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Payne: Lavish, lively, ‘lectric ID.Buzz transforms the VW Bus
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 24, 2024
San Francisco — The 2006 movie classic “Little Miss Sunshine” showcased the iconic, affordable, 1960-70s Volkswagen Microbus to a new generation of fans, complete with manual transmission, manual sliding door, unsafe driver position, and snail-like pace on the road.
The all-new 2025 Volkswagen Microbus is nothing like that.
In a reboot of V-dub’s most famous family hauler for the electric age, the Microbus — now dubbed ID.Buzz (see what they did there?) — has been completely transformed as a dual-motor, electric van with single-speed automatic transmission, auto-sliding doors, a cocoon of safety features, and 0-60 mph acceleration time of 6.0 seconds that would embarrass a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage (6.3).
Call this Buzz fancy, fast, and … not very ‘ffordable. If the original VW Microbus (Type 2, produced 1950-66 and Type 2 Gen-2, 1967-79) and its sibling Beetle were cheap, volume plays to capture American market share, the ID.Buzz and sibling ID.4 (VW’s first EV in the U.S. market) are an acknowledgment that the EV market is a niche segment aimed at luxury buyers.
Like the Hoover family, I traveled to California to put the latest V-dub to the test.
My ID.Buzz 1st Edition testers cost a whopping $67,045 (rear-wheel-drive) and $71,545 (all-wheel-drive). Compare that to the Hoovers’ 1978 Type 2 bus that would have cost (inflation-adjusted) $31K today. The 1966 model? A mere $23K.
But for all that dough, you get a lotta’ Buzz.
The tech-tastic Teuton is — perhaps more than any EV since the introduction of the Tesla Model 3 in 2017 — a testament to how much the automotive world has changed in the last 60 years. It’s also a testament to how difficult it will be to convince customers to reject the efficiency advantages of the internal combustion engine as automakers like VW rush towards an all-EV future.
The Hoovers’ dysfunctional family trip west to chase Olive’s beauty pageant dream nearly stalled because father Frank has a business conflict — and only he knew how to drive the Microbus’ stick shift. He eventually agreed to the trip.
If they had been headed to San Francisco instead of Redondo Beach, even Frank might have reconsidered. Frisco’s steep hills are notorious graveyards for manual transmissions. Comedians have made entire routines on the horror of starting in first gear on, say, Chestnut Street pointing straight up at the sky. STALL. GROOOONCH. STALL. AUUHHHRGGGH!
The Buzz made mincemeat of Chestnut.
With a simple rotation of the wrist, I shifted the Buzz’s single-speed automatic stalk on the steering column into DRIVE and sailed up the sheer face of Chestnut. Not just sailed — charged!
With 282 horsepower (335 for the AWD model) from its big, 86 kWh battery, the V-dub reared back on its haunches and accelerated with purpose. Had I run Chestnut’s stop sign (not a good idea), I might have gotten air like Steve McQueen in “Bullitt.” The ol’ Hoover Microbus likely would have wheezed to the summit in first gear for fear of losing momentum from a 1-to-2 upshift.
Merging onto Route 101 headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge, I even challenged a bigger Ford Lightning EV to drag race at a stoplight. They cost about the same, after all.
The Bay Area is politically green and loaded with green money, and there is a premium EV war on. Lightning, Audi e-trons, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Kia EV6 GT, BMW i5, Porsche Taycan, Tesla Cybertruck, Tesla Model X, Model Y Performance — heck, even the Waymo driverless taxis are Jaguar iPaces.
At $70K, the VW is actually at the low end of this premium mall (Made in Germany, it is not eligible for the $7,500 federal EV credit), yet it is every bit as distinctive as its peers. It caused as much whiplash as any Cybertruck during my day in the Bay area. The Buzz’s classic design is smartly updated with two-tone colors — just like the OG — complementing the modern design and sci-fi 20-inch wheels.
Like the Bug’s recreation in 1997, the look skews female as a cute minivan amongst squared-off SUVs like the Bimmer and Audis. But awake, the automatic handles and the sliding doors reveal an interior tech playground for us guy geeks.
The twin, hoodless, digital dash tablets are choked with technology from ambient lighting choices to multiple ECO, SPORT, NORMAL, and TRACTION (in the AWD model) modes. After crossing the Golden Gate, I activated adaptive cruise control and the V-dub virtually drove itself (that would have dropped Grandpa Hoover’s jaw!) to the coast. Exiting Route 101, I took Route 1 twisties on the way to Stinson Beach like a proper hippie bus — twisting the shift knob from D (Drive) to B (Regen) so that I could one-pedal drive, the electric motor braking the VW when I lifted off the accelerator.
The center console can be uprooted and moved to the back row. The second and third rows are as spacious as a Chevy Suburban, so dysfunctional families have more spacing from one another. I sprawled in the third row — flattening Row 2 as an Ottoman. USB-C ports, storage cubbies, and cubby dividers are everywhere. Even cubby dividers doubling as an ice scraper/bottle opener.
Want to store grandpa’s body in back like the Hoovers? Take out third-row seats like a Chrysler Pacifica. Want to stash his naughty magazines? Check out the storage bin under the tailgate seat. Tailgate seat? I could go on and on.
All these goodies reside under an (optional) two-way panoramic roof that changes from clear to opaque with the swipe of a button. The two-tone paint too girly for you? Choose a single color like black. Darth Buzz.
Speaking of Pacifica minivans, they’re cool, too, and would be a better choice for road-trippers like the Hoovers. The $50K Pacifica plug-in hybrid’s 500-mile range dwarfs the Buzz’s 234, and you can refuel 500 miles in 2 minutes compared to the Buzz’s 164 miles-in-30.
The Hoovers lost their clutch on the way to Cali, but charging delays would surely have made it hard to meet their 3 p.m. pageant sign-in. Then they really would have hated each other (and EVs). No, the Buzz is a local car for upper-income families who can afford airplanes for family trips.
I covered the Bay Area easily with the Buzz’s range. I plugged in at a 240-volt Rivian charger at Stinson Beach for a little extra charge while lounging on the sand. Charging is a lot easier to learn to operate than a stick shift.
Next week: 2025 RAM RHO pickup
2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
Vehicle type: All-electric, rear and all-wheel-drive, six-or-seven passenger minivan/microbus
Price: $61,545, including $1,550 destination fee ($71,545 AWD 1st Edition AWD and $67,045 1st Edition RWD as tested)
Powerplant: 86 kW lithium-ion battery pack mated to rear or twin electric motors
Power: 282 horsepower, 413 pound-feet of torque (RWD); 335 horsepower, 512 pound-feet of torque (AWD)
Transmission: One-speed direct drive
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.0 seconds (mnftr. AWD); top speed, 101 mph
Weight: 6,197 pounds (AWD as tested)
Fuel economy: 234-mile range (RWD); 231 (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Nothing like it on road; feature-rich, roomy interior
Lows: Pricey compared to comparable Atlas gas model; wonky steering wheel controls
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
233 MPH! GM’s Reuss pilots Corvette ZR1 to top speed record
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 18, 2024
At last June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, the fastest race car that General Motors Co. has ever built — the ferocious, winged Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh — hit a top speed of 209 mph.
That’s peanuts.
The new, 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 production car will hit, ahem, 233. Chevy announced the top speed number for the ZR1 this week, the latest, mind-boggling spec to come from the most capable production vehicle the brand has ever made. And in some specs, the fastest vehicle it has made, period.
At 233 mph, the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is now the fastest car ever built by an American auto manufacturer. It achieved the feat on the 50-degree banking of Papenberg, Germany.MATT BEARD, Chevrolet
The rear-wheel-drive, mid-engine ZR1 also sports the twin-turbocharged, 5.5-liter LT7 engine — the most powerful V-8 the brand has produced at 1,064 horsepower. The top speed is the highest of any American-made car and is the fastest of any production car under $1 million. And just to add icing to the cake, the record was set by General Motors President Mark Reuss in a test in Papenburg, Germany.
“Setting the top-speed record in the Corvette ZR1 is a true triumph for Corvette and for Chevrolet, and also an exhilarating, surreal experience for me personally,” said Reuss, a race-licensed driver, who hit the record at redline RPM in sixth gear. “With the current generation’s switch to mid-engine, we knew the outstanding performance and balance made this a real possibility.”
The Corvette team set the record at the banked, 7.6-mile Papenberg test track which features 50-degree banked turns — 19 degrees steeper than the famed Daytona International Speedway. To reduce drag for the top-speed run, Chevy brought a pair of ZR1s outfitted with the smaller of two spoilers available and the shorter front wicker bill. The ZR1 rode on the supercar’s standard suspension with aluminum wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Engineers utilized a so-called Top Speed Mode for use exclusively on a closed course to adjust chassis control systems for maximum speed.
Members of the Corvette team, including General Motors President Mark Reuss (far right) on the track in Papenburg, Germany. MATT BEARD, Chevrolet
Reuss made two, opposite-direction passes on the track — hitting of 233 MPH on the first lap and 233.5 MPH on the second (official top-speed records require the average of two runs in opposite directions to account for wind).
“He was doing 222 miles per hour in the banking,” said ZR1 lead development engineer Chris Barber. At that velocity, the all-new ZR1 had already beaten the Corvette top-speed record by 10 mph. Then Reuss hit the 2.5-mile straightaway and put his foot to the floor.
“The fact that we chose (this track) makes it clear — we’re not fooling around with this car,” said Aaron Link, Global Vehicle Performance Manager. “LT7 is basically unhinged. It delivers this power in an obscene way in how well it puts the speed down and how comfortable the car is to drive. What a prideful moment for Corvette.”
The LT7’s stratospheric 1,064 horsepower makes it the first ‘Vette to hit quadruple digits. The number puts the mid-engine sportscar in elite, million-dollar-plus hypercar territory along with European rocket ships like the 1,063-horsepower Mercedes-AMG One and 1,160-horse Aston Martin Valkyrie. Yet the Corvette will cost one-tenth of these exotics at an estimated $150,000 when it goes on sale later this year.
ZR1 essentially takes the screaming, 8,000-RPM, 670-horsepower LT6 engine found in the Z06 — the fastest, normally-aspirated Corvette ever made — and increases output by strapping twin turbochargers on its back. ZR1 puts its 828 pound-feet of torque to the ground with the same 8-speed transmission and 12-inch, rear-wheel-tire setup as Z06.
Expect more eye-popping numbers like 0-60 MPH and quarter-mile times as the ZR1 approaches production.
“I’ve never obviously gone that fast,” said Reuss afterward. “But you can’t do it without confidence. Confidence comes from all the people that are to prepare the car, but also the engineers that engineer it.”
General Motors President Mark Reuss set the company’s top speed record in a 2025 Corvette ZR1 driving 233 mph in Papenburg, Germany.. MATT BEARD, Chevrolet
You’ll know the ZR1 by the deep air extractor in the front hood (similar to that found on the C8.R race car that competes in global GT3 series) and by its rear split window — an homage to the iconic 1963 Corvette. In order to bring the ZR1 to a stop from its record-braking speeds, the supercar comes with 15.7-inch carbon ceramic brakes in front, 15.4-inch in back.
The ZR1 is the third performance variant of the mid-engine C8 supercar which debuted as a 2020 model with a so-called LT2 engine — a 495-horsepower, normally-aspirated, 6.2-liter, push-rod V-8.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: 2025 Subaru WRX tS is an all-season pocket rocket
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 18, 2024
Sonoma Raceway, California — In basketball, there are multiple position players. Shot-blocking big men. Defensive forwards. Three-point shooters. Playmaking guards. And there are all-around players who can do it all — think the Detroit Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince or Grant Hill.
If compact performance sedans (aka, pocket rockets) were basketball players, they would be all-around all-stars. Performance sedans like the Subaru WRX, the perennial best-seller in the class.
On Sonoma Raceway, I barreled into the tricky, uphill, Turn 1-2 complex with my right foot screwed to the floor. The 2025 WRX tS’s big, gold Brembo brakes hauled me back to earth as I jinked left, then right, into the blind Turn 2 at the top of the hill — the WRX remaining remarkably neutral as I pitched it across the apex.
On twisty California Route 128 through the Mayacamas Mountains, WRX’s all-wheel-drive system clawed the road. I rarely had to shift below third gear thanks to the low-end torque from its 2.4-liter turbo-4 engine.
Out of the hills onto Route 121, I set adaptive cruise control to 70 mph with the intuitive steering wheel button. Subaru’s twin-camera Eyesight system wrapped me in a safety cocoon as I navigated midday traffic: ACC maintaining a gap with cars in front of me, blind-spot assist monitoring cars beside me.
At a corner gas station, I loaded some groceries for the evening — barely scratching the WRX’s cargo capacity that can swallow multiple suitcases while transporting four large adults.
Take a bow, pocket rockets.
The class has never been healthier even as I still mourn the departure of the Ford Focus and Fiesta hot hatches in 2019. Pioneered by the Volkswagen GTI in 1984 (my first car), the pocket rocket class now features the GTI’s Jetta GLI sibling, Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Elantra N, Mazda3 Turbo, Toyota GR Corolla and the WRX.
My preference is the hot hatch — not sedan — body style, and I wish Subaru brought the hatchback version of the WRX (called the Levorg) over from Japan. Alas, Subaru marketing has determined that the Impreza (which shares the WRX’s skeleton) comes exclusively as a hatch, the WRX performance variant as a sedan. Sigh.
It’s hard to be mad given the WRX’s deep toolbox. It begins, of course, with Subaru’s standard all-wheel drive, which makes it a four-season sports sedan. That means WRX will not only claw up Sonoma’s steep Turn One hill — but also crawl up my steep driveway in the middle of winter. When covered with 6 inches of snow. And an inch of ice underneath.
That all-season capability — and all-around value — has helped establish WRX as the perennial sales leader in class with 24,681 units sold in 2023.
The Subie isn’t the cheapest toy in class — that honor goes to the Civic Si at a $31,045 steal — nor is it the cheapest all-wheel-driver (Mazda3 Turbo just nips the Subie at $33,285). But WRX has a whopping 35% more horsepower than the Civic (271 vs. 200) and offers both a manual and automatic transmission where Civic only comes in stick. The Mazda3 Turbo? Only offered as an automatic.
The ‘Ru’s notchy manual is excellent, and 85% of buyers choose it. #SaveTheManual.
But there’s a new kid on the block: the AWD Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch, which also offers a stick/auto. The GR (short for GRRRRRRRR!) is a corner-carving riot that extracts a remarkable 300 horsepower from its wee 3-cylinder engine. Like spiking the punch bowl, GR has transformed the sleepy Corolla lineup. Ask any journalist what hot hatch they’ve most enjoyed in the last year, and they’ll tell you GR.
The drift-happy GR even plugs the void left by the winged, top-trim WRX STI (a victim of government emissions regs) with the ability to throw 70% of torque to the rear wheels. The WRX’s secret sauce? A 20% advantage in rear legroom (36.4 inches vs. 29.9 for the Toyota) and a five-grand cheaper starting price.
