Like the Terminator, the Mustang GTD came back.

In August 2024, the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD became the first American-made production car to lap Germany’s famed 12.9-mile Nürburgring race track in under 7 minutes. Not satisfied, the Ford team said it would return for another go. Last month, Mustang’s 815-horsepower beast shattered its own 6.57.7 record by five seconds with a 6:52.1 minute lap.

The feat makes the Mustang GTD the fourth-fastest production sports car to ever lap the so-called Green Hell, trailing only the Porsche GT2 RS, Mercedes AMG GT Black Series and Porsche GT3 RS.

“We’re proud to be the first American automaker with a car that can lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes, but we aren’t satisfied,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said last year after GTD’s first sub 7-minute lap. “We know there’s much more time to find with Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.”

The new time came as the halo Mustang — estimated to cost $325,000 — ramps up for production this spring for customer delivery. Improvements to the car over the August, 2024 test included updated powertrain calibration, chassis stiffening, refined aerodynamics, and reconfigured traction control for better acceleration out of Nürburgring’s corners.

The GTD’s 2024 achievement was celebrated at the New York Auto Show last week where the ultimate ‘Stang was featured in a special exhibit on the show floor detailing the car’s 2024 accomplishment. For its next stop, the display will have to be updated to reflect the new time. The high-speed, roller-coaster, 73-turn track is the benchmark for performance car testing with speeds cresting 180 mph for long stretches.

Like last year, the Nürburgring lap was clocked by Ford pro-race driver Dirk Müller. Along with co-driver Joey Hand, Müller also piloted the Mustang GT3 — the race car version of the production GTD — in North America’s IMSA Weathertech Sportscar series. The pair placed 7^th at the Detroit Gand Prix and 10^th overall for the year.

The Mustang GT3 kicked off 2025 by winning the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona — following up on an impressive 2024 when it debuted internationally with a third-place finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.

The winged GTD monster validates Ford’s ambitions to compete against elite sports car brands including Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Corvette. Ford will also be entering the top-rung prototype class in 2027 to compete for the overall world championship for the first time since the GT40 dominate Le Mans in the late 1960s.

“Motorsports is in Ford’s DNA, back to our founding,” said Ford in a press release. “Our vehicles are bred to race, because there’s nothing better than high-stakes competition with the best in the world for improving quality, reliability, and performance. No current Ford vehicle exemplifies this philosophy like the Mustang GTD.”

The GTD’s 2024 attempt was marred by inclement weather, a common issue in the remote Eifel Mountains where Nürburgring resides.

The lap time closed the gap to the lap times of the Mustang’s Porsche and Mercedes rivals, both of which compete against Ford (along with Chevrolet’s mid-engine Corvette) in the international GT3 class with race versions of their own supercars.

The supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 engine is similar to the mill in the last-generation, 760-horsepower Shelby Mustang GT500 but includes upgrades like a rear-mounted transmission, lightweight carbon-fiber driveshaft, dry-sump oil system and swan-neck rear wing for better downforce. The carbon-fiber-skinned GTD was developed by Ford’s Toronto-based racing partner Multimatic, which also developed the mid-engine Ford GT.

The lap record by a production hypercar is 6:29.1 set by the Formula 1-based Mercedes-AMG ONE. The outright lap record is held by the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo race car at 5.19.5.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Summit Point, West Virginia — WAUUGGGGH! At West Virginia’s premier Summit Point Motorsports complex, I wrung the 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI’s neck through the Jefferson Circuit’s technical Turn 2-3-4-5 complex. The V-dub proved remarkably poised for an oversized shoebox.

At $33K, GTI is an appetizer to an industry performance menu that includes $100K filet mignon steaks like the Porsche 911. But Golf is plenty filling. Savor its recipe of limited-slip front wheel-drive, 273 pound-feet of torque, intuitive steering. Yum.

This talk of food reminds me of a recent dinner conversation with friends that turned to cars.

“Which car should I buy?” asked a successful 27-year-old New Yorker at the table who was about to venture beyond the comfort of Gotham’s public transit system into the vast American frontier of personal transportation.

He wanted something peppy — but with good fuel economy. With utility — but not a cookie-cutter SUV. Stylish — but under $50,000. Around the table we went with suggestions:

BMW 3-series

Ford Mustang GT

Tesla Model 3

When the conversation came to me, I offered my stock response: a hot hatch. Specifically, Golf GTI/Golf R. The OGs.

Like their Honda Civic Si/Type R peers, the twin hotties have it all: fun-to-drive, 30 mpg, cargo utility, cool design, all for $33,000-$50,000. Affordable hot hatches are the Cade Cunninghams of autodom. They can do it all.

“I’ve heard those are really good,” our New York colleague commented.

I offered one caveat: the eighth-generation-and-a-half Golf GTI and Golf R are the first of the V-dub hot hatches to ditch the stick.

“I don’t need a manual transmission anyway,” he replied with a shrug.

But the other enthusiasts at the table went ashen.

A hot hatch without a stick shift?! Especially the sainted Golf GTI? Would Townsend be the same without a guitar? Picasso without a paint brush? Thor without a hammer?

For enthusiasts, GTI’s (and Golf R, which joined the lineup in 2012) stick shift was the straw that stirred the drink. Just as the stick is at the heart of rival pocket rockets like Civic Si, Acura Integra Type  S, Subaru WRX, even the Johnny-come-lately to the segment, GR Corolla.

American consumers in particular coveted the stick, which made up a healthy 35-40% of sales in a car market that has few manual transmissions. But Europe, VW’s home market, has largely moved on from the stick shift with just 3% take. Just 3% in the land of Nürburgring? Was gibt?

