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Payne: If only Clark Griswold had driven a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 18, 2021
Moab, Utah — Poor Clark Griswold. He famously took his family out west in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” movie in an overmatched Wagon Queen Family Truckster.
He should have bought a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The fifth generation of Jeep’s best-selling family vehicle will now not only confidently carry you over America’s highways — but beyond where the asphalt ends. Griswold and family’s final destination was Wally World, California, but allow me to suggest a detour to Moab, Utah, in the Grand Cherokee.
Moab is Jeep’s home away from home. For decades, Wrangler pilots have come here to put their 4x4s to the ultimate test across Hell’s Revenge, one of the most daunting off-road terrains in the United States. Drive down Main Street and Wrangler rentals are everywhere. Now the family Grand Cherokee can join off-road fun with its Trailhawk package armored with steel skid plates, a detachable swaybar, air suspension with 11.3 inches of clearance and all-terrain tires.
Those tools came in handy as I followed a Wrangler Rubicon up a steep trail into Moab’s vast slippery-rock wilderness. It’s territory the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk knows well, having been tested extensively here. I’m betting Griswold would want to impress his family with the SUV’s capability.
Off-roading is not unlike on-road track racing. You want a belt-full of tools at your disposal. Tracking a production car means stiffening everything from shocks to steering response. Off-road is the opposite. You want as much vehicle flexibility as possible.
Dipping into Trailhawk’s toolbox, I shifted into NEUTRAL, selected 4-LOW and engaged ROCK mode. The beast loosened right up: swaybar disconnected to allow the front wheels Gumby-like articulation; ride-height jacked to protect the belly. Throttle eased to prevent sudden lurches.
The Jeep crawled around the broken landscape like a two-ton mountain goat.
If that sounds too nuts, then Griswold might haul the family over to Schafer’s Trail Road in Canyonlands National Park east of Moab. Be sure to option the Family Truckster — er, Grand Cherokee Trailhawk — with the panoramic sunroof. The Colorado and Green rivers have carved Canyonlands as deep as Arizona’s Grand Canyon.
The kiddies will gawk at the sheer cliffs above while Dad white-knuckle steers past sheer drop-offs unprotected by guardrails. Happily, the sure-footed mountain goat is your friend. Sitting on 18-inch rims, Trailhawk’s 30.5-inch-tall sidewalls will ride smoothly over Shafer Trail’s pocked rocky road — just like the thousands of Wranglers that have gone before it.
Better to take the Grand Cherokee to Arches National Park 28 miles north, where the only off-roading is by foot. Along the park’s winding asphalt road, the panoramic roof is a glorious window to a natural red skyline that includes iconic structures like the Three Penguins, Park Avenue, Balanced Rock and other achingly beautiful natural wonders.
That is, if your teens can pull themselves away from the 10-inch screens available in the rear. Fire TV transforms the backseats into a rolling family room where you can watch your favorite series, movies and so on. I took a break in the back seat myself to watch some auto racing highlights on YouTube after a long day of driving the Colorado River basin to the LaSalle Mountains. The Grand’s back seat is the biggest in class and easy on my 6’5” frame.
Wait, spirited drive? In a mid-size SUV?
“Slow down!” Griswold’s wife barked as Clark’s right foot got too heavy on the highway. Grand Cherokee tempts the right foot in the twisties, too.
The Jeep is not only built for the off-road, but engineer Dave Partlow and his team have cast a spell on the suspension to make it truly enjoyable at speed. My Trailhawk tester was nicely equipped with the Grand’s standard 292-horse V-6 workhorse. But for Jeep lovers with a lead foot — and there are plenty of them — the 5.7-liter, 470-horse V-8 is also available. Yes, the same eight-holer as in the insane Wrangler 392 that I destroyed Holy Oaks ORV park with last summer.
For my money (and the Grand demands deep pockets; more on that later), the Trailhawk is plenty bad-ass with six cylinders. Its black hood, tow hooks and eye-catching wheels look plenty cool (and the black hood is also useful for reducing sun glare when the Moab sun is baking you and the slippery rocks at 115 degrees in August).
In those conditions, the Griswold clan may be happy to close the roof, turn up the AC and keep cruisin’ to Wally World. Because the interior of the Jeep is a grand place to be.
For all its exterior muscle, the lines of the 2022 Grand Cherokee have changed little from Gen 4. The signature seven-slot grille is more upright, the LED headlights narrowed from squinting into the sunset, the body more sculpted, as if it has spent more time in the gym to take advantage of the advanced hardware underneath.
The interior, meanwhile, has undergone a major face-lift.
No wonder Jeep has raised the Grand’s base price by a stiff $3,705 — the brand team knows the Grand is the rare mainstream badge cross-shopped against luxury makes Audi, BMW and Land Rover.
An elegant center console spills like a waterfall between the seats, splitting the wing-shaped dash spread between the A-pillars. The digital screens are packed with tech befitting a smartphone. Indeed, Jeep designers modeled the Uconnect 5 system — already an industry benchmark — after an Android with a “dots” avatar that allows intuitive navigation between pages.
Pages can be configured with the content you want. My favorite layout put Android Auto (wirelessly mated to my phone) at my fingertips next to my wife’s telephone number, Spotify app, map and SiriusXM radio.
Mrs. Griswold can have a screen of her own thanks to the Grand’s class-exclusive passenger screen (she can use it to monitor what the kids are watching).
Like Tesla, Jeep is obsessive about putting climate controls in the center screen, which will turn off some shoopers yearning for more console knobs. Jeep’s excellent Level 2 adaptive cruise system helps keep the Grand centered in-lane to mitigate distraction.
Imagine that, Clark Griswold. Level 2 self-driving for those long cross-country miles. So when Christie Brinkley pulls up in her Ferrari, you can give her a nice wave. But you’ll keep the Grand Cherokee, thank you very much.
After all, you can’t fit a family of four and their luggage in a Ferrari. Or take it off-roading in Moab.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Vehicle type: Front engine, rear- and-all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $39,185, including $1,795 destination fee ($60,645 Trailhawk and $73,085 Summit Reserve as tested)
Powerplant: 3.6-liter V-6, 5.7-liter V-8
Power: 293 horsepower, 260 pound-feet torque (V-6); 354 horsepower, 390 pound-feet torque (V-8)
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.6 seconds (Car and Driver est. V-8); towing, 7,200 lbs (V-8)
Weight: 4,747 pounds (V-6 Trailhawk)
Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 18 city/25 highway/21 combined (V-6 AWD); 14 city/22 highway/17 combined (V-8 AWD)
Report card
Highs: Luxury, roomy interior; tech-tastic
Lows: Gets pricey
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Fisker: Why EV startup valuations are sky high and going higher
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 17, 2021
Los Angeles — Is Fisker the next electric vehicle unicorn?
The California-based EV company unveiled a final prototype here this week of its first, widely-anticipated SUV, the Ocean, with production to begin in November 2022. If Fisker, run by EV pioneer Henrik Fisker, follows the pattern of U.S. EV startups, it should be a multi-billion dollar company in a year.
Sister EV startups Rivian and Lucid have seen their market values roar to dizzying heights in recent weeks after producing their first vehicles. With no revenue and one $70,000 pickup truck in its lineup, Irvine, California-based Rivian owns a market cap of $140 billion, more than General Motors. Lucid Motor’s $160k Air sedan rolled off the line last month and its market cap is now about $90 billion, more than Ford Motor Company.
Subscribers: LA Auto Show: Reborn Fisker unveils the Ocean EV
“Wall Street (investors) think half of the global market will be EVs by 2030. Wall Street is betting that startup EVs automakers are going to make up most of that production,” CEO Fisker said in an interview in Los Angeles just hours before unveiling the Ocean on Wednesday. Battery-electric vehicles make up under 3% of U.S. sales.
Fisker’s prediction is self-interested, but consistent with current trends.
Despite facing competition from numerous legacy automakers in the EV space, Tesla — the first all-electric startup to enter the mainstream market in 2012 with its Model S sedan — still owns an 80% market share with a growing list of vehicles including the Model 3 sedan and Model Y and Model X SUVs. EV entries from household names like Chevy, Volvo, Audi, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes have barely dented Tesla’s juggernaut, which delivered 499,550 vehicles in 2020 — an increase of 36% over the previous year in the midst of a global pandemic.
Tesla’s market value soared over $1 trillion this month — more than the nine largest auto companies combined.
“Like other startups, we are building an EV company from the ground up,” said Fisker. “We are currently valued at $7 billion. The difference between us and Rivian and Lucid is that we won’t be in production for another year. If we hit our targets, I expect to see similar success.”
By contrast, Fisker said, legacy automakers will increasingly be stuck with costly gas-engine plant capacity while the market shifts to EVs. GM and Ford have announced aggressive moves to go all-electric in the next two decades.
Joe Phillippi of Autotrends Consulting, a veteran Wall Street analyst, is doubtful that EVs will make up half of global sales anytime soon. “I don’t see it, that’s 50 million units a year,” he said. “I worry this a bubble, but it’s a bubble that may last a long time. There’s a lot of money chasing these ideas.”
Fisker attributed investor confidence to a combination of government coercion and consumer acceptance.
Fisker’s home state of California, for example — the largest auto market in the world’s richest country — is mandating that all new car sales be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The state has repeatedly had to adjust its goals over the last two decades, however, as consumers have been reluctant to adopt battery-powered vehicles.
China, the world’s biggest auto market, has mandated that all vehicles must be electrified — battery-powered, plug-in hybrid, or hybrid — by 2035. And the European Union has announced a ban on gas-powered cars by 2035.
“Europe is moving so fast. I expect that half of our sales will by in Europe,” said CEO Fisker. He said cities like London are banning diesel cars and Norway is moving to eliminate gas and diesel engines.
West Coast-based, Fisker is outsourcing its manufacturing to Magna in Europe. That strategy is in contrast to the “Big Three” electrics of Tesla, Rivian and Lucid, which run their own assembly operations stateside. Fisker said it’s important for startups to keep costs down and to deliver products on time — and Magna is a proven manufacturer, having produced the Mercedes G-class and Jaguar i-Pace. The Ocean EV is made on a heavily-modified, front-wheel-drive EV skateboard platform of Magna’s making.
Fisker said Magna’s Graz, Austria, plant also meets Fisker’s carbon neutrality goals by sourcing its electricity from hydroelectric power. Hydro-power also played a key role in Volkswagen’ location of its first U.S. EV plant in Tennessee.
While upper trims of the Ocean will cost over $70,000, Fisker is keen on keeping the starting price of his cars below $40,000.
“Magna’s base platform saved us a lot of time because we didn’t have to do basic design things,” he said. “But we still had the flexibility to change what we needed. It’s important because we’ve got to get our development time under 2½ years.”
He is particularly bullish on his next, smaller SUV called the Peach. With a price target under the Ocean, Fisker said Peach will be outsourced to manufacturing partner Foxconn in Lordstown and will bring EVs to higher volume segments.
He suggested one reason for Rivian’s high market cap is its production of fleet vehicles to, for example, Amazon, which must meet sustainability targets. He expects vehicles like Ocean and Peach to do similar fleet business.
“But ultimately, retail buying will pick up as the cost of EVs continues to go down under $40,000,” he said.
He said 75% of customers ordering Ocean EVs are crossing over from gas-powered vehicles from makers such as Mercedes and BMW.
The Ocean boasts similar proportions to the hot-selling Tesla Model Y. The standard, front-wheel-drive Sport model offers 250-mile range, a 17-inch center tablet, panoramic sunroof and digital camera mirror.
It debuted Wednesday at the LA Auto Show.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Ford, Hyundai, startups lead diverse 2022 Car of Year finalists
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 17, 2021
Los Angeles — And then there were nine.
Ford and Hyundai led a diverse group of finalists announced Wednesday at the Los Angeles for the 2022 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards, with two nominees each. Hyundai’s luxury Genesis brand also grabbed a nomination. The prestigious awards — judged by 50 independent journalists across North America — led off the show with finalists in three categories.
In addition to the legacy automakers, two startup electric vehicles, the Lucid Air and Rivian R1T pickup, nabbed nominations, reflecting how Tesla’s success has emboldened a new era of auto entrepreneurs.
“These nine vehicles represent an unusually excellent and diverse group of finalists,” said NACTOY president Gary Witzenburg. “From new automakers to vehicles that have created fresh segments in their categories, these vehicles showcase the industry’s current diversification. This year’s finalists also illustrate how many more EVs are available to customers.”
Ford’s wildly popular Bronco will be the favorite to win SUV of the year. The Jeep Wrangler rival can be stripped of its doors and roof to offer rugged, open-air fun. Its modern technology also aims to make off-road tools more accessible to drivers, including a rotary mode selector and electronic sway-bar disconnect.
Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV boasts a sleek design and simple interior as Hyundai tries to follow the Tesla Model Y’s success in the compact EV SUV segment. The Genesis GV70 is a stylish SUV of the familiar gas-fired variety. After years of copycat designs, Genesis has forged its own path with distinctive exterior and interior looks.
Ford also flexes its truck brand muscles with the affordable Maverick pickup. The entry-level unibody truck will be the favorite to win with its $20k starting price tag and creative interior. Hyundai’s eye-catching Santa Cruz is also a unibody-based pickup truck and features clever features like a lockable, slide-able tonneau cover.
Startup Rivian created a big splash in LA in 2018 when it debuted the first electric pickup. Founder RJ Scaringe has followed through on the concept’s promise by bringing the R1T to market ahead of the Tesla Cybertruck and EV offerings from Ford and GM.
