Call it a homecoming.
When Toyota introduced Lexus to the U.S. market in 1989, the Georgetown, Ky., plant – its first stand-alone vehicle manufacturing facility in America – was just in its second year of producing the Camry.
Fast forward 26 years and that same plant is celebrating the start of U.S. Lexus production. Today at a ceremony fit for a luxury brand king, the first-ever U.S.-produced ES 350 was unveiled before several thousand proud team members in Georgetown. And, just like a newborn foal at the nearby horse farms in Central Kentucky, the newcomer was brought into the world with plenty of TLC and hope for a bright future.
“This is really a proud moment for us and brings us full circle,” said Wil James, president, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. “To be the first wholly owned plant, building the number one best-selling car in America, the Camry, for 13 years in a row, and then to be selected to build the first Lexus is truly a tribute to our team members.”
For the past two and a half years, the Kentucky plant – Toyota’s largest in North America – has been gearing up to make the ES 350, Lexus’ best-selling sedan in the U.S. In all, $360 million was invested toward a new dedicated assembly line, adding 750 new jobs. Total capacity for the new line will be 50,000 vehicles.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7655351-lexus-kentucky-plant-es-350/
Audi baut die A3 Familie aus. Zum Dreitürer und dem fünftürigen Sportback gesellt sich erstmals eine Limousine. Dieses Auto durften wir uns in New York schon einmal in einem exklusiven Kreis anschauen. Messe-Premiere wird erst auf der
Celebrate My Drive, powered by State Farm,® is proud to announce winners of the campaign designed to raise awareness and promote teen driver safety. One hundred high schools will share in a total of $3.28 million in grants connected to their participation in the program.
Over 3,200 high schools across North America participated, generating more than 6.1 million online safe driving commitments. Winning high schools generated the most commitments, while amplifying conversations around teen driver safety and addressing the leading cause of death for teens.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7271031-state-farm-celebrate-my-drive-2014/
Nearly five dozen 2019 models meet stricter criteria to qualify for a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ or TOP SAFETY PICK award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 30 first-tier “plus” award winners earn the highest rating for passenger-side protection in a small overlap front crash and have good-rated available headlights, while the 27 winners of the second-tier award qualify with an acceptable or higher rating in the newest IIHS crash test and the nighttime headlight evaluation.
All 57 vehicles in this elite group earn good ratings in the Institute’s five other crashworthiness evaluations and have an available automatic emergency braking system that rates advanced or superior for front crash prevention.
IIHS now requires a good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test to earn a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ versus an acceptable or good rating for the 2018 award. An acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side test is a new criterion to earn a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK.
This marks the sixth time that IIHS has raised the bar to earn the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award since introducing it in the 2013 model year to recognize vehicles that offer a superior level of safety. The TOP SAFETY PICK accolade launched in the 2006 model year to help consumers identify vehicles with the highest ratings. Over the years, IIHS has added to and strengthened criteria for both awards to encourage manufacturers to speed up safety advances.
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced that it will introduce Skype for Business, Microsoft’s leading collaborative productivity app, to its new 90 Series cars. Volvo Cars is the first carmaker to launch such an in-car productivity tool.
“We’ve all been there. Sitting in the car trying to join a conference call. You either fumble with or drop your phone while trying to connect or you forget the long pin code to join. It’s not the best way to start an important call in the car. On top of all that your attention is not where it should be – on the road. With the addition of Skype for Business all that goes away,” said Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz Vice President Consumer Connectivity Services at Volvo Car Group.
Skype for Business is actively used by millions of people at work around the globe. In Volvo’s 90 Series cars people will be able to view their upcoming meetings and participant details, and join meetings with one click via the large centre display.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8010151-volvo-cars-adds-skype-business-90-series/
Highlighting more than $100 million in renovations at its hotels across North America, Super 8®, the world’s largest economy hotel brand and trusted roadside companion, today rolled into the 2018 New York International Auto Show with ROADM8, the first-ever concept car inspired by a hotel brand’s guestroom redesign.