VW explains that it is simply following economics — it makes little sense to offer a stick for one market in a small-volume car. And I suspect the brand’s move to electrification is a contributor as well. But this is no average small-volume car. Like the Mazda Miata (also available in stick) it’s the soul of the VW brand.

Even Porsche has flirted with ending the manual, but continues with the GT3 and T models. If GTI/R see a big drop-off in sales as buyers flee to Civic and Corolla (even sibling sedan Jetta GLI still offers a stick) expect the manual to return. Perhaps as a premium upgrade (see Mazda 3).

In the meantime, whether you are a hot hatch neophyte or a grizzled veteran, we’ll have to live with the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GTI and R are still a hoot.

Performance

WAUUUUGH! Back at Summit’s Jefferson Circuit, I warmed to GTI’s stick substitute — shift paddles behind the steering wheel to shift the dual-clutch automatic’s gears yourself.

Not as much fun to row — but quicker on the upshift so I could better maintain momentum. WHAP! I grabbed 4^th gear on the back straight and — cresting 100 mph — the uphill, right-to-left Turn 13/14 complex came up in a hurry.

Stab the brakes. Downshift to third. The summer tires (standard on the Autobahn model) chirped as I stood the car on its nose. The magic of the GTI’s front, limited slip diff rotated the car and I shot out of the corner with all four tires squealing on to the front straight.

Want more capability? Opt for the 328-horse, all-wheel-drive Golf R — its hind legs augmented by a sophisticated twin clutch pack that can throw 100% of torque to the outside real wheel to rotate on a dime.

Utility

When the track day is done, GTI/Golf R will get you home in comfort. If I brought my three dinner pals along, they would have fit comfortably in the front and rear seats, the Golf’s square back design easy on the neck even for six-footers. Plenty of room in back for folding chairs and picnic food.

When the snow comes, just fold down the second-row sets and throw in four Blizzack winter tires to be mounted at, say, Belle Tire.

Design

The Golf bros are easy on the eyes. Like their Porsche and Audi stablemates, the hot hatch design is simple, timeless. I especially like the GTI’s five fog-light cluster — one on each front corner — a unique design trait. The higher-cost (by a whopping 15 grand) Golf R looks more blunt instrument with its gaping front air dams for better engine breathing — and cannon-sized quad pipes out back. For 2025, it even gets a new Black edition for added menace.

Open the door, however, and the Teutons offer similar, rich interiors with practical living space. New for its 2025 mid-cycle refresh, GTI gets a full red “eyebrow” across the fascia as well as a suite of standard features, including twin digital screens, 12.9 infotainment display, wireless phone apps, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist. Echoing the exterior, designers have opted for a simple, streamlined look devoid of volume/climate buttons, which will irk purists.

Again, GTI outdoes Golf R with intuitive, raised steering wheel buttons. Both vehicles sport voice commands so you can order changes like:

Hey, Volkswagen, change the temperature to 70 degrees.

The Germans even have a sense of humor.

“Hey, Volkswagen, tell me a joke,” I said.

“What has four legs and flies?” responded my tester. “Two birds.”

My favorite package? The base GTI S model dressed in Moonstone Grey with classic plaid seats and phone-dial wheels. It all makes for a compelling package that — like its hot hatch competitors — reaffirms GTI/Golf R as two of the best all-around players in the U.S. market.

Now, if we all just write lots of emails to VW urging they #SaveTheManual.

Next week: 2025 Toyota Corolla

2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive (GTI) and all-wheel-drive (Golf R), five-passenger hot hatches

Price: $33,670, including $1,225 destination fee (GTI, $42,295 Autobahn model as tested); $48,325, including $1,225 destination fee (Golf R, $53,731 Black Edition as tested)

Powerplant: 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder

Power:  241 horsepower, 273 pound-feet of torque (GTI); 328 horsepower, 310 pound-feet of torque (Golf R)

Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.5 seconds (GTI, Car and Driver); 4.0 seconds (Golf R, Car and Driver); top speed, 130 mph (GTI), 155 mph (Golf R)

Weight: 3,250 pounds (GTI, est.); 3,400 pounds (Golf R, est.)

Fuel economy: EPA, 25 mpg city/34 highway/28 combined (GTI); 25 mpg city/34 highway/28 combined (Golf R)

Report card

Highs: Superb chassis control; premium, utilitarian, digital interiors

Lows: Golf R gets pricey; no stick shift

Overall: 3 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Carlsbad, California — On April 14, San Diego County experienced an earthquake that made national news. It registered 5.2 on the Richter scale. Residents recounted hearing a rumble as loud as a freight train. Floors rattled. Vases fell off tables.

Riding on top of the smooth, adaptive suspension inside the whisper-quiet, three-row Lincoln Navigator, I didn’t feel a thing.

New for 2025, the Navigator land yacht isn’t so much a vehicle as it is a rolling sanctuary. Like a  basement entertainment room, it comes with multi-way lounge chairs, wood accents, 48-inch jumbotron screen and remote voice control. Heck, in San Diego, developers may want to start building homes to Lincoln spec.

Navigator drivers don’t even have to drive.

On Interstate 5, I selected Blue Cruise hands-free drive assist, and Navigator … navigated itself. I settled back into my 24-way La-Z-Boy-like seat, adjusted the headrest and spoke to the Google Built-in assistant:

Hey, Google, tune to Sirius XM Comedy Greats Channel.

A favorite Brian Regan bit popped up on the jumbotron, lighting the cabin with laughter. I selected Mystic Forest from the smaller control screen (one of three odors on offer) and its subtle scent filled the cabin.

Hey, Google, order a Shake Shack burger. With fries, please?

Just kidding, Navigator can’t accept food deliveries. Yet.

