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2025 Toyota Grand Highlander: New Base LE Trim Makes Three-Row SUV More Accessible

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Toyota has just announced a new, more affordable trim for the 2025 Grand Highlander, making this spacious three-row SUV accessible to a wider range of buyers. With the introduction of the LE trim, the Grand Highlander now starts at an MSRP of $42,310 (including a $1,335 delivery, processing, and handling fee). This comes as welcome news for families who need the extra space and capability of a larger SUV but may have been priced out of the previously higher starting price point.

This move by Toyota aims to capture a larger share of the competitive mid-size SUV market. The Grand Highlander, launched earlier this year, slots above the standard Highlander in Toyota’s lineup, offering more passenger and cargo space, along with increased towing capacity. Now, with the addition of the LE trim, it competes more directly with rivals like the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, and Honda Pilot, all of which offer more budget-friendly entry points.

What Does the LE Trim Offer?

While the LE is the base model, it still comes well-equipped with a host of standard features. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect:

  • Powertrain: Powered by a 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available as an option.   
  • Interior: Fabric-trimmed seats, a second-row bench seat (providing seating for eight), and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
  • Safety: Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driver-assistance technologies, including automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, and more.

How Does it Compare to Other Trims?

Stepping up from the LE, buyers can choose from the XLE, Limited, and Platinum trims. These higher trims offer additional features such as:

  • More Powerful Engine Options: A hybrid powertrain and a more powerful Hybrid MAX powertrain are available on higher trims.
  • Enhanced Comfort and Convenience: Features like heated and ventilated seats, a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, and a premium JBL sound system are available on upper trims.
  • Luxury Appointments: The Platinum trim boasts quilted leather seats, ambient lighting, and other premium touches.

Is the Grand Highlander LE Right for You?

The new LE trim makes the Grand Highlander a compelling option for budget-conscious buyers who prioritize space and practicality. However, if you’re looking for more power, advanced technology features, or luxurious amenities, you might want to consider one of the higher trim levels.

Ferrari Roars Ahead: Core Profits Surge 7% on Personalized Luxury

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Ferrari, the iconic Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, announced a 7% rise in core earnings for the third quarter of 2023, defying a slight dip in car shipments. This impressive performance is attributed to a strategic shift in product offerings and a growing demand for personalized touches, showcasing the brand’s ability to cater to its exclusive clientele’s desires.

Ferrari’s success story in Q3 2023 highlights the power of exclusivity and bespoke luxury in the automotive world. By focusing on high-end models and offering customers a wide array of personalization options, Ferrari has managed to navigate a challenging market and emerge even stronger. This strategy not only boosts profitability but also reinforces the brand’s image as a purveyor of unique, handcrafted automotive masterpieces.

Shifting Gears: Embracing Change for Enhanced Efficiency

The company’s recent transition to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system has played a crucial role in streamlining its operations. This single, integrated system replaces two previous systems, one for sales and another for production, leading to improved efficiency and automation across the company.

As someone who closely follows the automotive industry, I’ve observed that ERP implementations can be complex and often disrupt operations. However, Ferrari seems to have managed this transition effectively, demonstrating their commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

The Personal Touch: Crafting Bespoke Automotive Masterpieces

Ferrari’s focus on personalization has been a significant driver of its profitability. Customers are increasingly seeking unique touches to make their vehicles truly their own, and Ferrari has responded by offering an extensive range of customization options, both for the car’s interior and exterior.

This resonates with my own experiences as a car enthusiast. The ability to personalize a vehicle, to select those specific details that reflect your individual taste, elevates the ownership experience from simply owning a car to possessing something truly unique. Ferrari understands this desire and has masterfully integrated it into their business model.

Looking Ahead: Maintaining Momentum in a Dynamic Market

Despite the positive Q3 results, Ferrari maintained its full-year earnings forecast, acknowledging the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the luxury car market. Factors such as global economic conditions, supply chain disruptions, and shifting consumer preferences could all influence the company’s performance in the coming months.

However, Ferrari’s strategic focus on exclusive product offerings and personalized experiences positions it well for continued success. By staying attuned to its customers’ desires and maintaining its commitment to innovation and craftsmanship, Ferrari is likely to remain a leader in the luxury sports car arena.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ferrari’s Q3 2023 core earnings rose 7% despite a slight dip in car shipments.
  • The growth is attributed to a richer product mix and increased demand for personalization.
  • A new ERP system has streamlined operations and improved efficiency.
  • The company maintained its full-year earnings forecast, acknowledging market uncertainties.
  • Ferrari’s focus on exclusivity and personalization positions it well for continued success.

