Auto Industry News: Recaps, Recalls, Records, & Reveals

Busy week for the auto industry, as several manufacturers debuted new 2023 models. With microchips in short supply, OEMs seem to be reserving the upgrade treatment for their top performers. The Engine Block has news on fresh designs for the Nissan Altima, Subaru Ascent, Honda HR-V, and more.

Unfortunately, shoppers looking to step into one of these new vehicles will feel it in their wallet. Reports indicate new vehicle prices have reached another new record, as have the numbers at the pump. Even those making the switch to EVs will discover less affordability, as automakers announced price hikes last week.

Find more information on these industry pressures in this week’s Auto News, as well as an update on the specialty equipment market and some consumer awareness on Ford’s three recalls last week.

But first… let’s check in with the international racing scene, as the legendary Le Mans just celebrated another running.

90th 24 Hours of Le Mans

The world’s oldest active endurance racing event wrapped up its 90th running last Sunday, June 12. The 62-car field for the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans consisted of four classes: (5) cars in Hypercar, a class introduced last year to replace the Le Mans Prototype LMP1 class, (27) cars in LMP2, (7) cars in GTE Pro, and (23) cars in GTE Am.

Top honors went to Toyota Gazoo Racing, which celebrated its fifth consecutive victory of the legendary race by completing 380 laps. (Unlike fixed-distance races whose winner is determined by minimum time, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is won by the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours.)

Driver Sebastien Buemi now joins the rankings of all-time winners with four Le Mans wins under his belt. He shared the grueling driving duties with team members Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, who celebrated their third and first Le Mans victories, respectively.

Following the #8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid was the #7 sister-car, which regularly traded top position throughout the race but eventually fell behind on Sunday morning after having to pit for an engine reset. Driven by last year’s winners – Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López – the #7 car secured a 1-2 finish for Toyota. Third place went to the #709 Glickenhaus 007 LMH, with Ryan Briscoe, Franck Mallieux and Richard Westbrook sharing driving duties.

Anniversary Celebrations

While next year marks the 91st running of the race, it takes place on the 100th anniversary of the first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923. (The outbreak of WW2 caused a decade hiatus, resulting in the mismatch of years to races.) To celebrate, organizers have a full year’s worth of events on the calendar.

First up is the 2022 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca August 17-20, 2022. This event will curate the largest exhibition of winning or historically significant Le Mans cars ever assembled for display and exhibition laps, reports the track, noting that the featured groups will span the full century of Le Mans, from 1923 sports cars through 2005 prototypes.

Selected past race cars will then make an appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, August 21, 2022. Organizers also reserved “a special surprise” for Goodwood. Porsche’s brand new LMDh Le Mans racing car, set to race in the World Endurance Championship and IMSA Sportscar Championship in 2023, will make its world debut the annual Festival of Speed, which kicks off this week in England.

Next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours is scheduled to return on June 11-12, with the Le Mans Classic taking place on July 1-10.

Debut Fever

New vehicle sales dropped 12.6% month-over-month in May to a dismal SAAR of 12.7 million units. And while the reason is largely due to production constraints, OEMs seem determined to adhere to debut timelines. While focus seems trained on popular models to maximize profits, it will be interesting to see how microchips shortages, the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war, and other supply chain disruptions affect the roll-out of these 2023 rides.

Nissan Altima Update

Set to hit dealer lots this upcoming Fall season, Nissan’s second-bestselling model – the Altima – sees a refresh for 2023.

Tailored changes to the exterior lend a much sharper look that we think suits the midsize sedan well. The revised front fascia features what Nissan calls an updated expression of Nissan’s V-Motion grille that delivers a distinctively sporty design and adopts the redesigned brand logo. The SR trims, in particular, receive a special “black chrome” grille finish and unique grille design to help it stand out in the lineup.

The Altima’s now-standard LED headlights show off integrated turn signals in the daytime running lights, and ‘round back you’ll find an expressive new taillight design. Four new aluminum-alloy wheel designs add some fresh kicks options.

