Evelyn Reynolds

If you’re a powerful international conglomerate that wants to sell cars in the U.S., the easiest approach is to buy a car company that already does that. Think Tata with Jaguar and Land Rover, or Geely with Volvo, or whoever it is that controls Lotus these days with them. It’s much more difficult, and smacks of a certain hubris, to forgo all incumbent brand awareness and institutional knowledge and simply start building cars. But if any country loves blithe confidence it’s America, so let’s give a warm welcome to the VinFast VF8, the latest answer to the question, “How hard can it be to build a car?”VinFast—which at least 30 percent of the U.S. population will initially hear as “SlimFast”—is part of Vingroup Joint Stock Company, otherwise known as Vingroup, a sprawling Vietnamese company with interests in hospitality, real estate, education, and plenty more. If you want to know what a given Vingroup company does, the name is usually a clue—Vinhomes, VinUniversity, VinBigData. (We shudder to ask what VinBrain does but can probably guess.) The VF8, the first model to make it to the U.S., is a two-row, all-wheel-drive crossover—junior to the three-row VF9, but larger than the VF7. If that naming convention sounds so painfully obvious that it doesn’t bear explaining, somebody please tell Infiniti to crib some notes.HIGHS: Beats its EPA range estimate, decent performance, mega warranty.The VF8, like all other upcoming models, is electric. The base, 349-hp dual-motor VF8 Eco is priced from $47,200 with an 87.7-kWh battery and an EPA-estimated range of 264 miles. The ritzier Plus goes for $53,000 and gets 402 horsepower. We drove the $54,200 Plus City Edition, a trim specific to the first 999 units to arrive to the U.S. and is the same as the Plus but only available via lease in California starting at $528 a month for three years and after a $5090 down payment. To make things confusing, the initial run of City Editions are equipped with a Samsung-sourced 82.0-kWh battery that the EPA says should provide 207 miles of range for the Eco and 191 miles for the Plus. After the first 999 VF8s, VinFast will make the switch to a 87.7-kWh CATL pack that will up the range to an EPA estimated 264 miles for the Eco and 243 for the Plus, but those numbers may understate the actual range. We’ll get to that.The VF8’s styling is textbook “I told AI to design an electric crossover,” despite coming from Pininfarina. Aesthetically, the first thing most people notice is that the rear end of the car sits lower than the front, a subtle Carolina Squat that suggests there’s a half-pallet of river rocks in the cargo area. Cops will probably pull over perplexed VF8 drivers and demand to know where the contraband is stashed. “How many kilos of booger sugar you got behind those rear trim panels, son?” And the VinFast driver could invite a look, no pry tools necessary, since you can see right down to the rear fender wells where the outboard seatbelts pass through the lower trim. That’s because the hole for the belts is probably three times as big as it needs to be, which is one reason that rough roads make it sound like you’re driving inside a tom drum—the body structure is right there, with no insulation. Details like that make you wonder if VinFast realized it was allowed to look at other cars before building its own.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverDespite the “Kia EV6 by way of the Uncanny Valley” vibe of the overall presentation, the VF8 does do some things well. Its highway-assist system does a great job keeping the car centered in a lane, such that you’re not constantly fighting the wheel to correct it (as in, say, a Lucid). At the test track, the Plus City Edition generated respectable numbers, hitting 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds at 98 mph. And on our 75-mph highway range test, the City Edition far surpassed its EPA rating, offering 210 miles of range. Which suggests, charmingly, that VinFast is still too green to know how to game its EPA numbers like other EV makers. And the VinFast warranty, too, includes some impressive figures: 10 years or 125,000 miles, bumper to bumper.More on VinFastLOWS: Development-mule fit and finish, discombobulated ride, costs too much.But producing decent numbers is the easy part. Maybe 95 percent of car-building concerns hitting easily quantifiable benchmarks. But that other 5 percent, the black magic of ride and handling, interior quality, brake feel—the more subjective stuff—is what defines great cars. It’s exceedingly difficult for new companies to get all of that right. As VinFast demonstrates.In the VF8’s logbook, one driver compared the sound of the windshield-wiper motor to that of a 1979 Jeep CJ-7’s. We speculated on the odd whirring noises that periodically emanate from behind the dash—is someone firing up an electric leaf blower in there? The steering has a ton of friction on-center, and the power-steering motor is cheap enough that you can feel the steps in its windings if you slowly turn the wheel at rest. The suspension is way underdamped, delivering a bounce-house ride. Clues abound that this car was rushed to the U.S.