Renault, which reduces the salary of its managers 

The car group has announced that it has given up paying dividends because of the crisis sanitary and economic. While Renault's rating has just been lowered by Standard and Poor's, the manufacturer could request state aid "to guarantee its credits".
The manufacturer with the diamond has, like many French companies , removed its dividends for 2019. An announcement came on Thursday, April 9, while the rating of the group, weakened by the crisis caused by the coronavirus, was the same day lowered to the rank of speculative investment by the agency Standard and Poor's. The dividend was abolished at a board meeting in the afternoon, Renault announced in a statement. Initially, the group planned to pay shareholders 1.10 euros per share, compared to 3.55 euros in 2018, after having recorded its first losses in ten years last year.
 Renault has also decided to cut the compensation of President Jean-Dominique Senard and interim managing director Clotilde Delbos by 25% for the second quarter of 2020 "at a minimum" and possibly longer if the crisis were to last. Directors will experience a 25% drop in their attendance fees for the current year. "The savings made will be transferred" to the crisis fund dedicated to group employees. "The exceptional situation required exceptional solidarity measures," reacted Renault's CFDT in a press release, welcoming "a responsible approach".
Many Renault employees are currently on short work due to the closure of most of the group's factories worldwide. For the CGT, this decision by the administrators "does not settle the imbalance" between the efforts "requested from the employees" and those of the "shareholders and managers" of the group. This decision was "eagerly awaited," said FO, a tense account of "the exceptional situation".
A few hours before this announcement, Renault's rating had been lowered to "BB +", the first rank in the speculative investment category, by the Standard rating agency and Poor's, due to the consequences of the pandemic on the expected financial results. S&P estimates that the pandemic will cause a drop of around 15% in the car market this year before a rebound of around 6% to 8% in 2021 and that, despite the support it should receive from the French State , Renault's profit, liquidity and financial position should "materially weaken" in 2020 after an already difficult year in 2019.
S&P also maintained PSA's rating at "BBB-" on Thursday, ie a notch above that of its hexagonal competitor. Both notes have a "negative" outlook, indicating that they may be downgraded again soon. "The negative outlook reflects the high degree of uncertainty regarding the economic impact of the pandemic, its implications for global auto sales and the extent to which this could affect Renault's performance, its ability to handle declining revenues. , the situation of its cash flow and its capacity to reach the objectives as regards CO2 emissions ", indicates the agency.
"The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic adds to the many challenges that Renault is currently facing, including the efforts imposed by the European Union to reduce CO2 emissions" , underlines S&P. Regarding PSA, it considers, however, that this manufacturer is "well prepared to meet its environmental obligations with its products already on the market".
The French Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday that the State was ready to support Renault in which it holds 15% of the capital . But he also asked companies receiving public aid to waive dividends. Jean-Dominique Senard had assured ten days ago that renationalization was "not on the agenda", but that Renault could "request guarantees from the State" on credits. The manufacturer, which comes out of several good years, however still benefits from a "large mattress of liquidity" underlined S&P. Renault has also announced that the next general meeting of shareholders, postponed because of the coronavirus, will be held on June 19 in a format yet to be defined.

Source: © SP/Renault

GM

By 2023, some General Motors facilities in Michigan will run on 100% renewables 

General Motors often touts its all-electric future, but the automaker has loftier goals to be net-zero carbon neutral come 2050. Plans to make the goal a reality start today, and the automaker announced its latest move will see some of its southeast Michigan facilities fully powered by renewable energy by 2023.
The carmaker said on Monday it will strengthen a partnership with DTE Energy to buy another 500,000 megawatt-hours worth of energy in the next few years. That's on top of 300,000 mWh already purchased, making a total of 800,000 mWh, or enough clean energy to take C02 from 63 million gallons of gasoline burned out of the air.
How do you know it's driverless. Well, the lack of steering wheel and pedals is a good clue! It was developed by Cruise Automation, a company GM acquired in early 2016. 





