Autos
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Before the First Jeep Grand Cherokee, There Was the Concept 1
Before the first Jeep Grand Cherokee drove up the stairs and through a giant glass window at the 1992 Detroit Auto Show, a dramatic entrance for a vehicle that generated huge interest at the time, Jeep had previously shown off the Concept 1. The Concept 1’s lines were a direct preview of the “ZJ” Grand Cherokee to come, but that wasn’t the intent at the time. This was supposed to be the next Cherokee. Jeep wanted its next Cherokee to be roomier, with greater passenger comfort and cargo space. They also wanted to update the Cherokee’s appearance, with a smoother and more elegant look. The XJ Cherokee is a cult classic now, but by the late ’80s it was simply a boxy SUV starting to age. The Concept 1, using the same unibody architecture underneath, brought ...
We Finally Know When the 2022 Chevy Equinox and Traverse Go On Sale
The 2021 Chevrolet Equinox and the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse were both originally slated to go on sale in the fall of 2020; however, the refreshed models were soon pushed to the 2022 model year. Now we know when both updated SUVs will hit dealerships. See all 42 photos The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox goes on sale this summer, while the 2022 Chevrolet Traverse follows in the fall. The mid-cycle refresh for the Equinox was first shown at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show—the last major auto show before the coronavirus forced the cancellation of all major events for the rest of the year and into 2021. The 2022 Equinox features updated styling that gives it a more mature look. Key to changes include a reworked grille, headlights, and taillights. For 2022, Chevy adds a new RS trim with black-painted badges a...
Here’s How to Watch the 2022 Cadillac V-Series Blackwing Reveal
Need a quick refresher on what, exactly, the Blackwings are? You might remember a V-8 that carried that name, but that’s not what these two will be packing. It’s a bit confusing, but think of Blackwing more as an indicator of ultimate performance rather than a specific powertrain. While the twin-turbo Blackwing V-8 won’t be used here—it’s only seen duty in the CT6 thus far—the CT5-V Blackwing should pack a different supercharged V-8, and you can expect the CT4-V Blackwing to get a twin-turbo V-6. We have yet to see the cars without the camouflage shown here, so they’re still keeping any stylistic detailing a secret. One thing that isn’t a secret, though, is Cadillac’s confirmation that both cars will offer a manual transmission, bucking a long...
You Can Now Make Your Tesla’s Horn Sound Like Anything You Want
Tesla has always been known for having a little extra fun with its cars. Remember when it added a virtual whoopee cushion in 2019? Or when last year CEO Elon Musk announced that the Tesla Model S would get a “nice” price cut to $69,420? But in case those gimmicks weren’t enough, there’s now Boombox mode, which allows you to fully customize your Tesla’s horn to make whatever sound your heart desires. Thanks to a December firmware update, Boombox mode now essentially enables Tesla owners to make their cars even more entertaining (or irritating). There are already dozens of videos online of people using the feature to change their horns’ sound. Some of the pre-installed sounds are a goat bleating, a round of applause, and—in classic Tesla fashion—...
Honda HPD Civic Type R TC Race Car: Attacking the Track
Honda Civic Full Overview The official MotorTrend position on the Honda Civic Type R is pretty clear: It’s awesome. In fact, we think it’s the best front-wheel-drive sports car on the market. As good as it is, no street car is actually a race car. That said, you can absolutely turn a street car into a race car with the proper application of money, parts, time, and labor. Or you can skip all the hard work and hand Honda Performance Development (HPD) a stack of cash to build one for you. HPD calls it the Honda HPD Civic Type R TC, and the HPD people let us lap one. The “TC” (short for “Touring Car”) appellation is important because it refers to the SRO Motorsports race sanctioning body’s TC Class (formerly Pirelli World Challenge), which is roughly e...
2021 GMC Yukon Denali First Test: Business or First?
GMC Yukon Full Overview 2021 GMC Yukon Denali: Mountainous Performance Short answer: effortlessly. Slightly longer answer: Our four-wheel-drive V-8 Denali was a smidge quicker than the last 2021 Cadillac Escalade we tested. (With the same powertrain, that Escalade Sport Platinum weighed just 56 pounds more than our Denali.) Both trucks zip to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, but the GMC squeaks through the quarter first, in 14.5 seconds at 97.3 mph to the ‘Slade’s 14.6 ticks and 95.6 mph. The Lincoln Navigator’s twin-turbo V-6 packs more muscle at 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque to the 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of GM’s big 6.2-liter V-8, but laden with Black Label finery, our last four-wheel-drive ‘Gator weighed 126 and 182 pounds more than our Cadillac and GMC, respectively....
