HOTTEST
VW revealed a camouflaged version of the updated Golf GTI hatchback.We spotted different headlights and taillights, plus a larger screen inside.We expect this to arrive in the U.S. for the 2025 model year. Sadly, there will be no manual transmission offered, as VW confirmed 2024 would be the last year for the three-pedal GTI.An updated version of the Volkswagen Golf GTI is coming soon, as indicated by this camouflaged prototype revealed as part of CES 2024. Several changes are coming to the hot hatchback for the 2025 model year, including revised headlights and taillights and a significantly larger touchscreen infotainment system inside that offers updated software that uses a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant.One change we’re not so pleased about is the discontinuation of the six-speed manual transmission. VW already confirmed that the 2024 Golf GTI 380 special edition would commemorate the last year of production for the stick-shift versions of the Golf GTI and Golf R. That means the 2025 GTI will likely only offer the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four; perhaps VW will offer a bit more horsepower than the current GTI’s 241-hp output to soften the blow a bit.While the eye-catching camouflage on this prototype obscures the new front and rear-end designs, we think the updated GTI will look a bit more modern than before. That carries on inside, as it features a significantly larger touchscreen; it looks like the 15.0-inch screen found in the new ID.7, which would offer many more pixels than the current GTI’s optional 10.0-inch screen. We also spotted new steering-wheel controls that do away with the frustrating touch-capacitive sliders in favor of real buttons, which is a nice upgrade.We’re expecting similar changes to come to the more powerful Golf R hot hatchback as well. These two variants are the only Golf models sold in the U.S. since VW dropped the standard Golf hatchbacks from its North American lineup when the Mk 8 model first arrived here for the 2022 model year. Look for more information to come on the 2025 Golf GTI and Golf R models within the next few months.More on the GolfDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City. More
According to a new online survey from Cox Automotive, there’s a lot of good news for electric-vehicle fans.
Cox found that 40 percent of people planning to buy a pickup in the next two years would consider an EV pickup.
Not surprisingly, the survey showed that buyers who would put an electric truck on their shopping list tend to care more about technology, while those sticking with internal combustion are more likely to prioritize horsepower.
It’s no surprise that some of the hottest new electric vehicles are the upcoming barrage of pickup trucks. Certified fresh options from traditional automakers including Ford and GMC (through its revived Hummer brand) as well as startups like Tesla and Rivian will all be arriving in the next few years, and people have noticed.Every Electric Pickup Truck Coming Soon
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Those are the results from a new survey of pickup shoppers conducted by Cox Automotive, which found that 40 percent of consumers who plan to buy a truck in the next two years are considering an electric option, and a solid half of those in the market for an EV pickup truck find the current selection of electric vehicles appealing.
“Our research shows new EV pickup trucks are leading more consumers to consider an EV product,” said Vanessa Ton, senior manager at Cox Automotive, in a statement. “EV pickups are a catalyst for EV growth.”
To be sure, Cox did not conduct a massive, anonymous survey to discover these results. Instead, Cox worked with MarketVision to administer an online survey in November and December that ended up getting opinions from 155 consumers who are in the market for a pickup truck, including 60 who were specifically shopping for an electric pickup truck.
Not all truck shoppers are interested in the same things. Price and driving performance were the top two considerations, but after that, things diverge slightly, Cox found. One big difference is where horsepower or new technology rank on the list of important features. “ICE buyers prioritize horsepower; shoppers interested in EVs care more about technology,” Ton said.Cox Automotive
Specifically, horsepower matters for 77 percent of of fossil-fuel truck shoppers but only 58 percent of EV truck shoppers. For a truck that’s “technologically advanced,” the difference is about the same but in the other direction. Seventy-seven percent of EV truck shoppers think an advanced truck is something to consider while only 56 percent of ICE truck shoppers thought so. And, for the traditional OEMs who think Tesla or Rivian have a steep conquest hill to climb, “brand name” came in near the bottom of the list for buyers interested in EVs (45 percent) and ICE (55 percent) truck shoppers.
GMC
Rivian
That doesn’t mean Ford will undoubtedly lose tons of customers because of the Cybertruck or the Rivian R1T. When Cox showed people pictures of trucks from the four companies surveyed—Ford, GMC, Rivian, and Tesla—but without any brand and model indications, 59 percent said they liked the Ford F-150 electric pickup truck, while only 19 percent said the same about the Tesla. Once the names were attached to the pictures, interest in the Cybertruck jumped to 32 percent, while Ford dropped to 45 percent. That still made the F-150 the truck people were most interested in—”perhaps indicating familiarity is attractive,” Cox said—but it also shows the strength of the Tesla brand.