Pulling its style and amenities straight from Super 8’s newly refreshed and elevated rooms—think bedding turned upholstery, a nightstand turned dashboard accent—ROADM8 fully embodies the sleek, new, modern look and feel of Super 8 while bringing the best of the brand to the open road. Outside, the vehicle boasts the red and yellow of the iconic Super 8 sign while inside are innovative amenities like a built-in, on-demand coffee machine, custom center console mini-fridge, touch-screen entertainment, and more.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8289351-super-8-roadm8-new-york-international-auto-show/
The Big Apple today is playing host to the world debut of the all-new 2017 Kia Cadenza at the New York International Auto Show. The stunningly beautiful Cadenza improves upon all the elements that made its predecessor an award-winning success, boasting a precisely crafted cabin, cutting edge technology for connectivity and driver assistance, a stronger body structure, and powertrain enhancements for a more premium experience behind the wheel.
“The new Cadenza adds an extra dose of excitement to the large-car segment with its striking, aggressively handsome looks and premium refinements,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning, Kia Motors America. “Everything you see and touch in the Cadenza’s cabin has been improved, but it’s underneath where the Cadenza truly shines with a stiffer and lighter chassis, eight-speed transmission and vastly improved driving dynamics.”
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.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7731856-2017-kia-cadenza-nyias/
A new crash test program from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety aims to ensure that manufacturers pay attention to the safety of front passengers as well as drivers.
The test was developed after it became clear that some manufacturers were giving short shrift to the right side of the vehicle when it comes to small overlap front crash protection. A good or acceptable passenger-side rating will be required to qualify for the Institute’s 2018 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The first test group in the passenger-side small overlap front test program did better overall than vehicles IIHS previously evaluated for research. Ten out of 13 midsize cars tested earn a good rating, while one is acceptable and two earn a marginal rating.
In contrast with a group of 2014-16 model small SUVs tested for research, none of the 2017-18 midsize cars had a poor or marginal structural rating. Instead, the biggest problem in the new group was inconsistent airbag protection in five cars, which would put passengers’ heads at risk.
At the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show today, Kia Motors America (KMA) introduced a better way to roll with the world debut of the all-new 2020 Soul, a completely new yet familiar version of Kia's beloved and award-winning urban runabout. Taking everything that helped popularize the quirky, unconventionally styled subcompact, Kia Motors poured more of its soul into nearly every inch of the vehicle, resulting in a third-generation that continues to transcend unmatched style, peppy performance, thrilling technology, and urban practicality.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/82460510-2020-kia-soul-los-angeles-auto-show/
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker best known for its leadership in safety, has teamed up with three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and artist Barbara Davidson for a world-first - using the on-board safety cameras of the new Volvo XC60 to create a special collection of photographs.
This is the first time ever that a car is used as a camera by a photographer. Davidson’s collection of around 30 photographs, taken through the lenses of the XC60’s on-board safety cameras, captures life on the streets of the Danish capital Copenhagen from a completely fresh perspective.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8129151-volvo-cars-exhibition-life-city-xc60/
New subcompact SUVs Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3 top the list of vehicles debuting this week at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, says Edmunds.com, the premier destination for car shopping. The unveilings underscore the surge of interest that car shoppers have shown in compact and subcompact SUVs. Edmunds.com sales data shows that the segment has doubled in market share over the last decade.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7382851-edmunds-com-los-angeles-auto-show-small-suv-s/
GENESIS has unveiled its striking ‘New York Concept’ luxury sports sedan at the New York International Auto Show. The New York Concept hints at future GENESIS design direction with its expressive and refined ‘Athletic Elegance,’ first seen in the Vision G concept and in production form with the GENESIS G90 premium luxury sedan.
Acknowledging the GENESIS brand’s sporty and agile nature, the hybrid concept generates 245ps and 36.0 kgf.m of torque from its 2.0 GDi powertrain coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The advanced technological features and precise design language of the concept emphasize key aspects of Korean culture, while elevating the value and perception of the GENESIS brand.
The exterior of the New York Concept presents an elegant interpretation of a luxurious performance vehicle, defined by well-balanced proportions and refined surface treatments. Inside, the concept car combines advanced technology with absolute luxury, contrasting innovative electronics against finely-crafted materials.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7506054-hyundai-genesis-hybrid-sports-sedan-nyias/
