Aurelia Butler

Kia has revealed the new EV5 electric SUV.The production version looks quite similar to the concept car revealed earlier this year, and its interior is nifty.It will go on sale in China later this year, and we expect it to arrive in the U.S. for the 2025 model year.Kia appears to be fast-tracking the latest addition to its EV lineup, as it has already revealed the production version of the EV5 concept car from this spring. The real thing looks remarkably similar to the concept on the outside, and its interior features interesting design touches and looks to offer plenty of space thanks to the electric SUV’s tall, boxy silhouette.KiaWith hard edges on the bodysides and angular lighting elements, the family resemblance between the two-row EV5 and the three-row Kia EV9 is clear. Kia says that it’s a compact SUV, meaning it will likely compete against vehicles such as the Toyota bZ4X and Volkswagen ID.4. While the wheels are a bit smaller and the trim pieces are toned down, the EV5 otherwise hasn’t changed much compared with the concept car; the highly modern headlights and taillights with LED accent strips, for instance, are pretty much identical.KiaKiaThe interior of the production EV5 has changed a fair amount compared with the concept’s lounge-like cabin with swiveling seats, but still appears to incorporate some distinctive design touches. The steering-wheel shape looks fresh, the dashboard looks wide and expansive, and two large screens serve as the digital gauge cluster and the central infotainment display. The front seats incorporate a bench-like layout, although we don’t see a third seatbelt on the cushion in between the driver and passenger’s perches, so it’s not likely to offer six-passenger capacity.KiaKia has yet to release any specifications for the EV5, but we expect it to offer similar powertrain setups as the EV6. That model, which is based on Hyundai-Kia’s E-GMP platform, offers single- and dual-motor configurations ranging from 225 hp up to 577 hp, with a 77.4-kWh battery pack.Look for more information to come about the EV5 later this year, as it’s scheduled to go on sale in China within the next few months. Kia says it will reveal more about its plans for this new model—and likely other future electric models—in October at an EV Day event.Kia EV FamilyThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorDespite 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

The GMC Hummer EV SUT’s EarthCruiser upfit gives the electric pickup truck a bed-mounted camper.The EarthCruiser transformation includes a carbon-fiber housing with a pop-up roof and a full-size bed that sleeps two.Solar panels on the roof help power the camper’s accessories, which include a fridge, a water heater, and a 7.0-inch touchscreen control panel.On its own, the hulking GMC Hummer EV pickup truck looks like it can take on anything and go anywhere—provided its battery has the juice to make it there and back. Now, after teaser images gave us a taste of its overlanding potential, GMC has fully revealed the new EarthCruiser upfit for the bed-toting Hummer. The transformation makes it an electric-powered mobile home, albeit one that most likely costs well north of $100K altogether.Electric AdventuringGMC teamed up with Oregon-based EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles to create the Hummer upfit. Adventurers with deep pockets and a desire to explore the outdoors—as well as a fearlessness to venture into the unknown on battery power alone—will be especially intrigued by the EarthCruiser conversion.GMCMounted in the electric truck’s five-foot-long bed, the housing is made of carbon fiber and features a pop-up roof. The structure’s dimensions measure 217 inches long overall, part of which overlaps the crew-cab Hummer’s roof (that’s where the full-size bed goes). With the roof up, the camper is 117 inches tall, and inside there’s up to 80 inches of standing room. Dropping the top lowers the total height to 90 inches.GMCOff-Road GlampingThe Hummer’s EarthCruiser upfit is more than a hardbodied tent. It has many of the same amenities as home. There’s a fridge, a sink, a stovetop, a water heater, and a 7.0-inch touchscreen control panel that are all powered by the solar panels on the roof, which feed a 6.0-kWh electrical system that’s said to provide power for seven days. In that time, people can keep clean with the EarthCruiser’s outdoor shower, and at night there are exterior lights that set the mood.GMCGMC says the conversion through EarthCruiser is expected to become available sometime in 2024. Those looking to reserve the EarthCruiser upfit for a Hummer EV SUT can do so on the company’s website—just don’t forget, you have to provide the truck separate. Also, the camper’s extra weight and added aerodynamic drag will cut into its driving range, which currently is EPA-estimated at up to 329 miles.Despite not knowing how much the upfit costs, EarthCruiser is known for hardcore conversions, which conversely cost a lot more than a humble Coleman tent. A 2023 Hummer EV pickup already costs close to six figures, so it’s safe to assume their combined price won’t be cheap. Still, we think those who can afford one will have one of the coolest looking overlanders on the road or the trail.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

The 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning is adding a Platinum Black special edition.It’s a blacked-out visual package with a matte-black wrap, special badging, and other black trim elements.The Lightning Platinum Black starts at $99,990 and deliveries will start early in 2024.Ford doesn’t currently offer too many visual customization options for the F-150 Lightning pickup, but there’s a new special edition joining the lineup for 2024 that makes a bold statement. It’s called the Platinum Black and this new package wraps the entire electric truck in matte black, along with special badging, wheels, lighting, and interior bits.The 2024 F-150 Lightning Platinum Black will be available in limited quantities—2000 units to be exact—and deliveries are scheduled to start in early 2024. It’s based on the top Platinum trim and carries a starting price of $99,990—a fair bit more than the 2023 Lightning Platinum’s starting price of $93,290.For that extra dough, you get the matte-black exterior, 22-inch black wheels with matte-black lug nuts, black badging, a soft tonneau cover, a “smoked” light bar, and a gloss-black roof with graphics in the panoramic sunroof. Inside, the Platinum Black—naturally—has black Nirvana leather upholstery plus a plate in the door jamb denoting the special-edition series number. There’s also a plaque in the frunk. The vinyl wrap itself is from supplier 3M and Ford is offering a 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty for the wrap specifically (the truck is painted Agate Black underneath).Like all Platinum-trim F-150 Lightnings, the Platinum Black comes standard with the Extended Range battery pack and the 580-hp dual-motor powertrain configuration. Ford claims it will deliver the same 300-mile EPA-rated range as the standard Platinum.New features for all 2024 model-year F-150 Lightnings include an automatic lock function when you exit the truck and walk away with the key in your pocket, and the updated BlueCruise 1.2 hands-free driver-assist feature. The optional ProPower onboard generator now automatically powers on when you unlock the truck, meaning that you don’t have to physically start the truck before plugging in devices. Ford says that these upgrades will be offered as software updates for existing owners of 2022 and 2023 Lightnings.More on the LightningThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorDespite 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