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Autoblog Podcast #318

Toyota back on top, Barrett Jackson, Crowdsourcing your Dodge Dart payments, Nissan and Toyota double down on pickups
Episode #318 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Michael Harley talk about Toyota regaining the No. 1 sales crown, getting your friends and family to buy you a Dodge Dart, Barrett-Jackson, and Toyota and Nissan remaining committed to their pickup trucs. We wrap with your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #318:

Chinese-designed Nissan Lannia Concept debuts in Beijing

Nissan showed off a stylish new concept car to the assembled crowds of media at the Beijing Motor Show. The Lannia Concept is... well, it's not that easy to describe. It's kind of a sedan, only it looks a bit like a fastback from the rear. But for a twist, it has an ever-so-small rear deck. Regardless of how we'd classify it, it's a seriously sharp piece of styling, thanks to its unique shape and flowing character lines.
If the Lannia's styling appears familiar, it's because we've sort of seen it before. There's more than a little bit of inspiration from the Friend-Me Concept. The Lannia's overall shape is similar to the Friend-Me, while both the front and rear clips look decidedly more production ready. Considering this evolution, we shouldn't rule out a production Lannia in the next few years. And if Nissan's product boss, Andy Palmer is any indication, the new model might not be limited to China.
"It was designed by Chinese, built by Chinese for the Chinese people, and ultimately, for the world," Palmer said in a statement. If Nissan can keep this sharp styling, this could prove a compelling buy in a number of markets.

Mercedes considering Mexico for CLA production

Would you buy a Mercedes-Benz if it were made in Mexico? That's what the German outfit is wondering, as it considers localizing production of the its new budget model at a factory operated by Nissan, of which the automaker is a joint-venture partner.
According to a report from Automotive News, moving production of American-spec CLAs from Hungary to Mexico would protect Mercedes from currency fluctuations. "Mexico is the best location for the United States," Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche told AN. The CLA is also expected to become the brand's volume model in the US market, which makes North American production a logical move.
In the event that Mercedes approves the plan, Nissan would expand the capabilities at its Aguascalientes, Mexico plant, allowing production to begin in 2018.