Land Rover has officially started production of its all-new Discovery Sport compact utility vehicle. The Discovery Sport made its world debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show and will greet the public for the first time on these shores at next month’s Los Angeles auto show.

The first production-spec Discovery Sport rolled out of Land Rover’s factory in Halewood, UK, earlier on Friday. Discovery Sport No. 001 will be delivered to Virgin Galactic’s UK headquarters, where it will be used by team members as they prepare to become the first company to offer commercial space travel.

“It fills me with pride to have seen the first new Discovery Sport coming off the line here at our world-class Halewood production facility. We are now even more excited to hand the keys over to the crew at Virgin Galactic. The new car embodies Land Rover’s spirit of Above and Beyond, so it’s fitting that it will be used by a similarly pioneering company in Virgin Galactic,” said Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programs.

Made at the same factory that produces the Range Rover Evoque, the Discovery Sport marks the start of a new Discovery sub-brand for Land Rover. The Discovery Sport will replace the current LR2 while a larger Discovery model will eventually succeed the LR4.

Following its LA debut, the Discovery Sport will arrive in U.S. showrooms with a starting price of about $38,000.

Live image by Ronan Glon.

Audi has released several teaser videos showing its autonomous RS 7 preparing for high-speed hot laps at Hockenheim.

One video provides a few brief glimpses of the high-speed run, which will hit speeds approaching 150 mph as a public demonstration of the company’s self-driving technology.

A second segment shows a ride-along view during a slower test lap as the car brakes and steers itself around the corners. It also provides a look at the computer hardware mounted in the trunk, the 3D cameras attached to the windshield, and the obligatory remote kill-switch for the trackside crew.

“We’ve put a lot of effort in the car, and the car is really able to also cope with situations that it was not directly taught,” says Audi’s Peter Bergmiller. “It handles unexpected things very well.”

The company expects an impressive lap time of two minutes and 10 seconds when the RS 7 pilots itself around the track “at the limit” in front of crowds gathered for the DTM finale.

There are several pivotal models in BMW’s history. The 1602 helped the Munich-based automaker move into the mainstream and gain a secure foothold in the United States. The original e24-based M6 marked the welcomed democratization of BMW’s M division, and the first X5 paved the way for the company’s entry into the lucrative world of SUVs and crossovers.

Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show last March, the 2-Series Active Tourer signals the arrival of front-wheel drive BMWs. As expected, the idea has been ill-received by brand purists – a front-wheel drive BMW, say it ain’t so! Ten years ago, finding a transversally-mounted engine under a hood adorned by the black, blue and white roundel emblem was as likely as a proverbial cold day in hell but times change, markets evolve and sometimes the unthinkable becomes inevitable.

Don’t let the name fool you: The 2-Series Active Tourer shares very little with the 2-Series coupe that is sold on our shores. The Active Tourer stretches 170.9 inches long, 70.8 inches wide and 61.2 inches tall, dimensions that make it smaller, shorter but marginally wider than BMW’s own X1. BMW isn’t shy about the fact that the Active Tourer was developed to go head-to-head against the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, a similarly-packaged people-mover that is well into its second generation.

While the Euro-spec Active Tourer tested here has been on sale on the Old Continent for several weeks, BMW has not decided whether or not to add the people-mover to its lineup in the United States.

Under the Skin
The Active Tourer rides on a relatively new platform that also underpins the third-gen MINI Hardtop. The platform is highly modular, and different evolutions of it will provide the basis for a wide array of models over the next couple of years including many future MINIs, the next X1 and an all-but-confirmed seven-seater variant of the Active Tourer.

In Europe, the Active Tourer is currently offered with two gasoline-burning engines and a lone turbodiesel mill. The gasoline-powered models are called 218i and 225i, respectively, and the oil-burner is christened 218d. Like rival Mercedes, BMW has gradually stepped away from a surgically-precise nomenclature system and the nameplates no longer reflect the displacement of the engine.

The 218i is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that makes 136 horsepower and 162 lb-ft. of torque. Also found in the aforementioned MINI Hardtop and, in tuned form, in the gas-electric i8 coupe, the engine is linked to either a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed Steptronic automatic unit.

