On July 26, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a filing that it has opened a probe into 2021 Ford Bronco SUVs that lose power due to a faulty engine valve.
The investigation for catastrophic engine failure, which NHTSA says can cause the vehicle to lose power at highway speeds, involves 25,538 vehicles with 2.7-liter V6 Ecoboost engines.
NHTSA said it had received 26 complaints from owners of the newly-launched vehicles, but did not report any accidents, injuries or deaths.
In a meeting with NHTSA in June, Ford told investigators an “engine lockup” occurs when a valve spring becomes detached, causing interference between the valve and the piston.
“We are aware of a select number of engines early in the launch that exhibited this concern and we are investigating,” Ford said in an emailed statement.
No recall has yet been ordered.
Ford sold 54,842 Broncos in the U.S. in the first half of 2022, its first full year on the market.

(Detroit News article on July 26, 2022)

Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd. (Akebono Brake) announced that its front 6-pot disc brake caliper has been adopted for the SEAT brand’s CUPRA Formentor VZ5 compact SUV. The disc brake calipers adopted this time are of the opposed-piston type, which achieves high heat dissipation as well as uniform friction material wear and heat transfer through the optimum combination of piston diameters. The caliper size has also been optimized to enhance stability during braking. (From a press release dated July 25, 2022)

On July 18, Volkswagen announced that it has enhanced its bestselling 1.5 TSI gasoline engine and is now introducing the latest generation, the TSI evo2. The compact, ultra-modern four-cylinder engine will initially be available with an output of 110 kW (150 PS). The T-Roc and T-Roc Cabriolet will be the first models to be delivered with the new engine. The TSI evo2 will also be introduced successively in other models by the end of the year.
The TSI-evo combustion process already familiar from the 1.5 l TSI evo1 is also used in the TSI evo2 generation. Alongside optimization of combustion chamber cooling, the decisive factor is once more the symbiosis of the Miller cycle and VTG turbocharging technology. The development engineers have moved the three-way catalytic converter and petrol particulate filter close to the engine in a single emission control module. This permits reduced use of precious metals in production and at the same time creates the basis for compliance with future emission standards.
A key technological feature for reducing fuel consumption in the 1.5 l evo2 is the enhanced Active Cylinder Management system, ACTplus –  joint development of the Wolfsburg and Salzgitter sites. Alongside the variable-geometry turbocharger, the 1.5 TSI also features other high-tech components: the high-pressure injection system generates a pressure of up to 350 bar, plasma-coated cylinder walls, and pistons with cast-in cooling ducts.
The new engine is also designed for fuels with renewable content. In addition, they are suitable for various hybridization levels; a system power of up to 200 kW (272 PS) is possible with a plug-in concept, for example.  Strict lightweight construction reduced their weight by up to 21 kilograms compared with their predecessors.

Based on Volkswagen press release