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Archive for the ‘midsize cars’ Category

The midsize Hyundai Sonata has been around since 1985, and the latest eighth generation is definitely the most exciting of the bunch. However, it looks like Hyundai will add even more heat to the four-door with a new N Line edition next year, as revealed during the 2020 Sonata’s debut at the New York Auto Show.

As one of the most essential Hyundai sedans, the new 2020 Hyundai Sonata debut marks a pivotal moment for the Hyundai brand. With a revolutionary and bold design, new technology on board, and all-new architecture under the metal, some would even say that the Sonata reaches for the premium segment. While completely redesigned, and now inspired by the gorgeous Le Fil Rouge concept, the Sonata features a few bold styling novelties we have never seen before. More importantly, Hyundai stretched its wheelbase and length a little bit, while lowering the car as a whole. This is the trick everyone takes into account when making a clean, planted car. As a final touch, Hyundai reworked the interior to offer significantly more upscale ambiance and equipment.

Mazda has officially confirmed that it will start selling its first modern diesel in the U.S., and it will come under the hood of its CX-5 crossover. This, all while the manufacturers that have always been very pro-diesel, the Europeans, are now shunning compression-ignition engines and looking for alternatives.

The 2020 Toyota Highlander is here, breaking into a new fourth generation at the 2019 New York Auto Show. The Highlander was last updated in 2016 following the debut of the third-gen model in 2013, and now, with demand for family-friendly SUVs still booming, Toyota is infusing the nameplate with new styling, a revised cabin, cutting-edge tech goodies, and updates to the hybrid powertrain that yield even more bang for your buck.

Subaru just revealed the latest sixth-generation Outback, and it’s looking better than ever. The 2020 model year once again slots into a unique niche, straddling the line between high-riding wagon and full-fledged soft-roader crossover, offering loads of practicality and standard all-wheel grip. To this package, Subaru added in a new turbocharged engine option, as well as fresh styling, a new cabin, and the latest tech for infotainment and safety.

The current third-generation Toyota Highlander debuted back in 2013, with a facelift performed in 2016 that added an eight-speed automatic transmission, an updated spec for the V-6 engine, and a few aesthetic upgrades as well. Since then, the Highlander has proven to be one of the brand’s most-popular nameplates, selling some 245,000 units just last year, and that means it’s time for Toyota to give it a full-fledged generation update for 2020. Slated to appear at the upcoming New York Auto Show, the 2020 Toyota Highlander will offer new styling inside and out, the latest technology for infotainment and safety, and a slew of powertrain updates as well.

Initially introduced in 1995, the Subaru Outback brought an idea of a raised wagon with clear off-road proves to fruition. Many successful generations later, we are on a look for the introduction of an all-new 2020 Subaru Outback. For the first time created on the pillars of the Subaru’s so-called global platform (SGP), the 2020 Subaru Outback shares almost everything with the recently introduced 2020 Subaru Legacy that showed its face at the 2019 Chicago Motor Show. This is what we know about the 2020 Subaru Outback.

The Toyota Highlander is one of the Japanese automaker’s most successful nameplates, selling nearly 245,000 units just last year. No surprise then that Toyota is keen to keep it as fresh as possible, and with the current third-generation debuting way back in 2013, the Highlander is definitely overdue for a full update. As such, Toyota will introduce a new fourth-generation at the 2019 New York Auto Show next week, throwing in tweaked exterior styling, a new cabin, the latest infotainment and safety tech, and a few revisions to the powertrain to boot.

Mid-Size, seven-seat SUVs are taking over our roads, our car parks, and our highways. There’s nothing we can do about the invasion of cars like the Palisade, the Telluride, the Explorer, and now the Toyota Highlander. What we can do, however, is ask manufacturers to make them as good as possible. That is why the scheduled introduction of the new 2020 Toyota Highlander at the 2019 New York Motor Show is such a big deal. The new Toyota Highlander should be the best Highlander to date and this is what we know about it.

The Subaru Outback is one of the Six-Star brand’s most important models. Slotting into the ever-popular crossover segment as a tall-riding wagon soft-roader, it should come as no surprise the Outback is cleaning up in terms of sales, providing loads of practicality and all-wheel grip for not much outlay. Now, a fresh sixth-generation is heading down the pipeline for the 2020 model year, and while we’ll have to wait for next week’s debut at the New York Auto Show for all the official details, there’s plenty to speculate on at this point.

The Subaru Outback is due for a refreshment next year as the Japanese manufacturer prepares to roll the sixth generation as a 2020 model. Expect the same build quality and ruggedness from the next-generation off-road station wagon.

The new Forester will come next year along with the new seventh-generation Legacy to which it will still be linked. Both cars will sit on the new Subaru Global Platform which should ensure better handling thanks to a lower center of gravity, increased structural rigidity and versatility.

Subaru previewed the design direction of the new Outback with the Viziv Concept Tourer, but don’t hold your breaths for anything that sporty. Some design elements will be kept, albeit toned down a few notches, but, otherwise, this crossover between an SUV and a station wagon should retain its familiar proportions and lines.

Update 04/10/2019: Subaru has released the first teaser of the 2020 Subaru Outback and announced that it will debut at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Check it out in our special Teaser section below!

BMW just unveiled the new-generation X5 in June 2018 and we’re already seeing renderings of the X5 M model. The performance-oriented SUV is expected to break cover by the end of 2018 and it’s about time we have a look at what it may bring to the table.

