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Payne: Struttin’ the streets in the knockout Kia Telluride
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 18, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Detroit — The mainstream three-row SUV class is having a moment. Sexy family haulers? You bet. Check out the rugged Chevy Traverse ZR2, Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro and rock-scaling Honda Pilot TrailSport. Or the hot-rod Dodge Durango Hellcat, Mazda CX-90 inline-6 cylinder and Ford Explorer ST.
Now comes the knockout Kia Telluride X-Pro SX-Prestige that I drove all over Detroit during Detroit Grand Prix week.
I see you staring at it.
“Now that’s my kinda color,” said a passer-by on Campus Marius of the Terrain Brown Matte paint job.
“Don’t mind me,” said another. “I’m just waiting here because I want to see if those door handles that just popped out when you parked go flush again.”
Matte paint and pop-out door handles like a Mercedes? On a three-row Kia? You bet.
As Telluride proves, the line between luxury and mainstream SUVs has been all but obliterated by modern electronics and design. Climb into my halo $60K Telluride and it echoes a halo $115K Mercedes GLS interior for half the price: hoodless digital screens, head-up display, console grab handles, twin wireless chargers (standard) and acres of leather.
The Merc looks classy, Telluride oozes character.
If Durango and Explorer lean into their brand’s sporty vibe with intimidating Hellcat and ST trims, the Telluride X-Pro takes the SUV’s signature off-road vibe to another level.
This thing looks like it rolled out of a Mad Max desert scene. Chain-fence maw, black wheels, all-terrain tires, ambient-lighting, broad shoulders. What, no cow catcher on the front? If Charlize Theron showed up in the X-Pro to pick up the kids at school with black mascara smeared across her eyes, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Read full article here.
Truck wars: Next-gen Chevy Silverado leans into tech, V-8s
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
GM, GM
Big V-8 weapons are returning to the Detroit Truck Wars. Unshackled from government regulations, the Ram 1500 has brought back its V-8 while Ford’s F-150 is offering a 700-horsepower, supercharged V-8 on all trims.
Now it’s Chevrolet’s turn with the new, fifth-generation Silverado.
The North America-assembled truck leans into its V-8 lineup with more-powerful 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter pushrod engines to complement its trusty 2.7-liter turbo-4 cylinder and 3.0-liter diesel 6-cylinder. V-8 displacements are nearly half-a-liter bigger than those of the outgoing mills.
Motor City at Le Mans: Victorious Corvette shocks, Cadillac denied
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Le Mans, Le Mans
A General Motors V-8 was on top of the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, but it wasn’t a Cadillac.
The script flipped Sunday before 350,000 fans as Chevrolet Corvette was the shocking winner in the production-based GT3 class in the world’s most prestigious sportscar race. Cadillac, an early favorite for its first overall win in the fastest Hypercar class, fell short after dominating qualifying and leading much of the race.
While the fates smiled on Toyota Hypercars for the Japanese marque’s sixth Le Mans win, they denied victory to the No. 38 and No. 12 Herta Team JOTA Cadillac V-Series.R that were the fastest cars on track for much of the race. TF Sport Corvette’s win — a first by a customer Corvette GT3 team at Le Mans (and 10th total for the Chevy supercar) — was a huge accomplishment as it competes globally against Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and other sportscar brands for GT3 racing business.
Prior to contracting with Corvette, TF Sport had raced Aston Martins at Le Mans.
How Audi is navigating busy U.S. ICE, EV and tariff morass
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
San Luis Obispo, California — Audi is a canary in the coal mine.
The German luxury maker this week introduced the three-row Q7, the latest in a gas-fed, 2026 SUV assault on the U.S. market with three powerful new models including the entry-level Q3 subcompact SUV and a palatial, three-row flagship Q9, its first entry in the full-size segment.
The stampede of horsepower, however, masks the complicated international landscape that Audi, and other foreign brands, face as they navigate a U.S. market with low EV demand and high tariffs.
Detroit at Le Mans: Cadillac favorite, Ford poised for 2027
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Ford, Ford
An American V-8 will be on the front row of France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday. And the roar is about to get louder.