Sedan sales have suffered from the SUV revolution but the eighth-generation Honda Civic is still going strong and is the favorite for yet another Car of the Year trophy. In addition to its trademark nimble handling, the Civic shows off interior tech and handling to shame some luxury sedans.
Another perennial favorite, the VW Golf GTI (together with all-wheel-drive cousin Golf R) is back to give Honda a run for its money. The GTI pioneered the hot hatch segment and still offers manual-transmission fun.
Startup Lucid offers the priciest entry with the $160,000 Air. The sleek battery-electric sedan was developed by ex-Tesla Model S engineer Peter Rawlinson and aims to best the Tesla in range and design.
Founded in 1994, the NACTOY awards are the longest-running new vehicle awards not associated with a single publication. Jurors — including the author of this story — narrow the model year’s new cars to a list of semifinalists that are evaluated at an annual test event in Ann Arbor. Finalists are chosen from there.
“The diverse opinions of our jurors bring together a combination of expertise and individual testing regimens to select these nine outstanding finalists,” said NACTOY vice president Jack Nerad.
NACTOY winners will be announced in early January.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
LA Auto Show: Reborn Fisker unveils the Ocean EV
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 17, 2021
Los Angeles — Media reveals are sparse at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, and start-up electric vehicle-maker Fisker is taking full advantage.
EV pioneer Henrik Fisker led off the show with a splash Wednesday by unveiling the Fisker Ocean SUV. The EV marks the legendary designer’s second venture into a battery-powered future.
Ten years after Fisker’s beautiful — but ill-fated — Fisker Karma sports sedan created waves with its plug-in battery drivetrain, the compact Ocean SUV is aimed at the heart of the emerging EV market. Priced from $37,499 for the standard Sport model — or about the average new vehicle price today — the stylish Ocean’s price climbs to $49,999 for the all-wheel-drive Ultra model, and $68,999 in fully-loaded Extreme and Ocean One trims.
The Fisker will go head-to-head with other EVs like the Tesla Model Y, Mustang Mach-E, Volvo C40, and VW ID.4 in the industry’s highest-volume segment, compact SUVs.
With lean headlights and a chunky, funky body draped over huge 22-inch wheels, the Ocean One prototype looks like the Range Rover Evoque and BMW i3 had a love child. Expect the final draft to look similar when the first Fisker rolls of the assembly line in November 2022. Its SUV practicality is married to significant performance thanks to a big battery and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system.
“We all want to own a sportscar, but then we all want to drive an SUV,” smiled Fisker during a walk-around of the car ahead of its show floor debut. Before starting his own brand, he made his mark as the designer of the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9 coupes. “I’m into sportscars myself, so I made a sporty car that acts like an SUV.”
Ever the showman, the Danish-born designer penned the Ocean with dramatic features to help it stand out from other fish in the EV sea. The push of a button will peel back the roof and drop the windows for an open-air “California mode.” The canopy is available as a solar roof on top trim models, which Fisker says could deliver 10 miles of range within a decade. And dog lovers will admire the “doggy windows” aft of the C-pillar so that canines in the cargo hold can sniff the salty ocean air.
The car’s interior showpiece is a huge 17.1-inch center touchscreen. On the upper-trim Ocean Extreme and One model, the screen sits in landscape mode when stationary — then spins around to landscape mode when the sleek SUV gets moving.
“We thought of your smartphone when we designed it,” said Fisker. “You can turn your phone to look at a picture in landscape or portrait modes.”
To further pique public interest, Fisker is under contract to make a version of the Ocean as the Popemobile to carry Pope Francis, a devout environmentalist.
Thanks to its torque-vectoring AWD and low center-of-gravity, the Ocean also boasts nimble handling. With instant electric torque, it can also take off from a stoplight with authority. Fisker rattled off the numbers: zero-60 in 3.6 seconds when equipped with the twin motors and the large 350-mile range battery. The standard, 250-mile range, front-wheel-drive Ocean can hit 60 in 6.9 seconds.
With the electric motor hardware up front, Fisker chose not to offer the Ocean with a “frunk” (front trunk) like his RWD competitors to reduce costs and keep the base model under $40,000.
With cost savings in mind — and in contract with rival U.S.-based EV makers Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid — the Ocean’s manufacturing will be outsourced to Magna in Graz, Austria, which also makes the Mercedes G-wagon and Jaguar i-Pace. Tesla famously had teething pains as it ramped up production and Fisker said the Magna partnership will keep development of the Ocean to just 2 1/2 years.
The Austrian import will work against the fledgling automaker if Congress passes legislation eliminating the $7,500 tax credit for foreign-built EVs by 2026. Fisker is planning another EV, the Pear, to be built by Foxconn stateside in Lordstown, Ohio.
The Ocean features Earth, Fun and Off-Road drive modes — with Hyper mode for driving ultra-fast in Ultra, Extreme and One models.
A decade ago, Frisker and Elon Musk were the battery-powered golden boys on the performance electric frontier. Fisker’s Karma sedan is still considered one of the prettiest cars made, but its underpowered drivetrain and tight interior ultimately took a backseat to Musk’s Model S, which took the luxury market by storm with its Ludicrous acceleration mode and cross-country Supercharging network. The Karma has been rebadged and is now sold by a Chinese company.
The Ocean is a more mainstream vehicle that hopes to grow the luxury market that Tesla’s subsequent Model Y and Model 3 EVs created. But Fisker has resisted building an expansive charging network like Tesla. Instead, the company is partnering with Electrify America as the VW-funded network builds out a parallel charging network.
Following the Tesla and Rivian EV models, Ocean sports an eco-chic interior with materials made from recycled T-shirts, plastic bottles and fishing nets.
“We’ve got to change this industry to be much more sustainable,” said Fisker. “And it’s a lot more than making an electric car. It’s about how this car is made. It’s also about what materials go into the car.”
Fisker said the Ocean has already received 19,000 pre-orders with a $250 deposit. Orders can be placed online. To keep overhead down, Fisker is not selling though a dealer network — or building showrooms like Tesla. Instead, cars will be delivered to customers at their homes, whether near Fisker’s California headquarters or in Michigan.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Made in America: Mazda is back with the ‘Bama-produced, Yankee-inspired CX-50
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 17, 2021
Mazda is making cars in the U.S. again.
A decade after the last Mazda6 sedan rolled off the assembly line in Flat Rock — ending a four-decade marriage with Ford — the Japanese automaker announced production of the all-new CX-50 SUV. The cute ute is the product of new nuptials with Toyota in Alabama.
The new Mazda adds some off-road heft to a sleek SUV model lineup known for its on-road manners. The 2023 CX-50 will slot into the brand’s lineup next to the best-selling CX-5 and above the entry-level CX-30 SUV and will go on sale next year. The addition follows similar efforts from other automakers to quench Americans’ unquenchable thirst for adventure-seeking SUVs. Think the Ford Bronco Sport, Chevy Trailblazer, Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and Subaru Forester Wilderness.
“This new Mazda vehicle has been developed for North America, particularly to support the active and outdoor lifestyles of customers in this region,” said Mazda North America boss Jeff Guyton.
The CX-50 is an indication of how dramatically the U.S. vehicle landscape has changed since 2012 when Mazda and Ford co-produced the Mazda6 sedan. That sedan not only exited Flat Rock — it has exited Mazda’s North American lineup, as some 70% of Americans’ light vehicle purchases are sport utilities.
The joint venture with Toyota, called Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, is also evidence of the transformation of the American South into a foreign transplant, manufacturing powerhouse. The MTM plant — with capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles a year with 4,000 employees — is on the Alabama/Tennessee border. It’s within a 200-mile radius of production facilities (and attendant suppliers) operated by Nissan (Nashville), VW (Chattanooga), Hyundai (West Point, Georgia), and Mercedes (Vance, Alabama).
Toyota makes the Corolla Cross, unveiled earlier this year, in the same Huntsville plant.
Similar in size to the CX-5 crossover, which starts at $26,545 with optional all-wheel-drive, the CX-50 will come standard with AWD befitting its all-terrain ambitions. Also standard is a more rugged exterior presence with squared-off, heavy-clad fenders in contrast to the round wheel wells of its CX-5 and CX-30 siblings. The front fascia also gets a more aggressive look to clear yetis on its forested path.
The AWD system will be married to a new Mi-Drive switch that enables suitable tow and off-road modes.
Putting the power to all four wheels will be Mazda’s familiar 4-cylinder engines: a naturally-aspirated, 2.5-liter and turbocharged 2.5-liter, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The engines are already paired in the Mazda CX-5, CX-30 and Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback producing 186 and 250 horsepower, respectively.
Mazda plans electrified drivetrains for the CX-50, including hybrid model, in the future.
The driver-focused interior of the CX-50 is also familiar to owners of the CX-30 and Mazda3. A wide, horizontal screen mounted high on the dashboard (to keep eyeballs glued to the road) is operated by a remote rotary controller. The interior appears crafted with upscale materials rivaling luxury makes.
Sitting above the passenger compartment is a panoramic moonroof — a first for Mazda and in sync with the car’s outdoor ambitions. A new, Zircon Sand exterior paint continues the outdoors vibe.
“The idea for this car came from exploring two main themes: what does Mazda uniquely offer and what do we in North America uniquely value?” said Mazda Design America chief Yasutake Tsuchida. “Engaging with the outdoors and getting out of the city are cherished values that have only grown during these tough pandemic times. So we designed a new vehicle to explore new frontiers.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
LA Auto Show: All eyes on California’s EV transformation
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 17, 2021
Los Angeles — After a year off due to the pandemic, the Los Angeles Auto Show is back. Like the Detroit Auto Show, the LA event’s media profile will be diminished this year as manufacturers diversify the venues by which they introduce new product.
But the Los Angeles show, with press and trade days Wednesday and Thursday and public days Friday-Nov. 28, remains a significant auto event for another reason: electric vehicle sales.
As global governments for the first time dictate what drivetrains automakers must sell, California is on the leading edge of mandated EV adoption. In recent years, LA has been the stage for some of the country’s most significant EV debuts, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Rivian R1T pickup.
With hundreds of thousands of consumers expected to stream through the LA Convention Center doors in the next two weeks, auto dealers are desperate to introduce them to new EVs that buyers have so far largely ignored due to high costs and limited range.
“These (electric vehicles) mandates are coming fast,” said David Fortin, LA Auto Show consumer marketing director, in an interview. “We’re leading the charge over here. The show reflects that. People are interested to see what the future looks like.”
California is the U.S.’s largest auto market with more than 2 million vehicles sold annually, led by trucks and SUVs. It also makes up the lion’s share of America’s EV sales. Nationally, EVs make up less than 3% of new car sales, but nearly 50% of those sales are in the Golden State.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has mandated that all new vehicle sales must be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 in an aggressive campaign to ban gas engines, yet just 6% of vehicles registered in California today are EVs.
With an interim goal of 1.5 million ZEVs by 2025, California requires automakers to sell a certain percentage of EVs according to a complicated formula depending on sales volume. Those who miss the target must buy emissions credits. With Newsom’s 2035 executive order, regulations are expected to get much tougher.
The mandates are part of a comprehensive effort to wean California from fossil fuels. As utilities have abandoned carbon fuels like natural gas, electric rates have skyrocketed to 80% above the national average according to UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School — complicating electric vehicle adoption.
Most media vehicle debuts Wednesday will be battery-powered, with reveals from Fisker, Hyundai, Kia and Subaru. Porsche — which sells 25% of its U.S. volume in California — also plans a big splash with an expected five world-premiere vehicles, three of them electric.
Reveals are down significantly from just two years ago, when the show was host to 25 world debuts. Part of the reduction is due to the lingering uncertainty of the pandemic. While much of the country is open and hosting indoor events mask-free, Los Angeles County is strictly regulated with vaccine, testing and mask mandates to enter the LA Convention Center. The New York City Auto Show was canceled with just two weeks notice in August, and many automakers have shelved plans to attend shows.
In the age of social media, automakers are also eschewing auto shows for individual reveal events where they do not have to compete for media attention. Significant vehicles like the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, and Honda Civic Si are being revealed this fall at venues far from auto show floors.
“The experience has to provide value. Every automaker has their own strategy,” said Fortin. He added that auto shows still provide unparalleled access to consumers, especially in an age of social media.
“We position ourselves with our global platform,” he continued. Automakers can “leverage the two days of Automobility LA and 10 days of consumer show to reach — it’s a crazy number — billions of impressions when you take (into account) media influence, social media influence.”
The dearth of legacy automaker debuts on the show floor offers opportunities for upstarts. The LA show will showcase debuts from the first Vietnamese models to the U.S., the 2022 VinFast VF e35 and VF e36. If the young firm’s plans stay on track, it will beat a host of Chinese automakers to market in 2022.
Fisker Inc. is also seeking a comeback. Founder Henrik Fisker was an EV pioneer with Elon Musk a decade ago, yet his company has not had the success of Tesla, which makes up about 80% of EV sales nationally. Fisker will introduce the all-new Ocean in LA and hopes to catch the capital funding wave that has valued Tesla at more than $1 trillion and Rivian — which introduced its electric pickup here in 2018 — to more than $100 billion.
The LA Show will also debut the Zero Emissions Vehicles Awards to help “connect the public to this transformative moment going on,” said Fortin. The ZEVAs break the 93 EVs on the market today into nine categories, with the winners being announced Wednesday.
For all the electric hype, however, gas-powered vehicles still dominate the California market, with more than 90% of vehicle sales.
“Gas-powered vehicles are still really important and there’s a healthy mix of those on display,” said Fortin. “It’s a transformative time when we need to showcase both.”
