Latino Traffic Report

Latino Traffic Report has learned Ryan Norman and Gabby Chaves prevailed to score their first victory at Road America after leading each of the first three races in the 2020 IMPC championship. They also gave Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) its second consecutive race win since returning to competition earlier this month.

BHA newcomers Chaves and Norman scoring their first victory in the #33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR. It was an all Hyundai podium at Road America with Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman finishing second in as many starts in the #29 Vertical Bridge Veloster N TCR, and Sebring winners Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins coming in third. Hyundai now leads the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) Manufacturers championship by five points over Audi.

“Ryan handed the car off to me with the lead, and my job was to keep it from there,” shared Chaves. “I had to do a little fuel saving, but Ryan helped me out with a gap. It’s a much easier job to be able to manage your tire life and your fuel from the front rather than trying to chase someone down, the final yellow helped.”

Norman took the lead on lap 3, and the duo never looked back. The two-hour race was caution free for the first 116 minutes and the race pace was frantic. Norman, Chaves, and the entire #33 BHA crew executed flawlessly to secure the win. They jumped from seventh to second in the championship standings.

“Gabby was awesome out there,” added Norman. “I said it at Daytona and I’ll say it again, this is the most fun I’ve ever had driving a race car. Congratulations to Gabby, the team and especially to Hyundai.”

The next round of IMPC competition is set for August 22 at Virginia International Raceway.

February may be Black History Month but this Friday, Valentine’s Day, will be Hispanic Heritage Day at the Chicago Auto Show, which has set one day aside since 2007, in partnership with Telemundo, to celebrate Latino culture and community in Chicago. Each year the day features special appearances by local artists. This year will include performances by Ballet Folklorico Xochitl, Mariachi los Viajeros, and Isabella Mota, Sebastian Castellanos, and Alexandra Salgado.

Celebrating its fifth anniversary since launching at the Chicago Auto Show in 2015, Latino Traffic Report (LTR) recently attended the media preview for the show. Here are LTR’s recommended must-sees for Latinos.

Nissan Frontier—Nissan has finally set a date to redesign its mid-size pickup, the Frontier. According to Tiago Castro, director, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Nissan North America, Inc., the all-new version will be a 2021 model. Until it appears, however, the 2020 version, the final model year for the current generation, will include the 2021’s powertrain, a 3.8-liter direct injection V6 engine and all-new nine-speed automatic transmission.

“From its roots tracing back more than 60 years, to the current model, Frontier has had a lasting impact on the compact and mid-size truck segments in North America,” said Castro. “As Nissan transitions to the next chapter, we celebrate both a proud past and a bright future with the heart of the next Frontier.”

The 2020 Frontier will go on sale this spring.

Jeep Mojave and High Altitude—Jeep introduced two new trim levels, the Mojave and High Altitude, the former available on the Gladiator and the latter on both the Gladiator and Wrangler. Bearing the Jeep Desert Rated badge, the 2020 Gladiator Mojave, available later this year, hopes to appeal to off-road enthusiasts who prefer racing in the sand over rock climbing while the High Altitude versions of the Gladiator and Wrangler will appeal to off-roading fans who like to rock climb in the lap of luxury.  Standard creature comforts on the High Altitude will include the Alpine premium audio system, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic high-beam headlamp control, GPS navigation, remote proximity keyless entry, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, and ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines. 

Jaguar F-Type—Jaguar brought its all-new 2021 F-Type, featuring a more muscular exterior and a range of engines including four-, six- and eight-cylinder options with 296 hp, 380 hp and 575 hp respective outputs, matched to an eight-speed Quickshift transmissions with full manual control capability using either the SportShift gear selector or the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The 2021 Jaguar F-TYPE is priced from $61,600 in the U.S., and will be available as a Coupe or Convertible model in four trim levels.

Genesis GV80—Genesis joined the premium SUV movement by introducing its entrant in the segment, the all-new GV80. The first SUV from Genesis, it shares similar design elements with its siblings, namely the oversized crest grille and quad headlamps. Two turbocharged gasoline engines (2.5-liter and 3.5-liter) will be available for the North American market, each paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Models equipped with the optional all-wheel-drive will also have electronically controlled Limited Slip Differential at the rear axle. It should arrive at dealerships later this year.

The nation’s largest auto show, the Chicago Auto Show spans more than one million square feet of contiguous floor space where nearly 1,000 different vehicles are on display, including hundreds of interactive, aftermarket, accessories and auto-related exhibits, competition vehicles, antique and collector cars. Additionally, the show features four indoor test tracks and three outdoor ride-and-drive opportunities.

The Chicago Auto Show will be open through February 17. Go to https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/news/events/ for a schedule of events. 

Latino Traffic Report (LTR) claims an affiliation on two automotive journalist organizations, the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), as a member, and the Hispanic Motor Press Awards (HMPA), as a juror. Both organizations announced 2020 award winners last fall and LTR predicts that some of these models will continue to receive accolades throughout the year.

In October, TAWA held its twenty-sixth annual Truck Rodeo, an event that offers its members the chance to test drive trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUV) on- and off-road for two days, culminating in a vote for the winners in individual categories as well as the overall Truck and SUV of Texas—there was a Crossover Utility Vehicle category in the past but it was dropped this year.

Nineteen categories were represented but not all included competitors, i.e. Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas, plus the overall prizes of Truck and SUV of Texas awards, won by the 2020 Ram 1500 and the all-new 2020 Kia Telluride, respectively. For a list of all the winners go to www.texasautowriters.org. #TXautowriters.

The HMPA, through the Hispanic Motor Press Foundation (HMPF), celebrated its tenth annual awards presentation, announcing the winners at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. These awards are the only ones that recognize automotive value and appeal in the Latino market.

“With Hispanic buyers accounting for 25 percent of the growth in new-vehicle sales, HMPA helps by preselecting choices for the consumer,” states Ricardo Rodriguez-Long, founder and president of the HMPF. The non-profit organization spearheads the awards and helps educate Latinos on cleaner mobility through year-round grassroots efforts and events.

A jury of 27 Latino auto journalists assessed vehicles from twelve categories based on test drives and specific criteria, e.g. fuel economy, in order to come up with the winners. Green car winners included the Nissan Leaf in the Electric Car category and the Ford Escape Hybrid in the Hybrid category. The awards also reflected a winning trend for the Ram 1500 and Kia Telluride, taking top honors in the Pickup Truck and Sports Utility categories, respectively, that will probably continue through the next year—the Ram Heavy Duty and Telluride were recently announced as finalists for the North American Truck and Utility Vehicles of the Year.

For a complete list of winners go to www.hispanicmotorpress.org.