Autos

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo will run $6,600 more than an equivalent non-turbo CX-30 with all-wheel drive, starting at a rich (for something this size) $31,000. That price difference reflects the comparison of AWD-to-AWD CX-30s, because Mazda will only sell you a CX-30 2.5 Turbo with all-wheel drive. Factor in the even cheaper front-drive non-turbo CX-30, which starts at only $23,000, and the price gap between the least-expensive non-turbo CX-30 and the least-expensive CX-30 2.5 Turbo swells to $8,000. Don’t choke on your discount shopper’s card quite yet! While Mazda’s naming convention for the CX-30 2.5 Turbo largely mirrors that of the non-turbo CX-30, with Standard and Premium trims, there are big equipment differences between them. Up front, of course, is the extra...

Good things come to those who wait, as evidenced by the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT. Unlike Ford’s lesser Mustang Mach-E models, which are due to go on sale before the end of the year, the Blue Oval plans to start selling the high-end Mach-E GT in late summer 2021—next year, at the time of this writing. As the most powerful iteration of the Blue Oval’s electric SUV, the GT trim packs a total of 480 hp—134 more than the next most powerful Mach-E model—from two electric motors, which Ford estimates launches the SUV to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. It also offers an estimated driving range of 250 miles by way of an 88-kWh battery pack—and a light right foot. In other words, the Mach-E GT’s inherent performance is arguably worth waiting for. See all 23 photos It turns out Ford left ...

It’s over. The Nikola Badger electric pickup truck is a no-go. The stillborn truck that would have been a bold addition to the smorgasbord of forthcoming electric pickup trucks has been stuffed underground for good. Call it what you may: another tragedy of 2020; a smoke and mirrors dream that never really had hope; a stroke of good luck for other electric startups. Regardless, without an OE partnership, the Badger program will not continue. But wait, didn’t Nikola just strike a deal with General Motors that included the production of the Nikola Badger? Yes, and that’s why there was actual hope that the Badger, under the wing of a giant deep-pocked manufacturer such as GM, would actually come to fruition. The proposed strategic alliance hashed out in September basically sa...

The 2022 Acura MDX is an open secret at this point. First, it leaked online courtesy of Acura’s own infotainment system software. Then we got a preview of the 2022 MDX Prototype, which we’re quite sure is representative of the real thing. Now, however, Acura has announced the timing for the release of the actual 2022 MDX. The new MDX makes its official debut on Tuesday, December 8 at 2:30 PM EST. The crossover is due to feature a number of new items we expect will trickle to other members of the Acura model line, too, including a digital gauge cluster. Look for a host of other luxury features from the MDX Prototype to make their way to the production model, including the Prototype’s 16-way adjustable front seats, LED ambient lighting (with 27 different...

We’ll make no bones about it—the 2022 Nissan Ariya is one of the most significant Nissans of the past 25 years, or maybe even longer. This is not to say we’re sure this electric car will be a roaring success, as the very specific market for non-Tesla EV crossovers costing less than $50,000 is still as of yet unproven and rather unpopulated. But forthcoming EVs like the Ariya, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the VW ID4 will determine if there’s a nascent untapped well of electric-car customers ready to adopt, or if EVs will continue to be toys for upper-class city folk. In reality, we reckon the answer is somewhere in between as these new EV crossovers find moderate—but not wild—success in both the upper and the continually shrinking middle class. That’s what Nissan hopes, ...

Until now, Hyundai Motor Group has focused on fitting electric powertrains into vehicles that were originally built to accommodate internal combustion engines. From the Hyundai Kona Electric to the Kia Niro EV, the automaker has started to achieve some success in this area, in spite of the compromises inherent to the approach. Now, it’s turning the page by introducing its first dedicated platform for battery electric vehicles. The platform will underpin a wide range of new electric models, with the first ones launching next year. Dubbed E-GMP, the platform will underpin the Ioniq 5, a midsize crossover coming in early 2021. It will also be the basis for Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle that will debut sometime next year. The platform will then expand across most vehicle s...

If there’s a vehicle that had us conflicted, it was the previous Jaguar F-Pace SVR. Its brutally entertaining supercharged V-8 thrilled, but the interior was…unimpressive. And that’s a real issue in its segment of big-sticker SUVs with jaw-slacking performance, as such models are now in abundance. The F-Pace SVR had the moves but not the refinement. The 2021 Jaguar F-Pace SVR is here, and the stuff that ain’t broken isn’t fixed, but there’s welcome news inside the luxury SUV. We covered the gist of the massive interior makeover in our First Look at of the non-SVR 2021 F-Pace models—a much more intensive facelift than you’d expect from a typical mid-cycle refresh. Frankly, the Jaguar needed it. It was hard to overlook the cabin’s subpar quality and ...

We called the 2021 Volkswagen ID4 “perhaps the most important car VW has ever launched in the United States” after our first drive. The key to cementing its place in the company’s American history, though, likely comes down to its driving range. Thankfully for Volkswagen, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially rates the electric SUV to travel 250 miles on a full charge. That sum matches VW’s predictions and ought to quell the range anxiety of most consumers. That said, the ID4’s EPA-rated range figure is less than that of the pricier Tesla Model Y. However, the VW offers slightly more range than the base Ford Mustang Mach-E, which nets an EPA-rated 230 miles of range. The Ford is also slightly more expensive than the entry-level ID4. The ID4...

If you’re an environmentally conscious one-percenter, driving an electric car simply isn’t enough. You need to embrace green living in every aspect of your affluent lifestyle, and that includes your ultra-posh boat. Enter Silent-Yachts, an Austrian manufacturer of premium solar-powered luxury watercraft that has just partnered with Volkswagen Group to incorporate the auto giant’s MEB modular electric drive platform into its next super-yacht. Even though Silent-Yachts will develop the solar electric catamaran based around the MEB electric drive bits, the yacht itself will be designed by Cupra, the performance marque that spun off of Spanish VW Group brand Seat. See all 11 photos The MEB electric platform was designed for electric cars such as the upcoming Volkswagen ID4 SU...

Last year Ferrari unveiled the 488 GT3 Evo, a refined and massaged version of the 488 GT3 racecar that made its debut in 2016. Per FIA rules and regulations, manufacturers are allowed to make an all-new racecar (or an Evo version of their current car) once every three years. So, if it’s not an all-new racecar, what is the 488 GT Modificata you see before you? Simple answer: it’s the newest track-day-only Ferrari. But you probably can’t buy it. The Modificata is meant specifically for Ferrari Club Competizioni GT, a special race series hosted by Ferrari and populated by owners of Ferrari GT racing cars. That means that if you’re rich enough to own a Ferrari racecar or run a racing team that competes with a Ferrari, you can take part in this racing series, too. T...