Trade News

The American consumers' march toward light trucks is claiming another victim in car showrooms — this one a luxury nameplate.

Lexus, citing declining sales, is dropping the midsize GS sport sedan after four generations and three years shy of the car's 30th anniversary.

"We are constantly evaluating model mixes throughout our lineup," a Lexus spokeswoman said. "In the declining sedan segment, the GS family has represented a small amount of sales in the last few years."

Lexus will mark the end by producing 200 limited-edition Black Line GS 350 F Sports models, available in rwd and awd, for 2020.

The GS, introduced in 1993 to compete with rear-wheel-drive models such as the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, was the fourth car to be added to the Lexus lineup after the LS full-size sedan, ES midsize sedan and SC coupes.

The front-wheel-drive ES is the brand's top-selling car, with U.S. deliveries of 51,336 last year. Read more

The 2.5-ton Bentley Arnage is unveiled before the public at the Sarthe Circuit in France, home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, on April 26, 1998.

Bentley's newest flagship four-door sedan was designed by British designer Stephen Harper and powered by a BMW V-8 engine, with twin-turbos engineered by Cosworth. It was 212 inches long and 75 inches wide.

The Arnage and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were the first all-new designs for the two ultraluxury marques since 1980.

And for a short period, the Arnage was the most powerful and fastest four-door saloon — with a top speed of 180 mph — on the market.

A long-wheel base variant became available in 2000.

In 2001, The New York Times called the Arnage Red Label an "extraordinary motor car" with an exhilarating, steady surge of power.

"The look is powerful, from the mesh grill to the 18-inch alloy wheels, from the classic lines to t…

Joining the Jeep Gladiator lineup this year is the Mojave variant which is the first Jeep to get the brand's Desert Rated badge. The new rating is based on several pillars: ride control and stability, traction, ground clearance, maneuverability and desert prowess. The Gladiator Mojave comes with specially tuned Fox 2.5-inch internal-bypass shocks with external reservoirs, industry-exclusive Fox front hydraulic jounce bumpers, a reinforced frame, a 1-inch front suspension lift with a silver front skid plate, stronger axles with cast-iron steering knuckles, aggressive front seats with integrated upper bolsters and standard 33-inch Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires. Here's a roundup of snippets of Gladiator Mojave reviews from the automotive media.

"While the changes Jeep makes to turn the Gladiator into a Mojave certainly help its off-road capability, they detract from its on-road manners, which were pretty compromised in the first place. The extra ride height makes ge…

Join Automotive News Publisher Jason Stein for a daily podcast series about the coronavirus crisis. He’ll speak with industry experts, insiders and Automotive News reporters about how the virus is impacting and reshaping the automotive industry.

Steve Lietaert, president of Hella Corporate Center USA, on how the auto parts supplier is bracing for market uncertainties; reprioritizing future projects and investments.

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Elon Musk tapped more of his shares in Tesla Inc. late last year to unlock some of his wealth and also entered into an unusual arrangement to provide liability coverage for fellow members of the electric-car maker’s board.

Musk increased the share of his Tesla holding that he’s pledged as collateral for personal loans to 54 percent at the end of 2019, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing Tuesday. That compares with 40 percent at the end of 2018, when the carmaker last shared the size of Musk’s pledging.

Tesla said in the filing that the company decided not to renew its directors’ and officers’ liability policy for 2019-2020 due to “disproportionately high” premiums quoted by insurers. Musk, 48, instead agreed to personally provide substantially equivalent coverage for a year. The carmaker’s board concluded the arrangement with the CEO would not impair the independent judgment of his fellow directors.

The amended annual report from Tesla shows Mus…

Lear Corp. released a second edition of its Safe Work Playbook on Monday with new information on employee communication and training as suppliers wrestle with implementing health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The seating and electronics supplier stepped ahead of the industry when it released the first edition of the Safe Work Playbook on April 6. Days later, the Original Equipment Suppliers Association and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation released their own set of guidelines.

