Autos

After initially reviewing the new-to-U.S. Ford Ranger upon the nameplate’s return to the American market for 2019, we were unimpressed with its already-old styling, so-so ride and handling, and low-rent cabin. To be fair, the Ranger had already been on sale for some time globally before it was modified for American customers, and we nonetheless deem it a capable truck with a solid (and segment-unique) turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine. Now Ford is injecting a bit more appeal into its mid-size pickup by upping the Ranger’s off-road capability with a new Ford Performance line of off-road accessory packs. Will these Performance packages change any of our baseline complaints about the Ranger? No, but they offer a compelling distraction from them. Available in three gr...

Crossovers and SUVs are the bread and butter of Volkswagen’s product line. In fact, more than half of all VWs sold in the United States in 2019 were such models. Predictably, the German automaker wants more of this sales action, and it’s leaning into it by adding a new, smaller model to its lineup.  Earmarked for production at the company’s Puebla, Mexico plant, the latest Volkswagen crossover aims to take on the Jeep Compass, Kia Seltos, and Nissan Rogue Sport. As we previously reported, VW is not simply building a variant of its European-market T-Roc subcompact crossover for North American consumption. Instead, we expect the brand to build an iteration of the Tharu crossover it sells in China, albeit sold on our shores under a different name. Recent filings by...

Bentley’s Bentayga has long polarized opinion. The EXP 9F concept that teased Bentley’s first-ever SUV, unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, was panned for its ostentatious detailing and oversized design cues shoehorned onto a platform that didn’t allow the graceful proportions expected from the iconic British luxury brand. The ostentation was toned down by the time the production Bentayga hit the streets in 2016, but the decision to build the car on VW Group’s MLB architecture meant it remained proportionally challenged. The facelifted 2021 Bentley Bentayga is still no shrinking violet. The proportions haven’t changed, but a host of styling tweaks are designed to make the 2021 Bentayga look lower and wider and more confidently planted on the road. And Bentl...

We like the Audi Q5 a lot, and so do consumers. Its the company’s best-selling vehicle in the United States, and that’s because it’s a genuine crowd-pleaser. Its upscale yet understated looks inside and out, useful tech features, and combination of comfort and performance strike a great balance in a segment with tough competition. After all, the Q5 faces off against the sporty BMW X3, the sleek Mercedes-Benz GLC, the athletic Acura RDX, and the luxurious Lexus NX. And don’t forget the stylish Volvo XC60, either. The 2021 Q5 is not a ground-up redesign but a facelift of the model that Audi introduced for 2018. It’s a refinement of a formula we already know works well, with some tech upgrades and exterior additions. More on that in a bit. See all 28 photos ...

Dodge, never a brand to shy away from patriotic marketing, has something big to tell us on Thursday. But until then, you’ll just have to play this maximum ‘Murica teaser on repeat. A brief release accompanying the teaser informs us Dodge will drop three more teaser videos on Wednesday, July 1, one each on its Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. A final teaser image will be released on the morning of Thursday, July 2, before the big announcement, which will stream live on Dodge.com later that day at 12 p.m. eastern time. What’s the big news? Dodge promises a complete look at its 2021 performance lineup, which we take to mean the Journey won’t be getting a mention. The mostly muscle car brand claims its expanding performance portfolio will offer a combined 8,95...

Uncertainty may abound these days, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) shareholders were reassured at their annual meeting that the proposed merger with PSA Group remains on track to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2021. PSA Group shareholders were given the same message at their annual meeting this week, as well. After a year of planning, FCA and PSA announced their plans for a 50-50 merger on December 18, 2019. The news followed many years of efforts by FCA’s former head, Sergio Marchionne, to merge the Italian-American company with another automaker. Doing so would achieve the scale he believed was necessary to be successful in an industry reliant on the development of expensive technology to transition to a lineup of electric and autonomous vehicles. See all 36 ph...

The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class gets a major overhaul for 2021 that sees new technology and fresh looks grace the smallest crossover in the three-pointed star’s model line. It also results in a higher starting price of $37,280—nearly $2,000 more than the 2020 GLA. Despite its price jump, the 2021 GLA 250 boasts a number of new standard features to justify its additional cost. Notably, the model welcomes the brand’s MBUX infotainment system. As in other Mercs, the GLA’s interior features two giant displays: One for cabin infotainment and another serving as a digital gauge cluster. The screens measure in at 7.0 inches, however, buyers can spend more to bump the displays up to 10.3 inches. See all 17 photos Motivating the GLA 250 is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that make...

Tesla set a high bar for electric pickups when it debuted the Cybertruck last year. Now, the startup company that took over an old General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, aims to give Tesla a run for its money. The Lordstown Endurance debuted today, and if all goes as planned, it will be the first fully electric pickup on the market. The company has said fleets will start receiving the truck beginning in January 2021. It may not look as impressive as the Cybertruck, but just like Tesla’s creation, the Endurance is being shown under high expectations. In a presentation today, Lordstown Motors chief executive officer Steve Burns said the truck handles like a sports car and that the company aims to make the Endurance the safest pickup ever. See all 10 photos The truck’s most nota...

Trivia numerologists: We’ve got the numbers, facts and figures that will guarantee your team a big win should a 2021 Ford F-150 round come up on your next Zoom Trivia session. 1,000/18,000/600—These are market research stats Ford racked up while planning the improvements to the 2021 F-150: 1,000 hours spent with customers taking 18,000 photos and 600 hours of video of them working with their trucks. This helped Ford’s team decide what to keep, what to refine, and where to innovate. 33.3—The percentage of customers who regularly use a laptop in the cab of their F-150. Some even engineered their own elaborate laptop stands, but Ford simplifies their life this year with the power-folding console shifter that allows the center armrest to flip over and form a perfectly flat surface ...