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Bollinger Motors debuts 2022 electric work trucks
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 18, 2021
Electric auto startup Bollinger Motors’s B1 SUV and B2 pickup are among the highly-anticipated crop of electric pickups scheduled to come to market in the next year. The pricey, $125,000 vehicles promise unique hauling capabilities as well as competitive towing and horsepower numbers compared to traditional petrol-powered trucks.
But Bollinger also needs to put food on the table to sustain its Oak Park-based operation.
To that end, Bollinger on Friday debuted a configurable, $70,000 B2CC commercial pickup chassis cab and $55,000 CHASS-E truck platform for the high-volume, work truck market. The products will be offered in rear-wheel drive, dually (four rear wheel) variants, and all-wheel-drive variants.
Bollinger’s announcement follows similar plans by Midwest startup rivals Rivian Automotive and Lordstown Motors Corp., who have also announced plans for high-volume sales in the work truck industry. The highest-profile e-pickup, Tesla Inc.’s sci-fi, Cybertruck starting at $39,900, has thus far focused on retail sales.
Electric truck manufacturers tout the benefits of high-torque, low-maintenance electric drivetrains to work truck fleets. Legacy truckmakers like Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., and Stellantis NV’s Ram sell millions of gas-powered work trucks to fleets every year. They are also working on electrified variants.
“There’s nothing on the market, or in development, like our all-electric Class 3 work trucks,” said Bollinger CEO Robert Bollinger at the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Week. The NTEA is the trade group for the work truck industry. “We’re proud that the B2CC is the only Class-3 electric chassis cab in development. With our new RWD and Dual RWD variants, we’ll be able to offer a whole range of options to commercial fleets looking to electrify.”
Beefy Class 3 trucks are prized in the field for their hauling capabilities with Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (GVWR) of between 10,001–14,000 pounds. That is, the total weight of a truck, plus passengers, fuel, and payload. By contrast, the best-selling retail truck, the Ford F-150, is a Class 2A beast with GVWR up to 8,500 pounds. The F-150’s big-boned brother, the F-350, is a Class 3 truck.
The CHASS-E electric, skateboard platform — which is the skeleton for all Bollinger models — starts at $55,000 for the RWD model, $57,500 for the dually, and $80,000 for AWD.
“Our trucks kick ass and now they kick ass three ways,” Bollinger said. “Now we’re making three versions to cover a wide range of needs for the commercial and government markets.”
Rivian has drawn the biggest commercial-truck headlines after Amazon.com Inc. announced plans to put 100,000 electric delivery trucks on the road by 2024. The bulk of those e-orders are expected to come from Rivian, where Amazon has invested $700 million. Amazon’s delivery vehicles have a Class 2b GVWR rating of up to 10,000 pounds.
Electric vehicles face enormous challenges in the retail market — they are less than 2% of sales today — but advocates believe commercial fleet networks are key to building out the electric charging infrastructure necessary to reduce range anxiety. EVs typically have much less range than comparable gas-powered cars and thin re-fueling infrastructure.
Amazon currently has about 30,000 of their ubiquitous, gray, gas-powered delivery trucks on the road.
Bollinger has said that COVID has been a challenge to product plans but that production is slated to begin later this year. Work truck deliveries are slated for 2022, and will dovetail with deliveries of the retail trucks which have been on order at BollingerMotors.com.
Bollinger announced an updated design for its B2 pickup in December with its signature pass-through cargo area. With the batteries in the floor, and twin tailgates at the front and rear of the vehicles, owners can pass, for example, long pieces of lumber through the B2 cabin.
The dual-motor B2 boasts 614 horsepower and 668 pound-feet of torque, about 200 miles of range, 15 inches of ground clearance for rugged farm duty, 10-inch wheel travel, 5201 pound payload capacity, and 7500-pound towing capacity.
“With our additional drive options, we’ll be able to provide work-truck solutions to every industry,” said Bollinger. “The significantly lower total cost of ownership for the RWD (model) makes it the best option for any fleet.”
Payne: Hummer-inspired Extreme E racer unveiled, evoking dune buggy
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 18, 2021
Behold the GMC Hummer EV race car.
Chip Ganassi Racing and chief sponsor Segi TV unveiled their muscular Extreme E racing livery this week as the team prepares to take electric racing to the farthest reaches of the earth. The Extreme E racer will make its debut at the Desert X Prix in AlUla, Saudi Arabia on April 3rd — the same day the production Hummer SUV is unveiled during the NCAA tournament.
General Motors Co. says its future is all electric and the estimated $70,000 Hummer EV — produced as both a SUV and pickup — is a key part of that strategy. The Ganassi race team has made its mark in IndyCar and IMSA racing, and is one of 10 entered in the inaugural Extreme E season.
Like sister brand Chevrolet and its Camaro-inspired NASCARs, GMC’s Extreme E Hummer bears little resemblance to the actual production ute. The racer takes its design cues from GMC’s first electric offering with an apparently non-functional, six-slot Hummer signature light graphic — H-U-M-M-E-R spelled on each slot — anchoring the front fascia.
Similarly, the Camaro ZL1’s distinctive bowtie and headlight graphic highlight Chevy’s NASCAR — though the elements are non-functional stickers applied to a body designed to series’ rules. In addition to the front graphic, the “Hummer EV” logo is emblazoned on the windshield sun blind as well as on the rooftop. The red, white, and blue racer (the only American team entry) also carries the Segi TV logo.
Overall, the Extreme E looks like a super-sized dune buggy — sharing no chassis or body components with the Ultium battery platform that undergirds the production Hummer. The Ganassi/Segi TV entry is built on a battery-powered, 550-horsepower spec chassis called the Odyssey 21.
The battery pack has been developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, an offshoot of the Williams Formula 1 team.
In keeping with the series’ woke ambitions, Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc.’s Segi TV is a new streaming service dedicated to programming about racial diversity and global warming. The series’ mission is to travel to global venues that highlight what Extreme E says is a climate emergency. Gannassi has announced a female/male driving team in keeping with the series’ strict gender rules meant to promote “a level playing field.”
“What Extreme E is doing right now is pretty incredible,” said Ganassi female driver Sara Price, an experienced off-road racer. “It is going to be able to provide girls who have incredible talent that’s never been seen before, a chance to showcase it — that itself is huge for women as well as for motorsport.”
Price will be joined by co-driver Kyle LeDuc, the only all-American duo in the field. The series has attracted drivers from across racing disciplines including ex-Formula 1 ace Jensen Button, Australian Rally Champion Molly Taylor, and IMSA sportscar star Katherine Legge.
“I am extremely excited to be partnered with the Chip Ganassi Race team and associated with the Hummer EV to bring global exposure to issues like climate change,” said Sycamore CEO Edward Sylvan, himself a longtime go-kart racer. “The positivity of this race series along with the core values of this championship series are sure to resonate with our audience worldwide.”
The Hummer SUV will be produced alongside the EV pickup that the brand unveiled late last year. Both are slated for production at the Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center starting later this year.
The Extreme E series will globe-trot to five remote regions of the world — desert, ocean front, Arctic, rainforest, and glacier. It will be broadcast stateside by FOX Sports.
Season 1, 2021 Extreme E calendar:
Desert X Prix: AlUla, Saudi Arabia: April 3-4
Ocean X Prix: Lac Rose, Senegal: May 29-30
Arctic X Prix: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland: Aug. 28-29
Amazon X Prix: Para, Brazil: Oct. 23-24
Glacier X Prix: Patagonia, Argentina: Dec. 11-12
Payne: Forget luxury SUVs, get a Mazda CX-30 Turbo
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 11, 2021
Auto consumers have been fixated on their transition to SUVs, but I encourage them to pay attention to a parallel trend: the democratization of the automobile. Thanks to the electronics revolution, the gap between luxury and mainstream autos has been shrinking rapidly.
With the 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo, the difference has been obliterated.
In design and performance, my mainstream CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus is the equal of compact luxury SUVs like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1/X2. Factor in the loaded, $35,225 CX-30’s price tag versus the $42,000 Teutons and the sexy Mazda is the best buy in segment. Mainstream or luxury. Call it a milestone.
Sure, brand matters when you’re a young professional about to drop $40,000 on your first car. But your college smarts are whispering that — with the $7,000 you save on sticker — you can buy a nice couch set, chairs, and 68-inch OLED TV for your new condo.
It’s not like you’re compromising looks, horsepower, or tech. I mean, just look at the Mazda.
It’s gorgeous. Lean face accented by chrome cheeks under headlight peepers that sweep backward into athletic flanks. It’s quite a sculpture, prettier than any luxe bod. Drawn with strong lines and a shallow greenhouse, the proportions are only interrupted by huge, black fender moldings.
Mazda designers say the black cladding was added — not to nip costs — but to instill a sense of off-roadiness in order to differentiate CX-30 from, say, its sister hot hatch, the Mazda 3 Turbo. My bet is Mazda will correct that design hiccup in a mid-cycle refresh, because few customers will take this little ute into the brush.
Heck, you’re more likely to seek out a race track to test this nimble beast. The CX-30 is a joy to drive hard.
The standard 182-horse CX-30 was the only crossover in class that could hold a candle to the BMW X-1. Now add the 250-horse turbocharged 2.5 liter to the recipe. and the Mazda is every bit the 228-horsepower Bimmer’s equal. Forget other mainstream brands like the Ford Ecosport or Hyundai Kona, this eager ute is a luxury performance SUV in, well, luxury performance clothing.
I’ve written before in this space how the Mazda3 Turbo and VW Golf GTI are superior value plays to their Audi A3 and BMW 2-series peers. But absent a similar VW effort in the subcompact ute space, the CX-30 is really a class of one.
Not only does the turbo-4 deliver gobs of torque — it is delivered via a six-speed transmission that’s as buttery smooth as Sade’s voice. Dancing through the twisties of Oakland County lake country, I rotated the CX-30 through an apex with minimal body roll — then stomped the accelerator on exit without the familiar hiccup of rival boxes.
The feeling is similar to a Mazda3 Turbo — my runner-up for 2020 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year — because the CX-30 is essentially a 3 Turbo jacked up a few inches. Same drivetrain. Same chassis. Same baked-in goodness.
The CX-30 interior is as attractive as the exterior. The layout is typical Mazda with the screen set high on the dash so drivers can keep their eyes on the road while corner-carving. This means the infotainment controller is of the rotary variety — similar to Bimmers. It took me a while to learn some CX-30 functions since Mazda insists on burying features in menus. But once you’ve stored your favorite radio stations, you’ll want to use the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto app for your navigation, phone and text needs.
Phone apps are a big player in the democratization of autos. I use Android Auto and it’s as good in the car as it is in your hand — meaning you won’t miss those high-priced, luxury SUV nav systems. Android Auto voice navigation beats them all.
Phone apps are just the tip of the iceberg. Starting at $31,000, the CX-30 is loaded with standard features that luxe brands dole out to you for thousands more: Adaptive Cruise Control, blind-spot assist, auto emergency braking, rear traffic alert, phone apps, push-button start, dual-zone front passenger climate control and a jacuzzi (kidding about that last one).
The ACC system is particularly worthy of note given its similarities to Tesla — yes, another point of electronically induced democratization. Though Mazda has no Autopilot-like self-driving ambitions (unlike Subaru, which self-drives quite competently under 40 mph), its graphics are very similar to a Model 3 when adaptive cruise is engaged. An avatar of the Mazda hovers on the instrument display while sensors indicate where cars are in your blind spots.
This feature is indispensable on the Mazda3 Turbo given blind spots the size of New Hampshire. The CX-30, too, makes a design statement with its narrow greenhouse — but its more conventional C-pillar means you can better eyeball your surroundings.
I recommend the Premium Plus trim’s luxe fixins’: head-up display, 18-inch black wheels, blacked-capped mirrors. Just like the Audi and Bimmer.
CX-30’s dashboard is simple, uncluttered. As is the center console — a relief compared to the over-engineered Audi.
Remarkably, the CX-30 Turbo’s sticker price is little different than its Mazda3 stablemate. Another value play in this SUV-made market for customers who normally must pay a $2,500 premium for anything ute (SUVs generally require more sheet metal and chassis rigidity).
I’m a hot hatch fanatic, but for those who want a higher-riding ute, the CX-30 offers better interior headroom and rear legroom than the lower-riding 3 Turbo. Engineers were especially clever in scalloping out the back of the front seats for added rear legroom. Your giraffe-legged 6’5” reviewer could sit behind himself thanks to the seat design.
My apex-carving was rudely interrupted by Michigan winter. But the CX-30 Turbo shrugs off the white stuff. More than off-roading, this is where the AWD system really shows its stuff.
I dialed the Mazda drive modes back to Eco from Sport in order to reduce engine torque and corresponding wheel spin. The Mazda grunted easily through the powder, its 3,500-pound weight manageable under slippery conditions.
Once upon a time, luxury brands separated themselves with style, tech, power. No more, at least when compared to Mazda.
The CX-30 does come with one rich taste, though. To get that 250 horses, you’ll need to fill the tank with premium, 93-octane fuel. Otherwise, cheaper regular fuel will get you 227 horses — equal to the X-1’s 227.
