Let's Ride Out: 2016

Friday 14 October 2016

2017 Mercedes-Benz E400 Wagon

The Mercedes-Benz E-class wagon—with lineage stretching back to the W123-series cars of the late 1970s—has always exuded an understated classicism.

Like the grizzly bear, wagons are a rare sight in North America. Fortunately, one of the breed remains strong, the Subaru Outback.

Although the FR-S nameplate is dead, euthanized by Toyota along with the whole Scion brand, the vehicle lives on as the 2017 Toyota 86—the same moniker the car has always carried in several markets outside of the United States.

2017 BMW M240i Coupe Automatic

Large automakers have become adept at creating new micro segments, but BMW has managed an uncommon twist: Its M240i is one of the rare cars that competes more closely with its own sibling—the BMW M2—than it does with any external foe.

Mazda is an unusual car company. Its engineers just spent eight years developing a system called G-Vectoring Control that effectively trail-brakes for the driver, ever-so-slightly cutting engine torque on corner entry to transfer load onto the front wheels, thereby improving steering response.

2017 Mercedes-Benz S550 Cabriolet

Say you have a massive pile of cash earmarked for a big, comfortable convertible, but you’re not feeling what Bentley or Rolls-Royce are putting down.

NEW 2017 Lamborghini Centenario

Official Photos and Info
Is Maybach on the rise?

2017 Toyota C-HR: A Funky CUV for the Subcompact Crowd

Official Photos and Info
If the exploding subcompact-crossover segment were a party, Toyota would only now be showing up with a Black Eyed Peas CD and a sixer of Smirnoff Ice in hand well after everyone else has passed out.

Overview: Introduced in 2013 as a 2014 model, the F-type is arguably Jaguar’s first real sports car—as distinct from a grand tourer—since the E-type seduced attendees at the Geneva motor show in 1961.

2017 Kia Forte Automatic

Instrumented Test
Korean parents, an Italian name, an exterior sculpted by a German, and a tag that says made in Mexico.

Prototype Drive
From the September 2016 issue

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 4MATIC

Instrumented Test
Normally, stating that a new or updated car is just like its predecessor kind of saps the life out of its “newness.”

First Drive Review
The Ford GT’s golden-anniversary class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race may be Dearborn’s highlight in 2016, but an arguably bigger effort has been brewing as Ford prepares to release the 2017 F-series Super Duty later this year.

2016 #Mercedes-Benz Metris Cargo Van

First Drive Review
It’s been a couple of banner years for advancements in the commercial-van market, and just when you thought the helter-skelter, shoot-first-ask-questions-later world of cargo-hauling work vehicles was ready to take a breather, Mercedes-Benz drops a hat trick of van news on already shellshocked fleet buyers.

First Drive Review
The Pathfinder is one of Nissan’s longest-serving nameplates, having been launched in 1986 as a two-door, off-road-themed sport-utility derived from the brand’s Hardbody pickup.

#Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept: Meet Infiniti's Next Swoopy Crossover

Auto Shows
When Infiniti re-did its naming system starting with the 2014 model year, it may have fooled some into thinking that the QX50 and QX70 crossovers were all-new models.

If the Honda HR-V subcompact crossover is the dorky, lanky-limbed teenager in Honda’s tall-wagon lineup, where does it leave the Acura CDX, which certainly rides on the same platform?

The trouble with that old trope about “breaking through the noise” is that it rarely acknowledges context.

First Drive Review
When the Smart Fortwo launched in the U.S. in 2008, the two-door minicar was fitted with only a 70-hp 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, a wimpy powerplant that underscored the cutesy stereotypes that the Smart’s shape evoked.

2016 #Nissan Pathfinder AWD

Here’s a factoid that might make you feel old: The Nissan Pathfinder has been in production for more than 30 years.

Peculiar One-Of-A-Kind "Mercedes Royale 600" Spotted In Cali [w/Video]

Coachbuilt automobiles are usually one of the most select niches in the motoring world, often catering luxury and exclusivity to the customers.

As luxury SUVs have gone from relative obscurity to regulars in the valet line, competition has grown fierce, and the measure of overall goodness has been steadily on the rise.

First Drive Review

That the 2017 Ferrari GTC4Lusso is at least one second faster around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track than the wagonoid FF that it replaces is meaningless.

Video : 2017 Audi Q7 - INTERIOR

2016 #Ford Flex 3.5L EcoBoost AWD

Instrumented Test

It seems like only yesterday that we first extolled the cool-parent virtues of the Ford Flex, but the wagon/crossover box-of-all-trades hit the market as a 2009 model.

First Drive Review

It’s not as if we didn’t know what to expect of the 2018 Audi A5. Underneath, it’s the same as the 2017 Audi A4 we recently tested, which we summed up in this way: “It doesn’t make much noise about it, but the A4 possesses a quiet competence that is as wonderful as it is easily misunderstood.”

2017 #Porsche Macan GTS - CarAndDriver

With the Porsche Macan following in the profit-generating footsteps of the bigger Cayenne SUV, it was only a matter of time before Stuttgart added a hotter GTS variant to the compact crossover’s lineup.

Saturday 14 May 2016

#BMW to launch electric, self-driving flagship car by 2021

BMW’s iNext electric, self-driving car is set to enter showrooms in 2021 as the brand’s flagship model.

2015 #Lincoln MKS Spy

What It Is: A Frankenstein test mule assembled for evaluating what we think will eventually become the 2015 Lincoln MKS.

