Trade News

The vehicle that started the luxury-SUV segment in 1970, the Range Rover, is getting a special 50th-anniversary edition this year.

Land Rover said Tuesday it will build just 1,970 Range Rover Fifty models for all of its global markets. Fewer than 400 are planned to be sold in North America. Land Rover has 188 U.S. dealers, so each dealer will have the opportunity to order at least one, possibly two vehicles.

The Range Rover Fifty will be available in standard or long wheelbase and with a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine rated at 518 hp. It will be available in four colors, but the Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations division will offer small numbers of the vehicle painted in one of three additional heritage colors from the original 1970 Range Rover lineup: Tuscan Blue, Bahama Gold or Davos White. All versions have special 22-inch wheels and a "Fifty" script on the thresholds, seats, console and exterior designed by Land Rover's chief creat…

Audi says it has opened a new automated-driving development office in Silicon Valley to help the German premium brand develop advanced driver-assistance systems for North America.

The office, in San Jose, Calif., eventually will be home to more than 60 engineers to "develop new functionalities, catered specifically to North American Audi customer needs," according to Frank Grosshauser, senior director for ADAS for Audi of America. The office will focus on development of Level 2+ systems, Audi says.

The brand has outfitted a fleet of specially marked Q7 crossovers with roof-mounted sensor kits to collect data. The vehicles are wrapped with a QR code that allows those who come across the vehicles to access a webpage about Audi's work in the area.

Audi is working with other Volkswagen Group brands in an effort called the Car.Software organization, to develop automated-driving capabilities for its vehicles.

Chrysler Corp.'s new engineering center and proving ground on 3,800 acres in Chelsea, Mich., formally opens on June 16, 1954, with dedication ceremonies.

To mark the milestone, Jack McGarth set a world closed-track record of 179.386 mph and Betty Skelton established a women's land speed record of 143.44 mph, both behind the wheel of a Dodge Firearrow show car.

Chrysler also used the event to publicly demonstrate for the first time a turbine-powered car, the 1954 Plymouth sport coupe.

At the time, Chrysler said engineers and other drivers at the proving ground would cover 2.5 million miles of driving in the coming year, 1954-55.

Nothing was left untested. Using a camera mounted over an open engine compartment, a 1954 Chrysler was run through a water pit to determine how and where water might land on components and cause the engine to misfire or the vehicle to stall.

Today, the center sits on 4,000 acres an…

Tesla Inc. is delivering Model Y crossovers to customers with "significant defects", including loose seat belts and back seats that are not attached to the base, according to a report by the blog Electrek.

The issues have prompted some buyers to refuse delivery of their vehicles, the report said, at a time when Tesla is attempting to boost numbers with an end-of-quarter push. The automaker is attempting to jump-start operations after its Fremont, Calif., plant was idled for weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The blog cited an email from CEO Elon Musk to staff last week acknowledging some issues with general assembly of the vehicles and saying it was "extremely important" to ramp up production and "minimize rectification needs." Musk told employees he planned to walk the line weekly to troubleshoot production snafus.

Electrek cited a Tesla owner in Maryland who attempted to pick up a Model Y last week but refused delivery b…

Used-vehicle sales for Sonic Automotive Inc. so far in June have been higher than a year ago for the retailer's franchised and EchoPark locations.

The rise in used-vehicle sales is part of a steady increase in overall operations since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, the nation's sixth-largest new-vehicle retailer said Tuesday in providing an updated outlook for the second quarter and the rest of the year. It follows a May update that included better-than-expected sales.

Used-vehicle sales volumes were up 7 percent on an annual basis at Sonic's franchised stores on a same-store basis month-to-date in June, compared with an 8 percent decline in May and a 32 percent drop in April. The company expects franchised used-vehicle sales volume to be in line with its original forecast in July, and to be slightly above that forecast for August through December.

EchoPark same-store used-vehicle sales volume was up 18 percent month-to-date in June, com…

FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group will pay a 48 percent premium to buy out the minority shareholders of premium division Audi, Audi said on Tuesday.

VW Group, which already holds 99.64 percent of Audi, announced the squeeze-out plans in February.

"Volkswagen AG announced and specified that it has set the cash settlement to be paid to the minority shareholders in return for the transfer of their shares at 1,551.53 euros per Audi AG share," the automaker said.