More savings you can put into furniture for your condo.
2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo
Vehicle type: Front engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger subcompact SUV
Price: $31,225 including $1,175 destination charge ($35,995 AWD Premium Plus as tested)
Powerplant: 2.5-liter turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder
Power: 250 horsepower (on premium, 93 octane fuel), 310 pound-feet torque
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.9 seconds (Car and Driver est.); top speed, 125 mph
Weight: 3,505 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA 22 city/30 highway/25 combined
Report card
Highs: Premium looks; smooth, powerful drivetrain
Lows: infotainment features take a while to learn; oh, that black fender cladding
Overall: 4 stars
Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer reborn as super-sized, luxe SUVs
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 11, 2021
Jeep is jumping into the super-sized SUV space with a pair of old friends: the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.
The three-row utes resuscitate the luxurious Wagoneer badge that adorned opulent, wood-trimmed ocean liners for the last four decades of the 20th century. The Jeeps complete the brand’s expansion as a full-line SUV maker by offering models in the industry’s biggest, most luxurious segment.
Built on a Ram truck-like ladder frame chassis, the Wagoneer will take on segment heavyweights like the Chevy Tahoe/Suburban and Ford Expedition, while the more opulent Grand Wagoneer will train its guns on land yachts like the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and BMW X7.
Sitting atop a Jeep SUV lineup that now includes the Wrangler, Renegade, Compass, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, the standard Wagoneer is 10 inches longer and six inches taller than the mid-size Grand Cherokee. Prices will start at $57,995 with a fully loaded Grand Wagoneer topping out over $100,000. It’s the second Jeep to eclipse the six-figure mark after the performance-focused Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
“Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are born from the Jeep brand, but they have a flair of their own, building on a rich heritage of craftsmanship and refinement, while offering new levels of sophistication, comfort and legendary 4×4 capability, as well as a new level of customer service,” said Jeep brand chief Christian Meunier.
The Wagoneers boast Jeep’s signature square wheel arches and seven-slot grille, though the latter is notably thin at a time when even BMW has given in to a full-fascia kidney grille. You’ll know the Grand Wagoneer by its two-tone black roof, retractable side steps, fender flares, and a sculpted grille that Jeep describes as “laser-etched grille rings, similar to a knurled finish seen on fine watches.”
Don’t look for wood paneling like the Grands of old — for this generation, all the Satin American Walnut will be on the inside. And it anchors palatial interior digs.
The Made-in-Detroit Wagoneers can seat eight people if outfitted with a bench second-row seat. Front passengers sit in standard leather-wrapped thrones, with the Grand Wagoneer taking it up a notch with 24-way front seat including massage and 4-way headrests. Marrying style and utility, Wagoneer claims best-in-class passenger volume, cargo space, second-and-third-row legroom and third-row headroom.
Sealed off from the outside world by acoustic-laminated windshield and front door glass, passengers can luxuriate in a 23-speaker, 1,375-watt, 3D surround McIntosh audio system.
This rolling living room is then outfitted with state-of-the-art tech. In a smartphone age where hi-def digital screens are a plus, Wagoneers will wow with available, dual, stacked 12-and-10 inch dash screens. The set-up will be familiar to Audi users with the tablet-like main screen dominating the landscape.
The Grand Wagoneer features a four-zone climate system controlled by the front 10.25-inch screen and a similar 10.25-inch screen in back. Eleven USB ports and a Wi-Fi hot spot that can handle eight devices to keep passengers connected.
So big is the dash that Grand Wagoneer customers can option a third, passenger-focused 10-inch touchscreen over the glovebox. An HDMI plug allows the screen to mirror a tablet or smartphone. Capable of showing content independent from one another, the screens aim to create a “cinematic experience.” Including available second-row touchscreens, the Grand totals 75 inches of interior screen space.
The touchscreens will be operated by Jeep’s latest Uconnect 5 user interface — five times quicker than the outgoing system. They will also be available with industry-first Amazon Fire TV access using Alexa so passengers can stream a variety of movies, TV shows and apps.
Other available toys include a 360-degree camera, night vision camera with pedestrian and animal detection, and a digital rear camera mirror first seen in Escalade.
“These huge SUVs went away in the Great Recession, but now they are back more opulent than ever,” said ISeeCars executive auto analyst Karl Brauer. “The level of luxury technology and materials is impressive. The Wagoneer doesn’t just compete against Cadillac and Lincoln; it goes after Mercedes and BMW.”
Wagoneers come in three trims — Series I, II, III — with the Grand offering a further Obsidian trim that wraps the SUV in a black tuxedo including 22-inch black wheels, grille, badging, exterior mirrors and doors.
Both beasts are powered by V-8 engines. Wagoneer comes standard with a 392-horsepower, 5.7-liter mill. It’s paired with a 48-volt battery (also found in the Ram 1500 pickup) that enables improved fuel economy. Grand Wagoneer sports a 471-horse, 6.2-liter stump-puller that Jeep says will hustle from 0-60 mph in just six seconds. Drivers operate an eight-speed transmission with a rotary console shifter.
Self-driving features like Caddy’s Super Cruise and Ford’s Active Drive Assist are all the rage, and Jeep’s land yacht will be offer its own hands-free drive assist on divided highways. Parking won’t require a tugboat as the Wagoneers offer self-park assist.
The big utes won’t (yet) be trail-rated like some of their smaller kin, but they will still benefit from up to 10-inches of ground clearance, air suspension and all-wheel drive with drive modes for Rock, Snow and Sand/Mud. The Wagoneer comes standard with four underbody skid plates. Additional capabilities include fording up to 24 inches of water and towing 10,000 pounds up north.
Jeep is a rare brand cross-shopped by mainstream and luxury buyers alike. Wagoneer dealers will be trained to roll out the red carpet for customers including 24/7 concierge support, roadside assistance, and vehicle service pickup/delivery.
Not seen since 1993, the Wagoneer badge returns to showrooms in the latter half of 2021. Open the front doors and the outer edge of the dash features an inscription — EST. 1963 — that pays homage to the first model year of the original Wagoneer.
Payne: From V8s to EVs, how Cadillac plans to electrify performance
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 11, 2021
Cadillac plans to make a historic transition from gas to electric power by the end of this decade. It’s a tall order as General Motors Co.’s luxury brand faces daunting battery challenges including mass lithium-ion manufacturing, range and charging infrastructure.
But there is a big marketing challenge as well: how do you transition a brand synonymous with roaring V8s to whispery EVs?
For 18 years, Cadillac has gone toe-to-toe with its V-series performance badge against some of the world’s most iconic brands, including BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. The 2022 Cadillac CT4 and CT5 V-Series Blackwing models hitting showrooms this year will be the last, gas-fired V-series sedans. But the V-series badge will live on as Cadillac electrifies a new generation of performance.
“Emotion is the key,” said Cadillac Executive Chief Engineer Brandon Vivian in an interview. “We start with trying to have an emotional connection with the customer. We’ve got to think of different ways of interacting with the customer, of course, because of how the vehicle gets its energy … (but) we’re passionate about delivering performance and sophistication.”
Vivian is shepherding Caddy’s extreme electric makeover, bringing a wealth of experience having worked on GM’s original electric vehicle, the EV1, as well as V-series steeds. Cadillac traces its performance roots back over a century, a legacy the veteran engineer says is perfectly suited to lead a 21st-century EV revolution.
“Cadillac has a rich history of innovation and really creating the brand around that,” he said. “Then you look at General Motors and our zero-zero-zero based approach for emissions-crash-congestion. Cadillac is going to be at tip of spear and lead the charge.”
Cadillac’s first all-electric vehicle, the Lyriq crossover, won’t debut until early 2022, but other legacy performance brands like Porsche and Ford Motor Co.’s Mustang have introduced new EVs that try and mimic the sound of the petrol engines that made them famous. Both the Porsche Taycan and Mustang Mach E option subtle, synthetic growling sounds.
“EVs aren’t void of noise — there’s an inverter hum you have as it converts electricity, and the electric motors (have) a little bit of a characteristic to them also,” said Vivian. “EVs are playing that up or down depending on what their particular characteristics are for their brand. You’ll see us doing that both internally and externally to create a unique Cadillac sound and experience.”
Cadillac’s unique, window-rattling V8s have defined the brand on and off the track.
The V-series has won Cadillac an international racing reputation with multiple GT championships in the V8-powered CTS-V. In IMSA’s top-dog prototype class, the 600-horsepower Cadillac DPi-V.R has been the car to beat. Last month it finished second at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, just missing out on a fifth consecutive win.
Racing has been intertwined with Cadillac’s production development this century, helping to advance everything from engines to styling to aerodynamics. But electric racing is in its infancy and has struggled to gain an audience due to batteries’ inherent limitations in range and top speed.
There is no equivalent electric racing challenge like the world-famous Rolex 24 or 24 Hours of Le Mans. Formula E, an open-wheel electric series, has attracted European manufacturers — but no automaker from this side of the pond.
“I’m not sure what Cadillac will do racing wise,” said Stephen Cole Smith, veteran racing writer with Autoweek and The Drive. “They have a great reputation now in the (IMSA) series. People are bailing out of Formula E and not that many getting in. Porsche and Audi are out of it saying they’ve learned everything they can.”
Vivian says that racing will continue to be integral to Cadillac development in the electron age.
“We relish that challenge. Going forward you see more and more (racing) series introducing different tech with different propulsion systems,” he said, though he couldn’t discuss details yet. “As we’re leading the charge into the electric space for the customer we’ve been actively talking to sanctioning bodies to lead the charge into electric racing.”
The current king of EVs, Tesla, has achieved its reputation without ever competing on track. Indeed, its flagship Model S has struggled to complete Car and Driver’s Virginia International Raceway Lightning Lap, a benchmark competition for performance production vehicles.
Instead, Tesla has made its reputation with neck-snapping, “Ludicrous” mode acceleration. Leveraging instant electric motor torque, YouTube is choked with videos of Teslas beating the world’s fastest gas-engine stallions down quarter-mile dragstrips.
“Tesla has established itself as the initial large EV brand. That’s just a matter of fact,” said Vivian. “We don’t see them as a direct competitor as to where we’re going with luxury performance, but certainly they have the first mover advantage.”
Ironically, Cadillac went head-to-head with the Tesla Model S from 2013-2016 with its ELR plug-in hybrid, which had a range-extending gas engine (to 340 miles) for when the 37-mile range battery ran out of juice. Priced competitively with the $70,000, 265-mile range, all-electric Model S, the ELR sold just 3,000 units before it was discontinued.
The wildly-successful Model S has since gained over 400 miles of range and spawned a family of EVs including the Model 3 sedan and Model X and Y SUVs.
“(The ELR) was fantastically styled, very luxurious vehicle,” reflected Vivian. “What we learned from that was, if were really going to make an EV — and everything the customer is demanding an EV be — then we really needed a dedicated platform.”
The engineer says that Cadillac EVs benefit from decades of learning going back to GM’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Group that launched the EV1 in 1997. Key to that experience was learning to to integrate consumer needs with political demands as governments have become increasingly forceful in dictating automotive drivetrains.
“What we learned is how to interact with more than just the customer. We had to develop infrastructure, so we had to work with utilities. We had to work with government agencies and customer at same time,” he said. “So as we move and transition (to EVs) you have to think of elements outside the vehicle.”
Cadillac’s last, gas-fired V-series won’t go quietly.
Vivian is passionate about the 2022 CT4 and CT5 Blackwings which are the most powerful Caddies ever. Covered in aerodynamic tricks learned from racing, they feature state-of-the-art V-8 and V-6 mills.
“These vehicles need to be everything we can make them as they will be the last internal-combustion engine V-series sedans,” smiled Vivian. “They are the most powerful, the most capable, the most luxurious, the most integrated, the most tech-packed vehicles we could deliver.
“The same people who design our race cars work on our (V-series). So we’ve taken all those learnings — and made sure these they’re going to be the best of the last sedans.”
Payne: Would you believe an electric Porsche station wagon?
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 5, 2021
The automotive world is changing freaky fast. SUVs have eclipsed sedans. Electric pickup trucks are a thing. Dashboards look like iPads. And Corvette has put the engine behind the driver. What’s next?
Would you believe an electric Porsche station wagon?
The iconic sports car brand unveiled its 2021 Taycan Cross Turismo Thursday, a wagon version of its already radical new Taycan electric sports sedan introduced for the 2020 model year. The EV station wagon is the latest attempt by the Stuttgart-based automaker to leverage its sportscar cred in order to move in to higher volume segments like SUVs and sedans.
Porsche was the first performance sportscar-maker to introduce an SUV — the Cayenne in 2003 — a profitable business model that has been copied by virtually every other performance brand from Aston Martin to Ferrari. Porsche SUV and sedan sales now outstrip sports car sales by nearly 4:1.
Ironically, Porsche’s flagship, $100,550 911 sportscar will likely remain gas-powered even as the company promises to electrify half its lineup by 2025. The 911’s flat-6 engines are the beating heart of the brand.