Lamborghini’s foray into the luxury SUV segment may not be headed to market anytime soon, amid reports of resistance from bosses at parent Audi.

The raging bull’s head of R&D recently suggested the Urus was on track for 2017 production, likely with a price tag to match the Huracan, however an unnamed insider now suggests the final greenlight has been delayed.

“We are convinced the Urus can significantly boost global sales, but the financial conditions need to be sound,” the anonymous source told Autocar.

Volkswagen Group is on track to have a successful year, but its leadership is said to be fearful of a global economic downturn and particular trouble in the Middle East — one of Lamborghini’s most important markets, behind the US and China.

CEO Stephan Winkelmann also recently backtracked on hints of production for the recently-unveiled Asterion concept, firmly dismissing its hybrid system as too heavy for the racetrack.

At the moment, the Italian brand is having no trouble pushing its supercars. The Huracan has already racked up 3,000 sales in just 10 months, while overall sales are up 50 percent for the first nine months of the year.

Photo by Mark Elias.

The automotive market is constantly evolving. Each generation of a vehicle is better than the last thanks to new technologies, more efficient engines, and safety advances. With product cycles that typically last four to seven years, change moves quickly. In this world of constant change, the midsize pickup segment has been stuck in neutral since 2005. That’s the last time any automaker has updated its pickups.

Enter the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. The first new midsize pickups in a decade, these trucks benefit from the latest technology while the competition continues to dwindle and stagnate. After years of attrition, the GM trucks face only two competitors, the Nissan Frontier, and the long-time sales leader, the Toyota Tacoma.

While both of the GM pickups are all-new for 2015, we are focusing on the GMC here because it is the better of the two trucks, and quite simply, it’s the best midsize pickup on the market.

Class-Leading Power and Efficiency

The 2015 Canyon represents GMC’s return to the midsize pickup market after a couple years off. It has nothing to do with the last Canyon, and is in fact bigger and more efficient. The longest wheelbase grows two inches to 128, length is up almost six inches, and width increases 5.6. It’s a much more substantial truck.

The last model’s 2.9-liter four-cylinder, 3.7-liter five-cylinder, and 5.3-liter V8 engines have given way to a simpler and more efficient engine lineup. The base engine is now a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, and buyers can also opt for a 3.6-liter V6 that cranks out 305 horses and 262 pound-feet of torque. The horsepower numbers are the best in the class, and so are the fuel economy figures. With rear-wheel drive, the 2.5 is rated at 20 mpg city/27 highway and the V6 gets an 18/26 rating. By comparison, the best ratings for the Toyota are 21/25 for the four-cylinder and 17/21 for the V6.

The Canyon’s 2.5 makes a fine base engine. It’s fairly subdued during cruising, though it buzzes somewhat intrusively under full throttle. It has good thrust off the line, feeling a bit quicker than the 9.5-second 0-to-60 mph time that GMC quotes. However, it will struggle during towing, and passing power is just adequate. We drove a four-cylinder Toyota Tacoma at the media drive program in Del Mar, California, and it felt much weaker than the GMC.

GMC’s 3.6-liter V6 is smaller than the V6s from the competition, but it’s more powerful. It cuts the 0-to-60 mph time to just 6.5 seconds (7.3 with AWD) at the cost of just a couple of mpg overall and a $1,235 price premium. It’s more refined than the four-cylinder, too, though it also roars under full throttle. We recommend it.

Capability and Drivability

While the GMC certainly ups the ante for overall refinement, it still drives like a truck. It is, after all, a body-on-frame pickup with a tall ride height and rear leaf springs. That translates to noticeable body lean in turns, bounce over bumps, and jiggle over small road imperfections. Thanks to a sturdy frame, though, there is less jiggle than you’ll find in the Toyota and Nissan. Like those trucks, it’s also much smaller than today’s full-size pickups and that makes it much more maneuverable in tight quarters and easier to live with every day.

