New Lexus IS Shown In China

The new Lexus IS, shown at the Beijing Auto Show, has a fresh new look for its three models. The rear-wheel-drive IS 200t will be powered by the recently-added 240 horsepower 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline-4 with intercooler, which comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The new IS’s safety equipment includes the Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beam and Radar Cruise Control.

Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration SUV Concept

The Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration, the brand's vision for a next-generation, premium mid-size SUV.

J.D. Power To Be Acquired By XIO Group For $1.1 Billion

J.D. Power, the global marketing information services company best known for customer satisfaction insights based in Weslake Village, California, is being sold by McGraw Hill Financial after 11 years of ownership to London-headquatered XIO Group, a global alternative investments firm, for $1.1 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2016, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. J.D. Power's prominent automotive studies include: U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), U.S. Tech Choice Study, U.S. Driver Interactive Vehicle Experience (DrIVE) Study, and U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study.

J.D. "Dave" Power III established J.D. Power in 1968 from his kitchen table, with a primary focus in the automotive industry. In 2005, J.D. Power was acquired by The McGraw-Hill Companies for an undisclosed sum believed to be around $400 million.

Headquartered in London, XIO Group has operations in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Hong Kong and mainland China. XIO Group's strategy is to identify and invest in market-leading businesses located across North America and Europe and help these companies to capitalize on untapped opportunities in fast growing markets, particularly in Asia.

On April 27, 2016, subject to shareholder approval, McGraw Hill Financial will be renamed S&P Global to reflect a their direct focus on the financial intelligence businesses.

Tesla Model 3 Starting At $35,000 In Late 2017

Tesla Model 3, with seating for 5 adults, autopilot safety features and designed to exceed a five star safety rating, achieves 215 miles of range per charge with a zero to 60 mph time of under 6 seconds. Supercharging is standard. The price starts at $35,000 before incentives, like a $7,500 Federal rebate. Deliveries begin in late 2017 with orders being taken now at the Tesla website with a $1,000 deposit.

As of last night at the Tesla Model 3 launch, Tesla founder Elon Musk said orders had reached 115,000 in the first 24 hours. Musk is confident its Freemont, California, factory can produce 500,000 a year. Batteries will be made at its gigafactory which will produce more lithium-ion batteries than anywhere else in the world combined in a building to have the largest footprint of any building in the world.

March 2016 U.S. Auto Sales

General Motors delivered 252,128 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles in March, a 0.9 percent increase, and 193,524 to individual or “retail” customers, up 6 percent year over year, driven by a 7 percent increase at Chevrolet and a 13 percent increase at GMC. Year-to-date sales of 683,698 is slightly less than the year ago first quarter.

Ford Motor Company sold 254,711 vehicles in the U.S. in March, an 8 percent gain versus a year ago, while first quarter sales of 645,626 vehicles were up 9 percent, for the best sales performance for March and first quarter since 2006.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. reported March 2016 sales of 219,842, a decrease of 2.7 percent from March 2015. Toyota division posted March 2016 sales of 189,644, also down 2.7 percent Lexus posted sales of 30,198, down 2.8 percent. Year-to-date sales of 569,079 is a 1.1percent decline from last year.

FCA US (Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Fiat, Alfa Romeo) reported U.S. sales of 213,187, an 8 percent increase compared with March 2015, and the group’s best March sales in a decade. Year-to-date sales of 551,103 is a 9 percent rise over 2015.

American Honda reported March sales of 138,221, an increase of 1.3 percent for the month. Honda Division sales were 123,369, up 10.5 percent while Acura sales totaled 14,852 in March, gaining 1.2 percent. Year-to-date Honda and Acura sales are 357,703, a gain of 7.1 percent over 2015.

Nissan Group announced total U.S. March sales of 163,559, an increase of 13 percent over the prior year. Nissan Division finished March with 149,784 sales, up 13 percent, a best month ever record. Infiniti reported sales of 13,775 vehicles in the U.S. during March, an increase of 10 percent versus prior year.