“Let me be clear, our icon, the 911, will have a combustion engine for a long time to come,” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said last November. “The 911 is a concept of the car that is prepared for the combustion engine. It’s not useful to combine it with pure electric mobility. We believe in purpose-designed cars for electric mobility.”
The purpose-designed, swiftly-silent Taycan was an immediate hit in 2020, selling about as many copies as the gas-fired Porsche Cayman/Boxster sports car despite costing twice as much. The Taycan Cross Turismo adds to this mix with increased ground clearance and cargo capacity thanks to its square hatchback.
The wagon version — Porsche insists on calling it a “crossover” — will launch with four variants: the base Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, and Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo.
Don’t be confused by the “turbo” nomenclature (an homage to the 911): the battery-powered Taycan has no turbochargers. It does, however, feature synthetic sound in order to mimic its gas-powered peers’ growls and downshifts.
In addition to standard, dual-motor-driven all-wheel drive, all Cross Turismo variants will feature a two-speed transmission, 800-volt battery architecture for more robust charging, and panoramic glass roof.
Combined with the EV sports sedan, the Taycan badge will boast eight different models that can be ordered in over 21,000 combinations.
The squared off hatchback of the Cross Turismo will allow rear seat occupants nearly four inches more headroom. Cargo space of 15.7 cubic feet gains about 1.5 cubes over the Taycan sedan. A “frunk” — front trunk — offers an additional 2.9 cubic feet of storage.
Telegraphing its more off-roady look — think of a Subaru Crosstrek SUV versus its sister Impreza sedan — the Taycan Cross Turismo gains about an inch in ride height, black fender cladding, and unique rocker panels.
Standard air suspension allows drivers to further raise the ride for greater ground clearance. A “Gravel mode” is added for better grip off asphalt, though Porsche emphasizes Cross Turismo is “not designed as a rock crawling off-roader.”
Like the sportscars that have come before it, Taycan Cross Turismo’s performance envelope is maximized for on-road giggles. With AWD traction, the top-trim Turbo S Cross Turismo can accelerate out of a Woodward stoplight to 60 miles per hour in a breathtaking 2.7 seconds. The base, $92,250 Taycan 4 Cross Turismo will do the deed in 4.8 ticks.
Papa 911 would be proud.
Speaking of gas-gulpers, Porsche is working on synthetic fuels in anticipation of European governments continuing to penalize carbon emissions. Porsche’s synthetic gas would have the same carbon footprint as EVs in order to keep its sportscars running for years.
The Taycan Cross Turismo should arrive at U.S. dealerships this summer. It will coincide with the introduction of two new, carbon-fiber electric bicycles.
Yes, Porsche bicycles. Just to keep things freaky.
Payne: Second-gen Chevy Bolt EV is a treat. Pity it isn’t a Caddy.
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 5, 2021
The second generation, battery-powered Chevy Bolt EV is better than ever. I just wish it were a Caddy.
The 2022 Bolt EV (as in Electric Vehicle) has acquired a stretched version — called the Bolt EUV (Electric Utility Vehicle) — and all kinds of luxury touches. Super Cruise self-driving like a Cadillac Escalade. Three inches of rear legroom like a stretched Audi A8 L model. Panoramic sunroof like an Acura RDX. Rear-view camera mirror like a Caddy. Clean, grille-less fascia like a Tesla.
The old Bolt’s plastic grille never quite fit. Like the Tesla Model S’s original plastic “nose cone” it appeared fake, cheap. The new Bolt mug is post-petrol modern. Inside, the cabin is stylish with console “trigger shifter” and all-digital displays.
At the wheel of a Bolt EUV, I nailed the throttle out of a Downriver, Interstate 75 cloverleaf. The wee ute responded with instant torque — and minimal body roll thanks to the sub-floor battery pack. Approaching a stoplight, I lifted my right foot and Bolt eased to a stop with regenerative braking. Just like Tesla.
A size smaller than the compact Tesla Model 3/Y lineup that starts at $38,190, the subcompact Bolt EV/EUV model line begins at $31,995 and is perfectly priced to take on the Silicon Valley electric vehicle maker.
If it were a Caddy.
Cadillac has announced it is going all-electric this decade, a bold move aimed directly at the Tesla juggernaut — the only American luxury brand to make a dent in the Teutonic trio of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Caddy has already announced the $60,000 Lyriq — an upmarket Tesla Model S fighter due in 2023. The Bolt EUV would make a perfect, entry-level companion.
If it were a Caddy.
Alas, as a Chevy the subcompact Bolt EV’s $31,000-plus price tag will seem exorbitant when it arrives on showrooms this summer next to the brand’s attractive lineup of gas-powered utes. The similarly sized subcompact Chevy Trailblazer, for example, starts at $19,995. The Bolt EUV? $33,995. Oh.
“There is no better demonstration to GM’s commitment to electrification than the offering of a Chevy product,” said Chevy marketing chief Tony Johnson. GM says all its brands will be electric-only by 2035.
But a serious commitment to convert the masses to battery power would mean offering a $20,000 Bolt EUV to match Trailblazer. Pack a $32,705 Trailblazer to the gunwales — panoramic sunroof, leatherette seats, all-the-safety-stuff — and it is still cheaper than a base Bolt EUV. My loaded Bolt EUV tester rang the cash register at about $43,000.
Sure, the Bolt EUV offers that whiz-bang $2,200 Super Cruise feature, but I wager most Michiganians would trade that for the Trailblazer’s $2,000 all-wheel-drive option. The Bolt EUV doesn’t offer AWD — a deal breaker for many snowbound SUV customers like Mrs. Payne.
Winter is also unkind to EV range. In 30-degree Detroit temps, my tester got just 65% of predicted battery range in mostly 75-mph highway driving. The Chevy Trailblazer boasts 400 miles of range with gas-charging infrastructure everywhere.
Range anxiety is a serious problem for EVs — especially for the average Chevy customer who uses their steed as primary transportation. Advantage gas-powered Trailblazer. Or Trax or Equinox.
You see the holes in this idea that everyone will buy electric in 15 years. I’m not buying it.
More likely the folks buying the Bolt EV/EUV will be niche customers who seek out EVs: Customers who would expect to pay a 10-grand premium on a subcompact SUV, or who would have a second (or third) car for long-distance trips and only use the EV for daily commutes.
So is the 2022 Bolt EV/EUV better positioned to appeal to that niche customer than it was when it debuted as a 2017 model? Absolutely.
Start with the price. Bolt EV is a cool $6,000 cheaper than the first-gen model. Oh yes, I’m old enough to remember when the 2017 Bolt opened to a Motown fever predicting Tesla had met its match. Then priced at $37,495, the Bolt EV went mano a mano against the 2017 $35,000 Model 3 — the General’s well-oiled manufacturing machine beating the typically tardy Silicon Valley automaker to market by eight months.
The automotive press was atwitter. “General Motors is about to take the lead in the electric car race,” thrilled Wired magazine. Analysts predicted sales of 80,000 units a year. “Tesla just hit the competitive iceberg. RIP,” announced Seeking Alpha.
Well, not quite.
Bolt sales haven’t topped 24,000 annually. When the Model 3 finally started deliveries (including to your humble scribe), it sold over 140,000 units in 2018, becoming luxury’s best-selling vehicle. Sales eclipsed 200,000 last year. Brand matters, and Chevrolet is no Tesla.
For Act Two, Chevy realistically targets its brand peers: Hyundai Kona EV, VW ID-4, Nissan Leaf.
Here, Bolt is better placed with its $31,000 base price. That’s on par with the Leaf and well below the Hyundai and V-dub that start in the high-$30,000 range. In top trim offerings, pricing is more competitive. Think $45,000 for the ID.4 and $47,000 for a comparable Kona EV.
This is where Chevy’s recipe gets creative.
Grabbing from Cadillac’s cookbook, Chevy spiced my $43,000 Bolt EUV with Tesla-like, Super Cruise driver assistance. No other mainstream brand can touch it. Entering I-75, I pressed the Super Cruise icon on the steering wheel and a green bar lit up the top of my steering wheel.
We’re self-driving, baby!
With an infrared camera mounted on the steering to make sure I didn’t nod off, Super Cruise took over the Bolt so I could eat breakfast (raspberry tart and milk. Delicious), check email, and so on. No interruptions like my Model 3’s Autopilot nannying me to keep my hands on the steering wheel. When it was time to exit the interstate (Super Cruise works only on divided highways), the Bolt EUV kindly asked that I take over again.
Never mind that, ahem, few will use Bolt EUV as a trip vehicle (charging infrastructure is still thin). Most will just use it around town (Chevy will install a 240-volt charger in your garage for free). But Super Cruise is the type of tech that EV geeks expect in the Age of Tesla.
It’s also a needed differentiator in a segment where everything looks alike. The Bolt, Kona EV and ID.4 appear separated at birth: blank fascias, rounded edges, utilitarian hatchbacks.
If only the Bolt had edgy lines and a vertical light signature. Like a Caddy.
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV/EUV
Vehicle type: All-electric, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger subcompact hatchback/SUV
Price: $31,995, including destination fee (about $43,000 for Premiere EUV as tested)
Powerplant: 65 kW lithium-ion battery pack mated to front electric motor
Power: 200 horsepower, 266 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: One-speed direct drive
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.5 seconds (mnfr.); top speed, 93 mph
Weight: 3,679 pounds (Bolt EUV as tested)
Fuel economy: 259-mile range (Bolt EV); 250-mile range (Bolt EUV)
Report card
Highs: More price competitive with other EVs; attractive face and Super Cruise
Lows: Pricey compared to Chevy gas models; charging infrastructure
Overall: 3 stars
Payne: How auto safety systems saved Tiger Woods
Posted by Talbot Payne on March 3, 2021
As the world awaits an official Los Angeles County accident report on what caused Tiger Woods’ early morning crash Feb. 23, there is much that is unknown about the single-vehicle incident. Uncertainty abounds as to how fast the vehicle was traveling, whether Woods might have been asleep or distracted, if something malfunctioned in the vehicle, even why the golf icon wasn’t being chauffeured.
But auto safety experts say one thing is certain: Modern safety systems in Woods’ 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV saved the superstar golfer from much more serious injury.
Woods’ horrific rollover apparently resulted in isolated right leg and ankle injuries as safety features — and the crucial fact that Tiger was wearing a seatbelt — worked together to form a cocoon around the 45-year-old athlete. Developed over decades to increasing crash standards, the systems on board the Genesis help isolate passengers like Woods to prevent head and torso injuries.
“It really is a sign of how well these vehicles are built nowadays and the combination of all these safety features,” said David Harkey, president of The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which tests vehicles. “None of us want to be in that kind of violent collision. But your odds of surviving something like that now are much greater than they were a decade ago.”
Experts say vehicles are designed to create a sort of double-layer cocoon around occupants. The first layer is enabled by crush zones in the chassis itself in order to prevent the engine, wheels, and other external objects from intruding into the cabin on impact.
The second cocoon layer is created immediately around the driver using so-called passive safety systems like seatbelts and airbags that prevent occupants from flailing about the cabin.
“We call it the egg philosophy. The vehicle cage is structured like an egg shell with front and back crumple zones to keep the cabin intact,” said Bryan Johnson, a spokesman for Auburn Hills-based Joyson Safety Systems that outfits about one-third of manufacturers (though not Korea-assembled Genesis) with passive safety components.
“Can you keep the compartment intact during a crash and maintain a survivable state? That’s the whole key in a collision, and (the GV80) did that with respect to the upper body,” said Harkey, pointing to the roof, its integrity intact despite the apparent rollover.
IIHS and Joyson engineers have followed the Woods’ incident closely. “The underlying structure in Tiger’s crash did what is was supposed to do,” said Johnson. “The systems worked and kept Tiger seated and in an upright and protected position.”
Los Angeles County firefighters extracted Woods from the GV80 by peeling back the front windshield glass. The tempered glass itself is a safety marvel as it is designed not to shatter in violent accidents like Woods endured. Harkey noted the intact cabin side windows and panoramic glass sunroof.
Woods injuries are reportedly limited to his right leg, ankle, and foot (shattered tibia and fibula with foot bones requiring screws and pins) likely caused by planting his right leg on the brake pedal as the vehicle went out of control.
“Your first instincts are to brake,” said Harkey. “That’s where we see injuries (in accidents like this) — to the ankles in the lower leg. That’s exactly what Tiger experienced.”
Harkey said Woods’ extended leg was vulnerable since it was up against the engine firewall where multiple parts — engine, wheels, suspension — are being smashed into the cabin structure.
By coincidence, IIHS is currently putting the $49,925 Genesis GV80 — new this model year — through its rigorous safety tests. Vehicles must meet federal safety standards to sell in the United States, but manufacturers frequently benchmark to IIHS’ higher standards which earns them the Virginia-based organization’s Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick Plus ratings.
Hyundai Motor Group, which includes the Genesis luxury brand, was awarded more Top Safety Picks than any other manufacturer last year.
Woods had just played the Genesis Invitational and was driving a GV80 courtesy vehicle at the time of his crash. The automaker has kept a low profile, lamenting Woods misfortune and “wishing him a full and speedy recovery.”
