Bentley Motors’ continued centennial celebration will be highlighted in several ways during Monterey Auto Week, most notably the British carmakers’ spotlight on its past, present and future. The varied occasion will be held Aug. 15-18 during the now nearly two-week yearly celebration of all things automotive on the Monterey Peninsula. A featured marque during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Bentley will showcase several all-new and soon-to-be-available vehicles for the United States market. Highlights will include the debut of the Flying Spur luxury four-door Grand Tourer and the EXP 100 GT: a vision of luxury mobility in 2035. The Bentley spotlight
The original Honda Insight debuted as a 2000 model and received more mockery than respect. It was a far-from-perfect, two-door subcompact that looked like a mechanical peanut on wheels. With its unique appearance, the Insight garnered more attention as an oddity than it did for its now-important legend. It was the first mass-produced hybrid available in the United States. It was ugly, simultaneously cool and it got whooped in sales a few months later when the Toyota Prius debuted. Key Takeaways Insight grows up into a midsize four-door hybrid sedan: Honda replaced the two-door subcompact hatchback with a mainstream four-door
The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI (Grand Luxury Injection) celebrates the sporty sedan’s 35th anniversary. It debuted in February at the Chicago Auto Show and is offered in S, Autobahn and a special trim commemorating the occasion. The 2019 model is also the debut of the vehicle’s seventh edition; the Jetta in other styles debuted in 1980. Its new version has a longer wheelbase (105.6 inches) and is three inches longer overall as well as slightly wider and taller and sits lower. Key Takeaways Seventh-generation Jetta celebrates GLI’s 35th anniversary: The sporty Grand Luxury Injection model returns on a stretched 105.6-inch
The Chrysler Pacifica is uniquely positioned. The manufacturer had difficulty deciding on its name and then placed the Pacifica in a one-vehicle segment. It’s the only electric van available. Introduced at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, the Chrysler van’s sixth-generation debuted as the 2017 Pacifica. It was formerly the name of the manufacturer’s crossover SUV. It’s also the new designation for the former Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan in North American and the discontinued Chrysler/Lancia Voyager in European markets. The Pacifica is further unique since it’s offered with another first — a nine-speed automatic transmission. A continuously electrically
HERE Technologies has announced a new collaboration with Amazon. The companies will integrate Amazon Alexa and HERE navigation and location services. The combination of the voice-first interactions through Alexa with a leading in-car navigation solution makes it easy for automakers to deliver an intuitive, voice-first experience for users inside and outside the car. Alexa will come pre-integrated within HERE Navigation On-Demand, the new one-stop solution for automakers to enable compelling, full-featured and always-fresh navigation experiences in their vehicles. Leveraging the Alexa Auto tools and APIs, HERE has built a voice-first car navigation experience that keeps users focused on the road while
Subaru, well-respected for its symmetrical all-wheel drive, sturdiness and belief in human and animal safety in its vehicles, now has additional versatility. The 2019 Subaru Crosstrek plug-in hybrid is the manufacturer’s debut in the segment. The Crosstrek Hybrid is offered in 2.0i, 2.0i Premium and 2.0i Limited trims, all powered by 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engines producing 148 horsepower and featuring all-wheel drive. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the two 2.0i and 2.0i premiums. A continuously variable transmission is offered on the Limited trim, my test vehicle. Read Now: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek The top-line Crossback Hybrid is equipped with features
The 2019 BMW 3 Series, the perennially top-ranked sedan, recently had its global unveiling at the Paris Auto Show. It will be available to the public in the summer of 2019. The car’s seventh generation will feature a new plug-in hybrid 330e. The PHEV includes BMW’s latest eDrive Technology to enhance efficiency and performance. A vital component of the new BMW 330e plug-in is the addition of XtraBoost, a system that allows the sedan to increase system output temporary by up to 41 horsepower (30 kW). It will increase the 330e’s 252 horsepower (185 kW) output up to 293 hp
Purchasing a BMW is often considered a sign of status. It’s ownership of a sedan, sports car or sport utility vehicle possessing superior qualities on the open road. The luxury carmaker offers vehicles, including the newly designed 2018 BMW X3, that uniquely ease the burdens of highway commutes and long hauls across state borders. It’s what Bavarian Motor Works has always done well. But the once-dominant German manufacturer has increasingly been challenged by automakers wanting more of a share of the SUV sales deluge. Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Infiniti and Acura all have debuted worthy offerings in recent