In addition to the more than 1,000 vehicles on the showroom floor, automakers will have have 10 interactive exhibits for customers to climb aboard and ride. The all-new, gas-powered Bronco SUV will face off against Camp Jeep with Ford’s Bronco Built Wild activation. Ram will offer rides in its 1500 light duty pickup. Other rides will be available from automakers including Audi, Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Subaru and Jeep.
There will be a dedicated, 55,000-square-foot area to experience EV rides.
“The public has been really responsive after tickets went on sale,” said Fortin. “People have been pent up at home and missing the annual event. It’s showtime.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Gen-8 VW Golf GTI isn’t getting older, it’s getting better
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 13, 2021
Asheville, N.C. — It’s not easy staying top dog.
Roger Federer’s extraordinary career at the top of professional tennis has spanned parts of three decades and is due, in part, to his determination to improve over time. Example: his average backhand became a weapon in the last decade.
As in tennis, so, too, with hot hatches.
Long before Federer won his first Wimbledon title in 2003, the Volkswagen Golf GTI (then badged Rabbit GTI for the U.S. market) won America’s hearts as the first affordable pocket rocket in 1983. By turning a standard compact Golf into a steroid-infused, apex-carving, cargo-hauling fun box, VW inspired a segment that has born imitators like the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Si, Subaru WRX, Hyundai Veloster, Hyundai Elantra N and Mazda 3 Turbo.
Like Federer, Golf GTI has responded to challengers to the throne with constant improvement complementing its innate German-engineered talent. The third-gen Mark III introduced a sensational V-6 engine. Mark V showed off phone dial wheels, one of V-dub’s most distinctive designs.
Of late, GTI has lagged in interior panache. The mesmerizing Mazda 3, for example, upped the ante with its stylish, driver-centric design. If Federer spent hours perfecting his backhand, then Wolfsburg has been burning the midnight oil on dashboard upgrades.
The result is the best GTI ever, a landmark model that — like Gen I — sets a new bar for pocket rockets. It is a vehicle so good that Audi S3 consumers will be left wondering why they paid 16 grand more.
My GTI tester was painted bright Pomelo Yellow to call attention to the feat.
The VW’s huge twinned, all-digital displays are state-of-the-art. You want an Audi? The 10.5-inch instrument display offers five configurations just like its luxe cousin. GTI telegraphs this interior transformation with its sexiest exterior in years.
Menacing narrow headlights set the tone. Sharply creased hood and shoulders once again remind of Audi. Get the 19-inch wheels. Love it.
Love the handling, too. Over the roller-coaster State Route 209 west of Asheville, the GTI stormed about as if on rails. GTI comes standard with a limited-slip front differential, suspension upgrades and an aluminum subframe that actually reduces curb weight (rare in this age of weighty interior upgrades) from last gen.
The front-wheel driver rotated through corners with the balance of, well, Roger Federer.
A driver’s car like this deserves to have its neck wrung with a manual shifter, and the 6-speed tranny is VW’s best yet. Past boxes could ruin momentum with mushy 2-to-3 shifts. My tester was as crisp as the fall air. GTI typically sells 40% manuals; this gen should sell more.
Not that the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic is any slouch. Stealing again from the luxury store, GTI’s Chiclet-sized shifter reminds of a Porsche 911. With a flick of the wrist, I slotted it into DRIVE, firing off lightning-quick up-and-downshifts with steering-mounted paddles.
But analog manual better fits GTI’s personality. If it’s automatic you want, let me introduce you to GTI’s big brother Golf R — R as in Rocket.
Starting at $44,640 with all-wheel drive, 7-speed auto and a whopping 315 horsepower from the same turbo-4 that burns in GTI’s belly, Golf R is the fully armored cyborg of the family.
R can crank off 4.3-second, 0-60 mph hole shots and explode off corners with torque-vectoring wizardry that throws 100% of torque to the rear summer tires. It even features a one-button R-mode on the steering wheel that instantly changes the personality of the beast like Corvette’s Z-Mode, for goodness sake.
Get it if you can afford it, but your grin will be no wider than in the GTI. That’s because both share an electronics architecture that includes (standard on the GTI) goodies like adaptive cruise control that is as good a highway semi-autonomous system as I have found this side of Tesla’s Autopilot and GM’s SuperCruise.
It allowed me secure driving over I-40 so I could talk on the phone and check messages.
This tour de force Mark VIII GTI is the Swiss Army knife of the VW lineup. Affordable like a Jetta. Tech-tastic like the ID.4 EV. Hatchback utility like the Taos SUV. Arteon sedan style. Handling without peer.
That diversity not only marks GTI as the icon of the segment it founded — it’s also the North Star of the VW brand. The standard Golf is gone from the lineup, a victim of Americans’ hatchback ennui.
Yankees are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus. On this side of the pond, customers like sedans, so VW sells the Jetta (complete with GTI engine in the GLI performance variant) as its base car. But in Europe, buyers prefer hatchbacks, so Jetta has been discontinued. Go figure.
No wonder VW threw everything and the kitchen sink at the U.S. Golf GTI and R models, including premium options like self-park assist, head-up display — plus a manual Golf R version even Euros don’t get. These vehicles can no longer skim by as high-trim revenue generators for the Golf line. Their purpose is now halo for the entire V-dub line.
And the competition isn’t going away despite Americans’ embrace of SUVs.
The Mazda 3 Turbo is a credible contender with its hot bod and explosive 310-torque turbo-4 under the hood. The GTI’s high-tech displays raise the bar inside, but they also raise the price by $895 against a Mazda that is already a value with a Premium Plus package that includes all-wheel drive, head-up display, adaptive cruise, blind-spot assist and a partridge in a pear tree for just $35,390.
The comparable GTI sticker is, ahem, $39,385. That’s a big number in this segment. The $30,540 GTI SE model will do fine.
Also playing in that league is the $38.9K Honda Civic Type R, a ferocious front-wheel-drive hellion that matches the GTI’s top Autobahn trim with its track-tuned suspension while pushing out a heady 306-horsepower from its own turbo-4.
Based on the new Generation-11 Civic, the Type R will soon reveal a more conservative design — compared to the current comic book-inspired Batmobile — aimed squarely at GTI buyers (as well as Golf R enthusiasts).
As Federer can tell you, the waves of youthful new contenders never stop. But unlike Federer and his groaning knees, GTI shows no signs of slowing down.
Throttle wide open over a high-speed crest on Route 209, the eighth-gen Golf GTI felt as fresh as my first Mark I 40 years ago. Bar reset.
Next week: 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS
2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive five-passenger hot hatch
Price: $30,540, including $995 destination fee ($39,385 manual with carbon fiber package as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder
Power: 241 horsepower, 273 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.4 seconds (automatic, Motor Trend)
Weight: 3,113 pounds (manual as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA, 24 mpg city/34 highway/28 combined (manual); 25 mpg city/34 highway/28 combined (auto)
Report card
Highs: Serious handling; big interior leap
Lows: Price can push $40K; base car only has 8.5-inch touchscreen
Overall: 4 stars
Payne: Jeep Grand Cherokee L is a first class road trip
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 5, 2021
Charlevoix — At first blush, the new, 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L looks familiar.
On a road trip Up North, the SUV brand’s ubiquitous, best-selling vehicle barely turned a head. Seven-slot grille. Body chiseled as if from granite. V-6 engine purring under the hood. This being Michigan, a couple of car guys noticed something different — like the local book club noticing one of its own just got their first Botox treatment.
“That’s the new Grand Cherokee, isn’t it?” said the owner of a blood-red Corvette C7 after I parked next to him on Michigan Beach. The thinner front headlights tipped him off.
“The Grand Cherokee’s gotten longer,” said my neighbor Jon as I drove up.
Correct on both counts as Grand Cherokee designers took advantage of the latest advances in lighting technology, while brand marketers saw a sales opportunity by offering the Grand with three rows for the first time. L-yeah!
Open the door to check out the three-row execution and the new stuff hits you like a tidal wave.
“Whoa! That’s nice. Where’s the umbrella in the door?” laughed Jon, referencing the Rolls Royce Cullinan I recently tested — complete with the Brit brand’s signature rear-door parasols.
Jeep has longed bridged the mainstream and luxury segments — its powerful brand cross-shopped by Mercedes and Toyota owners alike. It’s a rare talent shared by Detroit Three pickups and Mazda. The 2021 Grand Cherokee goes all-out luxe. Its handsome, thin infotainment screen spills down the console like a black waterfall. Behind the bronze-trimmed steering wheel is a configurable digital dash that would be at home in a Bimmer. A head-up display floats over the dash like a Caddy.
Much of this is made possible by modern electronics, which have democratized vehicle brands. But the Jeep backs this capability with carefully paced materials. Lush wood sprawls across the dash from A-pillar to A-pillar. At night, cool blue trim lights circle the cabin like a Merc. The leather seats on my Summit tester were laced with stitching that extended to the third row, where my sprawling 6’5” frame sat behind myself with ease.
I was sometimes lulled into complacency by the rich details.
Lounging in the third-row thrones, I simply pulled the seat tab in front of me and the entire second-row seat folded forward — opening a passageway out like Moses crossing the Red Sea. On my way out, I carelessly cut my foot on the seat’s bottom plastic frame. Careful, Payne! This is still a vehicle, not your living room.
Dropping my kids at the airport on the way north, we unloaded the enormous cargo hold stuffed with luggage — including sub-cargo beneath the trunk floor. Jeep has thoughtfully placed a throw carpet over the cargo floor so the base carpet doesn’t get ripped up by repeated luggage tosses (I wish my thinly carpeted Tesla trunk had one of those).
But I neglected to make sure the carpet was in place after disgorging our cargo. I pushed the automatic (of course) trunk close button and jumped back in the car. Unbeknownst to me, the lid bounced off the carpet and re-opened so that I exited the airport with rear wide open.
The automatic wizardry extends to the road, were the big Jeep boasts one of the best semi-autonomous driving systems on the market. The system lane-centers beautifully, even holding mild curves on I-75. On long road trips, it makes it safer for an attentive driver to eat a meal or check the phone for a message.
Speaking of safety, electronic suspension systems have made big vehicles remarkably nimble, something I first experienced on a GMC Sierra pickup with magnetic shocks years ago. The L benefits from this revolution, and I actually enjoyed driving — not wrestling — the Jeep through M-32’s curves once I exited I-75 and head for the Lake Michigan shore.
The old school V-6 drivetrain competently motivates this rolling furniture showroom.
Such luxury doesn’t come cheap, of course, and my Jeep L stickered for a healthy $66,985 — $23K over the Atlas Cross Sport tester that I returned home to after my Up North trip.
That’s a luxury-like gulf (credit wood trim, head-up display, third-row accommodations) between two mainstream brands.
Jeep has come a long way from its humble World War II origins.
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Vehicle type: Front engine, rear- and-all-wheel-drive, seven-passenger SUV
Price: $41,425, including $1,695 destination fee ($65,775 Summit Reserve as tested)
Powerplant: 3.6-liter V-6
Power: 293 horsepower, 260 pound-feet torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.7 seconds (Car and Driver est.); Towing, 6,200 pounds
Weight: 5,068 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 19 city/26 highway/21 combined
Report card
Highs: Roomy three rows; luxury interior
Lows: Gets pricey
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Mazda MX-30 EV is long on style and handling, short on range
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 5, 2021
Birmingham — The Mazda MX-30 is the ZOOM! ZOOM! brand’s first electric vehicle and it brings Mazda mojo. It’s stylish, feature-rich and fun to drive.
It’s also a poster child as to why EVs are niche vehicles.
Entering Telegraph Road off Lone Pine, I flung the front-wheel-drive MX-30 through a 90-degree turn and it rotated beautifully. I stomped the right pedal and the front motor responded instantly with a satisfying, electric WHIIRRRRR! — the instant, buttery-smooth torque launching the EV forward.
Sauntering through Cranbrook’s campus, I rotated heads with the MX-30’s nice looks. “Ooooh, I really like the design,” said my friend Laurie, lingering on the sculpted rear taillamps after I rolled into her driveway. But Laurie won’t be giving up her gas-powered Mazda CX-30 anytime soon.
That’s because the MX-30 and the CX-30 share the same platform and — thanks to its gas powertrain — the CX-30 is the better all-around car.
In today’s luxury EV market, most electrics are built on skateboard platforms housing enormous batteries. They are capable, fun and expensive. The average Tesla transaction price is a healthy $55,000. The Silicon Valley automaker’s trillion-dollar brand is built on envelope-pushing, luxury tech like autonomous driving, over-the-air updates and breathtaking acceleration.
Its success has inspired governments to force electric vehicles on everyone — not just the luxe buyers who can afford Teslas. But to make electric cars mainstream, they have to compete at $35K — the average market transaction price (when not roiled by chip-induced supply chain shortages) — not $55K.
That’s where the MX-30 plays, and it is a poor second to its gas-powered sibling.
Pal Laurie’s gas-powered, $29,875 CX-30 Premium is one of the best values in the subcompact SUV class. Leather seats, head-up display, adaptive cruise control, auto headlights, blind-spot assist, sunroof, 186-horsepower, 392-mile range, flat-screen TV (just kidding about that last one). It’s a premium car in a mainstream badge.
My MX-30 tester Premium Plus matched it stride-for-feature, except … it had 143 horsepower, 100 miles of range, and costs $38,550. Oh.
