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BMW, Hyundai score big in JD Power's first Tech Experience Index

While automakers are quick to brag about winning a JD Power Initial Quality Study award, the reality, as we've pointed out before, is that these ratings are somewhat misleading, since IQS doesn't necessarily distinguish genuine quality issues. JD Power's new Tech Experience Index aims to solve that problem. The new metric takes the same 90-day approach as IQS but focuses exclusively on technology – collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, entertainment and connectivity, navigation, and smartphone mirroring. It splits the industry up into just seven segments, based loosely on size, which is why the Chevrolet Camaro is in the same division (mid-size) as Kia Sorento and the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is in the same segment as the Hyundai Genesis (mid-size premium). It makes for some screwy bedfellows, to be sure. Still, splitting tech experience away from initial quality should allow customers to make more informed and intelligent decisions when buying new vehicles. In the inaugural study, respondents listed BMW and Hyundai as the big winners, with two segment awards – the 2 Series for small premium and the 4 Series for compact premium, and the Genesis for mid-size premium and Tucson for small segment. The Chevrolet Camaro (midsize), Kia Forte (compact), and Nissan Maxima (large) scored individual wins. Ford also had a surprising hit with the Lincoln MKC, which ranked third in the compact premium segment behind the 4 Series and Lexus IS. This is a coup for the Blue Oval, whose woeful MyFord Touch systems made the brand a victim of the IQS' flaws in the early 2010s. But Ford and other automakers might not want to celebrate just yet. According to JD Power, there's still a lot of room for improvement – navigation systems were the lowest-rated piece of tech in the study. Instead, customers repeatedly saluted collision-avoidance and safety systems, giving the category the best marks of the study and listing blind-spot monitoring and backup cameras as two must-have features – 96 percent of respondents said they wanted those two systems in their next vehicle. But this isn't really a surprise. Implementation of safety systems from brand to brand is similar, and they don't require any input from users, unlike navigation and infotainment systems which are frustratingly deep.

2020 Chevy Trax and Buick Encore spied testing

We just recently saw a little crossover SUV from General Motors being tested, and we weren't positive what brand it belonged to. We narrowed it down to Chevy or GMC, but we're feeling more confident that it's a GMC now, since both the next generation Chevy Trax and Buick Encore subcompact crossover SUVs have been spied testing together. Of the two, the Chevy has the more radically different sheet metal. It ditches the somewhat frumpy, lumpy shape of the current Trax for a body inspired by the bigger Chevy Blazer. The roofline has sharp corners, and the hood is wide and flat. The front fascia, though obscured, shows the most connection to the bigger crossover. It has the same split headlight configuration, and it looks as though the grille takes up a sizable section of the fascia. View 7 Photos The Buick Encore on the other hand looks evolutionary in design. The body still has plenty of curves, and the distinctive, sharply rising window sill are all hallmarks of the current Encore design. The headlights and grille are similar, too, though the grille appears to be slightly updated to fit in with the Enclave and Regal. It's understandable that Buick might want to play it safe with the new Encore, since the model is Buick's best seller, selling about 23,000 units in the last quarter, nearly twice that of the next best performer, the Enclave. Since this is the first time we've seen these little crossovers, we expect it will still be a year or two before we get to see them fully revealed. They will probably continue to use small-displacement turbocharged four-cylinder engines with either front- or all-wheel drive. Related Video:

Chevy donates first 2015 COPO Camaro for wounded vets

Want to get your hands on a new COPO Camaro? Only 69 will be made this year before it's phased out ahead of the next Camaro's arrival. And the very first one will be auctioned off this weekend in Palm Beach. That's where Barrett-Jackson will be selling the hand-built drag-racer with the serial number 2015COPO001. The vehicle is being donated by Chevy, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, a charitable organization that helps disabled athletes, especially veterans of the armed services. Introduced last fall at SEMA, the 2015 COPO Camaro is built specifically for drag racing with a 350-cubic-inch LSX racing engine with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. It's got 555 horsepower, a three-speed automatic transmission (it's a drag machine, not a circuit racer after all), all the requisite safety equipment, special suspension setup, unique livery and a quarter-mile time in the mid-eights. Look for this unique example to cross the auction block at around 5 PM on Friday, April 18, when we hope it will raise a princely sum for a good cause. 2015 COPO Camaro No. 1 Sale to Benefit Disabled Veterans Top bid from Barrett-Jackson goes to Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans DETROIT – Chevrolet is selling the first 2015 COPO Camaro race car to raise money for Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, which helps wounded veterans participate in marathons and share their success within a supportive community including their families. The hand-built car carries serial number 2015COPO001. It will be sold on Saturday, April 18, at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction, with 100 percent of the winning bid going to Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, a non-profit organization that helps disabled athletes, including veterans, gain access to races, equipment, and training dedicated to improve their physical abilities. "This sale gives the highest bidder the opportunity to buy the first of only 69 factory-assembled 2015 COPO Camaro race cars, the final year of the fifth-generation Camaro," said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "Chevrolet is excited to offer this milestone Camaro to help a very worthy organization." Chevrolet introduced 2015 COPO Camaro No. 001 last fall at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and it has been featured in Chevrolet Performance advertising and other marketing initiatives.