Trade News

WASHINGTON — Only 1 out of 20 vehicles in the "small SUV" category evaluated in a new, tougher side crash test received an overall "good" rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Wednesday.

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 compact crossover was the only vehicle to earn the good rating in the institute's first tests of 2020-21 model-year vehicles since introducing the updated side test, which uses a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed to simulate the striking vehicle. Automotive News classifies the CX-5 and most of its competitors in the segment as crossovers.

"We developed this new test because we suspected there was room for more progress, and these results confirm that," IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. "The 'good' rating for the CX-5 shows that robust protection in a more severe side crash is achievable."

Nine vehicles — the 2021 Audi Q3, Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, T…

LOS ANGELES — Lucid Motors will deliver the first production versions of the Air Dream Edition sedan at an event for first-edition reservation holders this weekend in California.

After years of ups and downs as a struggling electric vehicle startup, Lucid will hand over the electronic keys of an undisclosed number of $169,000 Dream Editions in two variants: Range with 520 miles on tap or Performance with 1,111 hp.

Lucid said in a statement Wednesday that reservation holders had been invited to a day of activities on Saturday that include a driving event hosted by the company's leadership team, followed by the delivery event at its Newark, Calif., headquarters near Tesla Inc.'s Fremont assembly plant.

Following delivery of the limited run of 520 Dream Edition Air sedans in the coming months, the company will shift production at its Arizona factory to lesser versions, starting with the $139,000 Grand Touring. Next year, the EV maker…

While the new Z06 version of the Chevrolet Corvette won't go much faster than its Stingray stablemate's 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds, it will offer a different kind of high performance.

The new-generation Z06, a 2023 model, has a snarling, high-revving 32-valve 5.5-liter double-overhead-cam V-8 with a flat plane crank, offering more power and sharper engine response at extremely high speeds, such as when racing.

It has been designed to be a lightweight, street-legal sports car that can be driven to the racetrack, get a change of tires and go racing. The engine can rev to a dizzying 8,600 rpm — 2,100 rpm higher than the V-8 in the Stingray.

"It builds on the distinctive design and groundbreaking dynamics introduced with the midengine Corvette and elevates them to deliver refined but uncompromised track capability and world-class performance," GM President Mark Reuss said.

For the first time since the 1990-95 ZR-1, the Corvette will offer an overh…

BEIJING -- T3, a ride-hailing company backed by state-owned automakers FAW, Dongfeng and Changan, said on Tuesday that it had raised 7.7 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) to fund expansion.

T3's funding round comes as ride-hailing companies step up efforts to take market share from China's ride hailing market leader, Didi Global Inc., which is facing a cybersecurity investigation by Chinese authorities.

T3, along with other ride hailing companies, including Meituan's and Geely's Cao Cao, is offering promotions to attract more users.

The company did not disclose its valuation after the funding. Investors in this funding include Yingtong Technology, online travel platform Tongcheng, and Virtue Capital, an investment company led by Dong Yang, former head of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, T3 said in a statement.

The ride hailing industry in China is under scrutiny by the country's regulators, who are urging ride hailing companies to hire qua…

Toyota's third-generation Tundra pickup, as part of a sweeping overhaul long overdue by industry standards, receives bolder styling, more power from a hybrid powertrain, enhanced towing capacity, a robust lineup of safety features, and a new, contemporary multimedia system.

Toyota aims to close the competitive gap with Ford, Ram, Chevrolet, GMC and Nissan in a key segment where brand loyalty runs deeps.

The outgoing Tundra was introduced for the 2007 model year. Rival pickups have been retooled once, if not multiple times, since then, leaving Tundra lagging in performance, capability, infotainment and comfort.

The latest Tundra offers a choice of twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engines. The standard powerplant generates 389 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque — notably more than Ford, Ram, Chevrolet and GMC. Nissan's Titan packs a 400-hp V-8.

The standard engine is also available with a hybrid system that generates 437 hp an…

Cyngn CEO Lior Tal explains why the company is rolling out its autonomous technology in the industrial space before bringing it to the open road.

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PARIS -- Stellantis will keep selling its upscale DS Automobiles brand in China, where early next year it will unveil a new plan to boost disappointing sales, brand director Beatrice Foucher said on Tuesday.

Following the creation of Stellantis in January through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, CEO Carlos Tavares promised to keep the group's 14 brands on condition that each would focus on its strongest markets and segments.

The question of maintaining the DS brand's presence in China, where sales have slumped to a record low, has come up again after Stellantis sold its stakes in a local production site for the brand.

"Nothing is changing for DS at this point. The plan is to continue in China," Foucher told reporters.

Tavares will lay out by early 2022 how he aims to revive sales in the world's biggest car market.

Part of that plan will be a focus on full-electric Opel vehicles and using one of the plants of its joint …

DETROIT — General Motors on Tuesday said it will work with its dealerships in the U.S. and Canada to establish a network of 40,000 electric vehicle chargers over the next four years.

The chargers will bear the name of GM's Ultium battery brand and also be available for buyers of Ultium-powered vehicles, such as the upcoming GMC Hummer and Cadillac Lyriq, to purchase.

GM will distribute up to 10 chargers to each store starting early next year, and it would be up to each dealer to find suitable locations in the community. The chargers are intended to be installed at sites such as shopping centers, offices or even fields used by Little League teams that the dealership sponsors, rather than at the dealerships themselves.

The effort is part of GM's $750 million commitment toward charging infrastructure through 2025.

"We want to give customers the right tools and access to charging where and when they need it," GM President Mark Reuss said in a statemen…

WASHINGTON -- General Motors said Tuesday it will resume limited production for two weeks at its Orion Assembly plant in Michigan, which has been shuttered since August and builds the electric vehicle Chevrolet Bolt.

The largest U.S. automaker in August widened its recall of the Bolt to more than 140,000 vehicles to replace battery modules and to address fire risks. GM’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan, which builds the Bolt, is idled through the end of October. GM said the limited production will start Nov. 1 to help optimize battery production and supply chain repair logistics.

“Okay Hyundai.” With that phrase, the automaker is kicking off a new attempt to win over Black consumers. 

The saying — which is used in a new campaign from Hyundai’s new African American agency, Culture Brands — leverages a popular expression in Black communities that in casual conversation is used as validation. Or as Hyundai and Culture Brands say in a description of the campaign, “See someone with a nice outfit on? Okay outfit! See someone driving a vehicle that elevates the entire market? Okay Hyundai!”

The campaign promotes Hyundai’s Tucson Plug-in Hybrid and the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid. One spot shows a Black family getting into a Santa Fe for a road trip. The dad promises the vehicle can go 400 miles without stopping, prompting the kids to get their bathroom break in before they leave. After he shares that fact, the mom sheds praise on the Santa Fe by saying, “Okay Hyundai.” 

Another ad features a group of Black wome…