ARaymond, a global leader in fastening and assembly systems for more than a century, announced that it is expanding into the field of pneumatic systems for commercial vehicles — offering a full line of connectors, fasteners and tubes to be used as part of key vehicle systems such as braking and suspensions.

The new ARaymond pneumatics line, called AIRYOSA, will be showcased for the first time at the IAA Transportation 2024 gathering starting Sept. 17 and running through Sept. 22 in Hannover, Germany.

ARaymond’s leadership team said the AIRYOSA products expand on the company’s past knowledge and experience and brings it to a new sector.

“The cutting-edge AIRYOSA lineup breaks new ground for ARaymond and we’re excited about the path forward in the pneumatics sector. We are proud to release a new and complete set of products and solutions in the pneumatic market, leveraging our long-standing expertise in fluid handling for commercial vehicles,” said Gerald Vincent, ARaymond Global Commercial Vehicles Market Coordinator. “These products will provide improved safety, ergonomics, and sustainability during the assembly process and the vehicle’s lifetime.”

Among the best trends of recent years has been the return of some automotive categories that had been long neglected.

One such category is smaller trucks, including the unibody design on vehicles like the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is reminiscent of vehicles of the past like the Subaru Baja.

Back for its second year in 2023, the Santa Cruz combines the abilities of SUVs and pickups in a way that few other vehicles can.

It has only one true competitor — the Ford Maverick — and a great opportunity to capture some market share in the truck market due to its sharp looks, strong drive quality and quality tech features.

Read on for a full breakdown of what the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz has to offer.

Fifteen years is an eternity in the automotive industry.

But before the release of the 2022 Toyota Tundra, that’s how long it had been since the brand’s biggest truck had gotten a new look. With as much innovation as its competitors have seen in the years since, this move was long overdue.

Packing some strong tech upgrades, new power plant options including a hybrid offering, and an exciting new look, the 2022 Tundra is sure to bring a spark into Toyota’s efforts to grow in the full-size truck segment as it takes on the Detroit Three’s heavyweight contenders.

I recently spent some time in the redesigned Tundra and I'm back with a full report.

As the Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote many moons ago, the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry. Which is why it’s always good to have a strong backup plan in place. 

In the case of the GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck, a fully refreshed model had been teased for release early in 2022 — featuring exterior and interior styling upgrades, updated infotainment system, among other changes. 

But due to production delays caused by ongoing supply chain issues, the arrival of these new Sierras has been delayed until later in 2022. So Plan B — continuing to offer a GMC Sierra 1500 Limited model carried over from the 2021 version — has become the reality for the short-term.

I recently drove the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited, specifically one equipped with the AT4 off-road package, and I’m back with a full report on what it offers to buyers who aren’t willing to wait for the new version of the Sierra. 

Some vehicles offer updated models every few years, others not so much. You can definitely put the Nissan Frontier in the second category.

Believe it or not, the last major redesign of the Frontier — Nissan’s mid-size pickup truck — came way back in 2005, an eternity in today’s automotive world.

Naturally, recent-year models were lacking compared to newer offerings from the competition, but finally in 2022 Nissan has decided to put that to an end.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier — which I recently was able to test — improves on the design of the vehicle, brings updates under the hood, and boosts the tech and safety offerings.

Read on to learn more about how the brand new Frontier compares to other leading trucks in this segment.

The 2022 Toyota Tundra has been completely revamped. Mike Sweers, the executive chief engineer of trucks for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), takes drivers through the top 10 things they need to know about the automaker’s newest pickup to hit the road.

1. Global F-Platform: The Tundra now shares the same Toyota New Global Architecture platform as the Land Cruiser, Lexus LX and Toyota compact vehicles.
   
   
2. Towing Capability: A premium towing machine is about more than capacity. Drivers behind the wheel of the new Tundra will feel unparalleled confidence in their tow
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3. Extensive Testing: The new Tundra was tested in a variety of extreme conditions: low altitude, high altitude, heavy snow and more.
   
   
4. Incredible Power Train: Toyota went above and beyond to deliver the most power and performance possible —like adding a drivetrain 140% the size of competitors’ trucks.
   
   
5. More Power + More Torque = More MPG: By supercharging the new Tundra with best-ever torque output, Toyota delivers maximum fuel economy along with the muscle drivers crave.
   
   
6. Exterior Styling: Embracing the spirit of previous Tundra models, designers took the bits of Toyota DNA truck owners love and dialed them up to 11.
   
   
7. Luxury Inspired: By benchmarking against premium luxury vehicles, Toyota embodies the same high level of quality in every new Tundra model.
   
   
8. Innovative Aerodynamics: With the truck having an active air dam that tucks in and out as needed, drivers reap the benefits of better aerodynamics when they need them and elevated off-road capability when they don’t.
   
   
9. Military-Grade Protection: With the skid plate made from ballistic nylon, it can’t be ripped off the truck or dented into the oil pan even if Tundra owners wanted to.
   
