Tuesday, December 24, 2019

2019 LA Auto Show Video: 2020 Karma Revero GTS


Karma Automotive Vice President, Platform Engineering, Todd George, discusses the Southern California-manufactured Karma brand, technology and vehicles, including the $149,000 Revero GTS launching in the first quarter of 2020. The Karma Revero GT is on sale now for $134,000.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

2019 LA Auto Show Video: 2020 Hyundai IONIQ


Hyundai Senior Product PR Manager Miles Johnson discusses the redesigned eco-friendly IONIQ car lineup now on sale. The IONIQ Hybrid starts at $23,930 (including $930 freight charges) and gets an EPA estimated 58 combined MPG. The 2020 Hyundai IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid starts at $27,230 and can safely rely on 29 miles of pure electric driving range powered by the 8.9 kWh battery pack. The new 2020 IONIQ Electric, with an increase to 134 horsepower, now gets 170 miles of range (up from 124 miles) which translates to 133 combined MPGe thanks to an upgraded 38.3-kWh battery with 36% more energy capacity.

Click to watch interview. 


2019 LA Auto Show Video: Kia Motors America President Michael Cole


Newly appointed Kia Motors America President Michael Cole at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show discusses the all-new 2021 Kia Seltos, which slots between the Soul and Sportage models. The Seltos is available LX, EX, S 2.0L, S 1.6T and SX trims, and is powered by either a 146 horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder MPI engine managed by an Intelligent Variable Transmission in the LX, S and EX or a 175 horsepower 1.6-liter Turbo GDI engine paired with a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission in the S and SX. Pricing will be available closer to the Seltos’ first quarter of 2020 on-sale date. Kia says the LX AWD will have a starting price below $22,000 and the S FWD will have a similar starting price.

Click to watch interview.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

2019 LA Auto Show Video: 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime


Lindsay Lee, Toyota Rav4 Marketing Manager, talks about the 2021 Rav4 Prime plug-in hybrid with an estimated 302-horsepower that delivers 0-60 mph in a projected 5.8 seconds. It can drive an estimated 39 miles on battery alone on a single charge and has a manufacturer-estimated 90 combined MPGe. The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime will arrive next summer.

Click to watch video.

Friday, December 20, 2019

2020 Toyota Highlander Starts At $35,720


The fourth-generation 2020 Toyota Highlander, 2.36 inches longer to add cargo area space, comes in a new L grade, along with LE, XLE, Limited and Platinum trim levels, and is powered by a 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to a Direct Shift 8-speed automatic transmission delivering a manufacturer-estimated 24 MPG combined fuel economy and a new hybrid powertrain, in all but the L grade, offering up to a manufacturer-estimated 36 combined MPG. The second row slides an extra 1.2 inches further up to increase distance between the second and third rows. A new available Highlander feature is Dynamic Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive with Driveline Disconnect and Multi Terrain Select. Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 comes standard in all models and includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beam, (New) Lane Tracing Assist, (New) Road Sign Assist, Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection offers automatic braking capability under certain circumstances should the driver not react in time in a system-detected emergency situation. Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Parking Support Braking and Intelligent Clearance Sonar are available depending on the model grade. The 2020 Highlander starts at $35,720 (including $1,120 delivery, processing and handling fee).

BMW iX3 All-Electric SAV


The BMW iX3, the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology which will be joined by the BMW i4 and the BMW iNEXT in 2021, delivers a maximum power output of 286 horsepower achieves a range of more than 273 miles. The BMW iX3 is produced for the world market by the joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive in Shenyang, China.

2020 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell - Best Kept Secret - For Lease In Early 2020


The 2020 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell five seat zero-emissions vehicle, with an EPA range rating of 360 miles on a full tank of hydrogen, gets new heated outside mirrors, an improved Audible Vehicle Alert System for better pedestrian awareness of vehicles at low speeds and improved cold-weather startup performance. The 2020 Clarity Fuel Cell is available at a lease price of $379 per month which includes vehicle maintenance and insurance, and up to $15,000 of hydrogen fuel. The Clarity Fuel Cell offers California customers quick refueling at more than 40 stations, a $5,000 California state rebate and single-occupant HOV lane access eligibility. The 2020 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell available for lease early next year. This is an unbelievable, unbeatable deal. The nation needs to build out a hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

2020 Audi Q7 Starts At $61,795


The 2020 Audi Q7, in Premium, Premium Plus, Prestige trim levels, features an all-new 335 horsepower twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter TFSI® V6 engine paired with an eight-speed Tiptronic® transmission. Available all-wheel steering increases the agility of the large SUV. Also new is a standard MMI touch response® with 10.1-inch upper display used for controlling infotainment and navigation functions and 8.6-inch lower display used for climate control, comfort and convenience functions and for natural handwriting input with whole-word recognitionWhen equipped with the optional tow package, the 2020 Audi Q7 has a 7,700-lb maximum towing capacity. The 2020 Audi Q7 starts at $61,795 (including $995 destination charge).

