SUVs

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2021 Volvo XC90: Safe, handsome, EV oddity

Volvo makes cars that encompass the compelling characteristics of Scandinavian design — simplicity, minimalism and functionality. The 2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 Inscription oozes with automotive modernism. A three-row, midsized luxury SUV offered for two decades, the XC90 is available in T5, T6 or Recharge (T8) options. The powertrains are mated to trim levels with marketing wizards’ think session wordplay. Momentum (called Inscription Expression for the Recharge powertrain), R-Design and Inscription. The 2021 offerings are largely carryovers from last year, with a few keen changes, for the second edition that debuted in 2016. The T8 plug-in hybrid model is now known as Recharge. The standard features list throughout the lineup is further extensive. Every Volvo model now had front parking

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2021 Toyota RAV4 expands SUV lead with EV boost

For several years, the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V have paced the keen competition at the front of the small, versatile sport utility vehicle pack. Toyota has further expanded its current lead with the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE. A plug-in hybrid option of the standard five-passenger, the Toyota RAV4 Prime is a small SUV offered in SE and XSE trims. Its 4-cylinder engine combines with a more powerful lithium-ion battery pack and three motors to produce 302 horsepower. Key Takeaways 302-hp plug-in hybrid is the quickest RAV4 ever: The Prime pairs a 2.5-liter four with three motors and a larger lithium-ion battery to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. 42-mile all-electric range is genuinely usable: Too many

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2024 Honda Prologue SUV

The 2024 Honda Prologue, the first in a pending lineup of battery electric vehicles, will debut in less than three years as the carmaker continues to target its goal of a fully electric fleet by 2040. Few details of the sport utility vehicle were revealed in the recent announcement, but Honda said the Prologue will operate on GM’s Ultium batteries. It will be available in the United States and Canada. An all-electric Acura SUV will also debut in 2024. Honda previously announced its plans for its vehicles in the second of this decade to operate on a new “e:Architecture.” Honda Prologue Begins BEV surge Besides its 100 percent fully electric goal by 2040, Honda says its shorter-term goal is 40

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PREVIEW: 2022 Kia Telluride gets upgrades, new pricing

Prices and upgrades have been announced for the 2022 Kia Telluride, the increasingly popular sport utility vehicle. Introduced as a concept car in 2016, the vehicle debuted in the spring of 2019 as a 2020 model. Named after the town of Telluride, Colorado, the SUV is the largest vehicle Kia has manufactured in the United States. Kia Telluride: Top Sales, Awards Among other accolades, the Telluride was named the 2020 World Car of the Year as well as SUV of the Year. The large SUV had a 28 percent increase in sales from 2019 to 2020. It was the 11th best-selling SUV in the United States in 2020 among the nearly 50 large SUVs offered.   For 2022, the Telluride

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2021 Hyundai Venue seeks home in crowded SUV family

Now in its second model year, the Hyundai Venue is the smallest sport utility vehicle and seventh sport or adventure offering in the company’s stable. It fills a niche the South Korean manufacturer has deemed important. But it’s hard to fathom. Since the carmaker already offers the Ioniq, Kona, Palisade, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe and Tucson, does it need the Venue? It’s marketed as a mini or sub-compact, entry-level SUV with a healthy chunk of features and superior gas mileage for its segment. It’s matched against more than dozen competitors, notably the Kia Soul, Mazda CX-30, MINI Cooper Countryman, Nissan Kick, Subaru Crosstrek and its Kona sibling. Hyundai‘s pedigree is constantly improving, but competition between two family members? Is it

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2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat reigns in SUV jungle

Being the biggest, baddest or fastest means a lot in the automotive industry. The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is the most powerful sport utility vehicle ever made. It has a few horsepower nod over the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. What’s difficult to determine is why the designations are important. The SUV Hellcat is newly designed to join the other Hellcat sedan offerings. It’s aggressive-looking but not particularly handsome. But multiple badges (side views of an angered wildcat) vault it into a roadshow. The design derives from the name of the American Grumman F6F Hellcat, the main Navy fighter in the second half of World War II. A Hellcat also means “witch” or “a violently temperamental person.” If it’s an important

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2021 Cadillac Escalade: powerful, plush, pricey

A year after the Lincoln Navigator debuted, General Motors launched the Cadillac Escalade, the luxury brand’s first sport utility vehicle. It was 1998 and a quick rivalry began between the makers of gas-guzzling apartments on wheels. The behemoth auto segment has since expanded. A half-dozen others are in the mix, the GMC Yukon to the Chevrolet Suburban, the Toyota Sequoia to the Nissan Armada. Powerful and optimally comfortable, road giants largely get left alone. The new Escalade is 17 feet, 6 inches long, 6 feet, 7 1/2 inches wide and 6 feet, 4 inches tall. It weighs nearly 6,000 pounds. Some Escalades seat eight passengers; second-row captain’s chairs cut the capacity to seven in other models. Big and bad, there’s

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2023 Cadillac LYRIQ: Carmaker’s first EV SUV pending

If there’s any doubt about how quickly the automotive industry is changing, consider the former gas-guzzler reputation of Cadillac. Once the automotive beacon for bigger meant better and better meant lots of fuel, Cadillac has just revealed its 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ. Key Takeaways Cadillac’s first EV arrives with 300 miles of estimated range: A 100-kWh battery pack, 340 horsepower, and rear-wheel-drive Ultium Platform underpin the brand’s shift away from its gas-guzzler reputation. Starting price expected at $59,997: Cadillac announced reservations would open in September 2021, with production at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee plant and deliveries beginning in the first half of 2022. 190 kW DC fast charging adds 76 miles in 10 minutes: Home charging uses a segment-leading 19.2 kW

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PREVIEW: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder new, improved at age 35