In a statement, Hyundai’s luxury maker highlighted several advance safety features in its GV80. Woods was cushioned by a center-side airbag that deployed between the front seats helping keep Woods in place (and from knocking heads with a right-seat passenger had their been one).
Woods was surrounded by airbags including a steering wheel airbag to the chest, side curtain airbags to keep his head from striking the door window, and a lower door airbag to bolster his hips.
“The biggest recent evolution in vehicle safety is the integration of sensors in vehicles,” said Joyson’s Johnson.
Today’s safety systems are designed to work with instant speed and precision. Take the simple seatbelt which experts agree was the foundation of keeping Woods alive in a median-hopping accident at perhaps 50 mph.
“You now have pretensioners in a seatbelt that — right before a collision — will respond and retract. So it literally pulls your body back into an upright position,” said IIHS’s Harkey, describing a sequence that happens in milliseconds. “Then you have load limiters which allow the belt — once the crash occurs — to loosen slightly. That prevents injuries that sometimes occur because (a tight belt) may actually do a bit of upper body damage.”
Woods was alone, but more air bags would have deployed should other occupants have been present.
American consumers have gone whole hog for SUVs — over 70% of non-pickup truck new vehicle sales — which are heavier and carry a higher center of gravity than sedans, potentially making vehicles like the 5,000-pound GV80 less controllable compared to, say, its 4,100-pound G80 sedan sibling.
Regarding passenger protection, however, Johnson did not see that as an issue. A wild card, however, is the SUV’s hatchback which, unlike a sedan’s isolated boot, opens the vehicle cargo area to the passenger compartment — and potential flying objects like golf clubs or luggage.
In Woods’ case, his clubs and luggage stayed intact. Harkey said the IIHS test includes passenger dummies, but not cargo.
Overall, vehicle structural engineering have made big strides in recent years. “The GV80 is on an all-new platform — with strong focus on safety — including passenger compartment protection/reinforcement areas,” said Genesis. “This includes the use of advanced high strength steel for rigidity and safety.”
In 1995, IIHS began so-called moderate overlap tests in which 40% of the front end took the brunt of a head-on collision — the deadliest of crashes. In the last decade, IIHS has added small overlap tests aimed at strengthening front corner crush zones in which 25% of the driver/passenger sides bear the impact.
In addition to these overlap tests, IIHS tests for side, roof strength, and head-and seat restraints.
“It was clear that at, some point in the collision, (the GV80) landed on its front and there was severe intrusion into (the engine compartment),” said Harkey. “But the structure absorbed a lot of that energy.”
Joyson’s Johnson said that active safety features like anti-lock brakes and forward collision avoidance systems — both of which were on the GV80 — have also made vehicles safer, though they likely did not factor in the LA crash. Woods was saved by good ol’ passive safety tech.
Johnson expects, however, that future active safety advances — accelerated by the promise of driverless vehicles — could prevent crashes.
‘We are currently seeing an evolution of occupant monitoring in systems like GM’s Super Cruise (driver-assist),” he said. “So if a driver is distracted, then a predictive system might be able to give them a warning in time.”
Biden-GM Urge Electric Vehicle Transformation, But Experts Say Climate Case Is Weak
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 28, 2021
Detroit – As the Texas power grid shudders in part under renewable power, the auto industry is also facing an uncertain transition to green energy. General Motors dropped a bombshell last month that it will build only electric vehicles by 2035. The commitment comes as the Biden administration stocks up on climate activists to?transform the economy to fight global warming.
The administration is in line with governments from Europe to China that have declared EVs the future and – for the first time – are mandating which powertrains automakers must use.
But as GM and other automakers spend billions to bring electrics to market, prominent auto and climate experts say they are a solution in search of a problem.
Physicist Frank Jamerson, one of the architects of GM’s EV program, wrote in a 2020 Society of Automotive Engineers paper there is no evidence that gas-fired transportation is changing the climate. An advocate of nuclear power and hydrogen fuel cell development, GM’s ex-chief of electrochemistry said in an interview that “fossil fuels can be used until they run out, in hundreds of years.”
Center for Automotive Research Chairman David Cole, a leading Michigan research firm, concurs: “The climate data has been pushed aside by the politicians. This (climate crisis) idea is being pushed to save the world, and it’s a mistake.” Cole, Jamerson, and Weather Channel founder and meteorologist Joe D’Aleo plan an SAE warming conference in April.
Cole says the enormous investment in EVs, which make up less than 2 percent of U.S. sales today, is creating a two-tiered industry of haves and have nots. Big players like GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen have the resources to invest in a battery-mandated future whereas other companies do not.
“The haves can play that game, and the have-nots cannot. The big boys are investing so that if government is pushing autos towards electrification, they will be the winners.”
Veteran climatologists like John Christy, who oversees satellites that monitor global temperature data, says the EV push is disconnected from scientific evidence.
“There is no climate crisis. If you apply the proposed government regulations to the auto industry, they will have no climate impact,” said Christy, professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, in an interview. “Indeed, if you eliminate the U.S. economy from the face of the earth, it will have no impact on global temperature.”
Decades of scientific data indicate that global warming alarms have been inaccurate – including the predicted retreat of the Great Lakes in the Detroit automakers’ back yard.
Still, Big Auto has done an about-face on climate regulations after backing the Trump administration’s challenge to California’s controversial CO2 emissions rules.
GM’s view now aligns with the Biden campaign which asserts “humans’ contribution to the greenhouse effect is indisputable” and poses an “existential threat to . . . human life.” America’s largest auto manufacturer, GM’s reading of the political tea leaves echoes past strategic moves to align itself with Washington trends.
With the U.S. mired in Iraq in 2008, for example, the General supported the Bush administration’s transition to ethanol-fueled cars by 2022 to reduce foreign oil dependence.
A nuclear physicist by training, Jamerson worked at GM for over 30 years, becoming assistant program manager of the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium in 1990. The alliance of GM, Ford, Chrysler, and the Department of Energy aimed to pool resources for a new generation of battery-powered cars.
The consortium was driven in part by concerns over climate change– fears data no longer support, the ex-GM exec says. Jamerson said batteries have progressed since his team developed GM’s first EV prototype, the Impact – but electrics still suffer from range challenges.
“There is no reason to deny the use of fossil fuels,” he said. “Let the marketplace decide.”
Climatologist Christy said mandating EVs would have no impact on climate: “1) The US is only 14 percent of global emissions so what we do won’t affect much. And 2) climate is not as sensitive to CO2 as the models say it is.”
Warming orthodoxy has been challenged by real world evidence. With Great Lakes levels at cyclical lows in 1988, climate alarmists like then-NASA scientist James Hansen projected man-made warming would cause shrinking coastlines. But lake levels today are back to historic, 30 year-cycle highs. Climate models have also erroneously predicted disappearing polar ice caps and record hurricanes.
James Taylor, president of the Chicago-based Heartland Institute, said in an interview that Biden administration plans to power an electrified vehicle fleet with wind turbines in the next decade would require nearly half the land mass of the United States – “the most environmentally ruinous plan we can think of.”
The contrarian data has not slowed political pressure on automakers. The governors of California and Massachusetts have set a ban on gas-powered cars by 2035. Biden promises rules “ensuring 100 percent of new (vehicle) sales . . . will be electrified.”
Auto analyst Cole said that, despite years of climate alarmism and government subsidies, consumers have not embraced EVs. Even in England, one of the most popular countries for electrics, EVs made up only 7.4 percent of sales in 2019.
Payne: Buick Envision, the second-gen’s the charm
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 26, 2021
In Florida you can have any car you want as long as it’s white. The reflective color is ubiquitous in the Sunshine State as passengers try to keep cool from the relentless ball of fire in the sky.
But the thing about white is it highlights a car’s style. Poor designs have nowhere to hide their awkward lines and sloppy details. They stand out against the white background like acne on Kate Upton’s face.
My white, 2021 Buick Envision ST tester looked lovely.
Thin grille and lights. High cheekbones. Lean rocker panels. Black 20-inch wheels under muscular shoulders. What a difference a generation makes.
The first-gen Envision landed in 2015 with a whimper. Sandwiched between the brand’s cute subcompact Encore and handsome three-row Enclave ocean liner, Envision should have been the brand’s crowning glory. Buick’s bestseller in the industry’s most popular segment. An exclamation point that Buick had completed its historic transformation from stale sedan brand to hip SUV brand.
But the Envision didn’t shout premium. Behind the signature grille was a jowly facia punctuated by old school Buick portholes — er, Ventiports. What were ’50s portholes doing on the brand’s breakthrough compact SUV? The interior was OK, the ride OK, the experience OK. Not what was expected from a brand that had wowed autodom with Encore and Enclave. Envision became better known for the UAW protesting its made-in-China origins.
Sales were, well, OK.
Gen two is an extreme makeover. Driving the Naples, Florida coastline with Mrs. Payne, my Envision may have been white like everything else, but it was vanilla no more. It looked sharp in lots choked with Mercedes GLCs, Audi Q5s and Lexus RX 350s.
The west coast of Florida is teaming with Midwest retirees and snowbirds who have escaped down Interstate 75 from the cold. Yet the auto mix is not much different than the state’s east coast populated by northeasterners who’ve migrated down I-95. German and Japanese luxe brands are everywhere. Like the European (Rolex, Gucci) and Japanese (Uniqlo, Canon) brands that litter ritzy shopping centers.
“We sell fashion,” a GM exec always reminds me, and its Cadillac and Buick brands have struggled in that pursuit.
It’s not just Euro-fashion Buick must contend with. Japanese-made Lexus has been dominant in Naples for years, its mix of affordability and customer service irresistible to monied Floridians. Especially the mid-size RX 350, often referred to as the official vehicle of Florida.
So it’s significant that the Envision turned our Delray-resident pal Alice’s head. She loves her similarly sized Lexus ES 350 sedan, but the Envision checked all her boxes.
Start with that athletic SUV exterior — some two inches lower and wider — which carried none of the baggage that might have reminded her of old Buick sleds. No portholes. No jowls. It looked like no Buick she had ever seen before.
That’s where Buick’s wholesale change to SUVs has been brilliant (even if it meant ditching my favorite Regal sedan sportback. Sigh). It’s a fresh start. Alice might have been a character right out of those Buick TV ads:
“That’s not a Buick!”
Pleased by the toned exterior, 60-something Alice slipped easily into the ute’s raised seat (the older you get, the harder it is to get into sedans, am I right?). The interior sealed the deal.
Reworked like the exterior, the quiet cabin is a pleasing place to be. Comfy front thrones. Roomy rear bench. Sculpted dash. Familiar GM steering wheel volume and cruise controls. Taking a page from Corvette — Corvette! — the center console is driver-centric, its big 10.2-inch infotainment screen rotated toward the driver.
Not that you’ll confuse the Envision’s handling with a ’Vette. The Buick is a Goldilocks ute: not too stiff, not too soft. Just right. Its suspension, 9-speed tranny and 228-horse turbo-4 are plenty peppy without tempting you into stoplight drag races.
But the driver-focused layout puts the touchscreen within easy reach — whether the pilot is your long-armed 6’5” reviewer or wee Alice, who, like a lot of Lexus customers, isn’t enamored with her vehicle’s remote touchpad controller.
“It’s annoying,” she said rolling her eyes. The same affliction dogs the Acura RDX, one of my favorite SUVs in segment — save for its Tru Touchpad screen controller. Oh, I’ve gotten an earful from owners.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, Buick has stuck with a touchscreen just like your smartphone. Alice loved it. And the lack of a remote controller also opens the console for storage space for her multiple thermoses, keys, etc.
Not that Buick isn’t immune from innovation. Where Lexus and Acura try (unsuccessfully) to impress with touchpad tech, Envision opts for a button “trigger” transmission. A console space saver, it’s easy to learn. It joins other GM innovations that have stood the test of time: head-up display, safety alert seat.
Both these inventions (first found on cousin Cadillac) come with Envision’s $2,500 Tech Package. It’s worth it. The safety seat buzzes your butt when you get too close to an object. Mated to “HD surround vison” — as sharp a front-rear camera as you’ll find — the two systems combine for worry-free mobility in tight spots. Like the Lemon Tree Inn parking lot where my wife and I stayed in Naples.
The tech package also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which further unclutters the console while enabling the best nav apps on the planet.
Given this obsession with detail, noticeably absent from my $40,000 ST tester was Adaptive Cruise Control. It would have come in handy on Florida’s highways — choked with sunbirds fleeing cold temps and nanny-state governors.
GM has been curiously tight-fisted in offering ACC on its vehicles. It’s a notable omission and reminded me of mainstream brands like Nissan, Subaru and Mazda that offer it (and other standard items on the Buick like blind-spot assist and emergency braking) for under $30,000. Technology has shrunk the difference between mainstream and luxe brands, and a loaded AWD Subie Outback or Mazda CX-5 can be had for $5,000 less than a comparable Envision or Acura RDX.
Brand matters, of course. And, within its competitive set, Envison is every bit the value of its Japanese peers. That’s a big step up.