Schneider Electric CEO Ousted After Only 18 Months, Olivier Blum Takes the Helm

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In a sudden and unexpected move, Schneider Electric, the French multinational specializing in energy management and automation, announced the immediate removal of CEO Peter Herweck. His replacement? Longtime company veteran and Executive Committee member, Olivier Blum. This abrupt change in leadership comes as a surprise to many, given Herweck’s relatively short tenure of just 18 months at the helm.   

The official statement from Schneider Electric cited “divergences in the execution of the company roadmap at a time of significant opportunities” as the reason for Herweck’s ousting. However, the company declined to elaborate further on the specifics of these divergences, leaving many to speculate about the true reasons behind this dramatic decision.  

This leadership shake-up occurred on November 4, 2024, and was announced by Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Tricoire expressed his gratitude to Herweck for his contributions and welcomed Blum to the CEO role, highlighting his deep understanding of the company’s operations, culture, and strategic direction.   

Blum’s Rise Through the Ranks

Olivier Blum is no stranger to Schneider Electric. He’s been with the company for over 30 years, holding various leadership positions across different divisions. His most recent role was leading the Energy Management division, where he oversaw significant growth and success. Blum’s extensive experience and proven track record within the company make him a seemingly safe and logical choice for the board.   

Questions and Speculations

This sudden change in leadership raises several questions:

  • What were the specific “divergences” that led to Herweck’s removal? Was it a difference in strategic vision, disagreements over operational execution, or perhaps personality clashes within the leadership team?
  • What impact will this have on Schneider Electric’s overall strategy and direction? Will Blum maintain the current course, or will he introduce new initiatives and priorities?
  • How will this affect employee morale and investor confidence? Sudden CEO changes can often create uncertainty and anxiety within an organization.   

While answers to these questions remain elusive for now, one thing is certain: Schneider Electric is entering a new chapter with Olivier Blum at the helm. His leadership will undoubtedly shape the company’s future as it navigates the evolving landscape of energy management and automation in a world increasingly focused on sustainability and digital transformation.

Looking Ahead

It will be crucial for Schneider Electric to ensure a smooth transition and maintain its focus on its core business objectives. The company operates in a dynamic and competitive industry, and any internal disruptions could potentially impact its performance and market position.

Only time will tell what Blum’s long-term vision for Schneider Electric entails and how his leadership will impact the company’s future. However, his extensive experience and proven track record suggest that he is well-equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

All-Electric Truck: Green Power Takes to the Off-Road

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Bollinger Motors, a US-based company headquartered in New York State has unveiled its new prototype all-electric sport utility truck during a media event at the Classic Car Club of Manhattan, and you may be surprised at its features.

Using lightweight aluminum architecture, the Bollinger B1 is the world’s very first fully functional prototype of an all-electric sport utility vehicle, and sports a dual-motor powertrain that provides full-time all-wheel drive.

According to a press release, the B1 employs an advanced chassis structure, constructed with high-strength aluminum and weighing in at a mere 295 pounds, to house its battery system, while not sacrificing structural or torsional rigidity.

“We are so thrilled to be able to finally take the wraps off of our Bollinger B1 SUT,” offered the company’s founder and CEO, Robert Bollinger.  “This is the culmination of what has been a 40-year-long boyhood dream of mine and I couldn’t be more pleased with the vehicle and the incredible team who worked so hard to create it.”

As a result of instantaneous torque provided by the electric drivetrain, the B1 boasts a 0-60 acceleration time of just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 127 miles per hour.  The prototype vehicle weighs in at 3,900 pounds, with a payload capacity of 6,100 pounds and a gross vehicle weight of just over 10,000 lbs.

The B1 will offer an option of two lithium battery packs when entered into production, rated at 60kWh or 100 kWh.  This will allow for travel of up to 120 miles with the smaller or up to 200 miles with the larger pack.

The B1 features a minimalist interior, but is not lacking in comfort, with heating and air conditioning, prominent gauges and warning signals, and a battery level indicator, all with black backgrounds with white lettering, and chrome bezels, making for a clean and classic look.  The production model will sport a Bluetooth-enabled waterproof AM/FM receiver, with inputs for iPod/MP3 players and SD/USB readers.

Saying the firm plans to announce pricing details later this year, they expect to target delivery of the vehicles within 19 months.  Bollinger added, “When you factor in this vehicle’s superiority over the other choices on today’s market, we think we have a winning combination.”

Tesla to unveil new affordable electric car, but will it sell?

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On Thursday night, Elon Musk will unveil Tesla’s newest attempt at providing pollution-free transportation, previewing its Model 3, at the SpaceX campus in Hawthorne, California, according to latimes.com.

