The Auto World

Ford’s new Bronco Basecamp starts at just over $32,000 in China. The electric model delivers 445 hp and up to 404 miles of range. A range-extended version offers 758 miles of total driving range. Shortly after introducing range-extended and fully electric versions of the Bronco Basecamp in China , Ford opened the order books for its newest off-road offering. While most eyes may still be on the familiar Bronco lineup in the West, this China-market version makes a strong case of its own. Read: Ford’s Electrified Bronco Arrives In China With A Pop Up Roof Surprise As we’ve come to expect from pretty much all new cars sold in China, the electrified Bronco is affordable by Western standards and is bound to make some US buyers feel stewing. Although it bears more than a passing resemblance to a scaled-up and refreshed Bronco Sport , the Basecamp wasn’t drawn from the same blueprint. Instead, it was developed through Ford’s joint venture with Jiangling Motors Corporation (J...

Subprime borrowers behind on car payments hit the highest level on record. Fitch data shows 6.65 percent of subprime loans are over 60 days overdue. Prime borrowers remain stable, highlighting the ongoing cost-of-living strain. Buying a new car can be exciting, but figuring out how to pay for it? Less so. And for a growing number of Americans, it’s becoming a serious problem. Recent figures show that the percentage of subprime borrowers who are at least 60 days behind on their car payments hit a new record in October. A Negative Record Since The Early 1990s Not just a post-pandemic peak, or even a post-2008 high, but the worst since Fitch Ratings began tracking this data in the early 1990s. The share of 60-day defaults reached 6.65 percent in October, rising from 6.50 percent the previous month and 6.23 percent in October 2024. Related: Americans Trading In Cars Owe More Than Ever And It’s Only Getting Worse We’re only talking about subprime borrowers here, driver...

Thieves use antennas to capture hidden key signals and unlock cars fast. Others quietly reprogram ignitions after breaking in with locksmith gear. Police urge simple fixes that could stop thieves before they even try. Once upon a time, stealing a car meant knowing your way around a lockpick and some wires. It took effort, noise, and a fair bit of nerve. These days, thieves are up against more advanced anti-theft systems, so they’ve swapped out screwdrivers for digital tools. In many cases, they don’t even need to touch the car to get in. After two high-tech thefts in California, police are urging residents to keep a closer eye on their keys, even when those fobs never leave the house. More: Stolen Car Jumps Partially Open Seattle Bridge in Wild Police Chase Authorities say that a recent wave of thefts in the state shows criminals using wireless relay devices and locksmith-style tablets to bypass modern anti-theft systems, often targeting luxury vehicles. One Anaheim H...

Toyota Hilux lineup may soon expand with a new wide-track variant. News was all but confirmed by Toyota Australia’s design chief. Hilux GR Sport renderings preview a potential future flagship trim. Toyota’s next-generation Hilux has landed , but curiously, one thing’s missing from the lineup: a wide-track variant. That absence hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially among those who expected the rugged, sure-footed setup typically reserved for flagship trims. Toyota, however, hasn’t ruled it out. Officials have strongly hinted that the wide-track format is on the way, while a return of the GR Sport version remains on the table, though likely further down the road. More: New Nissan Navara Bets On Mitsubishi To Fight The Hilux And Ranger To offer a glimpse of what could be coming and help fill the visual gap, digital artist Theophilus Chin put together a set of fresh GR Sport renderings . It’s worth pointing out that the latest Hilux generation is more of a thorough rework than...

GM’s China studio created a sporty EV concept for local market appeal. Sketches show a grille-less SUV with arrow cues and wraparound glass. The design may inspire future Chevrolet models for Chinese customers. The world’s largest automotive market has become a linchpin for General Motors , a place where nearly all its brands are striving to secure a stronger presence. To that end, GM’s China Advanced Design studio has unveiled another fresh concept study, a “sporty EV” created specifically with Chinese buyers in mind. The exploration sketches and renderings were made by GM designer Charles Huang at the company’s Shanghai facilities. They show what looks like a small crossover – some might even see shades of a future Bolt – with oversized wheels and a contrasting bi-tone paint scheme. More: Buick’s New Concepts Look Suspiciously Ready For Production At the front, the concept trades a traditional grille for a clean, enclosed surface with split LED headlights and a Chev...

Passenger of a 1998 Chevy challenged its two-point seat belt design. GM said the truck met or exceeded all safety standards at the time. The plaintiff suffered spinal and abdominal injuries in the 2018 crash. General Motors has sidestepped a $73 million payout after a US jury ruled that the two-point lap belt used in a 1998 Chevrolet truck was not defective, despite a passenger suffering severe injuries in a 2018 crash. The verdict spared the automaker from a potentially costly settlement and reignited debate over safety standards for older vehicles. The case had been in the court system for more than five years before it recently went to trial in Las Vegas. Allie Mead was riding on the back seat of a 1998 Chevrolet C/K 1500 when the truck crashed into a tree and a boulder in August 2018 at roughly 1:50 a.m. While she survived, she suffered several injuries, including a spinal fracture, a ruptured colon, and abdominal trauma, and claimed they were caused by the “n...