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:03 — 28.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreSteve Povolny is head of the Advanced Threat Research Lab at McAfee in Hillsboro, Oregon. He’s not a fearmonger, but he has concerns about the increasing dilemma of cyber attacks on vehicles. Povolony, who uses the term “mobile attack space on wheels” to discuss the predicament, is our guest on episode #53 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the quickly evolving and potentially catastrophic phenomenon in a wide-ranging session. Povolny doesn’t speak with a suggestion of an imminent
Now in its 22nd year, the Toyota RAV4 was the first compact sport utility vehicle introduced in the United States. It debuted in 1996 with its acronym meaning “Recreational Activity Vehicle: 4-wheel drive.” The all-wheel-drive designation remains optional. And it’s part of the reason the RAV4 has remained so popular throughout its tenure. Its versatility, variety of trims levels and optional equipment are different than many carmakers whose trims levels are only slightly tweaked. With a few exceptions, sales of the RAV4 has increased every year, with 2017 its best-selling edition with 407,594 units sold, including more than 50,000 hybrid
When competition includes models from BMW (X1), Mercedes-Benz (GLA-Class), Jaguar (E-Pace) and Audi (Q3), Volvo had to do something different. It has. Welcome the 2019 Volvo XC40. The new compact crossover is the Swedish manufacturer’s smallest, sportiest and least expensive SUV. It’s positioned in the lineup as an alternative to the well-respected XC90 and XC60. The base trim, called the XC Momentum, is a misnomer. It has five drive modes and a host of safety and technical features that would qualify it as an upscale model from many manufacturers. The turbocharged two-liter engine produces 248 horsepower and is matched with
With the sport utility vehicle continuing to attract more buyers, manufacturers continue to find new ways to market the versatile vehicles. Welcome the latest newcomer to the SUV sub-species, the 2018 Toyota C-HR. Categorized as subcompact crossover, the hyphenated letters in the Toyota C-HR name stand for Compact High Rider, Cross Hatch Run-(about) or Coupé High Rider. The names make about as much sense as the term subcompact crossover. The category is also odd because competition for the C-HR includes vehicles equally hard to categorize: the Fiat 500X, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-3 and Mini Countryman. Except for the
Naming a vehicle after a Latin word meaning to veil something’s identity seems odd. So why would Land Rover call its handsome new Range Rover sport utility vehicle the Velar? It wasn’t the British manufacturer’s intent to keep it a secret. The name is an homage to the brand’s first prototypes in the late 1960s. And considering the sophistication and sleekness of the 2018 Range Rover Velar, forget the name’s origin. Instead, embrace the craftsmanship, and tell your friends and colleagues. The Velar, released about one year ago, defines the worthy combination of luxury and ruggedness. With its available exterior
The fifth and newest addition to the Honda Accord electrified vehicle lineup will debut March 23 when the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid is unveiled at dealerships at a lower price than the previous model. The Accord Hybrid, sibling to the 2018 North American car of the year, will have a starting price of $25,990, including its $890 destination fee. The price reflects a $4,505 price drop from the 2017 model, according to Honda. The Accord Hybrid lineup now comes in five trim levels: Hybrid, EX (new), EX-L, EX-L Navi (new), and Touring. The newest Accord has an estimated gas mileage
Throughout its long history in the United States, Volkswagen has manufactured two of the most recognizable cars in history, the VW Beetle and the VW Van. It also makes the Golf, and it’s arguably the most understated vehicle on the road. The Golf’s humble exterior and simple, efficient interior define its personality. It’s about as far-removed from its individualistic siblings as possible, and that’s its appeal. It’s no-nonsense and versatile. And it’s the best-selling VW in history and third on the all-time global sales list behind the Toyota Corolla and Ford F-150 series trucks. Key Takeaways 170-hp 1.8-liter turbo across
Genesis, the newcomer luxury brand from Hyundai, has accelerated past Audi and is now top-rated by Consumer Reports in its annual ranking of automotive brands. Audi was ranked No. 2, followed by BMW, Lexus and Porsche in the top 5. The remainder of the top 10 in order: Subaru, Kia, Tesla, Honda and Toyota. The magazine’s annual report card ranks brands based on road and safety tests, owner satisfaction and reliability. Lexus stood out in the rankings more for its reliability and standard advanced safety features than its road test scores, which often have trailed rivals. The magazine reported every
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