New Vehicle Reviews (Page 49)

Unveil Review: Rivian Automotive, the Michigan based startup that for ten years carefully, but secretly planned to find the right vehicle, at the right time, and at the right moment, to launch an all BEV the world hasn’t seen, seemed to find the right recipe to unveil that vehicle NOW, as they launched something that Tesla had expectations of doing first: to launch the first all electric pickup truck in the world. And Rivian did it. Not Ford. Not Tesla. This is a game changer . . .

It was around this time twenty years ago that the now legendary Cadillac Escalade started hauling the ruling class and celebritydom on the streets of the big American cities as if they were elegant stage coaches of the Victorian or Edwardian Eras over 100 years ago. So after reading a story about the disastrous 2009 hybrid I decided to do a flashback ode to the iconic 20th century truck that lives on today.

I recently spent a week behind the wheel of the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse RS and I was pleased to find that it offers a far sportier feel on the road than expected while also providing a smoother ride than the sportier SUVs on the 3-row segment.

I find it pathetically sad that we are now in year 6 of the electric car revolution and Ford has yet to come out with not one of their own non-compliance full mass production BEV car. Not one. Thank God for startups, because the new British based company called Charge Automotive will make you pay just a little dearly, but you can even have a classic Mustang the way Ford would never have given it to you.

We’re now about a few days away from the launch of Rivian’s new mystery trucks, and instead of debunking myths, conjecture, theories, legends, and rumors, Rivian, purveyor of “electric adventure vehicles” only heightens them and with mystique. This time Rivian publishes a second teaser video showing their truck wading through 3 feet of water with 3 seconds of footage.

SHOCKING!! It seems Cadillac and electricity mix like oil and water. Never mind the gas versions are crap, plagued with electrical problems, they can’t even make reliable ones that partly run on electricity either! While GM’s CEO Mary Barra has a “zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion” ten year plan for GM’s future, Cadillac certainly isn’t helping with the failures they’ve had with each electric they tried to sell. CT6 was strike 3. Here’s why and what they can do about it:

Ford contemplates a four-door fastback Mustang being put into production. This comes just months after a massive passenger car cancellation for the USA market starting next year, particularly cancelling a Lincoln that could’ve helped Ford with this project, that ires Ford’s loyal passenger car customers, Ford investors who must be sick and tired of Ford with their shenanigans by now, and me, frankly, because you really don’t want to piss me off about cars!

As Tesla Corporation completes its plans to corner the BEV market with a nearly complete vehicle portfolio, VW Group launches Operation Polaris, a plan to beat Tesla at the same game VW invented before Tesla uses that same VW book to saturate it. While Tesla uses VW’s rulebook to reduce the cost of a cheaper Model 3, VW tries to outflank Tesla by throwing that same book back at them to launch production on such a massive D Day scale for their first ID electric car to try to drown out Tesla.

Kia has recalled 16,011 Stingers to fix a potential problem. The vehicles, built from 2017-18, have a problem in the left fender. Due to a burr in the fender, it is possible that a wiring harness may wearing. That wear could mean a fire.

This week we drive the top-of-the-lineup KIA Forte EX. See why it’s a good value proposition.

In my frustrating effort to keep pushing the movement toward full electric cars, I often get frustrated by the lack of enthusiasm and missed steps the legacy car makers have taken. If they really were enthused and eager to adapt to electric cars, they would have an all electric option for both their halo sports and pony cars. They don’t. Still. With lackluster Camaro sales, Chevy needs a “comeback kid” car. The eCOPO Camaro is it.

The first year of the fifth-generation Forester introduced for 2019, gets a number of important improvements. It also has a few things we don’t like.

While Tesla takes care of the other high end of the electric vehicle market with Models S, 3, X, and soon Y and U, Uniti, the Swedish electric car startup maker is trying to find an angle on the opposite end by soon shortly putting an unorthodox 2 seat high tech and feature rich micro BEV into production. This car will be a hit in the EU, India, and Brazil no doubt, but in NA? Hmm. Well I hope so.

The Ram 1500 Rebel is known for its off-road prowess, but with the introduction of the fifth generation models, this is a package that serves as a terrific all-around truck – whether you are driving it to and from the office, towing a trailer or playing in the mud.

With half the weight, a 100 mile range, low operational costs, and prices to match a compatible diesel vehicle, Workhorse’s new NGEN BEV truck means the gasoline and diesel delivery van is now on its way to becoming obsolete with an all electric one coming to a local delivery route near you.

