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2018 L.A. Auto Show: 5-plus takeaways on Jeep, Honda, Porsche and more

The 2018 L.A. Auto Show is making a strong case that auto shows aren't dead. Carmakers are ladling out sports cars and SUVs featuring serious style and performance in Los Angeles, and it's a feast for the senses. We're talking the new Porsche 911, the long-awaited Jeep Gladiator and the stylish Mazda3. It's the best car show with the most important reveals since the 2018 Detroit Auto Show kicked off the year. Here are some quick reactions: The 2019 Jeep Gladiator is a rock star When the story went live on Autoblog, our traffic went straight up. I've literally never seen the graph go straight up. So yeah, you guys seem to like it. I do, too. It's everything I want in a vehicle, including enough of a retro feel that it satisfies my cravings for an old Cherokee XJ. It's more capable and likely more expensive than I originally anticipated, but Jeep is going to have to expand its Toledo factory to keep up with demand. Don't be fooled by whatever the politicians say when that happens. It's because people like Jeeps and pickups, and this is the hero sandwich of all of that. I'd likely go with the 3.6-liter and a manual transmission if I were buying a Gladiator, but the diesel is compelling, too. Gladiator is a great name, drenched in history. I like it better than Scrambler, which never felt right to me. Only issue: It's a little over-the-top. Imagine this conversation: "So, ready to go to Panera?" "Sure, let's take the Gladiator." I mean, it's a bit much to refer to your personal vehicle as the Gladiator. Unless Russell Crowe is driving it. Then it's fine. The 2020 Porsche 911 is conservatively brilliant Every time I drive a 718 Cayman, Jaguar F-Type or another 911 challenger, I wonder if the 911 may be over the hill. It's not. And it likely never will be. This latest generation, dubbed 992 in Porsche-speak, stayed the course. The back takes some Mission E stylings that give the 911 a more modern feel. The flat six gets a little more power. The digital-heavy interior looks futuristic and slick. But overall, it's a blocking-and-tackling update that should satisfy the purists and maybe draw in a few new Porsche fans. It's the right time for the 2019 Honda Passport This slots between the Honda CR-V and the Honda Pilot. That's serious segmentation, but it's another crossover, and it's undoubtedly what the people want.

2020 Lincoln MKZ gets price and trim changes, new packages

The Lincoln MKZ doesn't have much longer to live, slated to meet the executioner later this year. The team in charge isn't letting the brand's penultimate sedan die unloved, Ford Authority reporting a raft of cosmetic changes and packages that can set the 2020 model apart from others. The three engines, FWD or AWD, and hybrid option stand pat. There's been the expected trim rationalization, though, and some noteworthy price changes. Last year's nine trim combinations are whittled to five in 2020 — the base hybrid, Reserve I in FWD and AWD, and Hybrid Reserve II are no more. The new base models see an increase in MSRP, but there are big savings on the Reserve models. The remaining trims are listed here with their price differences compared to 2019, after the $995 destination charge: Base FWD for $37,745 (+ $755) Base AWD for $39,745 (+ $755) Reserve II FWD for $44,495 (- $2,445) Hybrid Reserve I FWD for $43,495 (+ $3,505) Reserve II AWD for $45,495 (- $2,445) Outside, four colors in the current palette disappear: Empire Blue Metallic, Magma Red Metallic, Red Carpet Metallic and Silver Radiance Metallic. Four new colors take their places: Blue Diamond Metallic, Crystal Copper Metallic, Ingot Silver Metallic and Ruby Red Metallic. A new, bright aluminum 19-inch wheel with ebony pockets is available on all four trims. There's a lot more happening on the packages page, Lincoln throwing five new bundles at the configurator. Only one can be specced on the base MKZ and the MKZ Hybrid, that being the Convenience Package that gathers features such as a tilt/telescoping steering wheel with memory, power trunk lid with soft close, voice-activated touchscreen navigation, and Lincoln Experiences Phase II, which means dynamic signature lighting and smart power mirrors. That suite tacks $2,000 onto the price.  Three packages can be had only on the MKZ Reserve with either engine option and the MKZ Hybrid Reserve. The Elements package runs $800 for goodies like heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The $3,000 Luxury Package adds full LED headlights, Multi-Contour front seats with Active Motion, and the 20-speaker, 1,200-watt Revel Ultima Audio System. The $1,595 Monochromatic Package can only be ordered in Infinite Black or Platinum White. Both hues get upper grilles and other body trim in the chosen color, as well as 19-inch polished black wheels.

Ford recalls over 953,000 vehicles to replace Takata airbag inflators

DETROIT — Ford is recalling more than 953,000 vehicles worldwide to replace Takata passenger airbag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnel. The move includes over 782,000 vehicles in the U.S. and is part of the largest series of recalls in U.S. history. Included are the 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, the 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger, the 2010 to 2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, the 2010 and 2011 Mercury Milan, and the 2010 to 2014 Ford Mustang. Some of the recalls may be limited to specific geographic areas of the U.S. Takata used the chemical ammonium nitrate to create an explosion to inflate airbags. But it can deteriorate over time due to heat and humidity and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion. At least 23 people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured by the inflators. Ford says it doesn't know of any injuries in vehicles included in this recall. Dealers will replace the inflators. Ford will notify owners about the recall starting on Feb. 18, and the company has replacement parts available for dealers to order, said spokeswoman Monique Brentley. In previous Takata recalls, parts availability had been an issue. Owners can go to this Ford website and key in their vehicle identification number to see if their cars and SUVs are being recalled. The same information will be available soon at the NHTSA recall website. More than three years after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took over management of recalls involving Takata inflators, one third of the recalled inflators still have not been replaced, according to an annual report from the government and a court-appointed monitor. The report says 16.7 million faulty inflators out of 50 million under recall have yet to be replaced. And 10 million more inflators are scheduled to be recalled this month, including the Ford vehicles. Safety advocates said the completion rate should be far higher given the danger associated with the inflators. The recalls forced Takata of Japan to seek bankruptcy protection and sell most of its assets to pay for the fixes. The inflators grow more dangerous as they get older because ammonium nitrate deteriorates due to high humidity and cycles from hot temperatures to cold. The most dangerous inflators are in areas of the South along the Gulf of Mexico that have high humidity. Related Video: