2023

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2023 Land Rover Defender reigns off-road

Sometimes vehicles get second or third chances. The Land Rover Defender, absent from the new car landscape for several years, returned not too long as a new model. For 2023, the off-road slanted sport utility vehicle is further customizable to appease any adventurer. The two-door Defender 90 and four-door Defender 110 have been joined by the extended-length Defender 130. The threesome’s base level starting prices range from $53,400 to $68,000. The top-line Defender has three rows of seating in a 3-2-3 configuration. As a midsized luxury SUV, the Land Rover Defender is available in three body styles and three engine choices as well as several trims with multiple option packages. It’s also unique because it’s in a segment alone. The

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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca repaved for 2023

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca — one of California’s fastest race tracks — is going to get faster in 2023.  A planned resurfacing and resulting smoother surface should allow the diverse array of competitors on next year’s schedule to blaze through the 11-turn track at greater speeds. WeatherTech’s 2023 Major Events Season boasts an eclectic mix of IndyCar, IMSA, MotoAmerica superbikes, muscle cars, historic cars and motorcycles competing in traditional and untraditional race formats. All events will be held on the track’s first repaving since 2007. Spectators also receive an upgrade in the form of a rebuilt Start/Finish bridge which will improve pedestrian flow from the parking lot to the race paddock area. The upgrades follow a solid 2022 season that

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2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid: Upscale looks, value price

More than a dozen hybrid compact crossover sport utility vehicles vie for the expanding number of consumers seeking improved efficiency without transitioning into fully electric vehicles. Welcome the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Kia, the South Korean manufacturer partially owned by Hyundai, introduced the Sportage in 1993. It was originally classified as a compact SUV, but since 2004 the Sport has been labeled as a crossover. It’s built on a unibody chassis as opposed to the body-on-frame option used by most pickup trucks. The new Kia is part of the manufacturer’s trio of SUVs, and it’s positioned between the Seltos or Niro and the three-row Sorento. Kia and its vehicle relative Hyundai, have made quantum improvements in the past decade. Several

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3 reasons to visit a Mercedes-Benz service center in 2023

A Mercedes-Benz first needs servicing after 10,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. Regular maintenance is then recommended every 20,000 miles or two years. The engine check-ups ensure a vehicle runs properly and provides the driver with a sense of road confidence. Two primary types of service are required: Service A includes oil replacement, fluid level check, component inspection, resetting maintenance counter, and tire inflation. Service B includes brake fluid exchange, cabin dust filter replacement, brake component inspection and inflation correction. The top reasons for automotive maintenance are increasing lifespan and overall performance of  a vehicle. A proper check-up routine also helps to ensure optimum luxury and a hassle-free, on-road experience. It’s no surprise the global automotive repair and

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Toyota Tundra sales plummet, few changes planned for 2023

The Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck had its peak annual sales 15 years ago when the 2007 year-end tally was just under 197,000. With increased competition, the truck’s selling success has never been anywhere close. Since 2018, sales of the Tundra have drastically dipped from 118,258 in 2018 to 81,959 in 2021. It was the poorest sales tally for the Tundra since 2009. In 2020, the Tundra was sharply criticized, including by U.S. News & Report. It wrote: “It’s been 13 years since this Toyota got a complete redesign. Most full-size rivals have more comfortable interiors, smoother rides, better composure, and higher-end cabins. Though the Tundra comes standard with a powerful V8 engine, it still can’t tow or haul as

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2023 Toyota Sequoia: vast upgrades for plush, powerful SUV

After five years of only slight changes, the 2023 Toyota Sequoia will debut this summer as a new generation of the large SUV with interior upgrades, technology improvements and a more powerful powertrain. The Sequoia will be offered in two-wheel drive or the available part-time four-wheel-drive system on SR5, Limited, Platinum and Capstone grades. The TRD Pro will be offered only in four-wheel drive. The part-time four-wheel-drive system relies on a transfer case, controlled via a lever on the center console to select between two-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive high or four-wheel-drive low. One powertrain will be offered, the same i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain in the Toyota Tundra. It will include 437 horsepower and 583-pound feet of torque. The towing capacity has been

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2023 Ram ProMaster: bigger, badder, more versatile

The 2023 Ram ProMaster, a full-sized van designed for businesses, construction job sites and commercial fleets and a versatile-use towing capacity of 6,900 pounds, debuted recently at National Truck Equipment Association’s (NTEA) Work Truck Week trade show in Indianapolis, Indiana. According to the manufacturer, the new ProMaster will include best-in-class features like cargo volume, turning radius, standard interior cargo height, load-floor height, cargo width between wheel wells and maximum cargo width. Available in 19 configurations, the Ram ProMaster includes three roof heights, three wheelbases and four vehicle lengths resulting in cargo lengths of 8-ft, 10-ft, 12-ft and 13.5-ft.ew is the segment-exclusive rear roll-up door to satisfy the cargo loading and unloading required for vocational and delivery customers alike. The roll-up

