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Archive for the ‘midsize cars’ Category

Performance pickups are picking up heat more than ever. With competition touching new heights in almost all mainstream genres, automakers are now turning to this segment which is still somewhat niche. When you talk about stock performance pickups, only two of them come to mind – the Ford F-150 Raptor and the Ram Rebel TRX. This trend is trickling down to the smaller trucks as well. Nissan Australia’s boss has revealed that he is putting pressure on the company to come up with a powerful version of the Navara pickup truck to take on the Ford Ranger Raptor. Will the Navara be the latest Nissan offering to be smitten by the in-house performance division, Nismo?

Look at the E34-generation BMW M5 in station wagon form. Does it look like a 311 horsepower family hauler? Yes, the wheels are bigger but, otherwise, it looks like any other 5 Series at the same time. While this is a stark contrast compared to modern-day M5s, what makes the M5 we’ll talk about today truly unique is the fact that it actually packs the magnificent Paul Rosche-designed S70/2 6.1-liter V-12 designed by BMW for use by McLaren in Gordon Murray’s F1 supercar. We’ll spare a few seconds before you move on so you can get rid of all the drool.

The E34 M5 was built between 1988 and 1995, and it was the second-generation 5 Series to receive the full-blown M treatment after the sleek and stylish E28. The E34 was decidedly more boxy and less shark-looking than its predecessor, but it also packed a bigger punch. In North America, it came equipped with the S38B36 3.5-liter inline-six throughout its lifetime although folks back in Europe got to try out the 3.8-liter S38B38 from 1991 onwards that came with 24 extra ponies.

Still, the E34 was very fast even with the 3.6-liter unit as it allowed for a 0-60 mph time of just 6.3 seconds. This is impressive considering a standard 530i equipped with the 3.0-liter, DOHC, V-8 (good for 215 horsepower and 214 pound-feet) needed about 8 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill. Now, just take a moment and imagine how fast the M5 became once BMW crammed in the 618 horsepower V-12 of the F1 along with its 479 pound-feet of torque…

The F-Series has been a consistent seller for Ford. It has been the top-selling vehicle in the States for 42 consecutive years, thus scripting a legacy that will be most likely remain unbeaten in the 21st century at least. But given the way the competition has upped the ante, it is going to be hard to sustain and keep this consistency alive, unless Ford decides to take the game to the next level. To maintain the pole position, Ford has decided to replace the current generation of the F-150 with a newer breed and what you’re looking at here is our first spy shots of the 2021 Ford F-150. This heavily camouflaged mule was spotted doing test runs in Dearborn, Michigan. Will the next-gen F-150 feature changes that a merely aesthetic, or can we expect new drivetrain options as well?

Isuzu D-Max is the ultimate vehicle when it comes to choosing an affordable, durable pickup truck. Although it is nowhere close to the Fords and Chevys, this truck serves well for urban trade customers, farmers, and small businesses. The truck may serve its purpose quite well, but the it was in dire need of getting either a facelift or a special edition to keep it interesting. Isuzu figured this out and decided to launch a special Workman+ edition to refresh the lineup. Is it an expensive buy? Not at all, actually. However, this special edition is limited to 125 examples only.

The coupe SUV niche will welcome in a matter of hours a new iteration of the model that, arguably, made the niche a thing: BMW’s X6. The third-generation of the supposedly sleeker sibling of the X5 will sit on the same CLAR platform, will be built at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant, and will again be offered with the M treatment. As was the case with the G05-generation X5, we get to share what seems like official press images with you all before the unwrapped X6 is supposed to the light of day.

Are you tired of SUVs with sloping rooflines that try to fool you into thinking they are actually gracious? Did you mumble unholy words upon seeing the Cayenne Coupe? Then, the new X6 may not be the SUV for you and we get you but be sure BMW will sell tons of these so it’s worth sparing a second look.

The Toyota Avalon TRD proves that just because a model gets tagged as a luxury sedan, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a brooding, aggressive side. TRD’s inclusion in the model’s name should be your first hint that there’s something sinister hiding underneath that body. Your next hint, as far as this specific model is concerned, is the custom handbrake sitting where two cup holders are supposed to be found. This isn’t your typical Toyota Avalon, folks. This is a custom-built Avalon that’s in this world to drift. And drift it did with Toyota team member and Paralympic track and field athlete Jarryd Wallace getting to ride shotgun in the car with his father, Jeff Wallace, sitting in the back as drift specialist Ken Gushi took the Avalon TRD out for a few spills and thrills on a race track. Needless to say, the Wallace boys got more than what they bargained for. A lot more.

Think about what makes a Chevy Camaro different from other cars. Its engines are powerful and its suspension is beautifully composed. Its headlights and windows are sinister little slits. You spin its big dashboard vents to adjust the climate control.

