Aspen, Colorado — With snow piled three feet on either side of a mountain trail, I punched twin ceiling buttons to activate front/rear differential lockers on my 2025 Ineos Grenadier tester. GRRRRRRRR! With all four wheels churning in unison in low gear, the British beast charged across the white landscape.
Grenadier may have been born to take on the arid grasslands of Africa, but this Brit feels right at home in America.
For generations, we Yanks have fallen in love with English-made Land Rover 4x4s featured in the movie “Born Free,” National Geographic documentaries and African safari trips. The boxy, rugged, lovable Grenadier is a Rover for a new generation of adventure-seekers.
The 2025 Ineos Grenadier is on sale in 50 countries with the United States making up 60% of sales so far.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Grenadier is as familiar as a brawny Jeep Wrangler, as exotic as the BMW drivetrain under its hood, as quirky as a pith-helmeted safari guide. Indeed, it was inspired by Ineos chairman and adventure-seeker Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his safaris with veteran South African guide Charles Van Rensburg. The two friends mourned the passing of the iconic, ladder-framed, solid-axle Land Rover Defender in 2016 (which was finally succeeded by a softer, unibody, independent-suspension SUV in 2020).
The pair brainstormed a Rover replacement that could not only deflect charging elephant tusks on Botswana expeditions (Van Rensburg told me this happens a couple times a year) but also wow U.S. luxury buyers with a hip daily driver. Marshaling the capital resources of petrochemical giant Ineos Group Ltd., billionaire Ratcliffe sought to recreate the Defender to repopulate African safari fleets — and global garages.
The result is Grenadier — a Jeep with an English accent, powered by a German BMW inline-6, and loaded with Ratcliffe’s personality.
Appropriately, this gas-swiggin’, upscale Wrangler has a sibling, the Quartermaster pickup that echoes Jeep’s Gladiator.
The 2025 Ineos Grenadier comes standard with 4WD, all-terrain tires, and off-road toughness.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
I flogged both all over Aspen’s Rocky Mountains and they performed like they had lived there as long as imported European draft horses. Like the World War II-born Jeep and Land Rovers, Grenadier and Quartermaster take their names from English military tradition.
The twins differ only in that the Quartermaster sports a 5.1-foot box out back and reduced rear-seat legroom — in keeping with the cramped back seats of midsize competitors like the GMC Canyon AT4, Chevy Colorado ZR2 and Ford Ranger Raptor.
Step up into Grenadier’s cockpit 10.5 inches off the ground and drop into a WW2 Lancaster aircraft. A waterfall of switches, buttons and dials roll down the console controlling climate, radio, altimeter and more. Altimeter? Yes, the round gauge registered 9,532 feet in the Rockies.
Ratcliffe is also an avid sailor, so naturally the dash is bracketed by red and green hash marks designating, respectively, port and starboard in accordance with maritime colors. Aye aye, Captain.
The 2025 Ineos Grenadier is a two-row SUV with a roomy cabin in front and back. The Quartermaster pickup is much tighter in the backseat.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Overhead are more buttons and switches to manage the aforementioned off-road tools as well as external add-ons like winches and lights. Screens? You get one — atop the dash like a piece of bread that just popped out of a toaster. The Ineos is simple, quirky, mechanical, cool.
I awoke the Lancaster bomber — er, SUV — with an old-fashioned turn-key and thought about running down the airplane checklist with my co-pilot.
Four-wheel drive?
Check.
Altimeter?
Check.
Center differential?
Check.
Twin 12-volt batteries under the rear seat in case one expires in the bush?
Check.
BMW monostable shifter?
Check. What the-?
The idea for the 2025 Ineos Grenadier was birthed in the Grenadier Pub in England by Ineos Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, an avid safari adventurer.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
A small-volume automaker, Ineos shopped for a third-party engine with performance, reliability, brand cache. Cue the 3.0-liter, 281-horsepower, 331-torque, turbocharged inline-6 cylinder ubiquitous in BMWs and paired with that eight-speed automatic monostable shifter. It stands out like a greyhound in a horse barn.
It works. WAAAUHGGHGH! The automatic flicked off buttery shifts up a Rocky Mountain four-lane. More importantly, the monostable quickly engages NEUTRAL so you can engage the big, black transfer-care shifter and shove it into LOW when:
– a blizzard blows in out of nowhere- an off-road trail calls- you need to ford 30 inches of water.
The monostable is accompanied by a rotary BMW-like iDrive dial, which comes in handy when you are heaving over off-road moguls, rendering the touchscreen useless. Bimmer details aide, the Grenadier/Quartermaster exudes testosterone.
The 2025 Ineos Grenadier has a pickup sibling, the Quartermaster. They share everything – except the Quartermaster features a 5.5-foot bed, tailgate and smaller backseat.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The front bumper is made in three pieces so that if — you know, an elephant tusk tears off a corner, then the whole bumper won’t fall off. The steel hood and roof support 350 pounds in case you want to climb up the rear ladder (or pickup bed) and survey the Serengeti while your three Labrador Retrievers nap on the warm hood.
The doors feature MOLLE webbing (as does the cargo bay) so your safari guide can hang baggage off the side. The 17-inch steely wheels (18s optional) are wrapped in 32-inch all-terrain tires so you can survive Colorado creek beds — and Detroit potholes. Then there’s a recessed handle above each of the four doors so you can strap down equipment, Christmas trees, and safari trophy kills to the roof.
More clever features abound like the 30-70 rear cabinet doors, so you can just open one side when you are, say, trailering the Ineo’s 7,716-pound limit. Peek under the Ineos and it wears bright red underwear — the color of its ladder frame.
At 6’7” tall, Grenadier has no more ambition to pull corner g-loads than your kitchen toaster. And its Wrangler-like solid axles mean it has all the on-road driving verve of a tractor. With just 15 mpg fuel economy, the three-ton rhino will need to visit a watering hole every 355 miles.