Since it inaugurated the super-sized, three-row, truck-based SUV segment in 1998, Navigator has been the patriarch of the Lincoln brand. It’s weathered market storms like $4 gas prices, “What Would Jesus Drive?” activism and government electric-vehicle mandates.

Now it leads a transformed Lincoln family of four SUVs into the high-tech, digital age. Its $100,000 price tag is as exclusive as a six-figure, three-row Tesla Model X — but, like Model X and its entry-level $40K Model 3 sibling, Navigator promises a unique brand experience that should trickle down into every Lincoln, including the entry-level $40K Corsair. On sale now, the Navigator and two-row, midsize Nautilus are the first family members to share the Lincoln Digital Experience.

Like Tesla, the experience centers around a screen, steering wheel and simplified interior.

Elon Musk’s brand reimagined the automotive interior with its Apple phone-simple layout and big center screen. Lincoln has done the same while maintaining lush leather, wood and stitched materials synonymous with the brand. Black Label trims turn up the decadence — for example, the Atmospheric theme wows with quilted seats, ash wood, and copper accents echoed in its 24-inch wheels.

The sleek cabin is uncluttered by door-mounted seat controls or climate knobs. These features have been moved on to the console controller screen and steering wheel. Like a Tesla, the ergonomics take a moment to learn (and drive some traditionalists mad), but the reward is one of the coolest interiors in autodom.

While the A-pillar to A-pillar screen is the focus, the steering wheel is a work of art. Lincoln took a page from Corvette’s book by designing a square wheel so the driver can better see the horizontal screen. The two-spoke steering wheel is clean and deceptively simple.

I moved my thumb over the left spoke touchpad and avatars illuminated on the jumbotron to adjust Blue Cruise speed, radar distance. On the right spoke touchpad, my right thumb adjusted mirrors, steering wheel, even pedals. Like a Tesla.

Why the Tesla obsession? The digital generation has made the Model Y SUV and 3 sedan the nation’s No. 3 and No. 12 best-selling, respectively, non-pickup vehicles. After a year in the market, the redesigned Nautilus’ buyers are already trending eight years younger. Want traditional ergonomics with a dash jumbotron? Buy a Cadillac Escalade.

Lincolns are now vehicles that symbolize 21^st-century tech — not just a 19^th century president. The Navigator console screen even comes with tutorial videos to walk you through the tech toys — even simulating while parked what it’s like to drive Blue Cruise.

What is not Tesla-like is Navigator’s drivetrain. Family-focused Lincolns are gas-powered, and that’s a good thing.

I never sweated range anxiety during my day across southern California. The mega-ute uses the same twin-turbo V-6 drivetrain as its Ford F-150 pickup cousin, and its 510 pound-feet of torque and 519 miles of range are plenty capable.

When I wasn’t being chauffeured around on Blue Cruise, I dipped into Navigator’s library of drive modes (ECO, SLIPPERY, SPORT, SAND, EARTHQUAKE — kidding about that last one) and selected SPORT, which tightened the suspension and lowered the V-6’s mighty voice.

GROWWWWWL! went the four pipes out back, and the land yacht made waves. The coddled second and third-row passengers may protest, however.

The rear-seat spaces are as comfortable as the front and therein lies the appeal of the Navigator (and Cadillac Escalade and Jeep Grand Wagoneer) over all other luxury chariots in the six-figure space.

I got back!

If I were a kid on a family trip, I’d call dibs on the third-row bench seat. Let my other sibling(s) have the second-row captain’s chairs.

It is palatial back here. I rode for hours in the back bedroom — er, row — and had everything I needed.

Legroom for my 6-foot-5-inch legs? Check.

Reclining seats? Check.

Seat heater? Check.

Room to lie down and take a nap? Check.

USB-C ports? Check, two on each side.

Cupholders? Check, two on each side.

Burger and french-fry holder? Check, dish on both sides.

Panoramic roof? Check, standard on all Navigators bringing the sunshine in.

Middle armrest? Check.

Coat hook? Check, four of them: two on each side and two in the back of the second-row seats.

Wait, what? Coat hook, Payne?

I told you this is a rolling domicile. The third row even has access to the rear cargo area’s 110-volt outlet so I could plug in my laptop. Eat your heart out, second row.

The cargo hold bears more goodies like a split tailgate (complete with seatback) so that Mrs. Payne and I could sit in back and watch, say, a school soccer game (the tailgate holds up to 500 pounds). A spare tire is underneath and more cargo room is available with the long wheelbase model.

The drive modes on the 2025 Lincoln Navigator are a two-step process: push the button on the console, then choose the mode in the control screen.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

I arrived in the small town of Julian in the Cuyamaca Mountains where the epicenter of the earthquake had been earlier in the day. TV news crews were crawling all over town quizzing residents about their shaky morning. The hill town is also epicenter to the world’s best apple pie maker: Julian Pie Company.

I ordered a warm slice and devoured it on the spot. Or I could have dined while driving hands-free back to San Diego. Hey, Google, play “American Pie” by Don McLean.

Next week: 2025 Toyota Corolla FX

2025 Lincoln Navigator

Vehicle type: All-wheel drive, four-door, seven- or eight-passenger SUV

Price: $101,990, including $1,995 destination charge ($108,355 Reserve as tested)

Powerplant: 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6

Power: 440 horsepower, 510 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.3 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 2,000 pounds

Weight: 5,929 pounds (standard length model as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA 15 mpg city/22 highway/17 combined (AWD)

Report card

Highs: Tech-tastic interior; comfort in all three rows

Lows: Touch controls take getting used to; priced for the few

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

New York — The New York International Auto Show celebrates its 125^th birthday this year and the auto-palooza has it all with a display of classics, concepts, supercars, race cars, electric vehicle test tracks, and outdoor off-road tracks.

Well, almost all.