In this boiling piranha tank, the WRX must keep making improvements, and for 2025 it steps up with my tS tester and its suite of performance, style and tech upgrades.
You’ll know it by its mascara makeup — black mirror caps, WiFi shark fin, spoiler — and big, black 19-inch wheels. The bigger rims are needed to swallow enlarged, 13.4-inch, six-pot Brembo brakes. Storming out of Sonoma Turns 8-9 chicane — upshift to second, third, fourth, eclipsing 100 mph — my AWD locomotive built up a full head of steam into the iconic Turn 11 hairpin.
There is little room for error. White concrete barriers loom on the periphery. Sonoma is a NASCAR-owned track, and the big boys like their walls. You gotta have confidence in your brakes here, and the Subie delivered.
“I haven’t experienced any brake fade all week,” said ex-Formula One driver Scott Speed, now a Subaru ambassador and NASCAR driver coach. And Speed, ahem, ain’t easy on brakes.
Into the hairpin, I stood the WRX tS on its nose under braking — the Brembos and Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires doing their thing. ‘Ru was rock solid: no fade, no swerve, no squeals. Just. Rabid. Grip.
That grip is aided by sophisticated adaptive dampers. The adjustable shocks offer multiple drive modes — from COMFORT for Michigan’s ox cart roads to SPORT PLUS for track days. In stiff SPORT PLUS mode, I rotated through the hairpin and was gone up the pit straight. Not bad for a production sedan.
It would be nice if SPORT PLUS brought more growl, though. Entombed in my helmet, I barely heard the turbocharged exhaust note, and I bounced off the rev limiter at 7,000 rpm before upshifting to third. Dang, also wish the WRX had shift lights like the Civic Si.
The good news is tS debuts WRX’s first digital dash, so I could choose a horizontal RPM display among three instrument views.
Back on the road, the digital display complemented the Subaru’s excellent, 12-inch screen now ubiquitous across the Subaru lineup. Though I prefer horizontal screens to keep my eyes focused on the road, WRX’s deep, vertical display allowed for navigation of multiple menus, including Sirus XM radio channels and Google Maps (courtesy of wireless Android Auto).
All these toys don’t come cheap, so expect tS to crest $42K — about the same price as a comparable GR Corolla — when it hits dealer lots early next year. Pocket rockets require deep pockets, but — pound for pound — they remain the best ticket in autodom. Maybe Tayshaun Prince will buy one.
Next week: 2025 VW ID.Buzz
2025 Subaru WRX tS
Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger pocket rocket
Price: Est. $44,000 when on sale in early 2025
Powerplant: 2.4-liter turbo-4 cylinder Boxer engine
Power: 271 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 6-speed manual (tS), continuously variable transmission (GT)
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.5 seconds (Car and Driver est., manual); top speed, 145 mph
Weight: 3,450 pounds (est.)
Fuel economy: EPA, 19 mpg city/26 highway/22 combined (manual)
Report card
Highs: Roomy cabin; AWD OMG
Lows: No head-up display or shift lights; stronger engine note, please
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Nissan Kicks reboots with delightful, subcompact ‘bot
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 11, 2024
Farmington Hills — Hollywood’s delightful “Wild Robot” movie has hit theaters starring the ROZZUM unit 7134 and its endless standard features: Safe Mode, extendable arms, video scanner, remote hand.
Nissan has its own clever robot — call it the 2025 Kicks SUV — hitting showrooms this fall, and it’s loaded with standard stuff, too.
Standard adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, auto high beams, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking. All-wheel drive is available for another 1,650 bucks. The ‘25 Kicks is a major upgrade over the last-gen robot — er, SUV — and stands out on a shelf full of clever B-segment, entry-level subcompacts. Think the stylish Chevy Trax, sporty Mazda CX-30, quirky Kia Soul and sci-fi Hyundai Kona — all compelling personalities that introduce buyers to their respective brands.
The Kicks conjures its own inner robot with a bold, fun design that would fit right in on the Hasbro toy car shelf (Nissan says the design was inspired by a football helmet). My SVR tester features a floating, two-toned roof atop brawny fenders stuffed with oversized 19-inch wheels with shard-like spokes. The Kicks robot’s face is less round “ROZZUM” and more “Robot-from Lost in Space” with its ribbed grille and LED running lights.
Danger, Will Robinson!
My Kicks automatically slowed on a tight Oakland County road — sensing the vehicle train in front of us. I was momentarily distracted by my Google Maps directions, but adaptive cruise control (backed up by emergency braking) did its job and saw the slowdown before I did. Ah, the modern car — you gotta’ have electronics to save you from the electronics.
The Chevy Trax was one of my three finalists for 2024 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year for its fetching looks and loaded features list. At a time when GM was rolling out entry-level electric vehicles at $40K, it was nice to see the Chevy brand sticking to its value roots with a $21K subcompact.
Nissan, too, is a value brand, and the Kicks cutie is proof the Japanese brand hasn’t been distracted from its core task even as it rolled out its own pricey EV, the $45K Ariya. My $25K Kicks droid featured all-wheel drive (it’s the cheapest AWD vehicle in the market, by the way) for Michigan winters like Ariya. Yet Kicks will get 434 miles of range compared to the EV’s, ahem, 214.
Kicks’ sci-fi ambitions extend to the interior.
Like Ariya, Kicks gets a high-tech hoodless screen stretching across the dash. Hoodless screen? This wondrous creation first appeared on a production car at the fall 2019 reveal of the $190,000 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Niagara Falls. The clouds parted. Angels sang. Jaws dropped.
Five years later and (yawn) here’s a hoodless digital screen draped across the dash of a $20K Nissan. Tech is moving fast. The Kicks’ 2.0-liter, inline-4 cylinder? Not so much.
While an improvement over the outgoing model’s 1.6-liter egg-beater, the new engine is a tool to get you from Point A to B. There’s been no hanky-panky between the Kicks and Nissan’s Z sportscar, I’m afraid. No athletic DNA here.
Which, frankly, didn’t matter during my Metro Detroit commute. With all that robot safety tech at my fingertips, I kept the Nissan in Adaptive Cruise Control most of the time to behave through small towns like Farmington Hills, Walled Lake and Wixom. If you choose my SR-trim tester, you’ll get Pro Pilot, which is Nissan’s advanced ACC system featuring lane centering.
When I hit I-696, I set Pro Pilot to 80 mph and cruised through midday traffic while tuning into (more electronics distractions!) Sirius XM on my phone. Yes, my phone.
Increasingly, automakers are surrendering to phones, given their superior Google Maps, generational tech upgrades and apps. Apps like Sirius XM, for which I pay $10 a month and can take into any car I drive that has Android Auto. Kicks’ steering wheel is easy to navigate without taking your eyes off the road. A left scroll wheel allowed me to navigate radio stations on the screen, and a raised toggle switch on the right spoke was useful for managing cruise speed.
Nissan could learn a trick from Detroiters Chevy and Jeep by adding volume and radio station controls on the back of the steering wheel.
The 12.3-inch screen on the SV and SR models options a wireless charging pad that kept my phone juiced while navigating, playing music and cooking my lunch (kidding about that last one). But even without the charger, you can just plug your phone in, thanks to the large center console.
Indeed, the Kicks has grown in every direction — it’s 1 inch higher, 1.5 inches wider, 2.3 inches longer — to allow for greater cabin room. It can’t hold a candle to Chevy’s twins in the backseat. Both the FWD Trax and AWD Trailblazer boast an impressive 39 inches of rear legroom, which is a gaping four inches more than a Kicks. Heck, Chevy rear leg room is as generous for six-footers like me as a midsize Nissan Murano SUV. But Kicks makes its mark behind the seats with best-in-class 30 cubic feet of cargo space.
So cutthroat is Subcompact Island that Kicks options a panoramic roof — a decidedly premium feature. Actually, it’s an option that the Jeep Renegade once had. Ahhh, the Renegade Wild Robot. I miss that cute ute with its round eyes and eager off-road stance.
The good news is that the Nissan comes standard with 8.4-inch ground clearance — nearly a match for the 8.7-inch Renegade Trailhawk off-roader, for goodness sake. That fits the Kicks’ venture vibe. I grunted around in the dirt ‘n’ grass playground of Proud Lake State Recreation Park. Let the Mazda CX-30 race around with its 227 horsepower — the Kicks’ natural habitat seems more nature park/ORV trail.
Kind of like the Wild Robotm which finds a home on its remote island at the end of the movie. Well-equipped with an affordable price, the Mexican-built Kicks will be finding a lot of new homes in 2025 too.
Next week: 2025 Subaru WRX tS
2025 Nissan Kicks
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $23,220, including $1,390 destination fee ($31,020 SR AWD with Premium Package (panoramic sunroof) as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Power: 141 horsepower, 140 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Automatic, continuously variable
Performance: 0-60 mph (9.5 sec., Car and Driver est.); top speed, 110 mph
Weight: 3,252 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA, 28 mpg city/35 highway/31 combined (FWD); 27 mpg city/34 highway/30 combined (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Sci-fi style; modern interior with lots of standard features
Lows: No-thrills powertrain; tight back seat compared to competitors
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Acura teases new subcompact ADX as entry-level SUV
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 11, 2024
Acura announced Wednesday it will bring to market an entry-level SUV called the ADX.
While Acura’s current entry-level compact, the RDX, has been well-received, Honda’s luxury brand has not had an answer for subcompact hotties like the BMW X1/X2, Audi Q3, Lexus UX, Volvo XC40 and Buick Envista. The latter has been selling like hotcakes this year with a sub-$30k starting price.
Acura has scored with the reintroduction of its iconic, sporty, compact Integra sedan — based on the popular, athletic Honda Civic — and the ADX will be positioned alongside it, just as Honda packages the Civic and its entry-level HR-V SUV.
Notably, Acura says the ADX will be powered by turbocharged gas engine. The utilitarian HR-V has been knocked for its meek 1.8-liter, 158-horsepower, normally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine, which doesn’t seem a good fit for Acura’s sportier brand vibe. Acura, after all, races at the pointy end of IMSA sportscar series’ hypercar class. Expect the ADX to share the peppy 1.5-liter turbo-4 found in Civic’s Si performance model. That also suggests the ADX will — like Integra — be based on the Civic’s chassis rather than the HR-V’s bones.
Acura said in its press release that “all Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S.,” further hinting at its Civic DNA. The Civic is assembled in Indiana, while the HR-V is made in Mexico.
“The all-new Acura ADX is another exciting model positioned at the gateway of our lineup, attracting a new generation of buyers to the Acura brand,” said Mike Langel, assistant vice president for Acura national sales. “When our new Acura ADX arrives in dealer showrooms, it will strengthen an exceptional lineup of premium SUVs that already includes the popular RDX, best-selling MDX and all-electric ZDX.”
The ADX is not electric, as Acura has chosen to debut its first EV, the two-row, $60k 2024 ZDX, as its most expensive model — positioned above the brand’s three-row, V6-powered MDX SUV. Honda has electrified its lineup with hybrid versions of the Civic, Accord sedan and CR-V SUV, so a hybrid model could be in the offing. No word yet either on whether the ADX will offer a performance-focused Type S model as Acura does with its Integra, TLX and MDX models.
Acura only teased feature photos of the ADX, but expect similar, sharp-edged styling like its Integra and RDX siblings — complete with signature Diamond Pentagon grille, Jewel Eye headlights and “heartbeat” LED taillights. Acura says it will offer a feature-rich interior, including available goodies like a panoramic moonroof, ventilated front seats and Bang & Olufsen audio.
True to the SUV class, the ADX should come with all-wheel-drive option like the HR-V — unlike the Integra, which comes only with front-wheel-drive propulsion. Acura is proud of its sophisticated torque-vectoring, so-called SH-AWD (Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive) system on the RDX, but no word yet on whether the cheaper ADX will share it.
ADX will make its North American debut later this year.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Q&A: Ken Lingenfelter opens his famed car collection to benefit the Pink Fund
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 7, 2024
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and numerous Metro Detroit businesses step up to raise awareness — and money — for a vital medical cause. The Uniroyal Giant Tire on I-94 has been lit pink. Pink Chevrolet Camaro pace cars will lead NASCAR races to the green flag. Emagine theaters are serving pink popcorn. The American Cancer Society turns Corktown pink with T-shirts on its 3-mile Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk walkathon.
And in Brighton, the Lingenfelter Collection is holding its Fall Charity Open House to benefit the Pink Fund.
The massive, nationally-known, 150-plus car Lingenfelter Collection sprawls across three bays and 40,000 square feet, and features everything from Ferraris to drag racers to General Motors Co. muscle cars that Ken Lingenfelter has modified for even more performance. The collection also holds the car that turned a young Ken Lingenfelter into a car guy, the second-generation, front engine, 1963 Corvette C2 Split Window — the first ‘Vette to wear the Stingray badge. It makes a wonderful bookend to Lingenfelter’s current daily driver, an eighth generation, mid-engine, 2020 Corvette C8.
Lingenfelter laughs at how much has changed in 60 years. “The tires we were using back in those days are not like the tires today. So if I take (the 1963 car) out for a show, I have to remind myself — I have to press a lot harder on that brake pedal. With the setup and everything else, (the 2020 C8) feels like a race car.”
Ken Lingenfelter, owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, with his 1955 Chevrolet Corvette Zora Dontov test mule at his showroom in Brighton. David Guralnick, Detroit News
Lingenfelter spoke with The Detroit News ahead of Saturday’s open house. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: Ken, you’re very generous with your collection. You contribute to Toys for Tots at Christmas time and host other charitable events throughout the year. Tell us about this weekend.
A: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for the past 11 years we have been supporting a charity called the Pink Fund. The group helps breast cancer patients when they have been diagnosed and helps with their treatments. It’s a great charity. The mission for the car collection is charity work. We just do charity fundraisers there and (Pink Fund) is a great charity to support. We’re going to do an Open House for them October 5th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Brighton. You can find more information: Go to thelingenfeltercollection.com.
We are looking for a good turnout. Our motto has always been a donation at the door for any amount. You don’t have to buy a ticket, you can just show up. We have some people come though and give us a few bucks and others write big checks. So, it all depends on whether breast cancer has touched your life or not.
Q: You open your doors to the public to view 150 glorious cars. Have any pink cars in there?
A: We don’t. We used to have one that we used for this specific event, but someone fell in love with it and had to have it. So we sold it to them and donated the money to the Pink Fund.
Q: I know you have a few red cars in there. The first thing you see when you walk into the Collection — after you give your donation, of course — is a red Ferrari.
A: Yeah, I have a Ferrari thing, but I have an even bigger Corvette thing, as you know. We probably have 60 Corvettes in there right now. They range from the (first generation) 1953 to Zora Duntov’s mule car that he used for testing while trying to convince GM that it could be a future race car to the latest model C8 Corvette.
Q: I know that C8 is really dear to your heart, Ken. For over 60 years and seven generations, we had front- engine Corvettes and then — lo and behold — the eighth-generation put the engine behind your ear in the middle, just like a Ferrari. For the price, I don’t know that there is a better mid-engine car on the planet.
