- Search Cartoons
- Comic Archive
-
Payne
Store
Henry Payne RSS
Articles Blog
Payne: Midwest-friendly Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT sports all-terrain tires, NACS charging
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 30, 2025
Franklin — With its raccoon-like black details, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT is instantly recognizable as a new, 2025 off-road trim for the brand’s electric hatchback. It sports a black mask, black wheels, black wheel arches etched with “digital camouflage” graphic, and black mirrors. XRT for Xtra Raccoon Trim.
But what Michiganians will really appreciate about the latest member of the I5 family is its Tesla-like NACS charging port and all-terrain tires.
“WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMPA! WHUMP WHUMP!” we went across 14 Mile’s pothole-pocked dirt road, one of many across Metro Detroit. These dirt roads are bad enough in summer but come spring they are really fraught after a harsh winter, particularly in premium vehicles with low-profile tires like the standard 19-inch-wheel Ioniq 5.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Residents along these roads are best served by rugged mules like pickups, Jeeps, Broncos and other off-roaders. For EV fans, the I5 XRT allows them to pair battery and brawn. Just choose the ALL-TERRAIN button on the steering wheel spoke to soften the ride. “WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMPA! WHUMP!” The high-profile Continental CrossContact ATR tires cushioned the blows as I weaved my way west …
… toward a Tesla Supercharger station.
Tesla, of course, has won the charging wars, defeating the industry-favored standard for bulky, five-prong CCS charging ports with its leaner, two-prong so-called North American Standard (NACS for short) plug. Combined with the Texas automaker’s ubiquitous reliable network of fast chargers, it has forced competitors to reluctantly succumb to consumer preference. NACS it is.
With customers screaming about fickle third-party DC chargers, EV makers have rushed to buy access to Tesla’s reliable network and Hyundai is one of the first automakers to — not just enable access to Superchargers for its clients — but also to equip their cars with NACS ports just like a Tesla.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Hyundai NACS has its hiccups, however. I was unable to connect to the 240-volt Tesla charger in my garage (I own a Model 3) because it was a 2018 NACS, which doesn’t sync with the Hyundai’s 2025 NACS plug. Something about software.
Neither could the Hyundai charge on my 240-volt, J1772 Juicebox garage charger that I use to charge non-Tesla EVs with CCS/J1772 ports. If this sounds complicated to folks used to simply stuffing a nozzle into a fuel filler, it is. And it is a reason EVs have proved to be niche vehicles in the U.S. market.
Stymied at home, I used I5’s native navigation system to locate the nearest Tesla Supercharger in Northville 12 miles away. I’d been before, the last time in June 2024 with a Ford Mustang Mach-E (Ford being the first automaker to gain access to Tesla’s network).
The Ioniq 5 was much easier to fill. And not just because it has a NACS port that the Tesla cable slipped into as easily as, well, a Tesla.
Hyundai also had the good sense to locate its NACS charging port on the rear corner of the vehicle like Tesla (right rear for I5, left rear for Tesla), meaning I simply backed the XRT up to the charger and connected the port. The Mach-E, like most EVs, locates its charging port behind the left front wheel, meaning I had to park the ‘Stang against the curb for the cord to reach. Combined with the bulky CCS/NACS adapter required for the Ford, it takes effort.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
You don’t need an adapter to charge the 2025 Hyundai, but you need a Tesla app. Download it. Add the Hyundai to its vehicle list. Then locate the Supercharger where you want to charge. Not all Tesla chargers are available to non-Tesla customers, but the Northville charger was, happily.
I plugged in, and my steed slurped electrons.
Northville is one of the busiest chargers in Metro Detroit, evidence that Tesla’s open-charger policy is catching on. Eight of the nine stalls were occupied on a Tuesday afternoon, with EVs including a Mustang Mach-E and Rivian R1S as well as the usual assortment of Tesla Cybertrucks, Model 3s, Ys and Ss.
Hyundai has upped the range on AWD models for 2025 to 290 miles (XRT clocks in at 259 with its all-terrain tires). That’s plenty for metro travel, but having the option of more chargers (like more gas stations for an internal combustion-vehicle) makes road trips less stressful.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
On a recent road trip to two-hours-from-anywhere — Sebring, Florida, for example — the only charging station in town was a Tesla Supercharger.
Hyundai, of course, does not have the cachet of the Tesla brand, and two friends recently opted to buy Model 3s as their first EVs. If you’re shelling out $50K for a car, brand matters.
But for those who want something different, my $56K XRT tester is a shockingly sophisticated (pun intended) EV. It’s roomy, utilitarian … and quick. (For $10K less, its I5 siblings begin at $46K and offer many of the same attributes.)
Merging onto I-696 on my way home, I dialed the steering wheel drive button (like a Porsche) to SPORT and buried my right foot. ZOT!
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Acceleration is, well, bioniq. Car and Driver clocks its 0-60 mph sprint at 4 seconds. Settling into the drive, I told the Ioniq to detour to Popeyes for lunch, and directions quickly appeared on the big, hoodless 24.6-inch jumbotron in front of me.
Where Hyundai comes up short is in hands-free driving, where Tesla and General Motors lead the way. Set a destination on a Tesla and it will self-drive there. It’s a feature prized by my pals. A Caddy EV, too, will go hands-free on most divided highways. Not Ioniq 5.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
My XRT’s adaptive cruise control system automatically changed lanes (like its EV competitors) when I tugged on the turn stalk — but otherwise required I keep a hand on the wheel. Worse, it nannied me constantly to watch the road even when my eyes had never left it. Sheesh, take a valium.
But that camera watching me suggests Hyundai plans over-the-air updates and Ioniq 5 should get more capable with time. High 5.
Next week: 2025 Nissan Murano and Titan
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, rear- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger hatchback
Price: $44,075, including $1,495 destination fee ($56,875 XRT as tested)
Powerplant: 63 kWh or 84 kWh lithium-ion battery with single or dual-electric-motor drive
Power: 225 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque (RWD); 325 horsepower, 446 pound-feet of torque (AWD)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.5 seconds (Car and Driver, AWD as tested); top speed, 115 mph
Weight: 4,707 pounds (XRT as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA range: 245-318 miles (259 miles, XRT as tested)
Report card
Highs: NACS charge port; Michigan-friendly XRT trim
Lows: Pricey; hands-free driving, please
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Detroit Grand Prix: Motown automakers integrate racing and production
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 30, 2025
Detroit — The 2025 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will take place Friday to Sunday on a 1.7-mile street track circling General Motors Co.’s Renaissance Center headquarters in downtown Detroit.
Lauren Heinrich driving the Porsche 911GT3 R (992) along side the Detroit River, goes on to win the IMSA WeatherTech Sportswear Championship at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix weekend in downtown Detroit, Michigan on June 1, 2024. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
Chevrolet isn’t the only Detroit-based manufacturer featured in this year’s race.
Motorsports has become a key marketing, engineering, and sales tool for the auto industry today and Motown brands in particular have accelerated their involvement in recent years from international Formula One and GT3 Racing to the IndyCar and IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship Series on display in Detroit this weekend.
Forty percent of the 27 IndyCar racers will be powered by Chevrolet engines while 40% of IMSA Weathertech’s 22 entries will be represented by home brands (if you include Bloomfield Hills-based Team Penske, which runs the Porsche GTP team). In addition to Penske’s two Porsche entries, Detroit car brands include three Cadillac GTP racers, a pair of Corvettes, and two Ford Mustangs.
IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Series Corvette GT3 racers will be at Detroit GP (here shown at Long Beach).Chevrolet, Chevrolet
“Since we got into GT racing in 1999, we believed in the continuity and the messaging to expand our customer base and embrace technology – and the IMSA series is really representative of that,” said Corvette Racing Brand Ambassador Doug Fehan, who, as Corvette Racing program manager, established Chevy’s presence in international motorsports three decades ago. “When you look at the things we try and accomplish in racing — whether it be materials or fuel mileage or aerodynamics or light-weighting — all those things were always important in racing and now have become extraordinarily important in production. Corvette set the bar for technology transfer.”
The Detroit brands are joined by a who’s who of international brand,s including Honda (which will power the other 16 IndyCars on the Detroit GP grid), Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, BMW, Acura, Lexus and Mazda (whose engines power the weekend’s third competition, Indy NXT, IndyCar’s feeder series).
That’s an elite club.
Will Power takes turn 3 during NTT Indycar series qualifying at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix weekend in downtown Detroit on June 1, 2024. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News
Like Porsche, Ferrari, and Honda, which built their brands on motorsports success in the mid-20th century, Team Penske founder Roger Penske made competitive success the foundation of a business brand that covers rental trucks and auto dealerships. That model increasingly speaks to other brands.
“Racing is more than a checkered flag and a trophy. Racing can be internalized,” said Fehan. “Racing can be used to attract young, bright personnel with the excitement that racing — and the level of technology — generates. People want to be part of something they can be proud of.”
Whether the hybrid technology in IndyCar and IMSA GTP powertrains, or the chassis that are the backbone of GT race cars, racing informs production technology by testing at extreme track conditions.
“On the (mid-engine Corvette) C8, we had a clay model in the design studio of the street car, and — for the first time in history — right next to it, we had a clay model of the race car,” said Fehan. “And we’re transferring stuff back and forth. Those production engineers were wearing Corvette Racing hats. On the walls were Corvette Racing posters. They were embracing the fact that they were part of racing as well as part of production.”
IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Series Cadillac GTP racers will be at the Detroit GP (here shown in Long Beach). Cadillac, Cadillac
Manufacturers in the GT race class now include Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. In the top GTP prototype class, there will be nine brands represented by 2027 including: BMW, Cadillac, Acura, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, McLaren, Ford and Genesis.
“That’s a lot of manufacturers across the board,” said Fehan, who has been part of Corvette’s nine victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most prestigious endurance race, from 2001-2023. “They’re now involved in IMSA, which is like twice what it ever was in the history of the sport.”
The benefits of racing translate beyond the workplace and into the showroom. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
“It’s undeniable the effectiveness of a marketing program that takes place on a racetrack,” said Fehan. “Watch what we’ve done from a sales perspective. Almost 50% of Corvette C8 sales are to people who have never owned a Chevrolet product.”
Team Penske’s Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor celebrate in victory lane after winning the GTP class at the 24 Hours of Daytona in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 in January 2025.Brandon Badraoui, Courtesy Of IMSA
Fehan expects the interest in motorsports to grow as a new generation of buyers raised on Netflix series like “Drive to Survive” and online gaming gain disposable income to buy cars.
“Just look at the Netflix series with Formula One. America is awakening to the high-tech side of what we’re doing in racing,” continued Fehan. “That has opened the door to the gaming side of it, and that’s a whole different perspective of how you market and sell cars. Racing is becoming more imperative if you want to sell vehicles.”
IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Series fans enjoy some Cadillac swag (here shown at Long Beach). Cadillac, Cadillac
In addition to its success in sportscar racing, Cadillac (IMSA manufacturer titles in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023) is now pursuing Netflix and international markets by entering Formula One in 2026. Brad Pitt’s “F1” movie opens June 27 and hopes to replicates the success of Oscar winner “Ford v Ferrari” in 2019.
Sensing the moment, Fox Sports became the sole broadcaster of IndyCar for 2025. It will televise the NTT IndyCar race at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Peacock will carry the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar race at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Hands-free in the Caddy ‘Baby Escalade’ Vistiq
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 22, 2025
Chelsea — The Baby Escalade is Cadillac’s most mature electric vehicle.
The Vistiq is the fifth and final piece in the GM luxury brand’s EV squadron and, at $79,290, its combination of size, speed and tech make it the best value of the quintet. That value is relative as Caddy’s EV lineup makes a big move to the ultra-luxury EV market (led by its $340K Celestiq flagship) over its outgoing internal combustion models. Expect the EVs to cost $20,000-$40,000 more than their ICE peers.
My all-wheel-drive Luxury model asks a 30-grand premium over the comparable $50K gas-powered XT6 Luxury model, which is retiring after this year.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
On Patterson Lake Road’s rollercoaster in Livingston County, I confidently leapt from turn to turn in the three-ton, three-row, three-story Vistiq despite its girth. Thanks to the 102-kWh battery’s location in the basement, my tester sported a low center of gravity to stay planted through the twisties.
That low CG is an EV trait — but in the smaller Optiq and Lyriq crossovers, it’s, um, outweighed by a lack of nimbleness compared to their 1,000-pound-lighter internal-combustion engine peers. In a three-row SUV class where everything tips the scales over two tons, however, the low CG stands out. Add rear-wheel steer in upper Premium Luxury and Platinum trims, and this is a rhinoceros in tennis shoes.
The rear-drive feature is shared with Papa Escalade IQ, but the electric family’s patron will set you back another (cough) 40 grand. ZOT! I buried my right foot and Vistiq hit 60 mph in a fantast-iq 3.9 seconds merging onto I-94 West. Baby Escalade coming through!
Vistiq is also a technology showpiece. Without taking my eyes off the road, I toggled the raised adaptive cruise switch on the steering wheel and set my speed at 75 mph, then fingered a nearby braille pad for Super Cruise. The steering wheel lit green for hands-free driving.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
While Baby Escalade took over driving duties, I rearranged icons on the 33-inch curved dash screen as I would my phone. I dragged icons for DRIVE MODES, CHARGING and SELF PARK ASSIST (features I used frequently) to the left side of the screen.
GM pioneered hands-free driving in 2017, and has been neck-and-neck with Tesla ever since. Tesla’s Full-Self-Driving system leap-frogged GM cars last year when it went hands-free with navigation, enabling its cars to take you door-to-door across secondary roads and divided highways. Super Cruise is slowly adding secondary roads to its network of mapped, divided highways — but it won’t navigate.
What it will do, like Tesla, is automatically change lanes. At 75 mph, Vistiq sensed slower traffic, automatically applied its turn signal, moved into the fast lane and swept by a line of cars. Safely clear, it automatically pulled back into the slower lane. Terrif-iq.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Approaching my off ramp, Tesla FSD would automatically transition to the slower secondary road. The Caddy? It handed driving duties back to me, the steering wheel light turning red.
Super Cruise comes standard on Vistiq for three years, plenty of time for owners to learn the system. You won’t want to go back. Not standard is an augmented reality head-up display available on Premium Luxury and Platinum trims. Caddy’s been a HUD pioneer, and AR advances the game by placing directions over the road ahead. Alas, my standard Luxury version did not option even a regular head-up display. Neither did it have a frunk for storage like the Escalade IQ — or Rivian and Tesla models.