Oh, yes — and be sure and step up with the Envision’s $1,350 Sport Touring package. Those big black wheels and trim details will really show off your Buick’s toned, white beach bod.
2021 Buick Envision
Vehicle type: Front engine, front- or all-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact SUV
Price: $32,995, including $1,195 destination fee ($40,820 FWD Essence ST as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder
Power: 228 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, NA; towing, 1,500 pounds
Weight: 3,732 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg, 24 city/31 highway/26 combined (FWD); 22 city/29 highway/25 combined (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Athletic styling; driver-friendly console
Lows: Numb handling; standard adaptive cruise, please?
Overall: 3 stars
While Mercedes debuts another knockout C-class, Cadillac looks to the future
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 23, 2021
Mercedes unveiled its all-new C-class Tuesday, and it’s stunning. With its curved, space-age screen rising from the console, state-of-the-art “MBUX” voice recognition, and smooth, 255-horse turbo engine with 48-volt battery assist, Merc’s best-selling sedan reasserts the automaker’s place — along with the BMW 3-series and Tesla Model 3 — as the most coveted luxury car in autodom.
It’s a big reason why GM’s luxury brand, Cadillac, is swinging for the fences by going all-electric in 2030.
Despite producing swift chariots on par with its rivals in athleticism, Caddy has struggled to keep up. Going electric is a chance to reset by leap-frogging the competition in technology.
“That’s how extreme you have to go to stay relevant in today’s luxury market,” said ISeeCars executive auto analyst Karl Brauer while swooning over the C-class’ new interior. “It’s not good enough for Cadillac to be as good as the Europeans. They have to be over the top on tech, design, and drivetrain.”
To that end, Cadillac has unveiled its first EV, the mid-sized Cadillac Lyriq SUV, that matches Mercedes in interior wow factor. Then it takes it up a notch by promising a dual-motor, skateboard electric chassis like Tesla.
The Lyriq boasts a 33-inch, curved LED screen that stretches from behind the steering wheel across the dash — a sculpture as dramatic as the Mercedes’ 12-inch masterpiece. Mercedes’ self-driving features allow automatic lane changes — just like Cadillac’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot. Building on Cadillac’s Super Cruise driver-assist technology, the Lyriq will introduce “augmented reality” feature — projecting two planes of driver information over the road in front of the car.
But it’s Cadillac’s commitment to an all-EV lineup in just nine short years that it hopes will help it stand out to new, Generation Tesla car buyers against the European juggernaut.
Significantly, Mercedes — which has defined luxury for decades — has not felt the need to target an all-electric future until 2039. “By 2030 we aim to have electric models make up more than half of our car sales — that includes all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids,” the company announced in 2019.
But for Cadillac, the future is now or never.
“Cadillac is a small financial risk for General Motors, so they can swing for the fences,” said Brauer. “A lot of statements made today about the electric future are meant to benefit brands like Cadillac in the present. Mercedes doesn’t need to do that because they define the market today.”
In addition to its interior tech, the 2022 C-class (due on dealer lots early next year at a likely starting price of about $43,000) doubles down on the design traits that luxury buyers covet: giant, chrome star anchoring the front grille, aviator vents anchoring the horizontal dash, coupe-like roof flowing across an expanded wheelbase.
Cadillac has tried to match Mercedes in sedan segments (as well as SUVs) with its CTS and ATS — recently rebadged as the CT4 and CT5. Tested on Germany’s famed Nürburgring race track, the Caddys received raves from the motoring press for their agility and power — and for V-series performance variants that went stride-for-stride with high-end Merc AMG models.
But ATS sales never crested 40,000 in the states, while the C-class often doubled that.
“Along with Mazda, Cadillac is one of the most underappreciated brands in the market,” said Brauer. “If you drive (a Cadillac sedan) it was right there with the Germans.”
In announcing his new C-class Tuesday, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius expressed his confidence the sedan would set a new standard: “The C-Class is already our best-selling sedan. Our most successful model range will once again raise the bar as the most sophisticated offering in its segment.”
With its new lineup of EVs coming by decade’s end, Cadillac hopes it will capture some of the magic that has made Tesla as desirable as Mercedes. In 2020, the Model 3 sold a segment-best 206,500 units.
Lordstown Endurance EV pickup is going desert racing
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 23, 2021
Lordstown Motors is going racing.
The Ohio-based electric pickup truck maker will enter its Endurance pickup in the SCORE San Felipe 250 on April 17, a grueling test of off-road endurance on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. Automakers have a long history of proving production vehicles in extreme racing environments, and the nascent electric vehicle industry is proving no different.
Lordstown’s Baja entry follows other manufacturers into competitive racing. The Jaguar iPace has competed in the FIA’s international eTrophy series. Plymouth’s Rivian put its R1T truck to the test in the Rebelle Rally last fall. And GMC Hummer is sponsoring a prototype EV racing team in the Xtreme E off-road series.
The Baja desert series, sanctioned by the Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts International (SCORE), has been a benchmark for off-road racing. The Baja 1000 – a 1,000-mile race in its 54th year– is the premier event in a series that includes the San Felipe 250, Baja 500 and Desert Challenge.
“We feel that it is quite a significant milestone for the electric vehicle community that an electric pickup truck can compete in an environment as demanding as Baja California,” said Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns. “Our goal is to be the first EV to ever complete the San Felipe 250, and with the superior traction, weight balance and advanced software control of our hub motor-based Endurance, we are confident that we will do just that.”
The event features a wide range of off-road classes including motorcycles, buggies, trucks, custom-race rods, and production vehicles. The Lordstown Endurance will be of the latter variety, racing in the eClass.
The full-size pickup will feature a beta version of Lordstown’s production skateboard chassis with big, 37-inch off-road tires to take on Baja’s treacherous terrain. The truck will be built in General Motors’ former, 6.2 million-square-foot Lordstown Assembly Plant that once bolted together Cruze compact sedans.
The daunting, 250-mile race starts in San Felipe, Baja California and traverses terrain including sand, rock, high-elevation mountains and low-speed ravines. Temperatures vary widely from desert heat to mountain cold, a challenge to batteries that are sensitive to extreme conditions.
“The Baja races give EV makers the opportunity to say that their vehicles are invulnerable. Range is the issue for electrics. It’s going to be rough in the cold climbs,” said Sue Mead, a six-time Baja 1000 racer and the only American to have won the international, 6,000-mile Dakar Rally. She achieved the Dakar feat in a Ford F-150 Raptor.
Mead said that the instant torque of electric motors is ideal for off-road racing, but battery life will be tested versus gas-powered entrants that have dominated the sport.
Battery robustness has been a challenge for EVs even as manufacturers like Tesla have advertised over 400 miles of range. Under the duress of Car and Driver’s Lightning Lap at 4-mile-long Virginia International Raceway, for example, a Tesla Model S could not finish a lap without going into limp mode. A Porsche Taycan was the first EV to complete the high-speed test last year.
Racing California’s all-female Rebelle Rally last fall, off-roader Emme Hall of Roadshow got just over half the advertised 300-mile range in a beta electric Rivian R1T pickup. A semi carrying a 130-kWh mobile charger provided re-charging support, which enabled full battery recharges in about an hour.
Lordstown hopes the Baja experience will toughen the Endurance’s image as it targets the commercial truck fleet market. The production, 600-horsepower Endurance boasts a range of 250 miles and tow capacity of 7,500 pounds. Currently in its beta production phase, Endurance is slated for September production.
It joins a growing segment of electric pickup trucks due in the next two years including the Hummer EV, Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, Bollinger B2 and Ford F-150 Electric.
This year marked the first time an EV competed in the famed King of the Hammers off-road event in California. Independent racer Kyle Seggelin and his team stuffed a Toyota 4Runner with the electric powertrain of a Nissan Leaf EV. The truck was further modified for full battery swaps.
The team swapped out the 62-kWh battery pack twice over the course of the tough, 91-mile course.
Most dependable: Lexus, Kia top 2021 JD Power auto study
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 23, 2021
Automobiles are more complex than ever, and more dependable than ever.
That’s the encouraging news from data analytics firm JD Power which released its 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study Thursday. The widely-watched study found vehicle durability at an all-time high, improving 10% over 2020 — and 25% over 2016 when the industry was backsliding in durability due to the swarm of new electronics debuting on vehicles.
This year’s survey also marked a victory for Kia as the Korean brand beat perennial #1 Toyota as the most dependable mainstream brand. Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, continued its dominance as the most reliable automaker overall for the ninth time in 10 years. The Porsche 911 sports car was the most dependable model surveyed.
Just five years ago dependability was declining — by 3% year-over-year — provoking flashing lights from JD Power, especially in so-called ACEN features (infotainment, navigation, in-vehicle communication systems) as automakers rushed to integrate connectivity and autonomy in their vehicles.
But the latest study indicates that that these systems are maturing, with reported defects dropping from 152 problems per 100 vehicles five years ago to just 121 PP/100 today.
“Today’s three-year-old vehicles are of higher quality and more dependable than in previous years,” said JD Power vice president of global automotive Dave Sargent. “Most owners aren’t experiencing their vehicles breaking down or falling apart. In the future, dependability will partially be determined by the ability to solve problems through vehicle updates and the avoidance of technology obsolescence.”
The ability to update vehicles over the air is accelerating with, for example, the Ford F-series pickup — the top-selling vehicle in autodom — introducing OTA updates with its 2021 models. Ironically, Tesla — the pioneer of OTA updates — had one of the poorest scores on JD Power’s test (172 PP/100) as the Silicon Valley brand struggled with manufacturing quality issues.
The closely-watched Vehicle Dependability Study, now in its 32nd year, tracks 33,251 original owners of three-year-old cars (2018 models for this year’s study) over 12 months. JD Power covers 177 specific problems grouped into eight major vehicle categories: audio/communication/entertainment/navigation (ACEN); engine/transmission; exterior; interior; features/controls/displays (FCD); driving experience; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and seats.
All categories improved this year, led by exterior and driving experience. The ACEN grouping, where consumers have seen the biggest advances in recent years (from voice recognition software to navigation programs to satellite radio features) showed marginal improvement and remains the category with the most problems reported.
“From early in the ownership experience, many owners complain about these systems being problematic,” Sargent said. “It’s a recurring theme. With smartphone apps increasingly giving owners an alternative, some will give up on the vehicle’s built-in systems that caused that initial frustration.”
Among vehicle segments, cars were the most dependable, averaging 111 problems per 100 vehicles. Trucks averaged 130 PP/100 and SUVs 122 PP/100. Given that trucks and SUVs now account for a whopping 80% of monthly retail sales, JD Power noted the industry’s attention should be on those segments.
Asian brands continued to lead the way in reliability, a calling card that has gained them significant market share since the 1980s. Owners of Korean and Japanese vehicles reporting the least problems — 115 PP/100 — compared with U.S. brands (126 PP/100) and European autos (131 PP/100). Credit this gap in part to Korea’s Hyundai Group triumvirate — Hyundai/Kia//Genesis — which were big movers in the survey.
Not only did Kia leapfrog Toyota for most dependable mainstream brand, but the three Korean brands averaged 99 PP/100 — 19 points better than Japanese brands collectively (118 PP/100).
Luxe-brand Lexus put up an overall best low score of 81 PP/100, an improvement of 17% from five years ago when it was also top dog. Rounding out the 2021 Top Five were 2) Porsche (86 PP/100); 3) Kia (97 PP/100); 4) Toyota (98 PP/100); and 5) Buick (100 PP/100) tied with Cadillac (also 100 PP/100).
Kia showed the greatest improvement year-over-year — 37% — followed by Cadillac, Acura, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi.
Per individual models, Toyota led the way with five segment awards: Lexus ES, Lexus GX, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Sienna, and Toyota Tundra.
GM garnered four segment awards: Buick Envision, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Silverado HD, Chevrolet Tahoe. Hyundai also racked up four segment awards with the Genesis G80, Kia Optima, Kia Sorento, and Kia Sportage.
Payne: Wagon or SUV? Audi A6 Allroad vs. Volvo XC90
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 23, 2021
Station wagon or SUV?
It’s almost a moot choice today since so few wagons remain after the SUV tsunami. But in the luxury class, European automakers continue to bring sleek, powerful wagons popular across the pond. They are a reminder that such four-wheeled dinosaurs once ruled North America before a regulatory meteor from Washington in the 1970s rendered them virtually extinct, ushering in the SUV Age.
I took two of the finest examples of the modern European SUV and station wagon — the Volvo XC90 an Audi A6 Allroad, respectively — on the road to ponder the existential question.
The A4 Allroad has been the only Audi wagon to grace U.S. shores in recent years as the German brand swarmed the SUV market with its popular Q5 and A7 utes. But outdoorsy Allroad fans (like Subaru Outback and Jeep Wrangler cultists) are rabidly loyal. So Audi is offering to slake their thirst with the mid-size, 2020 A6 Allroad.
I grew up in wagons and generally prefer them to utes for their lower center of gravity and sleeker looks. But, honestly, the A6 Allroad is not a head-turner. Cruising up north on I-75 to Charlevoix, a Cadillac CTS wagon and a Buick Regal Tour X filled my windscreen. I trailed them both for a few miles, admiring the Caddy’s bold angles — ogling the Buick’s lovely flanks.