A: It is such great bang for the buck. I have a 2020 model, and it is my daily driver. I’ve put 50,000 miles on it and I am enjoying the daylights out of it.
Lingenfelter Collection: Ken’s wife, Kristen Lingenfelter, autocrosses this Corvette C8.Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Q: Sometimes I see you on this weekend out at M1 Concourse in Pontiac for the American Speed Festival. I have an old Porsche race car and you like to exercise that Duntov Mule Corvette. But I suspect I’ll miss you this weekend since you’ll be busy at the Collection.
A: I’m going to try real hard to get to (Speed Fest) on Sunday. But I am also a trustee for Northwood University and we have our annual, student-produced new car show up there. I’m hoping to spend a little time up there as well.
Q: You need to clone yourself. Sounds like a busy weekend, and we’ll be sure everyone puts the Pink Fund and the Lingenfelter Collection on their list for Saturday.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Five cool things about the 2025 Ford Expedition mega-ute
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 7, 2024
Detroit — The Detroit land yacht wars are red hot. Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, GMC Yukon, Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer have all rolled out new three-row models in recent years, staking claim to the mainstream, truck-based mega-ute market.
Now it’s the 2025 Ford Expedition’s turn.
Based on the F-150 truck chassis, the all-new, fifth-generation Expedition turns up the heat by leaning in to Ford Motor Co. strengths like high-tech, hands-free driver assist and off-road capability. Here are five notable things about the Blue Oval’s living room on wheels.
1) Jumbotron. Ford has been a tech pioneer from infotainment software to onboard power systems for work sites. Expedition continues that tradition with an innovative, 24-inch screen (essentially a giant head-up display) below the windshield — and above the steering wheel — designed to keep the driver’s eyes on the road by projecting driving essentials including navigation, speed and radio information. The system was introduced in Ford’s Lincoln luxury brand and Expedition essentially adopts it — but with half the screen width. Lincoln models like the Nautilus wrap a 48-inch screen from A-pillar to A-pillar with even more content options.
Both Expedition and Lincoln screens are operated by an 11-inch command screen in the center console. Both also share square steering wheels with twin, haptic-touch buttons to control vehicle speed and entertainment. Hover your thumb over the left button, for example, and your adaptive speed controls are reflected in the screen in front of you. Navigate via Ford’s native, Google-like maps system — or by wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Just bark your destination with Google/or Alexa vice commands and go.
2) Look ma, no hands. The screen-tastic controls are particularly useful if you opt for Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise system. On divided highways, the screen’s left quadrant will light blue, letting you know you can take your hands off the wheel to eat a meal or just relax. Pull the turn stalk and the land yacht will change lanes automatically.
Sound freaky? It is, and Ford has made it attractive to test. Unlike GM brands, which require an up-front $3,000-plus to activate their similar Super Cruise system, Ford offers immediate access depending on the Active, Platinum, King Ranch or Tremor model you buy. Higher trims get BlueCruise standard. Other options include a 90-day free trial. Or you can buy BlueCruise annually. Or, if you only take a long road trip to, say, Florida each year — you can purchase the feature for a month. Freaky friendly. Once you go hands-free, there’s no going back.
3) Rolling domicile. Detroit automakers own the mega-ute space because the SUVs are based on Motown’s dominant, full-size pickup trucks. And the most dominant pickup for the last five decades has been the F-series on which the Expedition is based. Expedition translates that into truck-like utility.
There’s the so-called Flex Powered Console that can move backward toward the second-row seats by 8 inches so you can share cupholders/bag storage between passengers. Speaking of rows, Expedition has three — and the (folding) third boasts a class-first 40/20/40 split so you can pass long boards/fishing poles/paddles/etc. down the center of the vehicle. Ford has even put eye-holes on the console to help tie down your cargo.
Carry big Thermos containers for road trips? Second-row side doors have extra-deep insets to hold them upright. When camping, Ford has equipped the tall ute with outdoor zone lighting so you can see your way around the vehicle for off-loading — or for setting up your campsite. That convenience is complemented by 10-device Wi-Fi system that extends 50-feet from the SUV.
4) Off-road beast. F-150 sports some of the most capable off-road pickups in the land, from the Baja-eating Raptor to the rock-crawling Tremor. For the first time, Expedition adopts the Tremor badge so you can kick some dirt with the fam.
Features include all-wheel-drive, huge 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires, 10.6-inch ground clearance and 7,000-pound towing without load-leveling bars (ultimately, Expedition can be equipped to tow up to 9,600 pounds). Other off-road goodies include bash plate, tow hooks, electronic locking rear differential, trail-turn assist and rock-crawl mode. Oh, and Tremor gets Expedition’s beefiest engine option with a 440-horsepower/510 torque, 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V-6. Dude.
5) Tailgate. No mega-ute is complete without tailgating abilities and Expedition aims to please for the ongoing Lions football season.
With an available seatback, the tailgate can be turned into a couch that holds 500 pounds. The same seatback transforms into a serving table for your food spread. Useful power outlets are just a step away. Expedition also comes with a standard split-gate, which combines hatchback utility and the cargo management of a truck. Three-quarters of the gate rises like a traditional liftgate, while the lower quarter drops like a pickup’s tailgate.
If more room is needed, Expedition comes in an extended-length MAX model.Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Road trippin’ in the screen-tastic Lincoln Nautilus robot
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 3, 2024
Watkins Glen, New York — A modern luxury SUV and a race car are automotive bookends. So I drove the Lincoln Nautilus to Watkins Glen Raceway this fall where I would be racing my Lola sportscar.
At 2.5 G-load in the lightweight, 1,335-pound Lola around Watkins Glen’s 180-degree high-speed Turn 5, my arms strained to maintain the car’s trajectory while my helmeted head threatened to pop off my neck.
I’m not sure the handsome 4,554-pound Nautilus land yacht has ever experienced a G-load.
Rolling quietly down I-86 in eastern New York on my way home from The Glen, I relaxed for miles — hands on my knees while Lincoln’s Blue Cruise driver assistance system drove — in Redwood Venetian leather seats, as if lounging in my TV room. Indeed, the 48-inch screen that sprawled from A-pillar to A-pillar beneath the windshield is just seven inches smaller than my home’s 55-inch jumbotron. Blue Cruise asked only that I not look away from the road for very long.
The Lola also has a digital screen, a tiny unit that requires my undivided attention lest I miss a shift and blow the 2.0-liter engine sky-high while traveling at 140 mph between The Glen’s blue tunnel of guardrails. My race seat? Like sitting in Cedar Point’s upside-down Raptor coaster ride’s five-point body harness (the race car has a six-point harness for good measure, plus twin forearm restraints).
Ahhhh, the escape of Lincoln luxury.
The brand for years tried to play catch-up to German and Japanese luxe-makers with trendy alphanumeric badges like MKZ, MKS, MKC and WXYZ (kidding about the last one). Argh. Lincoln finally came to its senses and realized proper names are as American as, well, Lincoln.
They rebooted with the Lincoln Navigator mega-ute, kicked sedans to the curb and rebooted as the posh boulevard-cruisers that made Ford’s premium brand a post-WW2 icon. Navigator is the unmistakable outsize-personality, Shaq O’Neal-like captain of the team — but it’s the 2024 Nautilus that sets the tone for what’s to come.
My Nautilus is on the bleeding edge of high-tech comfort.
Mercedes has long been the standard, but Lincoln is easier to drive than the German while carrying a 10 grand-cheaper sticker price. Regular readers of this column know I’m leery of haptic-touch controls, but Lincoln has beautifully integrated digital and analog features.
Cruising hands-free on I-90 through Pennsylvania, the Nautilus automatically adjusted its velocity to the speed limit. In construction zones, I would take control of the wheel, then — without looking away from the road — use my thumb on the rubber, steering-wheel touchpad to adjust cruise speed up and down. Resting my thumb over Braille-like raised dots on the pad, the screen in front of me mirrored my finger movements.
It’s magical — and more intuitive than Mercedes’ haptic-sliding controls that force your eyes away from the road. The Merc wows with big screens choked with state-of-the-art graphics, but the Lincoln’s jumbotron is superior with comparable graphics and head-up positioning so that everything is in your line of sight.
Culling from its storied past, the wraparound interior echoes Lincoln’s classic 1993 Mark VIII “fighter cockpit.” Fast forward four decades and — where the sleek Mark VIII’s radio used to be — there is an 11-inch touchpad controller so you can adjust what information you desire in the 48-inch screen.
“Whoa! That is cool,” gasped my friend Peter each time he changed the view with a simple drag-and-drop of an icon.
“This is the coolest SUV you’ve had yet,” said my discerning 34-year old son — historically a tough consumer to please. My millennial son is exactly who Lincoln is targeting with all this tech, which, to be honest, was overwhelming to some of my 60-something peers.
Screen tech is second nature to the Gen-Y iPhone generation, and my son thrilled at the freshness of the gadgetry — including voice commands enabled by the Google-based operating system.
“Change driver temperature to 70 degrees,” barked my son on a chilly Watkins Glen morning.
“Play Spotify,” he said as we switched between car and wireless-connected Android Auto systems.
This is a Tesla-generation Lincoln, yet the brand still provides a thoughtful mix of touch and analog controls to navigate the cabin. Exiting my Glen motel each AM, I went through my settings routine via a series of console toggle switches: Turn off the (annoying) STOP-START button; punch the 360-degree camera button to make sure my land yacht exited its tight slip without incident; toggle the DRIVE MODE button to … ah, fuhgeddaboudit.
Just keep it in NORMAL or CONSERVE mode.
Before Watkins Glen built its majestic, world-famous, epic 3.4-mile racing facility overlooking Seneca Lake in 1956, the surrounding, twisting, public roads were used for competition. The old 6.6-mile public road course is still a hoot to drive — in a stick-shift sports car.
The Lincoln ain’t interested. How do you know? The shift buttons are piano keys. This ute is a dining car, not a vehicle you row hard with paddle shifters or stick shift. Nautilus offers a choice of 250-horse/280-torque, 2.0-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder, or a sippier 295-horse/310-torque hybrid-electric drivetrain. My standard, 250-horse engine was fine in getting the 2½-ton ute up to a speed where I could put it into adaptive cruise control/Blue Cruise.
Around The Glen’s remote rural roads, Blue Cruise was not available. I ferried my family in the Nautilus’s palatial interior — complete with the roomiest rear seats in the mid-size class, lotsa storage nooks and digital scents. Digital what?
Yes, Lincoln even offers different scents so the cabin could pleasantly smell of MYSTIC FOREST, OZONIC AZURE or (family preferred) VIOLET CASHMERE. Sure beats body odor at the end of a long race day.
After the race weekend, Nautilus made for an easy 7 1/2-hour trip home around Lake Erie. With all-wheel drive and spare tire, the Lincoln was a reassuring ride across the remote (sometimes dirt) roads of western New York state. Blue Cruise was a welcome chauffeur on much of the trip, but — with plenty of audible warnings — it went off duty through a heavy rainstorm and Cleveland’s strange highways.
Who puts a 35-mph hairpin in the middle of I-90? Native Clevelanders know the famous left hook well, but Blue Cruise checked out. The 21st century Lincoln Nautilus robot is here — but it still requires a human hand. Just like a race car.
Next week: 2025 Nissan Kicks
2024 Lincoln Nautilus
Vehicle type: Gas-powered, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger luxury SUV
Price: $52,210, including $1,595 destination charge ($77,520 AWD Black Label as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder; hybrid-electric drivetrain with 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed transmission (2.0L); CVT (hybrid)
Weight: 4,554 pounds (as tested)
Power: 250 horsepower, 280 pound-feet torque (2.0L); 295 horsepower, 310 pound-feet torque (hybrid)
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.3 sec. (Car and Driver, 2.0L); towing, 1,750 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA est. 21 city/29 highway/24 combined (2.0L); 30 city/31 highway/30 combined (2.0L); 25 mpg as tested (2.0L)
Report card
Highs: Well-executed, big screen interior; pleasant exterior
Lows: Uninspired 4-banger; Blue Cruise requires constant attention
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
‘World champion of hybrids’: How Honda is going hybrid in racing and production
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 1, 2024
Nashville — Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
Honda’s first hybrid IndyCar won big at the season finale here at the Big Michigan Music City Grand Prix Sept. 15 as Colton Herta took the checkered flag first — and Alex Palou clinched the overall driver’s championship. And for customers who want a hybrid Honda of their own for the street, 2025 Civic Hybrids are now on sale across the brand’s North American showrooms, anchoring a hybrid lineup that includes Civic, Accord sedan and CR-V SUV.
Automakers have long used the race track as a marketing tool and engineering test bed for their production programs and the electrification era is no different. Driving towards its “Second Founding” — a battery-powered future by 2040 — Honda is particularly aggressive in integrating its hybrid IndyCar program and street vehicles. But the challenges of racing present to electric drivetrains also expose how far battery-powered cars have to go to compete with their gas-powered brethren.
“The automotive world is flipping on its head at the moment. There are loads of cool things happening in racing in terms of electrification. We have alternate fuels that are 60% carbon neutral; we have hybrid systems; the tire manufacturer is looking at renewable tires . . . there is a lot of stuff that goes into it,” said David Salters, who leads Honda’s North American racing programs as president of Honda Racing Corporation USA. “Honda has all these really smart engine people with a goal. Honda uses racing to develop that.”
As Honda charts a path to an all-electric model lineup by 2040, it has been aggressive in pushing hybrid-powered vehicles as a bridge to that future. That strategy has dovetailed with three of the most prestigious racing series in the world – Formula One, IndyCar, and IMSA sportscar racing — which feature hybrid powertrains.
“Racing is core to our DNA,” said Honda & Acura Motorsports Manager Chuck Schifsky. “Racing is often the perfect test bed for new technology and engineers. It is common for us to integrate our racing learnings and successes into our marketing to show how this helps us develop better mobility products for our customers.”
Honda has partnered with F1’s dominant team, Red Bull, on a hybrid powertrains since 2019 — and will take on a new partner in 2026 when the series moves to an updated 50-50 gas-electric power unit.
On the IndyCar front, Honda is one of two powertrain manufacturers (General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet is the other) and was a driving force in pushing the series to go hybrid this year. The IndyCar system was co-engineered by Honda, Chevrolet, race engine manufacturer Ilmor and IndyCar.
Honda has entered the hybrid hypercar class in IMSA under the banner of its Acura premium brand. GM also races in the hypercar series with its hybrid Cadillac V-Series.R. Unlike Honda, GM has dropped hybrid powertrains in its production vehicles, choosing instead to pursue an all-electric strategy by 2035 (though it is reassessing that model given slow EV sales).
Notably, neither manufacturer supports Formula E, the international, all-electric, open-wheel racing series. “Honda is not looking to enter an all-electric series,” said Schifsky. “We feel that competing in the electrified series of F1, INDYCAR and IMSA help us develop better engineers and mobility products for our customers.”
