William Maley

Ford has launched the configurator for the 2019 Ranger today and we got our first look at pricing. It will begin at $25,395 for the XL extended-cab model with 2WD - price includes $1,095 destination charge. Pricing for the rest of the lineup is as followed, $27,615 - XL SuperCrew 2WD $29,035 - XLT SuperCab 2WD $29,555 - XL SuperCab 4WD $31,210 - XLT SuperCrew 2WD $31,775 - XL SuperCrew 4WD $33,035 - XLT SuperCab 4WD $33,305 - Lariat SuperCab 2WD $35,210 - XLT SuperCrew 4WD $35,480 - Lariat SuperCrew 2WD $37,305 - Lariat SuperCab 4WD $39,480 - Lariat SuperCrew 4WD There are a number of options on offer such as appearance packages, spray-in bed liner, and 8-inch touchscreen with Sync3. Go crazy on the options, and you can have a Ranger that will cost you over $45,000. All Rangers come with a 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder paired up with a ten-speed automatic. Compared to other models in the class, the Ranger has the highest base price. The Nissan Frontier is the cheapest at $19,965, followed by the Chevrolet Colorado ($21,590), GMC Canyon ($22,095), and Toyota Tacoma ($24,740). It still will be awhile before you can drive a Ranger off the dealer's lot as it will launch early next year. Source: Ford View full article

Chevrolet is expanding the availability of the 6.2L V8 for the Tahoe and Suburban through a new special edition. The 2019 Tahoe and Suburban Premier Plus brings forth the 420 horsepower V8 engine, along with a 10-speed automatic and the Magnetic Ride Control suspension. To set it apart from other trims, the Premier Plus adds some special luxury touches such as two-tone black and mahogany interior, heated and ventilated seats, heads-up display, chrome power steps, and 22-inch wheels. “Our customers have shown strong demand for both Tahoe and Suburban with the 6.2L V-8 option. Thirty-six percent of all Chevy full-size SUV special edition models are now sold with this engine. Premier Plus gives both Suburban and Tahoe customers another option to choose from with several added premium touches,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet’s head of truck marketing and advertising in a statement. The Premier Plus models are quite pricey. The Tahoe Premier Plus begins at $75,395, and the Suburban Premier Plus kicks off at $78,195 - prices include a $1,295 destination charge. Production begins later this summer. Source: Chevrolet CHEVROLET INTRODUCES TAHOE AND SUBURBAN PREMIER PLUS SPECIAL EDITIONS DETROIT — Due to customer demand, Chevrolet is expanding the availability of the 6.2L V-8 engine within its full-size SUV lineup by introducing the Tahoe and Suburban Premier Plus special editions. The 6.2L V-8 was first made available in the Chevy full-size SUV lineup on the 2018 Tahoe RST 6.2L Performance Package. The engine recently debuted on the 2019 Suburban RST 6.2L Performance Package, which is now on sale at Chevrolet dealerships nationwide. All Premier Plus edition Chevy full-size SUVs, as well as RST Premier models with the optional 6.2L Performance Package, also feature Magnetic Ride Control with performance calibration and a Hydra-Matic 10-speed automatic transmission. “Our customers have shown strong demand for both Tahoe and Suburban with the 6.2L V-8 option,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Chevrolet Trucks Marketing and Advertising. “Thirty-six percent of all Chevy full-size SUV special edition models are now sold with this engine. Premier Plus gives both Suburban and Tahoe customers another option to choose from with several added premium touches.” The 2019 Tahoe and Suburban Premier Plus editions feature a unique interior with heated and ventilated Black/Mahogany-colored leather-appointed front seats against a Jet Black trim surround. This premium two-tone interior and 22-inch polished wheels make their first appearance in Chevy’s full-size SUV lineup with the Premier Plus special editions. Other features include gold Chevrolet “bowtie” logos, chrome nameplate badging, a head-up display and 8-inch diagonal cluster, cross rails, chrome power steps and exhaust tip and a Chevrolet-branded cargo organizer. Connectivity is provided by a standard 4G LTE Wi-Fi1 hotspot, and the Premier Plus package includes a 12-month data plan. The available 6.2L V-8 is capable of 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The engine delivers three state-of-the-art technologies — direct injection, Active Fuel Management and continuously variable valve timing — to make the most of power, torque and efficiency across a broad range of operating conditions. The 10-speed automatic transmission offers smaller steps between each ratio to maximize engine power under acceleration. With a wide 7.39 overall gear ratio spread and lower numerical top gear ratio, the transmission also reduces engine revolutions at highway speeds. Magnetic Ride Control is an active suspension that “reads” the road every millisecond, triggering damping changes in the electronically controlled shock absorbers in as few as 10-15 milliseconds. As a result, the suspension delivers improved body-motion control during cornering and a more comfortable ride while cruising. The 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier Plus will start with an MSRP of $74,100 plus a $1,295 destination charge, while the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban Premier Plus will start at $76,900 with a $1,295 destination charge. (MSRP excludes tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment.) Both Premier Plus full-size SUVs are also available to Costco members at GM supplier pricing with a $4,500 Costco member incentive2. Costco Gold Star and Business Members who purchase the vehicle through participating dealers and complete a Costco Auto Program survey are also eligible for a $300 Costco Cash Card, while Executive Members are eligible for a $700 Costco Cash Card. The exclusive Costco member value package is only available on 5,000 vehicles. Costco offer is not compatible with any other GM incentives. To qualify, customers must be a member by Oct. 1, 2018, and take delivery between, Oct. 2, 2018, and Jan. 2, 2019. The 2019 Tahoe and Suburban Premier Plus can be ordered from Chevrolet dealers now, with production beginning in mid-August. View full article