Utilitarian and gorgeous. What SUV gives you that?
Yet the Audi left me cold. On road-side stops the A6 didn’t turn heads. Perhaps it’s the big, busy face — its criss-crossed grille bars resemble lattice work on an apple pie. Audi innovated the big front grille (even BMW is belatedly following the trend with grotesque M4 kidneys), but it now swallows the face like a medical mask.
Volvo makes a gorgeous fascia on its V90 wagon. The Audi? Meh.
But you’d be hard-pressed to find a Volvo wagon, so popular is the XC90. It kick-started Volvo sales in the States in 2016, and for good reason. It’s an elegant piece of work. Eschewing grille-zilla, the XC90’s face is a modest, horizontal sculpture. The A6 grille juts outward, like a bulldog’s jaw — XC90 is scalloped like a Maserati and punctuated by that classic Volvo logo.
Volvo continues to separate itself from its German peers with signature, Thor’s hammer headlights in front — big, boomerang-shaped taillights out back. Its one of my favorite SUV designs right there with a Mazda CX-9 which, ahem, is $20,000 cheaper while offering the same amenities and BMW-like handling (a comparo for another day).
I took a family trip last fall in the XC90 across the Upper Peninsula to Wisconsin’s Road American race track, and the SUV lived up to its utilitarian reputation.
There’s no denying the creature comforts of the XC90. Loading the big ute is easy. Its hatchback rises to expose a cargo bay at waist level — the load floor is about 2.5 feet off the ground.
The XC90 has a cramped, third-row option, but we used the full space behind the second row seats to fit baggage for three: oversized suitcase, two carry-ons, briefcase, cooler, tennis bag, iRacing game pedals and steering wheel, groceries and a kitchen sink (kidding about that last one).
My 6’3” son and I (6’5”) took shifts at the wheel — slipping laterally in and out of the Volvo’s raised seats as we cruised Route 2 along Lake Michigan’s north shore. Both race car drivers, we’re used to bending down to get into low-slung sports racers. But I’ve also become used to the exclaims of SUV-pampered friends when they encounter a wagon these days:
“It’s so low! It’s hard to get into!”
But not hard to drive. The Audi chassis makes for superb handling.
After a monotonous Friday cruise up I-75 to Gaylord in the Audi, the spaghetti-shaped curves of M-32 were a welcome diversion. At 4,486 pounds the Allroad is a big car, but its stiff bones and Quattro AWD system are eager to hustle — pushed by the 48-volt-battery-assisted, 335-horse turbo V-6 under the hood.
Despite a load of luggage in the boot, I put the A6 in DYNAMIC mode and danced across miles of country roads — occasionally tugging on the paddle shifters to wind the engine out of corner apexes.
In my 366-mile journey through the U.P. to Wisconsin, I never felt a similar temptation in the Volvo.
The big, 5,105-pound ute is a comfortable ride, its high center of gravity built for lakeshore views. With an 87-horsepower motor (plug it in and the ute will go 18 miles on electricity alone) mated to a supercharged, turbocharged 4-banger, the Volvo puts out an impressive 400 horsepower and launches to 60 mph 0.3 seconds quicker than the Audi. But it’s a drivetrain built for fuel efficiency, not performance. The 27 mpg Volvo will travel 520 miles on a tank of gas, the Audi 505 miles averaging 22 mpg.
The Volvo is 11 inches taller than the 4’8” high Allroad, but otherwise our testers have similar dimensions, a reminder that SUVs are just raised wagons. Similar length, headroom, legroom.
The Volvo may be the SUV, but it’s the Audi that carves out more cargo room: 30 cubic feet behind the second row compared to XC90’s 24. The Volvo’s space advantage is with third-row seats.
Up front, the XC90’s interior exhibits typical Volvo charm with its crystal shifter, rotary starter button and simple, Scandinavian design. But its infotainment tech pales compared to Audi, which has long been a leader in digital tech.
While I generally recommend ditching in-car nav systems for superior Apple CarPlay/Android Auto navigation, Audi is an exception.
Displaying my route via Google Earth in both the center and instrument displays, Allroad enhanced my scenic trip with its own, beautiful satellite views of the Lake Michigan coastline. The Volvo system is pedestrian by comparison, and I used Apple CarPlay for reliable navigation.
Both Audi and Volvo use touchscreen controls — a new twist for the Audi faithful who have used remote dials in previous generation cars. With its crisp, haptic touch response, the Audi is easy to use and a generation ahead of the Swede.
Crowned 2016 North American Utility of the Year, the lovely XC90 continues to impress as a worthy option in a German-dominated segment. But for those who want the added dimension of performance in their utility vehicle, Audi’s good ol’ station wagon is my preferred long-distance tool.
2020 Audi A6 Allroad
Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger wagon
Price: $66,895, including $995 destination fee ($71,990 as tested)
Powerplant: 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 with 48-volt battery assist
Power: 335 horsepower, 369 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.2 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 5,500 pounds
Weight: 4,486 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 20 mpg city/26 highway/22 combined
Report card
Highs: Mesmerizing maps; utility with handling
Lows: Oh, that face; lacks console storage
Overall: 3 stars
2020 Volvo XC90 e-AWD plug-in
Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, six-passenger wagon
Price: $68,495, including $995 destination fee ($86,790 as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter supercharged, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder with 87-horsepower electric motor assist
Power: 400 combined system horsepower, 472 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.9 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 5,000 pounds
Weight: 5,142 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 27 mpg gas/55 MPGe when fully charged
Report card
Highs: Unique styling; Scandinavian interior
Lows: Infotainment tech lags; plug-in gets pricey
Overall: 3 stars
Payne: Rugged Ford Ranger Tremor hits the slopes
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 11, 2021
So you enjoy off-roading. Done it in the snow?
It is beautiful, challenging and dangerous. And the perfect habitat for the 2021 Ford Ranger Tremor — my four-wheeled snowmobile for a recent trip to wintry Holly Oaks ORV park.
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My last foray into Holly Oaks’ twisted canyons was last November in the Ford Bronco Sport, my 2020 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year. Bronco Sport is a superb all-around package of utility, design and fun. Not content to just haul stuff (like two bikes upright under its rear hatch), the unibody-based, $34,000 Bronco Sport Badlands edition features the twin rear clutch pack off a Ford Focus R hot hatch to make for serious off-road capability. I whipped the little stallion around Holly Oaks so hard I popped a tire bead.
But when the going gets really tough, you’ll want a ladder frame under you like the Ranger Tremor. And even then, you’ll still want bead locks as (ahem) I once again torqued a bead off a rim. I’ll get to that in a moment.
The Tremor is the most capable Ranger pickup on offer. And the mid-sizer is a worthwhile daily driver even if you don’t plan on tearing up off-road parks. Tows 7,500 pounds with 2,080 payload. My pal John bought a Ranger because he couldn’t fit an F-150 into his Manistee condo’s garage.
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I can’t fit an F-150 into my two-car garage, either. It’s a technical marvel with six engine options, tablet display with state-of-thee-art SYNC 4 infotainment, zone lighting, self-park-assist, onboard generator, wireless phone apps and a rear seat big enough to fit the Detroit Pistons front court.
Ranger is a generation behind big brother (waiting for hand-me-downs) when it comes to tech. Its cabin has small screens, SYNC 3, no hybrid option, and adaptive cruise control that doesn’t work under 10 mph.
Whoa, Nelly! It’s been a while since I drove ACC that didn’t come to a full stop behind another vehicle.
But throw on the Ranger’s $4,290 Tremor package and the wee pickup comes alive with all-road capability. No, this isn’t a Baby Raptor with Baja suspension and twin-turbo V-6 engine that can leap tall buildings in a single bound. But Ranger still gets upgraded Fox shocks with Ranger’s standard, snarly 2.3-liter engine turbo-4 with class-best 310 pound feet of torque. Heck, it’s shared with the aforementioned Focus RS pocket rocket (oh, I miss that little hellion in North America) and Mustang HiPo. Tremor starts a whopping $30,000 south of Raptor.
And size matters off-road. Small size.
Where F-150 Raptor’s capabilities can only fully be realized by ingesting sand dunes in SoCal’s Borrego Desert at 100 mph, you can satisfy Tremor’s appetite at Holly Oaks (or The Mounds in Flint) just 30 minutes up I-75.
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North Oakland County is pickup country, and I drove in a herd of F-150, F-250, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500 elephants up the interstate. But Holly Oaks’ confines (carved out of an old cement quarry) are more amenable to compact bruisers like the Ranger Tremor.
This is Jeep Wrangler (and soon-to-arrive) Ford Bronco country, with narrow trails and narrow crevices not unlike what you’ll find on rocky Moab terrain in Utah. Mid-size pickups have piggy-backed on the explosion in SUV interest, bringing pickup bed utility to the game. Tremor is joined by the Jeep Gladiator, Chevy Colorado ZR2 and Toyota Tacoma TRD.Get the COVID-19 Update newsletter in your inbox.
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Tremor goodies are a nice value as they sit on top of the already tough FX-4 off-road package — and can be coupled with XLT and Lariat trims starting at $41,000.
The Ranger’s torquey, 270-horse mill and Fox shocks make it a blast around Holly Oaks high-speed bits just like cousin Bronco Sport. But blanket the 235-acre landscape in 6 inches of snow, and the desire for a ladder-frame chassis suddenly become paramount.
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Under the powder lurk potholes and ridges and debris that would bend a unibody chassis. The Ranger box-frame absorbed the punishment with steely determination. Add Tremor’s four underbody skid plates, 32-inch tires, 9.7-inch ground clearance and 31-inch approach angle, and my Cyber Orange Ranger was a rhino in tennis shoes.
Whump!
I buried the truck’s nose into a ditch hiding under the snow as I slid sideways around a downhill embankment. Tremor’s skid plate and shocks absorbed the impact (sparing my head from the ceiling), but the shock twisted the tire bead off the rim. Good thing Tremor carries a spare under its belly. Better yet, put bead locks on the rims if you want to explore the limits.
Back in action, I charged up the park’s “Twin Tetons,” all four wheels churning snow to make it to the top. “Maintaining momentum is key to getting through snow,” Holly Oaks designer Tom Zielinski had advised me earlier in the day.
At the top of Teton II, I hesitated. Pondering the steep decline below, I toggled Ranger Tremor’s “Trail Control” feature — low-speed cruise control that I’d first experienced on the Raptor to navigate rocky western terrain. Pedal-free, I inched down the slope at 5 mph — too slow as it turned out.
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The 4,571-pound truck began to slew sideways, a bad sign in slippery conditions that can — in the worst case — pitch the truck sideways, flipping it into a barrel roll. When in doubt, throttle out! is the off-roaders’ mantra. I overrode Trail Assist with throttle, and the Tremor straightened out, barreling downhill true as an arrow.
The Tremor trim builds on Ranger’s FX4 package (skid plates, 4WD drive modes, tow hooks) by adding signature red grille nostrils, Fox shocks and 32-inch, Continental General Grabber tires. The combination is magic off-road, lifting the truck nearly 10-inches off the ground (four hoop side steps are added to help climb into the cabin) and absorbing sub-snow frozen moguls.
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Where regular shocks might shake a tooth loose, the Foxes cushion the blows while the Grabbers, well, grab. As it turned out, the pair have a civilized side, too. Daily commuting is quite smooth, with the Grabber quieter than your average off-road claws.
For those who want to bring a dirt bike along, Ranger’s bed offers good utility, though I can’t say the same for the tight rear seats. If your family has long legs, get an F-150.
I miss Ford’s hot hatch sedans. But Ford still offers a stable of affordable vehicles — Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, Escape — with lots of personality. Add Tremor to the list.
2021 Ford Ranger Tremor
Vehicle type: Four-wheel-drive, four-door, midsize pickup
Price: $42,545, including $1,195 destination charge ($47,805 Tremor Lariat as tested)
Powerplant: 2.3-liter turbo-4 cylinder
Power: 270 horsepower, 310 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.5 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 7,500 pounds; payload, 1,430 pounds
Weight: 4,565 pounds as tested
Fuel economy: EPA 19 mpg city/19 highway/19 combined
Report card
Highs: Off-road brute; 32-inch tires
Lows: Dated interior tech; tight back seat
Overall: 3 stars
Payne: On Lightning Lap 2021, Corvette, Mustang GT500, Porsche EV shine
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 8, 2021
Mustang beat Lamborghini. A mid-engine Corvette is faster than a mid-engine Porsche. And an electric vehicle completed a full lap of Virginia International Raceway.
Those are some of the highlights of the 14th Annual Lightning Lap, Car and Driver’s benchmark for automotive performance at America’s most fearsome track in southern Virginia. Not just a contest for all-out speed, the rigorous test gives a snapshot of the auto industry’s current performance envelope.