IndyCar race driver Linus Lundqvist, who races with the Chip Ganassi team, is intrigued by the new hybrid system. “From a drivers point of view, the hybrid has been an amazing development for IndyCar. It’s done two things: One, it keep (drivers) a lot more busy because we’re having to stay on top of the energy management systems, both regeneration and deploy . . . and, two, from the team’s perspective, it’s changed how you fundamentally set up the car. Not only do we deal with more power from the energy system, but it’s also a weight distribution change.”
One of the biggest engineering challenges of electrified drivetrains is managing voltage. The 800-volt hybrid systems (comparable to 800-volt systems used in production EVs like the Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N) require extensive driver and racetrack crew safety training given the deadly consequences if a human comes in contact with high voltage.
The IMSA sportscar series — and the tracks it uses like Daytona, Florida, and Circuit of the Americas, Texas — have taken on the challenge. But it’s proven a challenge for other organizations.
“SCCA is very cautious about the risks posed to track personnel because of these electric cars,” said Jack Baruth, a racer with SCCA, the nation’s largest amateur racing organization. “That accounts for a little bit of the caution with bringing EVs to the racetrack.”
For its hybrid package, IndyCar chose a safer, 60-volt supercapacitor system instead of a battery pack. It mitigates concerns on track but also in tight paddocks where IndyCar teams work. As a result, the hybrid units produce just 60 horsepower, according to Salters, much less than F1 or IMSA hybrid systems.
Still, Salters says that IndyCar hybrids have brought huge benefits to Honda engineering.
“Electrification . . . has been really good for the racing side because we get to try and develop new things. One thing that provably isn’t appreciated is that racing companies are like startups,” he said ahead of the Nashville race. “We are very agile, we move very quickly and we talk about sprints in startups where every two weeks you have a goal to achieve — every two weeks, we have a race! So, I know every two weeks whether we have gone forward or not.”
That environment, in turn, attracts engineering talent. “There is a whole new breed of engineers that want to be involved,” he said. “How do you manage energy? How do you deal with current flow? How to help the drivers use it strategically?”
Honda has long dabbled in hybrids, introducing the first hybrid vehicle, the Insight, to the North American market in 1999. But, beginning with the 2024 model year, Honda is producing its core Accord, CR-V and Civic vehicles with hybrid models with plans for those versions to account for up to 50% of sales.
“While our race cars use more advanced electrified hybrid systems than our production passenger vehicles, the root engineering work is similar,” said Schifsky. “Racing electrified hybrid race cars demonstrates to our customers that we race what we sell, and sell what we race.”
The Civic Hybrid is assembled in Greenburg, Indiana, where it will be joined by the Accord Hybrid sedan in 2025. Accord is moving from Marysville, Ohio, which Honda is retooling as its so-called EV Hub — part of a sprawling network of Midwest vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities where the Japanese brand is investing over $4 billion in EVs with a production target of 2026.
The Ohio shakeup comes as consumer EV adoption in the United States is on the wane even as more battery-powered cars hit the market. A 2024 Gallup poll indicated the proportion of prospective buyers of EVs has shrunk from 12% to 9% of the market. But Honda says it is playing a long game.
It plans to sell only EVs by 2040. The consolidation of Honda’s Maryville production to one line is meant to build in flexibility so Honda can make either ICE or EV vehicles depending on consumer taste.
For now, that means hybrid models that are more accepted by consumers — a popularity reflected in the IndyCars that howled around Nashville Speedway with their screaming, V6-powered engines.
“IndyCar uses the hybrid strategically for lap time. It’s been designed for the driver to utilize . . . like the Civic hatchback. You’ll notice the paddles behind the wheel so you can decide how much regen to use,” said Salters, referring to the Civic’s regen paddles, which use the electric motor for one-pedal driving.
He expects racing to be a key element of Honda’s EV “Second Founding” — just as the company’s 20th century founding was grounded in motorcycle and Formula One racing.
“If you think about Honda in Formula One, we are the world champion of hybrids,” smiled Salters, referring to back-to-back Red Bull Honda’s F1 titles in 2022 and 2023.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: A Honda Civic for everyone
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 28, 2024
Nashville, Tennessee — If I lived here in America’s Music City, I would buy a manual 2025 Honda Civic Si, move south of the city and take the twisted, vacant Natchez Trace Highway into work every day. SPORT mode. BWAAAUUWWWWW! Shift to 4th. BWAAAUUWWWWW! Downshift to 3rd with rev match. BWAP! Back on the throttle. BWAAAUUWWWWW! Glorious.
If I lived in Los Angeles? I would buy a sippy 2025 Honda Civic Sport Touring Hatchback hybrid. ECON mode. In bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-5, the hybrid would creep silently on electric power under 15 mph. When the traffic freed up, I’d activate adaptive cruise control and slipstream behind traffic getting 47 mpg. Take that, $5-a-gallon gas.
If I had a 16-year-old in Oakland County? I’d buy them a $25K Civic LX. Honda Sensing suite of safety systems standard: collision mitigation braking, lane-departure warning, driver-attention monitor, auto high-beam headlights, adaptive-cruise control. Fun, safe.
King Civic has long been at the top of the compact retail sales game because it appeals to a wide swath of drivers from youthful to frugal to those with a need for speed (me).
For the 2025 model year, the 11th-generation Civic is a microcosm of where the U.S. auto market is headed.
The manual gearbox was once the standard transmission for compact automobiles due to its affordability and superior fuel mileage. No more. Multi-speed and continuously-variable automatic trannies are not only easier to use, they’re more efficient — saving dollars over the lifetime of a car.
Sticks have become an enthusiast niche. #SaveTheManual, we cry. Performance markers have listened. Porsche’s GT3 sportscar offers a manual. So does Mazda’s Miata and Mazda3 cars. Civic saves the manuals for its enthusiast-focused Si and Type R pocket rockets.
Old Hillsboro Road near Natchez Trace looks like a twisted USB cable, its asphalt ribbon gnarled with dips and turns. Happily, the Civic Si’s manual is one of the industry’s best, matching Porsche and Mazda with crisp, short throws. Adding to the joy for 2025 are shift lights and rev-matching.
Like a modern race car, the digital tachometer’s horizontal display lit up yellow as I approached the 6,200-RPM redline, blinking red at the shift point. I rowed the box hard through the curves, never missing a shift — maximizing the car’s 192 pound-feet of torque.
Which ahem, is 66 less than the 2025 VW Jetta GLI that I recently tested. And 117 less than the Mazda3 Turbo. Hmmm.
Honda has been stubborn about upping Si power output with the horsepower number stuck at 200 since, well, the ol’ 2006 Civic Si in my driveway. No wonder the ’25 model has shift lights to keep it in the meat of the torque band.
Si continues to develop in other areas like the chassis, which has been stiffened — and in smooth, satisfying, rev-matching downshifts. Flying low across the Tennessee landscape, it was hard to notice that the Si was a FWD car, so natural is its rotation through corners.
If it’s more torque you want, check out the Civic Hybrid hatchback. It’s Honda’s answer to the Toyota Prius hatchback.
The 232-torque battery-electric compact is a pivotal development in Honda’s history. The Japanese brand has dabbled in hybrids before, debuting the nerdy Insight alongside Toyota’s (more successful) Pious — er, Prius — from 2000-06 and maintained a steady, niche diet of green-focused hybrids since.
Insight made a repeat performance from 2010–14 and again in 2019–22. Civic even adopted a hybrid from 2003-15. Now hybrids are fringe nerd-mobiles no more. They’ve become lineup essentials to meet tightening government emissions regs — even as governments punish other alternative-powertrains like diesel.
Hybrids are as mainstream as bread and butter, and Honda targets 40% sales of its core Civic, Accord, CR-V models to be gas-electric.
Gone is the upmarket 180-horse, turbo-4 engine that Civic previously offered alongside the base, 150-horsepower/133 torque, 2.0-liter gas-burner. Instead, Honda paired the 36-mpg base mill with a battery and electric motor, and — voila! — a 47-mpg highway hybrid available for Sport hatchback and Sport Touring hatchback/sedan trims.
I silently crept out onto Nashville’s city streets before the gas engine kicked in. Merging onto I-40, I nailed the throttle and the electric motor’s torque pushed my blue Sport Touring Hybrid hatch effortlessly into morning traffic.
Batteries and electric motors don’t come cheap, and the Hybrid upgrade will set you back an additional $2,000 over its gas counterpart. That cost is in line with the upscale Prius, not the cheaper $29K Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Honda sweetens the deal with goodies like a 9-inch infotainment screen, leather seats, moonroof and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto complemented by wireless charging so my Android’s battery didn’t expire while it navigated me south.
If hybrids are now mainstream, then Honda wants you to know that, over the next decade, it’s going all-electric. Dubbed the “Second Founding,” the brand’s methodical battery-powered makeover is foreshadowed by the Civic Hybrid’s twin regen paddles.
Rolling up to stoplight, I used the left paddle for maximum, four-level regen — slowing the car with the electric motor without touching the brake. Fun toy. Other neat features include a pull-over shade to hide valuables under the hatchback, Google Built-in software and rad 18-inch wheels.
One feature the Hybrid model doesn’t have is a spare tire. Blame the heavy battery’s need for space.
But the base LX model has a spare. Just the sort of thing you want for your teen’s (or any owner’s) first car. I’ve had two flats in the last two years — one of them on a remote drive — and it’s nice to have a spare on hand.
Indeed, there are few compromises to buying the standard, most-affordable $25K Civic. 36 mpg? Check. A suite of safety features? Check. Good rear seat room for your tall basketball pals? Check. Good looks? Yup.
With its clean lines (and a little plastic surgery to the ‘22 Civic’s hood overbite), Civic models a timeless, athletic look. Inside, steering wheel ergonomics are first class, as is the premium-looking horizontal dash that’s a step from class competitors. Dude, check out the honeycomb dash detail.
All those standard items and premium touches have inflated the Civic’s bottom line. This is no entry-level bargain like, say, Chevy’s terrific $21,495 Trax SUV. Then again, Trax can’t offer you a bargain, corner-carving, manual like $31K pocket rocket Si.
The electrified era looms, but there’s nothing that satisfies like a good ol’ fashioned stick on a country road.
Next week: Lincoln Nautilus road trip
2025 Honda Civic/Civic Si
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan
Price: $25,345, including $1,095 destination fee ($34,045 Hybrid Sport Touring Hatchback and $31,045 Si as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder; hybrid, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder mated to twin electric motors and lithium-ion battery; 1.5-liter turbo-4 (Si)
Power: 150 horsepower, 133 pound-feet of torque (2.0L); 200 horsepower, 232 pound-feet of torque (Hybrid); 200 horsepower, 192 pound-feet of torque (Si)
Transmission: Automatic, continuously-variable transmission (2.0L); electronic continuously-variable transmission (Hybrid); six-speed manual (Si)
Performance: 0-60 mph (Hybrid 6.2 sec., Car and Driver); top speed, 114 mph; 0-60 mph (Si 6.6 sec., Car and Driver); top speed, 135 mph
Weight: 3,225 pounds (Hybrid); 3,000 pounds (Si, est.)
Fuel economy: EPA, 32 mpg city/41 highway/36 combined (2.0L); 50 mpg city/47 highway/49 combined (Hybrid); 27 mpg city/37 highway/31 combined (Si)
Report card
Highs: Sippy now Hybrid drivetrain; terrific Si saves the manual
Lows: Hybrid comes with price bump; no AWD option
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Bountiful Buick Enclave is a lotta SUV for your cheddar
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 19, 2024
Tillamook, Oregon — As Monty Python reminds us, cheddar is the most popular cheese in the world. Tillamook makes some of the world’s best, and its flagship creamery is on Oregon’s Pacific coast. It’s a great destination for a family adventure in, say, the 2025 Buick Enclave.
Buick’s flagship SUV offers a lot of goodies for your cheddar.
Starting at $46K, the tasty, roomy, three-row ute comes standard with blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control, rear-cross traffic alert, 30-inch-curved-Porsche Taycan-like screen display, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, phone charger, heated steering wheel, heated vinyl power seats, second-row captain’s chairs and a lifetime’s supply of Tillamook cheese (kidding about that last part).
Add all-wheel drive for northern winters and a convenience package that includes must-haves like a panoramic sunroof so the kiddies can get a tan in the third row, and my favorite, black-trimmed ST model clocks in at $54,043 — just five grand above its cousin Chevy Traverse Z71 model that I flipped for early this year, and $12K south of a comparable Audi A7 45.
The American west is an epic place with Pacific Ocean views, southwest canyons and Rocky Mountain highs, and General Motors Co. offers the C1 platform-based, three-row Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia SUVs to take you there.
Enclave makes its case in a crowded premium segment with a buffet of competitive options. The Buick makes an aggressive value pitch by undercutting luxury Germans as well as premium peers like the $60K-plus Lincoln Aviator, Volvo XC90 and Acura MDX A-Spec. Only the classy inline-6-cylinder Mazda CX-90 Turbo Premium Plus undercuts the Buick’s value at $51,450.
Enclave cements its value with a simple, standout interior.
I know, you want to do that Pacific road trip in a Cadillac Escalade — but then you choke on the $80K sticker like a mouse ingesting a half-pound Tillamook cheese wheel. Never fear, Buick is here.
In addition to that stunning Porsche Taycan curved screen is a floating console island right out of a Cadillac Lyriq. Oooooh, check out the enormous purse-storage cavity underneath The side-by-side cup holders, the yuuuuuge wireless phone charger. The space was opened up moving the shifter to the steering column.
Its creamy feel is mated to, um, a coarse-sounding 2.5-liter turbo-4 engine that powers the GM SUV trio. It droned away even in my sporty looking ST model. By contrast, Ford’s (similarly-priced), growly ST-line turbo-4 sounds like a cornered badger. Now, that’s what a premium turbo-4 should sound like.
Happily, the 4-banger is a torque monster, and Enclave had no problem powering over the Oregon Coast Range on its way to the Pacific coast from Portland — inhaling cool air as the temperature dropped from the Columbia River basin’s 90 degrees to the Pacific Coast’s 60 degrees over 80 miles. Man, I love this country.
If the engine running the wheels lacks moxie, then the Google Built-in operating system running the dash displays is an iMax movie experience by comparison.
Navigating to Tillamook, I toggled through multiple instrument display modes to put the navigation map — Audi-style — on the screen right in front of me. This freed up the right side of the 30-inch jumbotron for the passenger to adjust, say, radio stations on GM’s best-in-class Sirius XM interface. Google Built-in desktop offers multiple apps like your car. Ambient light color adjuster, radio, Park-assist. Like a smartphone, you can slide any of them to your shortcuts menu for instant access.
If you live in a city, you might want Park Assist in your shortcuts for parallel and perpendicular parking.
In the town of Oceanside, I sidled up to a parallel parking space, and the Buick instantly identified the open space on my right. Then I sat back and watched as the Enclave automatically backed into the space without my touching the wheel or pedals. Nervous about where the four corners are on your three-row SUV? Let Park Assist help.