Missing are manufacturers like BMW, Mazda, Cadillac, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Tesla and Rivian that decided to sit out the birthday party. Showgoers will still enjoy plenty of eye candy including the epic Hudson Yards development across 11^th Avenue. With multiple skyscrapers (I swear a new one goes up every month) 9 million-square feet of office space, a mall, and more restaurants than Metro Detroit, the development has transformed Manhattan’s west side skyline.

No longer an isolated convention center, Javits-on-the-Hudson is part of a triangle of activity with Times Square to its northeast and Hudson Yards on its south flank. Inside are three floors of automotive toys.

Here are the highlights.

A (noisy) EV test track. VROOOOOOM! Sitting shotgun in a Dodge Charger Daytona, I was pinned to my setback as the brand’s first EV hit 40 mph after launch control before Graham Hooper — a Hollywood stunt driver — slammed on the brakes and rotated it through a series of turns. SCREEEEEE! “This is by far the most fun I have had in an EV! Ever!” yelled Hooper over the roar and screaming tires.

There are 18 EVs for showgoers to choose from on the test track. But only the Dodge EV has an external, so-called Fratzonic Exhaust Chamber that simulates the sound of an engine. A V-8 engine. The other EVs are silent. VROOOOM!

Bronco/Wrangler unbridled. If you want real V-8 sound, head outside to the Camp Jeep test track where you can jump into an insane Wrangler 392 and ride around the rollercoaster-like structure. Ford offers a similar Bronco Build Wild so you can experience its Bronc dirt-kicker. The rides pause at the top of the coaster hill so you can ogle the taller scrapers nearby.

Porsche 911 hot rod. Between the outdoor and indoor test tracks is a sprawling R2XPO display of modified cars. Front and center is a Porsche 911 (sixth, 997 generation) ready to be transformed on April 23-24 during public week by Japanese mod legend Akira Nakai using a wide-body kit and enormous, 13-inch-wide rear tires. Not only will the 911 get the Dodge Hellcat-like widebody, it’s been stuffed with a 650-horse, Chevrolet LS3 V-8 engine in back. Its a Porsche with a Motown accent.

125^th birthday party. To celebrate, show organizers have brought 13 models representing 13 decades of automotive innovation. The lineup stretches from a 40-horsepower 1909 Cadillac Model 30 to a 502-horse 2022 Porsche 911 GT3. In the middle are a pair of silver, split-window, 1963 Corvettes. Yum. Other brands represented? Ford, Dodge, Mercury, Pierce Arrow, Mercedes, Pontiac, Chevrolet (a Volt in addition to the ‘Vettes), DeLorean, Acura and Bugatti.

The first Chrysler. Want more history? The first Chrysler made was the 2024 Six which, legend has it, Walter P. Chrysler himself drove to the New York Show in January 1924. It’s in the Stellantis display right next to the only Chrysler model built today, the Pacifica minivan.

Big Mack. The venerable truck company is also celebrating its 125^th birthday. Mack was founded in 1900 by the Mack bothers in Brooklyn (now headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina). The show celebrates with a restored 1925 AB model complete with 34 horsepower and solid rubber tires. The original customer? Ely and Walker Dry Goods Company in St. Louis.

Rolls and Bentley. Only in New York. Rolls and Bentley have their own stand between Honda and Toyota. The assembled $400k sedan, SUV and convertible chariots are waiting for the gazillionaires who occupy the Hudson Yards sky suites across the street.

Sports cars. Speaking of Toyota, the brand’s big disply has a football theme. The Japanese brand is the official car of the NFL, and flag football will debut as an official sport of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It’s the league’s nose under the Olympic tent as it intends to expand American football globally. Toyota isn’t the only pro sports league sponsor on the floor. Kia sponsors the NBA, Honda the NHL, and Chevrolet Major League Baseball.

Chevy Equinox. No, you’re not seeing double. There are two Equinox RS utes on the floor — one EV, the other internal combustion powered. They are distinguished by design — EV sleek vs. ICE chunky truck chic. Also different? The prices: The EV model costs about $13k more.

Super-ru. Japan’s wee auto company has the show’s most epic stage. Walk through the forest of trees and chirping (fake) birds and you’ll find a new EV (Trailseeker), updated EV (Solterra) and the big draw, the redesigned Outback station wagon. The latter was the talk of media week with its blocky design that screams off-road SUV. The all-terrain-tired Wilderness model looks like it could climb Mt. Everest.

Ford’s power pony. The Mustang GTD is a $300,000-plus, 815-horsepower rocket ship and the first U.S. stallion to record a sub-7 minute lap around the world’s most fearsome track, Germany’s 13-mile, 170-turn Nürburgring. Ford celebrates the accomplishment with a special display, and the ‘Stang looks like no other with its huge rear wing, front splitter and aero wardrobe.

King Corvette. Gotham is renowned for its exotic European car stable. This year you can feast on everything from a $3 million Koenigsegg to a $600k Lamborghini Reveuelto and $350k Ferrari 296. But stroll over to GM’s display and you’ll find a Chevy that will smoke any of them.

The $174,995, mid-engine ZR1 hypercar is the King of Corvettes with an insane 1,064 ponies and 233-mph top speed. Don’t expect that Mustang American Nürburgring record to last long.

K4 hatched. If the Chevy’s still too rich for your blood, check out Kia. The hatchback is sibling to the $23,165 K4 sedan that has been the Korean brand’s best seller this year. The hatch gives the compact a double threat in the market like the Mazda 3 sedan/hatchback or Honda Civic sedan/hatch. It shares K4’s Cadillac CT5-like styling, hoodless dash screens and engines — but adds 7 cubic feet of cargo space. Hey, Kia, how about a hot-hatch version to rival the new 2026 VW Golf GTI on display?