Laurie is environmentally conscious but couldn’t make sense of the MX-30 compared with her beloved CX-30 (her third Mazda). EV advocates never tire of pointing out that most drivers don’t travel more than 30 miles in a day. So what’s all this fuss about range?
True enough, most of Laurie’s business clients are within the Mazda’s 100-mile radius. But, ahem, anything beyond requires a charge. Even her U. of Michigan alma mater would be dicey — especially in cold Michigan weather. She makes occasional trips east to, say, New York City to visit family — a trip that would take, well, forever in the MX-30. She, like most folks, needs the versatility of gas.
Within its niche electric segment, however, the MX-30 is an intriguing little morsel.
Along with the BMW X1 (heady company), the CX-30 is already the best handling small ute I’ve driven. The MX-30 magnifies its inherent balance with its battery strapped low between the wheels in the vehicle’s belly — eliminating the nose-heavy gas engine. The 35.5 kWh extra battery weight is obvious — the MX-30 weighs 420 pounds more than its gas counterpart — but its placement lowers the center of gravity a whopping 2.1 inches.
With no six-speed transmission to interrupt it, the electric motor felt terrific around town. All torque, all the time.
Shoppers will note that the Mazda not only significantly lags the CX-30 in range — but also direct competitors like the 250-plus-mile range Chevy Bolt and Hyundai Kona EV. That’s a problem, as the Chevy and Kona will effortlessly be able to go to, say, Lansing and back on a single charge.
MX-30’s low battery helps Mazda maintain its ZOOM! ZOOM! heritage (Mazda’s new slogan is actually “Feel Alive” — but gimme the ol’ “Zoom! Zoom!”) with nimble handling and a 45% stiffer chassis. But Bolt and Kona are no slouches in the handling department either.
Mazda, aware of its battery shortcomings, tries to divert attention to its style and affordability.
My $38,550 tester is $2,400 under a comparable Bolt EUV, and a whopping $8,225 less than the Kona EV. And that’s before you spend about two grand on each vehicle to outfit your garage with a 240-volt charger so you can charge overnight (Mazda helpfully kicks in $500 to help buy a charger).
That relative bargain, however, could be erased by Washington’s punishment of foreign automakers. Only American-made, UAW-assembled EVs are currently favored with a $12,500 tax credit in the massive climate legislation, while the small-battery Mazda gets thrown a smaller $7,500 bone. Ouch. Small consolation: the subsidy at least makes MX-30 price more competitive with the gas-powered CX-30.
While the Bolt and Kona both look at you with blank, Jedi battle droid stares, the Mazda cutie brings that Rodney Copperbottom cheer. Then it borrows a little luxury from Rolls Royce — cabinet doors that open to the interior. What, no red carpet?
The interior raises the bar over the CX-30’s already handsome office space. The console has lots of basement storage for m’lady’s purse — or to charge a phone. A second, 7.5-inch touchscreen complements the high-dash remote screen with climate controls. The whole console is trimmed with cork (Mazda started as a cork maker, don’t ya know) — aimed at the green crowd.
But as with its battery size, the interior space lags competitors. Rear legroom — 30.1 inches compared to the Bolt’s 36.5 — is cramped for six-footers like me.
Mazda recognizes the MX-30’s niche status and only offers it for sale in California (so eager Michiganians have a long drive back from the dealer), which currently makes up about half of EV sales. There, green is religion and the MX-30 should find an audience of upscale urban buyers whose lifestyle is a perfect fit.
Beyond that, MX-30 has my friend Lauri’s attention that Mazda is in the electric game should it ever offer an EV as practical as its gas lineup. It’s a mountain EV-makers have been trying to climb since Henry Ford’s gas-powered Model T outsold Detroit Electric over 100 years ago.
2022 Mazda MX-30
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, front-wheel-drive small SUV
Price: $34,465 ($38,550 as tested before $7,500 federal tax credit)
Powerplant: 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack driving front electric motor
Power: 143 horsepower, 200 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 9.6 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 90 mph
Weight: 3,655 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 100 miles
Report card
Highs: Handling improves over already nimble CX-30; cool cabinet doors
Lows: $10K premium for one-fourth the range of its gas sibling
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: How congressional EV tax credit bills discriminate against foreign and domestic models
Posted by Talbot Payne on November 5, 2021
As it tries to compel electric vehicle adoption with federal sweeteners, Congress is using tax credits to tip the scales to union-made EVs. Senate and House bills offer a whopping, $12,500 tax credit to purchase an EV — provided it’s Made-in-the-USA and Made-by-the-UAW.
The twin bills, when merged in congressional reconciliation, say industry insiders, could complicate the emerging EV market for foreign and domestic automakers alike.
Under the House bill pushed by Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, EV buyers would get a base credit of $4,000 or $7,500 — depending on battery size — plus an additional $4,500 if the vehicle is built in the United States by United Auto Workers labor, and $500 if the battery is U.S.-made. That bill has been included in the draft of President Joe Biden’s social spending package that Democratic lawmakers are considering.
The Senate bill, championed by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, contains similar provisions. It calls for $2,500 to go to U.S.-made EVs plus $2,500 if built by union workers, in addition to the $7,500 base credit.
The buyer of a $38,550 Mazda MX-30 EV, under the House language for example, would only receive a $4,000 tax credit since it is imported from Japan and has a smaller battery. Its Orion Assembly-made, UAW-assembled, $40,950 Chevrolet Bolt EUV competitor, on the other hand, would come with a $12,500 credit against the purchaser’s April 15 tax bill.
The federal subsidy would erase the Mazda’s $2,400 price advantage and drop the favored Bolt EUV’s sticker below $30,000.
“We want a level playing field,” said Dan Ryan, Mazda vice president for government and public affairs. “If government wants to spur EV adoption, it should give consumers as much choice as possible.”
The favorable tax credit would not just discriminate against foreign transplants, but also domestic brands. Ford’s Mexican-made Mustang Mach-E would not receive the UAW-Made and Made-in-America credits, and Tesla’s California-made EVs would not be eligible for the UAW-Made credit. Both would get the base $7,500 credit — until 2026, when the foreign-built Mach-E would lose that credit under the House bill.
“These bills get complicated,” said Ed Kim, vice president for industry analysis at Auto Pacific. “They are now meant, not just to incentivize EVs, but to incentivize the manufacture of UAW-built vehicles as well.”
Ford Motor Co.’s Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant is undergoing a major conversion to produce five EVs starting in 2025 — but none would be eligible for the American-made congressional credit. Meanwhile, the luxurious Cadillac Lyriq EV — to be produced in General Motors Co.’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant by the UAW next year — would qualify for the full $12,500 credit.
As will the GM-made Honda and Acura EVs coming down the Detroit automaker’s Spring Hill line, said Kim. Just down the road in Chattanooga, Honda competitor Volkswagen AG would only qualify for the partial, Made-in-America credit because its plant is non-union.
Despite the credit’s complications for its North Americans plants, Ford has endorsed congressional efforts. “EV consumer incentives are key to accelerating the transition to a zero-emissions transportation future, and we appreciate Congressman Kildee and Senator Stabenow’s leadership on this issue,” said Ford president for the Americas, Kumar Galhotra, in a statement on Kildee’s website. “This legislation will help more Americans get into EVs, while at the same time supporting American manufacturing and union jobs.”
They estimate that only two EVs — the Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, out of dozens currently selling in the U.S. market — would be eligible for the full tax credit. Four of the top-five selling EVs (Tesla Model Y, Model 3, Mustang Mach-E and Nissan Leaf) would not be eligible.
“The UAW is nervous about EV production because battery-driven vehicles have fewer parts than gas engines,” said Mazda’s Ryan. “They fear this will produce widespread joblessness, and so they are pushing incentives.”
The federal government currently gives electric vehicle consumers — regardless of the origin of their vehicle — a $7,500 tax break until the manufacturer reaches a ceiling of 200,000 EVs sold.
Due to EV shortcomings on cost and range compared with their internal combustion engine (ICE) peers, automakers say that subsidies are essential to EV adoption. Even with subsidies, Chevy’s Bolt and the Mustang Mach-E have sold in low volumes.
The exception is luxury-brand Tesla — with an average model transaction price of $55,000 — which blew through its 200,000 sales cap two years ago. Yet it continues to dominate the EV market with 80% of sales.
While Ford’s Mustang Mach-E would only get $7,500 in subsidies under the proposed bills, the legislation’s ultimate goal is to subsidize only U.S.-made vehicles. Automakers call this the “import cliff” as all subsidies disappear.
As foreign-built vehicles, the Mach-E and Mazda MX-30 — to use two examples — would lose all EV credits after 2026 in the House bill, and after 2027 in the Senate bill. The Tennessee-made Volkswagen ID.4, by contrast, would still get federal subsidies for U.S. content — though not for union labor since the UAW has failed to organize workers at its Chattanooga site.
The import cliff and UAW provisions have drawn the wrath of foreign countries and automakers alike. And Toyota Motor Corp. is taking out ads this week in newspapers from the Wall Street Journal to The Detroit News.
“Let’s not play politics with the environment, the American autoworker, or the American consumer,” Toyota says in the ads.
The UAW has powerful Democratic allies in Washington with Kildee and Stabenow leading the charge for tax subsidies. Former Michigan Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, now secretary energy, long has been a strong advocate for union members and the Detroit automakers.
GM has lobbied for lifting the 200,000 sales cap on its electric vehicle sales and has pushed for the United States to follow the path of Norway, which has seen its EV sales soar with 50% EV purchase subsides as well as $8-a-gallon gas.
Even with the $12,500 tax credit — or about 30% of the cost of a new Bolt EUV — EVs face an uphill battle in the United States with $3-a-gallon gas and high home-charger installation costs that can top $2,000.
In addition to throttling foreign-made EVs, the House legislation would penalize small electric batteries. With a 35.5 kWh battery, the Mazda MX-30 meets the House threshold of 10 kWh to receive a $4,000 subsidy. But for customers to get back $7,500 on their taxes, EVs must have batteries over 40 kWh — a threshold the Bolt twins meet but not the Mazda. After 2027, battery packs must be north of 50 kWh to qualify.
“(Congress is) basically dictating battery size to the market,” said Mazda’s Ryan. “I think it would be better to stay away from minimum battery size that may inhibit creative solutions or more choices for consumers. Not everyone needs a BEV with 400-mile range.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Dodge does the muscle-car mash with these scary packages
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 30, 2021
If 700-plus horsepower isn’t scary enough, Dodge is dressing up its muscle-car monsters for Halloween with Hemi Orange and SRT Black packages.
The sinister wardrobes are available on everything from V6-powered GT models up to blood-sucking Hellcats.
The holiday candy adds to a lineup of Dodge muscle that has captured America’s hearts, vaulting the Auburn Hills-based automaker to the best-selling muscle brand in the country with 130,420 units sold in 2020 between the fire-breathing Challenger coupe and Charger sedan. Including the ridiculous, 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat SUV, Dodge averages more horsepower across its lineup than any other American brand.
“Performance-vehicle owners are unique, and these two packages offer our customers the chance to stand out even more on the street,” said Tim Kuniskis, chief Dodge hell-raiser.
The packages are comparatively subtle for a brand that has offered treats for its current lineup ranging from hood shakers to superchargers that shriek like a coven of witches.
The Hemi Orange package — available on the V6-powered, rear-wheel-drive GT and earth-shaking, 485-horse V-8 Scat Pack Widebody models for Charger and Challenger — is distinguished by a grille-to-tail orange stripe embedded in Gunmetal black. It can be paired with a variety of colors, including Granite Crystal, Smokeshow, Triple Nickel, Pitch Black and White Knuckle.
Like ghouls’ eyes at midnight, other orange accents include grille and fender badging, and — on the Scat Pack Widebody — orange Brembo calipers. The calipers contrast with Carbon Black 20-inch wheels, naturally.
The accents continue inside the crypt — er, cabin — with orange stitching on the instrument panel, upper doors, armrest, console lid, shifter boot, and flat-bottom steering wheel. The seats are highlighted by orange stitching and a Dodge Rhombi logo.
The SRT Black package is reserved for the insane, 717-horsepower Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat and 797-horse SRT Hellcat Redeye models — if you can catch them. The costume is distinguished by blacked-out exterior badging for the grille, fender and spoiler for Challenger — grille, fender and decklid for Charger. The Durango SRT 392 also can be outfitted like its muscle car siblings.
The Hemi Orange package will be available for order in the fourth quarter of 2021. Price: $2,995 for the GT RWD and $1,500 for Scat Pack Widebody. The SRT Black appearance package will set customers back $695.
Watch Dodge’s Twitter and Instagram channels on Oct. 31 for additional Halloween-themed content. Better yet, hitch a ride in a Hellcat for a real scream.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Playing in Vegas: The SEMA Bronco, Wrangler and Hummer EV Show
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 30, 2021
Forget Celine Dion and Cirque de Soleil. If you’re an auto buff, the biggest show in Vegas next week will be the SEMA circus featuring the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and GMC Hummer EV off-road warriors.
The Detroit Three’s off-road stars will take center stage at the Nov. 2-5 Specialty Equipment Market Association’s annual show, which is back live after taking last year off because of the pandemic.
The show has been an annual pilgrimage for Wrangler, the halo car for Jeep’s rugged lineup of SUVs. The Wrangler will showcase two unique off-road mods this year. But in an indication of the escalating off-road battlefield in an SUV and truck-crazed nation, the Wrangler will be joined by debut outings from Bronco and Hummer EV.
SEMA represents auto-mod businesses — a market estimated at $40 billion in 2020 – geared towards enthusiasts who want to personalize their vehicles beyond the multitude of trims that manufacturers offer. The convention floor is a toy chest full of vehicle mods for everything from pickups to sportscars.