Big or small, buyers choose trucks for their capability, and the new GM pickups are the most capable of the midsize trucks. With the V6 the Canyon can tow up to 7,000 pounds, which is 500 more than the Toyota and Nissan. The four-cylinder can tow an impressive 6,000 pounds, but we would recommend the V6 if towing is a major concern. Payload tops out at 1,620 pounds, which beats the Toyota by 120 pounds and the Nissan by 88.

Two bed lengths are offered. The four-door Crew Cab comes only with a 5-foot, 2-inch bed, while the extended cab offers that bed and a 6-foot, 2-inch bed. The extended cab also has four doors, but the rear doors are hinged at the rear and can’t open independently of the fronts. Those who need to carry passengers will want the Crew Cab, as it has a very livable rear seat. The extended cab’s rear seat is best suited for small children or interior storage.

Either bed has some useful features. The tailgate is damped, so it won’t slam down when you open it. GMC provides a bed light for loading/unloading at night, and the rear bumper has steps on each side to make it easier to get in and out. Buyers can also get a rubber bed mat or spray-in or drop-in bedliners from the factory to protect their investment.

One of the Canyon’s greatest strengths is its available four-wheel-drive system. While all other midsize pickups offer a part-time system that should be disengaged on dry pavement, the Canyon has a full-time on-demand system that requires owners to simply set it and forget it. For this reason alone we would choose the Canyon over the competition. The system also comes with low-range gearing that gives the Canyon off-road ability like any other midsize truck.

Inviting Interior with Class-leading Features

America’s tastes have changed since any automaker last put significant development dollars into a midsize pickup. That gives GMC a chance to appeal to today’s audience with the latest features and modern refinement.

The Canyon benefits from some of the lessons learned from GM’s full-size pickups. The cab features the same type of construction, with triple-sealed doors set into the cab sides instead of extending into the roof. This aids interior quietness, as does additional sound deadener. As a result, the Canyon’s interior is the quietest in the class.

The materials are also a reflection of the times, with padded armrests and, for the midrange SLE and top-line SLT models, a soft-touch dash. The SLE and SLT also get real aluminum trim. In total, the look and feel are several steps ahead of the Japanese competitors.

The same goes for the GMC’s connectivity. All Canyons are offered with 4G LTE connectivity through GM’s OnStar system. It allows up to seven devices to be connected to the internet. The SLE and SLT also get an eight-inch center touchscreen with GMC’s IntelliLink infotainment system. The screen has large icons that drivers tap to choose the navigation, audio, and communication functions. It also provides access to apps, such as Pandora internet radio, through owner’s smartphones. IntelliLink is much more modern than the systems offered by Toyota and Nissan, and the large icons make it fairly easy to use.

Leftlane’s bottom line

The midsize pickup segment has been ignored for so long that GMC says many buyers defected to go to cars and compact crossovers. GMC believes the Canyon can do more than just grab sales from the competition, but also bring back those customers.

Buyers returning to the segment will find the cost for all the modern technology in the Canyon is a significant price increase. While the base truck starts at $22,650, we recommend the V6, 4WD, and the SLE trim. That brings the total to $33,305. That’s not cheap, and it is almost $4000 more than the comparable Toyota pickup. However, the GMC not only has more equipment, but it benefits from the latest technology, which translates to more refinement, additional safety, higher fuel economy, and a better overall vehicle. That should be enough to bring buyers back to the midsize pickup segment.

2015 GMC Canyon base price, $22,650. Destination, $925.

Photos by Kirk Bell and courtesy of General Motors.

General Motors has recalled nearly 100,000 newer vehicles over a defect within the chassis electronic module.

The component can become internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short. Failure can then cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The problem can also disable trailer brakes on certain models.

The campaign affects a long list of models including the 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe; and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL. Models limited to the 2014 model year include the Buick Enclave; Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD and Traverse; and the GMC Acadia, Savana and Sierra HD.

The issue has been blamed on a manufacturing deficiency during CEM assembly by supplier Continental. The automaker identified at least 532 warranty claims related to the defect, which involves parts manufactured during a two-month period from mid-June to mid-August 2013.

GM has not yet announced a schedule for installing new CEMs in affected vehicles.

Chrysler announced Tuesday that it is recalling more than 900,000 vehicles for two separate defects that may result in fires.

