Motor News

Michael Simari/Car and Driver

Hyundai has issued a recall for 128,948 vehicles over defective connecting-rod bearings that can wear out prematurely and damage the engine.
The recall covers the 2012 Santa Fe, the 2011–2013 and 2016 Sonata Hybrid, and the 2015–2016 Veloster.
Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified beginning on January 22, 2021, and those with engines that show bearing damage will have their engines replaced.
Hyundai Motor America has issued a recall for 128,948 of its vehicles, including the 2012 Santa Fe, the 2011 to 2013 and 2016 Sonata Hybrid, and the 2015 to 2016 Veloster, for connecting rod bearings in the engine that could wear out prematurely and damage the engine, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The engine damage can ultimately result in an increased likelihood of a fire or engine stalling, which can lead to a crash.

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Owners will be notified of the recall beginning on January 22, 2021, to bring their vehicles to a Hyundai dealer. If the dealer finds bearing damage, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a new Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) through a software damage; the system will monitor engine vibrations to detect premature wear or damage.
Before being notified of the recall, owners of these vehicles should pay attention for any of the following, which could indicate the connecting rod bearings are wearing on the engine: abnormal knocking noises from the engine, reduced power or hesitation, illumination of the “check engine” light or the engine oil-pressure warning light; or a burning smell, oil leaks, or smoke.
Hyundai owners can check the NHTSA website or NHTSA’s new recall app to see if their vehicle is involved in the recall.
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The three-row Nissan Armada is getting a refresh for 2021, and this short clip gives some idea of how it’s changing.
It appears that the front and rear lights gain new shapes and that overall, the boxy figure of the full-size SUV is maintained.
The 2021 Armada will be revealed in full on December 8.
Now four years into its second generation, the Nissan Armada is getting refreshed for 2021, and since we’ve already seen the the updated 2020 Nissan Patrol, which is the international version of the Armada, we have some idea of what’s coming at the reveal on December 8. In this teaser, we can see the Armada racing down a dirt road and then a quick cut to the rear end of the SUV, neither shot of which shows a whole lot but does suggest that Nissan is keeping a good thing going as the changes will likely be subtle.

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The Armada’s presence on a dirt road does suggest that Nissan isn’t messing with the SUV’s rugged image, but other than that shot, we’re unsure whether such outdoorsy features as all-terrain tires or skid plates will be part of the packaging. From a distance, we can also see that the Armada maintains its boxy figure and doesn’t undergo any extreme changes on the front of the vehicle, but perhaps a closeup shot would show something different.

2020 Nissan Patrol.
Nissan

It’s difficult to discern any material differences with the quick shot of the rear of the Armada, but from a first look, it does appear that the rear taillights may have a different shape and that other features, such as the rear bumper, may have been slightly altered.

2020 Nissan Patrol.
Nissan

The 2020 Patrol sold elsewhere is likely a good indicator of what the updated Armada is going to look like, including the new grille which drops some of the chrome accents, a larger lower air intake, sleeker headlights, and the addition of side air vents. The Patrol’s rear bumper doesn’t appear as large as that on the Armada, but that has been the case throughout the previous generation of both vehicles. Its taillights are less rounded, giving the SUV a slightly more refined look, and a chrome runner with the name “Patrol” on it connects the taillights, giving the rear end more continuity.
The 2021 Armada is expected to keep its 390-hp V-8 and seven-speed automatic transmission, currently the only powertrain choice for the big SUV. We’ll bring full details once the new model is revealed next week.
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Dodge is adding the Gold Rush paint job, first seen on the 50th-Anniversary cars, to 2021 Challenger T/A, T/A 392, SRT Hellcat, and SRT Hellcat Redeye models.
The yellow paint job is a no cost option, but the car must be equipped with the Satin Black-painted hood, roof, and decklid, which comes standard on the T/A models.
Gold Rush is available to order now, and 2021 models will arrive early next year.
Dodge is adding the Gold Rush exterior paint color, an option introduced on the 50th-Anniversary edition cars, to the Challenger T/A, T/A 392, SRT Hellcat, and SRT Hellcat Redeye models. The Gold Rush-painted Challys will arrive early next year.
The yellow paint job is a no-cost option. However, to get it, customers need to choose the $3495 Stain Black–painted hood, roof, and decklid, which comes standard on the T/A models. The new commemorative paint color joins other appropriately named fun colors available on the Challenger, including Frostbite, Hellraisin, Sinamon Stick, and Go Mango.

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The 2021 Dodge Challenger T/A is powered by Dodge’s 5.7-liter V-8, while the 392 model uses a 392-cubic-inch Hemi V-8, which produces 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission, although an eight-speed automatic is available. The SRT Hellcat models, of course, are powered by FCA’s supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that produces more than 700 horsepower in numerous vehicles in the lineup.
Dodge recently added its aggressive widebody treatment to the Challenger T/A 392 as well as adding SRT branding to the SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Redeye’s standard Brembo brakes.
Orders are now open for the Gold Rush–painted Challengers, and they’ll arrive at dealers early next year.
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Former Porsche race car engineer who worked more recently with the Apple self-driving group, is heading up the VW Group’s Project Artemis.
Alexander Hitzinger and Project Artemis are tasked with taking on Tesla.
The group will reportedly build an electric SUV from the ground up that is set to be produced in 2024.
Alexander Hitzinger helped develop the hybrid Porsche 919 race car that dominated Le Mans in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and then headed to Apple to help it work on its self-driving-car ambitions. Back with the VW Group, he and the Project Artemis team are going to build a new electric vehicle, and Reuters reports that the team’s goal is to take on Tesla.

