Autos

Ahead of the refreshed 2021 Nissan Armada‘s official debut later this month, Nissan released a very brief teaser video of what we can expect from updated full-size behemoth. From the looks of things, the large-and-in-charge Armada receives a host of exterior tweaking inspired by the aesthetics of the similarly updated Nissan Patrol that broke cover last year. Hardly surprising, considering the current Armada is essentially a Patrol repackaged for the U.S. market. What we see from the seconds-long teaser is the new Armada blasting along a straight desert road, with our only true look at the new SUV being from a bird’s-eye—er, more likely, drone‘s eye—view as it cuts through the dusty terrain. From such a distance, we can just make out a new front fascia, now incorpora...

Cadillac’s Escalade SUV is a king-sized luxury luminary, and the debut of an all-new version goes beyond simple car introduction to full-scale cultural event. Now in its fifth generation, what was once a rebadged GMC Yukon has become a distinctively styled flagship, albeit one that still shares its basic mechanicals with that GMC as well as the Chevy Tahoe. But General Motors has worked hard to ensure its latest batch of full-size SUV triplets are fraternal rather than identical, an effort most apparent inside the Escalade’s decadent cabin. The New Escalade’s Interior Is Seriously Impressive We’ll get to the rest of the 2021 Escalade in a minute, but this rig really is all about its interior, a tech- and feature-dense cocoon that finally befits a six-figure luxury S...

The MotorTrend Truck of the Year-winning Ram 1500 TRX’s reign as the hottest truck for the 2021 model year may soon come to an end, as Ford continues to prep its third-generation F-150 Raptor. Now, F150Gen14.com‘s forum gives us a better clue about what to expect from the next Raptor—at least in regards to its styling. See all 16 photos Like its forebears, the 2021 F-150 Raptor’s mug and fenders see the most notable styling differences over Ford’s run-of-the-mill half-ton pickup. An illustration of the truck’s front end—presumably from Ford’s parts catalog—shows the upcoming Raptor maintains trim-specific cues such as a grille that trades the Blue Oval badge for distinct Ford lettering. Meanwhile, a new lower fascia evolves the style of the 2020 Rap...

The Challenger is also offered in a number of vibrant colors such as Frostbite, Hellraisin, Sinamon Stick, TorRed, and F8 Green. All of these bright colors are inspired by Challengers of old, the latest of which is Gold Rush, a metallic gold color. The hue was formerly only available on the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition but will now be available on select Challengers for 2021. If you want a Gold Rush-colored Chally, though, there’s a slight catch. You also need to settle for a Satin Black hood, roof, and trunk. Not exactly the worst tradeoff in the world (the black bits also help break up what otherwise might be an overabundance of gold-painted bodywork). Gold Rush is only available on Challenger T/A, T/A 392, SRT Hellcat, and SRT Hellcat Redeye models. Sorry, fans of both Gold...

Stick your head in the sand all you want, classic car fanatics—there’s a reckoning on the distant horizon. As much as we like to think the rising swell of both EV legislation and the sporadic bans on new vehicles powered by fossil fuels will not extend to our beloved classics, something’s gotta give. Now, we don’t believe a blanket ban on gas-powered cars both new and old is in the immediate future, considering the overwhelming majority of existing car and truck owners in this world cannot afford to upgrade to a shiny new EV—reasonably priced or otherwise—nor does the current charging infrastructure support such a drastic paradigm shift. Expect sales of gas-powered vehicles to be banned in some major metropolitan zones, but the ICE business to continue as usual in less po...

As before, the Crosstrek Hybrid still comes in a single trim level. There is an optional $2,500 equipment package that includes a power-operated moonroof, a heated steering wheel, an in-dash navigation system, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system with a 432-watt amplifier. A mild refresh to the 2021 Crosstrek Hybrid adds a new fascia, which differentiates it subtly from its gas-only counterpart. The front end now sports a more wing-like set of bars flanking the grille badge and a prominent contrasting “blade” outboard of its foglights in the lower bumper. Frankly, it makes the regular 2021 Crosstrek’s front fascia and fender extensions look a little clumsy by comparison. What might make a bigger difference to drivers is the recalibrated springs and dampers—considering...

A scientific report from the University of Washington published in the journal Science (via a report in The Seattle Times) has linked 6PPD, a near-universal chemical added to tires as a preservative, with the death of coho salmon in the Northwest. And it’s not just a couple of salmon here and there. In some runs, between 40 and 90 percent of the salmon die before spawning due to the symptoms that researchers were exploring, independent of other causes of fish mortality. This issue affects a great deal of the area studied: the Puget Sound. And the culprit, the researchers concluded, is an obscure chemical found in tire dust that is washing into watersheds. Tires naturally shed tiny particles on the road as they wear down. In this case, this dust then runs into salmon-bearing streams a...

We had to wait decades for the return of the Ford Bronco SUV, and now we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer. Ford has confirmed to MotorTrend the coronavirus pandemic and its associated chaos has caused a supply-chain issue that will push the 2021 Bronco launch to the end of next summer rather than this coming spring, as originally planned. A spokesman told us, “Ford is committed to building Broncos with the quality our customers expect and deserve.” Ford declined to name the affected suppliers. See all 50 photos Customers can still build the Bronco of their dreams on Ford’s website—we did!—but official orders from reservation holders are now not being accepted until the middle of January, a delay of approximately a month. Those or...

Today’s Ford Explorer is a fairly run-of-the-mill three-row family SUV, which means it offers all-wheel drive, no real off-road capability, and is sold exclusively with an automatic transmission. But it hasn’t always been this way—those who remember the original Explorer, you know, the one in the first Jurassic Park movie, will recall that it was a much more capable, much less polished thing. That was partially due to its roots in the Bronco II platform shared with the Ranger pickup truck, and partially because anything SUV-shaped in 1991 was just expected to be able to, at a minimum, get a little dirty. Maybe bash a few rocks. The Explorer was a truck at heart, and its long-throw manual transmission just added to its rustic charm. Should anyone feel like reliving the...