Baby Escalade doesn’t have big brother’s curved, A-pillar-to-A-pillar 55-inch jumbotron, but the 33-incher does just fine, thank you very much. Especially as the touchscreen is paired with the same console climate touchscreen found in Escalade. Like a scarf and mittens, they make a nice pair.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Not that I touched them much. Vistiq is powered by Google Built-in, so I could talk to the car for many of my needs.
Hey, Google, turn the driver’s side temperature to 68 degrees.
Hey, Google, tune to Sirius XM Comedy Greats.
Hey, Google, Tell, me a joke.
Google: How do trees access the Internet? They log in.
Hey, Google, what was the score of the Tigers game?
Google: The Tigers won on Wednesday, 6-5 against the Red Sox.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Pick up the kids from school in my Luxury tester and it will fit seven passengers across three rows including bench, second-row seats (captain’s chairs optional). Even the third row is comfortable, accommodating my long 6’5” frame. If the second row is empty, I encourage taking a seat in the third row. I dropped the second-row bench seat and used it like an ottoman — stretching my legs so I could work on my laptop.Longer trips, however, are three-row EVs’ kryptonite. The Escalade IQ is so expensive because it packs a mighty 202-kWh battery with 460 miles of range. Vistiq keeps its cost below $100K with a 102-kWh battery that makes similar range (302 miles) as little brothers Lyriq and Optiq.Navigate to your cottage up north (in perfect 70-degree weather) going 75 mph on I-75 and real range is 225 miles — or 75% of EPA estimates. In truth, your range will be 181 miles because charging to over 80% of battery range at a fast charger slows to a crawl.Are we there yet?
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
To prevent hearing those infamous words from your kids, a 250-mile trip north (to, say, Charlevoix) is best done with one charging stop in Bay City for 20 minutes so the kids can tinkle and stretch their legs. In less ideal temperatures, your range could crater to 50% as it did in a brutal three-stop, subfreezing December trip I took in one of Vistiq’s competitors, the $78K Kia EV9 GT-Line, a couple of years back.
If you have a second home, install a 240-volt charger to ease end-to-end range anxiety. Staying in a hotel? Find lodgings with 240-volt charger so you can charge your battery to 100% overnight for a fresh a.m. start.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Faced with these restrictions, GM buyers may prefer a comparably priced family-sized Chevy Tahoe with Google Built-in, 456 miles of range and more third-row seat and cargo room. Or (horrors) you might cross the road to a Lincoln dealer and pick up a $62K three-row Aviator ICE with Blue Cruise hands-free driving and 505 miles of range.But if you want a three-row EV that can drive you hands-free across Michigan, then Baby Escalade has a leg up on peers from Rivian, Volvo, Hyundai and Kia.
Next week: 2025 Nissan Murano and Nissan Titan
2026 Cadillac Vistiq
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, all-wheel-drive, six- or seven-passenger SUV
Price: $79,090, including $1,395 destination fee ($79,890 Luxury as tested)
Powerplant: 102 kWh lithium-ion battery with dual electric-motor drive
Power: 615 horsepower, 650 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Single-speed direct drive
Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.7 seconds (mfr.); towing, 5,000 pounds
Weight: 6,326 pounds
Range: 302 miles
Report card
Highs: Livable interior; Super Cruise
Lows: No frunk; limited range for a family hauler
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Stylish, techy VW Tiguan packs it all in
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 22, 2025
Clyde Park, Montana — In this small cattle town east of Bozeman between the Bridger and Crazy Mountains, I pulled up in my Cactus Green, 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV tester in front of Glenn’s grocery. A grizzled dude in a cowboy hat and jeans strolled by and I nodded hello.
“Howdy,” he said.
“How do you like my Volkswagen?” I asked.
“It’s nice,” he said before turning into Glenn’s.
In this rural ‘burg in America’s Big Sky west, the VW Tiguan fits right in. Big screens, big back seats, big wheels, big hatchback, big mirrors, big panoramic roof, big massaging seats. It’s been a long time comin’.
Volkswagen came to America to build cars in Pennsylvania in 1978 but the plant closed less than a decade later. In the 2000s, as Japanese Toyota and Honda SUVs soared, VW lagged. In 2008 Dieselgate buried the brand’s signature, diesel-powered fuel economy calling card. In 2020, VW’s first ID.4 electric vehicle landed with a thud.
But behind these headlines, a rose has been blooming.
In 2024, Volkswagen’s SUV sales hit 77% of the automaker’s product portfolio as the entry-level Taos and yuuuuge Atlas three-row made friends with a new generation of American consumers. Like my sister, who (along with her two dogs) adores her Atlas Sport.
Now comes the third-generation Tiguan in America’s biggest-volume, midize SUV segment and Tiggy is Terrific. Three is the charm.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
I cruised State Route 819’s two lane with its 70 mph speed limit (love these western states) with adaptive cruise set to 75 mph. Coming up on a truck burdened with cargo, I punched the 214-horsepower turbo-4 and the eight-speed automatic transmission smoothly selected a lower gear and I sped by my prey. Once past, I looked for a red blind-spot warning in the left mirror and — seeing none — merged back into the right lane.
Impressive. And all standard on this $30,920 SUV.
Compare that to the Honda CR-V, which at $31,495 offers 190 horsepower, no standard blind spot-assist and a continuously variable transmission. With its solid build, the Honda deserves its reliable reputation. But the V-dub seizes on its sporty reputation to offer a more stylish experience.
Credit Tiggy’s ID.4 and Golf R DNA. Though the electric ID.4 has struggled to keep pace with Tesla in the U.S. market, it forced VW to reinvent itself as a high-tech brand. Tiguan is refreshingly modern with clean exterior styling that echoes the ID.4’s lean lines — a design that is echoed inside with simple horizontal lines, tasteful dash materials and big digital displays that would make a Silicon Valley computer engineer proud.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Golf R would also be proud. The lean, digital look in Tiggy complements Brother R’s all-wheel-drive corner carving — so much so that the SUV has adopted a top-trim R-Line. That trim line will be further extended later this year by a 268-horse Tiguan Turbo model aimed squarely at the Mazda CX-5 Turbo — the best performance SUV in the segment (and a brand that also leans into its sporty, Miata-inspired DNA).
I look forward to flogging that beast — but, at the affordable end of the segment, the Tiguan also echoes the Mazda for value. Mazda wows with lush materials and standard features. So too, Tiggy. The standard, 12.9-inch touchscreen is easier to navigate than the Mazda’s remote-rotary controlled screen.
Not that the VW shies from rotary dials. Again cribbing from ID.4, Tiguan has moved its shifter to the steering wheel column to free up console storage for an optional phone charger and rotary dial. That dial enables the driver to quickly access drive modes as well as a palette of ambient lighting colors.
Also per its American training, the VW’s ergonomics are solid. Like GM and Ford, Tiggy has placed raised volume, radio and speed controls on the steering spokes so you can easily access these functions without taking your eyes off the road or hunting for them in the computer screen.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The V-dub does not follow GM’s lead on a Google Built-in operating system, which adds another clever voice recognition system to the cabin. Chevy’s elves have their act together these days.
But where Chevy’s Equinox takes its styling cues from big brother Silverado pickup, Tiguan looks to Golf R. In SPORT mode, I hit the gas and the playful two-liter engine awoke with a pleasing burble. Interested in towing a go-kart to the track for a weekend? The all-wheel-drive V-dub will tow 1,800 pounds, enough for a small trailer.
My kids go-karted at a young age and they would appreciate the roomy rear bench seat — optioned with heated seats for chilly winter months. VW says 60% of buyers option all-wheel drive, which will add $1,000 to a Michigan buyer’s bill. Volkswagen kept the price steady at just over $30K for the 2025 model year, and, with all the standard gear, AWD is all the upcharge you really need.
For consumers looking for a bit more pizzazz to match the Tiguan’s wardrobe, may I SE-ggest the SE model, which adds leatherette seats and 19-inch wheels to the equation. My SE tester struts out the door for $35,220.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Those with more coin in their pocket may look toward an Audi Q5. But like the Audi, Tiggy now brings a lot of character to the dance floor, thanks to its high-tech, ID.4 wardrobe. Outfit the VW in Monterrey Blue with black package, head-up display and 20-inch wheels (like my $39,230 R-Line Black Edition model), and I wouldn’t shy from parking next to a $50K Q5.
Heck, with $50K in my pocket, I’ll get the Golf R, which will outhustle most Audis on track.
Ahem.
Mrs. Payne is giving me the sharp elbow. Oh yes, we were talking midsize SUVs, not track cars. “How does it compare to a Subaru?” she asks. Quite well. Subie can’t match the VW’s performance with 184 horses and CVT — though the Crosstrek brings plenty of off-road character.
The Japanese brand has made itself at home in the United States by staying true to its formula and asking Americans what they want. The 2025 Tiguan does the same and I expect to see a lot more hanging out in front of Glenn’s grocery in the years to come.
2025 Volkswagen Tiguan
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $30,920, including $1,425 destination fee ($35,220 SE and $39,230 R-Line Black Edition as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder
Power: 201 horsepower, 207 pound-feet of torque (FWD); 201 horsepower, 227 pound-feet of torque (AWD)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.7-8.7 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 1,500-1,800 pounds
Weight: 3,563 pounds (FWD); 3,801 pounds (AWD)
Fuel economy: EPA, 26 mpg city/34 highway/29 combined (FWD); 22 mpg city/30 highway/25 combined (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Upscale styling and tech; loaded with standard features
Lows: No mute button; slider volume controls take getting used to
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Cadillac delivers on EV promises (with a side of ICE)
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 22, 2025
Chelsea — Media reviews of the three-row Vistiq SUV are out this week as the final player in Cadillac’s electric vehicle lineup goes on sale. It’s a feather in the cap for General Motors Co. as it completes an electric model line seeded at its EV Day just five years ago — central to its plan to re-establish Cadillac as the “standard of the world” above EV startup brands like Tesla, Rivian and Lucid.
Yet even Cadillac is hedging its bet on an electric future.
The brand that has been the boldest legacy luxury voice for battery-power is retaining its internal-combustion-powered XT5 SUV while updating its ICE Escalade mega-ute and CT5 sedan with the same digital technology as its EVs.
Chelsea – The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq EV is a three-row SUV that slots below the $130k Escalade IQ EV. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“We’re shifting now to meet market demand,” Global Cadillac Marketing Director Brad Franz said in an interview. “We’re going to continue to listen to the needs of customers and adjust as appropriate.”
That’s a hard turn from four years ago when Rory Harvey, then vice president of Global Cadillac, told media that “we will be leaving this decade as an EV brand, as things stand today, which means that we will not be selling ICE vehicles by 2030.”
Electrification is one leg in a broader brand reinvention that includes performance (a commitment to global motorsports like Formula One) and technology (led by GM’s pioneering, hands-free Super Cruise technology).
As its parent company ditched gas-engine development at the start of this decade and went all-in on EVs by 2035 in anticipation of market and regulatory demands, Cadillac took the lead. It now boasts five EV models — topped by the brand-redefining, $300,000-plus Celestiq sedan and including the Vistiq, Optiq, Lyriq and Escalade IQ SUVs.
Cadillac is leaning into electrification with the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq (background) the fifth EV in its stable. ICE cars like the CT5 sedan (foreground) remain in the lineup. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“Cadillac wants to be the ‘standard of the world’ again,” said auto analyst Rebecca Lindland with Allison Worldwide Communications & Marketing. “They are interested in being the premier American luxury brand. So if (GM) positions Cadillac as the EV innovator — the technology brand — they appeal to people with more disposable income who are more interested in being seen in the very latest technology.”
Spurred by Tesla’s sky-high market evaluation and an incoming Biden administration’s EV regulations backed by massive subsidies, multiple legacy automakers in 2020 made bullish predictions about battery-powered portfolios — only to pull back as the EV market stalled. According to Cox Automotive data, EV sales have stabilized at about 8% of the market with political headwinds on the way as the Republican-controlled federal government prepares to nix the $7,500 federal EV credit and claw back industry subsidies.
Cadillac plans to stay the course on EVs while being careful not to alienate its traditional ICE buyers.
The United States’ four best-selling luxury brands — BMW (371,346 units sold in 2024), Lexus (345,669), Mercedes (324,528) and Audi (196,576) — have pursued a strategy of parallel EV-ICE model lines. Audi’s electric Q4 e-tron/Q6 e-tron/Q8 e-tron lineup, for example, parallels its Q3/Q5/Q7 ICE lineup.
Cadillac (2024 sales: 160,204), by contrast, has begun to pare its ICE lineup. It is discontinuing its entry-level, gas-powered XT4 and three-row XT6 SUVs after this model year. Franz said the brand will continue to manufacture the midsize XT5 and Escalade ICE SUVs “to meet strong customer demand.”
The EV strategy has begun to bear fruit.
In Park City, Utah, the Cadillac Lyriq EV shows off its athletic proportions. The car weighs a whopping 5,610 pounds, but that weight is low in the belly for a good center of gravity. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
In 2024 the Lyriq became the No. 2-selling Caddy after the iconic Escalade (41,001 units sold) with 28,410 in sales — a healthy 210% increase over 2023.
The XT5 was the brand’s No. 3-selling model in 2024 with 26,432 sales while the XT6 moved 20,225 units, a 5.8% increase over the prior year.
“What we’re seeing right now, especially on Lyriq, is 80% conquest,” said Franz. “We are bringing in new customers, and those customers tend to be from a higher income (and) education perspective. We’re encouraged by the fact that our products are driving new business . . . but also (we’re) making sure that we take care of customers that have been with us for a long time.”
The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq EV features hands-free Super Cruise driver-assist technology. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Franz estimates that EV sales will account for 30-35% of Cadillac U.S. sales this year — key as GM faces mandates from California and other zero-emission states requiring electrics to make up 35% of sales for the 2026 model year or face steep penalties. Those mandates, however, could be overturned by a vote in the U.S. Senate this week.
Significantly, EVs accounted for 37% of Caddy’s California retail sales in the first quarter of 2025.
“From a corporate standpoint, Cadillac helps GM to meet regulatory requirements, so they can still sell highly profitable pickup trucks,” said analyst Lindland. “Positioning Cadillac as a full EV brand gives the other (GM) brands more leeway and more freedom to continue to sell highly profitable gas engine models.”