Motor City brands are front-and-center for the Saturday-Sunday, June 13-14 World Endurance Championship epic. A Cadillac Hypercar qualified on the front row for the second year in a row, while Ford announced its Hypercar driver lineup for 2027 as it prepares a sequel to its historic 1966-69 overall wins. That era was immortalized in the 2019 blockbuster film “Ford v Ferrari.”
Cadillac is determined to write its own chapter in the Le Mans history books.
Read full article here.
Accord celebrates 50 as Honda weathers mid-life crisis
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 16, 2026
Honda, Honda
“Reaching 50 years as America’s best-selling car is a powerful testament to Accord’s fun-to-drive spirit, quality and value,” said American Honda Vice president of Auto Sales Lance Woelfer. “Built by American associates for generations, Accord reflects Honda’s long-standing commitment to building close to our customers. As we look ahead, Accord will continue to evolve, while staying true to the principles that have defined its success for half a century.”
Accord made history in 1989 as the first non-pickup-truck, import-brand vehicle to hit the top of the U.S. sales charts (displacing the Ford Escort). The next year, it sold 417,179 units — Accord’s high-water sales mark — part of a three-year run at No. 1. It would take the sales crown once more in 2001 with 414,718 sold, interrupting the sedan sales reign of the Taurus and Camry.
Since the SUV sales boom a decade ago (including the Honda CR-V, which has topped 400,000 annual sales the last two years), Accord buyers have steadily eroded to 150,196 in 2025.
Payne: Manual Mazda3 is the anti-robot car
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 12, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Memphis, Michigan — Tesla wowed the automotive word in January with news it was abandoning its Model S/X models and putting the pedal to the metal on robots. Robot rideshare cars. Humanoid robots. Humanoid robots driving robot cars. Bots bots bots.
Happily, there are still manual driver’s toys out there to cope with the dystopian robot future. Like the six-speed, 2.5-liter Mazda3 S Premium hatchback in my driveway.
WAUUUUGH! I escaped the robot headlines and headed north to rural Memphis, Michigan, for a quick road trip. This is manual country. Wide open space and empty roads where you can really row the gearbox. Can a rideshare robot do that?
Like in Mazda’s halo MX-5 Miata, the Mazda3’s six-speed is a joy. No rubbery gates here (looking at you, BMW). I never missed a shift despite flogging the Mazda3 unmercifully.
Indeed, the compact Mazda3 S Premium model (the only Mazda3 trim accessorized with a stick) is best understood as an alternative to the similarly priced Miata roadster.
Payne: Off road and plugged in aboard the pioneering Rivian R2
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 12, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Park City, Utah — The view of snow-dusted, 11,750-foot Mt. Timpanogos from the trails of Wasatch National Park in the Wasatch Mountains is breathtaking. It’s a trail for hardcore, compact off-roaders — Jeep Wranglers, Ford Broncos, Chevy Colorado ZR2s. If you’re into electric vehicles, few dare venture there.
Say hello to the rugged, daring Rivian R2.
Last decade, two startup EV companies wowed us with their automotive innovation. In 2012, Tesla Inc. introduced the lightning-quick Model S and Model X SUVs oozing with tech, style and eyeball-flattening speed. In 2017, Rivian Automotive Inc. introduced off-road doppelgangers — the stylish R1T pickup and R1S SUV with room, vroom and more cargo space than a Norwegian Cruise liner.
How Corvette racer Wickens became the fastest paraplegic on Earth
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 8, 2026
Brandon Badraoui, Lumen Digital Agency
General Motors brands are on the cutting edge of hands-free driving. The General also has a feet-free success story to tell.
Using an innovative hand-control system, paraplegic Chevrolet Corvette race driver Robert Wickens is one of the fastest drivers in IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar GTD-class racing.
The so-called Bosch electronic braking system, developed in conjunction with GM and Corvette Racing team Pratt Miller in New Hudson, is an evolution of what Wickens has used since returning to motorsports in 2022 after a horrific IndyCar crash at Pocono Raceway in 2018. Wickens and his engineers — with physical assist from ex-Saginaw Valley State football standout Josh Gibbs — have developed a system that works seamlessly with teammates and offers potential for the broader consumer marketplace in an age when electronic systems make foot pedals redundant.
Payne: Affordably chic, Honda Civic vs. Hyundai Sonata
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 4, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Miami — Sleek, roomy and high-tech, today’s mainstream sedans are proof that affordability still exists in a U.S. market where average vehicle purchases have soared over $50K.