For true road warriors, I recommend the $3,225 Super Cruise hands-free driving option. The industry-leading system (better than Tesla’s pioneering Full-Self-Driving system on my Model 3) allows you to relax on divided freeways, eat a meal, or enjoy an extra layer of security when you travel two-lane byways.
I’m not sure many customers will drop that kind of coin on a system that, understandably, will freak them out at first. Better if GM outfitted every Enclave with Super Cruise hardware (as Tesla does) then let customers pay a monthly subscription. Once you’ve tried Super Cruise, you won’t go back.
Speaking of going back, the big Enclave — like its GM sisters — offers one of the roomiest back seats in the three-row aisle. Enclave marketer Pam Walz says her two young kids prefer the third row over the second. It’s cozy, has cup and French fry holders, and offers a USB-C port for each passenger.
I’m with the kids: I like the third row as well. In my case, I like flattening the second-row captain’s chair in front of me and using it as an ottoman for my 6’5” frame. Whether working on a laptop off the Buick’s built-in Wi-Fi — or just relaxing — there is no better seat in the house.
GM is my benchmark for good interior ergonomics, but the Enclave makes a coupla curious feature choices. Like its Chevy cousin, it offers volume and station control buttons on the back of the steering wheel. Unlike the Traverse, the cruise control tools on the front of the wheel are not as intuitive — and are oddly mixed in with a voice recognition button. Drivers may wonder why the headlight controls are in the center screen rather than on the left side of the dash. Or on the left stalk.
Overall, though, Enclave is a first-class study in design and value engineering. With up to 523 miles of range, it will get you across the West’s vast spaces without the range anxiety of electric vehicles creeping into GM’s portfolio. And, unlike those 6,000-pound EVs, the Buick’s relatively light, 4,800-pound girth was easy to maneuver, even on Oregon’s twisted mountains roads.
With a long journey back to Portland ahead of me, I didn’t linger at the Tillamook creamery. But had my wife and two kids been on board, we would have made an afternoon of it. And when we emerged with an arm-full of cheesy comestibles for when we felt a bit peckish?
There’s plenty of storage under the cargo floor in back.
Next week: 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid/Si
2025 Buick Enclave
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive, six-passenger SUVPrice: $46,395 base, including $1,395 destination fee ($54,043 ST as tested)
Powerplant: 2.5-liter, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 328 horsepower, 326 pound-feet torque
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.5 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing capacity: 5,000 pounds
Weight: 4,800 pounds (est. AWD)
Fuel economy: EPA est. 20 city/27 highway/23 combined (FWD); 19 city/24 highway/21 combined (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Stunning interior, value pricing
Lows: Course turbo-4; some awkward feature controls
Overall: 4 stars
Payne: I’ve owned my Tesla for five years. Here are the plusses and minuses
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 19, 2024
Detroit — My Labor Day trip up north was like any other adventure in my 2019 Tesla Model 3. I unhooked the car charger, stowed my luggage in the trunk and put my computer bag in the frunk. Recognizing the key card in my wallet, the car unlocked automatically, then silently turned on when I depressed the brake pedal. Before backing out of the garage, I checked the details on the latest, overnight software update.
In the five years since I bought my Model 3, Tesla Inc. has remade the auto landscape. And for nearly 5 million owners worldwide, it has introduced a different car-owning experience, from its pioneering electronics to its battery-powered operation.
This is my five-year anniversary report on living with an EV.
As The Detroit News auto critic, I test more than 100 cars a year. The Model 3 has maintained its freshness, pushing the envelope in over-the-air updates, dealer service and autonomous driving. I’ve tracked it, road-tripped it, Dream-Cruised it and loaned it to Car and Driver for an EV comparison test.
It’s exposed the limitations of battery power compared to internal combustion engine cars, which remain the U.S. consumer market’s choice of personal transportation. And it’s introduced me to a Tesla universe of owners as passionate as any Porsche and Mustang club. Owners like ex-General Motors engineer Dick Amacher, 76, of Rochester Hills, who adopted his Model 3 in 2019, and Belleville’s Kelli Sloan, 60, whose 2018 Model 3 has weathered 126,000 miles over six years.
“I named her Stella. She’s a black, rear-wheel-drive, long-range model,” said Sloan, who together with husband Burt, has added a 2020 Model Y and 2024 Cybertruck to their fleet. “Everything in our house is now electric, even the lawnmower. I’ve driven the Model 3 all over, including to Park City, Utah, and twice to the (Florida) Keys.”
I bought my first, rear-wheel-drive, 271-horsepower, $58,450 Model 3 in fall 2018, then traded it for an all-wheel-drive, 473-horsepower, $63,940 Model 3 Performance model a year later when Tesla temporarily dropped the price by $15k. As readers of this space know, I have a need for speed. My first year with the handsome, RWD Model 3 was fascinating, and M3P extended my electric journey while interfacing with the first viable startup automaker in decades.
From its “production Hell” while Tesla struggled to meet a flood of 250,000 orders, Model 3 has stabilized as the No. 12 best-selling vehicle in the U.S. marketplace ahead of stalwarts like the Toyota Corolla and Chevy Equinox. Its sibling Model Y reigns as the No. 4 best-seller and No. 1 selling luxury vehicle. It has inspired countless tech innovations, from its 15.4-inch touchscreen to the “frunk” (front trunk) to driver-assistance tech.
It’s even been a political lightning rod with Tesla CEO Elon Musk swinging from being the scourge of the Right (after taking a $465 million taxpayer loan from the Obama administration) to the bane of the Left (when he restored former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account).
Once a rare sight around Metro Detroit, my Model 3 has been joined by hundreds more — including its sibling Model Y. Fortunately for Michigan owners, the new Whitmer administration in January 2020 overturned Gov. Rick Snyder’s state ban (more politics!) on Tesla service centers.
Service
Tesla’s first in-state service center opened on Dixie Highway just west of downtown Clarkston in May 2020. A half-hour drive from my house, it’s been my primary maintenance facility for the last five years. Prior to that, I had to go back to Cleveland (where I bought my Teslas) to get service.
Not that there isn’t much service to do on an electric vehicle.
In five years, I’ve had seven service calls with the Model 3 Performance, two of them mobile house calls. The first issue, in early 2021, stemmed from a rodent’s nest that had been built in my console during the winter. Removing it required three visits (two to the service center, one from Mobile Unit. Yes, Tesla makes house calls). Critters like warm batteries, apparently. I noticed the invasion because I could hear acorns rolling around beneath the cabin.
Service appointments are activated by the Tesla app. I submit the issue and a dispatcher determines whether it can be resolved 1) over the air, 2) via Mobile Unit visit, or 3) a journey to the service center.
On July 7, 2022, I experienced an Autopilot sensor issue, which a tech corrected remotely. And I scheduled two Bluetooth services when my phone failed to connect. The remaining visit? At 10,000 miles for scheduled maintenance and to replace the trunk-lid wiring harness under recall. Cost? Just $166 to rotate tires and check brake pads, brake fluid, windshield washer fluid and battery coolant.
Amacher bought his blue, RWD Model 3 Long Range (nickname: Deja Blue) in April 2019 and has logged 36,000 miles, including a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I asked if he was tempted to upgrade to a 2024 Highland, the second-generation Model 3 introduced earlier this year with a quieter cabin, yoke steering, predictive gear changes and revised styling.
“I’m not tempted,” said Amacher, whose car has been trouble-free. “I’ve had no battery degradation, no brake pad changes, no oil jobs.”
Charging
Most of my EV driving is local. I am constantly on airplanes, work remotely, and don’t have a regular office commute. Combined with testing other vehicles, that keeps mileage on my Tesla low. I plug in the M3P in my garage at night.
At a cost of 15 cents/per kWh, the Tesla is significantly cheaper to fuel than a comparable gas car (say, the 19 mpg BMW M2 that I had my eyes on before Musk introduced the Model 3 in 2016). To preserve battery life, I charge to 80% of capacity — 237 miles — for a cost of $16. At $4.60 for premium petrol in the Bimmer, my cost would be $57 per tank-full.
Take the Model 3 on the road and that advantage drops. Tesla Superchargers cost 39 cents/per kWh for a total of $31 over 237 miles. Assume, conservatively, that I charge 50/50 at home/Superchargers, and I’ve paid $1,170 in charging fees over my 13,000 miles of ownership — $2,000 in savings over an equivalent gas-powered performance sedan.
That’s enough to pay for one of the two, 240-volt, $2,000 charging stations (charger plus installation cost) I’ve put in my Oakland County home and Charlevoix summer cabin that Mrs. Payne and I own.
Kelli Sloan’s last ICE car was a 2008 Ford Taurus X that drank fuel at 18 mpg. “Between fuel and maintenance costs, I’ve saved a bundle with the Model 3,” she said.
Trips
Wait, Payne, you’ve paid $4,000 for twin charging stations?
If you own an electric car, you want to maximize home charging for affordability (see above) — and because EVs are slower to fill than ICEs. A gas-burner will fill 500 miles of fuel in two minutes. I regularly travel the 250 miles from Oakland County to Charlevoix. Tesla’s navigation system smartly plans the trip, including suggestions for restaurants/stores near chargers. En route to Charlevoix, I make a 25-minute stop at the Bay City Supercharger in a Meijer parking lot to refuel from about 32% to 80% of charge — or about 141 miles of range. If I travel at 75 mph, that should get me to Charlevoix with a cushion of 20% of range.
I’ve learned batteries are vulnerable to changing conditions. Unlike ICEs, the consequences of changing conditions can seriously affect EV travel plans due to sparse charging infrastructure and lengthy recharge times. Even different wheel sizes will affect your range.
Driving at 80 mph will cut range 30%. Driving in pouring rain will cut it 40%. Drive in 90-degree heat — or sub-30 degrees cold — and lose 25% of range.
Facing those variables — and the lack of charging infrastructure up north — I installed a second charger in our cabin. It relieves uncertainty.
Battery degradation
Battery degradation is an inexact science that depends on how often you use superchargers, where you store your car, and so on. Tesla claims its batteries will retain at least 70% of charge over eight years, but battery-data firm Recurrent studied real-world Tesla driving range and found average battery degradation to 64% of capacity after three years.
I put 20-inch wheels on my M3P, which decreased range (according to EPA figures) from 322 miles to 299. My five-year-old car consistently charges to 298 miles at 100% charge. Amacher and Sloan haven’t seen battery degradation in their Model 3s.
Competition
For good and ill, Tesla has been a pioneer — charting its own path on charging networks, manufacturer-run showrooms, even a proprietary digital infotainment system. It’s a strategy that has developed a rabid, anti-establishment fan base. Think Apple vs. Microsoft.
Voice commands work beautifully, but infotainment has fallen short on content. Neither Sirius XM nor digital versions of my favorite AM stations are available, and Tesla also refuses Apple CarPay and Android Auto compatibility.
Still, “I would have a hard time switching to another EV brand,” said Amacher, who added to his 2019 Model 3 purchase with a 2020 Model Y Performance and a 2023 Model 3. “Why change to Windows when you have a good Mac?”
Charging network
The Supercharger network was built from scratch and continues to grow. It’s Tesla’s secret sauce — so much so that other automakers have rushed to give their customers access, beginning with Ford Motor Co. last spring. That access will narrow Tesla’s advantage (while padding profits) as will Google Built-in, a new operating system that runs GM/Honda/Volvo EVs and that is Tesla’s equal in charting trips.
Autonomous driving
Most notably, the competition has caught up on self-driving. Synonymous with the autonomous revolution, Tesla once promised owners they’d be able to rent their cars as autonomous taxis. Didn’t happen. But my car’s Autopilot system has continuously improved with OTA updates to offer Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system today.
“My ‘ah-ha moment’ came in 2018 while driving to Park City,” said Sloan. “We were on I-80 and a major storm had come in, so we drove from Nebraska into Wyoming in a blizzard. (Husband) Burt was using enhanced Autopilot, and I could not see the front of the car. I was watching the visualization on the (Tesla) screen, and it drove us flawlessly through that snowstorm.”
Amacher is an FSD missionary. “I’m addicted to it. I drove most of the way to Halifax on FSD. It’s rekindled my interest in travel. And I think it’s a net benefit for city driving, too.”
It’s remarkable to watch M3P try to drive itself everywhere — though I put a STUDENT DRIVER sign on the back because it’s as cautious as a new 16-year-old driver. But where it matters most — on interstates — FSD plays second fiddle to GM’s Super Cruise system, which will go hands-free (FSD still requires a hand on the tiller) for miles while I eat a meal and check email.
Updates
My Tesla is better today than it was five years ago. How many cars can say that? Thanks to routine Over the Air updates, it has added features like FSD, games and a racetrack performance data monitor.
Residual value
By any measure, the Model 3 (and sister Model Y) has been a sales success. But sales volume — and concern for battery longevity — has come at a price.
My Model 3 Performance’s residual value is just 46% — $30,000 — of what I paid for it five years ago. A comparable, $64,000, 2019 BMW M2? It’s retained 84% of its value at $54,000.
Like Henry Ford’s Model T 100 years ago, Tesla’s Model 3 wants to change the industry. Our new vocabulary — frunk, Autopilot, Supercharger, OTA updates — is a start.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Best of 2025: North American Car, Truck & Utility of the Year competitors announced
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 14, 2024
The 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year tournament bracket is under way and the list of competitors has been narrowed to 25.
NACTOY jurors announced their “Best of 2025” list Friday afternoon in three categories: 10 cars, five trucks and 10 SUVs. Electric vehicles dominated the list — making up nearly 50% of the competitors even as EV sales have cooled to just 8% of the vehicle market. Manufacturers are flooding the market with premium-priced EVs to meet onerous government mandates and ambitious internal brand goals.
The Dodge Charger EV is one of the nominees for North American Car of the Year. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
Ten of the vehicles are from domestic auto brands, with U.S. pickups accounting for four of the five truck entries. Two U.S. brands made the car finalists list, while three domestics will vie for top ute. The jury culled the list of 56 eligible vehicles for the 2025 model year.
Nominees reflect the soaring cost of new vehicles, with average transaction prices this summer nearly $49,000 in the U.S. market. The average, base price of the 25 entries is about $66,000 — some 35% higher than the average transaction price in June. NACTOY nominee stickers range from the compact, gas-powered, $23K Kia K4 to the estimated $340,000 Cadillac Celestiq EV. Just three nominees cost below $30,000, three have a base price north of $100K, and a dozen start at more than $60,000.
The list was revealed Friday in front of newly-renovated Michigan Central at the inaugural “Cars at the Station” sponsored by Hagerty. The venue was appropriate as Michigan Central’s Newlab research facility aims to lead a revolution in EVs. Judged by an independent jury of 50 journalists (including the author of this article) from the United States and Canada, NACTOY is one of the industry’s most prestigious awards. Jurors will test the Final 25 at their annual meeting in October and determine finalists to be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Winners will be announced at the 2025 Detroit Auto Show in January.