Italian stallion. The Stellantis-owned Italian supercar brand oozes sex appeal with a lineup of hotties including a purple GT2 Stradale. Translation: Road-going version of Maserati’s mid-engine GT2-class race car. This beast makes 631 horsepower with enhanced aerodynamics and scissor doors. New York cops ticket it just standing still.

Genesis Hypercar. Hyundai will enter the endurance racing wars in 2027 with the GMR-001 hypercar, South Korea’s first effort to conquer the high bankings of the 24-Hour Le Mans and Daytona endurance races. Look under its sleek orange skin and you’ll find Formula One-like keel wing aero tweaks and a twin-turbo hybrid V-8 to take on front-runners from Porsche Penske and Cadillac.

Hyundai family. Hyundai shows off its all-new, three-row, Palisade ICE SUV for the first time — alongside the (Big Apple) debut of its three-row, electric Ioniq 9, which was first seen in L.A. last fall. Like Chevy, Hyundai and Kia are committed to producing parallel ICE and EV lines to gauge customer preference. For now, the Palisade — available as a 600-mile-range hybrid for the first time — has the upper hand as one of the best-selling three-rows in the United States. “The only thing that matters to customers,” said Hyundai North America product chief Olabisi Boyle, “is how far they can go, and how easily they can get there.”

If it’s easy to get there, check out the New York Auto Show, which runs through April 27.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

New York — At Subaru Corp.’s 2025 New York International Auto Show stand it’s everything everywhere all at once.

The all-wheel-drive adventure brand is juggling a display-full of challenges that reflect an auto market whipsawed by consumer tastes, government electric vehicle regulations and import tariffs. Subaru debuted an all-new, sixth-generation model of its iconic Outback station wagon this week boasting its most significant design changes in years as buyers flee cars and flock to SUVs. At the same time, Subaru unveiled two electric SUVs key to satisfy looming, 2026 electric vehicle mandates — vehicles that Subaru produces in Japan and that may be subject to import tariffs.

Still bullish on auto shows that many industry brands have fled, Subaru’s lush stand evokes a national park and is at the center of the New York show floor. Live plants, bird sounds, trees, the works.

Walk through the forest and the 2026 Outback anchors the main stage. It’s been the buzz of media week, and everyone has an opinion about the crossover’s chunky, bold new look.

Introduced as a station wagon in 1995 to complement the Japanese company’s midsize Legacy sedan, Outback became the face of the brand’s appeal as a rugged, nature-loving, get-away-from-it-all vehicle.

Its importance to Subaru can’t be understated. The wagon has sold 3 million copies in the United States over 30 years, becoming as synonymous with Subaru as the Miata sportscar is with Mazda.

As the U.S. market’s tastes swung to SUVs and station wagons and sedans died off (the Legacy exits U.S. showrooms after this year), Outback evolved with the market to a more off-road focused vehicle that was lifted over eight inches off the ground — as high as a Jeep Wrangler. It even gained a dirt-kicking Wilderness model armed with another inch of ride height, skid plates, and all-terrain tires.

The ‘26 model goes all in as an SUV.

“The Outback is moving on from the Legacy, which is going away,” said Aaron Cole, Subaru communications manager, standing next to the boxier model. “Form follows function and people are asking, for example, how they can fit a dog crate under the rear hatchback.”

He noted that the Outback’s wagon-like proportions are largely unchanged with the same wheelbase and two more inches of height. Its greenhouse-to-body ratio looks familiar, but its SUV aspirations are undeniable.

“The Outback has evolved with the customer,” said Cole. “Without Legacy we are attracting a different customer, and the blockier look appeals to that trend.”

If Subaru has confidently evolved into as SUV-focused lineup including the Crosstrek, Forester and Ascent, the brand has not been as sure-footed about introducing electric cars. Buyers may “Love the Earth” — to quote the brand’s green-focused advertising — but they have been resistant to EVs and their unpredictable range and charging options.

Subaru took a tentative step in 2023 with the Solterra, a SUV roughly the same size as the Outback built on a battery platform developed by Toyota.

Its sold just 12,447 units in the United States last year — a long way from the popular Outback’s 168,771. Given its green-friendly buyer demographic, Subaru believes customers will warm to EVs as charging infrastructure and range improves.

But like other manufacturers, Subaru can’t afford to wait as it must meet the more immediate EV wishes of government regulators.

Subaru rolled out a second EV — the Trailseeker — at the U.S. auto show as Subaru faces looming EV sales mandates from New York and 11 other so-called Zero Emission Vehicle states. For the 2026 model year, ZEV states require that 35% of brand sales be electric or face fines that could soar into the billions as ZEV states phase out all gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035.

Toyota or Subaru? If the interior of the Subaru Trailseeker looks a lot like a Toyota bZ4X, that’s because the two models share a platform. Henry Payne, The Detroit News

“No manufacturer is going to meet the mandates,” said Erin Keating, executive analyst for Cox Automotive. “Subaru will be challenged to meet the mandate, but their dealers will be impacted if they don’t provide the vehicles customers want.”

To sweeten the deal, Subaru’s new Trailseeker is a more rugged-looking version of the Solterra EV in keeping with the brand’s overlanding image. It gets more grunt from its twin electric motors (375 horsepower), an off-roady X mode and 3,500-pound tow rating.

“It looks a lot like a Subaru so that you can get away on the weekend and go anywhere,” said Senior Vice President for Sales Troy Poston.

But that capability comes at a price and the Trailseeker will get just 260 miles of range — before buyers stress it with towing and 4.4-second 0-60 launches. Still, that’s a jump from the initial 2023 Solterra’s 228 miles of range; Solterra has leapt to 280 miles of range for the 2026 model year.