In addition to replacing ICE models with EV equivalents, Cadillac is moving its EVs upscale with price increases of $20,000-$40,000 over equivalent ICE vehicles. The $79,090 Vistiq, for example, is priced $28,000 above the three-row XT6 ICE that it replaces. The compact, $54,390 Optiq EV starts over $12,00 above the outgoing XT4 ICE; the $60,090 Lyriq starts $14k north of the XT5; and the $130,090 Escalade IQ EV is 40 grand more expensive than the gas Escalade.
Cadillac’s EV price premium is consistent with that of European competitors.
“I don’t think it’s a brand shift,” Franz said about Caddy’s pricing. “It’s just when you think about the technology, the design, the product speaks for itself. When you start to bring in things like four-wheel-steer, augmented reality, different levels of refinement in third row . . . folks will see that.”
Cadillac Lyriq starts at $60,090 – or about $14k north of the XT5 ICE SUV. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Analyst Lindland said that premium luxury pricing is the new normal.
“This is the reality that we’re in nowadays,” she said. “Luxury vehicles are, for the most part, $60,000 and up . . . with all the technology that we are demanding of manufacturers. Not just battery technology, but all the safety equipment, all the infotainment equipment.”
Technology is a big part of Cadillac’s new brand message along with the EV transition. Electric SUVs get substantial tech upgrades over most of their ICE peers with 33-inch, curved screens and standard Super Cruise hands-free driving. In a nod to their staying power, Escalade and CT5 sedan ICE models share those tech upgrades.
Super Cruise is an important selling point for Cadillac. The hands-free system competes head-to-head with Tesla’s Full Self Driving system while also pointing toward GM’s corporate mantra: zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion.
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“You’ll see us really leaning into that as a differentiator. And it’s beyond EV,” Franz said. “We have that capability in Escalade, we have it on the CT5. Once (the customer) experiences it, it’s hard to not have.”
Cadillac is also pushing the envelope in racing, including the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula One. Cadillac will enter the series next year and plans to develop its own electrified powertrain by 2029 to burnish the brand’s image as a technology leader. But here, too, gas-power remans a key player — the CT5 sedan’s V8-powered V-Series Blackwing model echoes the V8-powered Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar that competes in international endurance racing.
Vistiq will push the EV envelope. Three-row vehicles are typically used for family travel and Vistiq offers significantly cheaper transport than the $130k Escalade IQ EV. Its 300-mile range, however, could be a challenge relative to 550-mile XT6 ICE.
The Platinum version of the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq EV tops the lineup with rear-wheel-steer and Augmented Reality HUD display. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“We get excited thinking about the competitive space (Vistiq) is playing in right now,” Franz said. “You’re talking about Lucid Gravity, Rivian R1S and Tesla Model X. Here comes Vistiq . . . that, I think, stacks up very well. There is considerable demand for a three row EV SUV, and there’s not a lot of choice out there.”
That choice includes a three-row gas-powered XT6. For now.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Full steam ahead in the 2025 Ford Expedition land yacht
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 17, 2025
Louisville, Kentucky — I usually review cars from bow to stern. But since this sumptuous 2025 Ford Expedition is a rolling land yacht, let’s start with stern.
Like the rear deck of a ski boat, the Expedition’s stern is a cool place to hang out. New for ‘25, the Ford offers a rear split gate — the upper portion a hatchback for loading, the lower a tailgate. So you can lay out a picnic spread at a Kentucky Derby tailgate party here, or relax out back (complete with seatback) on the sidelines of your kid’s soccer game.
Speaking of kids, they’ll want dibs on the third-row seat.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Third row
On a morning journey into Indiana, I opted for the third row, which easily accommodated my 6’5” frame. I slipped my Pure Leaf iced tea into a cupholder (there are three back here). If I had been carrying an Egg McMuffin and hash browns, I could have popped them on a side tray. A yuge panoramic roof flooded the cabin with sunlight — and if it got too toasty on this May day; I could have removed my sweatshirt and hung it on one of four third-row coat hooks.
I had work to do, so I booted up my laptop, connected it to the boat’s — er, SUV’s — WiFi hotspot (it can support 10 devices), and plugged it into the 110-volt outlet behind me in the cargo bay. Speaking of cargo, the Expedition comes in a stretched Max version (for an extra $3,000) for more luggage space.
For a little extra comfort, I reclined my third-row seat, then depressed the latch on the side of the second-row chair (since no one was sitting in front of me) — collapsing it into an Ottoman for my legs. When I needed a break from work, I took a sip from my tea and chatted with my media colleague, Mike, driving up front (more on driving later) thanks to the quiet, insulated cabin.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Expedition rolls off the same Kentucky Truck Plant line as its luxury sibling Lincoln Navigator, which I tested earlier this year in San Diego. For another $30K, Navigator floats on smooth adaptive shocks, but you’d never know the Expedition was built on a ladder track frame either, thanks to its independent rear suspension.
Sit in the bed of a Ford F-250 truck and you’ll know — WHUMP! — that it sits on a leaf-frame suspension. But in the third row of the Expedition and Navigator, the giant SUV was smooth as silk. No wonder Detroit automakers dominate this mega-ute space and American families order them by the thousands.
Navigator is posh with second-row heated, cooled, massaging seats — but they can’t turtle into Ottomans like the ones in my Expedition tester. Score one for the $63K Ford.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Row two
Expedition options a second-row bench seat so you can sit a ridiculous eight people in the cruise liner if needed. Maybe Ford will offer a pool deck next. Our $72K Activ tester was equipped with second-row captain’s chairs that were roomier than Delta coach seats, with a center aisle wider than an airliner for easy access to the third row. I could comfortably sit behind myself sitting behind myself in the cabin.
The second row also had a 110 outlet strategically placed in the back of the center console for second- and first-row passengers. USB and USB-C ports are littered around all three rows, including a pair in the back of the front seats.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Why? Because, coming for the 2026 model year is a clever phone holder incorporated into the back of the headrests so you can watch movies or play games with your head in an upright position to prevent motion sickness (I felt a little woozy after working on my laptop in the third row).
The cockpit
Up front in the captain and co-captain’s quarters, Expedition has leaned into the Navigator’s cool digital experience. The last-gen Expedition deployed the F-series’ familiar digital screens, with the option of a vertical center console tablet.
The ‘25 model offers the Ford Digital Experience with a 24-inch jumbotron (the Lincoln gets an A-pillar-to-A-pillar, 48-inch display) sprawling across the base of the windshield — containing three screens for instruments, navigation and other information (your choice of tire pressures, radio info, fuel mileage and so on).
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The jumbotron is controlled by a smaller console screen, which I rarely consulted. Instead, I operated the land yacht with the modern square steering wheel and Google Built-in voice commands.
Hey, Google, set driver temperature to 68 degrees.
Hey Google, navigate to Louisville Slugger Field.
Hey, Google, tell me a joke.
Google: “OK. Why was the student’s report card wet? Because it was below C level.”
Haw. The kids will love that feature. And families will enjoy the mega-digital displays as well as a sliding center console that can either open space for a large purse up front — or bring cupholders closer to rear passengers. Kids can play movies or download game apps, including one called Shuffleboard played by up to four players after scanning a QR code with their phones.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The square steering wheel will take some getting used to, however.
Shared with the Navigator, it’s right out of Tesla Cybertruck with its minimalist interface. Blue Cruise hands-free driving also takes getting used to, but once you’ve tried it there is no going back. Ford makes it easy to try with one-month subscriptions (or you can buy it outright). I drove for hours across Bluegrass interstates hands-free. It’s a great companion for checking email and eating meals on long trips.
Exterior
Wrap this rec room on wheels in any of the Expedition trims (Activ, Platinum, King Ranch and Tremor — my favorite with its 33-inch all-terrain tires and orange accents) and this is a good lookin’ yacht. Put your foot down and the mega-ute will create serious bow waves.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
BWAAUUUUGH! The Tremor’s 440-horse (a jump of 40 horses over base Activ), twin-turbo V-6 roared as I punched it around a slower car on a two-lane road — the 10-speed transmission expertly choosing the right gear for smooth acceleration.
Drop the tailgate, throw out a rope, and I bet you can water ski behind it.
Next week: 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan
2025 Ford Expedition
Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear- and four-wheel-drive, six- to eight-passenger mega-ute
Price: $63,995, including $1,995 destination fee ($93,490 Platinum Max, $83,025 Tremor and $74,905 Activ Max as tested)
Powerplant: 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6
Power: 400-440 horsepower, 480-510 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.9 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 6,100-6,300 pounds (RWD) and 9,000-9,600 pounds (4×4)
Weight: 5,404-5,794 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 15 mpg city/22 highway/18 combined
Report card
Highs: Screen-tastic family yacht; three-row comfort
Lows: Steering wheel ergonomics take getting used to; gets pricey
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
William Porter, 1931-2025: Influential designer of 1970s Pontiac muscle cars
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 17, 2025
GM, GM
Auto designer William Porter has died, long live William Porter.
The celebrated General Motors draftsman penned some of the most iconic muscle cars that will ply the Woodward Dream Cruise this summer including the 1968 Pontiac GTO, 1970-73 Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am, and 1971 Bonneville. The academically-trained artist and industrial designer is credited with the long, muscular styling that helped define a Golden Era of 1960s and 1970s American automobiles.
A resident of Whitmore Lake, Porter died at home on April 23 at the age of 93. In his 39 years as a designer with GM, Porter oversaw the Buick design studio as well as Pontiac, retiring from the company in 1996.
“I have always respected and admired Bill for his design track record but even more so for his personality and his design discretion and expertise,” wrote Jon Albert, who worked alongside Porter as Buick interior chief designer in 1995. “I am extremely privileged to have worked with a guy who knew the history of design in general (not just auto design) and who possessed such a keen sense for good design as well as what makes sense for compelling styling.”
Porter joined the company in 1957 as an intern while working on his master’s degree at New York’s Pratt Institute, then was hired full-time in 1958. He began sketching Pontiac designs in 1962 as well as other work with the Advanced Design studio, then was transferred to Pontiac in 1968 as chief designer, where he really began to make his mark.
In the early 1970s, he directed the design of the brand’s GTO, Firebird, LeMans, Catalina and Bonneville coupes and sedans.
“My first assignment at GM Design was in Mr. Porter’s Advanced Pontiac Studio,” wrote John Manoogian II in a tribute to his former boss. “I was in awe of the talent in that studio, with the maestro himself, Bill Porter, running the place. To this day, I can’t believe how fortunate I was.”
GM, GM
Porter’s signature was the uniquely American design of Coke bottle-shaped cars with mile-long scooped hoods and aggressive grilles. With fire-breathing V-8 engines under their hoods, these thoroughbreds became symbols of American individualism and the call of the open road.
“(My contribution to the ’68 GTO) was the basic body theme, the monocoque shell form with elliptical pressure bulges over the wheels,” Porter said in an interview with High Performance Pontiac in 2000. But when it came to naming his favorite car, Porter singled out the second-generation 1970-73 Pontiac Firebird.
“I was absolutely crazy about that car from day one and really threw myself into it,” he said. “I put the best designers I had on it and we were consciously trying to create an important American sports car.”
GM, GM
The 1960-70s Pontiacs were groundbreaking in foreshadowing today’s “bumperless” integrated fascias — and also with their interior design.
“One of the design approaches pioneered in the ’70-1/2 F-car and that’s coming into the industry in a more widespread way now, is the integration of the interior and the exterior,” Porter said in the 2000 interview. “When you open the door of the Firebird … there is a subliminal sense of the unity of the interior and exterior. That had never been done before that I know of.”
The designer’s keen sense of art — he was a collector of Tiffany glass and Arts and Crafts furniture — extended to the famous Firebird “screaming chicken” hood graphic. The graphic almost didn’t make it to production after then-GM Vice President for Design Bill Mitchell went into a fury over its design.
“He called me up and I had to hold the phone away from my ear,” remembered Porter. “That was the end of that! Then a couple of years later, (colleague) John Schinelle talked him into taking another look at it. And so it finally saw the light of day on the ’73 cars. Mitchell was a real hair-trigger.”
GM, GM
Porter moved on from Pontiac to work on the Chevrolet Camaro before taking on Buick’s chief design position, where he oversaw design development for the Park Avenue and Riviera.
Porter was born in Louisville and received a B.A. in painting and art history from the University of Louisville in 1953. He served in the Army before pursuing his industrial design master’s at Pratt.
In addition to his son, Porter is survived by his wife, Patsy Jane, his son Adam, two daughters, Sarah Wilding Porter and Lydia Porter Latocki; a brother, Thomas Hampton Porter; and three grandchildren.
Porter gathered his favorite design sketches, which are preserved at his website: http://williamlporter.com/index.html
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Corvette update elevates C8 interior: More screens, grab handles, new colors
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 9, 2025
America’s mid-engine supercar is getting a mid-cycle refresh.
Since Chevrolet dropped the mic six years ago with the stunning, first-ever mid-engine Corvette Stingray, the eighth-generation rocket has maintained sales momentum with a series of performance models: the high-revving, 670-horsepower 2022 Corvette Z06; all-wheel-drive, gas-electric hybrid 2023 E-Ray; and 1,064-hp, 233-mph, twin-turbo-V8-powered 2025 ZR1.
For the 2026 model year, the focus moves from engine bay to cockpit.
Chevrolet, Chevrolet
Already one of the most luxurious supercars on the planet at a fraction of the price of its European peers, Corvette generation 8 1/2 introduces a refined interior that pushes the envelope of sports car comfort and technology. The driver-centric cockpit wraps the pilot in three screens with upgraded graphics and enhanced tech — drawing from a deep well of General Motors Co. engineering that smaller exotic brands can only dream about.
The ‘Vette’s signature center console gets reordered with climate control buttons moved from the signature center spine to sub-screen buttons like other Chevrolets. The spine is now a dedicated “Oh-Crap!” handle for passengers.
The console itself is more ordered with drive mode selector in line with the trigger shifter, while the cockpit’s wardrobe is expanded with a wealth of color options — including an asymmetrical seat option. The reimagined interior is applied to all Corvette models.
“The design team considered every element — from materials, to stitching, to layout of the interior — for the 2026 Corvette,” said Global Chevrolet Executive Design Director Phil Zak. “Paired with the new screens and technology, the refreshed interior enables a refined experience for the driver and the passenger.”
Chevrolet, Chevrolet
The three-screen layout includes a larger 12.7-inch diagonal center console display — a significant expansion over the last model’s 8-inch display that is now run by the same Google Built-in operating system as other GM products. When drivers aren’t gritting their teeth around high g-force corners, they can bark voice commands at the supercar to, say, navigate to a destination or change the cabin temp.