Ford traditionally brings hot-rod versions of its Mustang muscle car, while Chevrolet is sure to show off its new, 670-horse Corvette Z06 supercar as well as a 632-cubic-inch V-8 crate engine — offering the most horsepower in Chevy history at 1,004 horsepower. Foreign brands like Toyota have made SEMA home with its smokin’ Supra sportscar, while the floor is also littered with aftermarket shops like Dana (axles) and Wixom-based Lingenfelter Engineering.
Off-roading has been supercharged in the pandemic and overlanding age, and Detroit’s rugged brands are determined to capture the market with hundreds of high-margin accessories. In addition to ogling cars at manufacturer booths, SEMA attendees can climb aboard for rides in activations outside the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Having locked horns with Wrangler at Michigan’s Motor Bella and Detroit 4Fest shows this fall, Bronco swaggers into Vegas with four Broncos and two Bronco Sports specially-outfitted by mod shops for some serious dirt-kicking.
“Bronco and Bronco Sport customers love parts and accessories that emphasize (the) off-road lifestyle,” said Ford guru for personalization Eric Cin, whose Bronco is a nominee for SEMA’s inaugural 4×4 SUV of the Year Award. “Since the reveal last year, we’ve expanded the line to more than 350 Bronco and Bronco Sport parts and accessories.”
Leading the Built Wild Bronco parade is drift-champion and builder Vaughn Gittin Jr. with a “Fun-runner” badged, two-door Badlands tattooed with body graphics and lime green wheel beadlocks. A sport exhaust telegraphs the ute’s enhanced off-road performance.
Other offerings include: a fire-red rescue Bronco festooned with a roof-full of lights, winches and huge, 37-inch tires; a gray-and-green Bronco rescue vehicle with tank-like quad tracks under the fenders; and a four-door Outer Banks model that can go off the grid with an onboard fridge, premium sound bar and folding table.
“Baby Bronco” Sport entries include a lifted, rough-and-ready mod — and a red model swarmed with everything from an underbody light kit to all-terrain tires and a rear spoiler.
Not to be outdone, Jeep shows off its Mopar accessory brand customizing a pair of Wranglers
“With its dedicated enthusiast audience, SEMA is the best place to showcase our full catalog of factory-backed performance parts,” said Mopar veep Mark Bosanac.
The Wrangler 4xe, the model’s first plug-in hybrid, leads the way, featuring a lifted white bod, 37-inch tires, beadlocks, underbody light kit and more. You’ll know it by its “skeleton” tube doors and blue interior. Joining it are a swanky, bronze-colored Jeep Overlook concept stretched a foot to hold a third row — and with its ceiling raised five inches to accommodate the Detroit Pistons front court.
Joining the Wranglers are more Stellantis-brand vehicles:
- A gloss-black, three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee L Breckenridge concept with blue quilted doors and comfort pillows
- A desert-tan, vintage Kaiser Jeep M725 military ambuance stuffed with a 485-horse Hemi V8 to get you there fast – then a rear cargo area big enough to stand in to deliver supplies
- An even faster Ram 1500 TRX RexRunner concept equipped with 37-inch tires for rock-crawling
- A Ram 1500 Outdoorsman pickup concept with multi-purpose bed
- A Dodge Challenger Holy Guacamole concept painted in — yes, Rotten Avocado green — with a hood scoop and wood panel-trimmed interior.
The Hummer runs with a different social crowd than the Broncos and Jeeps — it stickers for twice those vehicles — but GMC wanted to show its its cupboard-full of 200 accessories.
The premium brand brings a Hummer SUV and two pickups to the Vegas party.
Some of the accessories featured on the Hummer EV pickup include a frunk organizer, bed-mounted spare tire carrier, battery-powered cooler and roof pup tent.
“We knew from the outset that the Hummer EV would inspire a high degree of personalization from owners,” said lead accessories designer Humberto Ortiz. “The accessories developed for GMC Hummer EV are inspired by its extreme performance capabilities.”
Floor the 9,000-pound EV and it can rocket to 60 mph down the Vegas strip in just three seconds.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Riveting Rivian R1T pickup is a Tesla with a bed
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 28, 2021
Ann Arbor — Tesla has delayed its Cybertruck pickup until late 2022. For those who can’t wait, the Rivian R1T is here.
Slip into the driver’s seat of the R1T and you are surrounded by iPad minimalist design. Just like a Tesla. The steering wheel is naked but for two scroll wheels. Just like Tesla. Roll the wheels to set your mirrors. Your steering wheel height. Everything else is in the huge 16-inch touchscreen to your right. Just like the Tesla.
Mash the throttle and — ZOT! — the Rivian takes off like a lit firecracker. Zero-60 mph in just 3 seconds. Just like a Tesla.
It’s been three years since Plymouth-based Rivian wowed the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show with its spare, revolutionary pickup. Since then, the electric pickup space has been flooded with innovative intros from Cybertruck to the GMC Hummer EV to the Bollinger B1 and Ford F-150 Lightning.
So it’s hard to remember just how jaw-dropping the R1T was.
“Who are these guys?” asked an impressed Autoblog. R1T (and sister R1S SUV) wowed for the same reason Tesla had with its S3XY lineup of EVs: Rivian was a clean-sheet, electrified re-imagining of the pickup from bumper-to-bumper.
It was the first Generation Tesla pickup — right down to the manufacturer-owned service centers (the first in Michigan is being built in Plymouth) and Mobile Unit visits. That’s right, they’ll come to your house to fix your vehicle.
R1T is a semi-finalist for North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year, and I had the chance to flog it at NACTOY’s Ann Arbor jury test.
Its simple, Tesla-like approach to the automobile was immediately familiar. I’ve owned two Tesla Model 3s and they are radically different from operating any other vehicle. I shy from dropping my car at a valet stand lest I have to give the attendant an operations tutorial.
But the spare design makes sense from an operational, simplicity-of-manufacturing perspective. Rivian has taken that to heart, and it will be interesting which automakers will follow.
After merging onto Interstate 96 like an Apollo rocket (chest-caving 838 horsepower and 908 pound-feet of torque never get old), I settled into highway driving on adaptive cruise control. Toggle the steering wheel scroll wheel to measure distance to the car in front of you, then click the rocker on either side of the scroll wheel to adjust speed up/down. The left-hand scroll also serves to adjust infotainment volume. Easy-peasy.
Just as Tesla saw skateboard battery design as an opportunity to remake interior/cargo space, so has Rivian gleefully seized on the skateboard to reinvent pickups. Let me count the ways.
Tesla popularized the frunk (front trunk), Rivian expanded it. Behind Rivian’s signature vertical headlights — where a gas engine would normally be — is now a deep storage space with a sub-frunk. It’s not as big as the F-150 Lightning’s frunk — which could house a small family — but that’s a reminder R1T is not a full-size truck.
The Rivian is closer to a midsize Honda Ridgeline in both size, ride quality and unibody construction. But unlike Ridgeline, the unibody chassis is bonded to a battery-boxed skateboard foundation, which gives Rivian more structural rigidity to tow an F-150-like 11,000 pounds (Ridgeline can clean and jerk just 5,000).
Above decks, R1T’s crew cab is roomy. The front footwell is open like a Tesla, with deep console storage between the seats. My 6’5” frame easily sat behind myself in the rear seat. Probe the rear seat console and a clever trapdoor gives way like the false wall of a Halloween mansion — allowing access to the Gear Tunnel behind the crew cab.
The Gear-what?
Taking a page from Army Jeeps that ran a transverse tube behind the rear seats (storing ammo, weapons, etc.), the R1T’s Gear Tunnel can hold everything from gym bags to two-by-fours to the portable stove Rivian options.
The Gear Tunnel is capped by folding doors at either end that double as steps to the 4.5-foot rear bed. I tested the 250-pound capacity with my 230-pound frame … it passed the test.
The bed has functional tie-downs, a sub-bed for storage/tire spare, and, dude — this is the cool part — an air compressor built into the chassis. Use the compressor to pump up the spare, bicycle tires, rafts, river tubes, and so on.
My guess is that river/camping trips will be more in the Rivian’s wheelhouse than towing.
With a Tesla-like 314 miles of range — 270 when equipped with 34-inch all-terrain tires like my tester’s Pirelli Scorpions — the battery won’t get far dragging 5,000-10,000 pounds of boat behind it. Our friends at TFL Truck, for example, have seen 70% range degradation on Model X SUVs when towing.
Rivian founder R.J. Scaringe shares many things with Tesla founder Elon Musk — a missionary’s zeal to save the planet with EVs, for example — but he aims to achieve that mission through commercial truck volume (he has a big contract with Amazon) rather than retail sales.
Rivian is in the process of building an exclusive, Level 3 fast-charging network for its customers — Tesla’s 1,100 stations are its secret sauce – with a promised 600 stations coming online by the end of 2023. In the meantime, if you hit the road in an R1T, you’re at the mercy of third-party chargers. E-gad.
Rivian also promises a network of Level 2 chargers at national parks, but their utility is limited. Neither is Rivian intent on producing R1Ts in Tesla-like (much-less F-150-like) volumes.
When Musk unveiled his $40K Model 3 in April 2016, he committed to meeting 250,000 customer orders (including mine) just over a year later.
Rivian is content to build an exclusive pickup for well-heeled customers — thus the three-year wait since the truck was unveiled in L.A. Thus the production of only a sold-out First Edition model (in production now!) to start. My walkaround of the R1T impressed with tight panel gaps and solid door slams. Rivian seems to be sweating manufacturing details that Tesla sacrificed to volume production.
The $73,000 First Edition (to be followed next year by similar $73,000 Adventure and $67,500 Explorer models) comes with a standard self-charging flashlight in the door to add a premium touch — think Rolls Royce umbrella.
The flashlight is just the beginning of standard features. There’s the standard quad motors (two each, front and rear) for that monstrous acceleration. Sliding tonneau bed cover. Portable console-based Bluetooth speaker. Panoramic roof. Ride height of 11.5 inches with more than six inches of adjustability, thanks to air suspension. Security camera. Multiple drive modes. Suction cups to scale vertical rock faces (kidding about that last one).
More features will come with future over-the-air updates: self-park, semi-autonomous driving, 360-degree tank turn.
Your move, Cybertruck.
2022 Rivian R1T First Edition
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, all-wheel-drive four-door pickup
Price: $73,000 ($80,775 First Edition est. price as tested)
Powerplant: 68-88-kWh lithium-ion battery driving single or twin electric motors
Power: 838 horsepower, 908 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.0 seconds (mfr.); towing, 11,000 pounds; payload, 1,760 pounds
Weight: 6,950 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 314 miles; 270 miles as tested with all-terrain tires
Report card
Highs: Swiss Army knife capability; clever ergonomics
Lows: Dependent on third-party charging network; minimal dealer network
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Head-turning Kia Sportage gets bigger, more high-tech
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 28, 2021
The Kia Sportage is getting new plumage.
The Korean brand’s made-in-Georgia compact SUV gains a radical remake for its fifth-generation model with a stylish exterior and interior screens that rival luxury automakers. Previously one of the smallest utes in class, the 2023 Sportage leapfrogs the competition to boast the biggest backseat in class.
Based on the same platform as cousin Hyundai Tucson — which has also turned heads — the Sportage’s headliner is a curved, hoodless, 25-inch instrument display that stretches across the dash like one in a Mercedes. Following in the footsteps of Kia’s sexy Stinger sport sedan and the wildly popular Telluride three-row SUV, the Sportage continues the automakers’ assault on the U.S. market with some of the most talked-about mainstream vehicles of the last few years.
“The tremendous success formula of our current stable of SUVs has been infused into every ounce of the new Sportage, transforming it into a leader of the pack with its cutting-edge design, adventurous capability and desirable in-car technology,” said Kia North America CEO Sean Yoon.
With 84,343 in sales, Sportage was the brand’s second-best selling vehicle in 2020 after the Forte compact sedan. As consumers have gobbled up SUVS, so has Kia shifted its lineup’s focus to the Telluride, Sorento — and now Sportage — SUVs, imbuing them with off-road flavor made popular by Jeep models.
Likely starting around $26,000 with familiar trims like EX, SX and SX, the Sportage will offer more adventure-oriented X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige models. The latter, for example, offers all-terrain tires to complement its increased-by-1.5 inches ride height (8.3 inches total) for when the asphalt ends.
The Sportage ups its game for a class that has seen overland entries in recent years like the Ford Bronco Sport and Toyota RAV4 TRD. As governments force electrification, Kia said that the Sportage will soon offer a hybrid model.
Kia’s Telluride is one of the most distinctive SUVs on the road and the Sportage aims to get tongues wagging with its own knockout face. The brand’s “tiger nose” design occupies nearly the entire fascia — bracketed by huge, “boomerang” LED running lights that push the headlights to the front corners.
The boomerang lights run across the hood line setting up muscular shoulders that run to distinctive “notch-shaped” taillights — integrated by a thin, Audi-like black graphic across the tailgate.
The luxury-inspired forms reach their summit inside with the Sportage’s dramatic, panoramic screen that connects the 12.3-inch instrument and 12.3-inch infotainment displays. The screen is standard on upper SX (likely starting in the mid-$30k range) and X-Pro trims. The form, pioneered by Mercedes and Cadillac Escalade, has been adopted most recently by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric car.
A second touchscreen above the console is designated for climate controls similar to Audi’s design. More console innovation includes cup holders that can come apart if the space is needed to hold something larger like a phone or tablet.