Take the terrific $30,945 Hyundai Sonata Blue Hybrid and $27,890 Honda Civic Sport I just flogged around Miami and Detroit.
Who needs a luxury badge?
Home court: Motown brands dominate Detroit GP, look to Le Mans
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 2, 2026
GM
Detroit — The motorsports world came to the Motor City for the Detroit Grand Prix last weekend for the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship.
And the home teams dominated.
Cadillac swept the front row of Friday qualifying in the GTP class and then won Saturday’s race over an elite field of Porsche, BMW, Acura and Aston Martin cars. Corvette did the same in the GT class — sweeping the front row, then controlling the race over European rivals with Ford Mustang not far behind. Only Lamborghini spoiled a Detroit muscle car one-two.
Detroit automakers have invested billions to become players in international motorsports, and the Detroit GP was a proof point of the momentum they’ve built. While competitors Porsche and Honda are cutting back on their motorsports programs after disastrous corporate decisions on electrification, General Motors and Ford are well-positioned this year to make a mark across the globe — including in the premier international endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France later this month.
“What a special day for General Motors and the Cadillac and Corvette Racing teams in Detroit,” said GM President Mark Reuss after the Saturday afternoon IMSA result. “Winning both classes of the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the streets of the Motor City is a tremendous achievement for our motorsports, design and engineering teams.”
Henry Payne puts pedal to the metal in IndyCar two-seater
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 2, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Detroit – What’s a lap like in an IndyCar around the Detroit Grand Prix street circuit?
It’s a rollercoaster on ‘roids.
Sandwiched between ex-IndyCar driver Spencer Pigot and a howling, twin-turbo V-6 engine in a two-seat, Arrow McLaren Dallara DW12 IndyCar, we stormed up Rivard Street, hung a left onto Jefferson in 2nd gear and then exploded down Jefferson Avenue hitting 155 mph as we passed “Speed Limit 35” signs.
No sirens. None of Detroit’s finest pulling us over. Pedal to the metal.
How the Detroit Grand Prix speeds food to Detroit’s homeless
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 31, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Detroit — Exiting Turn 2 onto the long, Jefferson Avenue straight, Detroit Grand Prix racers row their steeds through six gears, their howling, 12,000-RPM engines hitting 185 mph as they reverberate off the canyon of Detroit buildings.
The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear feeds our need for speed. It also feeds the homeless.
One of the buildings that lines the ¾-mile long straight is Detroit’s oldest church, St. Peter and Paul at 438 St. Antoine, which houses the Pope Francis Day Center for the homeless. It’s one of four charities (Belle Isle Conservancy, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit, and the Detroit Public Safety Foundation are the others) that the Grand Prix, now in its fourth year downtown, prioritizes.
Detroit vs. Detroit: Motown brands vie for supremacy at Detroit Grand Prix
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 31, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Mark Rushbrook, Ford Racing boss, agreed. “We are racing in front of friends, family and our co-workers from across Michigan. While we continue to expand Ford’s racing footprint globally—competing in 35 series around the world—our home is here in Detroit.”
The Detroit GP, said Campbell, stands to gain from the Memorial Day weekend’s epic Indianapolis 500 — where the Honda-powered Meyer Shank IndyCar of Felix Rosenqvist beat the Chevrolet-powered Team Penske entry of David Malukas in the closest finish in Indy history.
Payne: In the Cadillac Escalade, there’s always a button for that
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 31, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Sterling Heights — With 420 horsepower and a satisfying roar, the 6.2-liter pushrod V-8 engine under the hood of my 2026 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Sport tester would usually be my obsession.
But eight is a trivial number in the Platinum Sport model.
What has my attention in the Platinum Sport are the dozens of buttons that operate a cornucopia of automatic functions on this rolling condominium: auto doors, seats, tailgate, drawers, TV screens and Super Cruise hands-free driving. At $131K, Platinum Sport is an expensive automobile — but an affordable condo.
How IndyCar/IMSA got hybrids right while F1 struggles
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 25, 2026
Indianapolis — The Indy 500 is not just the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, it is the greatest spectacle in hybrid racing.