The digital instrument display also grows — from 12 to 14 inches behind the innovative, square-shaped steering wheel that allows for better viewing of the screen’s information. The instrument display’s hood can now be optioned in carbon fiber. To the driver’s left is an all-new, 6.6-inch diagonal touchscreen that houses goodies like traction management, trip mileage, and head-up display controls.
Ergonomically, Chevy has resisted the industry move away from control buttons, and the display volume knob is not only bigger than before but also lit for better visibility.
The console itself has been cleaned up to offer more room. The Drive Mode selector, for example, is now a simple toggle switch rather than a rotary dial. That opens space for a charging pad so you don’t drain your phone when navigating to Bowling Green, Kentucky on Google Maps — and the pad is thoughtfully equipped with a cover so that your phone doesn’t become a UFO when carving corners.
Chevrolet
In addition to the grab-handle, passengers gain a USB-C port in the console. Further amenities include fancy, exposed cupholders with ambient lighting and Corvette crossed -flag logos in the bottom.
Fancier graphics also light up the larger instrument display as drivers toggle though Drive Mode options.
“There’s an intentional balance of physical and virtual controls,” said Dusty Smith, performance driving product manager. “The technology in the new Corvette is as strong and capable as the engine behind you.”
More new digital toys include a Performance App (previously exclusive to the E-Ray model) — the app displays live horsepower and torque flow, acceleration timer, G-force gauge, tire pressure/temp, engine oil temperature/pressure and more.
Complementing the app is an available, enhanced Performance Data Recorder that, like a race car’s AIM system, records in-car performance data and video so drivers can analyze track laps for better performance.
In addition to its voice command capability, Google Built-in brings apps Google Chrome, GameSnacks, HBO Max, Prime Video and more so you can stream videos or play games when parked between track sessions.
All this tech is wrapped in the C8’s first-class seats that add four new color schemes: Sky Cool and Medium Ash Gray with Habanero accents; Santorini Blue; Very Dark Atmosphere, which pairs chocolate brown with Jet Black and Natural Tan accents; and Ultimate Suede, a Jet Black interior customizable with Adrenaline Red, Santorini Blue and Competition Yellow colors and matching seatbelts.
The latter is the headliner as Corvette’s first so-called asymmetrical interior. For example, customers can spec a mixed seating option with Asymmetrical Adrenaline Red on the driver’s side and Jet Black for the passenger side.
Chevrolet
The C8’s exterior gets some love too.
The top-drawer ZR1’s ZTK performance package options a new ceramic-disc brake package with 10-piston front and 6-piston rear calipers to bring it back to earth from 200-mph-plus speeds. Blue brake calipers, currently available only on ZR1, will be available on E-Ray and Z06 performance models too. The C8 coupe gets an electrochromic roof so customers can select a tint level. Two new skin colors are available across the lineup: Roswell Green Metallic and Blade Silver Metallic.
Pricing for 2026 models will be released closer to production, with the 2025 Stingray model’s $70,195 now over 10 grand higher than the 2020 model’s $59,995 debut.
“Corvette is the ultimate American sports car, which is why it has remained the luxury sport segment leader for more than 20 years — with the next competitor a distant second in terms of market share,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet. “With these updates, the mid-engine Corvette will continue to cement its leadership for years to come.”
Chevrolet
The update should carry the eighth-gen model through the end of the decade with expectations that a fourth performance model called Zora is forthcoming. The hypercar is expected to combine the E-Ray’s electrified, AWD system and the ZR1’s twin-turbo V-8 for a 1,500-horsepower Ferrari-killing monster.
The C8’s run comes amid speculation that the ninth-gen Corvette will get an electric model with GM’s new London design studio recently showcasing an electric concept.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Toyota Corolla FX is X-tra fun, until you put your boot into it
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 8, 2025
Romulus — The FX is back. And so is Toyota attitude.
The Toyota Corolla FX is low, dark and mean. I circled my Midnight Black Metallic tester like Hiccup assessing his Night Fury dragon. Chocolate mirror caps, wheels with machined accents crouched on shortened springs with a chocolate spoiler out back that would make a Corvette proud. This is a Corolla? The vanilla ice cream of compact cars?
The FX is a throwback to the Corolla FX16 hatchback of 1987, when hot hatches were the new, new thing (my first car was the hot-hatch, segment-busting, FX16 competitor, 1984 VW Rabbit GTI). The U.S. was in a trade war with Japan, and Toyota (in the words of enthusiast mag Car and Driver) was “run by a bunch of gonzo back-yard tinkerers.”
The ‘80s are back, baby.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The rowdy FX16 was assembled in California to avoid the threat of steep Washington tariffs (and get around the Reagan administration-negotiated Japanese import quotas), and Toyota was tinkering with fun toys like the FX16, Supra coupe and innovative engines like dual-overhead-cam hellions. Sound familiar?
Supra came back in 2019, and Toyota’s elves have introduced mills like the 100-plus-horsepower-per-liter, 1.6-liter turbo-three.
As for the FX16, it has actually been reborn as the GR Corolla hot hatch. Like the FX16 and its high-revving, innovative DOHC engine, the all-wheel-drive GR gets a different engine from the standard Corolla — that Godzilla-in-a-briefcase, 300-horse turbo-3. And, like the ‘80s FX, the GR is laugh-out-loud fun — one of the most entertaining cars introduced in the last decade. Period.
The FX is no GR, but it’s plenty OK.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
At just $27,635 — a four-grand bump from the base vanilla model — FX is the bargain of the Corolla family. That crouched stance isn’t just for looks. Approaching a series of twisties in Oakland County, I gripped the heavy steering wheel in SPORT mode, which made FX feel rooted to the asphalt.
I flung my steed into a righthander, and it went right where FXpected. Minimal body roll, minimal push. Sharing an independent suspension with its more expensive GR and XSE siblings, the short-sprung FX rotated beautifully. In sedan form, FX has a roomier cabin than the GX hatch, so I could take three friends to the Sign of the Beefcarver for dinner after I was done carving corners.
Of course, at 10 grand cheaper than the stick-shift GR hot hatch, something is missing, and that’s the drivetrain.
Under the hood is the standard 169-horsepower, 4-cylinder gerbil wheel controlled by the dreaded CVT transmission. Sliding across a corner apex, I nailed the throttle. My Night Fury Dragon was toothless:
DROOOOOOOOOOOONE!
My ears bled. Make it stop. I reached for the stick shift, but that’s only available on GR. I reached for shift paddles on the back of the steering wheel. Same.
DROOOOOOOOOOOONE!
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The CVT is why six-speed automatic transmissions in, say, the Mazda3, are prized in the compact performance segment. And why Honda and Hyundai worked hard to implement shift points in their, respectively, Civic Sport and Elantra CVTs. Toyota is content for the CVT to prioritize fuel efficiency.
Add 34 mpg to FX’s long list of standard features: Bullet-proof reliability, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control with lane-keep-assist, rear-cross traffic alert, blind-sport assist and 10.5-inch tablet touchscreen display.
The latter is new to Corolla and will be an option on other trims. Positioning is excellent — high on the dash like a Mazda for good visibility, but — unlike Mazda — a touchscreen for easy access. Upon entry, the infotainment system mirrored my smartphone on the screen. Google Maps popped up complete with my pre-loaded destination, and the Sirius XM app played Comedy Greats.
Alas, the new FX is plagued by Toyota’s ol’ ergonomics issues.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
I reached for the volume knob to turn up the volume on a Brian Regan bit, and — um, volume knob?
Curiously, Toyota has chosen a volume slider at the base of the screen instead of a simple knob. Honda and Cadillac tried similar solutions and returned to knobs after owners judged them hard to operate when driving.
I ignored it for the volume controls on the steering wheel, but here too Toyota ergonomics come up short. Where competitors like Hyundai, Honda and Mazda use lifted buttons to select volume and adaptive cruise controls, Corolla’s wheel buttons are flat, necessitating that you take your eyes off the road to find them. The good news is the adaptive cruise features lane-keep assist, so I could afford to look away while adjusting volume on I-275.
Typical of Toyota, the nannies are always close by if you remove your hands from the wheel for too long (Hyundai, for example, will allow you about a minute hands-free) on long hauls.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
It was short trips that I really enjoyed — made shorter by the fun-to-drive FX. For Corolla, GR and FX are a needed shot of adrenaline in a segment boiling with performance. In addition to VW’s Teutonic threesome of Jetta GLI sedan and Golf GTI/R hatchbacks, Toyota’s Asian competitors have also stepped up their game.
Most formidable is the roomier Honda Civic with its full range of sedans, hatches and hybrids, starting with the base Civic sedan all the way to the rowdy Type R hot hatch. Hyundai, too, sweetens the deal with a 100,000-mile drivetrain warranty — and is coming on strong with variations of the Elantra sedan, which include a compelling N-line performance line. N for Nürburgring, a nod to the legendary German race track.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda is an auto enthusiast, has raced the ‘Ring several times, and has been on a mission to push the brand toward more performance. He’s established a Le Mans-winning Toyota racing team, Supra and GR86 sports cars, and GR Corolla. Now he is resurrecting the FX badge.
It’s affordable, stylish, nimble, with — ahem — droooooooning CVT. Keep pushing, Akio!
Next week: 2025 Ford Expedition
2025 Toyota Corolla FX
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan
Price: $27,635, including $1,335 destination fee ($28,144 as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder
Power: 169 horsepower, 151 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Continuously-variable automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.1 seconds (Motor Trend)
Weight: 3,070 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 31 mpg city/40 highway/34 combined
Report card
Highs: Balanced, fun-to-drive chassis; new, big screen
Lows: The curse of the CVT; poor screen ergonomics
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Cadillac F1 team creates buzz at Miami GP, including hopes for a synfuel future
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 6, 2025
The Formula One wars are in full swing for 2025, and the General is plotting its 2026 entry.
The F1 circus made its annual stop in Miami last weekend, and while the world’s best drivers slugged it out on track, General Motors Co.’s fledgling Cadillac F1 team was creating plenty of buzz in the paddock. Cadillac F1 hosted an exclusive event where it introduced its official logo. GM President Mark Reuss said the program would not be impacted by tariffs, and rumors swirled that Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez would join the team
But it was news that Cadillac F1’s drivetrain (or “power unit” in F1-speak) had been approved for entry in 2029 that has perhaps the greatest impact for the world’s premier motorsports series and the future of the auto industry.
“Cadillac is honored to share the F1 stage with the best luxury brands from around the world. It’s a brand whose legacy on and off the track is filled with innovation, technological precision and timeless beauty,” Reuss said in Miami. “Our journey has been long but from the very beginning, it has been about ambition … audacity … and now acceleration.”
Mark Reuss addresses the crowd at Crown Miamai Beach restaurant during the May 2-4 Miami GP weekend as Cadillac F1 introduced its team logo. Michelle Malcho, Michelle Malcho
When Cadillac F1 enters its first Grand Prix in Melbourne early next year, it will use a gas-electric hybrid power unit developed by Ferrari. But GM’s ultimate goal in Formula One — and the reason the open-wheel series accepted its entry — is joining the world’s elite automakers in 2028 as the sport transitions to so-called “sustainable,” non-fossil-fuel dependent drivetrains.
Manufacturers have long assumed this means electrified drivetrains that are powered 50/50 by a turbocharged V-6 gas engine/battery-electric motor hybrid. That assumption also has dovetailed with manufacturers’ plans to transition to all-electric drivetrains like Cadillac’s production lineup. Ford Motor Co., too, is joining F1 — though as a battery-supply partner to Red Bull racing, not a full power unit manufacturer like GM.
But an alternative is gaining ground: synthetic fuel.
As expected, Formula One’s governing body, the FIA (French-based Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) officially approved Cadillac F1’s entry for the 2026 season. But in a surprise, the team was allowed until 2029 (not 2028 as expected) to introduce its own power unit to join other makers like Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull-Ford and Honda.
The reason? The potential, according to motorsports insiders, to bypass costly, heavy battery technology and go straight to internal combustion engines powered by synthetic fuels — long the Holy Grail of green energy solutions.
The announcement “opens the door for (Cadillac F1) to enter at the same time the series could switch to a simpler V8 or V10 alternative,” reported motorsports insider publication The Race. “The timing of that date is interesting because that is the year . . . when F1 could move away from turbo hybrid engines and towards a cheaper and simpler power unit — like a V8/V10 that runs on fully sustainable fuel.”
Said veteran international motorsports writer Steven Cole Smith, special projects editor for Hagerty: “Everything is still on the table, and Formula One requirements are likely to change over the next few years. Cadillac does not want to have to change power units midstream.”
Cadillac F1 introduced its logo at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. GM, GM
The prospect of a shrieking V-8 or V10-powered Cadillac Formula One car storming the world’s greatest racetracks would send Motown enthusiasts into rapture.
But its implementation with synthetic fuel — not just for GM but for other teams — would solve a problem that has increasingly bedeviled the world’s automakers even as they have collectively vowed to government regulators that they want to transition to non-fossil-fuel-based drivetrains.
Simply put, the twin curses of battery costs and weight that have dogged the electrified vehicle market are magnified in motorsports, where lightweighting is crucial to performance and where organizers are determined to keep costs under control to maintain manufacturer participation.
“No one is happy with the 50/50 hybrid drive unit,” Cole Smith said. “Synthetic fuel makes a lot of sense.”
Adds The Race of a potential, 90/10 synfuel/battery solution: “A simpler kinetic energy recovery system and smaller batteries will be much more cost-efficient . . . and will also have an impact in reducing car weight — which remains a hot topic in F1.”
The synfuels topic has gained momentum across the automotive world. Sister sportscar racing series — North America’s IMSA and the international WEC — have developed mild-hybrid, electrified systems that allow V-8 engines from Cadillac, Ferrari, Porsche and BMW to compete (as well as a V-6 engines from Acura and a V-10 from Lamborghini), but they have also stressed the importance of synthetic fuels.
Porsche is particularly bullish on synfuels (also called e-fuels) and has been working with Exxon at a Chilean facility.
Russ O’Blenes, director of the GM Motorsports Propulsion and Performance Team, has been named CEO of GM Performance Power Units LLC, a newly formed business that will build powertrains for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. GM, GM
“Porsche is way ahead of everyone else on synthetic fuels in Chile, and a new factory in Texas,” said Cole Smith. “And they are running a race series in Europe on synthetic fuels. Synfuels are getting a lot of attention as the weight penalty for hybrid-electric systems is significant.”