That progress, however, faces increased speed bumps. While states turn the mandate screws, federal $7,500 EV sales subsidies are poised to go away under new EPA management. Worse, EV sales credits generated by EV makers like Tesla Inc., Rivian Automotive Inc. and Lucid Motors are no longer enough to satisfy the growing demands of the 35% sales mandates.

“The legacy manufacturers have had three choices,” said Keating. “1) buy tax credits from EV makers; 2) pay the fines: or 3) build EVs. Now none of those options look good.”

And for Subaru, the costs will go even higher if the Trump administration’s 25% tariff on Japanese imports holds. Both the Trailseeker and Solterra are built in Japan and Solterra is already priced $10,000 north of its gas-fired Outback sibling.

The Cox analyst said the tariff game is still in the early stages and that manufacturers expect that better rates will be negotiated.

“It’s a real delicate balance,” she said of the situation manufacturers like Subaru face. “For all the attention tariffs get, they appear negotiable. The ZEV state mandates, however, don’t have many walkarounds.”

She said there is hope states will pull back as the regulations bite and the Trump administration and a Republican Congress apply pressure. ZEV-state Maryland, for example, paused its mandates on April 8 after Washington threatened to freeze federal monies for electric charging stations.

On the New York show floor, meanwhile, Subaru hopes that the public will embrace its redesigned Outback when doors open to the public Friday. One caveat? The 2026 Outback will be manufactured in Japan and subject to tariffs.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

Anza-Borrego Desert, California — With all-terrain tires, all-wheel drive, seven driving modes and wireless navigation, the Ford Bronco Sport is a packhorse built for all seasons.

In southern California, those seasons can happen in one day.

The Bronco Sport — aka, Son of Bronco, Bronco Jr., Bronco Lite — is the entry-level sibling in Ford’s tough Bronco sub-brand. Built on a smooth unibody chassis rather than Bronco’s truck-like ladder frame, Bronco Sport is nevertheless a tough little cookie, at home in dense city traffic or on endless desert sand.

I departed my Gaslamp Quarter hotel in San Diego at the crack of dawn and pointed my 2025 Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch tester in the direction of the Anza-Borrego Desert about 95 miles away. Over the next 11 hours, I would travel through crisp fall, snowy winter, bright spring and sandy summer conditions.

Fall

The crisp air in SoCal was decidedly fall-like in early April, and I headed east from San Diego in 42-degree temps. The Bronco Sport is one of two compact SUVs that Ford makes on its C2 unibody platform (the others is the Escape), and Bronco Sport is the wild child of the pair.

With their Bronco-like headlights and optional Black Diamond and Sasquatch off-road packages, the Bronc’s Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands models are ready to tread beyond where the asphalt ends.

But Bronco Sport is also well equipped for morning commutes in the urban jungle.

I put my Borrego Springs destination in my phone, which instantly translated to the 13.2-inch digital display high in the dash via standard, wireless Android Auto — and in the instrument display in front of me. I spun the rotary GOAT mode dial (Ford-speak for drive modes) from NORMAL to ECO and followed the instructions though San Diego’s gridded streets and on to the highway choked with morning traffic.

Also standard is a moat of safety systems. Merging onto California Highway 94, I checked my six. The blind-spot assist icon flickered in my rearview mirror and I waited for a line of cars to pass before merging left. Whether married to the base 1.5-liter turbo 3-cylinder engine or the 2.0-liter turbo-4 exclusive to my Badlands tester, the standard eight-speed transmission is smooth as silk — even under my lead Size 15 foot.

Up to speed, I set standard adaptive cruise control at 70 mph and cruised effortlessly through the ebbs and flows of traffic. Without taking my eyes off the road, I toggled the raised switch on the steering spoke to adjust speed and following distance.

As the route narrowed to two-lane California 79, I rotated the GOAT to SPORT and punched the MANUAL button in the middle of the selector. Paddle time.

I reached for the shift paddles behind the wheel and manually shifted through the blizzard of Cuyamaca Mountain S-turns. The Bronc Sport is hardly a hot hatch, but my Sasquatch package-equipped Badlands model rotated nicely with planted steering and torque-vectoring clutches once found on the Ford Focus RS.

Winter

Speaking of blizzards, the dry roads didn’t last long.

I had climbed from sea level to 4,000 feet (did you hear my ears pop?) in an hour and the temperature had plummeted 15 degrees. Suddenly, my windscreen was full of sleet and snow and the road was an ice rink. Thank goodness for all-terrain tires.

I spun the GOAT wheel to SLIPPERY mode, which chose a lower gear to reduce torque slip. The tires did the rest as I clawed my way through the twisties. I passed a pair of cars that has slid into the ditch assisted by emergency vehicles. My sure-footed Bronco Sport soldiered on.

For such sudden changes of weather, the Ford has clever, rear-seat sub-space where you can store hats, gloves, long underwear. With the seats up, four six-footers can fit comfortably in the cabin. Fold the rear seats down, and you can fit two upright bikes with their front tires removed.

Spring

Descending the east side of the Cuyamacas, winter gave way to spring as temps warmed to 60 degrees and the sun bathed lush green valleys.

All-terrain tires that had carried me through ice and snow were surprisingly quiet on dry asphalt. As was the cabin. One of the most uncomfortable rides I’ve experienced was in a cloth-seated Ford Mustang last decade, but Bronco Sport seats — whether cloth in the Big Bend model or leather in Badlands — were easy on the backside for my 260-mile round trip.

Clever interior bits abound: phone storage behind the dash screen includes twin USB-C charging ports; crisp instrument display graphics right out of a video game; and an “oh, crap” passenger handle on the center console for when things get dicey off-road.

Summer

Oh, yes, I encourage you to go off-road with the Sasquatch package.