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2023 Corvette Z06 a power broker

Not too many years ago, even purists began to wonder. What was up with their beloved Chevrolet Corvette Stingray? The styling was off, a conspicuous look like General Motors’ designers ran out of time. Was the Corvette’s label as “America’s Sports Car” no longer valid? Could the many-time Indianapolis 500 pace car have become an also-ran? 2023 Corvette Z06: More power, better style Annual sales were down for several years, dipping below 20,000 for the first time in 2018. Ah, but just in time, the mid-engine C8 arrived in 2020 after years of planning. The brand was revived. Automotive industry honors flowed. And now it’s happened again with the recently announced, much-ballyhooed and coming-to-a-dealership soon 2023 Corvette Z06. Like its

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2023 Kia Sportage gets rugged

The 2023 Kia Sportage, beginning its fifth generation, has debuted and features a larger and more varied lineup of subcompact sport utility vehicles including new off-road trims. Under the manufacturer’s umbrella slogan “Movement That Matters, the new Kia Sportage lineup will include LX, EX, SX, SX-Prestige and X-Line and the new Sportage X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige trims geared toward off-road travel with all-terrain tires and other features. 2023 Kia Sportage: New Exterior, Interior Designs New features for the 2023 Sportage Sportage firsts include an available dual panoramic curved digital display Most Sportage trims will now be assembled in the U.S., alongside the carmaker’s Telluride, Sorento, and K5 in West Point, Georgia. The Sportage will also be available in a hybrid

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NEW TRUCK PREVIEW: GMC Canyon tries again in 2023

What can GMC do to improve the country’s worst-selling midsized pickup truck? The 2023 Canyon, the debut of the truck’s third generation, will feature a new exterior and interior. A more modern, stylized exterior including a new fascia, will highlight the exterior; the interior will be based on an improved offer of the current GMT 31XX platform. The Canyon is also distinguishable by its massive grille, projector-beam headlights and LED running lights. The same powertrain as the current model will be offered on the 2023 GMC Canyon and with three engine options. Standard features will include additional equipment, although details haven’t been announced. The base engine is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 200 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque. It is

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NEW TRUCK PREVIEW: Fresh look for 2023 Nissan Frontier

Highlighted by a modernized exterior and interior and a more powerful engine, the 2023 Nissan Frontier will arrive next year as the debut of the midsized pickup truck’s third generation. Nissan reports the new Frontier will feature a 310-horsepower V6 and it will be propelled by a nine-speed automatic transmission and rear or four-wheel drive. The Frontier’s new exterior, according to several truck websites, will feature a new body inspired by the classic Nissan Hardbody Desert Runner, its predecessor. It will feature a massive grille. 2023 Nissan Frontier: New Inside, Outside A new instrument will be unveiled and will include a standard 8-inch touchscreen and a 9-inch screen on upper-level trims. Technology will include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration,

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2023 Cadillac LYRIQ: Carmaker’s first EV SUV pending

If there’s any doubt about how quickly the automotive industry is changing, consider the former gas-guzzler reputation of Cadillac. Once the automotive beacon for bigger meant better and better meant lots of fuel, Cadillac has just revealed its 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ. Key Takeaways Cadillac’s first EV arrives with 300 miles of estimated range: A 100-kWh battery pack, 340 horsepower, and rear-wheel-drive Ultium Platform underpin the brand’s shift away from its gas-guzzler reputation. Starting price expected at $59,997: Cadillac announced reservations would open in September 2021, with production at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee plant and deliveries beginning in the first half of 2022. 190 kW DC fast charging adds 76 miles in 10 minutes: Home charging uses a segment-leading 19.2 kW

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New mail trucks approved, on the road in 2023

It’s modern, considerably safer, cooler when needed and has a front end that resembles a duck beak. It’s all good. The ancient U.S. Postal Service mail trucks are finally on their way out and new vehicles are on their way in. After years of consideration and proposals, Oshkosh Defense has been awarded the contract to build the next USPS fleet. Under the contract’s initial $482 million investment, Oshkosh Defense will finalize the production design of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV). It’s a purpose-built, right-hand-drive vehicle for mail and package delivery. Between 50,000 and 165,000 of the trucks will be manufactured in the next 10 years. For businesses managing fleets of this size, real-time monitoring and efficient routing are crucial.

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