Taking a page from big brother Telluride, the front seatbacks house USB ports and an integrated hook for shopping bags. Best-in-class, 41.3 inches of legroom follows behind the front seats as Sportage grows by 7.1 inches with a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase. That stretch enables best-in-class, 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space under the hatchback.
In keeping with competitors, the Kia offers standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay phone connectivity on all trims, a phone app (compatible with smart wrist watches) for remote monitoring of the car, WiFi connectivity for up to five devices and available wireless charging.
Electrics are the new, new thing, but the Sportage insulates the engine compartment from the cabin for a quiet drive experience. Power is provide by a 2.5-liter, 187-horse four-banger common to Hyundai products.
The rugged X-Line and X-Pro trims come standard with all-wheel-drive for Michigan’s unruly winters. Blacked-out mirrors, roof rack and window surrounds distinguish the X-line trim along with 19-inch wheels. The X-Pro goes further with B.F. Goodrich all-terrain tires, matte-black wheels, heated windshield, two-tone roof and multiple drive modes.
Behind the high-tech interior screens is a chest-full of safety tech, including standard driver attention monitoring, auto high beams, and lane-keep assist. Optional safety systems include blindspot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and exit safety assist which, for example, will warn of a biker aproaching as you open the door on a crowded street.
Buyers can also option Kia’s remote smart-parking assist shared with sister Hyundai which popularized the feature in its “Smaht Pahk” 2020 Super Bowl ad.
Assembled in West Point, Georgia, the Sportage will be on sale in the first quarter of 2022.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Road trip! An urgent journey exposes EV challenges
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 28, 2021
Charleston, W. Va. — This month, I had to make a hurried roundtrip from Detroit to my hometown on family-related affairs. Who hasn’t had to make one of these journeys? To paraphrase the Blues Brothers, it was 388 miles to Charleston, I had a full tank of gas, half a bottle of water, it was noon, and I was wearing sunglasses.
But unlike Jake and Elwood Blues and their Dodge sedan, I had the option of driving a fully charged electric vehicle instead.
Sitting in the driveway were my 315-mile range Tesla Model 3 Performance EV, a 260-mile range Volkswagen ID.4 EV tester, and my wife’s 460-mile range, gas-powered Subaru Impreza hatchback.
I took an EV. This is a chronicle of that journey.
Electrics are all the rage these days as governments force electrification and automakers try to comply with vehicles that also meet customers’ needs. It’s a tall order. Fun to drive with instant torque, EVs are excellent commuter cars and have gained a niche among luxury buyers who drive locally, then plug them in at home.
But with limited range and steep sticker prices, EVs lack the dexterity of gas cars.
EVs “post significant time costs to drivers as a result of both inadequate infrastructure and wait times associated with fueling, which can be five to ten times the cost for ICE (internal combustion engine) drivers,” reports a new study from economist Patrick Anderson of the East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group.
Electrics typically find a home in multi-car garages where families can afford a local car as well as a gas-powered mule for road trips. Families like the Paynes.
Governments aren’t satisfied with this niche status, however, and have declared EVs the future, offering buyers generous subsidies and billions for infrastructure to hurry adoption. But adoption will only happen when customers deem EVs superior to gas cars — not just around town, but as a primary car for all of their needs.
Like sudden road trips.
The gas-powered Subaru was the obvious choice to get me to West Virginia. Its 460-mile range would cover the 388-mile journey without a stop in 6 hours, 18 minutes — plenty of time to make my 7:30 p.m. Charleston dinner date. And when I arrived, I would be able to fill a new tank of gas in five minutes to meet more appointments.
I quickly ruled out the ID.4, VW’s flagship EV.
With just 260 miles of range, it would need to recharge en route. I charted my trip in the V-Dub’s navigation system, which planned a time of 15 hours and 53 minutes — with two recharging stops at slow, Level 2 chargers totaling 8 hours 53 minutes. What? Seems VW has not yet programmed its maps system for Level 3 fast chargers.
With infrastructure everywhere, gas cars face no such planning. With 116,090 BTUs of energy per gallon, every gas station is a fast, 5-minute stop. Not so electric chargers.
Level 3 DC fast chargers are desired, providing about 10 miles per minute on average (a Level 2 charger will only add 12 miles per hour of charge). Running out of patience, I checked Electrify America — the most reliable fast-charging network outside of Tesla. They listed one charger in Columbus, none in Charleston.
That is to say, I would be severely hampered in Charleston with no fast charging available. Other fast-charging networks exist (ChargePoint, for example) but third-party chargers are notoriously unreliable — a Mustang Mach-E recently took an extra 6.5 hours to make a New York-Niagara Falls roundtrip because two chargers along the way were out of order.
For my jaunt, I decided on the Tesla and its reliable, proprietary Supercharger network with multiple stations along the way — including in Charleston.
I barked my destination to the Model 3 (its superb voice recognition system the industry standard) and it charted a trip in 6 hours and 53 minutes with a single 30-minute recharging stop in north Columbus. I would arrive in Charleston ahead of my appointment with 13% charge to spare.
At noon, I was on the road — hustling south on I-75 at 75 mph on a perfect, 75-degree fall day.
Moderate weather had been an important factor in my taking the EV. Extreme temps can sap up to 25% of battery, another area in which gas vehicles are worry-free.
At 1 p.m., my stomach growled for lunch. In the Subaru, I might have simply stopped at a fast food drive-thru and eaten on the road. But coordinating meal breaks is key to EV trip efficiency. Once again, Tesla’s superior software showed its stuff.
I asked the nav system for the nearest Supercharger in Toledo, where I could stop for a 30-minute charge and eat lunch while I charged. Tesla not only found a Supercharger but listed food joints nearby. My stomach craved tacos. Taco Bell was close. Perfect.
With the car plugged into a Tesla charger in a Meijer parking lot, I walked 0.2 miles to Taco Bell. It was closed, except for drive-thrus, due to the labor shortage. With the Model 3 already plugged in, my only choice was to order via the restaurant app — which took 30 minutes.
I returned to the Tesla to find it needed an extra 10 minutes to reach my charge target (chargers can be inconsistent that way) — enough time to eat my taco. My lunch stop also meant I’d require a second stop in Columbus, adding another 20 minutes to my journey.
While less efficient than the $28K ‘Ru in making the long journey, the $60K Tesla was more entertaining.
I was inevitably challenged by muscle cars out of stoplights. ZOT! I dispatched a Mustang GT in Columbus. The car’s Navigate on Autopilot self-driving system is not only state-of-the-art, it is constantly improving thanks to over-the-air updates.
I drove for miles hands-free. When it encountered a slower car ahead, the Tesla would automatically change lanes to get around it. Highway exit ahead? The Model 3 would automatically exit. The system even recognized construction barrels — then urged me to move a lane away from them.
The Columbus recharge took 20 minutes and I entered the home stretch to West Virginia.
Outside affluent metro bubbles like Oakland County and Los Angeles, it’s notable how few electric cars are on the road. Advocates predict 40% of sales will be EV by the end of this decade — an ambitious target from only 2% today with close to half of those sales in politically green California.
But for other Teslas (most of them at chargers), I rarely encountered another EV on my journey across Ohio and West Virginia. No Mustang Mach-Es, Chevy Bolts or Nissan Leafs. For Middle America, gasoline power means affordable, reliable transportation.
“Before consumers can feel comfortable buying EVs in large numbers, they need to understand the true costs involved,” Anderson said in his report.
My added charging (the EV was an hour longer than the predicted gas journey) put my arrival in Charleston at 7:32 p.m., so I pushed my dinner date back 30 minutes. With only 30 miles of battery charge remaining, I detoured to a Tesla Supercharger — topping up for 10 minutes to get the 110 miles I would need for local errands the next morning.
My Charleston business complete, I headed back to Detroit at 3 p.m. Wednesday, retracing my steps (including another long wait at a worker-short food joint). I recharged for 25 minutes at the Charleston charger — then twice more at Superchargers in south Columbus and Toledo.
All told, six charging stops added 2 hours and 20 minutes to my trip versus a comparable 10 minutes and two stops for gas. At an average cost of 30 cents per kWh, my Tesla Supercharging costs came to $68.74 for the trip. If I had taken the Subaru, two full tanks of regular gas at $3 a gallon would have set me back $79.20.
When I got home at 10:45 p.m., Mrs. Payne asked how my trip had been. I recounted the journey, EV stops and all.
“How come you didn’t take the Subaru?” she said, rolling her eyes. “It would have been a lot easier.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Ferocious Corvette Z06 gets 670-hp C8.R race engine, aero upgrades
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 28, 2021
Warren — Chevrolet on Tuesday unveiled the track-focused model of its mid-engine Corvette supercar, the Z06. They might have called it the Z-OMG.
Sporting the most powerful, normally-aspirated engine ever made, the Z06’s bespoke, 5.5-liter, dual-overhead-cam V-8 (General Motors code name: LT6) boasts a colossal 670 horsepower — 175 more than the standard, mid-engine Corvette Stingray, and 20 more than the last-gen Z06 and its supercharged V-8 LT4 engine.
The Z06 achieves its outrageous output using a free-spinning, flat-plane crank and 8,600-rpm redline — technology usually associated with Ferrari supercars costing three times as much. The spine-tingling shriek of the Z06 will be familiar to race car fans who have heard the engine propel the Corvette C8.R to seven wins and an IMSA sportscar championship since its introduction in 2020.
“It’s been hiding in plain sight. (We were) developing the heart of the beast,” smiled Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter as we circled a menacing, pumpkin-colored Z06 under GM’s Warren design center dome a week before Halloween.
To realize the full potential of the ferocious LT6 engine, Juechter and his elves had to make significant upgrades to the nimble Corvette C8, which — at $62,195 — has sold like hotcakes with 495 horsepower and European-supercar good looks. Stingrays are trading at some dealerships at $30,000-plus above sticker price.
Though pricing for the 2023 Z06 won’t be announced until closer to its summer 2022 release, expect it to start around $85,000. The Detroit News was first to report on the LT6-powered Z06 variant (along with forthcoming ZR1 and Zora performance models) in April 2020.
Equipped with the must-have Z07 handling package, the orange Z06 looks like a four-wheeled, alien insectoid that just invaded earth.
A huge, carbon-fiber rear wing juts from the rear chassis like a scorpion’s tale. Fang-like dive planes pepper the face below the ‘Vette’s familiar, brooding headlights. Contrary to past Z06 upgrades, the ‘23 model shares only hood, hatchback, doors, and roof with the base Stingray.
Two features instantly distinguish the Z06 from the standard model. The first: larger side intakes shaped — appropriately — like a stingray’s tale.
“Performance aspirations force the car to look different,” said Juechter. “(It’s) enabled by the tires. That width drives the rear quarter panel out and makes the duct opening bigger, and the engine needs that.”
To harness the power of the LT6 mill, Michelin PS4 tires have been widened 1.3 inches over the already fat, 12-inch standard tire. Gummier Michelin Cup 2s are also available. The big rubber forced a 3-inch widening of the rear bodywork.
The second signature feature is the center-mounted quad tailpipes out back (the base V-8 splits its quad pipes into pairs on either corner of the rear diffuser). Juechter said the change was necessary in part to better channel the high-revving V-8’s sound — not just for exterior presence — but also for the enjoyment of the driver riding in the forward cabin.
The new, bigger fascia leers like a jack o’ lantern. Its more pronounced lantern jaw holds three heat exchangers (the standard Stingray has two) to cool the beast within.
“We start with the Stingray, then amp everything up. This is the first time we’ve done a full perimeter” on a Z06, said Juechter, referring to the exterior bodywork. “This enables us to do a better job on aerodynamics, package more coolers. We wanted this to be extremely capable on track.”
Capability is its mission.
Juechter said Chevy’s new track weapon significantly outruns the previous-gen Z06 — and can go wheel-to-wheel with the winged, $122k, 755-horse ZR1 C7 uber-‘Vette. With the Z07 package, the Z06 makes 734 pounds of downforce at 186 mph, the most of any Corvette ever. On the skid pad, Juechter says the Z06 will pull a neck-straining 1.22 g-loads compared to ZR1’s 1.2. At 186 mph, it boasts 6% more downforce, 8% less drag.
The standard Stingray’s high-tech interior already shames most European exotics, and the Z06 doesn’t fiddle with the formula. The instrument displays are digital, configurable. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard so you can find the nearest racetrack. The square steering wheel is festooned with useful buttons, including Z-mode so you can instantly transform the car from interstate comfort to nuclear weapon should any muscle-car peer dare to challenge.
Purists disappointed that the Stingray didn’t option a manual shifter will still be left wanting — only a quick-shifting 10-speed, dual-clutch automatic is offered. They may be reassured that the Z06 is returning to its roots with a normally-aspirated powerplant after the last-gen car’s detour to supercharging.
In keeping with its expected $20k premium over the standard car, Z06 has turned up the volume on materials.
The steering wheel can be trimmed in carbon fiber — as can the entire center console.
All this performance is still available in both coupe and removable hard-top convertible configurations, and trunk and frunk (front trunk) storage are uncompromised. The coupe version allow you to gaze into the engine chamber at the 5.5-liter engine.
Not only does its high-pitched note sound like a Ferrari, its output is well north of the $300k Ferrari 458 Speciale V-8’s 597 horsepower. More mind-blowing comparisons? The production LT6 engine has 170 more horsepower than the C8.R race engine due to Balance of Performance restraints placed on the race car to keep it from running away from class competitors.