The 2025 Ineos Grenadier has a ceiling-full of switches to control drive modes and three differential lockers. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
As its dimensions suggest, Grenadier focuses on offering utilitarian — not performance — upgrades.
A smorgasbord of options are available for all three trims — base Station Wagon, Fieldmaster and Trailmaster. Options include twin sunroofs, snorkel, roof racks, hood pads (so your Labs don’t slip) and shovel. Its 115-foot wheelbase is competitive with Jeeps and old Defenders — not only good for breakover angles off-road, but also for urban parking.
Alas, safety goodies like blind-spot assist and adaptive cruise control are unavailable in keeping with its simplicity theme (finding a service station that can fix electronics is a bear in the African jungle) — but will be missed in the urban jungle. The good news is the same big, square windows Grenadier needs for safari visibility also aid urban visibility.
And Sir Jim has equipped the Grenadier with a secondary red TOOT button on the steering wheel so that you can politely warn a bicyclist that you’re coming without leaning into the horn.
How very British. And very welcome to the American safari.
Next week: 2025 Cadillac Optiq
2025 Ineos Grenadier and Quartermaster
Vehicle type: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV and pickup
Price: $76,700, including $1,600 destination fee (Grenadier); $85,500, including $1,600 destination fee (Quartermaster)
Power plant: 3.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-6 cylinder
Power: 281 horsepower, 331 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed manual
Performance (Grenadier): 0-60 mph, 7.3 seconds (Car and Driver); towing; 7,716 pounds;. top speed: 99 mph
Performance (Quartermaster): 0-60 mph, 8.6 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 7,716 pounds; payload, 1,889 pounds; top speed: 99 mph
Weight: 5,901 pounds (Grenadier as tested); 5,900-6,000 pounds (Quartermaster, est.)
San Francisco — The Cadillac Escalade V is the King of Bling. The Lord of Loud. The Knight of Noise. Stomp its massive, 685-horse V-8 — WAUUUUFFRGGH! — and it will alert every patrol car within a 25-mile radius. V for Volume.
The Escalade IQ is its silent partner.
Mat the accelerator and the scenery blurs, your eyeballs flatten . . . and there is no sound. Except for the — PLOP! — of the dude’s jaw on the ground that you left behind at the stoplight. IQ for Incredibly Quiet.
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
A trophy car of the rich and famous, the Escalade has long defined excess and the IQ is a welcome member of the family. It boasts the usual supersized Escalade wardrobe — 55-inch screen, second-seat Executive package, automatic doors and then adds a few more attributes:
9,000 pounds
A mammoth 200 kWh battery that uses half of the world’s lithium
24-inch wheels the size of a NASA satellite dish
Frunk-tastic 12.2 cubic feet of space where the engine used to be
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ brings whisper-quiet, battery-powered performance to the GM luxury brand’s flagship SUV. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
But for all its size, what separates IQ from its hulking sibling is how small it feels. Yes, small. Cruising through crowded San Francisco streets, IQ feels stable. Escalade V puts its V-8 boat anchor up front, while the IQ stores its monster battery below deck. Batteries are the bane of smaller EVs like the porky Cadillac Optiq, which weighs 25% more than a comparable, gas-fired XT4, and you feel its girth on road.
But in a land yacht the size of an Escalade, the IQ’s lower center of gravity is welcome. Docking at a typically tight San Francisco service station off Lombard Street, I used the beast’s rear-wheel-steer to deftly maneuver around the pumps, cars and bollards to find a parking space — next to a compact car. The 360-degree camera helped me position the Caddy perfectly. As I negotiated the space, electronic pulses in the seat (a standard feature on Caddies) provided additional reassurance of my proximity to my wee neighbor — or even when a pedestrian approached at close range.
Take an on-ramp onto a California four-lane with 785 pound-feet of torque and — ZOT! — merge with authority. Then settle into hands-free Super Cruise. IQ OMG.
This nimbleness is complemented by a sportier design than the gas-powered skyscraper. Thanks to the electric Ultium platform shared with its smaller Optiq and Lyriq siblings, IQ also shares those vehicles’ design cues.
Raked windshield. Narrow greenhouse. Fast back. Illuminated Black Crystal Shield grille.
The Escalade IQ’s sleek interior comes loaded with tech. The Command Center is where you access features that include opening all four doors of this massive SUV. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Significantly, Cadillac has not starved the gas-fired Escalade as it has the XT4, XT5 and XT6 SUVs that are headed out the door. The Escalade family shares the same toys and they are fun to play with.
Walking up to my pearl white Escalade IQ tester, I squeezed the door handle and it swung out automatically to let me in. Once inside, I pressed the brake pedal and the door swung shut behind me. What is this, a haunted mansion?
The 55-inch display dominates the interior, but the smaller, thin console tablet — the Command Center — is a real jewel. It enables access to — not just climate — but goodies like those magic doors so that you can adjust settings and even open and close all four doors without leaving the driver’s seat.
Its operation is typical of the attention to ergonomic detail (remember those buzzing seats?) that has made GM products easy to use — beginning with moving the electronic shifter to the steering wheel to open console room for the tablet.
Gettin’ frunky with it: The Escalade IQ offers storage space up front where its ICE sibling has an engine. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Navigating heavy Frisco traffic, I manipulated steering wheel controls without ever looking down. Adaptive cruise control speed and distance controls are located on raised, studded toggle switches. Less-used items like heated steering wheel and Super Cruise are located by braille.
