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LOS ANGELES — Kia's fourth-generation Sorento, unveiled in Euro-spec trim in March, is coming to the U.S. with new hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

The hybrids use a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine for greater power and efficiency.

All of the midsize crossover's powertrain choices are updated with the latest generation, and the highest-output engine gets a new wet dual-clutch automatic transmission. The dual-clutch eight-speed unit adds quicker shifts compared with the outgoing conventional eight-speed automatic.

While the base engine on the redesigned 2021 Sorento remains a non-turbo four-cylinder, it's bigger at 2.5 liters vs. the outgoing 2.4-liter base. It gets a 6-hp power bump to 191 hp, Kia said.

IMG-01The base Sorento offers optional all-wheel drive. It comes standard with a conventional automatic transmission with eight gears — a gain of two gears over the outgoing base automatic.

The numbers…

The BMW 507 is launched at the Frankfurt auto show on Sept. 22, 1955.

The hand-built, aluminum-bodied, V-8-powered roadster — championed by Max Hoffman, BMW's influential American importer — was created to move BMW beyond being just a builder of stodgy sedans.

Hoffman convinced BMW to hand over total control of the car's design to Count Albrecht Goertz, a German-born industrial designer who worked under Raymond Loewy at Studebaker.

Goertz's design was considered a success, with proportioned lines differentiated with very little chrome. One of the roadster's novelties — chrome engine bay vents behind the front wheels — became so popular they're featured on the BMW Z3 and Z8. The 507's frame was a shortened version of its big brother, the 503 grand tourer.

Initially intended to be exported to the U.S. at a rate of thousands per year, the 507 ended up being too expensive to build, resulting in a production run of just 252 …

Joining GMC's lineup this year is the redesigned 2021 Yukon Denali. The large SUV's top trim offers a new perk: an exclusive interior for customers who want a more luxurious cabin without the luxury badge, GMC says. It includes four color theme options with authentic wood, a unique instrument panel and 14 Bose speakers. Under the hood is a 6.2-liter V-8 engine with 420 hp and 460 pound-feet of torque. Here's a roundup of initial Yukon Denali reviews from the automotive media.

"It features the best of GM's full-size SUV powertrain and chassis selection: the 6.2-liter V8 making 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque that offers significantly better acceleration than the standard 5.3-liter engine. Cruising up on-ramps is comfortable, and the engine itself is smooth and emits a gentle growl. The 10-speed automatic paired with it is also similarly smooth and unnoticeable."

— Joel Stocksdale, Autoblog

"The 10-speed automatic "is just as competent here a…

Ford Motor Co. plans to invest $1.46 billion in its Canadian operations and build five electric vehicles in Oakville, Ontario, beginning in 2025, Unifor President Jerry Dias said Tuesday.

The announcement comes as part of a tentative three-year labor contract the Canadian union and Ford reached early Tuesday after weeks of negotiations. Dias said the investment gives the Oakville factory, which will undergo a $1.35 billion retooling and will also assemble batteries, a new lease on life.

“It’s fair to say today, that as an organization, we hit a home run,” Dias said during a news conference in downtown Toronto. “Not only does it solidify the jobs for our members in Oakville, but it starts the discussions about the supply chain and the jobs that are created that will follow this type of an announcement. It also starts a discussion as a nation.”

The tentative contract must be ratified by workers before it takes effect. Unifor represents about 6,300 Ford wor…

We've written about how condition reports have become more crucial than ever to the wholesale vehicle-buying process, and the reason for this is obvious. The coronavirus pandemic has forced large numbers of dealers to buy more used inventory remotely.

Within condition reports, images are a key component intended to give buyers confidence in the vehicles on which they're bidding. Good pictures can tell potential buyers a lot about what they could be buying from a Michigan auction and shipping to their Texas store, for example.

A new investment in Black Widow Imaging, a company that specializes in imaging technology for the auto sector, underscores not only the value that quality photos can add to the car-buying equation, but also how important they've become to wholesaling in the COVID-19 era.