Eighteen cars were chosen by the Ann Arbor-based enthusiast publication to compete in this year’s Lightning round, a selection of the latest, most-capable performance chariots in the U.S. market for 2021. Entrants were showroom-ready and ranged in price from $45,750 Mini John Cooper Works GP to the $429,190 McLaren 765LT. From the all-wheel-drive Subaru STI 209 to the all-wheel-drive Lamborghini Huracan Evo. And from the 330-horsepower, 2.3-liter Ford Mustang High Performance to the 760-horsepower, supercharged 6.2-liter Mustang Shelby GT500.
“Back in 2006, we chose VIR because its 4.1-mile Grand Course configuration is the closest thing we have in the U.S. to Germany’s brutal Nürburgring,” wrote Car and Drover editors. “These laps reveal a vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses and also the stories beyond the numbers. Still wondering why Chevrolet moved the Corvette’s engine from the front to the middle? The C8’s lap should clear things up.”
None of the new entrants set a lap record (that was achieved by the insane McLaren Senna back in 2019 at 2 minutes 34.9 seconds at an average speed of 134.5 mph) but this year’s stable did include the first electric car, the $189,940, 616-horsepower Porsche Taycan Turbo S ($205,360 as tested), to complete a lap of the rollercoaster circuit.
The Taycan managed to do what a Tesla Model S could not — the Model S went into limp mode in 2016, its battery unable to withstand the rigors of a full lap at full throttle. The 5,222-pound Taycan also became the fastest, 5,000-plus pound car (batteries are heavy) in Lightning’s history — besting the 5,120-pound Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV.
“(Taycan) endured, without issue, our typical lapping schedule: a brisk out lap, a fast-as-you-dare hot lap followed by a cool-down, another hot lap, and then a cool-down before heading back to the pits,” wrote Dave Vanderwerp. “Starting with a full battery from an overnight charge, the Taycan landed at about 40% capacity after this routine, which, interestingly, is a burn rate on par with the (Mustang Shelby GT500). To find the battery’s limits, we did two consecutive flying laps once, which put enough heat in the battery to reduce power.”
one of the other 17 gas-fired cars ran out of gas in the course of the test. For 50 minutes on track the Taycan spent 4.5 hours recharging.
That highlights one of the challenges facing EVs as manufacturers and governments push an all-EV future. General Motors, for example, intends to convert its 3 million annual U.S. vehicle sales to battery power in 14 years by 2035. That’s six times the sales Tesla achieved in 2020 after 12 years in the market.
One of those GM cars targeted for electrification is the Chevy Corvette C8 which is currently powered by a throaty, 495-horse V-8 located — for the first time —behind the driver.
Not only did the mid-engine, $59,995 Corvette C8 ($86,865 as tested) smoke the last-generation, front-engine C7’s VIR lap time by 5 seconds, it bested the mid-engine, $114,450 Porsche Cayman GT4 ($118,600 as tested) — the only mid-engine sports car currently in Porsche’s lineup.
“An obsession with lap times is why the Corvette’s V-8 is now behind the front seats,” wrote C&D driving ace K.C. Colwell. “The move paid off, with the C8 lapping VIR 4.8 seconds quicker than its direct predecessor, the 2014 C7 Stingray, a car with an identical power-to-weight ratio.”Get the COVID-19 Update newsletter in your inbox.
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Car and Driver found the mid-engine made the C8 more predictable through VIR’s labyrinth of writhing corners. Also credit inexhaustible brakes.
The ‘Vette proved its value equation as the most affordable super car on the planet. It bested the Porsche by 1.3 seconds around VIR’s 24 turns — and topped the time of the mid-engine, $203,100 Acura NSX Car and Driver tested in 2017.
Two other mid-engine European supercars in this year’s competition, the $429,190 McLaren 765LT and $334,969 Lamborghini Huracan Evo justified their sticker premiums (phew!) over the Corvette by turning quicker laps with the McLaren recording a 2021 best 2 minute, 38.4 seconds. FYI, its 175 mph on the front straight was an all-time Lightning record.
But the Lambo came up short against another sub-six-figure Detroit muscle car, the Mustang Shelby GT500. The most powerful pony to ever to roll off Flat Rock’s assembly line, the 760-horse, rear-wheel-driver beat the AWD Italian stallion by 4/10 of a second, 2.44.6 to 2.45 flat. Ouch.
Credit the Mustang’s feat in part to a 7-speed, dual-clutch transmission that is similar to that used in the Corvette. Made my Tremec, both automatic boxes snap off shifts in milliseconds — and have provoked cries of foul from enthusiasts who say muscle cars should be powered by stick shifts. Keeping up with European exotics requires exotic technology.
Other notables in this year’s test were the GT500’s cheaper cousin: the turbo-4 powered Mustang High Performance. For $42,070 ($37k base price), Junior lapped the course in 3.04.4.
Just a few tenths quicker was the fastest front-wheel-drive car ever at Lightning Lap: the Mini John Copper Works GP. With 301 horsepower, that’s one mighty Mini.
How Team Fehan built Corvette into a racing powerhouse
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 8, 2021
When the Chevy Corvette C8.R race cars rolled across the line 1-2 at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona Sunday, it wasn’t just another win for the storied race team. It also made for the perfect management hand-off from legendary Corvette race boss Doug Fehan, 72, to new chief Laura Klauser, 34.
Over the last 24 years, Fehan built one of sports-car racing’s premier programs. And made Corvette one of the world’s best super cars in the process.
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From its stealthy beginnings inside General Motors Corp. in 1996, Corvette Racing was conceived by Fehan as a way to not just raise the profile of the Chevrolet brand, but to take Corvette to another level as one of the industry’s best-engineered cars. In so doing he brought a racing culture to GM that today parallels some of the world’s most renowned racing brands, Porsche and Ferrari.
“When we look at all the achievements we’ve garnered over the years, I think the most important to me personally was this technology transfer,” Fehan said in an interview. “This concept of taking what we learn on the race track and being able to . . . weave it into the fabric of the production vehicles. That was one of my main objectives. I believed in motorsports and I knew it was way more than a checkered flag and a trophy.
Over four generations of Corvette race cars — from the C4.R to the current C8.R — Fehan’s team helped integrate race engineering into production cars. That evolution has resulted in the extraordinary, $59,995 C8 production super car, the first mid-engine ‘Vette that has wowed the world with performance and design befitting European super cars that cost four times as much.
Corvette chief engineer “Tadge Juechter … had been around long enough to see what I tried to do with C5, C6 and C7 and he was totally cooperative and on board,” said Fehan. “We put on a collaborative effort — between the race team and the production team — unequaled inside GM and probably anyplace in the world. That to me is as satisfying as the championship.”
The three-decade journey also made Fehan one of the most recognized figures in the pit lane from Daytona to France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Corvette Racing won eight times. Gruff, honest, and eccentric, Fehan was a racer’s manager.
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Juggling the responsibilities of managing a race team for one of the world’s largest corporations, Fehan also gained the respect of some of the world’s greatest drivers including NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt (who raced for him in 2001), sports-car great Ron Fellows, and international star Jan Magnussen.
“Consider this was a factory-supported program with consistent support at that level for so long — it is absolutely the premier (sports car) program anybody’s ever put together,” said race driver Andy Pilgrim, one of the sport’s most accomplished sports car pilots who scored Corvette’s first win in 2000 in Texas (with co-driver Fellows).
Pilgrim compared Fehan to Porsche’s Alwin Springer, the influential head of Porsche Motorsports North America, that helped make that marque a dominant force in the German brand’s largest market. Pilgrim raced with Porsche before Fehan approached him to race Corvettes.
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“I’d already worked with Alwin, and then going to Doug — it doesn’t get any better than that. It was an amazing factory program,” Pilgrim said in an interview. “Doug has a unique way of understanding, working with his drivers. It’s a gift.”
The fiercely independent Pilgrim and the corporate boss Fehan hit it off. As skillful as he was at navigating GM’s corporate hallways, Fehan was fiercely independent as well. In an age of collared team shirts and matching uniforms up and down the pit lane, Fehan stood out.Get the COVID-19 Update newsletter in your inbox.
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“He was beloved in the pits with his acerbic wit,” said Steven Cole Smith, veteran race writer for Autoweek and other publications. “He would show up in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and neon running shoes.”
With years of racing management under his belt including GM’s Oldsmobile Aurora prototype program, Fehan got the green light to develop the Corvette program in late 1996. It was a tightly kept secret even in GM.
“We developed that car in total secret. There wasn’t an Internet There weren’t cell phones. There wasn’t all the electronic media you have today,” Fehan said. “There were very few people within GM that even knew we were developing that car.”
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The Corvette C5.R debuted in the Daytona 24 Hour GT class in January, 1999 — leading much of the race before finishing second on one of the world’s biggest stages. The pressure packed moment would launch an unprecedented run of over 100 IMSA wins over the next two decades.
“My bosses thought we were crazy wanting to debut at Daytona — a 24 hour event, the most grueling race in North America. But I told them, this is where we have to go to learn,” remembered Fehan. “The GM executives were there, they were thrilled, they were watching it happen, they watched the teamwork. All the things we professed would happen, did happen. And they began to see the value of what we were doing.”
Corvette Racing would go on to win 14 team championships, highlighted by eight Le Mans victories. “The first Le Mans victory was just stunning,” Fehan said, “the most emotional event you could possibly have in a lifetime.”https://256d63e6cc406071b2535031d2d6c630.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
But for all the competitive highs and lows, the program’s North Star was always what Fehan dubbed “cascade engineering” — making the production car better via racing.
“Product relevance has always been paramount in my mind. That’s how you connect with the customer,” he said. “The final distillation is: we need to sell cars. That’s the business we are in.”
Race driver Pilgrim was fully aware of his role in a much bigger factory machine: “We would get engineers that would be (with the race program) for a year. Then they disappeared back to GM. . . back to design or wherever. I thought that was brilliant.”
That integration survived through ups and downs in the auto industry, through multiple GM CEOs — even the near cancellation of the ‘Vette program during the 2009 Great Recession.
With the eighth generation Corvette C8 — the first with its engine behind the driver — the program realized its full potential.
“This was the first time that we were really able to start with a clean sheet of paper between engineering and racing. The result is astounding,” Fehan said of a production product and race car that have been runaway successes since they first turned a wheel a year ago.
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The C8.R race car won the IMSA championship in its first year. The C8 production car sold out its first year and is back-logged for its second. Now the 2021 season is off and running with a Daytona GT victory already in hand.
The baton has been handed off to Klauser, GM’s first Sports Car Racing Program Manager, who will integrate the Corvette team under one GM umbrella that includes IMSA Cadillac prototypes and Camaro GT cars.https://256d63e6cc406071b2535031d2d6c630.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
“Doug is a key piece of Corvette Racing’s history,” Klauser said in an interview. “He was there from the beginning and helped establish the strong team we are so proud of today. I appreciate the support Doug has given me during the GM Motorsport Competition transition period we’re going through. I’m excited to continue building on the Corvette Racing legacy.”
Payne: Acura MDX X-cedes X-pectations
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 4, 2021
I knew something had changed when I got into the cockpit of the 2022 Acura MDX. Sci-fi Drive Mode dial and “trigger” shifter like an NSX supercar. Dash-mounted, driver-centric touchscreen like a Mazda3. Digital dash display like an Audi S6.
This is a performance car in SUV drag.
Sure enough, the three-row SUV wanted to boogie. Acura had brought me to Hell, Michigan — home of the state’s most challenging roads — to drive the MDX for a reason. I dialed the fat Mode knob to Sport and floored the MDX onto Hadley Road’s twisties, the torque-vectoring all-wheel drive rotating the behemoth into corner apexes. The ute sped ahead with little body roll, its V-6 engine roaring with pleasure as I fed it more gas.
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I first experienced the joy of sporty SUVs in the Audi Q7 back in 2015 on California’s own Hell roads — the writhing Route 1 coastal highway. No surprise, the Ohio-made MDX has benchmarked to the Q7 and it shows. The Acura wants to challenge the Germans on the dance floor, which is crowded with entrants from mainstream brands like the Mazda CX-9 and Dodge Durango Hellcat as well.
Call them family utes with a wild side. The world will know just how wild in another year when the MDX debuts its ferocious Type S performance model — a turbocharged, V-6 hellion that promises asphalt-clawing 355-horsepower.
The 2022 MDX is the second SUV to benefit from the “Precision Performance” remake of Acura’s brand. MDX follows the game-changing RDX which, in 2018, debuted a similar offering in the compact class. The new MDX not only shares RDX’s athletic ambitions, it builds on the RDX qualities of standard features and performance.
A boo-yah to MDX for keeping a V-6 engine standard. In this regulation-choked age, luxury automakers have rushed to turbo-charged 4-bangers. Better fuel efficiency! Better CO2 emissions! Better torque!
Less fun.
A comparable, $65,000 Audi Q7 powered by a turbo-4 sounds like a vacuum cleaner compared to my throaty, $61,675 Acura V-6. Who wants to pay 65 grand for an Audi that sounds the same as a $25,000 Jetta?
Of course, most civilians will never flog their family MDX like your insane Detroit News scribe, but they will take notice of a large SUV that is noticeably crisper than the last-gen Acura. The steering is more precise, the body roll minimal, the drive more premium. Acura accomplished this with major hardware upgrades like a double-wishbone front suspension (see BMWs) and 50% increased chassis rigidity.
