Autos

The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer are festooned with badging. “Wagoneer” is spelled out in large letters across the front of the SUV and the nameplate is equally prominent across the back. “Wagoneer” or “Grand Wagoneer” is replicated on each side of both vehicles, punctuated by an American flag. Open the driver’s door and the name is on a plate at the bottom of the seat. Jeep even moved the controls for the 24-way seat to the door to clear space for this decoration. One badge you won’t find on the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer or 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, though, is Jeep‘s own. It’s not necessary, Christian Meunier, chief executive officer of the Jeep brand, said. “The Grand Wagoneer name and design make it o...

Obsidian, besides sounding like an awesomely regal name for the family pooch, is a glass-like volcanic rock that’s naturally black in color. However, outside of the natural world, it’s a term that’ll now be associated with the Jeep Wagoneer, specifically the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Obsidian. As its name implies, this special Wagoneer family member comes adorned with elegant black cues. It’s the perfect touch of style and customization straight from the factory. Keep reading to get the lowdown on what makes the Grand Wagoneer Obsidian special. What Is the Grand Wagoneer Obsidian, Anyway? Even though the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are the same vehicles at heart, only the latter offers the Obsidian kit. This means the Obsidian—like other Grand Wagoneer trims—comes st...

Roush doesn’t just conquer the asphalt world with its upfitted Mustangs, it’s also been playin’ with trucks since 2013. For model year 2021, in fact, it offers three Ford trucks (Super Duty, F-150, and Ranger) to its one car, the Stage 3 Mustang. The newest of these Roush trucks is the F-150, based on the four-wheel-drive XLT Sport or Lariat-trimmed SuperCrew 2021 F-150 motivated by the 5.0-liter V-8. The 2021 Roush Ford F-150 starts at $16,745 (on top the cost of the donor truck, and before adding the optional supercharger) and is backed by a 3-year/36,00-mile limited warranty. The finished product looks more aggressive and well-balanced, but is unmistakably a Roush creation. Starting with the outside, Roush dials up the front end by adding heat-extracting widebody ...

Certain things are, it seems, too good to be true. I’ve never forget when, on the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE launch the 1,000-watt lightbulb exploded over my head and I realized that Free Driving Assist—the luxury SUV’s ability to hop up and down to free itself from sand or snow—can be used on dry pavement, pretty much whenever you want provided the vehicle was within the system’s operating parameters (i.e., low speed or stationary). Mercedes’ PR professionals were none too happy at the time, but I did not let that stop me from filming half a dozen GLE-Class “bouncy bounce” videos for Instagram. “You’re going to be really popular in East L.A.,” I said to the German engineer who designed the fast-moving hydraulic pumps that make E-ABC (...

Honda has a habit of showing off soon-to-be-revealed new vehicles as “concept cars” that are really just thinly disguised versions of the real deal. We have no reason to believe the Honda Civic Sedan Prototype the automaker debuted at the end of last year isn’t a solid look at the next-generation 2022 Civic sedan set to go on sale midway through 2021. Need proof to back up the Civic Sedan Prototype’s bona fides? These photos, which leaked onto the internet, appear to show a production-ready version of the Civic show car. See all 28 photos The images landed on Civic11Forum.com, and even though some have “burlappcar.com” watermarks, their original source is likely China. Markings on the back of the white Civic make it highly likely that the car i...

See all 4 photos The first performance SUV from Hyundai and the second N model slated for the U.S., the Kona N is all-new for the 2022 model year. This spicier iteration of the Kona has a sleeker exterior design than even the streamlined new 2022 Kona, a lower stance, and sports a more aggressive face. Up front, the Kona’s busy face has been upgraded with large air intakes, thinned-out headlights, three small vents above the grille like those on the Veloster N, and a red accent on the front splitter. Hyundai fits a double-wedge roof spoiler, a dual-exhaust muffler, menacing taillights, and an enhanced diffuser to the tail. In addition to these upgrades, the souped-up Kona also gains a new triangular third brake light. While regular Konas come standard with front-wheel drive and ...

You’re looking at the new Hyundai Staria, and before you get too excited, no, it won’t be sold here. This is the replacement for a van known as the Starex, the sort of anonymous (although in its latest facelift, almost handsome) MPV that does taxi, livery, and people-hauling duties in Asia and Europe. The van market abroad is a little different from our kiddo-hauling, cupholder-sporting traditional van market, even before the SUV wave inundated van sales. But even the most ardent Starex fans couldn’t possibly have dreamed about what it would metamorphose into. See all 22 photos Hyundai says the new Staria has a “strikingly futuristic and mysterious exterior, resembling a spaceship”—and while normally we’d rather describe a vehicle to our readers in our o...

The new-for-2021 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition tacks on a number of trail-ready bits—go figure. Based on the SR5 trim level and only available with the crew-cab body with the five-foot bed and the V-6 engine, the Trail Edition adds 16-inch wheels and Kevlar-lined all-terrain tires from the one-level-up Tacoma TRD Off-Road model, blacked-out badges, black fabric seats with tan stitching, a 120-volt outlet in the bed, all-weather floor liners, and a chrome grille from the Tacoma Limited. It also adds a pair of trick bedside-mounted lockable storage compartments. Sure, we knew all of this back when the Trail Edition was originally announced last year, but after seeing those in-bed boxes up close as the trucks reach dealers, they merit closer inspection for their potential for usefulness—at...

The Hummer will be the first GM product to use the Ultium battery platform, and it will get about 350 miles of range on a full charge. But GM now says it can get about 450 miles of range for some vehicles from its Ultium batteries. The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq midsize SUV is the second vehicle due to utilize the Ultium system and is expected to get more miles per charge than the Hummer, the Lyriq being a much smaller and lighter vehicle. Lithium-Metal Battery Brigade To take the next leap, GM is partnering with SolidEnergy Systems to jointly develop lithium-metal batteries that will power future models. Reuss announced the new joint venture at a Washington Post virtual conference. SES is a leader in lithium-metal technology and battery management software that uses artificial intelligence. GM V...

Automakers are exploring many solutions for electrifying the sort of trucks that Americans can’t get enough of. In terms of conventional manufacturers, Ford is arguably out in front. Credit the already available Ford F-150 PowerBoost gasoline-electric hybrid pickup, as well as the upcoming F-150 electric. Heck, even Ram’s eTorque “mild hybrid” system is a fuel-saving step in the right direction. Upstarts like Bollinger, Lordstown, Rivian, and now Canoo want a piece of the pie, too, but aren’t reliant on “legacy” truck platforms. But for more traditional pickups, like the sort already running around your town as work or lifestyle vehicles, Magna has an interim solution called eBeam. We’re talking about an application for trucks with ...