I descended into the Anza-Borrego Desert and temperatures rose to over 70 degrees. Ford uses Anza-Borrego for extreme testing where temps can soar over 120 degrees while sand blows horizontally at 50 mph.

New for the 2025 model year, my Badlands was fully armored with Sasquatch — a step up from the Black Diamond package available since the 2023 model year. Inspired by big brother Bronco (natch), the package offers protective skid plates underneath, a one-inch suspension lift, more GOAT drive modes and a front bull bar.

I didn’t hit any bulls, but my grille came face to face with plenty of rocks. WHUMP! I dragged the fortified underbelly over a boulder, then stood on my nose on a rock suspending my right rear in the air while the rear clutch pack threw 100% torque to the other wheel for grip.

Rock quickly gave way to deep sand — dial up RALLY mode! — and I churned through miles of the stuff as the twin clutch packs did their magic, automatically managing traction across the rear wheels while the fronts pulled like mad.

At the edge of a dune, the sand dropped away and I engaged TRAIL CONTROL — a sort of low-speed adaptive cruise for off-roading. Set at 2 mph, the system took over throttle and brake so I could concentrate on steering between steep rock ruts. You won’t use TRAIL CONTROL much on daily commutes, but the all-terrain tires will help with Detroit potholes.

On the way back to my hotel over the mountains in the evening, I stopped at the famed Julian Pie Company. Its tasty apple pie reminded me of the Grand Traverse Pie Company in Traverse City.

With Traverse City’s variable climate, sand dunes and steep elevation changes, Bronco Sport would be right at home there too.

Next week: 2025 Lincoln Navigator

2025 Ford Bronco Sport

Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger SUV

Price: $31,590, including $1,595 destination charge ($44,925 Badlands Sasquatch as tested)

Powerplant: 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder; 2.0-liter turbo-4

Power: 180 horsepower, 200 pound-feet of torque (1.5-liter); 250 horsepower, 280 pound-feet of torque (2.0-liter)

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.8 seconds (Car and Driver est., 2.0-liter); towing, 2,700 pounds

Weight: 3,849 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA 23 mpg city/26 highway/24 combined (1.5-liter); 21 mpg city/27 highway/23 combined (2.0-liter)

Report card

Highs: All-season dexterity; excellent standard features

Lows: Tight rear seat space compared to competition; turbo-4 only available on Badlands

Overall: 4 stars

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

New York — America’s oldest auto exhibition, the New York International Auto Show, celebrates its 125^th anniversary through April 27 at Javits Convention Center with a look back at significant concepts of the past along with the debuts of modern machinery for the 21^st century.

While auto dealers who organize the show gauge consumer interest in the latest wares, they will also be watching the effects of government-imposed electric vehicle mandates and import tariffs on the market’s future.

Like the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place, the Big Apple’s auto-palooza has morphed over the decades into more than just an opportunity to shop for your next ride. Once isolated on the Hudson River on Manhattan’s’ west side next to a train depot, Javits’ neighborhood has been transformed by the Hudson Yards development that has sprouted skyscrapers over top of the rail yard. With 9 million square feet of office space as well as residential quarters, Hudson Yards is among the most expensive real estate in Manhattan.

Residents and other attendees who walk across 11^th Avenue to Javits will find four test tracks — two of them outdoor — where they can jump into cars from numerous brands for a ride. Inside, there will be an array of attractions from anniversary exhibits to new car debuts to brand displays and special collections of Detroit classics and racing Subarus.

“There’s been a huge change over the years. We characterize these events as auto shows, but it’s also a place for (attendees) to enjoy themselves, as they are spending three four hours at the show,” said Mark Schienberg, president of the New York Auto Show and of the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association, in an interview. He said exit surveys show consumers “want to see the new product and help them understand it. But right under that was they really loved the entertainment.”

That entertainment will include special exhibits during public days April 18-27, like tuner whiz Nakai San, who will construct a Porsche over two days, April 23-24 — and Overland Weekend, an exhibit of extreme campers and off-road vehicles. Detroit’s show in January also amped up the entertainment when it invited ticket-holders to take a ride with IndyCar stars like Josef Newgarden and Nolan Allaer on the show’s indoor track.

New York combines car-gazing and entertainment on the show’s 110,000-square-foot indoor test track. Like Detroit, the experience track is a New York centerpiece.

ZOT! Riding shotgun, attendees can accelerate up to 40 mph around the “EVTest Track.” Some 18 models will be available to ticket-holders. Cadillac leads the way with four EVs to ride in with Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Kia, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen also represented.

“You really need to speak to the consumers that are in your area and tracks are a great way to do that,” said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of Research and Analysis for S&P Global. “There are still a lot of people who still haven’t been in an electric vehicle, so to have that experience is helpful.”

Unlike Detroit’s indoor tracks that showcased a mix of gas and electric powertrains, Javitz’s track is all-electric. That’s because the Empire State is one of 12 so-called Zero Emission Vehicles states that require all new vehicles sales to be zero-emission by 2035. That includes a mandate that 35% of 2026 model-year vehicles (which hit dealers later this year) be fully battery-powered.

The market is a long way from that today with less than 10% of New York sales (most of them Tesla, which is not at the New York Show) powered by electricity. Sales may also be impacted by the expected withdrawal of the federal $7,500 EV tax credit.

“We saw an uptick in sales in January and February as headlines warned that subsidies were going away, and there is also more availability of EV models,” said Brinley. “But I don’t think there’s going to be a 35% share for electric vehicles in New York.”

For the majority of customers who still want gas-fired cars — particularly of the off-road variety — Detroit brands Jeep and Ford offer outdoor tracks on Javits’ 11^th Avenue doorstep. The rollercoaster-like tracks are traditionally among the most popular show features.