   
10. Composite Deck: No denting, no rusting and easy to repair when damaged, the new composite deck makes for a smarter choice than the old steel bed.
    
    To see a video on the 2022 Tundra, visit Youtube or watch below.

— Press release courtesy of Toyota

It was an eventful Friday night at Gateway for the start of the Truck Series playoffs, including an extended power outage that caused a long red flag, but in the end Sheldon Creed won yet again at arguably his best track, and advanced in the playoffs.

Also of note, rookie Hailie Deegan, 20, who is not a playoff contender, scored the first Truck Series top-10 of her career.

Deegan became the fourth female competitor in the series to achieve a top-10, but was the first to do it at a non-superspeedway track. Previously, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Angela Ruch and Natalie Decker have achieved this feat in superspeedway competition.

In the automotive world, trucks rule the sales charts, nailing down positions 1-2-3 on the overall list of most-purchased vehicles year after year.

And while Ford continued to hold the overall lead with its F-Series once the final numbers for 2020 were tallied, there was an interesting development in the battle for 2nd place, with the Chevy Silverado passing RAM for 2nd place, with 594,094 Silverados sold vs. 562,676 for RAM. This is quite impressive, as the Silverado made up a significant gap from the previous year, and this battle will no doubt continue to rage into 2021 and beyond.

I recently got behind the wheel of a 2021 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab Custom Trail Boss, and I’m back with a full report on how the Silverado measures up against its competition this year.

When Ryan Blaney makes his debut in the iconic No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion in the 2015 Daytona 500 and the events leading up to the Great American Race, he will be mindful of his rookie status, but will be looking for ways to get to and stay near the front of the pack.

“I’d like to say being a rookie doesn’t change your thought process but it definitely does,” said the 21-year-old Blaney. “You go through it with every new series you go into. You have to give respect to get it. That’s what I’ve always done.

 
Winds of change will be blowing into the Chicago Auto Show. Toyota’s Camry mid-size sedan, the best-selling car in America for the past 13 years, and Corolla compact sedan, the world’s best-selling car of all time, will debut special edition models at next week’s Chicago Auto Show. The debuts will be part of a press conference that will also feature a refreshed Avalon sedan.

Camry Special Edition
When redesigning the Camry for 2015, Toyota went bumper to bumper and floor to roof, changing or re-engineering nearly 2,000 parts. Only the roof remained unchanged, and it capped off the boldest Camry ever. Now, only one year after this major redesign, America’s best-selling car will offer the 2016 Camry Special Edition for owner’s looking for an extra dose of both aggressiveness and technology. Based on the youthful Camry SE, the limited production Camry will add sporty interior and exterior features. In addition to features found on the Camry SE, standard equipment on the Special Edition will include:

· Unique 18-inch alloy wheels with machined face contrasted with gloss black painted accents

· Power tilt/slide moonroof

· Smoked tail lamp treatment

· High contrast blue stitching on the seats, shift boot, and dash

· Exclusive sport appearance seats trimmed with black SofTex® bolsters and blue patterned inserts

· Sport meter cluster with blue details and white background

· Entune Audio Plus

· Available Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite

· Smart Key with Pushbutton Start

· Qi Wireless Charging

· Two exterior colors: Blizzard Pearl and new Blue Streak Metallic

· Floor mats with logo and unique exterior badge

The Camry Special Edition will be powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six speed automatic transmission. Like all Toyota vehicles, the Camry Special Edition will come standard with the Star Safety System. Production of the Camry Special Edition will be limited to approximately 12,000 units and will run from August 2015 to January 2016.

Corolla Special Edition
The iconic Toyota Corolla is the world’s best-selling name plate of all-time with over 40 million sold since 1966. With its all-new 11th generation introduced in 2014, the current Corolla is the roomiest and most fuel-efficient ever. Corolla will add more driving excitement with the launch of the 2016 Corolla Special Edition. Sporty styling features, inside and out, complement a spirited driving experience made possible with steering wheel paddle shifters, rear disc brakes and Sport Driving Mode along with an array of additional standard features. Based on the sporty Corolla S Plus grade, the 2016 Corolla Special Edition will turn heads as it adds:

· Unique 17-inch alloy wheels with gloss black finish

· Black interior with red contrast stitching

· Red accented dash and door trim

· Smart Key System with pushbutton start

· Three colors: exclusive Absolutely Red, Black Sand Pearl and Super White

· Special Edition floor mats with logo and unique exterior badge

Toyota’s Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite and power tilt/slide moonroof will be available as options. The Corolla Special Edition will be produced between August and December 2015 and will be limited to 8,000 units.

In addition to the Camry and Corolla Special Editions, Toyota will unveil the refreshed 2016 Avalon premium mid-size sedan during a press conference in the Toyota display at Chicago’s McCormick Place on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 2:30 p.m. CST

-- Press release courtesy of Toyota