This compares with a share price of 1,050 euros a piece on Tuesday and amounts to a purchase price of 237 million euros ($267 million) for the 152,749 outstanding Audi shares, according to Refinitiv data.

The transfer is expected to be passed at Audi's next annual general meeting, which the automaker said should take place in July or August.

Nissan's bestselling vehicle, the compact Rogue crossover, has been redesigned for the 2021 model year. It's a critical redesign for the automaker. The 2021 Rogue is the cornerstone of a product offensive that Nissan officials say is critical to the brand's rebound in the U.S.

The latest Rogue offers more usable cabin space in a similar footprint, and the dashboard is available with three displays — a 10.8-inch head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a "floating" 9-inch touch screen. All Rogue models feature a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that delivers 181 hp, an increase of 11 hp. The crossover received an updated suspension and steering system to improve driving performance and reduce cabin noise.

Here's a roundup of initial Rogue reviews and previews from the automotive media.

"Let's talk about that design for a minute. Despite the split headlights and V-Motion grille, the Rogue isn't an aggressive piece of design. Nissan…

Joining the Cadillac lineup this year is the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V. The subcompact sedan is equipped with a 2.7-liter turbo engine rated at 325 hp and 381 pound-feet of torque. The CT4-V features "a unique three-step sliding camshaft" that helps optimize performance at all speeds, a 10-speed automatic transmission, magnetic ride control and a host of performance parts and equipment. We've collected a sampling of early CT4-V reviews from the automotive media.

"We only got to drive the CT4-V this go around, but on the road, we found it strikes a near-perfect balance between luxury and performance. Its eagerness and athleticism never encroach on its luxury mission until you ask them to, whether you dial in your own drive mode profile — Cadillac calls it "My Mode" — or you simply reach for the one-click V-Mode option on the steering wheel.

"When you're on the highway, the CT4-V is composed and buttoned-down without being in-your-face. Its adaptive cruise control (pa…

The reengineered 2021 Lexus IS sport sedan will offer improved handling and responsiveness with an upgraded suspension, plus newly enhanced safety and infotainment functions. However, the premium brand's sporty compact will stay on its current third-generation platform — which dates from the 2014 model and was last freshened in 2017 — instead of being redesigned onto the automaker's global architecture.

In addition to cost savings, keeping the IS on its current platform allowed Lexus engineers to focus on improvements to the sedan's ride and handling, as well as make styling and interior refinements. The new IS is just over an inch longer and wider than the outgoing model, with a slight increase in height as well. It will now ride on standard 18-inch wheels, with optional 19-inch wheels available.

Sales of the IS in the United States were down 37 percent through May to 4,313, with the decline exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in 2019, its U.S. sal…

Paul LaRochelle is partner at Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis in Maryland and chairman of the Lexus National Dealer Advisory Council. In this video Q&A with Automotive News publisher Jason Stein, LaRochelle discusses how the all-new Lexus IS elevates the compact luxury sports car segment, attracts younger and more diverse buyers to the showroom, and where it fits into the current Lexus lineup. LaRochelle also outlines how his dealership has handled the shift to online retailing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the transcript of the interview

Jason Hi there, I'm Jason Stein, publisher of Automotive News, and I'm here with Lexus Dealer Council Chairman Paul La Rochelle, partner at Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis in Maryland, part of a 29 store group, Sheehy Auto Stores. It is a pleasure to see you, Paul.

Paul You as well.

Jason Can you start off by just explaining maybe the state of business today? How are things faring in Maryland right now, and wha…

DETROIT -- Even if it's decades before electric vehicles become the dominant form of transportation industrywide, General Motors will continue to take the lead, CEO Mary Barra told reporters Monday.

The company remains fully committed to its EV strategy despite interruptions to product programs and factory schedules, and the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Barra said during a webcast media briefing organized by the Automotive Press Association.

Barra told Bloomberg News last week that it could be decades before EVs become the primary mode of transportation, but she added Monday that GM will drive the growth of EV production and sales.

Barra is confident that EV sales will gain traction eventually, and especially at GM, "but if you look at the whole portfolio [industrywide] changing over, that tail could be a bit longer," she said.

The Chevrolet Bolt is GM's only battery electric option today. But after the automaker previewe…