The first recall, which affects 470,000 2011-2014 model year vehicles equipped with Chrysler’s 3.6L Pentastar V6 and 160-amp alternators, addresses a potential defect which can lead to failure of the alternator itself, resulting in a vehicle stall or potentially a fire.

Vehicles covered under this recall include the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Chrysler is aware of one accident that may have resulted from this defect, but claims no fires have been reported, according to Reuters.

The second, much narrower recall affects 437,000 2011-2013 model year Jeep Wranglers equipped with heated exterior mirrors. Water can leak into the electrical connector for the heating component and cause a short, which may result in a fire.

Chrysler says they have not been made aware of any incidents related to this issue.

Increased scrutiny in wake of Toyota’s unintended acceleration issues and GM’s faulty ignition switches has prompted automakers to more aggressively investigate potential safety issues and launch recall campaigns.

Volvo Cars has announced a significant expansion at its Torslanda, Gothenburg production facility to help meet demand for the all-new XC90 crossover.

The total number of employees at the plant will jump by 40 percent, adding 1,300 jobs to accommodate a third shift. Production capacity will be significantly increased, with a target of 300,000 vehicles annually.

Volvo’s retail deliveries are up by 9.2 percent for the first nine month of the year, on track for a 10-percent gain to 470,000 vehicles for the full year — an all-time high for the company.

“The all-new Volvo XC90 SUV is expected to further grow the company’s sales volumes during 2015, creating a need for increased output from the Torslanda plant where the new car is to be produced,” the automaker said in a statement.

The XC90 represents the first vehicle to be produced on Volvo’s Scalabe Product Architecture (SPA), which will later be used for upcoming models. Developing the modular platform and expanding the Torslanda plant are part of a broader $11 billion USD investment into future growth strategies.

Honda has reportedly commissioned a third-party investigation into potential wrongdoing ahead of the massive airbag recall.

The inquiry is said to be looking into accusations from the advocacy group Center for Auto Safety, which claims the company failed to report numerous fatalities and injuries due to the defective airbag components manufactured by supplier Takata, according to a Bloomberg report.

The company has allegedly admitted to delaying reports of verbal claims in its filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, potentially leading the agency to underestimate the scope of the problem, though the controversial practice has been defended as compliant with federal reporting guidelines.

“It is our understanding that some manufacturers choose to include these types of verbal claims, and that these constitute the majority of the injury-and-death claims that they report to the NHTSA,” the company said in a statement. “We believe this practice accounts for the vast majority of the difference between the total number of injury-and-death claims reported by Honda compared to certain other manufacturers.”

CAS points to a wide margin between Honda’s Early Warning Reports to the NHTSA and the filings by other automakers. In 2013, for example, Toyota submitted 1,774 EWR reports while Honda filed just 28.

The NHTSA is also under fire for not spotting the discrepancies earlier and actively pushing the automakers for more information regarding the airbag failures.

General Motors has released a promotional video showing its Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD beating the Ford F-250 in a frame-twist test.

Both pickups were driven up staggered ramps that left one of the rear wheels left hanging in the air, torquing the cargo beds and misaligning the tailgate position relative to the cab. The test was performed by third-party research firm AMCI Testing, but commissioned by GM.

The Silverado is claimed to have demonstrated just 0.26 inches of displacement, measured between the cab and the cargo bed, while the F-250 distorted by nearly a full inch.

“The twist was so great on the Ford that when under stress, the tailgate could not able to be lowered, while the Silverado’s available EZ-Lift and Lower Tailgate operated normally,” GM said in a statement.

The company argues that its Silverado integrates high-strength roll-formed steel, compared to lower-grade stamped steel “and aluminum” used by competitors. Although the test was limited to heavy-duty pickups, GM has maintained a defensive marketing campaign to promote its steel-clad pickups as inherently stronger and more durable than Ford’s new aluminum-bodied F-150.

Ford has worked to assuage such fears, promoting aluminum as just as tough when properly engineered. The company outfitted earlier-generation F-150 pickups with aluminum beds for several years of undercover field testing — unbeknownst to the mining company that received the experimental trucks — to tweak the design for improved durability early in the development process.