The parity between Escalade ICE and IQ — at a time when the rest of the brand’s SUV portfolio is going all EV — appears an acknowledgement that these mega-utes are travel workhorses and Escalade ICE is a superior product even though the EV has longer range — 460 miles — range than the 432-mile V-8. Tow boats behind these oxen and they will both get 50% of that range — but Escalade ICE is much quicker to fill to a full tank. On a long-range trip, that’s gold.
The Escalade IQ’s charging port is positioned for easy access to public chargers. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
I pulled into an EVGo charger in a San Francisco parking garage and noted Caddy IQ’s decision to locate the charger (unlike the Lyriq and Optiq) at the left rear corner. Smaht. It’s much easier to plug in the IQ this way — especially at Tesla chargers where Cadillac now has access (assuming you have an adapter for the IQ’s bulky CCS plug).
Alas, the EVGo didn’t work, a typical problem for the country’s non-Tesla charging network.
The good news is IQ’s native navi system (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not welcome here) will find chargers quickly as well as map your road trip with charger stops.
Take a 230-mile ride up north to your Traverse City cottage for the summer and range anxiety won’t be a factor — especially if you install a 240-volt charger in the cottage. The same rear-wheel-steer that makes IQ maneuverable in parking lots also allows ACTIVE STEER — aka CRABWALK to use the GMC Hummer vernacular.
Initiate ACTIVE STEER in the IQ screen and the land yacht will execute a neat party trick: shuffling side-to-side down the street of your cul-de-sac. Drive to the country club and the frunk will swallow two golf bags. Try that in the V8-powered V series. The ICE, however, gets its laugh thanks to a $89,590 starting price that’s well south of the IQ’s $129,990 when it goes on sale.
King of Bling or Queen of Quiet, it’s nice to have choices. And if the IQ’s silence is too much, you can go into MY MODE in the screen and select SPORT. It won’t wake the neighbors with a roar like the V, but it lets off a satisfying GRRRRR.
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, all-wheel-drive, seven-passenger SUV
Price: $129,990 including $2,290 destination fee ($150,000 est., Sport 2/Lux as tested)
Powerplant: 200 kWh lithium-ion battery with single rear or dual electric-motor drive
Pontiac―When the auto industry zagged toward electric SUVs, Volvo zigged to an X60 plug-in hybrid station wagon.
Sleek looks, hatchback utility, electric smoothness, no range anxiety.
After plugging into the 220-volt charger in my garage for four hours, the V60’s battery was fully charged to 40 miles — enough to get my daily chores done on battery power alone, but with another 490 miles of gas range in reserve should I need to take a road trip to, say, northern Michigan.
Freight train. The Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered is very quick with 4.1-second 0-60 mph run and terrific, AWD torque off corners.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The Volvo wants to do it all. Which explains the absurdly long name: Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered. Let’s break it down.
➤V60. The V designates Volvo’s wagon class as opposed to the S60 sedan or XC60 SUV. It’s a handsome thing. The $51,490 V60 starts as a Cross Country model with a higher, SUV-like stance to accommodate easier entry and egress. Step up to my stealth-black, performance-focused $72,445 Polestar Engineered tester, and the V60 steps down to a more aggressive stance. Approach the rear with its bat-wing vertical lights and the V60 looks ready to rumble. V for vroom.
The Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered is a utility wagon in an SUV age. But its low stance and big power make it a credible performance car.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
➤T8 eAWD. A lot of treats to unpack here. T is short for Twin Engine, meaning the Volvo carries a combined gas-and-electric drivetrain that can be used independently or in tandem. The Swede uses the same all-wheel-drive drivetrain concept as the Chevy Corvette E-Ray — but in reverse. Where the Corvette uses its mid-mounted V-8 engine to drive the rear wheels and an electric motor to drive the fronts, V60 T8 uses its front, turbo-4 cylinder engine to drive the front wheels and the electric motor to drive the rears.
The Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered combines electric motors and a turbo-4 engine for a remarkable 523 pound-feet of torque, more than double the standard turbo-4 Cross Country model.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
➤Polestar Engineered. The gas/electric double whammy leads to some impressive performance numbers. While the standard Cross Country model boasts a respectable 247 horses and 258 pound-feet of torque, adding the electric motor bumps those numbers to 455 horsepower and 526 torque. With the e-motor proving low-end torque-fill, the V60 accelerates like Thor’s Hammer with Car and Driver clocking a 4.1 second 0-60 sprint.
Better act fast―2025 is the last year for the Polestar Engineered model. Volvo’s decided to zig to EV SUVs.
Sinister Swede. The Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered dressed in black with Thor’s Hammer headlights presents a menacing look to complement its prodigious power.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
➤What’s it like, Payne? Driving the V60 T8 is like unwrapping a new toy. Follow the instructions and there are all kinds of fun features to discover. Like Easter eggs, Volvo likes to hide them.
Install a $2,000 charger in your garage and you can fill up the battery each night like a smartphone. With 41 miles of charge at my disposal, I went deep. Deep into the Settings (that little gear Easter Egg in the bottom right of the vertical 12-inch dash screen) where I chose PURE mode for the battery part of the twin-drive chain. Then I chose ALWAYS START IN PURE ON STARTUP so that — when I returned to the car with an armful of groceries — the Volvo would automatically start in battery-only mode.
It’s a 14.9-kWh battery — not a 75-kWh moose like my AWD Tesla Model 3 — so don’t go drag-racing anyone on Woodward, but the Swede glided ‘round town like Zetterberg on skates. No gearshifts, no droning CVT transmission, just silky electric power.
Expect your mileage to vary depending on temperature, but I managed 90% of range (37 miles) in the metro area as I cruised roads as diverse as Telegraph, I-696 and two-lane city streets.
Monostable shifters have come a long way from BMW’s first awkward efforts, and Volvo’s tool is a class act. Make that glass act. Swedish glass maker Orrefors crafts the shift knob for Volvo, and I flicked it back and forth between R-N-D-B.