“We have a great variety of vehicles on the list, from the sporty to the family sedan,” said Jeff Gilbert, NACTOY president and reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950. “This list is an example of the great products that the auto industry is producing, from cutting-edge EVs to traditional gas-powered cars and trucks.”
Cars
Expect the Dodge Charger EV, Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Camry to be the favorites for the Car of the Year.
The high-horsepower, electric Charger hopes to recreate the thrills of the V8-powered Hellcat — but with artificial V-8 sounds from its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. The Civic is a three-time NACTOY winner and ’25 marks the return of its hybrid version after a decade’s absence. Despite being the perennially best-selling sedan in the United States, the Camry — now offered exclusively as a hybrid — has never won Car of the Year in NACTOY’s 31-year history.
Other nominees include the BMW 3 Series, BMW M5, wee Fiat 500e, Kia K4, Mercedes-AMG E Class, and Porsche Panamera. The average base price of car entries is $90,000.
Trucks
The truck wars are always engaging, and expect the Ford Ranger, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma to be in a dead heat. All have been significantly upgraded for 2025 with state-of-the-art electronic systems and high-flying off-road variants.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is dedicated to off-road performance with a 405-horsepower V-6, all-terrain tires, and a special suspension tuned for high-speed driving in the dirt. (Ford Motor Co. via AP)
Despite its $70K price, the battery-powered Rivian R1T may be a dark horse as a pioneer of the midsize EV pickup segment. Like the updated Tesla Model 3, the innovative pickup has been updated with mild exterior tweaks. But underneath the skin, the R1T has gained an all-new electrical architecture reducing computer modules from 17 to 7; a new, lithium-iron-phosphate battery shared with the Amazon Van with up to 420 miles of range; and an extensively updated, big-screen user interface.
The average starting price of truck entries is $50,000, ranging from the $34K Tacoma to the $70,000-plus Rivian and Sierra EV.
SUV
Sport utes make up 70% of the non-pickup market and 70% of this year’s finalists are EVs.
Early favorites are the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5N, Volvo EX90, Hyundai Santa Fe and Lincoln Nautilus. The Equinox EV — the first battery-powered Equinox — beat out its sibling, gas-powered Equinox ICE on this year’s list. The Hyundai is the EV age’s first hot hatch and offers an explosive 610 horsepower.
The Chevy Equinox EV becomes price competitive with the gas-powered model when the federal tax credit is applied. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Volvos have been a jury favorite in the past (three NACTOY wins) with their Scandinavian good looks and tank-like safety record, and the EX90 throws in electrification as a further lure. The EX90 features one of the cleanest cockpits this side of a Tesla. The gas-powered Santa Fe’s daring exterior and interior design has been a standout in the SUV market.
So too the Lincoln Nautilus, which has gained a powerful hybrid and offers one of the roomiest, most innovative interiors in the league with a 48-inch wraparound screen.
Notable SUVs that did not make the cut are the Cadillac Optiq and Chevy Traverse. Optiq is the Cadillac’ brand’s entry-level EV below the Lyriq SUV. The gas-fired Traverse has flown off dealer shelves with an innovative Google Built-in operating system that matches Caddy’s EVs and a vast interior wrapped in a bold, truck-like exterior.
The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus offers a signature, wrap-around screen controlled by a console-mounted command tablet. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Other class contenders are the Honda Prologue, Jeep Wagoneer S, Porsche Macan EV, Toyota Land Cruiser and VW ID. Buzz. The average base price of SUV entries is $60,000, ranging from the $35K Equinox EV to the $81,000 Volvo EX90.
In its 32nd year, NACTOY honors vehicles that excel across several criteria, including innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, user experience, driver satisfaction and value.
‘Best of 2025’ NACTOY list
Cars
BMW 3 Series
BMW M5
Cadillac Celestiq
Dodge Charger EV
Fiat 500e
Honda Civic Hybrid
Kia K4
Mercedes-AMG E Class
Porsche Panamera
Toyota Camry
Trucks
Ford Ranger
GMC Sierra EV
Ram 1500
Rivian R1T
Toyota Tacoma
SUV
Chevrolet Equinox EV
Honda Prologue
Volvo EX90
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Hyundai Santa Fe
Jeep Wagoneer S
Lincoln Nautilus
Porsche Macan EV
Toyota Land Cruiser
VW ID. Buzz
For more information about NACTOY, go to: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Fall auto-palooza! Cars at the Station and Radwood invade Detroit this weekend
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 12, 2024
The Detroit Auto Show is moving from mid-September back to January, but there will still be plenty of eye candy for auto enthusiasts this weekend.
The inaugural Cars at the Station, sponsored by Hagerty, will descend on the newly-renovated Michigan Central campus Friday showcasing the latest vehicles from industry automakers, a sprawling classic cars display, and the “Best of 2025” finalists for the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards.
Return downtown on Saturday and the circus moves to Hart Plaza, where Radwood will celebrate the best of ‘80s and ‘90s cars. Both events are sponsored by Hagerty to celebrate Detroit’s passion for cars — and for two of its signature public spaces.
“This event has been a dream project since Ford purchased Michigan Central Station in 2018. Cars at The Station caters to Detroit’s passion for the automobile with a goal to deliver an inclusive, culturally relevant event with our partners Michigan Central, Newlab and the City of Detroit,” said Jiyan Cadiz, producer, Cars at The Station for Hagerty.
Cars at The Station is the first public automotive event at Michigan Central, which Ford remodeled as a tech and culture hub for about $940 million. The station reopened on June 6. Festivities begin at 3 p.m. Friday with auto show-style reveals on stage in front of the majestic station’s façade.
New model presentations include the Ford Mustang GTD, Hyundai Ioniq 5N electric hot hatch, Lincoln Navigator, Ram 2500 Power Wagon “Lunar Edition,” Toyota Land Cruiser, electric Fiat 500e, and fire-breathing, V8-powered Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator 392s by mod shop America’s Most Wanted.
This 2024 Ferrari is among the cars onlookers will be able to check out at Friday’s event outside Michigan Central. Nadir Ali, Hagerty
After their stage turns, the cars will retreat to vehicle displays by Ford, Lincoln, Ram, Fiat, Hyundai and Toyota at Newlab on the station’s east side. Newlab is an incubator for the commercialization of new technologies, and has attracted over 100 startups working in mobility, energy and materials. Visitors will get an exclusive look inside the innovation hub, where they can soak up exhibits and panel discussions on the state of the industry, presented by Foxxtecca.
At 4:20 p.m., NACTOY will make its Best of 2025 announcement on the station stage.
Littered across Roosevelt Park on the station’s north side will be “Cars and Community powered by the Detroit Auto Show,” featuring more than 100 cars, trucks and motorcycles. Food truck and family music entertainment will be on hand.
In the spirit of the free public event, attendees will have the opportunity to take free rides in the new models on display. Rides in select classic cars will be available too. When attendees get peckish, a variety of Detroit food trucks will be on offer.
As a preview of the next day’s attractions, a smattering of “RADwood Royalty” will be on display.
Hagerty bills RADwood Detroit as the ultimate ‘80s and ‘90s car and music festival with displays of — not only period cars, trucks, and bikes — but period dress and entertainment as well.
Attendees are encouraged to wear their best ’80s and ’90s clothing and dig out classic gear from the attic like boomboxes, rollerblades and BMX bikes. Musical talent will include Motown DJs playing techno music and the tunes that defined an era.
“RADwood is a celebration of the cars and culture of the ’80s and ’90s as well as the people who created and drove it,” said RADwood CEO Art Cervantes. “With the energy and momentum Detroit has, it’s hard to beat the Motor City for a radder location.”
Among the toys on display will be special selection of Mustangs from The Henry Ford, and attendees can go for a spin in icons like Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R and Mazda’s Autozam AZ-1.
Cars at the Station
Where: Michigan Central Station/Newlab, 2050 15th St., Detroit
When: 3-8 p.m. Friday
Events: 3:30-5 p.m:, Press Briefing featuring NACTOY, AMW 4×4, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln, RAM, Toyota, DADA, RADwood and more
Michigan Central stage schedule
3:45-3:50 p.m.: AMW Wrangler, Gladiator 392
3:50-3:57 p.m.: Fiat 500e
3:57-4:02 p.m.: Ford: Mustang GTD
4:02-4:07 p.m.: Hyundai Ioniq 5N
4:07-4:12 p.m.: 2025 Lincoln Navigator
4:12-4:17 p.m.: Ram 2500 Power Wagon “Lunar Edition”
4:17-4:22 p.m.: Toyota Land Cruiser
4:22- 4:32 p.m.: NACTOY Best of 2025 Announcement
4:32-4:37 p.m.: Detroit Auto Dealers Association, Detroit Auto Show 2025 News
4:37- 4:42 p.m.: RADwood
RADwood Detroit
Where: Hart Plaza, Detroit
When: 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Classic Alfa Romeo 4C is a delicious Italian meatball
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 12, 2024
Charlevoix — One of comedian ‘n’ musician Steve Martin’s ol’ stand-up routines celebrated the banjo.
“When you’re playing the banjo, everything is OK,” he said, merrily strumming his favorite instrument. “I think the banjo is the one thing that could have saved Nixon. Think if he had been traveling around the country and got off the plane and said: ‘I’d like to talk about politics, but first a little Foggy Mountain breakdown.’ The banjo is so happy.”
The same could be said of the Alfa Romeo 4C.
The wee, mid-engine sportscar is one of the most joyous automobiles ever made. Accelerate through the gears on a curvy rural road and the 2,464-pound roller skate squirts forward with a calliope’s soundtrack — BWAAAHH! FFFT! HAWWMP! FOOOOSH! Downshift into a turn — BWOMP! FRRRZZZZ! WHOOOOOMP! — and the carbon fiber chassis demands more throttle. WHRAWHAWWWWW!
I review new cars for a living, but there are old icons worth revisiting. The 1959 VW Beetle, 1988 Porsche 944, 2001 BMW M3 E46, 2016 Dodge Viper ACR. The Alfa was made for four glorious model years, 2015-18, and became an instant classic. It had the unique, engaging personality of, well, Steve Martin.
As we embark on an era of commoditized electric vehicles built from the same platforms powered by the same lithium-ion batteries, the 4C may be remembered as one of the finest species of internal combustion sportscar.
It is the antithesis to the EV Era’s defining car, the Tesla Model 3.
Sitting inches apart in my garage, they are miles away in purpose. The all-wheel-drive Model 3 Performance is an electronic gaming console; the rear-wheel-drive Alfa an analog wind-up toy. The Model 3 is operated by a 15-inch screen; the Alfa has, um, a radio. The M3 boasts Autopilot software; the 4C has no power steering. Under hard throttle, M3 is stealthy as the wind; 4C farts like Deadpool after a dinner of pork ‘n’ beans.
The M3 wants to drive itself, the 4C demands to be driven. Just beware of road trips.
The Alfa is as close to a race car as you will find on the street. It is the rare production car built from ultra-stiff carbon-fiber monocoque “tub” construction like an IndyCar or IMSA prototype. Aluminum structures cradle the engine in back, the suspension in front. My Lola race car is made with a similar monocoque design (aluminum riveted tub instead of carbon fiber) and has zero body roll. It’s designed for a billiard-smooth race track.
I took the Alfa 4C on a road trip up north, and I can tell you where every single bump was on I-75. The interstate was under construction from mile post 92 to 125, with both northbound and southbound traffic sharing the rough southbound lanes while the northbound lanes were reconstructed. WHUMP-WHUMP, WHUMP-WHUMP, WHUMP-WHUMP went the Alfa over each broken seam. I placed the wheels on the asphalt ribbons that separated the lanes to survive the punishment.
Mile marker 125 brought (brief) relief as I returned to smooth pavement. But once in Flint, there was no escaping the buckled seams between each concrete patch. WHUMP-WHUMP, WHUMP-WHUMP, WHUMP-WHUMP. Chinese water torture is banned from international warfare? This is worse. WHUMP-WHUMP, WHUMP-WHUMP, WHUMP-WHUMP. I winced anticipating each seam until the torture mercifully stopped and fresh pavement returned from Bay City north.
Turn onto M-32’s twisties west of Gaylord and enter Elysium.
With sticky Pirelli P Zero summer tires at each corner, the chassis hugged the road like a blanket. Storming across the landscape, I spied in the distance a speedy Subaru WRX, one of the most competent performance sedans on the market. A full 1,000 pounds lighter than the Subie, the Alfa obliterated it through a series of S-turns before I popped across the broken center line of a straightaway to pass.
My momentum carried me quickly alongside, but the Alfa’s mere 1.7-liter turbo-4 is horsepower limited at 237 ponies, and the 271-horse WRX could have given me a run. Mercifully, the driver was a good sport, tooting his horn and giving me a big thumbs up as I passed. I pulled back into the lane ahead, annihilated another S-turn, and was gone.
Thumbs-ups are contagious, and not just from fellow motorheads. People love this car with its Italian supercar lines and cute, bite-size proportions.
At Michigan Beach in Charlevoix, my Italian meatball was a feast for the eyes.
“Ohhhhh, here we go!” called out some young lads.
“That’s beautiful. But how do you fit in it?” said a middle-aged lass staring up at my 6’5” frame.
Quite comfortably, actually. The monocoque’s tall sills are a challenge to swing your legs over (passenger Mrs. Payne was careful not to wear a skirt), but once inside, the seats are on the floor like a race car. A Toyota Supra, in comparison, feels like getting into an SUV.
“Can I raise the seat?” asked my motorhead friend Bob. Nope.
Seated low, the engine behind your ear, the car’s mass rotating around you, steering rooted to the earth, you feel at one with the road. Curiously for a car this playful, a stick option was never offered, but the dual-clutch, six-speed box is lightning quick and paired with shift paddles. It feels like carbon-tub supercar $500K Ford GT or $300K McLaren 720, but at a fraction of the cost.
With low mileage, a used 4C today goes for about the same price ($55K) as it did new in 2015 (not adjusted for inflation). For that, you get a fraction of the power from the 647-horse Ford or 710-horse McLaren. The Alfa lacks those cyborgs’ explosive acceleration. But that’s not a bad thing, given that public roads aren’t 45-foot-wide racetracks.
By all means, take the 4C to a track day when you can, but in the meantime, it won’t turn your hair white when you try launch control on a public road. The 4C is pure dopamine, a Cedar Point roller coaster ride.
Good thing, because there’s not much to engage you inside the cabin. The Alfa is spartan. Big console screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and back massage? Fuhgeddaboudit.
You get a radio. Period. No cruise control. One cupholder. No frunk storage. The rear hatch won’t even fit a banjo.