2020 Nissan Sentra Starts At $20,015 End of January


The all-new 2020 Nissan Sentra, in its eighth generation and available in S, SV and SR trim levels, has a more powerful 149-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. Nissan Safety Shield 360, a suite of six advanced driver-assist systems, is standard on all 2020 Sentra grade levels and includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking. Sentra also features standard Rear Door Alert, 10 supplemental air bags and Intelligent Driver Alertness. The Sentra S starts at$20,015 (including $925 destination and handling) when it goes on sale January 28, 2020 at Nissan dealers nationwide. 

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban Coming Mid-2020


The all-new 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe full-size SUVs, with a new architecture featuring an independent rear suspension and longer wheelbase, offer an all-new 277 horsepower 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine along with a 355 horsepower 5.3L V-8 engine standard on LS, LT, Z71, RST and Premier models and a 420 horsepower 6.2L V-8 engine standard on High Country, all mated to a standard 10-speed automatic transmission for all engines with push-button electronic shift. Both feature Dynamic Fuel Management technology, with more than 12 modes of cylinder deactivation that are designed to optimize engine efficiency across a broad range of driving conditions, including when towing a trailer. The engines also feature automatic stop/start technology, direct injection and variable valve timing. The new Tahoe has a 4.9-inch longer wheelbase and a 6.7-inch increase in overall length compared to the current model and offers 40 percent more third-row legroom and 66 percent greater cargo volume behind the third row while Tahoe’s overall length increased less than 4 percent. The new Suburban has a 4.1-inch longer wheelbase and a lower cargo floor, giving legroom increases for both the second- and third-row passengers, and maximum cargo volume expands 19 percent while Suburban’s overall length increases less than 1 percent. The 2021 Tahoe and Suburban go on sale in mid-2020 in North America.

New Mercedes-Benz GLA Arrives Next Summer


The new Mercedes-Benz GLA 250, powered by a 221 horsepower inline-4 cylinder engine mated to an 8-speed dual- clutch transmission, is more than 3.9 inches higher and 0.6 inches shorter with the seating position for both the driver and the front passenger higher and more upright than in the predecessor model, offers a more spacious interior. The Driver Assistance Package includes the exit warning function alerting the driver to approaching cyclists or vehicles, and a warning when pedestrians are detected near crosswalks and the Active Brake Assist applies autonomous braking to avoid a collision or to reduce its severity.


The new GLA 35 has the AMG-enhanced 302 horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine mated to an 8-speed dual- clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. The new GLA launches in the U.S. in summer 2020.

2020 Nissan Kicks Starts At $19,965 Now


The 2020 Nissan Kicks compact SUV offered in S, SV and SR trim levels, is powered by a 122 horsepower 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine combined with an Xtronic transmission delivering fuel economy ratings at 31 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined. The 2020 Nissan Kicks  is on sale now at Nissan dealers nationwide with a starting MSRP of $19,965 (including $1,095 destination and handling).
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New Jaguar F-TYPE Available To Order In The U.K.


The new Jaguar F-TYPE two-seat sportscar is powered, depending on market, by a choice of a 296 horsepower 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder, 375 horsepower 3.0 liter supercharged V6 and 444 horsepower and 567 horsepower 5.0 liter V8 engines, all mated to an eight-speed Quickshift transmission with full manual control using either the SportShift gear selector or the steering wheel-mounted paddles. The new 12.3-inch reconfigurable HD TFT instrument cluster offers a choice of different displays. The new Jaguar F-TYPE is available to order now at jaguar.com and priced from £54,060 ($70,475) in the UK.

Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC Coming Mid-Next Year


The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC powered by an electrified variant of the V8 gasoline engine with a displacement of 3,982 cc, 48-volt on-board electrical system and integrated starter-alternator for hybrid functions such as EQ Boost or energy recovery. The engine, mated to a 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission, produces an output of 550 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque and an additional 184 lb-ft of torque and up to 21 horsepower output are available temporarily via EQ Boost. When the doors are opened, the vehicle is lowered slightly, and an illuminated running board made of anodized aluminum quickly and silently emerges on the respective side of the vehicle. The Mercedes- Maybach features the AIRMATIC air suspension with Adaptive Damping System Plus in addition to the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL based on the 48 V on-board electrical system. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC will go on sale in the U.S. in the second half of 2020.