Wait, B?
B for Brake. It’s another Easter Egg — for brake regeneration — so you can one-pedal drive the V60 using the electric motor’s resistance as you brake (and put charge back into the battery at the same time. I told you this was a fun toy). Regen is a common EV feature popularized by the Chevy Bolt and Tesla, but Volvo extends one-pedal driving to its gas-electric hybrid mode as well. Just select B — instead of D — whenever you drive forward.
When the battery runs out, the Volvo defaults to HYBRID mode using the gas engine (which, by itself, will get you a healthy 490 miles). But POLESTAR mode unleashes the full potential of the T8 twins.
Select POLESTAR (inside the Settings screen) and the V60 suspension noticeably stiffens. The steering wheel gets heavier, the exhaust note lower.
The Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered has a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that powers the front wheels with gas, the rear with an electric motor.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Grrr. Awright, Payne, enough of this green cruisin’, let’s terrorize some Priuses.
The full 525 pound-feet of torque comes on in a rush. I’m generally critical of rough Volvo transmissions, but the electric motor’s torque-fill tidies that up. ZOT! This Volvo goes.
Look closely and you’ll see big, gold Brembo brakes behind the wheels — a giveaway that this is a Swede with teeth.
Point the Volvo toward a road trip and Google Maps will be your guide. The Swedish automaker has adopted Google Built-In to run its infotainment system like General Motors and Honda. The system is as familiar to use as Android Auto on your phone, but is programmed to help you find, say, a gas station when you need gas.
Your fellow travelers may be less impressed by the V60’s rear seat, which is tight for six-footers. Need more interior room? Consider the bigger V90 wagon across the showroom for a similar $70K price — though the V90 doesn’t come with a T8 plug-in option like the V60.
The Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered suffers from tight legroom for tall people.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
That plug-in option is what makes the V60 Polestar Engineered a genuine performance option alongside other segment hotties like the Audi RS5 hatchback, Audi A6 Allroad wagon and Mercedes E-Class Wagon.
V60 is Jekyll and Hyde in a nice wagon suit. It allows you to glide around all day in respectable green company with its electric motor. Then switch to POLESTAR hellion mode when you need a fossil fuel fix.
Like a Swedish hockey player, the handsome V60 is understated on the outside, a fiery competitor inside.
Price: $51,495, including destination fee ($72,445 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered as tested)
Power plant: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder (V60 Cross Country); 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder with two electric motors and 14.9-kWh battery (Polestar Engineered as tested)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.1 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed: 113 mph
Weight: 4,494 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA est. 23 city/30 highway/26 combined (Cross Country); 30 city/33 highway/31 combined (Polestar Engineered); Range (gas-electric combined): 530 miles
Charlotte, North Carolina — Wild horses gotta run.
RAAAAWRRR! I flattened the throttle of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse R out of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s infield track and onto the front straight. The mighty 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 exhaust echoed off the grandstand as I tore past 100 mph on the way to the moon.
Alas, like a spine-tingling Adele aria, all straightaways must come to an end, and I stomped on the giant 15.4-inch Brembo brakes, which slowed the two-ton missile — like NOW! — into a hard, 90-degree hairpin. Retrieving my eyeballs from the dash, I surveyed the stallion beneath me.
This is a Mustang race car.
2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race car
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
America’s favorite pony car has long competed in GT4 racing, but with the introduction of its global, top-drawer Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona-winning GT3 racer, Ford is taking Mustang racing to an elite level. Welcome to the Mustang race car lineup.
The production Mustang lineup, of course, starts with the 315-horsepower, 2.3-liter, turbocharged, 4-cylinder Ecoboost at $33,515, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 25.6-inch twin screen display and cloth seats. Then you can walk up the trim line to the 480-horse, 5.0-liter V8-powered, $47,055 GT, followed by the 500-horsepower, V8-powered Dark Horse and $300,000, 815-horsepower GTD.
If you want to go racing, Dark Horse R is your gateway drug.
2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race car is the entry-level Mustang Challenge racer behind Mustang’s GT4 and GT3 race cars.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
My V8-powered Dark Horse R tester costs $146,595 for entry into the Mustang Challenge race series — including a trip this year to France’s iconic Le Mans race track.. Get hooked and more powerful thrills await: the $250,000 Mustang GT4 race car followed by the 495-horse GT3 racer with a price tag around $550,000. In addition to the horses, expect your racing budget to top six figures as well with GT3 race teams likely spending over $1 million for a season of racing against competition like Porsche 911, Aston Martin Vantage, Chevy Corvette Z06 and Ferrari 296. Bring a fat wallet — or sponsors with fat wallets.
The common thread through all production and race cars is the spot-welded chassis — aka the body-in-white — that emerges from Flat Rock Assembly. Then the ‘Stangs get sent off to different stables to be bred as pure race cars: the Dark Horse R to Watson Engineering in Brownstown Township; the GT4 to Multimatic in Markham, Ontario; and GT3 to Multimatic’s Mooresville, North Carolina, shop not far from Charlotte Motor Speedway
Then the engineers add — and subtract — technology to make my R into an asphalt-eating cyborg.
2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race car
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
I hammered the impressive 3,949-pound production Mustang Dark Horse around Charlotte a year ago. Physically, R looks similar, save for a lower stance and tweaks like a more prominent front splitter, rear wing and tow hooks. But under the skin, it’s been heavily modified. Beginning with the interior.
You thought a narrow-greenhouse production Mustang had blind spots? Encased in a full-face helmet and HANS safety device, I was strapped to a high-bolster Recaro racing seat by a six-point Sparco harness and surrounded by a full roll cage and left window-netting.
I peered out the front window. Deep-sea submersibles have better window visibility.