Much like the standard X5, the upcoming X5 M will ride on the same CLAR platform as the new 5 Series sedan. Of course, the M-badged SUV will get unique chassis tuning as well as a wild V-8 with massive output. Interestingly enough, the new X5 M will arrive just in time for the redesigned Mercedes-AMG GLE63, also due to break cover in 2018. Find out all you need to know about the upcoming X5 M in the speculative review below.

Update 04/10/2019: The 2020 BMW X5 M was just caught testing on the Nurburgring and a lot has changed since we last saw it. Check out the latest images and what we know so far in the Spy Shots section below!

You should know by now that many European or U.S. vehicles are launched with longer wheelbases in China. Sadly, most of them aren’t available outside this country. Hyundai recently jumped on the bandwagon with a slightly longer variant of the Santa Fe, but there’s more to this SUV than a few extra inches between the front and rear axles. Hyundai went wild and completely redesigned the rear end.

Subaru went all in with the 2019 Forester, and it really paid off. When you add up the fresh, modern look, all that interior space, a little bit of extra power, and loads of updated safety tech, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by this amazing piece of machinery. Of course, looks and features are only half the story, though. What about the experience of being behind the wheel? How does the Forester handle quick maneuvers? How is it for long trips? Well, we spent some one-on-one time the 2019 Forester, and this is our experience.

This year’s April Fools’ Day was packed with interesting and awkward car ideas, including a post by Jeep Middle East about a Jeep sedan. The joke included a rendering of a Chrysler 300 sedan with a Jeep Cherokee front fascia. Although it didn’t look half bad, it looked like a crazy idea coming from an SUV-exclusive manufacturer. But it is completely out of line? I think not, and I’m going to explain why a Jeep sedan could be a brilliant idea.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau released the data for the most stolen cars in the U.S. in 2017. While the number of thefts saw a rise of 1 percent over 2016, capping at 773,139 motor vehicle thefts across the country, the likelihood of car theft is far higher in some areas than in others. More interesting than that is the fact that the Nissan Altima become the most-stolen new car. Still, topping the charts of the most-stolen vehicles in the U.S. are the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Ford pick-up trucks, and Chevy pick-up trucks.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe represents the fourth generation of Hyundai’s most noticeable SUV. On the market since 2000, we’ve seen it transform from a basic, compact SUV into something that’s a little closer to being midsized but also closer to the premium category. For 2019, it’s more attractive and more advanced than ever. With a new exterior look, more upscale cabin (with more space than ever), and a lineup of fuel-efficient drivetrain choices, you really can’t go wrong with the Hyundai Santa Fe. We actually got our hands on a 2019 model and put it through the paces. Our tester was a 2.0T model, so we had the turbocharged engine that was very enjoyable to drive. As you’ll find out from our driven review below, the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe is easy to enjoy.

When the number of family members reaches six, the usual assortment of two-row vehicles doesn’t cut it anymore and you need a talented three-row family mover. But which one do you go for from the plethora of models available to cater to this need? If you want maximum efficiency while hauling yourself and five additional family members, then the obvious choice would be a cavernous people carrier (known as an MPV in Europe). This type of vehicle doesn’t have a design that gets your heart racing in any way, but it maximizes interior space and practicality for its footprint. The more popular choice these days is a high-riding crossover vehicle, or an SUV, as it provides similar levels of interior space and practicality, but with the raised ride height and seating arrangement, it gives drivers the feeling of safety and go-anywhere capability (even though a number of these vehicles aren’t really as capable as their chunky styling would have you believe). In recent years they’ve dethroned the traditional people carrier as the first choice for larger families to the point that there aren’t as many proper MPVs out there as there were before the “SUV revolution” of the late 1990s, early 2000s.

Think about the Skoda Octavia Dynamic+ package the same way as you’d think about the Hyundai Elantra GT N-line. The new styling package revealed for the aging Skoda Octavia brings a few RS-inspired design cues for the hatchback and wagon versions of the Octavia. Counting last moments among the living, the latest Skoda Octavia is expected to be replaced by an all-new model at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show this year. Freshly revealed with the Dynamic+ Package, the Czech brand managed to introduce a bit of pizzazz to a car that is widely criticized for the shape of its headlights. Now, the Dynamic+ Package is a swan song for the popular compact sedan.

As the best selling SUV in history, the Ford Explorer gained an almost religiously devoted customer base that has kept the legend of the Explorer alive for three decades. However, another SUV, not necessarily placed to fight a direct fight against the Explorer, has a following that’s almost as strong – the Jeep Grand Cherokee. As the new Ford Explorer flashed its body at the NAIAS and attracts customers with its numerous benefits compared to basically any other similar SUV in the segment, I wondered if there’s any incentive to still choose the 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee over the new 2020 Ford Explorer. The current Jeep Grand Cherokee has its roots planted in the year 2011 when it came to be. Of course, eight years on the market have left some marks on its skin. It isn’t as advanced, as aerodynamic, nor as convenient as some of its competitors. Yet, despite its aged appearance, the Grand Cherokee is like a really robust SUV geared more towards off-road and toughness than it is towards family values and convenience. That is actually the main character difference between the two.

The biggest physical difference, on the other hand, is the fact that the 2020 Ford Explorer is a three row SUV. The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a two row SUV. Only the next generation of the Grand Cherokee (to be revealed in a year or two), will have two different layouts
– it will be offered with two or three rows. Yet, regardless of their main differences, the 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2020 Ford Explorer are roughly similarly priced.