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The idea of a plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler intrigues me. Wranglers that run exclusively on dead-dino juice have never been terribly fuel efficient. That’s true of recent efforts, too, despite overall improvements in automotive technology/design/engineering that have helped even the thirstiest of gas guzzlers become, well, less thirsty.So it makes sense that a Wrangler that can run at least part of the time on electrons would pique my interest. Even if the alternative powertrain underhood changes little else about the Wrangler experience. Fast Facts 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4XE Powertrain 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with electric starter/generator motor and transmission…
SUVs are supplanting traditional sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons in sales, but the head of Citroën believes EVs could reverse that trend. “The world of SUVs is done,” Citroën CEO Vincent Cobée said in a recent interview with Auto Express (via InsideEVs). That’s a bold prediction considering that SUVs have accounted for 50% of all new car registrations in Citroën’s home European market for the past few years. Yet the need to maximize range at a reasonable cost could cause a change in automaker’s product-planning habits, Cobée argues, noting that the traditional SUV shape isn’t aerodynamically optimal. 2022 Citroen C5 X…
While some U.S. states are actively seeking to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles, with California and New York already moving to ban them by 2035, several Wyoming lawmakers have proposed banning the sale of electric vehicles instead. Introduced on Jan 13, Bill SJ0004 seeks to phase out the sale of new EVs in Wyoming by 2035, citing the importance of the oil and natural gas industry to the state, as well as the current lack of adequate charging infrastructure and the cost to build it, and the unsuitability of EVs on the state’s long stretches of highway. The bill…
The 2024 Mazda CX-90 three-row mid-size SUV due for a reveal later in January will offer a turbocharged inline-6 as an alternative to the previously announced plug-in hybrid powertrain, Mazda said on Tuesday. The new engine is a 3.3-liter unit that in the 2024 CX-90 will deliver 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, which will make it Mazda’s most powerful engine in a production vehicle. The engine is expected to be paired with a mild-hybrid system, and drive all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. Mazda also has a turbodiesel 3.3-liter inline-6, though this…
German tuner Mansory is known globally for putting controversial-looking body kits on high-end cars like the Maserati MC20. The company’s first build of 2023 goes much further: called Venatus Coupé EVO C, it’s a Lamborghini Urus that has been transformed into a coupe. Lamborghini doesn’t offer a two-door version of the Urus, the popular SUV is exclusively offered with four doors, so a substantial amount of time and effort went into completing the transformation. Mansory started by removing the four doors and shifting the b-pillars back by nearly eight inches. It then extended the front doors, widened the quarter panels,…
Volvo has revealed early details for revamped single-motor versions of its most affordable EVs, the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge crossovers, which have up until now not been offered in the U.S. Both vehicles get some fundamental changes underneath. Up until now they’ve come with front-wheel-drive. Now, by switching that single-motor layout to rear-wheel drive instead, and adopting a new motor, range and efficiency have been boosted by a significant amount. Volvo says that these vehicles mark the first time the brand has offered a rear-wheel-drive variant in 25 years. Revamped 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge (international spec) The new motor,…
It’s a 37-degree January afternoon in Michigan at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground. The “black lake” sea of asphalt test area wears a sheen of moisture on a day that threatens rain but doesn’t deliver, and yet the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray spins its front and rear tires just for a beat before it hooks up and rockets forward. 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Exhilarating acceleration The shock of a hard launch is my first impression from the passenger seat while Corvette Chassis Development Engineer Bill Wise takes the wheel. The greatest leap the mid-engine C8 Corvette took versus the front-engine…
You could lease a gray Toyota RAV4 like everyone else, but this is a new year, so we’re not going to tackle ordinary SUVs in this month’s lease roundup. We’re here to help you make questionable financial decisions as the world teeters on the brink of a recession. Enter the most exciting and obscure performance SUVs you can lease right now. Most of these SUVs are vehicles we love to drive, even if the next trim down is a much better value. These cars make statements about an owner’s priorities—namely, that spending more money on low-volume, high-performance models is worth…
The last time I reviewed a Land Rover Defender, I commented on how I enjoyed its driving experience despite some very British electrical failings such as the radio going AWOL for half an hour.I expected similar from the two-door version, and to my pleasant surprise, I got the good parts without any real gremlins or bugs. Fast Facts 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 First Edition Fast Facts Powertrain 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six with mild-hybrid setup with 48-volt electric supercharger and 48-volt starter/generator motor (395 horsepower @ 5,500 RPM, 406 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,000 RPM) Transmission Eight-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive Fuel Economy,…
“The Grand Tour,” Amazon Prime’s car show presented by former “Top Gear” hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, may be coming to an end soon. Citing anonymous sources, Variety reported on Monday that Amazon’s streaming service will cease working with Clarkson beyond what the two parties have already agreed upon. Clarkson also appears in the separate Amazon Prime show “Clarkson’s Farm.” Filming of new episodes for both shows is currently underway, but according to Variety there likely won’t any new episodes of either show beyond 2024, apart from a possible final episode for “The Grand Tour” that may…