The seventh-generation Mustang showcases the most high-tech interior ever seen in the pony car with those hoodless digital screens sprawling across the dashboard featuring wireless smartphone navigation and lush graphics by Unreal Engine. The R couldn’t give a damn.
Sparse cockpit of the 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race car
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
It rips out all this hardware, saving about 350 pounds in the process. Racers only need to navigate a racecourse. A simple MoTec display sits atop the quick-release racing steering wheel. I secured the wheel and pushed the starter button. WHOOOOOM! The V-8 exploded to life.
While the six-speed manual-transmission-controlled powertrain is similar to that of the production 500-horse Dark Horse, the race car gains a Borla racing exhaust and strips the catalytic converters. The R sounds like a Jurassic Park T-Rex that just laid eyes on Jeff Goldblum.
Within two turns on Charlotte’s track, I knew this was a different animal.
That lowered stance, explained Ford Performance Motorsports Program Supervisor Dave Born, is the result of stiffened 700-pound front/1000-pound rear springs. Combine them with a lighter 3,590-pound curb weight, Formula One-inspired spool-valve shocks and sticky Michelin slicks, and the R is, well, racy.
With little roll through the corners, my confidence rose with each apex. More power. More g-loads. More brake. Chasing NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz (yes, the former “Malcom in the Middle” actor is a heckuva race jockey), we carved up Charlotte.
The 2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race car thundered around the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Stereo stripped from the car? The V-8 is all the audio you need. Like a high school kid at the playground begging for pickup games, I hung around the pit the rest of the day looking for more laps.
I have raced cars all my adult life and prefer lightweight sports racers, especially with open cockpits for better visibility. But if your tastes run to pony cars and you have the coin … the R is a true race car.
Beware, it’s addicting.
2025 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R
Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, single-passenger race car
Price: $146,595
Power plant: 5.0-liter V-8
Power: 500 horsepower, 418 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Performance: 0-60 mph, NA; top speed: 165 mph
Weight: 3,590 pounds
Fuel economy: NA
Report card
Highs: Sticks like glue, V-8 soundtrack
Lows: Poor visibility; affordable only compared to its GT4/GT3 siblings
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Sebring, Florida — Like a St. Bernard, my Hyundai Kona tester is two-toned and funky-looking outside — fiercely loyal on the inside.
Its looks may not be for everybody, but it’s got everything you need.
Hyundai has been one of the industry’s most creative stylists with lookers like the Lego-brick Santa Fe and bar-of-soap Ioniq 6 EV. The 2025 Kona goes ultra-modern with a design right off a Mars movie lot. Wraparound running lights like a Tesla Cybertruck, low headlights/taillights integrated into black fender cases, abstract Mondrian wheels, sharply-angled hatchback like a Bladerunner spinner.
My 32-year-old son thought it was cool.
My 34-year-old son hated it.
The 2025 Hyundai Kona’s sci-fi design integrates headlights into the fender design making for a clean fascia.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Let’s call it polarizing. Otherwise, Kona proved a welcoming companion. On a dark, rainy Wednesday night, I slipped into the interior of my Neoteric Yellow (a color made for Florida) $28K Enterprise rental in Orlando International Airport and surveyed an interior that wouldn’t be out of place in a $60K luxury car: molded console and hoodless 22-inch screen arching across the dash housing twin digital instrument/infotainment displays. Yum.
It’s a common sight in Hyundai models these days in both internal combustion engine and electric vehicles — including the Kona EV across the Enterprise aisle across from my gas mule. With 261 miles of range, the Kona EV could theoretically make the 260-mile round-trip to my Sebring International Raceway destination. With rain and highway travel in the forecast, I knew that range could be cut by 25%.
And Sebring is in the middle of rural Florida.
With a tight, busy weekend racing schedule ahead and Sunday return flights out of Orlando, I opted for the Kona ICE with its 422 miles of range and ease of use. Though a small ‘burg two hours from everywhere, Sebring did have charging infrastructure: two fast chargers at its Lakeshore Mall, a pair of 240-volt chargers at our destination hotel and … an eight-stall Tesla Supercharger in Route 98 through town.
The interior of the 2025 Hyundai Kona showcases a hoodless screen.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The latter was particularly significant as Hyundai now has access to Tesla chargers, and — beginning with the ‘25 model year — Kona EV models are equipped with Tesla-style NACS charge ports so you don’t need to worry if there is an adaptor in the trunk.
Still, the convenience and efficiency of gas power made the Kona ICE the obvious choice for this trip.
Also worth noting was the electric Kona SE model ($34,952 market price) would have cost $16.50 to fuel every 100 miles at 50 cents/per kWh versus $9.50 for the 31-mpg Kona SEL model ($28,085) at $3-a-gallon regular gas. Indeed, I never visited a gas station until it was time to top up the Hyundai outside the airport at weekend’s end for return to the rental lot.
Like the Kona experience, gas power was carefree.
Kona fit like a glove. For the drive into Florida’s interior, I synced the car wirelessly to my phone’s Android Auto app then barked my destination:
Navigate to Sebring International Raceway.
The 2025 Hyundai Kona is available in FWD and AWD. It continues the Korean brand’s daring design direction.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Done. Hyundai was one of the first automakers to adopt smartphone apps, and Kona paired like it was old pals with my phone. Other brands can be less certain, their screens spinning before finally making a connection.
I exited the rental garage into a black, wet monsoon. While I navigated the conditions outside, Kona’s ergonomics helped me easily navigate interior controls. Climate buttons on the dash were horizontal, logically laid out between twin temperature dials.
Hyundai has adopted GM’s philosophy on raised steering wheel controls, so I could set cruise control with one button, then finger a scroll wheel next to it to adjust speed. All by touch so that I didn’t need take my eyes off the road. Similar buttons on the wheel’s right spoke controlled radio and volume while other switches (voice control, lane-centering) were nicely segregated when needed.