Come to think of it, the stiff 4C does share one thing with a gotta-stop-for-lengthy-charges EV: don’t make it your primary road-trip transportation.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Next week: 2025 Buick Enclave
2015-18 Alfa Romeo 4C
Vehicle type: Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-passenger sportscar
Price: In 2015, $55,195
Power plant: 1.7-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder
Power: 237 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Six-speed, dual-clutch automatic (with paddles)
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.1 seconds (manufacturer)
Weight: 2,464 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA 24 mpg city/34 mpg highway/28 mpg combined
Report card
Highs: Italian sex appeal; race-car handling
Lows: Few amenities/storage options; stiff ride
Overall: 4 stars
Payne: Put on your boots, Detroit 4fest is in town
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 6, 2024
Holly — Summer’s nearly over. It’s time to put away the bathing suit, lace up your boots, and get dirty at Detroit 4fest.
Sponsored by Jeep, the sixth annual event runs this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6-7, and is Michigan’s biggest off-road-palooza. An estimated 8,000 people and 1,000 off-road vehicles are expected to descend on Holly Oaks ORV Park — a 200-plus acre off-road playground that backs up to the Mt. Holly ski resort. Pickups, 4x4s, ATVs, and side-by-sides are welcome — but motorbikes are prohibited.
“The event just continues to grow,” said CEO Tom Zielinski, who also runs Detroit Winterfest at Holly Oaks in January and 4fest events in Texas and West Virginia. “We have all kind of cool stuff. It you’re new to this whole adventure lifestyle, we’ve got off-road 101 lessons available from our drivers.”
Manufacturers have embraced the off-road lifestyle and Americans’ obsession with SUVs with an array of tough, dirt-kicking product including the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Land Cruiser. Add trucks like the Chevy Colorado ZR2, GMC Canyon AT4X, Ford Ranger Raptor, and Ram 2500 Power Wagon.
Rock ‘n’ roll. At Detroit 4fest, a participant tests his vehicle’s capability. Detroit 4fest, Detroit 4fest
Located 51 miles north of the Detroit River off I-75 in Oakland County, Holly Oaks offers a uniquely convenient way to exercise your four-wheel-driver without leaving the metro area.
“Holy Oaks is a unique feature because it is the only off-road park in a major metropolitan subdivision in the country,” said Zielinski, an ex-motocross bike racer who worked with Oakland County to convert a spent gravel mine into an off-road mecca. “That makes it really unique and everybody needs to check it out. If you’ve got a Jeep, if you’ve got a Bronco, if you’ve got a Toyota — whatever it is … come join us and have a fun day.”
Holly Oaks has even duplicated some of the famed, remote off-road challenges of Moab, Utah — where hardcore Jeepsters gather every April for Easter Jeep Safari.
2025 Ram 1500 RHO. Stellantis, © 2024 Stellantis
“Mt. Magna is a fantastic thing. It has six of the iconic Moab trials — including Mickey’s Hot Tub, Rocker Knocker — some of the toughest trails made out of a giant slab of concrete. Really unique feature,” said Zielinski.
With so many enthusiasts in one place, manufacturers are drawn to Detroit 4fest like bees to honey. Sponsor Jeep will have a display of its off-road warriors, and its sister Stellantis brand, Ram trucks, will show off its latest beast, the 1500 RHO supertruck.
Starting at $71,990 — nearly $30k cheaper than the outgoing, 702-horsepower, V8-powered TRX — the state-of-the-art RHO goes head-to-head with Ford’s twin-turbo V-6 Raptor with its own high-powered V-6, the 540-horse, twin-turbo, straight-6 Hurricane. The supertruck is also armed with off-road tools like Bilstein shocks, 11.8-inch ground clearance, 14-inch suspension travel, and 35-inch all-terrain tires.
It doesn’t skimp on interior amenities, either, featuring 50 inches of available, digital screens including a 14.4-inch console screen, 12.3-inch instrument display, 10.25-inch passenger display and 10-inch head-up display.
The RHO will be for viewing only, but Jeep will offer trail rides so that visitors can sample their latest hardware including the V8-powered Wrangler 392.
Jeep nation checks out 2021 Ford Bronco Detroit 4fest. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Other toys on display will be trucks from aftermarket mod-shops AEV and Blacklake — including the Silverado Blacklake pickup-up truck with insane, 22-inches of suspension travel. King of the Hammers racer AK Whatley will have his Chaos Motorsports Ford Bronco on hand. Equipment makers Cooper tires, Atturo Tie, and Bilstein shocks will also be in the house.
No 4fest is complete without a competition, and this year entrants will face-off for the Notch Shootout — a treacherous run up the rock-choked Notch obstacle course.
“If someone really wants to show off — and they’ve got a really good off-road rig — come out and try the Notch Shootout,” said Zielinski. “It’s (a time trail) up the big Notch rock course — up the face of that thing, its going to be a lot of fun. And I’m sure we’ll have some daring drivers.”
Jalen Rose Academy will bring a new generation of off-roaders — 50 students — to 4fest. And the event will also feature music, axe-throwing, and Nightfest on Friday night so that drivers can hit the trails under the moonlight. Saturday evening participants can join the 4fest Passport after-party where sponsors give away $30,000 in prizes.
A Jeep Gladiator Rubicon navigates a gulch in Holly Oaks ORV Park’s latest, 71-acre Northern playground. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“We rent Mt. Holly ski area so people can trailer their vehicles out to the event,” said Zielinski. “We love to see people pull up in a (Jeep) Gladiator with a side-by-side behind it and take the family out off-roading. Have a blast all day, eat food from some of the best vendors in Detroit.”
Detroit 4fest schedule
Tickets: $40 per vehicle for weekend, $25 for Off-Road 101, $10 for spectators, $20 for Friday Nightfest
Friday, Sept. 6
3 p.m.: Gates open
5 p.m.: Off-Road Park open
7 p.m.: NightFest by TYRI Lighting
Saturday, Sept. 7
8 a.m.: Gates open for parking — Mt. Holly entrance/Flag sales will begin
9 a.m.: Gates open at Holly Oaks ORV Park, Vendor Village opens, Jeep/other demos begin
10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m.: Off-Road 101 courses
1 p.m.: The Notch Shootout Hillclimb Time Trial
5 p.m.: Holly Oaks ORV Park closed
5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.: Mt. Holly Ski Lodge Evening Festivities
6 p.m.: Passport To Prizes Drawing
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne
Payne: Affordable Jetta vast, fast, and (at last) fetching
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 6, 2024
Hell — The VW Jetta GLI has long lived in the shadow of its sibling, the OG hot hatch Golf GTI. No more.
With a dramatic refresh for the 2025 model year, the once-frumpy GLI is now a lean, mean, fighting machine.
A lean Golf-like fascia has replaced the previous bulbous, Shrek-like nose. The lower red front lip curls with a sense of menace, and full-width taillights and chiseled body stampings communicate the athletic chassis underneath. Add twin-modern digital displays, and Jetta style now matches its value — at $33,940, the loaded GLI Autobahn is a whopping $7,790 cheaper than a comparable GTI Autobahn while offering more interior room for your pals.
Best of all, the 2025 Jetta still offers a manual transmission option coveted by enthusiasts — even as the ‘25 GTI ditches the stick when it goes on sale next spring.
Flying down Hankerd Road south of Hell, I double-clutched into second gear for a 90-degree lefthander onto Glenn Brook Road. Back on the throttle, I upshifted to third before breathing over a blind rise. The V-dub’s shifter is not as tight as competitors Honda Civic or Mazda3, and its longer throw from 2-3 requires a more deliberate shift (on the plus side, especially if you plan on moving to San Francisco, the six-speed stick has hill assist).
You’ll get used to it. Back down to second, I kept the revs in the meat of the rev band (4,000 RPM) for the 228-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-4, then flattened a series of switchbacks with the beautifully balanced Jetta chassis.
We Yankee enthusiasts love sticks, and manual transmissions account for 40 and 50% of GLI and GTI sales, respectively. Alas, as Europe forces the homogenization of automotive drivetrains (ultimately forcing electric power) via ever-stricter emissions rules, manuals are going the way of the Dodo bird.
Happily for us, the Mexican-made Jetta is a North American-exclusive model (the GTI, on the other hand, is assembled in Germany), and the folks at U.S. headquarters in Reston, Virginia know their customers.
“It’s simply that Golf GTI is a world car, and the only market that wants a manual is North America,” VW America’s PR Director Mark Gillies told our colleagues at Road & Track. “Since we control technical development on the GLI, as it is a (North American Region) car, we were able to retain the manual.”
Long live the manual.
And long live affordable performance cars. Detroit brands have abandoned the affordable small sedan segment for SUVs. Foreign makers, however, still see opportunity in the compact sedan class and offer a chest-full of fun toys. The Jetta GLI competes against the Civic Si, Mazda3 Turbo, Hyundai Elantra N and Toyota GR Corolla — all compelling, $30K-plus upgrades to entry-level sedans.
The base Jetta, too, is better than ever.
Since manuals are an enthusiast thing (they no longer offer an advantage in fuel economy), VW has dropped it as an option for the entry-level Jetta. At $23,220, the automatic Jetta S is loaded with standard IQ.Drive goodies like blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control, auto windshield wipers and a fat leather steering wheel. That value package was added for the last-gen 2024 model year and has made the German competitive with class price leaders like the Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla while undercutting performance peers like Civic and Mazda3 by two grand. Sales have doubled in the last year.
Rooted to the earth, the steering feel was confidence-inspiring in the $26,200 Jetta SE (my choice of trims in the 1.5-liter, standard Jetta’s lineup of S, Sport, SE and SEL) over the high-speed twisties of Dexter. Dress SE in a Monterey Blue Pearl or Monument Gray wardrobe with the 18-inch Black Wheel Package, and the sedan is one tasty strudel.
The standard turbo-4 mill can’t match the GLI’s 228 horses, 258 pound feet of torque, or multi-link rear suspension — but the SE/Sport/SEL models boast a limited-slip front differential and lowered sport suspension. Combined with the inherent goodness of Volkswagen’s MQB chassis, you’ll get plenty of grins with the standard engine’s 184 pound-feet of torque. It gets better inside.
The standard Jetta actually improves on the athletic GLI’s steering wheel ergonomics.
German automakers like Mercedes and VW have belatedly discovered the same haptic touch features that drove Cadillac owners mad a decade ago. The Golf GTI and Jetta GLI adopted touch steering-wheel controls that look pretty but that are less intuitive to operate at speed.
For 2025, the GTI (which arrives stateside early next year) reverts to the steering wheel found on the standard Jetta. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Readers of these columns know I rank GM wheels highly due to their raised control buttons that allow volume and cruise control speed adjustment without taking your eyes off the road.
The Jetta employs similarly intuitive buttons. What’s more, they also provide buttons for adjusting radio channels and volume by feel.
Alas, the Jetta GLI gets stuck with the steering wheel off the last-gen GTI. No raised buttons. No feel for the volume/speed/channels. It’s one of the few blemishes on an otherwise superb update. Want another? VW still refuses a mute button for the radio.
Look past these quirks and all Jettas have gained a more modern dash design to go with their sculpted exteriors. After entertaining myself through Hell’s twisties, I cruised effortlessly behind midday Washtenaw County traffic, scanning news and music stations on the new eight-inch tablet touchscreen display mounted high on the dash.
It’s flanked by useful menu buttons and knobs, and my favorite SE trim includes wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and wireless charging so I could navigate to my destination. On the GLI, heated steering and heated-and-cooled automatic leather seats also comes standard.
And front-wheel-drive handling from the gods.
Exiting Glenn Brook onto Patterson Lake Road, I matted the throttle and the electronic front differential put 258 pound-feet-of-torque to the ground beautifully. No slip. No torque-steer.
The GLI leaped forward, the Dynamic Chassis Control system electronically adjusting the shocks to absorb Patterson Lake’s undulating surface. Third gear. Fourth gear. Let the big dog run.
Love ya’, hot hatch GTI. But for thousands less, I love the 2025 GLI pocket rocket, too.
Next week: The classic Alfa Romeo 4C
2025 Volkswagen Jetta/Jetta GLI
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact sedan
Price: Base price $23,220, including $1,225 destination charge ($26,200 SE, $30,225 SEL and $33,940 GLI as tested)
Powerplant: 1.5-liter turbo-4 cylinder (Jetta); 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder (GLI)
Power: 158 horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque (Jetta); 228 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque (GLI)
Transmission: Six-speed manual (GLI only); seven-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.1 sec. (Car and Driver est.); top speed, 126 mph
Weight: 3,217 pounds (GLI)
Fuel economy: EPA 30 city/41 highway/34 combined; 27 city/36 highway/30 combined (GLI manual)
Report card
Highs: Looks to match handling, long live the GLI stick
Lows: No mute button, rubbery manual shifts
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Chevy expands two-track strategy with Equinox ICE, EV siblings
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 2, 2024
Minneapolis — Electric vehicles have shaken up the auto industry with upstart Tesla Inc. boasting sky-high capital valuations, governments mandating EV sales and drivers plugging into new electric infrastructure across the country. Still, the EV future remains uncertain.
Most mainstream auto brands have created new, separate model lines for their EVs — targeting Tesla with premium-priced chariots aimed at premium customers. Think Volkswagen’s ID line, Kia EV, Hyundai Ioniq, Toyota bZ4X, Nissan Leaf/Ariya. Luxury automakers have also introduced separate EV lines like the BMW i-series, Audi e-tron and Mercedes EQS.
Not Chevrolet.
General Motors Co.’s meat-and-potatoes brand has introduced Equinox, Blazer and Silverado EVs that parallel familiar internal combustion-engine badges with an eye towards eventually converting all production to EV. Chevy, Volkswagen and Honda stand out as mainstream staking their futures on electric vehicles, hoping to follow Tesla into what GM calls an autonomous, EV future of “zero emissions, zero crashes, zero congestion.”
Equinox is particularly notable. Customers have a parallel choice of ICE and EV versions of the small SUV in the largest segment of the auto marketplace.
“They are different vehicles,” said Chevrolet Global Vice President Scott Bell in Minneapolis for the Equinox ICE’s media test. “Equinox is a very valuable name. We’ve been selling Equinox for 20 years and plan to sell them for many more. So as we transition to an all-EV portfolio eventually, we didn’t want to lose that brand. The same for Blazer and Silverado, for that matter.”
As GM goes all-electric over the next 10 years, Bell does not expect it to happen overnight.
“The intent when we set out with this strategy was to make the EV business as incremental as possible,” Bell said. “Not to switch our existing customers — although (the choice) is there if they want to switch. The intent was to bring new customers in, leverage that EV tech, then keep them for life. We’re conquesting Tesla buyers — that’s a big piece of the EV business.”
Other mainstream automakers have also remade their business plans to go all-electric. Honda, for example, is calling its planned end of ICE production by 2040 its “Second Founding.” And other mainstream companies have introduced EVs under traditional badges — the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Hyundai Kona EV — but Chevy is the most aggressive in targeting three established model badges.
“It’s a good idea in the long term, assuming that Chevy will sell nothing but EVs,” said Karl Brauer, a veteran auto analyst for iSeeCars.com. “But in the meantime, it might be confusing to customers who don’t know that, say, Equinox has two very different drivetrains.”