The new edition of the Safe Work Playbook includes information from the first edition along with updated guidelines for returning to plants.

The original document details appropriate social-distancing measures in manufacturing plants. It also includes information on educating employees on new work procedures and protocols for taking proactive health measures in plants, such as worker temperature checking.

The second edi…

SAIC Motor Corp. is spending 3.3 billion yuan ($466 million) on discounts and other incentives to spur demand for gasoline-powered Roewe vehicles from April 24 to June 30.

The incentives -- price discounts and subsidies for sales taxes and interest payments on auto loans – will be offered on five gasoline-powered models, the state-owned Chinese automaker said.

In addition to those five vehicles -- the i5 and i6 Plus sedans and the RX3, RX5 and RX8 crossovers -- SAIC builds and markets plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles under the Roewe and MG brands. 

First-quarter combined sales at the two brands slipped 34 percent to 99,397, reflecting the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, with many dealers and factories idled. SAIC didn’t disclose separate sales for the two brands.

SAIC is not the only Chinese carmaker seeking to attract car shoppers with incentives in the wake of the pandemic. 

Chery Automobile Co., another state-owned…

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will launch two low-orbit satellites in the second half of the year to provide high-precision positioning services and assist fleet management and new mobility services. 

Geespace, Geely’s space technology company created in 2018, developed the two satellites. 

They will undergo final validation testing in June and then be shipped to a satellite launch site in Northwest China for deployment, Geely Group said. 

The satellites can provide centimeter-accurate positioning and enable a satellite-based artificial intelligence cloud platform to optimize fleet management and new mobility services, including ride-hailing and ride-sharing management and autonomous driving. 

The cloud platform can also be used to support remote monitoring, control and maintenance of manufacturing equipment, unmanned drone flights and urban management, according to Geely Group.

Geely Group, a private Chinese company…

General Motors is set to begin sales of its first vehicle equipped with a 48-volt system, helping to reduce fleetwide fuel consumption levels as required by Chinese regulations. 

The Buick Excelle GT with the 48-volt system will hit the market Thursday, GM said. 

The system will reduce the compact sedan’s fuel consumption, powered by GM’s 1.3-liter Ecotec turbocharged gasoline engine, to 5.3 liters from 5.9 liters, according to SAIC-GM, GM’s joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp.

A 48-volt system enables automakers to apply fuel-saving and cost-effective technologies such as stop-start systems and regenerative braking.

SAIC-GM produces and markets cars and light trucks for Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac. It currently markets just two electrified models -- the full electric Buick Velite 6 compact car and the plug-in hybrid Cadillac CT6 sedan. 

GM is the second-biggest foreign automaker in China, after Volkswagen Group, and th…

BEIJING -- Inceptio Technology, a startup developing self-driving trucks, has raised $100 million in a new round of fundraising from logistics provider GLP, key strategic investor G7 and other investors, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The proceeds will be used to further develop technologies and to start commercial trials, said the sources, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak to media.

The company, which aims to operate a freight network with autonomous driving trucks in China starting in 2022, has partnerships with Dongfeng Automobile Co., Sinotruk Hong Kong and Foton.

The two-year-old company is developing autonomous driving software and an in-vehicle computing system while the truck makers are responsible for engineering vehicles platforms.

Inceptio declined to comment. G7 and Singapore-based GLP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Inceptio is focused on developing level 3 an…

Join Automotive News Publisher Jason Stein for a daily podcast series about the coronavirus crisis. He’ll speak with industry experts, insiders and Automotive News reporters about how the virus is impacting and reshaping the automotive industry.

The Morgan Stanley auto analyst provides a pulse-check on the industry; offers insights on Ford's future, industry consolidation, the harsh new reality some dealers face and more.

How do I subscribe?

Can't wait to hear the next episode of "Weekend Drive"? Subscribe through a podcast app to receive episodes days in advance. If you don't have a podcast app already, here are some options. 

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Android

“Weekend Drive” is available on the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe to "Weekend Drive"

Spo…