Facilities first targeted for fully renewable energy include GM's downtown Detroit-based Renaissance Center headquarters and two assembly plants: Orion and Detroit-Hamtramck. The Warren Technical Center is also on the shortlist for 100% green energy in fewer than three years. Clean energy powering Orion and Detroit-Hamtramck suits the plants, too. Orion builds the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Detroit-Hamtramck will build the GMC Hummer EV along with future electric cars.
GM's investment will help fund two new solar parks DTE plans to build, which the company said will create 1,500 jobs during the construction period.
Although the automaker's plans for net-zero carbon emissions are just under 30 years out, it has a pretty massive goal to achieve by the end of this decade. Come 2030, GM wants every single US-based facility to run on renewable energy. Come 2040, every global facility should run on clean energy.

© Provided by Roadshow

AUTONEWS

Should you put your car insurance on hold while self-isolating? 

As most of us are coming to grips with the need to self-isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re also facing the reality of payments that still have to be made while income has been reduced or dried up altogether. Among them are payments for car insurance.
For many of us, the amount of driving we’re now doing has shrunk to near zero. And, if we’re in multi-vehicle families, we may have one or more vehicles simply parked for the duration.
Which raises the question, can we put our car insurance on hold, or even cancel it altogether during this time?
The technical answer is, yes we can, although it may not be a simple process, depending on where we live. Different provinces and states have different regulations. The bigger question is should we do so?
According to ratehub.ca, an industry-supported website where users can get information on and compare third-party financial products, there may be better alternatives than cancelling, as doing so brings with it inherent risks, as well as potential costs.
Not only will we be without any insurance, there are likely to be early cancellation fees or other charges that may be substantial for mid-policy cancellation. We might also be faced with higher rates later, when we try to renew the policy. It’s important to read the fine print of our policies before making any final decisions.
Plus, of course, without insurance we can’t drive those cars at all, on any public roads in Canada. It is illegal to do so.
Rather than cancelling outright, according to ratehub.ca, many insurance providers are offering a “suspension of coverage” endorsement. It’s easy to implement but we're only able to do this once a year for a specific period. And it means we have no coverage during that period so can’t drive the vehicle at all while coverage is suspended. Again, it’s important to read the fine print.
What might make more sense, to reduce costs during this pandemic shutdown, is simply reducing our coverage to get a lower rate. We could, for example, increase the ‘deductible’ amount of the policy and/or remove optional components such as ‘comprehensive’ and ‘collision’ coverage. We might even consider dropping the ‘third-party liability’ coverage down to its minimum legal requirement. (Typical coverage is for $1-million but minimum requirements vary by province).
Reducing any of those coverages, however, does increase our personal risk. Even if the vehicle is parked, if a tree falls on it or a vandal smashes a window, for example, without ‘comprehensive’ coverage we’re on the hook for the cost.

Images: © Shutterstock 

There is also the matter of a lessor or lender to think of. If we are leasing the vehicle, or have a loan for it, we are undoubtedly obliged by contract to maintain insurance coverage to protect the lessor/lender.
Perhaps our best alternative is simply to call our insurance provider to see if there’s a discount to reflect fewer kilometres driven. Some insurance companies are not only making such allowances but promoting the fact.
It’s worth a try. And, if the answer is no, perhaps it’s time to check what another provider might offer. It is a competitive business!

Mundoquatrorodas

NASCAR

Byron ''break'' Hill and wins NASCAR virtual race in Richmond 

William Byron won this Sunday (19) the virtual stage of NASCAR, played at the Richmond Circuit. The Hendrick driver, who had triumphed in Bristol two weeks ago, became the first to win two races since the category adopted racing on simulators in the period when the championship is paralyzed by the coronavirus pandemic, after leading 94 of the 154 laps of the event.
The race was marked by the high number of yellow flags, which caused an extension at the end of the 150 regulatory laps. At this time, Timmy Hill still attempted a last attack on Byron, but saw the owner of the Chevrolet number 24 come out with the victory.
The second position was with Timmy Hill, another driver who already has victories in virtual races, and who finished this distant Sunday's race just 0s256 behind Byron. Parker Kligermann, who plays only a few stages in the year, took third place, followed by Landon Cassill. The top five group was completed by Kyle Busch, who competed in the Indy race on Saturday.
Denny Hamlin completed Sunday's race with sixth place in the Richmond Circuit, followed by Erik Jones, seventh best at the end of the race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. he finished eighth, while Bubba Wallace finished ninth. The list of the top ten was completed by Brad Keselowski.
The Nascar virtual championship follows next weekend, when the Talladega stage will be played.

Source: Leonardo Marson