{"id":29066,"date":"2022-04-15T17:17:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T21:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29066"},"modified":"2022-04-15T17:17:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T21:17:00","slug":"nyc-show-outback-telluride-wagoneer-suvs-and-ev-mania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/nyc-show-outback-telluride-wagoneer-suvs-and-ev-mania","title":{"rendered":"NYC Show: Outback, Telluride, Wagoneer SUVs and EV-mania"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Automakers say the future is electric, but the present is gas (if you can find it here for under $4\u00a0a gallon).<\/p>\n

In addition to a flock of new electric vehicles on the floor and on its 250,000 square-foot test track, this year\u2019s New York International Auto Show is headlined by updates of some of the most popular internal-combustion SUVs in the business, including the Subaru Outback, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, and Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.<\/p>\n

The dashing utes are flagships of their respective brands and bring in big bucks to their manufacturers in a market where 99% of vehicles\u00a0on the road are still powered by gas.<\/p>\n

They are also in segments viewed as the least amenable to electrification \u2014 whether the adventure-focused Outback or the thirsty, family-focused Wagoneer. Popular with consumers, they are the focus of Washington efforts to bring down gas prices this week by waiving the ethanol mandate, even as federal agencies force adoption of the EVs that are the focus of the New York show.<\/p>\n

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Subaru rolled out significant upgrades to its iconic Outback SUV with a redesigned fascia, increased engine options and more tech. Starting at $28,320, the Outback has led the industry surge into outdoor-focused SUVs followed by entrants like the Ford Bronco Sport and Mazda CX-50. Subaru\u2019s perennial bestseller along with the Forester, Outback now comes in six models: Base, Premium, Onyx, Wilderness, Limited and Touring.<\/p>\n

Not content to let segment newcomers poach on their territory, the all-wheel-drive Outback gets a facelift \u2014 including, no surprise, a bigger grille \u2014 and new fender cladding on all trims but the Wilderness.<\/p>\n

To keep up with the furious pace of electronics development, models receive wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability and an update to Subaru\u2019s acclaimed EyeSight Driver Assist Technology that brings a suite of standard features like 4G WiFi, smartphone connectivity apps, adaptive cruise-control and limited\u00a0autonomous driving capability. The top-shelf Touring model gets a new Wide-Angle Mono Camera for better safety detection of, for example, pedestrians and bicycles at an intersection.<\/p>\n

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Add blind-spot detection with lane-change assist, and Eye Sight will automatically steer to help avoid collision at speeds up to 50 mph. The popular, blacked-trimmed Onyx Edition \u2014 once available only with the premium, 2.4-liter, turbo-4 engine \u2014 gains a normally-aspirated 2.5-liter 4-banger to better manage those $4-a-gallon fill-ups.<\/p>\n

Subaru has struggled with regulations pushing electrics and the Outback is a test case as to why. With its long range, 9-inch ground clearance\u00a0and rugged capability, it offers superior, 600-mile overlanding capability for Subaru\u2019s core customers \u2013 while stickering for 10 grand below the brand\u2019s forthcoming, similarly-sized, 300-mile-range Solterra EV.<\/p>\n

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There are few SUVs hotter in the U.S. market than the Alabama-assembled Kia Telluride, which debuted in 2020 to rave reviews and customer hunger for its upscale looks and affordable price \u2014 cheaper than a comparable Ford Explorer by $8,000 in some cases and undercutting even perennial segment leader Toyota Highlander.<\/p>\n

It quickly became the brand\u2019s family halo, collecting an armful of industry awards, and attracting 75% new customers to the Korean brand. Tough act to follow.<\/p>\n

The ’23 mid-cycle refresh treads lightly in upgrading the vehicle\u2019s good looks. Even three-row utes aren\u2019t immune from Americans\u2019 thirst for the outdoors and the Telluride gains X-Line and X-Pro off-road trims \u2014 the latter featuring increased ride height and standard, low-profile all-terrain tires for where the asphalt ends.<\/p>\n

\"Dual<\/p>\n
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The Kia gains significant interior upgrades to complement its best-in-class space and clever innovations like a first-to-third-row speaker system. The interior is now available with luxurious\u00a0dual\u00a0curved 12.3-inch display screens \u2014 more likely to be found in lux vehicles costing tens of thousands of dollars more. In addition to a blizzard of standard safety features, Telluride offers clever tricks like Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy smartwatch compatibility to remote-control interior climate, and stolen vehicle tracking-and-immobilization capability.<\/p>\n

The Telluride\u2019s 291-horse V-6 remains untouched, but its tow limit increases to 5,500 pounds with the X-Pro. Towing is a key reason automakers are nervous about going electric in large SUVs. Already inferior for long-range trips, EVs drink range when towing.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Hyundai makes its sister Palisade on the same platform as the Telluride and shares many of the same upgrades. The more metropolitan-themed Hyundai, however, does not go the all-terrain-model route.<\/p>\n

\"2023<\/p>\n
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In addition to the big screens inside, the Palisade gets a more modest fascia compared to its polarizing 2020 mug. Rear passengers will appreciate the second-row armrest angle adjuster, third-row seats\u00a0and in-car WiFi.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than ever, Palisade is the ultimate family vehicle for daily use and memory-making road trips,\u201d said Hyundai North America VP for mobility Olabisi Boyle, touting the SUV\u2019s new tow mode for easier hauling.<\/p>\n

\"Born<\/p>\n
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Towing is also a key ingredient of the Jeep Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L \u2014 stretch versions of the truck-based, three-row SUVs to compete against segment leader Cadillac Escalade.<\/p>\n

Despite the introduction of major competitors like the Wagoneer twins and the Lincoln Navigator, Escalade has maintained its edge in the segment \u2014 accounting for 60% of sales in Q1. The Wagoneer L twins gain 12 inches in overall length and 7 inches of wheelbase. The increased proportions also mean the Wagoneer L delivers best-in-class passenger volume at more than 179 cubic feet.<\/p>\n

Towing a best-in-class 10,000 pounds, don\u2019t expect the Wagoneers to go electric anytime soon. But in a nod to the feds’ coming, 2026 fuel economy rules, the huge Stellantis utes are the first vehicles to get the automaker’s Hurricane V-6. The twin-turbo mill is slated to replace the Wagoneer\u2019s hemi V-8s with more power and fewer CO2 emissions frowned on by regulators.<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York\u00a0\u2014 Automakers say the future is electric, but the present is gas (if you can find it here for under $4\u00a0a gallon). In addition to a flock of new electric vehicles on the floor and on its 250,000 square-foot test track, this year\u2019s New York International Auto Show is headlined by updates of some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29066"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29066"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29067,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29066\/revisions\/29067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}