Like its fellow motorsports manufacturers, Porsche must navigate an international marketplace where governments from China to Europe are banning fossil fuel-fired engines. Yet a ban on gasoline would shortchange the millions of owners who would see their residual vehicle values crater.
Synfuels could not only keep these cars running — but would also allow race series to avoid the inherent drawbacks of batteries compared to ICEs.
“Putting off the power unit development until 2029 will help alleviate stress on the program,” said Hagerty’s Cole Smith. “Cadillac F1 has a lot to do to make the grid in 2026.”
Another stress point alleviated involves tariffs. Though GM recently estimated the Trump administration’s tariffs could cost the company $5 billion in annual earnings, Reuss told reporters in Miami that tariffs would not impact GM’s F1 investment.
“We’re working very hard,” Reuss told Autosport. “There’s about $5 billion of impact for us (as a result of tariffs), but it’s not going to affect this project.”
Cadillac F1 and its American racing partner, TWG Motorsports, showcased the team’s new logo in a dramatic video introduction at Queen Miami Beach lounge in the historic Paris Theater.
Rumors had swirled that the event would debut the team’s car livery and a new driver, Sergio Perez. Neither happened (despite a sea of fans chanting Perez’s nickname, “Checo,” outside the venue), but the event still provided plenty of information about the F1 entry.
An image of a Cadillac F1 car as part of the team’s video introducing its logo at the 2025 Miami GP. GM, GM
The brand sees the world’s motorsport as a way to remake Cadillac’s catchphrase as the “standard of the world.” The F1 entry dovetails with Cadillac reinvention as an EV brand as it expands sales into global markets — including Europe, where Cadillac has opened a flagship Paris showroom.
The video liberally mixed images of Cadillac’s hallowed design past — 1950s tailfins and rocket-shaped taillights — with its electric design future and screaming F1 car. The video ended with the tag words BOLD, INNOVATIVE, RELENTLESS before the Cadillac F1 logo exclamation point.
Cadillac recently joined other F1 manufacturers at a V-10 engine summit in Bahrain, at the invitation of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, to discuss F1’s long-term vision.
GM and TWG are building a dedicated F1 engine facility in Charlotte under the direction of veteran powertrain guru Russ O’Blenes. Speaking of F1’s approval of Cadillac’s 2029 power unit timeline, O’Blenes said: “With this approval, we will continue to accelerate our efforts to bring an American-built F1 power unit to the grid.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Spring, split windows and supercars: Lingenfelter Collection opens doors for charity
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 6, 2025
April flowers bring May flowers and May flowers bring the Spring Open House at the Lingenfelter Collection in Brighton.
One of Michigan’s premier auto collections opens to the public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday to benefit the American Cancer Society. Donations are encouraged at the door, and in return visitors can ogle a cornucopia of rare automobiles from dragsters to Ferraris to historic Corvettes to the modified General Motors monsters that are the product of Lingenfelter Engineering.
“Its springtime here in Michigan (when) we get our cars out and really start enjoying them,” smiled collector Ken Lingenfelter, who is also CEO of Lingenfelter Engineering. “The American Cancer Society is a great charity, all the money goes where it’s supposed to go. We want people to come and get a look at the Lingenfelter Collection; we have about 160 cars.”
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Lingenfelter has been impacted personally by cancer, losing his father and sister to the disease.
“I think cancer has touched just about everybody. This is one way to help out,” he said in an interview. “The collection is not open to the public, so we just do charity fundraisers and corporate meetings and that keeps it special.”
One of the collection’s jewels is a so-called “split window” 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a rare car in the Chevrolet model’s 72-year history that was only produced for one model year. The split window is so prized by collectors that a pair was the centerpiece of the New York Auto Show’s 125th anniversary display this April.
“(Chevy) only did it one year, and the next year they got rid of split in the window. It wasn’t looked on positively by the top of GM,” said Lingenfelter. “The designers and engineers really wanted it so they did it for a year, but that was it. So they are rare — but in addition to that, it’s just such a cool look. I saw my first one when I was 10 years old, and it turned me into a Corvette guy for life.”
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Both the Stingray badge and split window have become, over the years, a signature Corvette feature and are highlighted in the current, eighth-generation, mid-engine supercar. The base model is called a Stingray and the top-shelf, 1,064-horsepower ZR1 track beast has a split rear window.
The split window is also featured in the first electric Corvette concept tht was penned by Chevrolet’s London studio earlier this year. All in memory of the ‘63 OG.
Kept in a 40,00 square-foot warehouse, the Lingenfelter collection sprawls across three bays and 40,000 square feet. There’s an eclectic assortment of rare toys, including a re-creation of the first-generation 1954 Corvette Corvair Motorama Showcar, a juiced 2010 Pontiac Trans Am, two-door Nomad wagon, 215-mph Greenwood Corvette GTO, V8-powered 1974 AMC Gremlin (complete with Levi’s jeans interior), and nitrous-fed 2007 NHRA Nationals-winning Dodge Charger Funny Car dragster.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Want a little Hollywood? Lingenfelter’s 2006 Pontiac Solstice sports car played the character “Jazz” in the 2007 sci-fi movie “Transformers.”
But in his heart, Lingenfelter is a Corvette fan with some 60 models of GM’s famed sports car in his collection. His passion was rewarded this year with a seat on the board of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
“The Corvette Museum is such a jewel,” said Lingenfelter. “If you’re an auto enthusiast, it’s something you need to get on your bucket list. It covers the whole history of Corvette. There are some amazing cars built — and others that were designed but never built. The Father of the Corvette is Zora Arkus-Duntov, and there’s a big display of some of the ideas that he had.”
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
One of those ideas was the so-called “Duntov Mule” that is featured in Lingenfelter’s stable.
Only was made in 1954 as a test car. It was Chevy’s first V8-powered Corvette and boasts a 5.0-liter eight-holer under the hood, open cockpit, and shark fin for high speeds. The Mule hit 163 mph at GM’s Arizona Proving Grounds in 1955 in the hands of test ace Smokey Yunick.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Ford Mustang GTD scorches Nürburgring for another record lap
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 6, 2025
Like the Terminator, the Mustang GTD came back.
In August 2024, the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD became the first American-made production car to lap Germany’s famed 12.9-mile Nürburgring race track in under 7 minutes. Not satisfied, the Ford team said it would return for another go. Last month, Mustang’s 815-horsepower beast shattered its own 6.57.7 record by five seconds with a 6:52.1 minute lap.
The feat makes the Mustang GTD the fourth-fastest production sports car to ever lap the so-called Green Hell, trailing only the Porsche GT2 RS, Mercedes AMG GT Black Series and Porsche GT3 RS.
“We’re proud to be the first American automaker with a car that can lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes, but we aren’t satisfied,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said last year after GTD’s first sub 7-minute lap. “We know there’s much more time to find with Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.”
The new time came as the halo Mustang — estimated to cost $325,000 — ramps up for production this spring for customer delivery. Improvements to the car over the August, 2024 test included updated powertrain calibration, chassis stiffening, refined aerodynamics, and reconfigured traction control for better acceleration out of Nürburgring’s corners.
The GTD’s 2024 achievement was celebrated at the New York Auto Show last week where the ultimate ‘Stang was featured in a special exhibit on the show floor detailing the car’s 2024 accomplishment. For its next stop, the display will have to be updated to reflect the new time. The high-speed, roller-coaster, 73-turn track is the benchmark for performance car testing with speeds cresting 180 mph for long stretches.
The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD recorded the fourth-fastest production sports car lap at Germany’s Nürburgring. Giles Jenkyn, Ford
Like last year, the Nürburgring lap was clocked by Ford pro-race driver Dirk Müller. Along with co-driver Joey Hand, Müller also piloted the Mustang GT3 — the race car version of the production GTD — in North America’s IMSA Weathertech Sportscar series. The pair placed 7th at the Detroit Gand Prix and 10th overall for the year.
The Mustang GT3 kicked off 2025 by winning the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona — following up on an impressive 2024 when it debuted internationally with a third-place finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.
The winged GTD monster validates Ford’s ambitions to compete against elite sports car brands including Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Corvette. Ford will also be entering the top-rung prototype class in 2027 to compete for the overall world championship for the first time since the GT40 dominate Le Mans in the late 1960s.
The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD hits speeds upwards of 180 mph on its Nürburgring lap. Ford
“Motorsports is in Ford’s DNA, back to our founding,” said Ford in a press release. “Our vehicles are bred to race, because there’s nothing better than high-stakes competition with the best in the world for improving quality, reliability, and performance. No current Ford vehicle exemplifies this philosophy like the Mustang GTD.”
The GTD’s 2024 attempt was marred by inclement weather, a common issue in the remote Eifel Mountains where Nürburgring resides.
The lap time closed the gap to the lap times of the Mustang’s Porsche and Mercedes rivals, both of which compete against Ford (along with Chevrolet’s mid-engine Corvette) in the international GT3 class with race versions of their own supercars.
The Mustang GTD on display at last week’s New York Auto Show. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 engine is similar to the mill in the last-generation, 760-horsepower Shelby Mustang GT500 but includes upgrades like a rear-mounted transmission, lightweight carbon-fiber driveshaft, dry-sump oil system and swan-neck rear wing for better downforce. The carbon-fiber-skinned GTD was developed by Ford’s Toronto-based racing partner Multimatic, which also developed the mid-engine Ford GT.
The lap record by a production hypercar is 6:29.1 set by the Formula 1-based Mercedes-AMG ONE. The outright lap record is held by the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo race car at 5.19.5.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: 2025 VW Golf GTI has it all (except a stick)
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 2, 2025
Summit Point, West Virginia — WAUUGGGGH! At West Virginia’s premier Summit Point Motorsports complex, I wrung the 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI’s neck through the Jefferson Circuit’s technical Turn 2-3-4-5 complex. The V-dub proved remarkably poised for an oversized shoebox.
At $33K, GTI is an appetizer to an industry performance menu that includes $100K filet mignon steaks like the Porsche 911. But Golf is plenty filling. Savor its recipe of limited-slip front wheel-drive, 273 pound-feet of torque, intuitive steering. Yum.
This talk of food reminds me of a recent dinner conversation with friends that turned to cars.
“Which car should I buy?” asked a successful 27-year-old New Yorker at the table who was about to venture beyond the comfort of Gotham’s public transit system into the vast American frontier of personal transportation.
He wanted something peppy — but with good fuel economy. With utility — but not a cookie-cutter SUV. Stylish — but under $50,000. Around the table we went with suggestions:
BMW 3-series
Ford Mustang GT
Tesla Model 3
When the conversation came to me, I offered my stock response: a hot hatch. Specifically, Golf GTI/Golf R. The OGs.
Like their Honda Civic Si/Type R peers, the twin hotties have it all: fun-to-drive, 30 mpg, cargo utility, cool design, all for $33,000-$50,000. Affordable hot hatches are the Cade Cunninghams of autodom. They can do it all.
“I’ve heard those are really good,” our New York colleague commented.
I offered one caveat: the eighth-generation-and-a-half Golf GTI and Golf R are the first of the V-dub hot hatches to ditch the stick.
“I don’t need a manual transmission anyway,” he replied with a shrug.
But the other enthusiasts at the table went ashen.
A hot hatch without a stick shift?! Especially the sainted Golf GTI? Would Townsend be the same without a guitar? Picasso without a paint brush? Thor without a hammer?
For enthusiasts, GTI’s (and Golf R, which joined the lineup in 2012) stick shift was the straw that stirred the drink. Just as the stick is at the heart of rival pocket rockets like Civic Si, Acura Integra Type S, Subaru WRX, even the Johnny-come-lately to the segment, GR Corolla.
American consumers in particular coveted the stick, which made up a healthy 35-40% of sales in a car market that has few manual transmissions. But Europe, VW’s home market, has largely moved on from the stick shift with just 3% take. Just 3% in the land of Nürburgring? Was gibt?
VW explains that it is simply following economics — it makes little sense to offer a stick for one market in a small-volume car. And I suspect the brand’s move to electrification is a contributor as well. But this is no average small-volume car. Like the Mazda Miata (also available in stick) it’s the soul of the VW brand.
Even Porsche has flirted with ending the manual, but continues with the GT3 and T models. If GTI/R see a big drop-off in sales as buyers flee to Civic and Corolla (even sibling sedan Jetta GLI still offers a stick) expect the manual to return. Perhaps as a premium upgrade (see Mazda 3).
In the meantime, whether you are a hot hatch neophyte or a grizzled veteran, we’ll have to live with the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GTI and R are still a hoot.
Performance
WAUUUUGH! Back at Summit’s Jefferson Circuit, I warmed to GTI’s stick substitute — shift paddles behind the steering wheel to shift the dual-clutch automatic’s gears yourself.
Not as much fun to row — but quicker on the upshift so I could better maintain momentum. WHAP! I grabbed 4th gear on the back straight and — cresting 100 mph — the uphill, right-to-left Turn 13/14 complex came up in a hurry.
Stab the brakes. Downshift to third. The summer tires (standard on the Autobahn model) chirped as I stood the car on its nose. The magic of the GTI’s front, limited slip diff rotated the car and I shot out of the corner with all four tires squealing on to the front straight.
Want more capability? Opt for the 328-horse, all-wheel-drive Golf R — its hind legs augmented by a sophisticated twin clutch pack that can throw 100% of torque to the outside real wheel to rotate on a dime.
Utility
When the track day is done, GTI/Golf R will get you home in comfort. If I brought my three dinner pals along, they would have fit comfortably in the front and rear seats, the Golf’s square back design easy on the neck even for six-footers. Plenty of room in back for folding chairs and picnic food.
When the snow comes, just fold down the second-row sets and throw in four Blizzack winter tires to be mounted at, say, Belle Tire.
Design
The Golf bros are easy on the eyes. Like their Porsche and Audi stablemates, the hot hatch design is simple, timeless. I especially like the GTI’s five fog-light cluster — one on each front corner — a unique design trait. The higher-cost (by a whopping 15 grand) Golf R looks more blunt instrument with its gaping front air dams for better engine breathing — and cannon-sized quad pipes out back. For 2025, it even gets a new Black edition for added menace.
Open the door, however, and the Teutons offer similar, rich interiors with practical living space. New for its 2025 mid-cycle refresh, GTI gets a full red “eyebrow” across the fascia as well as a suite of standard features, including twin digital screens, 12.9 infotainment display, wireless phone apps, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist. Echoing the exterior, designers have opted for a simple, streamlined look devoid of volume/climate buttons, which will irk purists.