“We have a lot more power than the race car,” laughed Juechter, who also points to the sophisticated, standard, magnetic dampers on the Z06 — also prohibited in racing.
The race car and production Corvette C8 were developed in parallel, ensuring a direct technology transfer from track to street. The C8.R shined in its first year of IMSA sports car competition, capturing six victories and winning the GT manufacturers title.
“The new Corvette Z06 defines the American supercar,” said GM President Mark Reuss, himself a race-licensed driver. “It builds on the groundbreaking dynamics introduced with the mid-engine Corvette and elevates them too.”
It will be built in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in left-and-right-hand drive configurations — the latter for overseas markets.
“Ex-Corvette racer Oliver Gavin has been doing development work at the Nürburgring,” said Juechter, referring to Germany’s epic 140-mile racetrack. “(We want) to make sure the car is competent on track and on the Autobahn, which is why we go there. We want to sell this car in Europe.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Last of the breed, best of the breed. Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings can absolutely fly
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 21, 2021
Wampum, Pennsylvania — The trouble with straightaways is they have to end.
With 668 horses howling in my ears, I bang the gearshift into fourth through the kink on Pittsburgh International Race Complex’s back straight and the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine in the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing wants to take me to the moon.
The sound is heavenly. Violent. Addicting. My brain wants more. My right foot flattens the throttle, but as the digital instrument display gallops past 135 mph, a first-gear hairpin looms. Sigh. Huge 15.7-inch brakes haul my Electric Blue missile back to earth for the right-hander ahead.
For the last 20 years, General Motors’ luxury brand took a detour from a century as America’s premier land yacht-maker to become the sculptor of Detroit’s best track athletes.
Ditching Brougham elephant for CTS greyhound, Caddy benchmarked to Germany’s BMW, Mercedes and Audi in an attempt to climb the international podium as world’s best luxury performance brand. Engineers traveled to the Nürburgring, the world’s premier test track. Drivers competed in the world’s most challenging race series.
The results are the Blackwing siblings: CT4-V and CT5-V. They are the best performance vehicles ever developed by Cadillac — and the last gas-powered hot rods before the brand transitions to electric power.
Like other performance-oriented badges, the demands of making sedans this good trickle down to make the whole model line better. Just as development for the Porsche 911 GT3 track weapon assures the standard 911 is the world’s best sports car. Or the Honda Civic Type R promises the standard Civic is a superior compact sedan. So do the Blackwings make the base CT4 and CT5 exceptional cars.
I still remember my first test of the CT4 (then called the ATS — luxury brand alphanumerics can make your brain hurt) in 2015. It was magical. It was one of the best-handling compact sedans I’d driven. I would get in ATSs just to drive them — no destination required.
When the ATS-V performance model debuted, it went toe-to-toe with the BMW M3 and Giulia Quadrifoglio for the world’s best four-door filly. (Caddy even loaned its Alpha chassis to Chevy so Camaro’s team could make it the best-handling muscle car in class.)
The ’22 CT4-V Blackwing model updates the ATS-V and improves the formula for the new badging. Like thoroughbreds from Porsche to Dodge to Honda, you have to track it to appreciate its enormous bandwidth. Over PIR’s undulating 2.8-mile course, the neutral, rear-wheel-drive beast switched directions nimbly. Credit better Michelin tires, magnetic shocks and chassis stiffening for making this scalpel even sharper.
But the real revelation here is the CT5-V Blackwing — once known as the CTS-V Hair-whitener.
Injected with the last-gen Corvette Z06’s V-8 nuclear reactor, Cadillac’s alpha male sedan has always been a straight-line hoot. But get it into the twisties and its phenomenal power could try your nerves. I’ve had some hairy moments in the CTS-V on Michigan roads when my right foot was filled with too much lead.
Hairy on track, too. So hairy, in fact, that Caddy test drivers were faster in the ATS-V around Austin’s high-speed Circuit of the America’s Formula One track despite the V8-powered CTS-V’s tremendous speeds on COTA’s long straightaways.
Clearly something had to be done to correct this problem for Generation Blackwing.
“Oh, man, ya’ll gonna be in for a treat today!” exulted Johnny O’Donnell as he welcomed some hot-shoe media types to PIR. Johnny is a Connecticut boy who has adopted Atlanta and its native tongue, and it suits his outsized personality. He also has an outsized racing record — winning more races than any other GM driver in history.
It was his first visit to PIR, and he was in clover with 668 horses and a new track to conquer.
I wasn’t so sure. I’d raced PIR before. It’s a tight, technical track for my 1,000-pound Lola sports racer. But a 4,150-pound sedan with a V-8 boat anchor up front?
Caddy executive chief engineer (and SCCA nationals racer) Brandon Vivian and his merry band of elves have transformed the CTS-V into the Kraken in tennis shoes. The CT5-V Blackwing now feels like a big CT4. Like the NBA’s 6’3” Chris Paul supersized into 6’8” LeBron James, it’s a franchise player.
At the end of PIR’s back straight, the first gear right-hander opens up quickly to a long uphill bend crucial to front straight speeds. This is a challenge in any big car, and I can feel the weight transfer as the CT5 searches for traction.
It finds it with an impressive bag of tools including Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, a sub-chassis stiffening plate, multi-link suspension and something called PTM modes.
I played with the dial constantly during my hot laps, modulating power where I needed it the most. Exploding out of Turn 17 in first gear to maximize torque, the head-up display projected my RPM shift point so I never had to take my eyes off the road.
Every Blackwing should come with a “SAVE THE MANUAL” bumper sticker. Though Caddy options a 10-speed automatic, the 6-speed stick is the choice here. It’s tight, intuitive. Downshifting three gears into first into Turn 17 — BAM! BAM! BAM! — is made quick by electronic-assisted auto rev-matching. Quicker than I could manage via heel-and-toe.
This technical wizardry also gives the Blackwings dual personalities.
Track them on Sunday, commute them on Monday. The comfy interiors are bordered by configurable digital displays. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto seamlessly integrate your phone for navigation.
This digital cockpit will grow even more sci-fi as Cadillac transitions to its next-gen Lyriq and Celestiq battery-electric sedans. As the proper names infer, Cadillac is going back to the future — and away from the alphanumeric CT athletes — in order to take on Tesla. As good as Caddy’s athletes have been, they’ve failed to rival the Escalade SUV for brand awareness.
So Cadillac will tease customers with Escalade-like old-school style and electric-motor torque. Broughams with 21st century electrification.
The trouble with Cadillac’s manual shifters and roaring V-8s is they have to end. But we’ll have the Blackwings to remember them by for years to come.
2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive five-passenger sedan
Price: $59,990, including $995 destination fee ($76,635 manual with carbon fiber package as tested)
Powerplant: 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6
Power: 472 horsepower, 445 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 6-speed manual, 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.9 seconds, automatic. 4.1 sec., manual (mfr). Top speed, 189 mph
Weight: 3,860 pounds (manual as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA, 15 mpg city/23 highway/18 combined (manual); 16 mpg city/24 highway/19 combined (auto)
Report card
Highs: Nimble handling; improved styling over ATS-V
Lows: Tight back seat for 6-footers; turbo V-6 not as viscerally appealing as V-8
Overall: 4 stars
2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive five-passenger sedan
Price: $84,990, including $995 destination fee ($106,265 automatic, $112,845 manual with carbon-ceramic brakes, as tested)
Powerplant: 6.2-liter supercharged V-8
Power: 668 horsepower, 659 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 6-speed manual, 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.4 seconds, automatic. 3.6 sec., manual (mfr). Top speed, 200 mph-plus
Weight: 4,123 pounds (manual as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA, 13 mpg city/21 highway/15 combined (manual); 13 mpg city/22 highway/16 combined (auto)
Report card
Highs: Most improved handling; supercharged V-8 from the gods
Lows: Adaptive cruise control only available with automatic; options get pricey
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Hammer down in Rolls’ first, three-ton, umbrella-shod SUV
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 21, 2021
The SUV has officially taken over the automotive landscape. Rolls-Royce has introduced its first ute.
The Cullinan is the zenith of SUVs. The uber ute. Super luxury comes standard. Starting at $335,350, the Rolls (named after the largest diamond ever discovered, which now resides in the British Crown Jewels, naturally) checks all the usual boxes: imposing road presence, enormous grille, big-displacement engine, palatial interior, Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament.
Rolling through Charlevoix’s Venetian Festival at the peak of tourist season in northwest lower Michigan, my 17½-foot-long, Galileo Blue land yacht — with 22-inch wheels and laser headlights — dutifully turned every head on Bridge Street.
Short of the president’s limousine rolling through town, there are few vehicles — Lamborghini Aventador, Bugatti Veyron — with a Cullinan’s presence. Rolls is automotive royalty.
But Cullinan also arrives at a transformational moment in the automotive market. In the early 21st century, luxury is defined as much by electronic innovation as the traditional benchmarks of craftmanship and pulse-quickening power. Mercedes has been supplanted by Tesla as the must-have luxemobile with its electrifying acceleration, Autopilot self-driving ability, and over-the-air updates.
My Cullinan straddles old school and new school.
What it leaves out is as telling as what is listed in its laundry list of features. In many ways, Rolls’ evolution to the SUV seems only natural — even belated — given the brand’s origins as a high-riding chariot in the early 20th century. Rolls’ breakthrough, 1907 Silver Ghost (the longest Rolls model in production) sailed high above the ground on a ladder frame.
It famously, reliably traversed India’s brutal Ghat mountain passes, becoming the cross-country vehicle of choice for maharajahs. In World War I, Lawrence of Arabia tore across the Sinai Peninsula in armored Silver Ghosts blowing up the Ottoman Empire’s Hejaz Railway.
Like its forebears, Cullinan is powered by a monster mill, this one a 592-horsepower, 6.7-liter, twin-turbocharged V-12. That’s comparable to the 7.0-liter 6-cylinder engine that propelled the first Silver Ghost — but with twice the cylinders. No electric drivetrain here. Impatient Rolls customers want to be punctual on their drive Up North — not sit in Walmart parking lots (gah!) recharging batteries.
Despite a gas-guzzling 14 mpg, Cullinan boasts a healthy 444 miles of range — easily enough for a Detroit-Charlevoix non-stopper.
Turning west on M-32 off I-75, I nailed the beast and it blew through 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds on the way to (speed redacted to protect my license).
“Whoa! That’s a lot of torque!” smiled my friend Jon as the Rolls planted him into the seatback.
Yet, in the hushed Rolls’ cabin, the violence of the 12 combustion chambers seemed remarkably remote. “The running of this car at slow speeds is the smoothest thing we have ever experienced,” wrote Autocar magazine way back in 1907. That hasn’t changed.
What has changed are the oily bits — augmented by modern electronics — connecting that mighty engine to the ground in Rolls’ first all-wheel-drive vehicle. Big SUVs from the Cadillac Escalade to the Ford Explorer ST are incredibly stable these days, and Cullinan is state of the art: rear-wheel-steering assist, double-wishbone front and five-link rear suspension, air suspension, aluminum chassis.
Tipping the scales at more than three tons, Cullinan never felt tippy through M-32’s twisties, the SUV rotating nicely despite the V-12 boat anchor up front.
Yet, for all this mechanical sophistication, the Rolls is light on 21st-century electronic wizardry. For a brand that built its reputation as a chauffeur of queens and kings, dare I say the Cullinan is a driver’s car?
The $46K Ford Mustang Mach-E I tested days before runs rings around the Cullinan when it comes to digital tech. The Mach-E’s spare, Tesla-like cockpit boasts a 15.5-inch screen, wireless Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay) connectivity, multiple drive modes, self-parallel park assist, and self-drive assist. I nearly drove the length of I-75 hands-free in the ‘Stang.
The Rolls’ sticker is 10 times that of the Mach-E, but wants your hands (or at least your chauffeur’s hands) on the wheel at all times.
In this digital revolution — and with BMW’s engineering (Rolls is owned by the German maker) behind it — Rolls clearly sees the opportunity for a wigged-out, high-tech, autonomous, sci-fi electric vehicle that would put the Tesla Model X to shame. See the retro-futurist 103EX concept.
Friend Jon is ready for the revolution. As we cruised M-66, a Harley blew by us. “Cullinan, vanquish that motorbike!” he commanded. But the big SUV ignored him, cruising happily at the speed limit. The future will have to wait.
For now, Cullinan concentrates its brand on what got it here: British luxury.
On a rainy day in northern Michigan, I pulled a long, black umbrella from the Cullinan’s rear cabinet door to shield my passengers as I loaded them for a drive to Petoskey. Once inside, rear passengers can finger a button on the C-pillar to automatically close the doors behind them.
“These are the most comfortable seats I’ve ever been in,” commented one, settling into the yellow-stitched white leather seats.
Options abound. There’s the $5,325 picnic tables that drop from the back of the front seats like an airliner. Or the Shooting Start Headliner ($7,800). Or the $15,400 Galileo Blue paint job. The latter was stunning, but also deterred me from taking the beast off road — even as Rolls press materials encouraged fording water up to 21 inches and driving Cullinan “completely off the beaten track to reward (occupants) with life’s most enriching experiences.”
Other options include head-up display and a rear drinks cabinet with Rolls-Royce whiskey glasses, decanter, champagne flutes and fridge.
In brand tradition, Rolls will work with buyers to customize the SUV in any way they choose. Choose timber from your north Michigan home for the dash inlays. Or reproduce your favorite Mondrian art masterpiece. A quick check of the internet finds celebrity Kylie Jenner personalized her Cullinan with an all-pink interior.