GM’s strategy dovetails with government regulatory trends pushing automakers toward EVs. The driving force in the United States is California, the nation’s largest auto market (and, were it a country, the fifth-largest economy on the planet).
By 2026, the Golden State will require, under its Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) rules, that 35% of automaker sales be zero-emissions vehicles. Failure to meet that goal will set automakers back $20,000 per vehicle that is shy of that threshold. The sales requirement jumps to 43% in 2027, 51% in 2028, 59% in 2029, and 68% in 2030 on the way to outlawing sales of new ICE vehicles in 2035. Fourteen other states have adopted the standards set by the California Air Resources Board regulatory body.
In the second quarter of 2024, 22% of California sales were EVs with Tesla accounting for over half of that total. Remove Tesla, and just 10.6% of sales were battery-electric, according to the California New Car Dealers Association. The only GM model to crack the Top 10 in EV sales was the discontinued Chevy Bolt/Bolt EUV with 3,960 units sold.
Federal regulations calling for EV sales to be 56% of the market by 2032, based on EPA greenhouse-gas-based auto emissions limits of 86 grams of carbon dioxide/mile, are less ambitious.
“GM is proud to share California’s vision of an all-electric future with zero emissions,” said Bill Grotz, GM senior manager for global public policy/regulatory communications. “We believe everyone should have access to affordable, long-range EV options, and we are committed to working in collaboration with California to accelerate the rollout of zero-emission vehicles, consistent with the state’s goals.”
Automakers have consistently fallen shy of California’s CO2 emissions goals. Rather than pay fines to the government, they have purchased zero-emission credits from EV makers like Tesla. Since 2009, Tesla has raked in $9 billion in income from regulatory credits.
California’s 2026 ACCII marks a major leap in regulatory penalties. Given the reality of the consumer market, where EV adoption has stalled, California-based analyst Brauer says the regulations are unsustainable.
“California has proposed crazy standards in the past and has moved them back,” he said, citing the state’s rollback of a 1990 mandate that required 10% EV sales by 2003. “Cooler heads will prevail because there are too many downsides.”
While regulators and lobbyists hash out different visions, Chevy consumers have a choice of two Equinoxes in showrooms.
The Equinox EV, introduced earlier this year, and the redesigned Equinox ICE wear different wardrobes to appeal to different customers.
The EV is athletic, sci-fi — its sleek design and thin, LED lights appealing to a new, Tesla-influenced generation. The Equinox ICE goes after traditional Chevy buyers by mirroring the brand’s Silverado and Colorado pickups’ bold, stocky design.
Inside, the roomy Equinox siblings are similar, with dual digital displays mounted high on the dashboard, Google Built-in operating systems and steering wheel-mounted shifters to open up console space.
“(We) offer two very different vehicles — EV and ICE,” Bell said. “We’ve got good value in both, good tech in both, you can do different styling (with the EV Ultium platform). EVs get a little lower to the ground and are sleek and sporty. With the new ICE variant … it’s more masculine, more like a truck than ever.”
The different wardrobes are bringing in a broader demographic than Equinox has in the past. With the federal $7,500 EV tax credit, a comparable Equinox EV 3LT starts at $37,395 (instead of $45,295 without the credit) compared to a gas-powered Equinox RS at $36,395 (ICE cars do not get a tax credit).
“We’re seeing a different customer” for the Equinox EV, Bell said. “These are people who weren’t Chevy customers … coming in and talking about Equinox because it’s an EV and it offers them range, style, tech.”
He says it’s a marked contrast to last decade when Chevy offered, for example, a more fuel-efficient diesel powertrain in the compact Cruze sedan as an option to the standard gas mill.
“Those vehicles in the past were the same vehicles with different powertrains,” said Bell. “We chose to build a purpose-built Ultium EV platform. (These are) unique products and we feel good about what they are bringing to the marketplace.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Motown in Texas: Penske, Mustang, Corvette headline WEC race on Pink Cadillac Day
Posted by Talbot Payne on August 31, 2024
The Woodward Dream Cruise is in the books for 2024, but pink Cadillacs continue to roll across America. General Motors Co. celebrates “Pink Cadillac Day” this Sunday with an international show of American pop culture at the Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. There may even be an Elvis sighting.
The six-hour sportscar race is the only U.S. stop on the World Endurance Championship’s calendar. The event is a showcase for Detroit racing brands — Cadillac, Team Penske, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette — that have been taking on the world’s best across the globe including at the storied 24 Hours of Le Lans in France in June.
While Team Penske and its partner Porsche come into the event as the favorite in the top Hypercar class, Cadillac will headline the circus with its Pink Cadillac display that includes a wrapped, pink V-Series.R prototype race car, and the launch of a special, pink V-Series.R-liveried race car for the popular Forza Motorsport game series.
Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will take turns behind the wheel of the pink livery, No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R at the Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday. Eric Klauser, GM
“I love the fact that we have such passionate fans in America, and I think they’ll enjoy seeing the WEC there again,” said Cadillac racer Earl Bamber, a New Zealand native who lives in Atlanta. “I think there is going to be a lot of America at the event. It’s some of the best racing in the world right now, especially in Hypercar and I think for fans going to COTA, seeing this field will be a great spectacle.”
While the Pink Caddy gets eyeballs in the paddock, Bamber and Alex Lynn will pilot the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, which is the only Hypercar entry to qualify in the top four in each of the past three races. Eighteen Hypercars are entered.
A lot has changed since the WEC last raced at COTA in February 2020.
Sportscar racing was struggling for relevance on a crowded world racing stage. But the sport has been transformed in the last two years as manufacturers have embraced the WEC series — and sister IMSA in North America — with its competitive class rules for hybrid-powered Hypercars and production-based GT cars. At the center of this transformation are Detroit automakers who have embraced sportscar racing as an opportunity to show off their thundering, V8-powered brands’ performance chops on the global stage.
The #2 Pink Cadillac prototype driven by Bamber and co-driver Alex Lynn will compete against Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alpine, Toyota, BMW, Peugeot and Porsche for the overall win.
Two of the five Porsche 963 Hypercar entries are fielded by Bloomfield Hills-based Team Penske, which has taken the lead in the WEC championship since its 4th, 6th, and 52nd place showing at Le Mans in June. With consistent podium finishes, Porsche Penske leads the series with 126 points — four ahead of Toyota (which won the last race in Brazil) with 122 points and Le Mans-winning Ferrari with 109 points.
In the GT class, Mustang and Corvette hope to put on a good display in their home race. Corvette will have two private entries from team TF Sport. Since its breakout performance at Le Mans, where it finished third and fourth in its first appearance, the Mustangs have been a factor. Texas auto racer Ben Keating will pilot the No. 88 entry alongside Dennis Olsen and Mikkel Pedersen.
Team Penske is fielding two of the five Porsche 963 Hypercar entries in Sunday’s competition. Chris DuMond, Special To The Detroit News
“I can’t wait for my first race with the Mustang GT3, especially given that it’s in the USA,” said Keating, an owner of 30 auto dealer franchises.
While American V-8s thunder around the track, loud pink-colored cars will be the focus of the paddock and Pink Cadillac Day. Like the Dream Cruise, the Sept. 1 date is an enduring ode to the influence of the 1950s American automobile culture.
Eight decades ago, Presley led the pink cultural revolution by painting his black 1955 Caddy sedan pink. Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen brought the theme back to prominence in 1984 with his hit “Pink Cadillac,” and Aretha Franklin followed with her 1985 classic, “Freeway of Love” with its immortal refrain: “We’re goin’ ridin’ on the freeway of love in my pink Cadillac.”
A pink Cadillac drives by the Michigan Science Center on the second day of viewing for iconic singer Aretha Franklin on Aug. 29, 2018. GM celebrates Pink Cadillac Day this Sunday, Sept. 1. Charles E. Ramirez/The Detroit News
As Austin celebrates Pink Cadillac Day 40 years later with race cars, organizers encourage attendees to pull out their pink wardrobes and raise a toast to the King of Rock and Roll.
Race action kicks off with qualifying and Hyperpole on Saturday. The six-hour race will start at 1:30 p.m. EDT Sunday.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Bold Chevy Equinox ICE is born again
Posted by Talbot Payne on August 29, 2024
Minneapolis — Hell has frozen over. The Chevrolet Equinox is cool.
The brand’s compact-class SUV was a reliable flavor of vanilla its first three generations. For 2025, it’s added Chunky Monkey Peanut Butter Rocky Road Chocolate Crunch to the recipe. I suppose this was predictable. After all, the entry-level Chevy Trax was my 2024 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year, transforming the brand’s entry-level meh-mobile into an affordable, gotta-have-it entry-level ute.
And Equinox’s big brother Traverse has suddenly become one of the hottest SUVs on the planet after years as a three-row wallflower.
Credit Chevrolet’s brainstorm to inject its SUV lineup with truck DNA. The coolest thing about Chevrolets after all are the pickups (well, after the Corvette, but modeling Equinox after a mid-engine, two-door supercar didn’t make sense) — the big, bad Colorado and Silverado.
So Equinox rummaged around the pickups’ western, cowboy wardrobe, and — voila! — cool, dude.
Chiseled bod. Wider, high-noon stance. Bold face. Squared-off wheel arches. Activ trim with off-road rubber. Dress it in Cacti Green. All that’s missing is a scarf and cowboy hat.
“Chevy couldn’t mail it in anymore,” said Paul Waatti, an auto analyst with Auto Pacifica. “The segment is just too strong.”
True enough. The Toyota RAV4, the best-selling SUV in the USA, modeled its most recent generation after Toyota’s best-selling Tacoma midsize pickup. Cue the Equinox’s transformation.
Jump into the saddle of my favorite Equinox Activ model and it keeps getting better.
As a truck wannabe, Activ trim gets a fierce, Silverado-inspired front end, optional all-wheel drive for Michigan winters, shark-fin C-pillar and all-terrain tires wrapped around 17-inch rims. If you prefer the LT or RS trims, they loom over you with Colorado-inspired fascias. Dude, I told you this beast was cool.
With Activ’s rims protected by beefy, tall, all-terrain sidewalls, I galloped around Metro Minneapolis without fear of destroying them in random potholes. Minneapolis was littered with short-summer-season road construction but it’s nothing compared to Metro Detroit, where roads are so bad we’re basically off-roading through potholes, expansion joint cracks and asphalt washboards.
With its white roof and staple wheels, the Activ preened. But enough about options. The standard stuff is where Equinox really shines.
If the tires protected me — WHUMP! — from the odd pothole on Minneapolis’s still-recovering-from-2020-riots south side, then standard, state-of-the-art electronics protected me from other four-wheeled creatures.
Merging onto the Twin Cities’ I-94 race track, blind-spot assist helped me do so safely. Once at speed, I punched adaptive cruise control on the steering wheel and settled into a highway gallop. Chevy has always been a class leader in ergonomics and Equinox is no exception.
I controlled ACC — without distracting my eyes from the road — with raised buttons on the steering spoke. Toggle to advance speed 1 MPH, loooong hold to advance 5 MPH. Want Google Maps navigation screen in front of you? Cycle through different screen views. Want to switch radio stations? Toggle the UP and DOWN buttons on the back left of the steering wheel. Adjust volume? Toggle the twin buttons on the right side. Want to store your bag of McDonald’s fries for later? Slip it into the cargo bay under the cubby-loaded console, thanks to the electronic shifter located — Mercedes-style — on the steering column.
But wait, there’s more: Automatic emergency braking, pedestrian/bicyclist braking, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic braking and auto front ejection seats (kidding about that last one).
This treasure chest of standard equipment costs just $29,995 in the base LT model, which lagged my Activ tester only in AWD, panoramic roof and convenience package with goodies like a wireless phone charger.
Useful appliance — wrapped in state-of-the-art design.
I already mentioned the Mercedes shifter, and Equinox has bracketed the cockpit with Merc-like aviator-style, oval vents (also inspired by the now deceased Camaro). Turn the oval left-and-right to adjust air flow. Rotate the orb up or down for air direction. Give that designer an A+.
Between the awesome orbs is a continuous pane of glass occupied by an 11-inch digital instrument display, and 11.3-inch infotainment screen for the center console. The Google Built-in operating system is as intuitive as your phone, and you can even move your favorite icons around the “home page.” The screen sits above a keyboard of climate buttons.
In a class choked with talent like the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-50 and Dodge Hornet, Equinox obsesses on detail. Check out the soft-wrapped door rests for my sharp elbows. Or adjacent storage cubby. Or the storage space for wet shoes between cargo floor and the spare tire. And, of course, Chevy’s stellar JD Power quality rating helps when you’re shopping versus bone-reliable Toyotas.
Detail attention extends to the drivetrain.
LT, Activ and RS are all powered by a competent, 175-horse 1.5-liter turbo-4. AWD optioned on all. A continuously variable transmission flogs FWD, an eight-speed lashes AWD. Both are smooth and unobtrusive thanks to a cabin insulated from road noise. Even those knobby all-terrains didn’t interrupt the cabin’s solace.
Curiously, Chevy’s trucklet doesn’t come with a SPORT mode and accompanying exhaust growl. You know how we cowboys love a bull ride. Instead, AWD models offer paddle shifters behind the steering wheel (don’t confuse them with the radio controls) that are activated by an L (for LOW) button on the steering wheel. Chevy thinks it will come in handy when, say, hauling a 1,500-pound small boat ‘n’ trailer out of the water.
Oh well, Chevy prefers peace — perhaps as a peek at the silent electric future promised by the Equinox EV on the other side of the showroom.
But Equinox ICE won’t make the EV transition any easier. Both cars share the superb Google Built-in operating system and digital screens (the bigger EV has a wider center screen), and my AWD Activ tester dusts the comparable AWD EV in range — 406 miles to 285, not to mention quicker fill-up times.
Equinox get an assist from its Trax sibling — a screaming bargain at $21K — which sports its own Cacti Green Activ model, and is pulling new customers into the brand like a giant ACME magnet. Equinox ICE (or the three-row Traverse) awaits when those buyers need more room.
It’s a handsome stable.
Dismounting after a days’ drive in the Equinox ICE, I looked over my equine’s comfortable saddle and thick, leather-wrapped reins. Were they heated for when the weather turns cold in Minnesota and Michigan?
Seems both features are standard. Of course.
Next week: 2025 VW Jetta
2025 Chevrolet Equinox ICE
Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $29,995, including $1,395 destination charge ($29,995 LT FWD, $36,395 RS and Activ as tested)
Powerplant: 1.5-liter four-cylinder
Power: 175 horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque (FWD), 203 pound-feet of torque (AWD)
Transmission: CVT (FWD); eight-speed automatic (AWD)
Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.0 sec. (Car and Driver est.); towing capacity, 1,500 pounds
Weight: 3,428 pounds (FWD LT)
Fuel economy: EPA 26 city/28 highway/27 combined (FWD); EPA 24 city/29 highway/26 combined (AWD); 452-mile range (AWD)
REPORT CARD
Highs: Bold styling inside and out; bucket-full of standard features
Lows: Steering paddles can be confusing; throatier engine growl on the Activ, please
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.