Jeep Grand Cherokee: MotorTrend’s 1993 Truck of the Year
The MotorTrend ’93 Truck of the Year competition proved that intensity isn’t a function of quantity. Although only three trucks answered the call this year, there was no shortage of talent. Each entrant is a standout in its own class. The Ford Ranger, for instance, has been the best-selling compact pickup in America for the last six years. The Isuzu Trooper is the all-time sales champ for import SUVs. And the Jeep Grand Cherokee, of course, is Chrysler’s sequel to the popular Cherokee, the vehicle that almost single-handedly built the four-door SUV segment. Naturally, other new trucks were introduced over the past year. But the new Land Rover Range Rover County LWB and Defender SUVs, and Chevrolet and GMC turbodiesel extended-cab pickups couldn’t meet...
Dodge Sold Four New Vipers in 2020—Even Though Production Stopped Three Years Ago
The Dodge Viper, the wild, on-again/off-again 10-cylinder sports car that menaced roads since the early 1990s under different brand names went out of production in 2017. That didn’t mark the end of the line for the Viper, it seems. While Dodge stopped making the things long ago, a few have apparently been lurking on dealer lots these past few years, coiled and waiting to strike the right buyer. Really? Really. Dodge parent company Fiat Chrysler released its full 2020 sales figures today, and right there in the charts with sales totals for the Ram truck, Jeep, Chrysler, and Fiat brands in addition to Dodge was a familiar if unexpected reptilian name: Viper. It turns out, Dodge sold four Vipers in 2020, a year over year decrease of 20 percent. We’ve reached out to FCA for cl...
Buick’s Big, Bad V-8 Engines: The Nailhead, 430, 400, 455, and More
When Buick replaced its overhead-valve inline-eight in 1953, the Nailhead became the company’s first pushrod V-8. The engine took its name from the small valve covers mounted on top of the heads. Under the valve covers, the vertically mounted valves created an almost hemispherical combustion chamber. With a massively oversquare design (4-inch bore, 3.2-inch stroke), the Nailhead liked to rev. Combined a narrow design and good torque, early hot rodders in the 1950s found favor with the Nailhead. See all 6 photos The head design ultimately created exhaust-flow problems, but those first Nailhead tinkerers tried all manner of fuel-and-air delivery. From Strombergs to four-barrels to triple-twos, the Nailhead saw it all. Of all the Nailhead tuners in the world, none could be more popular ...
So, Kia Has an All-New Logo and It’s Shapes
Gone is the old logo, pictured above, with its clean, legible, red-on-white theme. In comes a new, black-and-white colorway and a futuristic vibe seemingly inspired by a similar design tested on the 2019 Kia Imagine concept. There’s just one teeny-tiny problem with the new one: It’s forward-thinking, but also visually complex and difficult to make out if you don’t already know it’s Kia’s new logo. We get that logos can be whatever a brand wants them to be—just look at the Chevy’s bowtie, which, on its face, has nothing to do with cars. However, if they’re supposed to spell out a word, they should at the very least be legible. The new Kia logo could easily be mistaken for “K | A” or a “K” and a backwards “N,” and ...
Quadra-What? Breaking Down the 2021 Grand Cherokee L’s 4WD Systems
Jeep offers a variety of four-wheel-drive systems for buyers of the new 2021 Grand Cherokee L to choose from. Called Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, and Quadra-Drive II, each setup offers different levels of four-wheel-drive capability. Let’s take a quick look at how each system works and the differences between them. See all 68 photos Jeep Quadra-Trac I Quadra-Trac I is a single-speed full-time four-wheel-drive system that requires no driver intervention. Four-wheel-drive is always engaged, with 48 percent of the engine’s torque delivered to the front axle and 52 percent going to the rear. Quadra-Trac I uses open differentials and relies on the traction control system to distribute power by way of the SUV’s brakes. If a wheel loses traction, the system senses th...
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L First Look: The Longer, Three-Row Version Is Finally Here
Jeep Grand Cherokee Full Overview The fifth generation of the popular Jeep Grand Cherokee has been expanded—literally—by adding a stretched seven-passenger version that debuts as the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. With consumers champing at the bit for more SUVs (and more Jeeps), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is building on that momentum with a new addition to the lineup: a midsize-plus Jeep Grand Cherokee with three rows of seating for the first time. This is the mystery three-row SUV that FCA has been promising in its five-year plan, and which will be built at the new $1.6 billion Detroit Assembly Complex’s Mack Avenue Plant. Production begins this quarter, and the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L will arrive in dealerships in the second quarter. Why begin the new Grand Cherokee’s rollout...
