Autos
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Lifestyle – Autos
2021 Honda Accord Hybrid First Test: Skip the Big Wheels, Bask In the Excellence
Honda Accord Hybrid Full Overview More power doesn’t always translate to superior performance. Take the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid for instance; does its class-leading power lead to a meaningful advantage in acceleration compared to the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata hybrids? We track-tested the Honda to find out. And after our First Drive review, we also discovered two minor faults in what remains one of our favorite midsize family sedans. If you’re on the fence between a 2020 and 2021 Accord Hybrid, we’d suggest picking the newer model—and this is coming from a particularly frugal-minded MotorTrend editor. It’s not because of newly available wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; it’s thanks to Honda’s adjustments to the way the car feels—and sounds—u...
2022 GMC Sierra 1500’s Super Cruise Offers Hands-Free(!) Towing
See all 17 photos Perhaps bigger news is that this will be the first Super Cruise application to support significant towing, at least next to the upcoming GMC Hummer. Details were not provided as to what specific engineering enhancements were required to allow incorporation of this technology, but it undoubtedly involves tapping into the stability-control system’s trailer-sway mitigation circuitry, plus sensors that detect trailer length for blind-spot monitoring. This will be especially crucial if, as expected, the system incorporates assisted, computer-executed lane changing as the version in the 2021 Escalade does. As to why the application is coming to the pickup trucks ahead of the recently renewed full-size 2021 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, which continue to sell with an extremely r...
NISMO Wants to Restore Your Old Nissan GT-R—At an Exorbitant Price
Nissan seems to understand the importance of preserving important Skyline models, like the R32-generation one seen here, before it’s too late. That’s why the company recently launched an extensive restoration program through its NISMO division, as was first spotted by Japanese Nostalgic Car. Extensive enough to justify the cost, which is a few hundred thousand dollars? Let’s take a closer look and see. Remember, not too long ago Nissan announced it was putting some hard-to-find parts for R32 Skyline GT-Rs back into production. And the prices of Skyline GT-Rs are hitting new heights, too. This seems like the next logical step, producing like-new versions of classic Skylines replete with special build plates and an impeccable pedigree, for a suitable sum. And it’...
First Drive: 2021 Land Rover Defender 90
See the Full Model Overview Less is more. Well, maybe. In the case of the 2021 Land Rover Defender 90, less is most definitely less—17.1 inches less, to be precise. Make no mistake, the short-wheelbase version of our 2021 SUV of the Year winner is still a good thing, offering, like its longer sibling, a truly unique combination of luxurious refinement on-road and Jeep-like capability off-road. But whether less of a good thing is actually … a good thing … depends on what you’re going to do with it. The Land Rover Defender 90 is built on the same high-strength, heavy-duty D7x aluminum architecture as the Defender 110. It shares the same powertrains, transmission, suspension, brakes, wheel and tire combinations, many trim items, and a number of body panels with the 110. The family resem...
Get Ready For the All-New Top Gear America!
When two of the most influential brands in automotive history—MotorTrend and Top Gear—join forces on a car show, what could go wrong? Who Is Crazy Enough to take on Top Gear America? See all 9 photos We couldn’t ask just anyone to take up the American mantle of the most iconic car show in history. There have been many copycats and tributes over the years, but they all pale in comparison to that most venerable of trios: Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. But this ain’t that! Sure, we’re calling it Top Gear America, and it’s a trio of hosts, and it’s about cars. But what made the original show great wasn’t the formula, it was the rapport and comradery of the hosts. The three lucky enthusiasts we’ve chosen have all of that in s...
2021 Kia Sorento First Drive: Why This Is No Mini-Telluride
Kia Sorento Full Overview Don’t expect the new 2021 Kia Sorento to feel like a miniature version of its star sibling, the Telluride. Once you get to know the Sorento, you’ll understand. The three-row Sorento bursts out of the Telluride’s shadow with a more chiseled look than before, a surprising driving experience, and the ability to compete across three segments. Yes, three. Really. Segment-straddling versatility isn’t new territory for the Sorento; the 2021 model simply presents a more effective case for itself. That’s because there’s more of almost everything (except length). Kia stuffs the slightly wider Sorento with more standard safety tech, more power from the base engine, more efficiency in every configuration, more engine options, more interior ...