My tester’s factory “Black Badge” treatment was striking. Appealing to a new generation of buyers who like everything goth, the Cullinan BB features black window trim, black grille, and most strikingly — a black Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament.
The latter is a collector’s item all by itself. Rolls is aware of the vulnerability of its winged icon standing on the ute’s bow — and so has made it retractable. Walking away from the Rolls in a Petoskey parking lot, I pressed the LOCK button and Miss Ecstasy disappeared through a trap door.
The rest of the outsized Rolls remained. Loud. Proud. And the summit of Ute Nation.
2021 Rolls Royce Cullinan
Report card
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne, first drive: Mach-E GT flexes good ol’ Mustang muscle
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 19, 2021
San Francisco — Hustling over California’s twisted two-lane Pacific Coast Highway in a Mustang GT, I suddenly came upon a three-car moving road block. I flattened the right pedal. ZOT! The GT gulped the trio like a killer whale feeding on fish.
No downshift, no V-8 roar, no rear tail wag.
Say hello (and a quick wave goodbye as it disappears into the distance) to a different kind of Mustang GT — the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT. A kilowatt-guzzling hatchback SUV. Infused with the same wicked DNA as its gas-guzzling V-8-powered Fastback forebear, it’s even dressed in bright Cyber Orange to match Papa Pony’s Grabber Yellow.
This is the one we’ve been waiting for.
Ford Motor Co.’s Blue Oval has been chasing Tesla since the Palo Alto-based automaker wowed the world in 2016 with the Model 3 and changed the electric game with an accessible, lightning quick, Apple phone-simple EV that made even gas-drinking motorheads like me go weak in the knees (I bought one).
Ford dropped what it was doing and gave chase. Maybe it was enraged Tesla had stolen its iconic “Model” moniker to stake its claim as the Model T of the 21st century. Maybe it admired a startup for cracking the battery-electric code after Ford floundered with the C-Max and first-gen Escape Hybrid. Maybe both.
But Ford understood it would have to bring out its big brand guns to compete with Tesla’s mega-brand. The Mustang Mach-E was born and it slavishly followed the Tesla Model Y (a Model 3 in ute clothing) formula: 15-inch center screen, frunk, 300-mile range, remote app, $40K starting price.
When I got my hands on the new pony, I saddled it up alongside a Model Y and tested them toe-to-hoof. The Mach-E is very good — yet doomed to live in Tesla’s shadow. The apprentice to the OG. Mach-E sales are a modest 2,000 a month — outsold by Model Y, 6-to-1.
Mach-E GT is a different animal. Bringing years of muscle car experience to the compact SUV, veteran engineer Dave Pericak and his merry elves have layered Mach-E with Mustang muscle. Think 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds — equivalent to a Hellcat-fired $100K Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Like the V-8-powered Mustang Fastback, Mach-E gets a steroid booster over its standard 346-horse, 428-torque sibling. Optimizing the same 88 kWh battery pack, the GT pumps out a Mercedes AMG 63-like 480 horsepower and a gob-smacking 634-pound-feet of torque when equipped as the Performance Edition. That’s right, a performance package just like the sports car offers: gummy Pirelli summer tires; active suspension; Brembo brakes.
Out of a hairpin turn on Route 1, I nailed the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance (that’s a lotta names) and the beast pounced. I have driven these roads in a Mustang V-8 Fastback, but there is nothing like the ON/OFF electric torque switch of a big-battery EV. The Pirellis gripped like claws. The electric motor whined. The sky blurred like Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon jumping to hyperspace. Chewie, set course for the next galaxy.
Another hairpin rushed into view and big 15-inch front Brembos brought me back to earth. The battery-powered Mach-E GT is porky at 4,962 pounds (500 more than Tesla), but it’s low in the belly. With no V-8 anchor up front, the beast rotated nicely, the magnetic suspension working hard — in part to compensate for 2-inch narrower tires than a Merc AMG (EVs gotta balance stick with range-sucking rolling resistance).
To harness its nearly 2 ½ tons, the Performance Edition is stiffly sprung. Less enthusiastic drivers will prefer the standard GT.
The Model Y has similar thrust — 0-60 in 3.6 seconds — but is less intuitive in the corners compared to the crisp Mustang. GT debuts a Traction Control OFF button so you can hang it out more.
In max Unbridled mode the ’Stang pipes a satisfying GRRRRRRR-owling noise into the cabin. It’s not the GT Fastback’s reptilian gurgle, but it’s a bit of Mustang soul. So athletic-minded is the SUV that it’s lower to the ground (5.1 inches vs. 5.8) than the GT Fastback.
I know, I know what you’re thinking. If Ford wanted to expand the Mustang sub-brand, why didn’t they follow Porsche and just make a meaty, more practical V-8-powered ute? That would have been glorious. Mustang should have done it five years ago like (aping Porsche) Jaguar, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and other sports car brands.
But that was then, this is now and EVs are the fashion (not to mention forced by governments). Even Macan is going electric, so rather than chase the tail, Mustang jumped the queue with the first performance SUV to run with Tesla.
It’s a niche segment of two for now. Model Y Performance and Mach-E Performance are right on top of each other at about $62K. A lot of coin.
Who will buy it? My motorhead pal Jim and spouse crave the Mach-E, and the GT badge is right in their wheelhouse — a daily driver next to an Audi RS5 hatchback and Ford truck.
Mach-E GT would naturally replace their BMW X3 M. Heck, the ’Stang beats the Bimmer to 60 mph by a half-second — for 10 grand less. It looks the part, too, with GT gaining a menacing black grille compared to the awkward traced mouth on the standard Mach-E. It says “GET OUTTA THE WAY” in a slower car’s mirror.
Where Mach-E GT falls short of the BMW — and Tesla — is on road trips. One reason why the feds take pity with a $7,500 tax credit.
With a claimed 260 miles of range (I, ahem, got just 60% of that while flogging the pony over northern California), Mach-E GT requires long recharging stops from an unreliable third-party charging network. Bimmer can whet its beak with petrol everywhere. Tesla’s reliable charger network is the brand’s secret sauce.
Tesla also brings its signature Autopilot system. Though Mach-E GT’s similar Blue Cruise system allows truly hands-free driving (a camera watched me to make sure I was paying attention), I found it less confident at lane-centering over California’s swoopy 101 four-lane. The Tesla (which asks that you keep a hand near the wheel) is remarkably precise — while offering cutting-edge tech like Navigate-on-Autopilot and auto-lane change.
It’s hard to compete with Silicon Valley’s iPhone on wheels. So Mach-E gets your attention the ol’ fashioned way — muscle car speed ‘n’ style.
The blank-face Tesla looks alien. Mach-E’s anthropomorphic fascia, muscled shoulders and fastback are as familiar as the screaming V-8 GT you coveted when you were 16.
And when you stealthily leave everyone behind at a Woodward stoplight, it won’t wake up every officer within a 10-mile radius.
2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, all-wheel-drive, four-door SUV
Price: $60,100, including $1,100 destination charge ($63,285 GT and $69,800 GT Performance Edition as tested)
Powerplant: 68-88-kWh lithium-ion battery driving single or twin electric motors
Power: 480 horsepower, 600 pound-feet of torque (GT); 480 horsepower, 634 pound-feet of torque (GT Performance)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.8 seconds (GT, mfr.); 3.5 seconds (GT Performance); top speed, 124 mph
Weight: GT: 4,962 pounds (4,989 pounds, GT Performance Pack)
Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 270 miles (GT); 260 miles (GT Performance)
Report card
Highs: Ruthless acceleration; confident handling
Lows: Needs more interior definition; Performance model may jar a filling loose
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Riding the last VW Golf into the sunset
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 19, 2021
Gaylord — Farewell, Volkswagen Golf, I’ll miss you.
Well, kind of. I mean, the GTI hot hatch is my favorite Golf model and that’s not going away. But the standard Golf is, and without that … well, there wouldn’t have been a GTI or all-wheel-drive Golf R, now would there? Or even a New Beetle built on the same platform, which VW doesn’t make any more either. So, my last 500-mile dance with the Golf through northern Michigan was bittersweet. Except I can’t wait to drive the new Golf GTI later this year.
Confused? You’re not alone. You need a scorecard to keep track of all the VW model changes these days.
Volkswagen’s lineup is dramatically different than when the Golf debuted (as a Rabbit, just to confuse you more) way back in 1974. Since then, it has become the best-selling V-dub ever. It even surpassed the iconic Beetle globally: 30 million units to 23.5 million for the Bug.
In the ’70s, Golf sold alongside the Beetle, Scirocco and Passat (Dasher in the U.S.). None of those badges exist today, save for Passat, which will bow out in the U.S. after the 2022 model year. Synonymous with the brand, Golf has grown out of touch with the mainstream, SUV-crazed U.S. consumer. Golf is gone, long live the Golf.
In my ride north in the 2021 tester, the clever hatchback reminded why its DNA carries on across the lineup.
The styling is timeless. Simple and sophisticated, it has changed little over the years — the most dramatic change being the big, swept headlights versus the round, owlish eyes of the early days. With its sharp body stampings and thin grille, my Golf was easy on the eyes.
That styling informs Golf siblings — a model line chock full of SUVs that no one dreamed of back in the ’70s: Taos, Tiguan, Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport.
Indeed, Golf’s practical hatchback is the inspiration for today’s sport ute. Leaving my house in Oakland County, I simply lifted Golf’s hatch (tugging the rear VW logo like a piece of furniture that opens a secret bookcase) and stuffed my weekend luggage inside: bag, tennis bag, shoes. If I needed more room, I could simply have pushed over the backseats to create a longer load floor. Just like an SUV.
Exiting I-75 at Gaylord, I got sucked into the twisties of M-32 — flowing west fast like a river emptying into Lake Michigan. My Golf was in its element here — the tight chassis, suspension and four-wheel disc brakes working together to make the car wonderfully tossable. It has ever been such.
So wonderful that Golf inspired a new segment of performance compacts with its 1984 GTI. The Honda Civic Si, Ford Focus ST, Mazdaspeed 3, Hyundai Elantra N, et al have followed in its footsteps. I owned the first generation GTI. My 29-year-old son owns the sixth. The eighth-gen coming later this year promises to be the best yet.
With unique wheels and blood red trim, the GTI’s exterior hints at the steroid enhancements beneath: a 2.0-liter turbo 4 making 220 horsepower and a gob-smacking 310 pound feet of torque. With a limited slip diff up front, the GTI rotates like a rear-wheel driver at the autocross course.
My standard Golf tester sported the standard 147 horse turbo-4, which is surprisingly peppy despite its smaller 1.4-liter displacement. The GTI will live on as inspiration to the rest of the VW lineup — like the Miata spirit that inhabits every Mazda SUV.
Take the new VW ID.4 electric car. With its 77-kWh battery stowed below decks, the new SUV has a lower center of gravity than most SUVs and wants to boogie. The battery may be heavy, but ID.4 channels the Golf’s excellent dynamics. On a recent test drive in the Tennessee mountains, I put ID.4 in SPORT mode and flogged it like a Golf through the twisties.
Inside, my 2021 Golf was simple, with lots of right angles like the exterior. It’s a style that continues across the lineup — from the compact Taos SUV to the giant three-row Atlas.
But technology was notably lacking in my V-dub. Its competition (Civic, Elantra, Impreza, Mazda 3) have upgraded to all-digital instrument displays, adaptive cruise control and head-up displays. Rather than invest in a declining segment, VW is bringing that tech instead to the compact Taos SUV (as well as the more premium GTI and Golf R). Taos is already killing it, selling 7,000 units a month.
Golf stacks up nicely against its competition in interior size and utility. Its 35.7 inches of rear leg room match the Civic and Elantra. It even tried to offer all-wheel drive with the 2018 Alltrack wagon to appeal to SUV buyers.
But Alltrack was pricey compared to, say, the AWD Subaru Impreza and never got traction. Indeed, my wife tried both and chose the ’Ru. Maybe it was the Subaru Love. Maybe it was the $2,000 cheaper price tag. Maybe it was the Golf’s **%!!& lack of a mute knob so that you have to turn the volume knob all the way down every time you want to silence the screen.
It’s a rare hiccup in VW’s otherwise nicely appointed interior.
That tradition continues in the SUVs. Different as the ID.4 interior is (think screen-focused Tesla-simple), it continues the Golf tradition of offering intuitive controls for everyday driving. The ID.4’s liquid-smooth electric drivetrain also seems the perfect sequel to my Golf’s smooth automatic tranny. No droning continuously-variable tranny here. The eight-speed is one of the segment’s smoothest — never getting a step wrong during my long journey. A manual is also available, though I’d leave that to GTI motorheads.
Even as it opened manufacturing plants in my West Virginia and Pennsylvania backyards in the 1970s, VW was slow to learn Americans’ driving habits. Wolfsburg was tardy to the SUV market, and then offered too-small segment entries.
It’s determined not to make that mistake again, so it’s ditching Golf for the hatchback Taos SUV. On my way back from Up North, my wife packed the Golf to the roof with goodies. Taos will hold even more. If you still want a compact car, VW offers the Jetta sedan.
And if you still want a Golf, there’s the 2022 GTI. I can’t wait.
2021 Volkswagen Golf
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger hatchback car
Price: $24,190, including $995 destination fee ($24,990 as tested)
Powerplant: 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Power: 147 horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque
Transmissions: eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph (7.6 sec., Car and Driver); top speed, 122 mph
Weight: 3,012 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 29 mpg city/36 highway/32 combined
Report card
Highs: Sharp looks; fun-to-drive
Lows: Dated screens; no mute button
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.