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Apple Car Production Again Linked to Kia Motor's US Plant in Georgia

kurtatx said:
Unless, of course, the Apple Car isn't really a Kia and Kia is just building it
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Which comes down to the same issue, a Kia-built car with an Apple logo on it is still a Kia car at its core, so selling it for more instead because it has an Apple logo will be difficult.

If BWM built it, for example, the quality/brand gap wouldn't be so wide.
 
DanTSX said:
Maybe. No clue at this point. The quick editor box is very clumsy on my IPP when trying to trim text to a specific point.
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Well, I got this notification even though I had never posted in this article, nor have I ever seen you. Whatever... :p
Screen Shot 2021-01-20 at 7.02.51 AM.png
 
This will not be a car with Apple-designed unibody, suspension, crash structures, engine, etc.

This will be a moderately to heavily modified version of an existing platform with bespoke bodywork and interior per Apple design. EV for sure. But not scratch-designed in Cupertino.
 
Many of these posts remind me of “consensus “ opinions about what could and could not be done when mac rolled out, tessla rolled out, falcon rolled out, ... to make strides, bold and often unexpected steps need to be taken. We will see where the next foot lands. Enjoying the discussion.
 
crsh1976 said:
Which comes down to the same issue, a Kia-built car with an Apple logo on it is still a Kia car at its core, so selling it for more instead because it has an Apple logo will be difficult.
Click to expand...
There are two aspects to quality:

Mechanical - how well built and reliable is the basic vehicle? How often will components fail, how well does it drive, etc. That is a basic requirement of any company and Hyundai/Kia seems to have that down.

Esthetics - the fit, feel and quality of what you see. Again, there is a basic level needed but much of the choices are based on building to a price point. I have no doubt Apple will go for the higher end of the price spectrum and thus allow for more high quality plastics, wood and leather.
crsh1976 said:
If BWM built it, for example, the quality/brand gap wouldn't be so wide.
Click to expand...
It will come down to how much is Apple willing to pay for quality; I have no doubt Kia could do as good of a job as BMW; and this from someone whose owned BMWs over the years and still own a classic one. In the end, it's all about how much are you willing to pay to build in quality.
 
Mac Prodigy said:
Yeah, they've really stepped up their game recently 🤣

Hyundai and Kia recall 423,000 cars for increased engine fire risk

Big recall aims to cure potential for oil leaks and fire in Sorento, Soul, Sonata, and more.
www.thecarconnection.com

www.autoblog.com

Hyundai quality issues hammer quarterly profit report

South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co said on Monday it swung to a net loss for July-September, missing market estimates by a wide margin, as costs related to engine quality issues and recalls smashed what would otherwise have been strong earnings. Hyundai, the world's fifth-biggest automaker when...
www.autoblog.com www.autoblog.com

abcnews.go.com

Hyundai recalls 471K more SUVs, tells owners to park outside

Hyundai is adding about 471,000 SUVs in the U.S. to a September recall for an electrical short in a computer that could cause fires
abcnews.go.com abcnews.go.com

"Hyundai recalls 471K more SUVs, tells owners to park outside". They are telling owners to park their vehicles outside :rolleyes: But please, tell us more. This shows you how much Hyundai paid JD Power to get on their list.
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You could say the same thing for Toyota and the inadequate braking systems that could not cause the engine to stall.
Rule number one is that "no matter what brakes stall the engine". Poor design.
GM has issues with the Bolt.
Tesla is recalling cars.

Pick a company and I can list recalls - NHSTA Website.
 
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crsh1976 said:
Which comes down to the same issue, a Kia-built car with an Apple logo on it is still a Kia car at its core, so selling it for more instead because it has an Apple logo will be difficult.

If BWM built it, for example, the quality/brand gap wouldn't be so wide.
Click to expand...

This is not true.
Built != Designed or spec'd.
So is an iPhone just a FoxCon phone?
A Rolls is nothing more than a BMW?
A Porsche nothing more than a fancy VW?
Lexus IS a Toyota at heart, so why do people pay more?
Infinity is a Nissan.
Different price points. Different quality goals.
Kia could be used for nothing but contract manufacturing.
The Toyota Supra is a BMW, built by Magna-Steyr in Germany. Go figure.
 
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For all the people ripping on KIA and Hyundai: Duh, building a car is hard. It's only like one grade lower than aircraft when it comes to complexity, regulations and buyer's expectation.
Apple NEEDS a car manufacturer's partnership or joint venture. And yes, even KIA/Hyundai is a leg up from nothing.
 
jlc1978 said:
Good points; however the Supra and BMW's Z4 are built in Graz, which is in Austria.
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Sorry, Austria.
The point isn't where the Magna-Steyr plant is. The point it the Supra is only a small part Toyota, mostly designed by BMW and built by Steer.
I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I wouldn't necessarily think of a Apple iCar as a Kia, no more than I think of a Supra as a Steyr or an iPhone a FoxCon phone.

That is my point
 
beermode said:
For all the people ripping on KIA and Hyundai: Duh, building a car is hard. It's only like one grade lower than aircraft when it comes to complexity, regulations and buyer's expectation.
Apple NEEDS a car manufacturer's partnership or joint venture. And yes, even KIA/Hyundai is a leg up from nothing.
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That is exactly the point these folks are missing.
They also miss the fact that a Kia Stinger is a really good competitor to the BMW 3 series.
The former Hyundai Equus now Genesis G90 is an Marc S-Class and BMW 7 competitor.
Kia also has a flagship car.

The 10 least reliable cars recently published by Consumer Reports does not include Kia or Hyundai. But Tesla sure is there.

1. Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500

2. Subaru Ascent

3. Volkswagen Atlas

4. Jeep Compass

5. Volvo XC90

6. Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon

7. Tesla Model S

8. Jeep Wrangler

9. Ford EcoSport

10. Volvo XC60
 
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crsh1976 said:
Which comes down to the same issue, a Kia-built car with an Apple logo on it is still a Kia car at its core, so selling it for more instead because it has an Apple logo will be difficult.

If BWM built it, for example, the quality/brand gap wouldn't be so wide.
Click to expand...
Not if Apple specifies the parts and materials, which it already does with all its other products.

also, if bmw built the Apple car the difference in build quality would be worse
 
Justanotherfanboy said:
I think where your thinking is broken is in assuming Apple is chasing the low margin market of consumer auto sales (WILDLY unlikely!!).
If Apple is building out a fleet of self-driving cars for an incredibly lucrative subscription service (HIGHLY likely!!), then the target market is absolutely not- “people that purchase luxury vehicles & look down their noses at others”; it’s people that are part of the next-generation... and see having a vehicle on call at all times preferable to ownership and all that entails.
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Ahhh! Robotaxis. I know of another company that has been promising them for 3 years, broke every promise, but made its CEO the richest man in the world.
 
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techwhiz said:
Sorry, Austria.
The point isn't where the Magna-Steyr plant is. The point it the Supra is only a small part Toyota, mostly designed by BMW and built by Steer.
Click to expand...

No worries, just being a pendantic Austrian.

techwhiz said:
I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I wouldn't necessarily think of a Apple iCar as a Kia, no more than I think of a Supra as a Steyr or an iPhone a FoxCon phone.

That is my point
Click to expand...

I agree, and since the target market isn't the fanpersons Apple really doesn't care what they think.
 
sirozha said:
Ahhh! Robotaxis. I know of another company that has been promising them for 3 years, broke every promise, but made its CEO the richest man in the world.
Click to expand...
Well, now you also know of a company that may or may not be able to do it... but definitely isn’t blowing smoke up anybody’s ass! =)
 
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