“Luxury” was clearly on the design menu for this update, as the Altima also gains an available single-panel moonroof, revised instrument panel finishings, and a new dual-stitch interior fabric design (for SR models), as well as available leather-appointed seating and available 8-way power driver’s seat.

Nissan made some thoughtful tech updates too, including a new 12.3-inch HD color display with multi-touch control and customizable home screen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charging pad, and WiFi hotspot.

Despite consumer appetite for pickups, SUVs, and crossovers, the Altima remains a profitable vehicle for Nissan. The automaker reported the 2022 MY sedan’s sales were 38,29 — up 19.65% in the first quarter over the previous year.

Subaru Ascent’s New Face

Much like the Altima, the coming-this-Fall Subaru Ascent sees a fresh face and tailored tech upgrades for the 2023 model year.

A relatively new model for Subaru, the Ascent landed in 2017 offering three-row seating in the automaker’s SUV lineup. The family hauler receives a bolder look in its mid-cycle refresh, thanks to a new front fascia with a more prominent grille and more aggressive front bumper cover, as well as redesigned LED headlights. Inside, a new standard tablet-style 11.6-inch Full HD center information display becomes standard equipment, as do wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Subaru gave the most attention to the Ascent’s safety equipment, significantly ramping up the vehicle’s standard ADAS offerings. These updates include a better camera for detecting pedestrians and bicycles and a newer version of EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, which can apply emergency braking and, in some models, emergency steering. For parking assistance, an available new feature offers a 360-degree overhead view of the vehicle. As for passenger safety, a Seat Belt Reminder for each seat helps ensure the whole gang’s buckled, while a new Cabin Connect feature uses the vehicle’s surround sound speakers to ensure third-row occupants can hear and understand what the driver is saying.

No powertrain changes, as the Ascent still sports a 260-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine mated to a CVT that has been, unfortunately, criticized for its reliability.

Toyota Sequoia Redesign

All new from the ground up, the Toyota Sequoia receives an impressive redesign for the 2023 model year that deserves a double-take. Much like the tree it is named for, the Sequoia is a big hauler.

The three-row, full-size SUV features a powerful twin-turbo V6 hybrid i-FORCE MAX powertrain making 437-hp and 583 lb.-ft. of torque. First unveiled on the Tundra, this hybrid engine will help the Sequoia achieve extremely competitive fuel economy numbers (22 combined mpg) – a notable improvement over the previous generation. Also improving is towing capacity, jumping 26% to a 9,520-pound maximum.

Built on the automaker’s new global F1 platform, the third-generation Sequoia prioritizes excellent handling, supreme comfort and impressive capability, according to Toyota. To bring that driving confidence inside, all Sequoia trims feature Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 driver-assistance and safety technology as standard equipment. Also standard is a new touch screen and multimedia system with voice activation, and a range of sliding, folding, reclining and reconfigurable cabin seating.

Starting at $59,795, the new Sequoia goes on sale later this summer. Toyota has high hopes too, telling Automotive News it expects U.S. sales to triple this year from just 8,070 in 2021.

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Honda HR-V Growth Spurt

It appears that bigger is better, at least in the American market. In line with current trends, the subcompact Honda HR-V crossover sees a growth spurt for 2023. The redesigned CUV is now more than 9 inches longer and 3 inches wider, with the wheelbase growing 1.7 inches.

A cleaner and sportier look adds some refinement to the budget ride, which even with a $2k price bump (inflation, ya’ll) is still coming in at a sub-$25,000 MSRP. That wider wheelbase helps make the HR-V more fun to drive, as does a new fully independent rear suspension and larger, more responsive 2.0-liter engine. Inside, design changes improve visibility while higher-quality materials and more leg room bump up comfort.