“Jeep keeps on making the mountain bigger and with a bigger pitch. So it should be interesting to see what they’ve put together this year,” Schienberg said.

The dealers who organize the show also face a mountain of tariffs coming from the Trump administration — aimed in particular at entry-level and electric vehicles made in Mexico like the Kia K4 hatchback that the Korean brand is expected to introduce here.

“It’s hard for consumers to see the effect of tariffs on vehicles,” said Brinley, who said New York show products haven’t been pulled back due to tariffs. “Vehicle inventory for 50-60 days that is on sale now is unaffected by the tariffs. And manufacturers that sell here aren’t leaving the market — they just have to figure out where to build.”

Unique for 2025 is the anniversary celebration.

“We’re really pulling out all the stops with amazing exhibits,” said Schienberg of the show that started at Madison Square Garden in 1900. “We’re showing concepts — one from each decade of the auto show. So we have 13 examples of amazing vehicles that have been introduced over the decades.”

Inside the show’s entrance, the anniversary exhibit illustrates how the industry has evolved in design and tech. Exhibits includes Detroit notables like the Ford Model T and 1909 Cadillac Model 30.

“Its interesting to harken back to the history of autos after so many years of talking about EVs and autonomous vehicles,” Brinley said. “It makes the auto show engaging on multiple levels. I like that there is an emphasis on the things that emotionally move you as well as what you might buy.”

Also celebrating its 125^th year? Mack Truck, which will have a display including a 1925 Mack AB model.

New vehicles are still the heartbeat of the New York show, and 28 brands will be on display at Javits.

“When we looked at our numbers last year, 66% of (attendees) said that the show influenced their purchase, and that they were in the in the market for buying a car . . . within the next 12 months,” Schienberg said. “So you really have consumers that are in that funnel, coming in and helping them make their decision on what to do.”

If Detroit Three brands dominate the Huntington Place stage, Korean brands Kia, Hyundai and Genesis have become the headliners in New York and Los Angeles with high-profile model debuts. Subaru and VW will also showcase new models.

“Hyundai, Kia and Genesis have been great as a lot of other manufacturers have gone away. Subaru has always been a believer in shows,” Schienberg said. “They share with us their data, and it’s really impressive what coverage they get.”

Three new Kia models are expected with speculation centering on a hatchback version of the compact, gas-powered K4 sedan; the North American introduction of the K4’s electric E4 sibling; and a new, three-row Telluride SUV.

Expect Hyundai’s Telluride competitor, the Palisade, to take off the wraps in New York with a boxier look. Subaru will debut an all-new EV, the Trailseeker, but the Big Apple’s showstopper may be an all-new Subaru Outback — the brand’s halo moving away from its traditional, station-wagon proportions to a chunkier, more SUV-like look. As for VW, the midsize, gas-driven Tiguan SUV may get a close cousin, the Tayron. Toyota and Maserati have also scheduled news conferences.

In addition to its sprawling display, Hyundai has its own indoor test track for attendees.

“Seventy six percent of the (New York attendees) said that the auto show was the only automotive event that they attended,” Schienberg said. “They’re seeing car commercials, and they are on the websites getting information about product. But when they really want to experience cars, the consumer is still using auto shows as their tool to help them make decisions.”

With many of the world’s biggest media operations — TV networks, New York newspapers and more — in town, the New York show has been an irresistible showcase for the flood of startup automakers in recent years. Qiantu, INDI EV, Vinfast and others have used Gotham as a stage for new vehicles.

Not this year. Consistent with the struggles of startups like Rivian, Lucid, Fisker and Bollinger, the 2025 show will be devoid of startups.

“Startups are going through their challenges to some degree,” Scheinberg said. “I wish Vinfast was in this year. They’re not, but that’s more because they’re not selling vehicles in the New York area.”

Though Metro New York contains some of the country’s most affluent zip codes, many luxury automakers continue to sit out the the show just as they do Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles. BMW, Porsche and Cadillac (which was once headquartered in New York) will not present this year. But Mercedes, Maserati, Genesis, Acura and Lincoln will bring their toys.

And then there are the exotics.

A signature of the New York show has long been its display of uber-lux models from hypercars to lush land yachts. Detroit took inspiration from New York and put on its own exotic 2025 display.

Between the Chevy and Subaru exhibits will be eye candy like the Bentley Continental GTC hybrid convertible, Rolls Royce Cullinan, 1,500-horsepower Koenigsegg Regera hybrid, Lamborghini Revuelo, Lotus Eletre SUV and Emira sports car, and 1,900-horsepower Rimac Nevera electric hypercar that can hit 60 mph in just 1.85 seconds.

Performance fans will also thrill at restomods from Tedson Motors (Porsche 911), Sacrilege (converted electric Porsche 911), and GTO Engineering (Ferrari 250).

Media attendance has dropped off in recent years during the press week leading up to New York public days as fewer manufacturers have debuted vehicles.

But the New York Show still generates media interest with its World Car of the Year awards scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 — much as the North American Car, Truck & Utility of the Year awards kicks off the Detroit Auto Show.

Javits also hosted the Automotive Forum sponsored by JD Power on Tuesday, April 15.

“It’s a who’s who of the auto industry — everybody from manufacturers to suppliers, dealers, the media,” Schienberg said. “Between issues on the economy, electrification, and now tariffs, things have been taken to a whole new level, which is why registrations have really turned up. “

Other attractions include a display dedicated to the “Golden Era,” spotlighting 1950s automobiles including the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado, 1958 Buick Limited and 1955 Packard Caribbean. Complementing Subaru’s main floor display is a collection of all-wheel-drive Subaru hellions from the James Buzzetta collection.

“These are the STI (racers), and the first Subaru that was ever brought into the United States, the Subaru 360,” Schienberg said.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.