Not much in known about the new model, but insiders say the it’s a scaled-down version of the Model S, which is priced at about $70,000, and the Model 3 is expected to start at around $35,000, hopefully making it more affordable to the general public.

Even thought the car is not yet in production, and won’t be available for delivery until December 2017, customers have already said they intend to form lines outside the company’s showrooms hours before orders are to be taken for the new vehicle.  But, analysts are saying they expect the same delays that plagued Tesla’s Model X to impact the production of the new model as well.

Some are predicting the company will receive up to 100,000 orders within the first 24 hours of availability for their new electric car, which the company has said will be able to travel for up to 200 miles on a single charge.  Despite that prediction, some analysts say the car will face serious competition against other long-range electric automobiles from other major manufacturers, that may be already available by the time the first Model 3 ships.

Established auto makers Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Volvo have said they also have plans for long-range electric cars in the works.  The market share for plug-in electric vehicles is small at this point, and the field could get crowded rather quickly.  Electric vehicles make up less than three percent of new car sales in most markets.

Even General Motors has announced the Chevy Bolt, a plug-in electric that is predicted to range 200 miles on a charge, and is planned to the market at the end of 2016 with a $37,500 starting price tag.

The article quotes the industry publication Green Car Reports as saying the success or failure of Tesla’s Model 3 “will almost certainly make or break Tesla as a car company.”

But Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Rebecca Lindland said if the company can manufacture the Model 3 at that price point and with the predicted range, it would have the potential to pull in a lot of buyers.

Powerful, agile, and radical: Superlatives describing BMW’s new M4 GTS

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Everyone knows about BMW’s expertise in building state of the art automobiles, but the new M4 GTS being previewed at Amelia Island Concours d’Elagance this weekend has auto enthusiasts oohing an ah-hing over the latest edition of the carmaker’s line, according to SlashGear.

The company is billing the new model as “the most agile, radical and powerful M4 ever,” and the car seems to be living up to the hype surrounding it.  It’s not just the regular M4 with a new power plant, but the model has been completely reworked, with an emphasis on reducing weight, boosting power and improving efficiency.  BMW says the new model is about 200 pounds lighter than the regular M4, making use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, and aluminum in the new design

Quite possibly the most striking feature of the new M4 is the forged aluminum Acid Orange wheels with contrast polishing, equipped with 19-inch Sport Cup tires on the front and 20-inch tires on the back.

The 3.0 liter M TwinPower inline 6-cylinder engine is rated at 493 horsepower, with 443 ft.-lbs. of torque, with a quoted top speed of 189.5 mph, and 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.  The engine also features a water injection system, hidden in the trunk, that injects a fine mist of water into the intake manifold, reducing the final compression temperature.  That, allowing the engine to run a higher boost pressure and earlier spark timing, gives a nudge to both power and torque, and engine efficiency.

BMW reports the water in the tank would need to be topped after every five gas tanks of use, but if you fail to do so, the engine will automatically revert to normal operation, albeit with a little less power.

The company is offering the new model in four colors, Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Mineral Grey and Frozen Grey, but don’t get your hopes up for making a purchase on one of the new models.  BMW only plans to make 700 of these autos, and at a price tag that starts at $134,200 in the United States, every one of the 700 has already been sold.

What car gets the most tickets? What car gets the least? This new list has all the answers

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A new survey from Insurance.com has ranked the cars that rack up the most tickets, as well as those that end up getting the list. The site conducts the survey every year, with last year’s winner being the Subaru WRX, described by the site as “the favorite of lead-footed, 20-something male drivers everywhere.”

According to CBS News, it’s important to note that when it comes to getting the ticket, it is, of course, more contingent on the driver than the car.

“But it is interesting to see what vehicle makes and models attract drivers who are prone to traffic violations,” said Penny Gusner, a consumer analyst for Insurance.com, in a statement.

Cars with the lowest percentage of tickets tended to be luxury vehicles, while the past two years have found that drivers of the Lexus ES 300, Nissan 350Z and Dodge Charge SE/SXT were ticketed most often.

The survey was based on insurance claim and traffic violation data from 331 car models and more than 323,000 customers. The percentages in the list represent the number of drivers of that model of car who received a ticket during the past year.

Cars with the most tickets:

1. Lexus ES 300 – 33 percent

2. Nissan 350Z – 33 percent

3. Dodge Charge SE/SXT – 32 percent

4. Volkswagen Jetta GL – 31 percent

5. Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS/LT – 31 percent

6. Mazda 3S – 30 percent

7. Volkswagen GTA – 30 percent

8. Dodge Stratus SXT – 30 percent

9. Acura 3.0s – 30 percent

10. Toyota Tacoma – 30 percent

Cars with the least tickets:

1. Buick Encore – 3 percent

2. Lexus IS350 – 3 percent

3. Acura ILX – 6 percent

4. Cadillac ATS – 6 percent

5. Chevrolet Express – 8 percent

6. Cadillac Escalade – 8 percent

7. GMC Savana – 9 percent

8. Audi A3 2-Series – 9 percent

9. BMW 320I – 10 percent

10. Land Rover Range Rover – 11 percent

Cadillac CT6 makes huge debut at Oscars

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Next month’s Academy Awards show will be graced by an unlikely star: the new ad for the Cadillac CT6 will be unveiled during the Hollywood award show.

