2016 Lexus IS Gains 2.0-Liter Turbo-Four Engine In Place of Base V-6

The 2016 Lexus ^Parts IS adds a new turbo-four engine, as well as a lower-powered V-6 option, in a mild refresh for the sports sedan. The IS also receives a few equipment changes, such as a heated steering wheel being offered as a standalone option.

 

The new 2016 Lexus IS200t replaces the former IS250 as the car's base model. Offered only with rear-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the 200t's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine offers 241 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. That's up from the 204 hp and 185 lb-ft that the outgoing IS250's 2.5-liter V-6 engine offered. Lexus also expects the new engine to improve fuel economy, which was rated at 21/30 mpg (city/highway) in the rear-wheel-drive IS250.

The 2.0-liter engine is already in use in the Lexus NX200t crossover and is likely to spread to more Toyota and Lexus models in the U.S. The Lexus IS200t was already revealed in Europe earlier this year, with its engine rated for 244 hp.

The Lexus IS350 continues to offer its 306-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine with both rear- and all-wheel drive. But to sate drivers who want a more affordable all-wheel-drive sedan, the 2016 Lexus IS also adds a new IS300 AWD model. A detuned version of the 3.5-liter V-6 offers 255 hp and 236 lb-ft; this trim level essentially takes the place of the outgoing Lexus IS250 AWD, as the new turbo engine is not offered with all-wheel drive. The V-6 engines are also mated exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Source :  Automobile

65,844 Land Rovers recalled for doors, sunroofs that can fly open

Jaguar^Parts Land Rover is recalling 65,844 Land Rover SUVs for doors and sunroofs that can fly open while the vehicle is in motion, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
The defects are divided into two separate recalls, one for faulty door latches and one for weak sunroof adhesive.

The door latch recall covers 65,352 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs from the 2013-16 model years. The affected vehicles were manufactured with doors that can remain unlatched with the door is in the “closed” position, without any indication to the driver that a latch is not secure.
Doors that do not latch properly can open while the vehicle is in motion.
Ford Motor Co. has recalled more than 1.5 million vehicles for a similar defect since mid-2014. It is not clear if the two recalls are related.
The Range Rover models covered in the door latch recall were manufactured from July 26, 2012 through March 9, 2015.
The sunroof recall is smaller, covering 492 Land Rover LR4 SUVs from the 2012 and 2013 model years. The adhesive and primer used to attach the affected sunroofs to the LR4 roof can weaken, causing excessive noise and water leakage.
In one case, a consumer reported to NHTSA that the sunroof detached from the vehicle while it was in motion.
The door latching issue is the result of a software glitch that allows doors to come unlatched without warning, Jaguar Land Rover spokeswoman Maria Rodriguez said.
It is not clear if this defect originated at the supplier, Brose Schließsysteme, or if it is the fault of Jaguar Land Rover manufacturers, she said.
In the case of the sunroof defect, the bonding agent used by supplier NSG Group was not up to the correct specifications.

Source :  autonews

BMW Regains Top Spot in USA Premium Sales, Besting Mercedes-Benz

It’s an extremely tight race at the top of the sales charts in the US within the premium segment.

To be more precise, BMW ^Parts sold 32,176 units in the US across the previous month while Mercedes-Benz sold 28,044. Both companies showed growth compared to the same month of last year but while the Bavarians grew by 6.5%, their rivals sold only 5.8 percent more.

Overall, when looking at the figures for the whole year, BMW posted a year-to-date increase in sales of 7.1 percent to a grand total of 168,623 units while Mercedes delivered 164,970. In percentages, the challenger grew more, at 8.8%. As you can see, at the moment, there’s just 3,653 units between the two giants.

The best selling car for the blue and white roundel company was the 3 Series, as usual. What’s surprising is that unlike Mercedes, it’s not its cheapest model. The growth the three-pointed star company is recorded is due mainly to the CLA-Class which is its cheapest FWD model in the line-up. That could also point to a couple of differences in the demographic that is interested in the two brands.

Compared to June of 2014, the X5 SUV posted an incredible 89 percent surge in demand while the 4 Series came in second with a growth of 69 percent.

When it comes to Audi, even if this was yet another month of constant increase in demand, they are still far behind with 93,615 units. Due to the new A3 line-up, they are also starting to cover more ground but with 18,262 deliveries across June, things aren’t looking great for now.

They are overshadowed by Lexus that comes in third in this ad-hoc top, they too reported an 11 percent increase in sales, at a grand total of 26,121. So far, the Toyota-owned brand sold 158,848 units, a 15 percent increase.


Source : autoevolution

Jeep will keep Cherokee's 'spot on' shape, styling

CHELSEA, Mich. -- The popular Jeep Cherokee^Parts departed from the brand's traditional boxy styling, and Jeep strategists plan to keep the polarizing look when the midsize SUV is freshened in mid-2016.

"I think the overall styling, the overall shape, the overall accommodation of that vehicle is spot on," Jeep brand head Mike Manley said at Fiat Chrysler's proving grounds here. "I don't think that there's anything that dramatically needs to change with that vehicle going forward."

Since its introduction in late 2013, the Cherokee has been a top-seller for Jeep, outselling in some months the more established Grand Cherokee and Wrangler.

Through June, Cherokee is Jeep's top-selling SUV in the U.S., with sales up 31 percent over the same period of 2014.

The Cherokee has been plagued by quality and software problems with its transmission. FCA US is conducting a customer satisfaction campaign to reset the transmission software on early Cherokees to improve the nine-speed automatic's operations.

Manley said those efforts should help lift the brand's overall quality.

"We've made significant progress on Cherokee in terms of the transmission," Manley said, "and we are going to continue to look to make quality improvements wherever we can."

Source : Auto News

How Kirk Kerkorian changed Detroit's auto industry

Kirk Kerkorian, the billionaire investor known for mega-deals and hostile takeover bids, was seen as a "deep value" investor and he loved kicking the tires in Detroit, looking for value, especially among auto companies that were on the discount rack many times over the years.

His strategies roiled Detroit's auto and casino industries on multiple occasions. Here are some of his most memorable deals that solidified his reputation as an aggressive activist investor. He died Monday night at 98.

But he leaves a tremendous legacy, especially when it come to the auto industry. He touched each of Detroit's Big 3 automakers. Here's how:
• General Motors bid: Kerkorian's Tracinda made a run at General Motors in 2006. He began buying GM shares in the spring of 2005. But that dance led nowhere. GM's management and Kerkorian just didn't get along. Kerkorian had urged a global partnership among GM, Nissan^Parts Motor and Renault USA. Didn't work.

• Chrysler takeover attempt: Kerkorian first invested in Chrysler in 1990 after meeting with the automaker's boss Lee Iacocca. Five years later, his stance as a passive investor gave way to a takeover bid when the company didn't perform as he'd hoped. Ultimately, he lost, but only after a long and rancorous fight.

• Ford stake: If Kerkorian is best known in Detroit for his failed takeover attempt of the old Chrysler in 1995 and his frustrated efforts to push GM into an alliance with Renault and Nissan Motor in 2006, he also played a part at the Blue Oval.

In 2008, Kerkorian's Tracinda had built up a 6.5% stake in Ford Motor But later in the year, Tracinda started selling off Ford shares. By the end of 2008, Tracinda had sold off all its Ford shares.

Tracinda said in a statement in the fall 2008 that "in light of current economic and market conditions, it sees unique value in the gaming and hospitality and oil and gas industries and has, therefore, decided to reallocate its resources and to focus on those industries."

Source: USAToday