"To me, there is more room for SUVs in the GMC stable. An obvious place for GMC to be if it expands is that small SUV segment," said Duncan Aldred, head of Buick and GMC last August. It seems GMC planning such an expansion if new spy shots are to be believed. It is difficult to tell whether or not this is a GMC as the two test mules are under numerous layers of camouflage. But we can make out the brand's slotted grille in the front. For some time, we had been hearing murmurs about GMC possibly building a Jeep Wrangler fighter. But judging from these photos, it seems that it will be a subcompact crossover to compete against the Jeep Renegade and Ford EcoSport. According to Automotive News, the new model could be called Granite and use the Gamma-2 architecture that underpins the Buick Encore and Chevrolet Trax. Production of this new model is expected to begin in 2020. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Motor1 View full article

There have been some rumors floating around for the past couple of years that BMW was planning to offer a 3-Series with a fully electric powertrain. Some new spy shots reveal that may come to fruition. At first glance, this looks like a normal 3-Series sedan. But on the front doors, there is a label that reads "Electric Test Vehicle". BMW has also tried to disguise the fact this is an electric by attaching tailpipes, but the spy photographer says its a pure EV. Not much is known about the electric powertrain or batteries. This mule was seen testing with a Tesla Model 3, suggesting that BMW sees it a direct competitor to the 3-Series EV. To do that, the model would need a range of over 200 miles. But sources at BMW tell Motor Trend that the range could be as close to 300 miles. We do know the next 3-Series will transition the CLAR platform that uses a combination of steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber. It also looks like that the design will not change that much from the current model. The next 3-Series is expected to debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. Whether we see the EV version is unclear. Source: Motor Trend View full article

Last Tuesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted out that he was considering taking the automaker private and had "secured" funding. Since then, the question of who is providing the funding has been left unanswered. Today, Musk wrote up a blog post that provides some insight. The post reveals that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is responsible for the possible funding of Tesla's move to private. In the last two years, representatives of the fund have met with Musk and discussed possibly taking the company off the market. The most recent meeting was on July 31st, after the fund bought an almost 5 percent stake. "During the meeting, the Managing Director of the fund expressed regret that I had not moved forward previously on a going private transaction with them, and he strongly expressed his support for funding a going private transaction for Tesla at this time. I understood from him that no other decision makers were needed and that they were eager to proceed," Musk wrote. "I left the July 31st meeting with no question that a deal with the Saudi sovereign fund could be closed, and that it was just a matter of getting the process moving. This is why I referred to “funding secured” in the August 7th announcement." The board was notified about Musk's intentions to take Tesla private on August 2nd. From there, the board held a meeting (minus Musk and his brother Kimbal, who is also a board member) to discuss this possibility. Musk also planned to speak to the company's largest shareholders about the possible move. Towards the end of the post, Musk said he is continuing "to communicate with the Managing Director of the Saudi fund," and that "he has expressed support for proceeding subject to financial and other due diligence and their internal review process for obtaining approvals." But there is one big question that is unanswered; did Musk secure the funding when he made that tweet or not? As we reported last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is looking into whether or not Musk was lying about the funding. If Musk was able to get the funding, it will be quite awhile before Tesla can become private. Per the blog post, the board needs to put together a plan that it can agree upon. From there, shareholders will vote on the plan. If approved, Tesla can start on the next steps. Source: Tesla View full article