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Pricing has come out for the GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV, revealing a staggeringly high price of $90,440 after accounting for the $6895 price of the AEV package. The AEV version takes things up a notch from the standard AT4X by partnering with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) for a more capable version of the truck.The AEV treatment brings the AT4X more in line with the Chevy Silverado ZR2, by adding steel bumpers, stronger skid plates and larger tires, at a roughly $17,000 premium. It’s not news to anyone that trucks are an expensive commodity, especially trucks of the off-roading variety. But that didn’t stop our eyes from popping out of our heads like some sort of cartoon character when we saw the price of the GMC Sierra AT4X AEV. GMC’s off-roadiest pickup comes with a starting price of $90,440, making it a $6895 premium over the standard AT4X, and $17,045 over the Chevy Silverado ZR2. To put that in the context of similarly priced trucks, the Ford Raptor which comes equipped with 450 horsepower compared to the AT4X’s 420, starts at $78,385, while the 702 horsepower Ram TRX starts at $86,450. Anyone who’s in the market for a GMC off-roader who needs extra approach and departure angle—and has a spare $7000 burning a hole in their pocket—is in luck. While the standard Sierra 1500 AT4X shares equipment including Multimatic spool-valve dampers and locking front and rear differentials with its ZR2 silbling, it lacks some of the Chevy’s off-roading capabilities. Off-Road ThingsThe AEV package reverses the hierarchy, swapping the Sierra’s front bumper for a specially designed steel bumper that allows it to fit the 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud-Terrain tires found on the ZR2. The approach angle also benefits from the new bumper, increasing to 32.5 degrees (compared to the ZR2’s 31.8), with the new steel bumper at the rear increasing departure angle by 0.4 degree, wile the ride height sees a 0.4-inch improvement, up to 11.2 inches. There are also five hot-stamped boron steel skid plates under the truck to keep vitals protected from below. Speaking with Car and Driver earlier in the year, a GMC spokesperson said the company plans to make AEV goodies standard on all 2023 AT4X trucks, but that won’t occur until later in the model year. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Our spy photographers caught the refreshed 2024 Buick Encore GX out testing without any camouflage.Its new face incorporates slim LED accent lights similar to the new Envista’s.This also appears to be the first production model to adopt Buick’s new logo.The new look of Buick will be propagating across the lineup soon, and these spy photos of the 2024 Encore GX crossover show our first glimpse of the new face on a U.S. production model. Caught without any camouflage, the updated Encore GX bears a clear resemblance to the new Envista crossover, and proudly displays the redesigned Buick logo and overall design language that first appeared on the Wildcat concept car earlier this year.Glenn Paulina|Car and DriverGlenn Paulina|Car and DriverThe Encore’s front end looks more distinctive than before thanks to the slim LED accent lights at the leading edge of the hood that also double as the turn signals. The actual headlights are discretely mounted lower on the front fascia. The updated logo, which is the first revision to the Buick tri-shield emblem since 1990, is displayed both on the hood and on the tailgate. Buick previously said that the logo would start appearing on various models in 2023, so it’s possible that the Encore GX will be the first to get it before the rest of the lineup switches over to the new design.More on BuickWe don’t expect any other significant changes to the Encore GX, as its mechanical components—a choice of turbocharged three-cylinder engines, paired with either front- or all-wheel drive—aren’t likely to change. Buick may fit a larger touchscreen infotainment system inside and will also likely change up the wheel designs, color offerings, and interior trims.Glenn Paulina|Car and DriverLook for more information to come soon on the 2024 Encore GX, which should debut early in 2023 before going on sale later in the year.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Hertz has agreed to pay out $168 million in hundreds of customer settlements, following years of unfounded accusations of theft by the rental giant.The company claims that a faulty inventory system is to blame for rental vehicles being reported as stolen, which has led to customers being falsely arrested, detained, and even facing felony charges.Following its Chapter 11 insolvency in 2020, Hertz claims the problem was fixed and that the instances were an isolated event, though a lawsuit filed in Delaware as recently as September shows otherwise.Renting a car should be an easy task, save for the busy airport lines, but it’s become a more costly and involved process. Making sure the tank is full and the interior is clean is part of the agreement between the renter and driver—an agreement that is generally fair for both parties, as long as you don’t have to pay an inflated refueling fee. What most consumers don’t expect out of their rental, however, is being arrested because of claims that the car was stolen.Crazy Times in the Car-Rental IndustryUnfortunately, that’s exactly what has happened to hundreds of Hertz customers since 2015. According to lawsuits filed across the nation, customers were held at gunpoint, arrested, and even held in jail for days as a result of Hertz reporting rental models as stolen. Now, Hertz says it will compensate these customers to the tune of $168 million total, resolving claims for more than 95% of the wrongfully accused.The company claims this issue was a result of a faulty theft reporting system, a system the company alleges was fixed following its 2020 bankruptcy. However, a lawsuit filed in Delaware earlier this year shows that the practice was still in effect following the company’s Chapter 11 proceedings. Hertz previously denied all claims of the false theft reports until this April, when the newly minted CEO, Stephen Scherr, admitted that some customers had been affected by the “glitch”.HertzThe company says that it runs over 25 million rental transactions per year and that at least 3365 theft reports are made