2021 Nissan Kicks First Look: Pumped Up Kicks
Despite occupying the bottom spot in Nissan‘s SUV hierarchy, the 2021 Kicks looks to shed its entry-level aesthetic. Going a long way in that effort is the freshly updated subcompact SUV‘s new front end, which features a larger grille, a more expressive lower fascia, and a thinner headlamp design. At the rear, the 2021 Kicks adopts a new rear bumper and a snazzier set of rear taillights with an LED light bar that spans the width of the vehicle. 2021 Nissan Kicks: A Kick to the Cabin But as transformative as the exterior changes of the 2021 Kicks are, the largest changes appear inside the cabin. Specifically, those of the higher-end SV and SR trims, both of which feature a new 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a redesigned center console with an integrated armres...
2021 Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel First Test: Not the Perfect Truck You Were Expecting
Jeep Gladiator Full Overview It’s happened to all of us. You order something new off the menu because the description and ingredients sound like a sure bet, only to find out the dish is just OK. It happens with cars and trucks, too. The 2021 Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel sounds like a winning combination of torquey diesel powertrain, off-road suspension, and Jeep character, and it is all of those things. It’s just not great as an actual, you know, pickup truck. The Gladiator EcoDiesel Sure Is Quick, Though . . . The good news is our initial impressions were right: The EcoDiesel engine delivers acceleration that is noticeably quicker than the standard gasoline engine. The quickest Gladiator we’ve ever tested, another base model Sport but one that was fitted with the gas V-6 and...
2021 Nissan Armada First Look: Patrolling for Full-Size SUV Shoppers
Call it collateral damage, because Nissan’s updates to the 2021 Armada full-size SUV manage to inadvertently undermine the role of its luxury-oriented, mechanically similar Infiniti QX80 counterpart. Admittedly, the Infiniti‘s premium badge and slightly more sculptural sheetmetal help set it apart from the Nissan‘s more plebeian nameplate and squarer looks. Still—and as in past generations—it seems those are about the only reasons to spring for a 2021 QX80 over a top-spec 2021 Armada. 2021 Nissan Armada: Maw Patrol Like its international counterpart, the Nissan Patrol, the 2021 Nissan Armada sports fresh front and rear ends that incorporate the Japanese brand’s latest design language. Anchored by a prominent grille and blocky LED headlights, the refreshed ArmadaR...
2021 Ford Bronco Sport 1.5T First Drive Review: Entry Baby
Ford Bronco Sport Full Overview Ford has clearly designed the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport to be the king of the compact, mass-market, crossover-based, rock-climbers hill. And indeed, a fully kitted-out Badlands model appears as though it may have what it takes to leave its Jeep Renegade and Compass Trailhawk competitors on the unflattering end of a winch. But the majority of Renegade and Compass buyers don’t spring for a Trailhawk, and the same is likely to be true of Bronco Sport Badlands models. So just how livable is that turbocharged 1.5-liter three-banger that “powers” most Bronco Sports? 2021 Ford Bronco Sport 1.5T: Acceleration Domination? Perhaps the most direct comparison is with the Renegade, which also gets a turbocharged three-cylinder—a 1.3-liter unit that current...
2021 Ford Bronco Sport Interior Review: Big and Substantial
Ford Bronco Sport Full Overview Here’s the overwhelming first impression the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport makes upon first climbing aboard: “Whoa, this thing feels big and substantial.” The long, broad, largely horizontal hood with is raised “fender sights” along the outboard edges lend a real sense of size and substance that make you doubt the fact that this trucklet in fact measures 7.8 inches shorter in length than the Ford Escape it’s based on, with a 1.6-inch shorter wheelbase. In fact, the two vehicles’ front overhangs are identical; it’s the Sport’s tail that’s bobbed. The Bronco Sport’s “Safari-Step” roof is 4.1 to 5.3 inches taller than the Escape’s, which enables higher, more upright seating in both row...
2021 Ford Bronco Sport First Drive: Small SUV, Big Off-Road Performance
Ford Bronco Sport Full Overview “If it were me out here wheeling with our crew,” I said to the Ford employees perched on the hillside beside me, “I wouldn’t have even tried that with a stock crossover.” I wasn’t stroking any egos; I meant it. I’ve brought enough trucks and SUVs back with body damage (or worse) to know which obstacles are asking for trouble. Two hours into wheeling the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport up a reasonably tough trail and already seriously impressed with what the little rig could do, I still wouldn’t have bothered with that obstacle. The initial approach was steep enough to effectively be a stair step. The gully it was in was narrow enough that the only driving line was to take it head-on, straddling the deep, V-shaped ditch ...