And Acura did it without compromising MDX’s traditional value play. This is the X-factor that has made MDX the best-selling three-row luxury SUV for two decades.
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At a starting price of $45,000, the Acura comes loaded with standard goodies including digital instrument display, panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist and a sauna in the rear cargo bay (kidding about that last one).
Compare that to the BMW X7, which doesn’t include the panoramic roof or adaptive cruise in its $75,000 base price — or Cadillac’s XT6, which won’t sell you adaptive cruise until the price pushes $55,000.
This consumer friendliness is an obsession with Acura (and sister Honda brand). They sweat the small stuff.
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MDX is stuffed with X-ceptional details. Honda brands are known for their magic seats — the Honda Fit folding second-row, Odyssey minivan sliding rear seat — and MDX makes a splash with the segment’s first removable rear seat. With two pull tabs, the middle section can turn into a console, a middle seat or even be removed entirely — revealing separate, second-row captain’s chairs. Clever.
There’s a self-washing rearview camera. Sub-cargo storage bay. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wi-Fi hotspot. “Cabin Talk” feature that activates a microphone so you can talk with rear passengers. An easy-to-adjust head-up display button. A single button that will fold the middle seat, opening easy access to the third row (a usable third row where, say, small adults can feel comfortable). Indeed, the console is as busy as an airline cockpit with buttons for everything — call it the anti-Tesla.
Amidst this ergonomic obsession, the MDX’s biggest shortcoming stands out like a sore thumb: the “True Touchpad Interface” which controls the 12.3-inch infotainment screen. In remaking itself as performance brand, Acura has been comprehensive in transforming everything from exterior design to trigger shifter — but the touchpad is an innovation too far.
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In a smartphone world of touchscreens (even Audi has abandoned its remote rotary controller), the touchpad is a driver distraction. It’s best used when stationary — but even then Mrs. Payne found it hard to work from the passenger’s seat as she tried to manipulate Apple CarPlay.
Genesis has similarly designed a difficult remote controller for its new GV80, but the screen has redundant touch control. If Acura insists on keeping the touchpad, it should do the same.
The touchpad also takes up valuable space in the center console, usually a strength of Acura/Honda. The 2022 MDX cuts back on some of the deep console storage space of its predecessor. What it does have is a standard, wireless phone charger which even worked on my huge, 6.5-inch Samsung Galaxy 20 smartphone.
For all of its gym training, the MDX isn’t quite the athlete the Audi is. Flogging both through Hell, the Q7 is more sure-footed. And its digital display and touchscreen are state of the art. That Audi standard will cost you, but the Acura is hardly cheap — its amenities adding up to $61,000, just 4 grand short of the Q7 (and turbo-5 Genesis GV80).
The Acura should be looking over its shoulder at the Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-9 — two premium-focused mainstream badges that give Acura a run for the value crown. The loaded Telluride SX boasts premium looks, similar features, and even stuffs a 291-horse V-6 under the hood for a ridiculous $44,000. That’s 3 grand less than MDX’s starting price, for goodness sakes. The $49,000, turbo-4 powered Mazda Signature trim, meanwhile, will dance with the best luxury cars for just $49,000.
Who knew three-row SUVs could be so much fun to drive? Just be sure to warn the third-row passengers with the MDX’s Cabin Talk feature — like an airline pilot — before you enter the gates of Hell:
“Make sure your seat belts are securely fastened. We are about to encounter turbulence ahead.”
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2022 Acura MDX
Vehicle type: Front- and all-wheel-drive, four-door, seven-passenger SUV
Price: $47,925, including $1,025 destination charge ($61,675 MDX with Advance Package as tested)
Powerplant: 3.5-liter V-6
Power: 290 horsepower, 267 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.1 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 5,000 pounds (AWD)
Weight: 4,565 pounds as tested
Fuel economy: EPA 19 mpg city/25 highway/21 combined (AWD on 91 octane fuel)
Report card
Highs: Upscale design/handling; standard features galore
Lows: Distracting touchpad controller; reduced console storage
Overall: 3 stars
Payne: Moving day in the worry-free Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 4, 2021
The Toyota RAV4 has taken over sister Prius’ spot as the best-selling hybrid in the brand’s lineup. But not because it’s greener than the iconic sedan: it’s more practical.
On a weekend in which I helped move my son into his Seattle townhouse, green was the least of our priorities.
Happily, my RAV4 tester was everything it needed to be. In so doing it gave insight into the limitations of all-electric vehicles and America’s craving for SUVs. The RAV4’s forefather was the iconic Prius, which put hybrids on the map. It also sold like hot cakes in California because it qualified for $4,000 in state and federal tax breaks — plus free passage to Cal’s coveted high-occupancy vehicle commuter lanes.
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Those benefits are long gone — and Prius must sell as a sedan in an SUV market. Good luck. It’s not hard to see why utes are hot. They are versatile tools in a demanding world like, say, Seattle where, on any given day, consumers need a commuter car, a weekend getaway vehicle or a moving van.
On this weekend we needed the latter with hatchback, cargo bay and roomy rear seats. And no range anxiety.
A wave of all-electric SUVs is coming to challenge the RAV4, including the VW ID.4 and Ford Mustang Mach E. But they are priced significantly higher and they demand plugs to charge their 200- to 300-mile range. My son’s townhouse does not have a fast charger. Oh.
Hybrids are looked down on by greens today because they use gas. But RAV4’s hybrid promised 450 miles range, easy access to gasoline stations if we ran low on fuel, and no range anxiety. At $41,100, we could make back its $1,500 premium over the standard, 27 mpg RAV4 in just three years at 41 mpg. It’s a bargain.
If you can put up with its annoying electric whrrrrr, that is. It’s required at low speeds by the feds (to alert pedestrians of electrified vehicles’ presence under 18.6 mph). It drove my son bonkers. Whrrrrrrrr.
Speaking of annoying, it was nice not to add EV range questions to a moving schedule that included repairman times, plumbing issues and cable TV hookup: Would we lose range in 30-degree winter weather? Would Seattle’s steep hills suck electrons? Would we be able to find open charger bays?
The big-ticket items were first on our shopping list: big-screen TV, table and chairs, work desk.
The RAV4’s cargo hold swallowed them all easily — though the OLED screen required an extra trip to Costco since we didn’t want anything else in back that might harm it. The Costco parking lot was jammed on a Saturday — cash-rich Seattle denizens (their stock portfolios runneth over) are apparently upgrading their domiciles now that COVID-19 has forced them to work at home.
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RAV4’s were everywhere in the parking lot (it is America’s best-selling vehicle, after all), and it’s not a bad thing to look at. For the current generation Toyota designers took inspiration from the Tacoma pickup, and the RAV4 has a rugged, off-roady appearance that helps it stand out in the boxy SUV crowd.
Mrs. Payne could care less about styling — her focus was on the center console as she hooked up to Apple CarPlay to navigate us around watery Seattle’s tangle of roads. Knob and button touchscreen controls were easy to use (are you listening Lexus?), and the navigation system never let us down as we hopscotched from one retail superstore to the next.
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By day we loaded and unloaded boxes, furniture and groceries. The RAV4 has a clever cubby in the cargo hold that helps with fragile items like bananas or eggs. By night we picked up my son’s gal pal and explored Seattle’s culinary scene. In striking contrast to the Prius, RAV4 has lots of rear leg room (38.7 inches compared to 33.4), so even your 6’5” giraffe reviewer could easily take a back seat.
RAV4’s biggest drawback is that we had to shoe-horn it in to my son’s garage. It’s a reminder how much vehicles have grown over the years. Fit America’s best-selling F-150 pickup into his garage? Fugeddaboutit.
My son is also in the market for a car. Scratch a compact ute off his list. But the shopping experience convinced him that he needs a hatchback as well as all-wheel drive for when snow hits Seattle’s vertical streets.
And like his father, he has the need for speed. So he’s looking at a hot hatch Mazda3 or VW Golf R that fits his garage. RAV4 may be versatile, but nimble handling is not one of its attributes.
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2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Vehicle type: Front-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger hatchback
Price: $29,675, including $1,175 destination charge ($41,100 as tested)
Powerplant: 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with lithium-ion battery and AC motor assist
Power: 219 horsepower combined
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.8 seconds (Motor1.com); towing, 1,750 pounds
Weight: 3,780 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA 41 mpg city/38 highway/40 combined
Report card
Highs: Rugged looks; no range anxiety hybrid driving
Lows: Numb handling; argh, that low-speed electric sound!
Overall: 3 stars
Buckle up: 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor reloads for Detroit truck wars
Posted by Talbot Payne on February 3, 2021
Detroit’s truck wars have raged for decades. Now come the super truck wars.
Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday unveiled the all-new, third-generation, 2021 F-150 Raptor, the most capable off-road warrior the F-series has ever birthed. The OG super truck, Raptor has inspired competitors like the Ram 1500 TRX and GMC Hummer EV. The latest version takes its dirt-pounding capabilities to new heights with a 37-inch tire option, 15-inch suspension travel, and tech features galore.
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But for those pining for a 700-plus horsepower version to fight Ram’s Hellcat engine-fired TRX, they’ll have to wait. A Raptor R, likely powered by the 760 horsepower, supercharged V-8 from the Mustang GT500, is a year away.
In the meantime, the Baja racing-inspired Raptor will be powered by a standard, 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V-6 while bringing plenty of new goodies to the fight. Spec’d at 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet-of torque in the previous gen, the new model’s numbers have not yet been released.
The class-best 15-inch suspension travel is made possible by a unique rear sub-assembly that includes five-link suspension, coil-over springs, and more-capable, off-road Fox shocks. As violent as the Raptor is outside, the tank gets more civilized inside with standard 12-inch dash touchscreen, retractable gear shift, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
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“Raptor is the original desert truck. We just took it to another level,” said Ford Performance vehicle program director Ali Jammoul. “The all-new Raptor splices off-road performance muscle with advanced technology and connectivity.”
Super trucks are already outstripping the coveted super car segment in sales volume. Since its second-gen product rolled out in 2017, Raptor has outsold Porsche’s entire sports-car lineup – and the Chevy Corvette, too.
Raptor has been given a run for its money by Ram’s insane, 702-horse TRX (pronounced T-Rex) which boasts 13-inch suspension travel, a muscle-bound chassis, and big-screen interior. The GMC Hummer promises its own electrified take on the segment including claimed 3.0-second 0-60 times and “crab mode” for negotiating tight spaces.
The Raptor doubles down on what has made F-series the best-selling pickup for over 40 years: tech and capability.
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The standard, 2021 F-150, introduced in November, is only sitting on dealer lots for nine days as customers have flocked to its high-tech goo-gaws. Raptor bristles with the same tools.
In addition to the big screen and wireless capability, Raptor options a 2 kW on-board generator so customers don’t have to lug their own generator into the Outback. Six auxiliary switches are provided for external devices.
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Raptor promises Tesla-like, over-the-air updates for improved capability, Ford’s latest SYNC 4 infotainment system, and zone lighting so occupants can light up the truck’s surrounds. The retractable shifter allows occupants to turn the center console into desktop workspace.
All this luxury is wrapped in an aluminum body design inspired, appropriately, by the F-22 Raptor fighter jet.
In truth the exterior design changes are subtle. The aggressive front end is still dominated by F-O-R-D letters stamped across the grille, hood scoop, and three amber lights (required by federal law give the Raptor’s 80-plus inch wide footprint).
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The super truck’s foundation has been fortified for off-road punishment. To withstand the impact of 15-inch suspension travel (by comparison, Baja race truck suspension travel is up to 40 inches) at over 100 mph in the desert, Raptor is fitted with huge, 3.1-inch diameter Fox dampers. Electronically controlled, the shocks not only change damping rates at 500 times per second during high-speed off-roading — they helped cushion the ride on Detroit’s broken roads.
For the first time, the Raptor offers a choice of 35 or 37-inch BF Goodrich tires, the latter raising the pickup’s ride height to 13.1 inches. The front, coil-over suspension is capable of 14-inches of suspension travel. Locking differentials are available front and rear for when the terrain gets gnarly and Raptor needs to crawl over rocks or through narrow gulches.
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“Raptor is rooted in Baja 1000 racing, and its suspension advances our capability and performance — a five-link rear setup with more wheel travel than any Raptor before it,” said Ford Performance chief engineer Carl Widmann.
While the turbocharged V-6 will soon play second fiddle to Raptor R’s supercharged V-8, it’s no slouch with stump-pulling low-end torque. In response to customers who pined for the first-generation Raptor’s, 5.4-liter V-8, the V-6 has been sound-enhanced with a more guttural roar.
Seven drive modes — Slippery, Tow/Haul, Sport, Normal, Off-road, Baja and Rock Crawl — are on hand to automatically adjust drivetrain and suspension depending on your circumstance. The 36-gallon tank provides range of 500 miles.
Even towing and payload capacities have been upgraded to 8,200 and 1,400 pounds, respectively.
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