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CHICAGO — Toyota will give its redesigned Highlander crossover a sporty new XSE trim level for 2021 — with an improved suspension and exterior and interior styling treatments — leading a parade of special-edition light trucks that the Japanese automaker showed at this week's Chicago auto show.

The 2021 Highlander XSE trim will slot between the redesigned three-row crossover's XLE and Limited trims when it arrives in the fall. Like other Highlanders, it will be powered by a 295-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and will be available in front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Riding on 20-inch wheels, the XSE will feature higher-performance springs and a rear stabilizer bar, with retuned shock absorbers and electric steering for sportier performance, Toyota says.

On the outside, the front fascia, grille and lower spoiler are unique to the trim level and are buttressed by black-accented headlamps and light-s…

Jeep added to its mystique around 15 years ago with the Trail Rated moniker, a set of criteria that ensures its vehicles are ready for whatever consumers throw at it.

With the Gladiator Mojave trim, Jeep is ready to place a new stamp on its capability with the Desert Rated badge. The Gladiator Mojave, which comes with suspension upgrades and other enhancements, is the first Jeep model to get the label. The 2020 Gladiator Mojave makes its debut Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show.

The desert rating is based on several pillars: ride control and stability, traction, ground clearance, maneuverability and desert prowess.

FCA said the Mojave was put to the test on "harsh sand and desert terrain."

"The Gladiator Mojave was part of the Gladiator's inception. This is actually something that we were working on since the beginning, but we wanted to take our time, we wanted to make sure that it was right," Pete Milosavlevski, chie…

DETROIT -- General Motors issued a second recall Jan. 28 to fix issues caused by software intended to resolve a Dec. 12 callback for brake safety issues in some 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Cadillac CT6 vehicles.

The original recall included about 550,000 vehicles globally, out of which about 162,000 were repaired with the flawed software, GM spokesman Dan Flores told Automotive News on Wednesday.

The first software error could disable the vehicle's electronic stability control or the antilock braking system, and no error indicators would illuminate, according to NHTSA documents. No accidents or injuries were reported in relation to the original recall.

The new recall, originally reported by the Detroit Free Press on Jan. 29, will include 128,519 vehicles in the U.S., Flores said.

"We have a group of people who look for trends to find problems early," he said. "Soon after we started realizing there were a bunch of warranty cl…

Uber Technologies Inc has been allowed to restart testing its self-driving vehicles with a backup driver in California, almost two years after its autonomous car killed a pedestrian in Arizona.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a permit on Wednesday to the company's self-driving unit, Uber Advanced Technologies.

The company said it does not have immediate plans to engage in autonomous driving in the state, adding it would notify regulatory stakeholders before doing so.

The ride-hailing firm has taken a more cautious approach to testing its self-driving vehicles after the Arizona accident in March 2018, which led to the first death involving an autonomous vehicle.

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. lost almost $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter after taking a big accounting hit from employee pension liabilities and retirement benefits, but the automaker eked out a modest profit for the year.

Ford on Tuesday said its fourth-quarter earnings before interest and taxes in the quarter plummeted 67 percent to $485 million, while automotive EBIT dropped 81 percent to $215 million. Ford's North American earnings fell 64 percent to $700 million, mostly due to UAW contract costs, warranty expenses and problems with the launch of the redesigned Explorer and Aviator crossovers.

Ford shares tumbled more than 9 percent to $8.29 in after-hours trading after it announced results. 

Ford last month warned that its fourth-quarter results would include a $2.2 billion charge related to its pension plans. The company has now reported two consecutive fourth quarter losses, after losing $116 million in the final period of 2018.

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' new ad campaign for the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid minivans, featuring actress Kathryn Hahn, launches on TV Feb. 17.

The ads will also appear on digital and social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and can be viewed on the Chrysler brand's YouTube channel.

The campaign, "No Matter How You Parent: Pacifica," was created in collaboration with Hahn and her husband, actor and screenwriter Ethan Sandler. In the spots, Hahn portrays different "mom personas" to highlight various styles of parenting. Hahn starred in the movies Bad Moms and We're the Millers and the TV shows "Crossing Jordan" and "Transparent."

"The Chrysler brand recognizes there are many different ways to parent, and a style that works for some may not work for others," Marissa Hunter, head of marketing at FCA North America, said in a release Tuesday.

"As one of television and film's most multifaceted actresses and a fr…

If the incredible rally in Tesla Inc. shares is making you dizzy, hold on to your chair.

Tesla has a slew of catalysts coming up in the next few months that could give investors a reason to pause, or propel the stock even higher. It all depends on how the company does in its tests ahead.

After rising 86 percent just this year through Monday, shares of the electric-vehicle continued to surge on Tuesday, leaving analysts and investors scratching their heads about what is behind this latest acceleration in the stock. The shares at one point touched a new record high of $940.13.

The gap between the valuation of Tesla and other traditional carmakers “suggests investors are increasingly viewing Tesla as a tech company,” Loup Ventures’ Gene Munster wrote in a note. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, on the other hand, wondered if Tesla’s parabolic surge was heralding the end of traditional cars with internal combustion engines.

Whatever the reason…

If you want to find Renault design chief Laurens van den Acker at an auto show, the best thing to do is to look at everyone's shoes. For nearly 10 years, van den Acker has been matching custom-made sneakers to the color of Renault's latest concept or production model, often with the model name printed on the shoe.

That has resulted in more than 20 pairings of cars and sneakers.

For the EZ-GO concept in 2018, he wore a pair of gray Adidas Superstars with turquoise stripes and laces and a gold heel piece. Last year, he ordered up orange-and-black Le Coq Sportifs to complement the "Atacama Orange" of the new generation Captur small SUV.

Now, van den Acker, a tall Dutchman who favors sleek suits, is formalizing a partnership with Le Coq Sportif, a French brand that uses the unofficial national bird, the rooster, as its logo.

In addition to the Captur orange sneakers, there will be a blue Twingo model. There is no word on whether they will be available…

Five years after Hyundai introduced a concept version of its first pickup, the Santa Cruz, a camouflaged model has been spotted undergoing tests on a frozen lake in the Lapland region of Finland.

The crew-cab truck appears to be larger than the concept. However, it appears to retain many elements of the concept's funky design, including the front fascia and rounded bodywork.

In November, the Korean automaker said it would invest $410 million to expand its Alabama assembly plant to build the Santa Cruz, with output starting in 2021. 

Hyundai has yet to reveal the production version of the Santa Cruz, first shown in concept form at the 2015 Detroit auto show. The "lifestyle vehicle" will target city-dwelling millennials who can't fit full-size pickups into tighter parking spots.

In December, a single photo of what appears to be a disguised Santa Cruz was posted to Korean site autospy.net.

General Motors officials have never publicly said why they decided not to invest in Rivian, the Plymouth, Mich., startup brand that plans to market the stylish electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV this year.

Could it be that while GM and Rivian were talking last spring about how the two companies might work together, GM officials realized they already had a brand that would be perfect for high-performance EVs?

Less than a year later, GM made it official that the Hummer name is returning on an electric super-truck packing 1,000 hp and 11,500 pound-feet of torque. During Sunday's Super Bowl, GM aired three teaser spots showing a futuristic new version of the Hummer's trademark slotted grille.

Although the business case for an electric pickup is shaky at best — and I have been a vocal critic of electric trucks — using the Hummer name not only makes perfect sense, it's a very smart and shrewd move that has many interesting angles.

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