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The premium vehicle Hitzinger and the team are working on is set to go into production in 2024 and will take the form of Audi, Bentley, and Porsche EVs based on the group’s PPE (Premium Platform Electric) underpinnings.
Audi, which is tasked with leading research and development, including the PPE EV platform and autonomous-driving technology, will also take the lead in this effort. Those are areas where Tesla leads because of its practice of working in-house. Tesla has a history of developing and fine-tuning its own components from the software that runs the vehicles to the motors and battery pack. This control has allowed it to continue to push its range beyond EV offerings from traditional automakers. It seems that Hitzinger wants to do the same thing at Volkswagen. “At Porsche, I always thought of a vehicle as a comprehensive system. This is a very important point. It is what Tesla does well,” Hitzinger told Reuters.
The Project Artemis name came up in an earlier report by German publication Handelsblatt, which said the high-end electric vehicle Audi and the VW Group is working on is code-named Landjet. It’s unknown if this truly is the internal name of the upcoming vehicle. Besides, it’s very unlikely that the automaker would comment on the report at this early stage.
Of course, it’s not just electrification that sets Tesla apart. Its Autopilot system is an integral part of the vehicles—not to mention a source of additional income, with Tesla owners paying upward of $10,000 for the yet-to-be-released Full Self-Driving feature that CEO Elon Musk says will bring actual autonomous driving to Tesla’s vehicles. That system would also power a fleet of robo taxis that Tesla is expected to put on the roads once it perfects the autonomous-driving setup.
Back in January, Hitzinger announced that VW Autonomy would show off autonomous buses at the World Cup in 2022 as part of a pilot program. It is also aiming for 2025 to have a Level 4 autonomous system (a vehicle with controls for drivers, but able to drive itself in most situations without the need for a human to pay attention or take over). This would be used first for robotaxis and cargo delivery, then likely in the I.D. Buzz Microbus due to its size.
Volkswagen may be investing heavily in electrification with its MEB and PPE platforms, but an EV that also drives itself and is highly efficient thanks to Hitzinger’s experience would help VW take on Tesla not just in this one vehicle but in technology generally.

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A yellow two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Lego Technic model is going to be on sale soon.
The 665-piece model has an articulating suspension, fold-down rear seats, and a working winch.
It’ll cost $49.99 when it goes on sale January 1, 2021.
Lego Technic is adding a two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon model to its automotive offerings, which include the Lamborghini Sián and Dominic Toretto’s Dodge Charger from Fast and Furious. The 665-piece set of the yellow off-roader has beefy off-road tires —including a rear-mounted spare (it’s a Jeep, after all)—so you can get through the thickest carpet, gnarliest Cheez-It crumbs, and deepest spilled milk.

Lego

That’s not all. It has a button-operated front steering system and an articulating front suspension to help you traverse scattered toys, dog bones, and TV remotes, and if you find yourself stuck in stray undergarments, you’re in luck, because there’s a working winch mounted to the front bumper. Up front, there’s the classic seven-slot Jeep grille and a “Rubicon” sticker for the hood.

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The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, which now has a 470-hp V-8-powered 392 variant, is the ultimate, off-road-equipped Wrangler in Jeep’s lineup. It comes standard with live axles, a two-speed transfer case, locking diffs on both axles, and an electronic front anti-roll-bar disconnect.
The Lego Technic Jeep Wrangler will go on sale on January 1 for $49.99 on Lego’s website and at other authorized retailers.
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The Postal Service has again delayed the awarding of a contract for the replacement for its Grumman LLV.
The USPS has been looking for a company to award a more than $6 billion contract to since 2015.
The Grumman LLVs still in operation cost around $3000 a year to keep running.
The U.S. Postal Service has been searching for a replacement for its legendary, if deteriorating, Grumman Long Life Vehicles for over half a decade now. The decision of which company would be awarded the contract to replace those trucks was slated to happen at the end of this year, but as is the modus operandi of 2020, those plans changed. That contract will be announced early next year, the USPS has announced.

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It’s not the first time the awarding of the contract has been delayed, and now, according to Trucks.com, there are only three remaining companies bidding for the contract to replace the USPS trucks. Those include Workhorse, an Ohio-based startup which is the only company offering an all-electric option; Karsan, a Turkey-based company with a plug-in hybrid design for the truck, and Oshkosh, which is based in Wisconsin and has offered an internal-combustion-engined vehicle.
“Amid continuing COVID-19 concerns, and in order to provide for capital investment activities and required approvals, the program schedule has been revised and a decision is now planned for (January to March 2021),” a statement from the USPS read.
Keeping those Grummans in operation isn’t cheap for the USPS. They were intended to have 24-year life spans. But, since they were manufactured between 1987 and 1994, all have surpassed that age. A 2014 report from the USPS Office of the Inspector General found that each vehicle costs roughly $3000 to keep in service each year. Couple that with trucks that return 10 mpg, and you have vehicles that desperately need to be replaced.
And even though the USPS can keep enough running, currently around 140,000, to deliver mail, some of the trucks are finding their way into irreparable problems. Last year, Trucks.com discovered that in the five years prior, 120 of the Grumman LLVs had lit on fire –and there’s no theory as to why it has been happening.

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