The subcompact SUV class is a shark tank of competitors, and Hyundai — long a value brand — trails some rivals in standard safety equipment. Both the Mazda CX-30 and Volkswagen Taos, for example, offer adaptive cruise control and blind-spot assist standard for fewer rubles than Kona. Kona, however, does match the palatial V-dub in rear-seat space with knee room that bests a compact BMW X3.
The Kona design may look Chunky Monkey, but under the hood it’s all vanilla.
The base engine in the 2025 Hyundai Kona is a 2.0-liter 4 cylinder. A more powerful 1.6-liter turbo-4 is on offer in upper trims.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder Hyundai has about the same horsepower — 147 — as my 1,000-pound, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder Lola sports racer. Yet, the SUV weighs three times as much (3,053 pounds). Mate those horses to a CVT and there were few thrills to be had on rural Sebring roads.
Want more grunt? Kona offers an N Line model starting at $31K with a punchy turbocharged 1.6-liter mill making 190 horsepower. For harsher climates than Florida in February, Kona also offers all-wheel drive for an extra $1,500.
My Kona SEL satisfied with its 31 mpg and quiet interior — deftly isolating the drone of the CVT. My son’s eyes may have been burning looking at the Kona’s lime exterior, but after a long day of racing across Sebring’s brutal bumps and high-g load turns, the Kona offered comfy seats, lots of hatch space for our gear, and a spare tire if needed.
Nice to have a St. Bernard on call.
2025 Hyundai Kona
Vehicle type: Front-engine, gas-powered, front- and-all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $25,745, including $1,450 destination fee ($28,085 SEL as tested)
Cadillac continued to grow its electric lineup this week. Make that supersize.
General Motors Co.’s luxury electric brand added an extended-length version of its three-row Escalade IQ mega-ute called the IQL. The stretched SUV will feature additional rear cargo storage, four more inches of third-row legroom, and 12.2 more cubic feet of storage in the front eTrunk.
2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL profile
Cadillac, Cadillac
Planned for production in the middle of this year, the 2026 electric Escalade siblings will parallel the internal combustion engine Escalade and its stretched twin, the Escalade ESV. Cadillac is phasing out production of gas SUVs but is continuing production of its gas-fired Escalade icon as well as AT4 and CT4 sedans that are the performance touchstones for Cadillac’s petrol-fueled race cars. The stretched Escalade IQL will offer similar features to the IQ, like a 55-inch, pillar-to-pillar screen, second-row executive package with airplane-like tray tables, and standard hands-free Super Cruise.
“Escalade has been the best-selling luxury full-size SUV in North America since 2014. The Escalade IQL is an important addition to the Escalade franchise and the Cadillac portfolio,” said Global Cadillac Vice President John Roth. “With the Escalade IQL, Cadillac now offers a full lineup of internal combustion and all-electric Escalade options for our customers, no matter the propulsion.”
Despite its iconic status, the Escalade mega-ute has faced increased competition from crosstown rivals Lincoln and Jeep. Both the Lincoln Navigator L and Jeep Grand Wagoneer L compete with the ICE Escalade ESV — but neither brand offers a parallel electric model line like the Escalade IQ/IQL.
Indeed, while there are other luxury, electric, $100k-plus SUV options like the Mercedes G-Class EV and Tesla Model X, only GM makes an electric mega-ute. The closest rivals would be in GM’s own stable, like the GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck or GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV.
Large and in charge: The Cadillac Escalade IQL supersizes the already-big Escalade IQ.
Cadillac, Cadillac
In the screen wars, the Navigator has stepped up its technology game with a 48-inch, pillar-to-pillar dash screen while the Grand Wagoneer boasts three screens – including one for the passenger. IQL follows its ICE and EV siblings with a 55-inch pillar-to-pillar jumbotron.
IQL turns up the wick in the second row with an available Executive Second Row package. The package features those stowable tray tables plus a pair of 12.6-inch screens, rear command center screen, dual wireless phone chargers, massaging/heated/ventilated seats, and 14-way power adjustment and headrest speakers. The added 4 inches of legroom (36.7 inches vs. 32.3 inches in the IQ) and headroom (38.2″ vs. 37.2″) augment the living room feel.
“The IQL builds on our iconic Escalade DNA, with a commanding profile offering additional cargo capacity. Brimming with the luxurious features and design found on the IQ, the IQL is another showcase of Cadillac’s artful integration of innovation,” said Cadillac designer Craig Sass.
IQL has seating for seven passengers, and the third row can be folded flat for more storage. Passengers are surrounded by a standard AKG 4 Studio 21-speaker audio system, with available 42-speaker AKG Studio Reference when the Executive Second Row package is included.
2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL moonroof
Cadillac, Cadillac
When the city disappears in the rear-view mirror and the open road calls, IQL comes with a 5G WiFi hot spot — and the driver can relax with Super Cruise. To get you to your destination, IQL boasts 460 miles of range, which is on par with the V8-powered Escalade. Unlike the ICE Escalade, IQL won’t fill up in three minutes, but on a DC fast charger it can add 116 miles of range in 10 minutes.
The IQ and IQL carry Cadillac’s signature vertical design cues but are strikingly different from their boxier ICE brethren. Like IQ, IQL takes its design theme from the Lyriq EV with its graphically-etched face and sleek rear profile punctuated by split vertical lights at the rear corners.
Put your right foot into it and IQL will sprint to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds with 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque — about 70% more than the ICE Escalade. IQL will likely weigh about 50% more, too, thanks to its big 202 kWh battery.
With 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque, the Escalade IQL can disappear in a hurry.