The new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer transfers some of that Camaro magic into the midsize crossover class. The exterior design certainly evokes that sporty coupe rather than the Blazer’s heritage as a hardy off-road machine. And inside, sure enough, you spin the big dashboard vents to adjust the climate control. Even the driving experience is a little bit special, with nimbler handling than the midsize crossover norm and a powerful 308-horsepower V6 engine. With the Blazer, though, fun is relative. This is basically a shortened Chevrolet Traverse, not a tall Camaro. On the other hand, the Blazer’s styling sacrifices less functionality than the Camaro’s. Even if it’s less roomy and has worse visibility than most midsize crossovers, it’s still a midsize crossover — and not even one of those dubious “coupe” models that the Germans keep cranking out.

We’ve probably all heard critics grouse and grouse about the Blazer being reborn as a crossover, rather than returning to its roots as a traditional SUV. (Chevrolet discontinued the old pickup-truck-based Blazer in 2005.) But whatever it’s called, the new Blazer fills an obvious hole in the Chevy crossover lineup – between the compact Equinox and the full-size Traverse. It’s priced from $29,995 to $50k-plus and faces competitors that include the Ford Edge, Honda Passport, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Nissan Murano. While the Blazer’s relatively tight cargo space and fast-rising prices make it a tough sell on paper, it’s not without merit once you get to know it. Join us as we share more of what we’ve learned from spending a week in a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2020 Ford Explorer ST is the fastest and most powerful ST-branded Ford ever… and it’s an SUV. But is it a better SUV than the one it replaced, especially now since it has been pushed upmarket along with its price point and it may face rivals that bear a premium badge? Well, this is the very first video out on the hottest version of the new Explorer ST (or any version of it for that matter) and it suggests the Explorer definitely has improved in virtually all areas.

The Octavia is unquestionably a money maker for Skoda, a Europe-wide phenomenon that has been sweeping the continent since the original debuted in 1996. The latest (third) generation model has also proven highly popular and is still selling well today, despite the fact that it was actually launched way back in 2013. Now an all-new model is on the verge of being launched and we don’t expect it to be a misstep for Skoda. The Czech automaker will want to put its best foot forward with the fourth-gen Octavia since, even though it is not a high-riding crossover, Skoda sells nearly 400,000 units per year in Europe, among its different versions.

However, Skoda has changed its model structure with the release of the new Scala hatchback, and it’s this model that now occupies the spot in the range that was previously taken up by the Octavia. Well, they’re sold alongside right now, but that’s only until the new Octavia arrives. All information seems to point to the fact that it will be sold as a more expensive and more upmarket offering – this is a formula change compared to before when it had to fill the range now occupied by the Scala.

You would think that with modern technology, advanced materials, and organizations like the NHTSA and IIHS, every car on the road would be as safe as possible. But, we don’t live in a perfect world and, as such, that clearly isn’t the case. Some SUVs are safer than others as are some cars and trucks. It’s easy to look at a few crash tests and think that the most mangled car is just outright dangerous to be in. That’s also not the case as, sometimes, the cars that look the worst are actually the safest because all that exterior mayhem actually prevents mayhem from happening inside the cabin.

All of that said, crash tests are fun to watch, and it’s fun to see how some of the worlds most popular vehicles actually perform in their worst moments. So, we’ve compiled a video that showcases the Audi e-Tron, Toyota RAV4, Lexus UX, and VW T-Cross during their crash testing. Which one came out the best? Watch the video below to find out!

The Chevrolet Trailblazer is back in American soil, or at least the name “Trailblazer” is back. What was once a mid-size SUV with certain off-road chops is now a stylized crossover that looks more at home in America’s suburbs than in the actual outdoors. The “new” Trailblazer looks like a downsized version of the Blazer SUV, right down to the Camaro-inspired styling. It’ll go on sale in early 2020 as a 2021 model and will slot between Chevy’s entry-level Trax crossover and the slightly bigger — and longer — Equinox SUV. So, it’s not the Trailblazer we used to know, which begs the question: why did Chevrolet bring the nameplate back in the first place?

Proudly sitting as the main attraction at Kia’s 2019 Chicago Auto Show stand, the new 2020 Kia Sportage introduced us to a number of novelties, most important of which is its amazing standard safety pack. The subtle facelift touched the 2020 Kia Sportage’s front and back end and gifted low-end models with even more tech. While this is basically all that’s important on the newest Sportage, it seems that this compact SUV really doesn’t need more improvement. It is a value-centered compact SUV, and it does all it should really well. After all, it does have some legacy to defend. And, with that in mind, we’ve decided to make it our wallpaper of the day. We’ve placed a number of cool wallpaper images below for you to choose from so go ahead and take your pick.

The 2019 New York Auto Show was not a very exciting event this year, perhaps because it clashed with the Shanghai Auto Show. But out of the few positives from the show, the 2020 Hyundai Sonata managed to hog a lot of limelight. Hyundai has taken a big stride in terms of the design and technology of the Sonata, and the results are evident. There is nary a thing that goes wrong with this car. So, will Hyundai be able to tip over the rivals with this new sensation?

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.