Black Widow last week said it had secured $1.5 million in private equity investment, adding to the $3.5 million it had raised previously. The money will go toward u…

Carvana expects a record third quarter across several metrics, reflecting how well-positioned the online used-vehicle retailer has been for the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the market.

Carvana said in a release Tuesday it expects to post company records in retail vehicle sales, total revenue, total gross profit per vehicle and EBITDA margin in the third quarter. The company, which has not posted a net profit since going public in April 2017, said it also expects to be approximately breakeven in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the quarter.

The pandemic forced many dealers into online-only sales and temporarily sapped used-vehicle sales in March and April. But used-vehicle sales have since rebounded on pent-up demand and low new-vehicle inventory.

In May, Carvana told investors it had seen a sales trough in early April — about a 30 percent decline — but had since enjoyed a swift improvement in business. That imp…

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CarMax Inc. has reached a settlement with the EPA over alleged violations of the Clean Water Act at the company's store in Independence, Mo., the EPA said Monday.

The used-vehicle retailer has agreed to pay a $119,440 fine after "thousands of gallons of gasoline" were discharged into a nearby creek because of a corroded pipe attached to a petroleum storage tank, according to the agency. The storage tank is used to fill up the store's vehicles.

CarMax neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The company said it followed correct protocols to quickly remediate the problem following the accidental discharge.

The company became aware of the leak into the creek in July 2019 and notified the EPA's National Response Center and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the EPA said in its order.

About 19,000 gallons of gasoline leaked from the facility into Camp Creek and could have started as early as April 2019, according to …

DETROIT — The Detroit auto show is changing dates — again.

After reimagining the new vehicle showcase as a summertime indoor/outdoor event, originally scheduled for June 2020 but postponed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, show organizers said Monday the event would take place Sept. 28 to Oct. 9, 2021, and would remain in the fall moving forward.

The change comes weeks after organizers for the Los Angeles Auto Show said they would move the 2020 show from November to May 2021, wedging itself in between the New York and Detroit shows. And in Europe, the Geneva auto show is considering a March 2021 date.

"Our responsibility as an auto show is to host a global stage for current products as well as mobility innovations of tomorrow," North American International Auto Show Executive Director Rod Alberts said in a statement. "September is an excellent time of year for new product, and at the same time, alleviates the challenges a now crowded spring aut…

DETROIT — The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado will offer a multifunctional tailgate, similar to the GMC Sierra's, along with major boosts in trailering power and enhanced trailering technology.

The Silverado's Multi-Flex Tailgate, reported by Automotive News last month, offers six functions and allows for easier access to bed cargo, a better loading entry and a standing workstation. The tailgate will be available early next year on 2021 Silverado 1500 models, Chevy said in a statement Monday.

The Multi-Flex Tailgate features a main gate that folds out and down, along with a cross-functional inner gate to help with loading access as well as serve as a work table.

More than 70 percent of Sierra 1500 and 85 percent of Sierra heavy-duty pickups sold this year were equipped with GMC's MultiPro Tailgate, a GMC spokesman said last month. The MultiPro Tailgate is standard on the SLT, AT4 and Denali trims. This week, GMC said it will also come stan…

Michigan auto dealers are trying to block startup electric carmakers such as Rivian Automotive Inc. and Lucid Motors Inc. from following in Tesla Inc.’s footsteps by selling vehicles directly to consumers and servicing them in the state.

A bill introduced in the Michigan Legislature last week would block any manufacturer other than Tesla from selling cars to customers without a dealer as an intermediary and from owning and operating service and repair facilities. It could come up for a vote as soon as Tuesday, according to a Rivian official.

Rivian has maintained a major engineering operation with 750 employees in Plymouth, Mich., near Detroit for the last few years, but has been moving some of those positions to California in recent months.

The 11-year-old company has raised about $6 billion from backers including Ford Motor Co. and Amazon.com Inc. It expects to begin production of its first two vehicles -- a battery-powered pickup and a sport-utility v…