According to the Detroit News, the ad was considered for the Super Bowl but ultimately ended up being slated for the Oscars. The reason? Cadillac’s new business strategy involves confronting European car manufacturers where their sales are the highest — specifically, on the East and West coast, where 40 percent of all luxury sales are made.

The Oscars ad is just one of many efforts being made by Cadillac and General Motors in order to strengthen their position in the market relative to European companies. This strategy has also involved moving headquarters from Detroit to New York.

“If you are a resurgent luxury brand, then the premium luxury sedan market is where you make your bold statement,” said Cadillac President Johann de Nysschen at the Los Angeles media test debut of the CT6 last week. “It’s where our reputation was built. Cadillac is at the forefront of innovation again.”

The CT6 and its media campaign represent one aspect of the company’s ambitious, $12 billion product blitz that hopes to bring eight new models to showrooms by 2020.

The car itself will roll out starting at $54,495. The CT6 will come packing smaller, more efficient engines in comparison to those found in German cars, though the company promises a similar power-to-weight ratio. In addition to this particular model of CT6, which Cadillac plans on releasing in March, a plug-in hybrid version of the car will be premiered later this year.

Volkswagen works to shift attention from scandal to new technology, including driverless cars

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As Volkswagen’s emissions scandal investigation proceeds, the company is rolling out new technology for its future passenger cars, including driverless cars and automatic parking. They have released a prototype of an electronic van called BUDD-e, which claims a range of 280 miles on a single charge, and charges up to 80 percent in 30 minutes.

They also demonstrated the new e-Golf Touch, with an “infotainment system” that responds to hand gestures and voice commands, a feature company executives say will be available on some of their cars within 12 months.

The showstopper, however, was the BUDD-e. The first notable difference from traditional cars would likely be the lack of door handles. A wave of the hand or a voice command opens the door. There are also connections between the car and various devices.

Herbert Diess, chairman of Volkswagen’s board of management, demonstrated how drivers of the not-so-distant future will interact with their passenger vehicle. He asked the car to tell him if he had enough beer in his refrigerator for a party, and a video image appeared showing an empty fridge. He next responded to two men ringing his doorbell by opening the front door. The van can also be programmed to accept packages, which a delivery person could place in a space that appears when the rear bumper slides open.

Diess says BUDD-e “could be a reality by the end of a decade.”

On Wednesday, Volkswagen announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with Mobileye, a company that creates real-time image-processing cameras, with the goal of installing them on future VW cars so that they can gather data on roads. The data will be used to create maps that will form the basis for driverless cars.

At the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas Diess stated that the new world will be defined by automated driving, which will become an “everyday feature of our life” that will “completely change mobility.”

In August Volkswagen purchased Nokia’s HERE mapping business. The move is an example of growing trends of partnerships between automakers and technology firms.

The company is still working to shift attention from scandal to technology, but the emissions issue is still under scrutiny from U.S. attorneys general. Diess said that Volkswagen is working on a “comprehensive plan” to bring 500,000 vehicles into compliance with U.S. emissions standards.

Stephen Colbert wants you to know he has a great car

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On the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert was known for his “product placement” appeals for Doritos and other products. Now on his new CBS show “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” the late night host is making a pitch for one product he really loves.

Colbert drives a Tesla Model S, and according to Bloomberg, he spent several minutes on a recent show talking up the car’s latest features. With the most recent of Tesla’s wireless upgrades, Colbert noted that his car could now drive on its own.

A thirty-second ad on Colbert’s CBS show costs companies nearly $40,000. But Tesla does not buy television or radio ads, or do nay traditional media marketing, so celebrity endorsements are among the company’s most valuable marketing tools. The savings from avoiding paid media also frees funds for Tesla to devote to engineering and product development.

Colbert is just the latest celebrity to ring the praises of their Teslas. Others include actress Alyssa Milano, director Jon Favreau and Teller (of Penn and Teller fame). Oprah has also shared pictures of her Tesla with her millions of social media followers.

Tesla can use the celebrity love these days. The company’s Model S was recently downgraded by Consumer Reports, due to complaints about reliability, and the company’s stock is down for the year.

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