Autos

Despite occupying the top slot in General Motors’ brand hierarchy, Cadillac won’t get the first electric vehicle from GM’s dedicated new electric vehicle architecture. That honor goes to GMC, which is getting the 2022 Hummer EV SUT, an electric pickup that goes into production in the fall of 2021, and which will be followed later by an SUV. (GM just released more details on the pair, in fact.) Instead, Cadillac will run a close second behind GMC—its Lyriq electric crossover will go on sale for the 2023 model year. Prior to that, the full unveil of a production-previewing concept will happen on August 6, and we know plenty about both the concept and the eventual streetgoing model. Indeed, the Lyriq concept is an unusually direct precursor to the production model, and GM sa...

Tubular Rear Airbags See all 18 photos The new S-Class will offer rear passenger airbags that deploy from the back of the front seats. The airbag’s unique tubular structure allows it to wrap around the occupant’s head, while the material between the tubes inflates just the right amount to catch and cushion said noggin. Mercedes says its design allows for quick deployment of a relatively high-volume airbag with less risk of injury to the passenger. Pre-Safe Side Collision Mitigation See all 18 photos If the new S-Class’s sensors determine a side impact is imminent, the E-Active Body Control adaptive suspension system automatically raises the entire body up to three inches to redirect energy from the crash into the more robust lower structure of the car. This all happens &#...

Lamborghini is seeking the attention of the world’s wealthy gentlemen and gentlewomen racers with its new Essenza SCV12 track car. Limited to 40 units, the Essenza SCV12 allows customers to enter what Lamborghini deems an “exclusive club. “ Of course, any owner of a rare car is arguably part of an exclusive club, but the Essenza SCV12 packs perks not often associated with automobile ownership. After all, this is a tried-and-true track car, and Lamborghini won’t have Essenza SCV12 owners use it in any other way. That’s because purchasing an Essenza SCV12 also nets entry to regular drive events at various FIA Grade 1 circuits. Alas, Lamborghini didn’t share the individual tracks it plans to host events at, the first of which occurs in 2021. See all 11 phot...

It’s official. The 2021 Hyundai Veloster N welcomes a self-shifting transmission to the hot hatch’s options menu. Don’t worry manual fans, the car’s standard-issue six-speed gearbox sticks around.  See all 26 photos Performance Package, Shmerformance Package The 2021 Veloster N, however, does away with the outgoing model’s optional Performance package. Or rather, it no longer charges extra for the contents of the package’s kit. As such, every 2021 Veloster N boasts 275 hp from the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that rests underhood (the prior, standard 250-hp tune no longer exists), a limited-slip differential, 19-inch wheels shod on sticky summer tires, a variable exhaust system, and large 13.6-inch front and 12.4-inch rear vented rotors (0.6-i...

The latest drop in Lucid’s drip-drip prelude to its September 9th reveal of the slippery looking Air, its first model, is its driver assistance sensor suite. The moniker they’ve chosen for the comprehensive setup -which includes a monstrous 32-sensor count!—is “DreamDrive,” and it’s akin to Cadillac’s Super Cruise in that it promises a lot (Super! Dream!) while astutely steering clear of the suggestion of autonomy that apparently has caused some of Tesla’s Autopilot users to recklessly play smartphone games or take 70-mph naps. But it’s that 32-sensor suite that’ll make DreamDrive either a fantasy or a nightmare, and the sheer number of sensors, at least, is certainly promising. There are 14 cameras: Three forward-facing,...

We’re starting to get a fuller picture of what the new GMC Hummer line of electric trucks and SUVs will look like, as well as what features the two vehicles will pack—although the latest teaser video raises more questions than it answers. What’s “Crab mode?” We can make some educated guesses, but we’re assuming it doesn’t involve a bib, warm butter, and some cut lemons. Let’s start with the truck’s profile, which clearly resembles its chunky ancestors—particularly the Hummer H2 SUT, although there are some significant styling differences. For one, the still-small bed looks longer. The C-pillars rake more toward the vehicle’s front, too. And instead of a “cowl” surrounding the rear window, as on the H2 SUT, there’s more...

After undergoing a thorough refresh for the 2020 model year, the Lexus RX L crossover SUV enters the 2021 model year with minimal changes. Still, it’s not completely devoid of differences. The most noteworthy update Lexus makes to the RX L—the “L” refers to its extra length compared to the non-L RX models—is to its standard features list. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and power-folding auto-dimming exterior mirrors are now included across the board. The former item adds $1,865 to the bills of base 2020 RX 350L and RX 450hL gasoline-electric hybrid models as part of a package that also includes a surround-view monitor and parking sensors. Meanwhile, the latter item was grouped into the 2020 RX L’s $1,580 Premium package. See all 22 photos Additi...

If you’re seeking a true Ford-based camper van, you’ll want to look at awesome conversions like the Transit Nugget and Big Nugget. However, European buyers content with a smaller, outdoor-living-ready van will have two new options later this year: the Tourneo Connect Active and the Transit Connect Active. Distinguishing themselves from their non-Active counterparts, these vans feature an optional mechanical limited-slip differential, which improves traction on gravel two-tracks, grassy campsites, or slippery roads. A bespoke Traction Control configuration matches the characteristics of the limited-slip differential. See all 14 photos   The vans ride higher than their non-Active counterparts, too. The the lift is a modest 24 mm (about 1 inch) in the front and 9 mm (0.4 inch...

Mercedes-Benz Vans will introduce a new, smaller van aimed at private owners sometime soon. It’ll partially replace the current Citan, which is really a rebadged Renault Kangoo—very similar to the Ram ProMaster City or Ford Transit Connect we get on this side of the pond. These compact vanlets are quite popular overseas with business owners and families (or business owners with families). And many are the product of joint ventures, just like the Citan. There’s a new Kangoo on the horizon, so the timing of the T-Class announcement isn’t too surprising. It’ll carry on as a product of this partnership. And it’ll compliment the V-Class (known here as the Metris), slotting below it as a main pillar in the van division’s offerings to non-commercial buyers. Mor...