In a strategy to keep them viable in what definitely will be an intensely competitive pickup truck market with the addition of several electrics by several makers, Bollinger Motors adds a sole purposed dedicated 1 ton Pickup truck based on its SUT it plans to put into production late next year, early 2020.

Four years in the making and now its second year of production, the first European full production full electric response to Tesla is a British SUV already on its way in Jaguar fashion toward iconic status. If this represents the latest theater of battle in the cultural British invasion of America between David Beckham, tea and toast, the Mini, Elton John, James Bond, Range Rover, fish and chips, the BBC, Duran Duran, Bentley, the Beatles and so forth, then bring it on!

Shhh. (Whisper). Have you ever seen a Rivian? In a way I hope not. Be careful if you have. At this stage don’t tell anyone. The electric truck startup might have to execute you for being exposed to company secrets moments away from their LA Auto Show reveal!

The 2018 BMW X3 M40i is a family performance Sports Utility Vehicle. M stands for marvelous.

Bollinger Motors recently made changes to the B1 with their newly added four door sport utility BEV SUT truck variant that gives the truck a roll cage structure with the doors off if the driver wishes to modify. The removable glass panel roof are just some of the unique features the B1 engineers thought out to make design and production of the B1 as simple and easy as possible to get it ready for soon upcoming production.

I recently had the extreme pleasure of spending a week driving the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and it should come as little surprise that daily driving a 797-horsepower Mopar muscle car is just as fantastic as you might expect – combining the comforts of the original Hellcat with 90 extra ponies.

The President of the United States took delivery in New York City recently of the first of twelve “one-off” handbuilt vehicles which will routinely switch off to be designated the US Presidential State Car, Cadillac One, “the Beast.” Expected to be delivered for his inauguration two years ago, no explanation for why it was apparently late. But with no noteable Secret Service action required lately, its absence wasn’t apparently missed.

In a segment that was once considered exclusive to Americans only, that no foreign pedigree need apply, the French automaker in a bold and daring attempt to go where no foreign car maker has gone before, produces a concept in electric form with a warning to Ford and Chevrolet, that there’s a weakness with their own muscle pony cars, and Peugeot is ready to take advantage it, in the electric car market.

With Type 1 Beetle Mark 3 in its swansong, VW decides in good timing that it’s ready to try its luck and good fortune on another storied halo, that some say as a van, has more potential of being even more popular and longer lasting than Beetle, even as an electric. Let’s hope Samba reaches its 100th Birthday in 2049 that Beetle almost made in 2038 (or earlier?), but didn’t quite live as long.

2013 was only a few years ago, a long time for most, lightning fast time in the electric car universe, and after all the talk, the drafts, the drawings, the concepts, the rumors, the prototypes, and camouflaged pre-production vehicles since, Audi finally presents its first full electric car. With a price point of about $80,000 USD, the Audi e-Tron Quattro aims to take its throne as a heralded German electric, while finally taking on the American Teslas.

Instead of going over the top like most car makers do, especially startups when introducing autonomous technology in their concept vehicles, BMW took a more practical approach recently with theirs, called iNext, a new electric driverless capable concept CUV but still a human hands on driving car which includes a steering wheel and pedals. So practical they intend to put something much like it into production in as little time as in 2021.

Meet Vera. She’s Swedish, and she means it, damn it. She’s a badass Level 5 Volvo robot electric tractor pod almost as low to the ground as a Porsche, only three times bigger. So low, if you’re not careful, she might mow you down before her collision avoidance and passive emergency braking systems are autonomously activated! Potential roadkill beware! No airbags need apply . . .

Here’s another ex-Ford that got spit out by the blue oval to go on with life and do better without them, since partnering up with Chinese Geely, Volvo is whipping out some amazing products even a new division, and the baby XC40 electric is a prime example. A BEV competes with Jaguar iPace, Audi eTron, and Tesla Model X, all at Model 3 prices. Another ex-Ford in your future. Not bad!

Instead of waiting to wonder what a Mustang BEV CUV will come to, rogue ex-Forder Aston Martin shows their former boss they don’t even need an SUV platform to electrify one of their products, they can do it on a current production car: their flagship saloon, the Rapide. Attention American Cops: this ex-Ford is definitely a Crown Vic and Explorer Inceptor Killer!

The 2018 Cadillac ATS-V doesn’t pack the raw power of the CTS-V, but the new, smaller coupe is the most exciting Caddy 2-door of the modern era, packing solid power, precision handling and all of the premium amenities that you could ask for into this great-looking luxury car.