The HR-V launched alongside a new multi-cultural marketing campaign, targeting what the company cringingly calls “GenZennial” customers. Despite the out-of-touch buzzword, the campaign is smartly leveraging social media, curated content sponsorships, and clever TV placement to reach and connect with oft-ignored audiences.

Defender Grows Its Army

The Land Rover Defender lineup presses a new model into service for 2023. Dubbed the “130,” this three-row, eight-seater beast is 13.38 inches longer than the full-size Defender 110, delivering 211 inches of nose-to-tail premium explorer digs.

Designed for “all-terrain family expeditions,” according to the automaker, the Defender 130 implies a different sort of road trip. Premium materials drip from every surface – a sliding panoramic roof gently bathing all that perforated Windsor leather in soft, natural sunlight. Thoughtful seating construction and placement ensures passengers are comfortable and connected regardless where they sit and how much kit they drag along. Maximum storage capacity is 89.9 cubic feet, and a roof rack is standard.

The new Defender deftly serves up luxury without compromising capability. Customers can choose between two 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbo engines – the standard P300 delivering 296hp / 347 lb-ft of torque or optional P400 rated at 395 hp / 406 lb-ft of torque. Both feature a standard mild-hybrid system and ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is also standard.

Every Defender 130 is also fitted with Electronic Air Suspension with Adaptive Dynamics and Land Rover’s advanced Terrain Response system for unrivalled all-terrain capability and driver confidence in various environments.

Did you know?

Ford plans to recall nearly 50,000 Mustang Mach-Es. A safety defect in the EV’s high-voltage battery main contactors can overheat, leading to potential power loss while driving or starting the vehicle. The automaker also issued two additional recalls this past week. The first regards four-door 2021-22 Broncos whose rear passenger door can open from the inside while driving – even with the child safety lock engaged. The other includes nearly 3 million Ford vehicles across North America, including C-Max, Escape, Edge, Fusion, and Transit Connect models going back as far as 2013. That recall involves a faulty shift cable part.

New Record Highs

In what’s beginning to feel like déjà vu, media outlets reported more alarming price hikes this past week:

• According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of gas hit a new all-time high last week when it crested $5.00. In addition to being the highest average ever recorded by AAA since it began collecting pricing data in 2000, the number represented a 15¢ surge from the previous week, a 58¢ increase from last month, and a $1.94 increase from last year.
• According to KBB, the average new car sold for $47,148 last month. While that number is still shy of last December’s record high, it’s a close second. What’s more, shoppers are paying more than $1,000 over sticker price on both luxury and non-luxury models.
• According to Edmunds, the average monthly payment for a new car just hit a new record of $656 (financed at 5.1% over 70.5 months). CNBC reports the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate hike of 0.75 percentage points, designed to stem inflation, will push up consumer loan costs even more.
• GMC announced a $6,650 price hike for its Hummer EV, citing rising costs for commodity parts, technology and logistics. The adjustment applies to all orders placed after June 18. The automaker joins Tesla and KIA, who also both announced price increases. While KIA went with a flat $5k bump for each trim level, Tesla’s varies across the lineup and ranges from $2,500 to $6,000.
• S&P Global Market Intelligence reports that national car insurance rates will increase by an average of 4.9% in 2022. However, depending on what state you live in and who you purchase insurance from, you could experience as much as a 36% increase.

Some Good News!

The overall industry is certainly holding on for dear life during this rip tide of inflation, but the aftermarket is proving it has a sure grip on its boogieboard. According to the most recent SEMA numbers, the specialty-equipment industry enjoyed another record-breaking year in 2021 with sales climbing 6% to reach US$50.9 billion.

And despite ongoing challenges and economic uncertainty, the aftermarket remains optimistic for the future. As new vehicle sales remain high, more drivers will choose to hold onto their current rides which will ensure maintenance and restyling revenue for your favorite automotive shops.

The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Check back Wednesday for a list of the best off-road trails in the Pacific Northwest, and be sure to tune in Friday for a round-up of can’t-miss July automotive events.