annually, accounting for 0.014 percent of its rentals. Additionally, a spokesperson for the company said that most of these cases involve renters who were many weeks or even months overdue, in a statement to CBS News.Despite this, some of the accused hadn’t even rented from Hertz previously. Other victims include NASA employees operating government-rented vehicles and customers with cars rented by their insurance companies following accidents. Customers who returned vehicles on time later received correspondence from the company that it had reported the vehicle as stolen and that an arrest warrant had been issued.Spencer Platt|Getty ImagesThe hundreds of millions in payments will be finalized by the end of this year, and statements in recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings show that the company isn’t worried about this affecting its financial standing. Additionally, Hertz plans to recoup the majority of this expense from its commercial liability insurance policies, though the company has had to file lawsuits against its insurers to this effect.Emerging from bankruptcy in 2021 and recently reporting a return to profitability, the settlement payments may not damage Hertz’s bottom line but its reputation among consumers very well could. With new leadership at the helm and continuing strong travel demand, the true outcome of a rocky few years for Hertz has yet to be seen. Despite this, company executives claim to see a future of improved customer relations. “As I have said since joining Hertz earlier this year, my intention is to lead a company that puts the customer first,” said Scherr, CEO of Hertz.”In resolving these claims, we are holding ourselves to that objective.”From: AutoweekThis content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.The manual transmission is almost gone. Even if you ignore that manual-transmission cars account for less than 2 percent of the auto market today, you have to accept that the transition to EVs will likely spell the end of shifting yourself. Toyota wants to change that, which is why the company is showing off a prototype EV with a faux manual shifter. The company has spent the last couple of days showing European journalists a special version of the Lexus UX 300e. The small electric crossover isn’t sold in the U.S. and isn’t particularly exciting in its normal form, but this version has a simulated shifter and clutch to provide a taste of old-school engagement. The driver can shift between different gears when they get to the far end of the fake tachometer and, if they blow a shift, can even stall the electric car. The driving video from EVO is certainly worth a watch. Electric vehicles rarely have more than one or two forward gears, so it is unlikely that this is going to be a useful technology for future mainstream EVs. But Lexus says it is developing the concept to make more engaging EVs, and may actually use the system on a production BEV if the development work is promising. We’re not sure a simulated shifter could ever scratch our itch, but we’re certainly interested in trying it out. This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Ford Fiesta and Focus owners are expressing how frustrated they are about long wait times for transmission repairs, via a report in the Detroit Free Press today (subscription required). Problems with Ford’s faulty PowerShift gearboxes, found in its 2011—2016 small cars, began a decade ago and led to a 2020 settlement of more than $30 million.Ford told the Free Press that service and repair delays are due to a shortage of transmission control modules, but this problem predates the supply-chain issues, making some customers express the belief that the company is indifferent.Trouble over Ford’s infamous PowerShift transmission continues to haunt the automaker. As the Detroit Free Press reported this week, many current owners of 2011–2016 Fiesta and 2012–2016 Focus models still afflicted by problems are furious. Their frustration over delays in getting a fix for their cars is understandable, given that several told the Free Press they’ve waited multiple months for their gearboxes to get fixed.2016 Ford Focus.Highlighting more than two dozen experiences, the newspaper cites months-long wait times and claims that Ford is ignoring customers seeking updates on the status of their repairs. Back in 2019, the paper also reported claims that some Ford dealerships were declining to repair their defective transmissions. A Decade-Old DebacleFord’s faulty PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmissions gained notoriety almost as soon as they went into production in 2011, with the first lawsuit filed against the company just one year later in 2012. The transmissions were prone to rough shifts and required frequent repairs, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) never reported evidence that they posed a safety risk.Ford’s PowerShift ProblemsIn 2019, an investigative piece by the Detroit Free Press revealed Ford knew about the problems with the PowerShift transmissions during development and decided to continue with production anyway. The rest is history, including the company extending the powertrain warranty on affected models from five years or 60,000 miles to seven years or 100,000 miles. Ford also eventually agreed to a settlement in 2020 that required it to buy back defective Fiesta and Focus models as well as pay out at least $30 million in cash.Ford Says: Call Our Help LineWhile it makes sense that supply issues play a part in the long wait times currently facing Fiesta and Focus owners, as the Free Press points out, the problems with Ford’s PowerShift transmissions predate the scarcity of semiconductors. Combine that with owners’ personal stories of hardship, and it is not surprising that customers who are receiving poor service might start to believe the company is indifferent.The current situation, Ford says, is due to a shortage of the transmission control modules that are necessary for the fix. Speaking to the Free Press, Ford spokesman Said Deep said the company is aware of the delays and is “trying desperately” to acquire the modules. He also encouraged people who need help while their car is in for service to call Ford’s customer support line at 800–392–3673. Car and Driver reached out to Deep for more comment on this story, but we haven’t yet gotten a response. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More