Cadillac, Cadillac
IQL can tow 7,500 pounds with the ride smoothed by magnetic shocks and air suspension. It will roll on some of the biggest, 24-inch rims in the industry. IQ will start at $129,695 and be offered in four trims — Luxury, Sport, Premium Luxury and Premium Sport.
Complementing news this week of Cadillac’s global ambitions to race four cars at this June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, the IQ siblings will be sold internationally along with the rest of Caddy’s electric lineup. As the brand goes all-electric, it wants the global reach of other EV brands like Tesla and Mercedes’ EQS EV line.
IQLs will be assembled at GM’s Factory Zero plant in Detroit.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Oakland County — The delicious 2024 Genesis GV70 Sport Prestige has tailpipes the size of bazookas, jewel-like dials, seats that hug you in Sport mode, split headlights and a spine-tingling welcome chime from the TV series “Westworld.”
But with winter temperatures below freezing and half a foot of snow on the roads, all that really concerned me was whether it had all-wheel drive and a bottomless reservoir of windshield washer fluid.
With AWD, the 2024 Genesis GV70 was comfortable in Michigan winter conditions.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Viking Ocean ships are posh, but they had better have hot water in the shower.
Michigan’s brutal winters are a test of any vehicle, and the GV70 largely passed with flying colors. Make that salt color. At the end of my week-long journey with the Genesis compact SUV, its Mauna Red exterior (think Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii) looked more like Lotsa Salt color (think Morton Salt in your cabinet).
My $68,870 Sport Prestige model came equipped with SPORT PLUS mode that automatically turns off traction control if you want to explore the limits of, say, M-32’s twisties on a glorious summer day up north. But in Michigan winter, I went to the opposite end of the Drive Mode spectrum — SNOW mode — as I slid onto a sloppy Maple Road on Friday night in the teeth of a frigid Michigan storm.
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow would keep Mrs. Payne and me from our weekend movie.
The 2024 Genesis GV70 options a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 that packs a punch: 375 horses and 391 pound-feet of torque.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The Genesis’s AWD system churned away beautifully in the snow — SNOW mode picking a higher gear so as not to access all of the 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V-6’s prodigious 391-pound feet of torque. Despite low-profile 21-inch wheels, the Michelin all-season tires did their job and I grew in confidence as I urged the dogsled through the gloom.
Entering snowy Telegraph Road, I goosed the throttle to test the ute’s balance, and the rear end slewed sideways like a pup on ice before the front paws gripped and pulled the sled forward. Nicely done, GV70.
“Cut that out!”
My wife was not amused with my antics, and I dutifully returned to my job as chauffeur. Automatic windshield wipers also knew their job and began wiping away the endless flakes.
The 2024 Genesis GV70 rear has a Porsche Macan look – look closer and the dual taillights give it away as a Genesis.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Next morning, I awoke for an early Padel game (if you don’t know it, you have to try it) with friends. I set sail for Sterling Heights by way of I-696 and, thankfully, the salt trucks had done their night’s work. Boy, had they ever. The highways were clear, but I was met with nonstop salt splash on my windshield from traffic in front of me. I repeatedly pulled the wiper stalk toward me to wash away the grit. Genesis obliged by squirting fluid from both base windshield nozzles and jets in the wiper arms.
Pull. Wash. Pull. Wash. Pull. Wash.
So frequently did I use the wiper fluids that I checked the reservoir at my destination should I need to add more. The easy-to-spot blue filler was right where it should be — at the right corner of the engine bay. It was a reminder that most folks don’t pull their hood latch to ogle the engine underneath (guilty), but to fill the wiper/anti-freeze/oil fluids or jump-start the battery. Both were located with easy access.
Some things are harder to find.
It’s trendy these days to locate windshield wipers below the hood cowl to eliminate visual clutter. I get it – vehicles aren’t the bricks of yesteryear, but beautifully-drawn sculptures with scalloped stampings.
But when you wake up to four inches of snow on top of your windshield, hidden wipers are a pain in the ice. I cleaned the windshield of snow, then carefully chipped away at the ice that had encased the wipers (carefully, because I once broke the joint between wiper and blade on a competitor SUV. Argh), eventually freeing them up.
The interior of the 2024 Genesis GV70 options heated seats and a sunroof – so you can enjoy the falling snow but stay warm inside.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Happily, Genesis has a solution which they share in a YouTube video: turn off the engine, hold the wiper stalk to MIST, and the wipers emerge from hiding and stop on the windshield. Pull them off the glass. I’ll remember that for the next ice storm.
Slip into the interior of GV70 (front or rear, it’s comfortable for six-footers) and you’re met with an attractive bezeled dash that reminded me of the Dodge Charger (a mainstream model, yes, but with one of the most distinctive interiors in the biz). It’s a neo-classical look that melds old-school instrument dials with state-of-the-art digital displays.
What is not state of the art on my 2024 tester is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The industry has moved fast toward wireless tech, and GV70 trailed even mainstream models like the Honda Civic and Dodge Hornet in offering wireless smartphone connections before upgrading for the 2025 model year. An important note for electronics-minded shoppers.
Genesis creates ergonomic confusion by making both its remote infotainment controller and its gear selector rotary dials. Like wipers, it’s an aesthetic choice that isn’t optimal from a use perspective. Neighbors on the console, they led to occasional confusion as I awkwardly shifted into NEUTRAL when tuning the radio — or changing radio stations when I meant to go in REVERSE.
Like other Hyundai products, the 2024 Genesis GV70 steering wheel ergonomics are excellent.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Happily, the dash-mounted infotainment display can also be operated as a touchscreen. I flipped through pages like a BMW or Mercedes. And — should I have needed it — GV70 will parallel park like its electric brother, GV60, that I’ve tested.
Unlike GV60, the gas-fired GV70 comes standard with no range anxiety. While a Michigan snowstorm sucked 40% of range from fellow Korean Kia EV9 SUV (necessitating multiple charging stops on a trip north), I rarely glanced at GV70’s fuel meter despite the bone-chilling temps.