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When we first tested the BMW M550i xDrive, it accelerated slower than we expected.BMW has now issued a fix, which dropped the sprint to 60 mph from 4.1 seconds to 3.5 seconds.The update can be done over the air or at a BMW service department. Our test of the 2021 BMW M550i xDrive earlier this year revealed a slower-than-expected 4.1-second time to 60 mph. While that beats the time a Ferrari F40 set 30 years ago, these days that’s slower than the 3.9 seconds it took us to get to 60 in an X5 M50i that weighs 856 pounds more than the M550i. They have identical 523-hp powertrains, so that raised some eyebrows.It’s rare, but turbocharged cars are sometimes slower than expected, and the culprit is often low-octane fuel. A retest on a fresh tank of 93 octane after the initial California 91 dropped the time to 3.9 seconds, still short of BMW’s 3.6-second claim (plus, we often outperform manufacturer claims).
When BMW learned of our test results, engineers went to work and discovered that a software glitch was causing a miscommunication between the engine computer and the car’s stability-control module. In a standing-start launch, the stability control would intervene and direct the engine to cut boost, keeping it from making full power and adding tenths to the 60-mph time, a problem for all 2021 M550i and 540i xDrive models.This summer BMW sent out a statement informing owners that there would be a fix. The update can be done over the air or at a dealer service department. Now, several months later, we’ve tested the fixed version of the M550i and hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds at 119 mph. It appears that all 523 horses are present and able to run.
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This spring with the release of iOS 4.5, iPhone users will be able to use Siri and Apple Maps to report road incidents at precise locations using their voice.
The feature is currently rolling out to iOS beta users.
It will work both in the Apple Maps app on the iPhone and with Apple CarPlay in a vehicle.EV Routing Coming to Apple Maps
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Coming this spring in iOS 4.5 and rolling out to beta users of iOS right now is a new feature in Apple Maps that allows drivers to tell Siri about road conditions without taking their hands or eyes off the road. Once the report has been logged, the information will be shared with other drivers along that same stretch of road. After an incident has been cleared, Siri can also be used to inform Apple Maps that it’s no longer an issue.
The new feature will work in both the Apple Maps application on the phone and via CarPlay. Drivers can say “Hey Siri” and share incidents using any of the following phrases:
Report an accident / hazard / speed check / speed trap / incidentThere’s an accident / hazard / speed check / speed trap / incidentThere’s a crash up aheadThere’s something on the roadThere’s a speed trap hereClear the accident / hazard / incidentThe hazard is goneThe incident is no longer hereThere’s an accident that’s still here
For users of the Waze navigation app, these types of alerts along their routes are old hat. What Apple is doing is integrating it directly into its own app so that the incidents can be shared via Siri without the need to interact with the application with anything beyond their voice.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io MoreMercedes-Benz’s battery powered EQS450+ (above) and EQS580 have an EPA range of 350 or 340 miles of range, besting their German competition by more than 100 miles.Tesla and Lucid easily beat the new Benz’s range with the Model S Long Range coming in at 405 miles and the Lucid Air Dream R AWD covering 520 miles per charge. The EQS450+ boasts the lowest drag coefficient (Cd) or any car for sale and will start at $103,360. The premium-electric-car segment is mostly about two numbers: horsepower and range. Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz announced that its new dual-motor EQS580 would have 516 horsepower and that the single-motor EQS450+ would come in at 329 horsepower, but now we’ve learned the official EPA-rated range. According to the EPA, the 107.8-kWh-equipped 580 will travel 340 miles while the single-motor 450+ with the same battery will make it 350 miles on a charge.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes credits its aggressive regeneration strategy, large battery, and the EQS’s incredibly low 0.20 drag coefficient for the range number. But while the EV Benz’s range compares favorably with the German competition, it falls behind the range of startups like Tesla and Lucid. The best a Porsche Taycan can do is 227 miles—Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus—and the farthest an Audi e-tron GT can go on a charge is 238 miles. Yet the Benz can’t touch the Tesla Model S Long Range’s impressive 405-mile number; nor can it come close to the Lucid Air Dream R AWD’s 520 miles of EPA range.
Mercedes-Benz EQS580.
Mercedes-BenzAn important element of any car, electric or otherwise, is the price. The EQS450+ will start at $103,360, moving up to the Exclusive Level costs $3400, and the appropriately named Pinnacle Level comes in at $109,560. Pricing for the more powerful EQS580 opens at $120,160, requires an additional $3400 for the Exclusive trim, and, for those who want it all, the Pinnacle will wear a $126,360 window sticker.
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