Hyundai Motor America reported its best month ever, selling 75,310 units in March. Year-to-date sales of 173,330 is the best first quarter ever, up 0.9 percent from 2015.

Kia Motors America announced March sales of 58,279 down slightly from a year ago but pushing first quarter sales to a record of 146,321 vehicles, up 3.7 percent from 2015.

Subaru of America reported record sales for March 2016 totaling 49,285 vehicles, a supply-constrained 0.4 percent gain over March 2015. The company also reported year-to-date sales of 132,397 vehicles, a 0.9 percent gain over the same period in 2015. March marked the 25th consecutive month of 40,000+ vehicle sales for the company, as well as the best first quarter in the history of the Subaru franchise.

Volkswagen of America reported March sales of 26,914, down 10.4 percent from a year ago. Year-to-date sales of 69,314 is a 12.5 percent decline from 2015. Separtely, Audi reported March sales of 18,392 vehicles sold, an increase of 7.5 percent over the same period last year. Year-to-date sales of 41,960 vehicles is an increase of 4.6 percent over 2015.

Sales of BMW brand vehicles decreased 12.5 percent in March for a total of 30,033 compared to March, 2015. Year-to-date, BMW brand is down 10.0 percent on sales of 70,613 compared to the first three months of 2015.

Mercedes-Benz USA reported March total sales of 31,715 with the Mercedes-Benz brand having sales of 28,164, which closes the first-quarter at 75,769, down 3 percent from last year. Smart contributed 479 and Vans reported a best-ever March with 3,072, up 29.1 percent from the same time last year.

Mazda North American Operations reported March U.S. sales of 23,396 vehicles, representing a decrease of 27.2 percent versus last year. Year-to-date sales through March are down 17.2 percent versus last year, with 64,643 vehicles sold.

Mitsubishi Motors North America reported its best March sales since 2007 with sales of 11,078, an increase of 13.5 percent over March of 2015. Total sales for the year through the first quarter of 2016 are 25,212, up 6.0 percent compared to the same period last year.

Volvo Car USA reported U.S. sales of 6,857 vehicles, a 15.9 percent increase versus March 2015. Year-to-date sales are up 19.2 percent.

Porsche Cars North America announced March 2016 sales of 4,323 vehicles up slightly from a year ago raising first quarter sales to 12,238, 7.1 percent higher in comparison to the same period in 2015.

Sales will be updated as manufacturers report.

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Electric Coming This Fall

The all-new 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Electric has a full-time, twin-electric motor-powered all-wheel control system that provides distribution between the front and rear wheels. A 2.0-liter gasoline engine and two electric motors drive Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. The Outlander PHEV will arrive at Mitsubishi Motors showrooms in Fall 2016.

2017 Nissan TITAN Crew Cab Arrives Late This Summer

The 2017 Nissan TITAN Crew Cab, powered by Nissan's 390 horsepower 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 gasoline engine, is built on a separate chassis from TITAN XD which was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November, and is approximately 228.1 inches long (14.7 inches less than XD) and 79.5 inches wide (same as XD), with the cab size shared between the two vehicles. This volume model, half-ton TITAN will go on sale in the late summer of 2016. TITAN will initially launch as a Crew Cab model with Single and King Cab variants planned for later in the model year.

The TITAN XD with Cummins® 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel is on sale now with the 2016 TITAN XD models powered by the new 5.6-liter Endurance V8 gasoline engine starting at $36,485 (including $1,195 destination charge) for the TITAN XD S Crew Cab 4x2 model.

2017 Infiniti QX70 Limited Coming This Summer

The new 2017 Infiniti QX70 Limited, a specially equipped version of the QX70 with different lights and finishes, will be powered by a 325-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 with VVEL (Variable Valve Event & Lift) matched with a 7-speed automatic transmission featuring Adaptive Shift Control. It features an Around View® Monitor system with Moving Objection Detection, Intelligent Cruise Control and Lane Departure Warning and Lane Departure Prevention. Available in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive configurations, it is scheduled to go on sale at Infiniti retailers nationwide beginning in summer 2016.

Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, Electric - Three Choices

The Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, and Electric models offer three distinct electrified powertrains on a single, dedicated vehicle platform. The Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid both feature a new Kappa 1.6 direct-injected Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine delivering an estimated 104 horsepower while the electric motor delivers an estimated 32 kW or 43 horsepower, powered by a lithium-ion polymer battery with 1.56 kWh capacity for an estimated total system output of 139 horsepower. The Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid provides an estimated all-electric range of more than 25 miles, powered by an 8.9 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. The Ioniq Plug-in’s estimated 45 kW or 60 horsepower electric motor is coupled with the 1.6 direct-injected Atkinson four-cylinder Kappa engine. The Ioniq Electric offers pure electric mobility with a 28 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery for an estimated driving range of 110 miles with an estimated maximum output of 88 kW or 120 horsepower giving the Ioniq Electric an estimated 125 MPGe rating. Ioniq offers Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto®, wireless smartphone charging, Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Smart Cruise Control.

Volkswagen BUDD-e Concept

The Volkswagen BUDD-e Concept is 181 inches long, 76.3 inches wide and 72.2 inches high and based on the all-new Modular Electric Platform to demonstrate what electric mobility could be like by the year 2019. The 101 kWh battery is flat, to save space, and integrated into almost the entire vehicle floor and powers two electric motors, one to drive each axle distributing power to all four wheels for a top speed of 93 mph and estimated total range of up 233 miles (based on EPA drive cycle) on a full charge. The BUDDE-e offers several levels of plugged-in charging with the added benefit of cordless inductive charging. All of BUDD-e’s systems are operated intuitively by gesture control, touchscreen (displays and touch slider) or voice control.

2017 Acura MDX Coming This Summer, Sport Hybrid Later

The restyled and refreshed 2017 Acura MDX luxury SUV adds an Electric Parking Brake with Automatic Brake Hold, Auto High Beam headlights, SiriusXM Radio® 2.0, four 2.5-amp USB charging ports, Bi-Directional Keyless Remote Engine Start, two new 20-inch wheel and tire options, power folding side mirrors, and HD Traffic. All 2017 MDX models receive the AcuraWatch as standard equipment, including Collision Mitigation Braking System with automatic emergency braking, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow and Road Departure Mitigation.

The 2017 MDX Sport Hybrid is the third model to feature Acura's three-motor Sport Hybrid SH-AWD powertrain powered by a 3.0-liter DOHC V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management™ mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission with an integrated electric motor powering the front wheels, and a Twin Motor Unit with two electric motors providing power to the rear wheels. The 2017 MDX is slated to go on sale at Acura dealerships nationwide this summer and will be joined by the MDX Sport Hybrid later in the year.

2017 Toyota Prius Prime Plug-In Hybrid - All-New Late This Fall

The new 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, 2.4 inches longer, 0.6 inches wider and about an inch lower than its predecessor, will get a manufacturer-estimated 120 or above MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) and achieve two times the electric range of the previous model at 22 miles, meeting the daily commuter distance of over half of U.S. drivers, and drive at speeds up to 84 mph without leaving EV mode. In hybrid mode, the Prius Prime is targeting a hybrid MPG equal to or better than the Prius liftback. Charging takes approximately 5.5 hours using a standard household outlet and less than half the time with a 240V source. The 2017 Prius Prime will begin arriving in Toyota showrooms in late Fall.

Mazda MX-5 RF

The Mazda MX-5 RF (“retractable fastback”) with a power roof that opens and closes with the press of a button while moving at speeds of up to 6 mph and stows away compactly offering the same trunk space as the soft-top model. The Mazda MX-5 RF will have the 155 horsepower SKYACTIV-G 2.0 mated to a a six-speed automatic transmission in the North American model.