Again, GTI outdoes Golf R with intuitive, raised steering wheel buttons. Both vehicles sport voice commands so you can order changes like:
Hey, Volkswagen, change the temperature to 70 degrees.
The Germans even have a sense of humor.
“Hey, Volkswagen, tell me a joke,” I said.
“What has four legs and flies?” responded my tester. “Two birds.”
My favorite package? The base GTI S model dressed in Moonstone Grey with classic plaid seats and phone-dial wheels. It all makes for a compelling package that — like its hot hatch competitors — reaffirms GTI/Golf R as two of the best all-around players in the U.S. market.
Now, if we all just write lots of emails to VW urging they #SaveTheManual.
Next week: 2025 Toyota Corolla
2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive (GTI) and all-wheel-drive (Golf R), five-passenger hot hatches
Price: $33,670, including $1,225 destination fee (GTI, $42,295 Autobahn model as tested); $48,325, including $1,225 destination fee (Golf R, $53,731 Black Edition as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder
Power: 241 horsepower, 273 pound-feet of torque (GTI); 328 horsepower, 310 pound-feet of torque (Golf R)
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.5 seconds (GTI, Car and Driver); 4.0 seconds (Golf R, Car and Driver); top speed, 130 mph (GTI), 155 mph (Golf R)
Weight: 3,250 pounds (GTI, est.); 3,400 pounds (Golf R, est.)
Fuel economy: EPA, 25 mpg city/34 highway/28 combined (GTI); 25 mpg city/34 highway/28 combined (Golf R)
Report card
Highs: Superb chassis control; premium, utilitarian, digital interiors
Lows: Golf R gets pricey; no stick shift
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Stick shift, RIP: Enthusiast icon VW Golf GTI latest to ditch the manual
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 1, 2025
Reston, Virginia — Et tu, GTI?
The manual transmission-operated automobile has shrunk to a niche, performance market in recent years as automatic transmissions have been favored by customers for their ease of use — and by manufacturers for their favorable fuel economy rating to meet tightening government carbon-dioxide emissions regulations.
But now even performance vehicles are ditching the stick. Case in point: the Volkswagen Golf GTI, a pioneer in the affordable hot-hatch segment and a vehicle that thousands of manual enthusiasts cut their teeth on since the compact Golf’s hellion model was introduced to the United States in 1983.
The 2025 VW Golf GTI (left) and Golf R ditch the stick. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
For the 2025 model year, the $33,670 GTI (and its sister, all-wheel-drive, $48,325 stablemate, the Golf R, introduced in 2012) will no longer have a manual option. Only a 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission will be on offer. The GTI/Golf R follows the Mini Cooper (and its John Cooper Works performance variant) hatchback in closing out a manual option this year.
“Our American buyers hold the stick in high regard,” said Petar Danilovic, VW’s North America senior vice president for marketing and strategy. “About 35-40% of GTI sales are manual. But it’s not as popular in Europe, where the take rate is only about 3%.”
Sky-high $7-a-gallon gas prices and onerous emissions standards have tempered Europeans’ enthusiasm for manual gearboxes.
“Increasing emissions standards have made it very difficult to manufacture manuals,” added Danilovic at VW’s North American headquarters in Reston. “We tried to keep it as long as possible here in the North American region because we have this enthusiast fan base here. At a certain point we said: OK, we’d rather invest more in the car (for example) in the engine on the Golf R.” For 2025, the Golf R extracts 13 extra horsepower from its 2.0-liter turbo-4 cylinder engine.
The 2025 VW Golf GTI offers only a 7-speed automatic transmission after 50 years in the market with a manual option. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Anticipating the manual’s demise, Golf GTI and Golf R sales jumped by 48.6% and 29.6%, respectively, last year as American buyers snapped up the last of the manuals.
Danilovic noted that the automatic hot hatches have a manual mode operated by steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. And buyers can still get a six-speed manual in the Golf’s performance cousin, the Jetta GLI sedan. Jetta is made in Mexico while the Golf GTI/Golf R is produced in Germany.
Auto enthusiast and auto analyst Karl Brauer of iSeeCars said that once multi-speed automatic transmissions outpaced manuals in fuel economy, the writing was on the wall for the stick as a mass-volume gearbox.
“There is no justification for a manual today except as an enthusiast car,” said the California-based analyst, who once drove a manual BMW M3 but now prefers an automatic BMW 330i when slogging through Los Angeles traffic. “On fuel economy, on useability, an automatic is superior. Nearly every major city now has traffic issues, and automatics are less frustrating to drive for most people.”
The 2024 VW Golf GTI was the last model year of the hot hatch to get a manual transmission. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
He was puzzled, however, as to why Volkswagen would give up on the manual for the GTI and Golf R — especially as they were targeted at American enthusiasts as they only Golf trim available to the U.S. market since the 2022 model year.
“Brands like Mazda (Mazda 3 and Miata MX-5), Subaru (WRX) and Ford (Mustang) will continue to make manuals as long as people want them,” Brauer said. “Their buyers are a passionate audience. Enthusiast brands will be more than happy to see VW exiting the market because that means more customers for them.”
Volkswagen also has made no secret about its intent to go all-electric by the middle of next decade as governments from the European Union to California phase out the sale of internal combustion engines. Single-speed electric vehicles do not have traditional gearboxes to build engine torque.
To that end, Volkswagen has said that the current, eighth-generation, internal combustion engine Golf will be the brand’s last with the first electric GTI, likely to be called the Volkswagen ID.GTI, arriving in 2026.
V-dub head of design Andreas Mindt previewed the coming electric hot hatch in an Instagram post in 2023 with the caption: “The Golf GTI was first unveiled at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show with a production run of 5,000 units. To date, we have sold more than 2.8 million. In 2026, we will introduce an electric version of this iconic model.”
The 2025 Honda Civic Si is affordable at $31k – and fun to drive. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
According to enthusiast publication Car and Driver, there are nearly 400 car models in the United States and 24 of those have a manual gearbox option. All but two of those manuals are performance focused — the Mazda 3 and Nissan Versa being the exceptions. Two others — the BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra — are due to be discontinued after the 2026 model year, further paining the #SaveTheManual movement.
The $18,330 Versa, like entry-level vehicles of the past, offers its stick only in base trim. However, the wee Nissan, currently the most affordable car in the U.S. market, will be discontinued after the 2025 model year. Also an entry-level compact, the Mazda 3 offers its stick shift as an upgrade on its Premium trim front-wheel-drive models.
Brauer said offering the stick as an upscale option will help preserve the manual going forward.
“Look at the Porsche 911 GT3 and Carrera T and 2024 Aston Martin Valour,” Brauer said of recent high-priced offerings. “They are low volume, aimed at enthusiasts, and will demand a premium — and high residual value — given their low production numbers.”
2025 model year manuals in U.S.
- Acura Integra/Integra Type S
- BMW M2
- BMW M3
- BMW M4
- BMW Z4
- Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
- Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
- Ford Mustang GT/Dark Horse
- Honda Civic Si/Type R
- Hyundai Elantra N
- Lotus Emira
- Mazda 3
- Mazda MX-5 Miata
- Nissan Versa
- Nissan Z
- Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman
- Porsche 911T/GT3
- Subaru BRZ
- Subaru WRX
- Toyota GR86
- Toyota GR Corolla
- Toyota GR Supra
- Volkswagen Golf GTI/Golf R
- Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Perfect storm: Tesla sales buckle under competition, model changeover, politics
Posted by Talbot Payne on April 25, 2025
Hit by a perfect storm of politics, model-year changeovers and competition, Tesla sales have declined dramatically to open 2025.
The electric vehicle maker’s sales dropped by 13% in the first quarter according to Cox Automotive, even as the overall electric vehicle segment grew by 11%. The sales swoon — coupled with a 34% drop in Tesla’s stock — was the largest Tesla sales drop since the second quarter of 2022, when sales were hobbled by COVID-related supply chain issues.
The decline dovetails with the production rollout of the second generation of its best-selling vehicle, the Model Y SUV. Model Y sales cratered by 34% as its four production plants undergo a manufacturing changeover. The Texas-based brand’s other volume model, the Model 3 sedan, holds promise for a Y rebound as the 3 went through a similar update a year ago and saw sales rebound in Q1 with 70% growth to 30,842 units.
The EV siblings were the third and twelfth best-selling non-pickup vehicles in the U.S. market last year — an impressive achievement for a brand that has only sold volume vehicles in the United States for less than two decades. Lower-volume models had mixed results, with the Cybertruck pickup up 129% in Q1 while the Model S sedan and Model X SUV declined by over 30%.
The Tesla stock rollercoaster is nothing new, said iSeeCars auto analyst Karl Brauer, who noted wild rides over the last 15 years. Tesla faced challenges from a federal rescue in 2010, Model 3 “production Hell” in 2018 and political blowback from CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase in 2022.
But the slide in Tesla’s traditionally torrid sales growth, Brauer says, is a different phenomenon.
“This is a resilient brand. I always wonder if the current event is the one that takes out Tesla,” said the California-based industry veteran. “But there two big factors that didn’t exist before: 1) Aging product with EV sales plateauing, and 2) more competition coming for this niche electric space.”
EV market sales growth in Q1 was just a third of its 33% pace in 2023. Despite the quarterly numbers, Tesla remains by far the biggest player in the niche EV market with 44% market share — though that is off from 79% in 2020.
Somerset Mall Tesla showroom showcases a Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Q1 sales winners in the EV space included Chevrolet, which was up 114% year-over-year to 19,186 units sold, and Ford, which rose 12%. The Dearborn automaker was runner-up to Tesla (128,100 models sold in Q1) with 22,550 units sold.
“While Tesla still dominates sales, volume peaked in 2023 and market share has declined since 2020,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox director of industry insights.
Ironically, the surge in competition has come at the same time that Tesla has opened its unparalleled Supercharger network to other brands, making it easier for customers to deal with range anxiety.
Also indicative of the slowdown in EV sales growth is the fall-off in used EVs’ residual value. An iSeeCars study released this week found that half of the Top 10 used cars with the biggest price drops are EVs, including (in order) the Model S, Porsche Taycan, Model Y, Model 3 and Hyundai Kona Electric.
In Kentwood, Michigan, Tesla Cybertrucks were vandalized in an incident repeated across the country amid fierce backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s role leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. Kentwood Police Department
Tesla has been intertwined with American politics since before the first Model S hit the road in 2012. With green activist Musk at the helm, the brand overtook the Toyota Prius as a moral status symbol with its affluent customer base receiving controversial government tax credits. A darling of Democratic politicians, the company scored a $465 million loan from President Barack Obama’s Department of Energy to stay afloat through the 2010 financial crisis.
But as Musk turned rightward, political blowback got more intense. Musk’s work for the Trump administration has put Tesla in the crosshairs again after his 2022 free-speech crusade that reinstated President Donald Trump on Twitter. Activists have targeted showrooms and vehicles with vandalism, and celebrity members of Tesla’s green California base have encouraged sales boycotts.
The intimidation campaign has undeniably had an effect, with some customers telling The Detroit News they are avoiding Tesla for fear of being targeted.
Tesla declined comment for this story.
The EV maker’s stock rose 3% Wednesday after a Q1 earnings call as Musk said he will spend more time with the company, which saw its profits drop 70% year over year. “Starting early next month, in May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,” the CEO told investors.
Teslas await delivery in a parking lot at the Hunter’s Square shopping center in Farmington Hills on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Cybertruck sales in particular have been disappointing for the EV maker. David Guralnick, The Detroit News
Tesla also announced its driverless robotaxi service will roll out in Austin, Texas, in June — joining Google’s Waymo operation in the autonomous transportation race.
In the retail market, analyst Brauer said new product is the best antidote for the company’s sales dip.
“Even if Model Y sales improve, it’s not going to shift momentum. Tesla needs a flood of new sales, and it has long promised a sub-$30,000 EV,” he said, referencing what Tesla internally calls the Model Q. “That would be a game changer.”
In the earnings call, Tesla told investors it intends to roll out a cheaper EV this June, though industry insiders expect that to be a sub-$40k version of the Model Y.
The Cybertruck was supposed to be a game changer when it was unveiled back in 2019. Musk hyped sales of 250,000 a year by 2025, but the pickup’s production has been tempered by high costs and manufacturing issues, and Q1 deliveries — despite the 129% YOY increase — were just 6,406.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Flying first class in the Lincoln Navigator
Posted by Talbot Payne on April 25, 2025
Carlsbad, California — On April 14, San Diego County experienced an earthquake that made national news. It registered 5.2 on the Richter scale. Residents recounted hearing a rumble as loud as a freight train. Floors rattled. Vases fell off tables.
Riding on top of the smooth, adaptive suspension inside the whisper-quiet, three-row Lincoln Navigator, I didn’t feel a thing.
New for 2025, the Navigator land yacht isn’t so much a vehicle as it is a rolling sanctuary. Like a basement entertainment room, it comes with multi-way lounge chairs, wood accents, 48-inch jumbotron screen and remote voice control. Heck, in San Diego, developers may want to start building homes to Lincoln spec.
Navigator drivers don’t even have to drive.
On Interstate 5, I selected Blue Cruise hands-free drive assist, and Navigator … navigated itself. I settled back into my 24-way La-Z-Boy-like seat, adjusted the headrest and spoke to the Google Built-in assistant:
Hey, Google, tune to Sirius XM Comedy Greats Channel.
A favorite Brian Regan bit popped up on the jumbotron, lighting the cabin with laughter. I selected Mystic Forest from the smaller control screen (one of three odors on offer) and its subtle scent filled the cabin.
Hey, Google, order a Shake Shack burger. With fries, please?
Just kidding, Navigator can’t accept food deliveries. Yet.
Since it inaugurated the super-sized, three-row, truck-based SUV segment in 1998, Navigator has been the patriarch of the Lincoln brand. It’s weathered market storms like $4 gas prices, “What Would Jesus Drive?” activism and government electric-vehicle mandates.
Now it leads a transformed Lincoln family of four SUVs into the high-tech, digital age. Its $100,000 price tag is as exclusive as a six-figure, three-row Tesla Model X — but, like Model X and its entry-level $40K Model 3 sibling, Navigator promises a unique brand experience that should trickle down into every Lincoln, including the entry-level $40K Corsair. On sale now, the Navigator and two-row, midsize Nautilus are the first family members to share the Lincoln Digital Experience.