As manufacturers rushed towards an electrified future over the last decade, motorsports became a key technological proving ground. In Europe, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile developed the all-electric Formula E series and introduced a 50/50 hybrid system into Formula One, the world’s premier motorsports series, for 2026. The new F1 setup has been smothered in controversy.
In North American racing, by contrast, professional motorsports took a more measured course with mild hybrids in both the IndyCar and IMSA Weathertech Sportscar series. Showcased in a gripping Indy 500 on Sunday, the Chevrolet and Honda-powered hybrids have been better received.
Roger Penske just misses record 21st Indy 500 win
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 25, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Indianapolis — Two one hundredths of a second.
That’s how close Bloomfield Hills-based, 89-year-old Roger Penske came to winning his 21st Indianapolis 500 Sunday — and to his 24-year-old Team Penske phenom David Malukas winning his first.
In the tightest finish in the 110-year history of the Indy 500, Malukas and his No. 12 Chevrolet-powered IndyCar was passed by Honda-powered Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist in the final stretch before the green flag in a wild, rain-interrupted, yellow flag-marred, 200-mph-pass-fest over 500 miles. The win was popular one for 34-year-old Swede Rosenqvist, one of the most-liked drivers in the paddock, but a heartbreaker for Malukas who just joined Team Penske this year.
Racing peers mourn NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 24, 2026
Indianapolis — The motorsports world lost a favorite son this week.
Two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch died at the premature age of 41 — not on track, but after a sudden illness in a hospital on the eve of his race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for Richard Childress Racing. USA Today reported Friday that Busch was coughing up blood the day before he died, according to a 911 call.
Nicknamed “Rowdy” for his no-holds-barred racing style — and personality — he was a larger-than-life figure who was mourned by everyone from his fans to NASCAR peers, rocks stars, auto executives, and IndyCar racers.
“Incredibly sad,” posted Team Penske driver Scott McLughlin at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as IndyCar prepped for its Indy 500 weekend. “My thoughts are with his entire family. A true wheelman and one of the best to ever do it.”
Echoed Marco Andretti, one of three members of America’s most famous racing family (including grandfather Mario and father Michael) to have competed here at the 500: “No words. Here for the family.”
Busch, too, was part of a tight-knit, successful racing family including his father, Tom, and older brother Kurt, who himself won a NASCAR title in 2004. Kurt won his title at the age of 26, just a year after his 18-year-old brother, Kyle, entered NASCAR racing.
From Ohio EV Hub to Indy 500, how Honda plans to right the ship
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 23, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Indianapolis — It’s been a rough start to 2026 for Honda Motor Co. with its first financial loss in 70 years, an electric vehicle strategy in shambles, and its Formula One team mired at the back of the grid with engine issues.
The Indianapolis 500 is a great place to reset.
The brand is retooling its flexible Ohio factory to produce gas-electric hybrid automobiles and has debuted dramatic-looking concepts to accelerate its hybrid lineup already pregnant with hybrid versions of its best-selling CR-V, Civic and Accord products. Now comes this weekend’s Indianapolis 500, the Super Bowl of North American motorsports, in the nick of time to showcase proven Honda hybrid tech at America’s greatest race.
On pole? Honda driver and 2025 Indy 500 winner Alex Palou.
Payne: Jeep Cherokee reborn with Wagoneer S style, hybrid practicality
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 23, 2026
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
West Bloomfield — I slipped into the comfortable leather seats of the 2026 Jeep Cherokee and pressed the elegant, bejeweled starter button on the console. Just like a Jeep Wagoneer S. I gripped the rectangular steering wheel to better view the big digital instrument display. Just like a Wagoneer S. Merging onto I-75, I nailed the throttle and the gas-hybrid Cherokee leapt forward thanks to an assist from its electric motor like the all-electric S.
The $67K Wagoneer S EV has left the market for 2027, but — for 60% of the cost — its DNA lives on in the terrific, $37K Cherokee reborn for 2026.
You need a baseball scorecard to keep track of the lineup changes at Stellantis brands these days.
As the feds called off the government dogs mandating electric vehicles, automakers have shuffled models to please customers again. Ram 1500 brought back its V8-powered truck, gas-fired Dodge Charger hellions are in vogue, and Jeep has paused the compact Wagoneer S ute and resurrected the Cherokee for the market’s most-popular, compact SUV segment.
Cherokee is an S without the $.