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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…

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…

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…

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…

Suzana Cizmic chased her 'dreams' and is now a commercial plant manager for supplier Robert Bosch. Cizmic says it is crucial for women in the auto sector to exude confidence, share experiences with each other and mentor young females all while challenging the industry to avoid 'blind' spots

Toyota's U.S. dealers are coming off their best weekend since the coronavirus pandemic hit in late March in a continuing display that buyers are once again ready to purchase new vehicles, executives said Monday.

But while retail demand is still down about 15 percent from the same point a year ago, the industry is likely to go through several "lumpy" months this summer as automakers continue to ramp up plants after extended shutdowns and reconfigure output in the face of anemic fleet demand, said Bob Carter, head of sales for Toyota Motor North America.

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Carter said the automaker is seeing several signs that retail demand is strong, including a more than 50 percent jump in quality Internet leads from the automaker's Tier One Website.

"We're seeing the retail consumer be very, very resilient," Carter said. "We're running about 82 to 85 percent of the same retail level that we did last year.…

Tesla Inc. is negotiating possible incentives with a Texas county that could bring a new auto assembly plant to the area near Austin, the state capital, the Austin American-Statesman reported on Monday.

Travis County Commissioners Court is scheduled to discuss terms of the deal on Tuesday, the paper reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation. A vote is expected in the coming weeks.

The paper said it was unclear whether negotiations with Travis County show that Tesla has picked the Austin region as the site for the plant, which would build the company's electric pickup truck and Model Y crossover and employ thousands of people, or if the company is also negotiating with officials in Tulsa, Okla.

Tesla officials could not immediately be reached to comment. The company's CEO, Elon Musk, has tweeted previously about the possibility of bringing a plant to Texas. Oklahoma also has been mentioned as a possible site.

Travis County offici…

CDK Global Inc. plans to promote its CFO into a newly created COO position, with oversight of the company's products, sales and customer experience.

Joe Tautges, who also is an executive vice president, will move into the COO job once a new CFO has been hired, the company said Monday.

The Hoffman Estates, Ill., dealership technology company said the COO role is intended to make its North American business more effective, including its dealership management system and customer relationship management software, other product lines and sales and customer service employees.

"Adding this critical role will help us drive further our strategy for growth and continue our commitments to delivering the best support to our customers," CEO Brian Krzanich said in a statement.

"In his more than three years at CDK, Joe has made tremendous contributions both inside and outside the finance area, which makes him the ideal leader to ass…

WASHINGTON -- Two U.S. officials who helped negotiate an overhaul of North American trade rules have offered their services as private-sector advisers to future clients -- making solicitations for post-government work while still on the federal payroll.

Jason Bernstein and Fred Fischer were key negotiators in U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s office responsible for the so-called rules-of-origin that dictate how much of a car must be made in North America to avoid tariffs under President Donald Trump’s renegotiated trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

They have reached out to companies in the auto industry to offer help implementing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement after they leave government service, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg News and three people familiar with the communications who requested anonymity to discuss the private exchanges.

“As you know, Jason and I are looking to leave USTR, and we would like to assist companies…

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.

Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke says inventory shortages, fewer incentives, weaker demand and tightening auto loan standards could slow the industry's sales momentum in the second half of the year.

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Registrations of Tesla Inc. vehicles rebounded last month in China, suggesting demand is picking up for the U.S. carmaker’s electric vehicles as the world’s largest auto market recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

In May, 11,364 China-built Teslas were registered in the country, according to data from state-backed China Automotive Information Net. That’s the highest monthly tally so far for the carmaker, which is ramping up output after starting deliveries from its first Chinese plant around the beginning of the year.

China is a crucial market for Tesla’s growth plans as the company nears eclipsing Toyota Motor Corp. as the world’s most valuable automaker. Yet risks such as Tesla getting caught in U.S.-China trade tensions remain.

The registration tally signals that Tesla is faring better than other electric-vehicle makers in China. While the country’s car market as a whole is recovering — sales expanded last month for the first time in almost a year …