Like Tesla, the experience centers around a screen, steering wheel and simplified interior.
Elon Musk’s brand reimagined the automotive interior with its Apple phone-simple layout and big center screen. Lincoln has done the same while maintaining lush leather, wood and stitched materials synonymous with the brand. Black Label trims turn up the decadence — for example, the Atmospheric theme wows with quilted seats, ash wood, and copper accents echoed in its 24-inch wheels.
The sleek cabin is uncluttered by door-mounted seat controls or climate knobs. These features have been moved on to the console controller screen and steering wheel. Like a Tesla, the ergonomics take a moment to learn (and drive some traditionalists mad), but the reward is one of the coolest interiors in autodom.
While the A-pillar to A-pillar screen is the focus, the steering wheel is a work of art. Lincoln took a page from Corvette’s book by designing a square wheel so the driver can better see the horizontal screen. The two-spoke steering wheel is clean and deceptively simple.
I moved my thumb over the left spoke touchpad and avatars illuminated on the jumbotron to adjust Blue Cruise speed, radar distance. On the right spoke touchpad, my right thumb adjusted mirrors, steering wheel, even pedals. Like a Tesla.
Why the Tesla obsession? The digital generation has made the Model Y SUV and 3 sedan the nation’s No. 3 and No. 12 best-selling, respectively, non-pickup vehicles. After a year in the market, the redesigned Nautilus’ buyers are already trending eight years younger. Want traditional ergonomics with a dash jumbotron? Buy a Cadillac Escalade.
Lincolns are now vehicles that symbolize 21st-century tech — not just a 19th century president. The Navigator console screen even comes with tutorial videos to walk you through the tech toys — even simulating while parked what it’s like to drive Blue Cruise.
What is not Tesla-like is Navigator’s drivetrain. Family-focused Lincolns are gas-powered, and that’s a good thing.
I never sweated range anxiety during my day across southern California. The mega-ute uses the same twin-turbo V-6 drivetrain as its Ford F-150 pickup cousin, and its 510 pound-feet of torque and 519 miles of range are plenty capable.
When I wasn’t being chauffeured around on Blue Cruise, I dipped into Navigator’s library of drive modes (ECO, SLIPPERY, SPORT, SAND, EARTHQUAKE — kidding about that last one) and selected SPORT, which tightened the suspension and lowered the V-6’s mighty voice.
GROWWWWWL! went the four pipes out back, and the land yacht made waves. The coddled second and third-row passengers may protest, however.
The rear-seat spaces are as comfortable as the front and therein lies the appeal of the Navigator (and Cadillac Escalade and Jeep Grand Wagoneer) over all other luxury chariots in the six-figure space.
I got back!
If I were a kid on a family trip, I’d call dibs on the third-row bench seat. Let my other sibling(s) have the second-row captain’s chairs.
It is palatial back here. I rode for hours in the back bedroom — er, row — and had everything I needed.
Legroom for my 6-foot-5-inch legs? Check.
Reclining seats? Check.
Seat heater? Check.
Room to lie down and take a nap? Check.
USB-C ports? Check, two on each side.
Cupholders? Check, two on each side.
Burger and french-fry holder? Check, dish on both sides.
Panoramic roof? Check, standard on all Navigators bringing the sunshine in.
Middle armrest? Check.
Coat hook? Check, four of them: two on each side and two in the back of the second-row seats.
Wait, what? Coat hook, Payne?
I told you this is a rolling domicile. The third row even has access to the rear cargo area’s 110-volt outlet so I could plug in my laptop. Eat your heart out, second row.
The cargo hold bears more goodies like a split tailgate (complete with seatback) so that Mrs. Payne and I could sit in back and watch, say, a school soccer game (the tailgate holds up to 500 pounds). A spare tire is underneath and more cargo room is available with the long wheelbase model.
I arrived in the small town of Julian in the Cuyamaca Mountains where the epicenter of the earthquake had been earlier in the day. TV news crews were crawling all over town quizzing residents about their shaky morning. The hill town is also epicenter to the world’s best apple pie maker: Julian Pie Company.
I ordered a warm slice and devoured it on the spot. Or I could have dined while driving hands-free back to San Diego. Hey, Google, play “American Pie” by Don McLean.
Next week: 2025 Toyota Corolla FX
2025 Lincoln Navigator
Vehicle type: All-wheel drive, four-door, seven- or eight-passenger SUV
Price: $101,990, including $1,995 destination charge ($108,355 Reserve as tested)
Powerplant: 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6
Power: 440 horsepower, 510 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.3 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 2,000 pounds
Weight: 5,929 pounds (standard length model as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA 15 mpg city/22 highway/17 combined (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Tech-tastic interior; comfort in all three rows
Lows: Touch controls take getting used to; priced for the few
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Q&A: Hyundai’s new COO discusses auto shows, new products and a move into motorsport
Posted by Talbot Payne on April 21, 2025
New York — Hyundai Motor Co. is ascendant in the U.S. market, and so is its chief operating officer for U.S. operations, Claudia Marquez. The Mexican-born, Wharton School-educated Marquez became COO this January after a stint in the same role at Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand. She has a total of 29 years of experience in the auto industry, including management roles with Nissan and BMW.
Hyundai Motor Co. Chief Operating Officer Claudia Marquez, Hyundai
Both Hyundai and Genesis made waves at the 2025 New York Auto Show at a time when the industry has been rocked by tariff and regulatory challenges. Marquez sat down with Detroit News Auto Critic Henry Payne in Manhattan to talk about future models, EVs, tariffs and the Genesis brand carrying a Korean flag into the international motorsports wars for the first time.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Question: I am at the New York Auto Show speaking with Claudia Marquez, who’s COO of Hyundai. Hyundai has been very aggressive, not only at auto shows, but in the U.S. market. Claudia, talk about Hyundai at auto shows: You have a lot of product here in New York as well as Los Angeles last fall.
Answer: We do. First of all, of course, auto shows have always been very important. New York and L.A. are where we wanted to be very present. We have amazing product to show. And of course, we want to be able to reach out to as many eyes and customers as we can. We are typically very proud to introduce new models. And today, for example, we’re going to introduce the second generation of our Palisade. We’re extremely excited about the product, amazing design, amazing technology, way more safety. The highlight is that we’re going to introduce, for the first time, hybrids on our 2026 Palisade.
Q: You’ve also been aggressive in EVs. You see a parallel market in EVs and gas? Seeing which way the market goes?
A: We do. Of course, EVs are very important, and we believe very strongly that it’s going to be where the market is going to grow in the long term. I was happy to be part ― two weeks ago ― of the inauguration of our factory in Savannah (Georgia). Our Metaplant is something you really have to see. This factory investment was confirmed in 2019 and is one of the biggest ― if not the biggest ― investments in Georgia. We produce two models there at the moment ― the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9.
Q: You’ve been in this market for 30 years. You’ve seen market share steadily grow. Hyundai Motor Group’s total is above 10%, which is really impressive in a foreign market. There also appear to be headwinds coming with tariffs. But if you go back 40 years, Japanese manufacturers like Honda and Toyota faced similar protectionist headwinds. They came into the United States, built plants, became part of communities and continued to grow market share. Do you feel you’re well-positioned for a tariff economy?
A: We definitely are. We have strong communities, not only in Savannah, but also in Alabama. Last year, we sold 836,000 units, and about 40% of those were vehicles produced in the U.S. So, of course, we not only think we’re acting and investing importantly in the U.S., the U.S. is a very important market. We want it to be a very important part of growth in the future. Last year was our fourth consecutive year of record sales, and we expect 2025 is going to be the same.
When it comes to tariffs, it’s our reality. It’s a reality that we feel we’re prepared for. We are committed not only to the locations I already mentioned, but to continued investments in the U.S.
Two weeks ago, our executive chair confirmed a new investment of $21 billion from 2025 ― 2028, including a steel factory. (We’re) very cautious at the moment, looking into what is happening now with consumers, with competitors, and acting accordingly. We confirm our Hyundai Assurance Program, which is maintaining and committing to not increase MSRP (prices) in April and May. We have always in mind the confidence of our customers.
Q: In addition to growing U.S. market share, you’ve taken big steps in terms of visibility. Genesis is going to the top rung of auto racing. You introduced here in New York the prototype for your IMSA and WEC hypercar. That’s rare air — you’re competing against brands like Cadillac, Ford, Porsche, Ferrari. An important brand step for Genesis?
A: It is without a doubt. We’re extremely proud of Genesis taking this step ― it’s a big investment in the brand. We say that Genesis is a jewel of the Hyundai Motor Group, and we’re extremely proud and happy to be a part of that.
Q: We think of these Asian luxury brands as American-specific. But is this a global move by Genesis as well?
A: Definitely, it’s a global move. Genesis is a new brand when it comes to luxury. This year is the 10th anniversary. There is not only a global perspective of progress, it’s so important in the U.S. ― and the U.S. is the most important marketplace.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: 2025 New York Auto Show highlights
Posted by Talbot Payne on April 21, 2025
New York — The New York International Auto Show celebrates its 125th birthday this year and the auto-palooza has it all with a display of classics, concepts, supercars, race cars, electric vehicle test tracks, and outdoor off-road tracks.
Well, almost all.
Missing are manufacturers like BMW, Mazda, Cadillac, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Tesla and Rivian that decided to sit out the birthday party. Showgoers will still enjoy plenty of eye candy including the epic Hudson Yards development across 11th Avenue. With multiple skyscrapers (I swear a new one goes up every month) 9 million-square feet of office space, a mall, and more restaurants than Metro Detroit, the development has transformed Manhattan’s west side skyline.
No longer an isolated convention center, Javits-on-the-Hudson is part of a triangle of activity with Times Square to its northeast and Hudson Yards on its south flank. Inside are three floors of automotive toys.
Here are the highlights.
A (noisy) EV test track. VROOOOOOM! Sitting shotgun in a Dodge Charger Daytona, I was pinned to my setback as the brand’s first EV hit 40 mph after launch control before Graham Hooper — a Hollywood stunt driver — slammed on the brakes and rotated it through a series of turns. SCREEEEEE! “This is by far the most fun I have had in an EV! Ever!” yelled Hooper over the roar and screaming tires.
There are 18 EVs for showgoers to choose from on the test track. But only the Dodge EV has an external, so-called Fratzonic Exhaust Chamber that simulates the sound of an engine. A V-8 engine. The other EVs are silent. VROOOOM!
Bronco/Wrangler unbridled. If you want real V-8 sound, head outside to the Camp Jeep test track where you can jump into an insane Wrangler 392 and ride around the rollercoaster-like structure. Ford offers a similar Bronco Build Wild so you can experience its Bronc dirt-kicker. The rides pause at the top of the coaster hill so you can ogle the taller scrapers nearby.
Porsche 911 hot rod. Between the outdoor and indoor test tracks is a sprawling R2XPO display of modified cars. Front and center is a Porsche 911 (sixth, 997 generation) ready to be transformed on April 23-24 during public week by Japanese mod legend Akira Nakai using a wide-body kit and enormous, 13-inch-wide rear tires. Not only will the 911 get the Dodge Hellcat-like widebody, it’s been stuffed with a 650-horse, Chevrolet LS3 V-8 engine in back. Its a Porsche with a Motown accent.
125th birthday party. To celebrate, show organizers have brought 13 models representing 13 decades of automotive innovation. The lineup stretches from a 40-horsepower 1909 Cadillac Model 30 to a 502-horse 2022 Porsche 911 GT3. In the middle are a pair of silver, split-window, 1963 Corvettes. Yum. Other brands represented? Ford, Dodge, Mercury, Pierce Arrow, Mercedes, Pontiac, Chevrolet (a Volt in addition to the ‘Vettes), DeLorean, Acura and Bugatti.
The first Chrysler. Want more history? The first Chrysler made was the 2024 Six which, legend has it, Walter P. Chrysler himself drove to the New York Show in January 1924. It’s in the Stellantis display right next to the only Chrysler model built today, the Pacifica minivan.
Big Mack. The venerable truck company is also celebrating its 125th birthday. Mack was founded in 1900 by the Mack bothers in Brooklyn (now headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina). The show celebrates with a restored 1925 AB model complete with 34 horsepower and solid rubber tires. The original customer? Ely and Walker Dry Goods Company in St. Louis.
Rolls and Bentley. Only in New York. Rolls and Bentley have their own stand between Honda and Toyota. The assembled $400k sedan, SUV and convertible chariots are waiting for the gazillionaires who occupy the Hudson Yards sky suites across the street.
Sports cars. Speaking of Toyota, the brand’s big disply has a football theme. The Japanese brand is the official car of the NFL, and flag football will debut as an official sport of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It’s the league’s nose under the Olympic tent as it intends to expand American football globally. Toyota isn’t the only pro sports league sponsor on the floor. Kia sponsors the NBA, Honda the NHL, and Chevrolet Major League Baseball.
Chevy Equinox. No, you’re not seeing double. There are two Equinox RS utes on the floor — one EV, the other internal combustion powered. They are distinguished by design — EV sleek vs. ICE chunky truck chic. Also different? The prices: The EV model costs about $13k more.
Super-ru. Japan’s wee auto company has the show’s most epic stage. Walk through the forest of trees and chirping (fake) birds and you’ll find a new EV (Trailseeker), updated EV (Solterra) and the big draw, the redesigned Outback station wagon. The latter was the talk of media week with its blocky design that screams off-road SUV. The all-terrain-tired Wilderness model looks like it could climb Mt. Everest.
Ford’s power pony. The Mustang GTD is a $300,000-plus, 815-horsepower rocket ship and the first U.S. stallion to record a sub-7 minute lap around the world’s most fearsome track, Germany’s 13-mile, 170-turn Nürburgring. Ford celebrates the accomplishment with a special display, and the ‘Stang looks like no other with its huge rear wing, front splitter and aero wardrobe.
King Corvette. Gotham is renowned for its exotic European car stable. This year you can feast on everything from a $3 million Koenigsegg to a $600k Lamborghini Reveuelto and $350k Ferrari 296. But stroll over to GM’s display and you’ll find a Chevy that will smoke any of them.
The $174,995, mid-engine ZR1 hypercar is the King of Corvettes with an insane 1,064 ponies and 233-mph top speed. Don’t expect that Mustang American Nürburgring record to last long.