Nearly two million Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicles have sold since the rugged, mid-sized automobile debut 35 years ago. For 2022, the Pathfinder is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with 284 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic transmission. It also features a best-in-class 6,000-pound maximum towing capacity with Trailer Sway standard. The new Pathfinder has a “boxed out” rear lift gate. It’s an homage to the original Pathfinder and features oversized satin chrome PATHFINDER lettering. There are now 14 available color combinations. Nissan Pathfinder: 2 million sales, 35 years All-wheel-drive models come with Nissan‘s “Intelligent 4WD.” It features a seven-position drive and terrain mode selector with Standard, Sport, Eco, Snow, Sand, Mud/Rut, and Tow modes that adjust throttle mapping and

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Tiger Woods driving nearly twice the speed limit in SUV crash

Tiger Woods was driving nearly twice the speed limit on a stretch of Southern California road infamous for accidents when he crashed a 2021 Genesis GV80 sport utility vehicle Feb. 23 and suffered several potentially career-ending leg injuries. According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Woods was traveling between 84 and 87 miles per hour in a 45 m.p.h. zone. Villanueva said at a news conference Woods was traveling at an estimated 75 m.p.h. when it struck a tree. “The primary causal factor for the collision was Tiger Woods driving at an unsafe speed for the road conditions and being unable to negotiate the curve,” said Villanueva. Woods was not cited for driving too fast and no criminal charges

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2021 Mercedes-AMG GLB 35: Fills niche, who knew?

Mercedes-Benz doesn’t make it easy for luxury crossover and sport utility vehicle buyers. It’s not because the German automaker doesn’t offer quality vehicles. It does. But where does a shopper start with three levels of offerings, including the brand’s AMG and Maybach relationships. The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLB 35, is a small entry-level luxury sport utility vehicle, and it’s a worthy choice. For drivers with a penchant for sportiness in their SUVs, the AMG GLB 35 is optimal. It expands on its GLB 250 siblings’ 2-liter, 221-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine. It’s matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive or 4Matic, the all-wheel-drive option. 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLB 35: Sensitive sensors Seating for five is standard in two rows. An optional third

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2021 Kia Niro PHEV: worthy but not royalty

Unveiled by the South Korean manufacturer five years ago, the Kia Niro debuted in the United States in 2018. The five-door subcompact joins the list of unheralded vehicles offered as gas-powered crossovers, hybrid plug-in electric vehicles (PHEV) and electric-only options. Many of the little SUVs seem much the same. The 2021 Niro has the identical platform as close automotive relatives, the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Ioniq. (Hyundai owns about one-third of Kia.) The Niro revisits last year’s model with a few updates. The front grille has a new diamond shape. The headlamps are also new and the wheels have been redesigned. What remains from previous models is the best of what PHEVs offer. For newbie buyers, range anxiety isn’t an

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Toyota seeks to revive Yaris interest with Cross SUV

COLLABORATIVE CONTENT Following other manufacturers, Toyota is looking to revive interest in the declining Yaris brand by launching an SUV model of one of its best-known models. The Toyota Yaris Cross is a small SUV that looks way more stylish than any other Yaris to date. They’ve usually been as exciting as a new pair of socks. The Urban Cruiser, Toyota‘s last foray into the small SUV market, was discontinued in 2012 after only three years on the market. But the manufacturer has repeatedly demonstrated its automotive foresight. As with other Toyota vehicles, the Yaris Cross comes with the manufacturer’s flagship hybrid drivetrain that allows for both fuel and electric operation. Toyota Says No Yaris Cross in U.S. The small

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2020 Hyundai Santa Fe offers versatility, good value

Like all of its siblings, the Hyundai Santa Fe does a lot right. Competitors have more upscale interior appearances and the sport utility vehicle isn’t geared for rugged adventures. The Santa Fe also doesn’t have the best performance in a super-competitive segment. What it does offer is versatility. It has impressive gas mileage, a healthy supply of safety features, the industry’s best warranty and attractive pricing. Which is why the 2020 edition, with a few tweaks from the 2019 offering, is a top choice in the mid-size market. Gone is the Ultimate trim, leaving the base SE, SEL and Limited. As the new top-level offering, the reviewed Limited trim was equipped with the discontinued Ultimate trim’s equipment, including blind-view monitoring,

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Mystery wreck of Tiger Woods? 2021 Genesis GV80

Genesis sedans have received many awards in their short tenure, including Car of the Year by well-respected automotive publications. But the luxury carmaker’s newest vehicle, the GV80 sport utility vehicle, is now in a spotlight it didn’t want. Early helicopter video of the solo-vehicle car crash involving Tigers Woods showed Genesis signage on the side door of a wrecked sport utility vehicle. The logo read: “Genesis Invitational,” but the vehicle was unknown to many observers. The wreck was a 2021 Genesis GV80. The midsize SUV debut last November as the fourth vehicle in the upscale manufacturer’s lineup. The SUV is unique among competitors because it has a 7,700-pound towing capacity, the highest in its class. Woods was loaned the Genesis

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2021 Lexus UX 200: little SUV big on value

Unveiled at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the Lexus UX 200 is the upscale Toyota brand’s newest sport utility vehicle. It’s a subcompact crossover smaller than its NX sibling. The 2021 edition receives a few minor upgrades and tweaks. Small even by sub-compact SUV standards, the Lexus UX 200 is available in Base, Luxury and F-Sport trims. It has a close relative in the UX 250 hybrid. Key Takeaways Smallest Lexus SUV punches above its size: The UX 200 feels bigger than its subcompact profile suggests, with athletic handling and precise steering through mountain roads and city traffic. Sluggish acceleration is the biggest weakness: At 8.9 seconds 0-60 mph with just 169 hp, the UX 200 struggles noticeably on steady

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