When the needle hit a quarter tank, I simply ducked into the nearest gas station and filled ‘er up. Indeed, Genesis doesn’t publicize GV70’s 418-mile range because it’s not a concern — whereas the GV60’s 235 miles is important to know up front.
When the streets cleared, I took the opportunity to pedal the GV70 hard, and it did a nice imitation of its fleet G70 sedan brother. Walking away for the last time, I was left with two thoughts: 1) With $70K in pocket, customers will likely choose a BMW X3 M40i, but 2) this is no dressed-up snowflake, but a proper, snow-eating ute.
2024 Genesis GV70
Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive five-passenger SUV
Price: $47,050, including $1,450 destination fee ($68,870 3.5T AWD Sport Prestige as tested)
Power plant: 2.7-liter turbo 4 cylinder; 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6
Power: 300 horsepower, 311 pound-feet of torque (turbo-4); 375 horsepower, 391 pound-feet of torque (V-6)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.9 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed: 150 mph
In the electrified era, common acronyms include EV, HEV and PHEV. Get used to a new term: REEV.
Ram on Tuesday introduced its new Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV), the 2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger. The Ramcharger is a truck for customers who want electric vehicle (EV) performance but with the range of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). Its internal combustion engine (ICE) — a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 — acts as a generator and kicks in when the battery bricks. It’s just like a gas generator connected to your house when the electric power goes out.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis calls it the Goldilocks truck: it’s just right for the electrified customer who wants EV performance and ICE utility. It’s also just right for Stellantis NV, which has faced massive government fines for selling too many V-8 ICEs and not enough green EVs.
2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger painted fascia
Stellantis, Ram
Kuniskis made it clear that government rules have forced the industry to make EVs to “comply with the regulations.”
“Who is calling the shots? The government? Or is it the customer that used to be the case?” he said standing in front of the Ramcharger’s huge, 7,507-pound fame.
With the auto industry/government bet on EVs souring and electric truck sales stalled, Ram is determined to make an electrified pickup that will satisfy both its masters, consumer and bureaucrat. So it has moved up production of the Ramcharger to the second half of 2025 due to “overwhelming” consumer interest while indefinitely postponing its battery-only, so-called Ram REV pickup. It claims the Ramcharger meets California’s increasingly stringent SULEV III regulations that are targeting all-electric sales by 2035.
Here are five things about the Ramcharger.
1) How REEV works. Unlike a HEV or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), the Ramcharger is an EV with gas-engine assist — not a gas engine with electric assist.
Like an EV, the Ramcharger’s big 92-kWh battery (about the size of a long-range Tesla Model X) powers twin drive motors, one on each axle. Only when the battery is depleted will the generator — aka, the V-6 — kick in to power the battery and generate enough juice to turn the motors. There is no direct connection from engine to wheels.
Charge the battery overnight and the Ramcharger will deliver about 145 miles of electric range. When that depletes, the ICE kicks in for an estimated total electric-gas range of 690 miles. No long stops at charging stations on road trips. No range anxiety.
“Charging? Who cares?” said Kuniskis. “It runs off the generator.”
2) Truck performance. On electric power, the Ramcharger’s 400-volt architecture posts formidable numbers with 647 horsepower and 610 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful Ram on the market, eclipsing the Ram RHO performance truck’s 521 pound-feet of torque while nearly matching the legendary (discontinued), Hellcat V-8-powerd TRX truck’s 650. Ram’s 0-60 mph target of 4.5 seconds is shy of the Ford Lightning EV’s 3.8 seconds.
As for pickup utility, the Ramcharger advertises a maximum payload of 2,625 pounds and towing capacity of 14,000 pounds.
3) Eight-lug wheels. The Ramcharger’s provdigious power requires heavy-duty equipment. In addition to the high-strength steel rails to carry its nearly four tons of weight, the pickup will ride on wheels with eight lug nuts — typical of heavy-duty trucks, not the Ramcharger’s light-duty peers.
2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger has eight lug-nut wheels.
Ram, Ram
4) Drive modes. Jeep has a lot of experience with PHEVs, and the Ramcharger will offer drive modes similar to its Stellantis stablemate. In Electric + mode, the Ramcharger will maximize its battery output before calling on the generator (at around 145 miles) for assistance. Or you can choose E-save mode to run on the engine/generator alone. Or you can choose Eco mode to maximize electric range.
5) Toys, toys, toys. In keeping with other HEV and EV trucks, Ramcharger has the ability to charge another EV, charge your home during a blackout, and power multiple electrical devices at a tailgate bash. Ramcharger features signature Ram elements like a smooth-riding, multi-link rear suspension, and Hands-free Highway Assist for assisted driving on those long, 690-mile trips. You’ll know the Ramcharger by its unique, body-colored fascia and updated Ram badging.
2026 Ram 1500 Ramcharger bed charge ports.
James Lipman, Ram
Ramcharger — like most EVs — will be targeted at luxury buyers with Ram’s posh interior including 14.5-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 10.25-inch passenger screen. All that hardware won’t come cheap. Expect a starting price north of $70,000 when it goes on sale later this year.
Ramcharger does require more upkeep than a traditional EV because of the gas engine onboard, but executives said it will go longer between oil changes and other routine maintenance because the generator won’t run all the time. The ICE will occasionally kick on automatically if it hasn’t run in a certain length of time to safeguard the engine’s health and ensure water isn’t infiltrating engine oil.
“With unlimited battery-electric range, the Ram 1500 Ramcharger is the pinnacle of the light-duty pickup truck segment and the ultimate electric truck,” Kuniskis said. “The new Ramcharger is a beast (with) zero need for a public charger.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
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