2014 #Jeep Compass

Cancel the drum roll. This is not the all-new Alfa Romeo–based compact crossover we’ve been hearing rumors about for some time now.

2016 #Audi S8 Plus

Instrumented Test
Audi sedans, even those with an “S” in their names, are usually the epitome of understated style.

2016 #Toyota Avalon Hybrid Sedan

What's New for 2016

2017 #Mercedes-AMG GLC43: Twin Turbos, 362 Horsepower

Car-based crossover SUVs are on an unstoppable roll, and carmakers are launching one after another.

2017 #Genesis G90 Sedan

Pour a glass of Macallan 30, request that your personal harpist strike some chords, and ease yourself into that nailhead leather chair in your mahogany-paneled library.

Saturday 12 March 2016

2016 #Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost FWD

The publicity push for a significantly updated Ford Escape coming for 2017 is already under way, so astute shoppers can expect to find some bargains on the current generation as this model year goes forward.

2016 #Audi TTS

Audi’s TT has never been a car for everyone. But now it’s tough to know if it’s a car for anyone.

2016 #Volkswagen Beetle Dune

More than 21 million air-cooled Type 1 versions were sold during a production run spanning seven decades. Neither the Rabbit, nor the Golf, nor the conversion to front-drive for the Bug’s revival has knocked Dr. Porsche’s gift to humanity off the charts. The car with the rainbow-shaped roof, now in its second water-cooled iteration, keeps winning new friends with every generation.

Between major redesigns, VW issues special editions to keep the Bug kicking. The latest example, called the Beetle Dune, supposedly was inspired by the Baja Bugs that began swarming California deserts in the late 1960s. Yes, the name conjures visions of leaping from one sand berm to the other, but don’t expect to take on the Baja 1000 with this machine. The Dune is to a real desert buggy what a VW Golf is to Tiger Woods.

The Dune arrives this spring as a coupe followed by a convertible in the third quarter. With a starting price of $24,815, the Dune is a fashion statement for the cost conscious. Without disturbing the core sheetmetal, the Baja look wraps 360 degrees around the lower body, adding 0.6 inch to the overall width. Simulated skid plates, fender extensions, polished sills, a ski-jump spoiler, and 0.4-inch-taller ride height complete the visual transformation.

Available exterior hues are white, black, and Sandstorm Yellow. That third shade, which is more of a metallic copper-orange, costs an extra $250 and decorated our test car. Inside, the comfortable front buckets are upholstered with leatherlike vinyl and grippy fabric stitched with bright orange thread. Door trim and dashboards are black with the black or white exteriors. Pop for the Sandstorm Yellow paint and a matching hue accents the dash and the door panels; the orangey color highlights the steering wheel and the gauges regardless of the exterior paint.

Long doors provide ready cabin access. The back seat is reasonably roomy and surprisingly comfortable though a tad short on headroom. The backrest splits 50/50 to convert seating to cargo space. Thanks to the upright windshield and fairly thin roof pillars, outward visibility is good for a compact coupe. There are two gloveboxes, cupholders galore, a convenient dash shelf, and a handy center-armrest storage compartment.

The Dune’s sole powertrain is a turbocharged, intercooled, and direct-injected 1.8-liter four-cylinder producing 170 horsepower at 4800 rpm. Tuned for darting through holes in traffic, this venerable iron-block engine whips up 184 lb-ft of torque at a modest 1500 rpm. It’s commendably quiet, happy at work, and a willing partner with the standard six-speed automatic transmission.

There’s never a chirp of wheelspin when leaping from a stoplight because you can’t disable traction control. While that helps maintain a low profile, it hampers this Beetle’s scamper. The sprint to 60 mph takes 7.4 seconds, barring this coupe from admission to any sports coupe hall of fame. The 15.6-second, 90-mph quarter-mile run is a full 1.3 seconds and 10 mph off the VW GTI’s pace.

Cornering enthusiasm is also curbed by stability control’s incursion at only 0.83 g. The nicely tuned steering, well-damped suspension, and decent Continental 235/45R-18 M+S all-season tires are game, but electronic sensors call a halt well before the understeer gets out of hand. That leaves you with the automatic’s Sport and manual modes to exercise when you’re feeling frisky. While you can shift manually to your heart’s content, this transmission preemptively grabs a higher gear at the 6000-rpm redline. Regrettably, no manual is offered.

The Dune’s dash supports VW’s Car-Net bag of tricks, which enables Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink connectivity plus USB and Bluetooth hookups. The new 6.3-inch display screen has capacitive technology to enable touch and gesture control. Move a hand near this screen and it automatically reconfigures to show major information categories. The rearview camera also feeds this monitor.

Two options are available. The $795 Lighting package adds bixenon headlamps and LED illumination for the daytime running lights and rear license plate. The $1695 Technology package consists of dual-zone automatic climate control, a Fender premium audio system, push-button ignition, a proximity key, and a sunroof.

VW’s unique contribution to safety, standard in all Beetles, is an automatic post-collision braking system. It works on the assumption that most accidents result in multiple impacts. When the airbag sensors are triggered, the brakes automatically engage to significantly reduce the chances of injury caused by the second bump. Thankfully, we had no opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology.

Even though its Baja theme seems contrived, the Dune radiates an overall positive vibe. Those craving something different will feel at home here. That said, we couldn’t stop our thoughts from wandering in the direction of the GTI. In exchange for the happy-rainbow roofline and an extra $1000, you get a shoebox unmatched in its ability to transform the most boring commute into a joy ride.