K4 hatched. If the Chevy’s still too rich for your blood, check out Kia. The hatchback is sibling to the $23,165 K4 sedan that has been the Korean brand’s best seller this year. The hatch gives the compact a double threat in the market like the Mazda 3 sedan/hatchback or Honda Civic sedan/hatch. It shares K4’s Cadillac CT5-like styling, hoodless dash screens and engines — but adds 7 cubic feet of cargo space. Hey, Kia, how about a hot-hatch version to rival the new 2026 VW Golf GTI on display?
Italian stallion. The Stellantis-owned Italian supercar brand oozes sex appeal with a lineup of hotties including a purple GT2 Stradale. Translation: Road-going version of Maserati’s mid-engine GT2-class race car. This beast makes 631 horsepower with enhanced aerodynamics and scissor doors. New York cops ticket it just standing still.
Genesis Hypercar. Hyundai will enter the endurance racing wars in 2027 with the GMR-001 hypercar, South Korea’s first effort to conquer the high bankings of the 24-Hour Le Mans and Daytona endurance races. Look under its sleek orange skin and you’ll find Formula One-like keel wing aero tweaks and a twin-turbo hybrid V-8 to take on front-runners from Porsche Penske and Cadillac.
Hyundai family. Hyundai shows off its all-new, three-row, Palisade ICE SUV for the first time — alongside the (Big Apple) debut of its three-row, electric Ioniq 9, which was first seen in L.A. last fall. Like Chevy, Hyundai and Kia are committed to producing parallel ICE and EV lines to gauge customer preference. For now, the Palisade — available as a 600-mile-range hybrid for the first time — has the upper hand as one of the best-selling three-rows in the United States. “The only thing that matters to customers,” said Hyundai North America product chief Olabisi Boyle, “is how far they can go, and how easily they can get there.”
If it’s easy to get there, check out the New York Auto Show, which runs through April 27.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Subaru shoulders it all at New York Auto Show: New product, EV rules, tariffs
Posted by Talbot Payne on April 18, 2025
New York — At Subaru Corp.’s 2025 New York International Auto Show stand it’s everything everywhere all at once.
The all-wheel-drive adventure brand is juggling a display-full of challenges that reflect an auto market whipsawed by consumer tastes, government electric vehicle regulations and import tariffs. Subaru debuted an all-new, sixth-generation model of its iconic Outback station wagon this week boasting its most significant design changes in years as buyers flee cars and flock to SUVs. At the same time, Subaru unveiled two electric SUVs key to satisfy looming, 2026 electric vehicle mandates — vehicles that Subaru produces in Japan and that may be subject to import tariffs.
Still bullish on auto shows that many industry brands have fled, Subaru’s lush stand evokes a national park and is at the center of the New York show floor. Live plants, bird sounds, trees, the works.
The Subaru display at the 2025 New York Auto Show looks like a national park with its trees, live plants, and bird sounds. The Trailseeker (left) and Solterra EVs are menat to appeal to green custmers – and to meet steep government mandates. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Walk through the forest and the 2026 Outback anchors the main stage. It’s been the buzz of media week, and everyone has an opinion about the crossover’s chunky, bold new look.
Introduced as a station wagon in 1995 to complement the Japanese company’s midsize Legacy sedan, Outback became the face of the brand’s appeal as a rugged, nature-loving, get-away-from-it-all vehicle.
Its importance to Subaru can’t be understated. The wagon has sold 3 million copies in the United States over 30 years, becoming as synonymous with Subaru as the Miata sportscar is with Mazda.
The design of the 2026 Subaru Outback wagon is much boxier to appeal to SUV-hungry customers. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
As the U.S. market’s tastes swung to SUVs and station wagons and sedans died off (the Legacy exits U.S. showrooms after this year), Outback evolved with the market to a more off-road focused vehicle that was lifted over eight inches off the ground — as high as a Jeep Wrangler. It even gained a dirt-kicking Wilderness model armed with another inch of ride height, skid plates, and all-terrain tires.
The ‘26 model goes all in as an SUV.
“The Outback is moving on from the Legacy, which is going away,” said Aaron Cole, Subaru communications manager, standing next to the boxier model. “Form follows function and people are asking, for example, how they can fit a dog crate under the rear hatchback.”
He noted that the Outback’s wagon-like proportions are largely unchanged with the same wheelbase and two more inches of height. Its greenhouse-to-body ratio looks familiar, but its SUV aspirations are undeniable.
“The Outback has evolved with the customer,” said Cole. “Without Legacy we are attracting a different customer, and the blockier look appeals to that trend.”
If Subaru has confidently evolved into as SUV-focused lineup including the Crosstrek, Forester and Ascent, the brand has not been as sure-footed about introducing electric cars. Buyers may “Love the Earth” — to quote the brand’s green-focused advertising — but they have been resistant to EVs and their unpredictable range and charging options.
The 2025 New York Auto Show marked the debut of the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker (foreground), the brand’s second EV model made in Japan. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Subaru took a tentative step in 2023 with the Solterra, a SUV roughly the same size as the Outback built on a battery platform developed by Toyota.
Its sold just 12,447 units in the United States last year — a long way from the popular Outback’s 168,771. Given its green-friendly buyer demographic, Subaru believes customers will warm to EVs as charging infrastructure and range improves.
But like other manufacturers, Subaru can’t afford to wait as it must meet the more immediate EV wishes of government regulators.
Subaru rolled out a second EV — the Trailseeker — at the U.S. auto show as Subaru faces looming EV sales mandates from New York and 11 other so-called Zero Emission Vehicle states. For the 2026 model year, ZEV states require that 35% of brand sales be electric or face fines that could soar into the billions as ZEV states phase out all gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035.
Toyota or Subaru? If the interior of the Subaru Trailseeker looks a lot like a Toyota bZ4X, that’s because the two models share a platform. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“No manufacturer is going to meet the mandates,” said Erin Keating, executive analyst for Cox Automotive. “Subaru will be challenged to meet the mandate, but their dealers will be impacted if they don’t provide the vehicles customers want.”
To sweeten the deal, Subaru’s new Trailseeker is a more rugged-looking version of the Solterra EV in keeping with the brand’s overlanding image. It gets more grunt from its twin electric motors (375 horsepower), an off-roady X mode and 3,500-pound tow rating.
“It looks a lot like a Subaru so that you can get away on the weekend and go anywhere,” said Senior Vice President for Sales Troy Poston.
But that capability comes at a price and the Trailseeker will get just 260 miles of range — before buyers stress it with towing and 4.4-second 0-60 launches. Still, that’s a jump from the initial 2023 Solterra’s 228 miles of range; Solterra has leapt to 280 miles of range for the 2026 model year.
That progress, however, faces increased speed bumps. While states turn the mandate screws, federal $7,500 EV sales subsidies are poised to go away under new EPA management. Worse, EV sales credits generated by EV makers like Tesla Inc., Rivian Automotive Inc. and Lucid Motors are no longer enough to satisfy the growing demands of the 35% sales mandates.
“The legacy manufacturers have had three choices,” said Keating. “1) buy tax credits from EV makers; 2) pay the fines: or 3) build EVs. Now none of those options look good.”
And for Subaru, the costs will go even higher if the Trump administration’s 25% tariff on Japanese imports holds. Both the Trailseeker and Solterra are built in Japan and Solterra is already priced $10,000 north of its gas-fired Outback sibling.
The 2026 Subaru Outback is splashed in mud at the 2025 New York Auto Show to appeal to off-roaders. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The Cox analyst said the tariff game is still in the early stages and that manufacturers expect that better rates will be negotiated.
“It’s a real delicate balance,” she said of the situation manufacturers like Subaru face. “For all the attention tariffs get, they appear negotiable. The ZEV state mandates, however, don’t have many walkarounds.”
She said there is hope states will pull back as the regulations bite and the Trump administration and a Republican Congress apply pressure. ZEV-state Maryland, for example, paused its mandates on April 8 after Washington threatened to freeze federal monies for electric charging stations.
On the New York show floor, meanwhile, Subaru hopes that the public will embrace its redesigned Outback when doors open to the public Friday. One caveat? The 2026 Outback will be manufactured in Japan and subject to tariffs.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Taking on all seasons in the Ford Bronco Sport
Posted by Talbot Payne on April 17, 2025
Anza-Borrego Desert, California — With all-terrain tires, all-wheel drive, seven driving modes and wireless navigation, the Ford Bronco Sport is a packhorse built for all seasons.
In southern California, those seasons can happen in one day.
The Bronco Sport — aka, Son of Bronco, Bronco Jr., Bronco Lite — is the entry-level sibling in Ford’s tough Bronco sub-brand. Built on a smooth unibody chassis rather than Bronco’s truck-like ladder frame, Bronco Sport is nevertheless a tough little cookie, at home in dense city traffic or on endless desert sand.
I departed my Gaslamp Quarter hotel in San Diego at the crack of dawn and pointed my 2025 Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch tester in the direction of the Anza-Borrego Desert about 95 miles away. Over the next 11 hours, I would travel through crisp fall, snowy winter, bright spring and sandy summer conditions.
Fall
The crisp air in SoCal was decidedly fall-like in early April, and I headed east from San Diego in 42-degree temps. The Bronco Sport is one of two compact SUVs that Ford makes on its C2 unibody platform (the others is the Escape), and Bronco Sport is the wild child of the pair.
With their Bronco-like headlights and optional Black Diamond and Sasquatch off-road packages, the Bronc’s Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands models are ready to tread beyond where the asphalt ends.
But Bronco Sport is also well equipped for morning commutes in the urban jungle.
I put my Borrego Springs destination in my phone, which instantly translated to the 13.2-inch digital display high in the dash via standard, wireless Android Auto — and in the instrument display in front of me. I spun the rotary GOAT mode dial (Ford-speak for drive modes) from NORMAL to ECO and followed the instructions though San Diego’s gridded streets and on to the highway choked with morning traffic.
Also standard is a moat of safety systems. Merging onto California Highway 94, I checked my six. The blind-spot assist icon flickered in my rearview mirror and I waited for a line of cars to pass before merging left. Whether married to the base 1.5-liter turbo 3-cylinder engine or the 2.0-liter turbo-4 exclusive to my Badlands tester, the standard eight-speed transmission is smooth as silk — even under my lead Size 15 foot.
Up to speed, I set standard adaptive cruise control at 70 mph and cruised effortlessly through the ebbs and flows of traffic. Without taking my eyes off the road, I toggled the raised switch on the steering spoke to adjust speed and following distance.
As the route narrowed to two-lane California 79, I rotated the GOAT to SPORT and punched the MANUAL button in the middle of the selector. Paddle time.
I reached for the shift paddles behind the wheel and manually shifted through the blizzard of Cuyamaca Mountain S-turns. The Bronc Sport is hardly a hot hatch, but my Sasquatch package-equipped Badlands model rotated nicely with planted steering and torque-vectoring clutches once found on the Ford Focus RS.
Winter
Speaking of blizzards, the dry roads didn’t last long.
I had climbed from sea level to 4,000 feet (did you hear my ears pop?) in an hour and the temperature had plummeted 15 degrees. Suddenly, my windscreen was full of sleet and snow and the road was an ice rink. Thank goodness for all-terrain tires.
I spun the GOAT wheel to SLIPPERY mode, which chose a lower gear to reduce torque slip. The tires did the rest as I clawed my way through the twisties. I passed a pair of cars that has slid into the ditch assisted by emergency vehicles. My sure-footed Bronco Sport soldiered on.
For such sudden changes of weather, the Ford has clever, rear-seat sub-space where you can store hats, gloves, long underwear. With the seats up, four six-footers can fit comfortably in the cabin. Fold the rear seats down, and you can fit two upright bikes with their front tires removed.
Spring
Descending the east side of the Cuyamacas, winter gave way to spring as temps warmed to 60 degrees and the sun bathed lush green valleys.
All-terrain tires that had carried me through ice and snow were surprisingly quiet on dry asphalt. As was the cabin. One of the most uncomfortable rides I’ve experienced was in a cloth-seated Ford Mustang last decade, but Bronco Sport seats — whether cloth in the Big Bend model or leather in Badlands — were easy on the backside for my 260-mile round trip.
Clever interior bits abound: phone storage behind the dash screen includes twin USB-C charging ports; crisp instrument display graphics right out of a video game; and an “oh, crap” passenger handle on the center console for when things get dicey off-road.
Summer
Oh, yes, I encourage you to go off-road with the Sasquatch package.
I descended into the Anza-Borrego Desert and temperatures rose to over 70 degrees. Ford uses Anza-Borrego for extreme testing where temps can soar over 120 degrees while sand blows horizontally at 50 mph.
New for the 2025 model year, my Badlands was fully armored with Sasquatch — a step up from the Black Diamond package available since the 2023 model year. Inspired by big brother Bronco (natch), the package offers protective skid plates underneath, a one-inch suspension lift, more GOAT drive modes and a front bull bar.
I didn’t hit any bulls, but my grille came face to face with plenty of rocks. WHUMP! I dragged the fortified underbelly over a boulder, then stood on my nose on a rock suspending my right rear in the air while the rear clutch pack threw 100% torque to the other wheel for grip.
Rock quickly gave way to deep sand — dial up RALLY mode! — and I churned through miles of the stuff as the twin clutch packs did their magic, automatically managing traction across the rear wheels while the fronts pulled like mad.
At the edge of a dune, the sand dropped away and I engaged TRAIL CONTROL — a sort of low-speed adaptive cruise for off-roading. Set at 2 mph, the system took over throttle and brake so I could concentrate on steering between steep rock ruts. You won’t use TRAIL CONTROL much on daily commutes, but the all-terrain tires will help with Detroit potholes.
On the way back to my hotel over the mountains in the evening, I stopped at the famed Julian Pie Company. Its tasty apple pie reminded me of the Grand Traverse Pie Company in Traverse City.
With Traverse City’s variable climate, sand dunes and steep elevation changes, Bronco Sport would be right at home there too.
Next week: 2025 Lincoln Navigator
2025 Ford Bronco Sport
Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger SUV
Price: $31,590, including $1,595 destination charge ($44,925 Badlands Sasquatch as tested)
Powerplant: 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder; 2.0-liter turbo-4
Power: 180 horsepower, 200 pound-feet of torque (1.5-liter); 250 horsepower, 280 pound-feet of torque (2.0-liter)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.8 seconds (Car and Driver est., 2.0-liter); towing, 2,700 pounds
Weight: 3,849 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA 23 mpg city/26 highway/24 combined (1.5-liter); 21 mpg city/27 highway/23 combined (2.0-liter)
Report card
Highs: All-season dexterity; excellent standard features
Lows: Tight rear seat space compared to competition; turbo-4 only available on Badlands
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.