2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible Arrives In Early 2017

The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible, like the 2+2 coupe, has a 640 horsepower supercharged LT4 6.2L V-8 Small Block engine, with intake and exhaust systems tailored for Camaro, mated to either a standard six-speed manual transmission with active rev matching or all-new, available paddle-shift 10-speed automatic. The lightweight, stiffer structure all-new sixth-Gen Camaro has Magnetic Ride suspension and an electronic limited-slip differential. The Camaro ZL1 goes on sale late this year and the Camaro ZL1 convertible goes on sale in early 2017.

2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 Cabriolet Coming This Fall

The new 2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 Cabriolet, with a multi-layered fabric soft top roof with glass window, is powered by the 469 horsepower 4.0-liter AMG V8 biturbo engine accelerating to 60 in 4.1 seconds to a top speed of 155 mph while the S puts out 503 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds to a top speed of 174 mph. Both have the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sport transmission with "Sport" and "Sport +"modes and the C63 S also comes with the "RACE" mode. The AMG C63 Cabriolet will be on sale at US dealerships by Fall of 2016.

2017 Nissan GT-R Coming This Summer With More Power

The new 2017 Nissan GT-R has a 565 horsepower 3.8-liter V6 24-valve twin-turbocharged engine with each unit handcrafted by its own Takumi technician. The exterior receives a thorough makeover, the cabin is redesigned and the entire dashboard is new, including an instrument panel wrapped in a single, seamless piece of hand-selected Nappa leather. The 2017 Nissan GT-R will be available this summer.

2017 Kia Cadenza Coming Later This Year

The all-new 2017 Kia Cadenza gets a revised version of Kia’s 3.3-liter V6 engine sending an estimated 290 horsepower to the front wheels via Kia’s first FWD-based eight-speed automatic transmission.The 2017 Cadenza is composed of more than 50 percent Advanced High Strength Steel, more than twice the amount used in the outgoing model. A driver’s knee airbag brings the total number of airbags in the vehicle to nine.The Cadenza is first Kia to be sold in the U.S. under the DRIVE WISE sub-brand, with features like Advanced Smart Cruise Control with stop-and-go functionality, Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Lane Departure Warning. The Smart Blind Spot Detection System senses unintentional drifting toward an adjacent vehicle and automatically brakes the opposite side front wheel to help maintain the vehicle’s intended course. The second-generation Cadenza is set to go on-sale in late 2016, and pricing will be announced closer to the vehicle’s launch date.

2017 Subaru Impreza 5-Door Coming Late This Year

The all-new 2017 Subaru Impreza 5-Door, powered by a revised version of the FB 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Boxer engine with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, gains direct fuel injection and is now 152 horsepower vs. 148 before and rides on a 105.1-in. wheelbase, up 1.0-in. over the last generation Impreza. Both the Sedan and 5-Door are 1.6-in. longer than the outgoing models, and both are 1.5 in. wider. The 2017 Impreza adds new driver-assist technologies, including Reverse Automatic Braking and the display of steering lines for the standard rear vision camera and a new 4-way Tire Pressure Monitoring System can detect pressure drops at individual wheels. The new Impreza will be available in base, Premium, Sport and Limited trim lines when it arrives in Subaru dealerships in late 2016.

Lincoln Navigator Concept

The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept has a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine delivering more than 400 horsepower and features Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, a 360-degree camera, enhanced park assist and a lane-keeping system that vibrates the steering wheel to alert drivers they are straying from their lane.

2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Coming This Fall

The all-wheel-drive 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, based on the Golf SportWagen, has a 170 horsepower 1.8-liter, four-cylinder TSI® gasoline engine mated to a six-speed dual-clutch DSG® automatic transmission with a six-speed manual transmission will be available at a later date. A Drive Mode selector includes “Off-Road Mode,” which adds hill descent control and optimizes traction control for off-road terrain. Six airbags are standard along with Electronic Stability Control, the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System and an Intelligent Crash Response System. Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist), Lane Assist, and front and rear Park Distance Control with Park Assist are available options. The Volkswagen Golf Alltrack goes on sale in the Fall as a 2017 model.