—when the climate control boots up, the temperature reads in centigrade and then flickers over to Fahrenheit, and the head-up display settings permanently depict a hypothetical left-hand turn onto Nguyen Chi Thanh Street in Hanoi. Even in areas where VinFast did a solid job, the company tends to undermine itself. For instance, that highway-assist system—and every other nanny, including a speed-limit tattletale—is activated by default each time the car is turned on, and all together they bring with them a never-ending onslaught of chirpy electronic recriminations no matter how carefully you drive. You have to deactivate those systems via the 15.6-inch touchscreen, which is also used to assign the left-hand steering-wheel toggle switch to different functions, such as adjusting the outside mirrors or moving the steering column. Precisely no one prefers this setup to actual dedicated physical controls, but we understand VinFast had to keep an eye on the price. On that subject, see also: the VF8’s “vegan leather” a.k.a. vinyl, non-branded sound system that constantly emits white noise, and lack of a spare tire. A spare can be added through the after-sales department. VERDICT: If it were hilariously inexpensive, sure. But it’s not.But when you’re an unknown, price assumes outsize importance. Back in the 1980s, nobody bought the Hyundai Excel because it was better than a Toyota Corolla, but it sold nonetheless. Which begs the question, “What would this car have to cost to convince would-be buyers to take a chance on a complete unknown with immediately obvious flaws?” We’re not sure what the answer to that is, other than a lot less than $55,190, which was the number attached to our test car.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 VinFast VF8 Plus City EditionVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $54,200/$55,190Options: Deep Ocean Metallic paint, $990
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC; 201 hp, 228 lb-ftRear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC; 201 hp, 228 lb-ftCombined Power: 402 hpCombined Torque: 457 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 82.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 11.0 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 160 kWTransmissions: direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 14.8-in vented disc/13.4-in vented discTires: Goodyear Eagle Touring245/45R-20 103V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.1 inLength: 187.0 inWidth: 76.1 inHeight: 65.6 inFrunk Volume: 3 ft³Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 48/13 ft3Curb Weight: 5771 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.0 sec1/4-Mile: 13.9 sec @ 98 mph100 mph: 14.9 sec120 mph: 26.2 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.2 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.1 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.0 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 124 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 181 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.84 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING
Observed: 57 MPGe75-mph Highway Range: 210 miAverage DC Fast-Charge Rate, 10–90%: 85 kWDC Fast-Charge Time, 10–90%: 52 min
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 80/82/78 MPGeRange: 191 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDSenior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

Despite some initial resistance when the Cayenne debuted two decades ago, it has become one of the most important vehicles in Porsche’s lineup, comprising about 30 percent of its worldwide sales. The current, third-generation Cayenne has been in production since the 2019 model year and receives a timely refresh for 2024.This isn’t your typical facelift, though. It’s a significant upgrade over the previous year, stopping short of a new generation because it shares much of the same chassis and crash structure. The 2024 Cayenne sports a new look, with a reworked front fascia with larger air intakes, restyled headlights, more prominent fenders, and a subtle hood bulge. The backside also gets a makeover, with new taillights and a tailgate that makes it look wider than before.PorscheOn the inside, a new 12.6-inch curved digital instrument display debuts alongside the PCM 6.0 infotainment system and its 12.3-inch touchscreen. The previous gear selector lever has been replaced by a smaller toggle found in other Porsches and moved to the dash. That frees up some space on the center console for more storage and a new climate-control panel. The Cayenne also offers a 10.9-inch touchscreen for the front passenger, similar to that found in the Taycan.Related StoriesThe Cayenne lineup has been scaled back dramatically from nine trim levels to four. The base 348-horsepower Cayenne starts at $80,850, while the 468-hp Cayenne S will set you back another $16,500. At the top of the range is the 650-hp Turbo GT that flirts uncomfortably with a $200,000 price tag. It’s only available in the coupe body style and is now exclusive to the U.S. market. Slotting above the base model is the plug-in turbo V-6 Cayenne E-Hybrid with 463 horses at $93,350. A fully electric Cayenne is due in a few years and will overlap with the internal-combustion models.Driving the Cayenne Turbo GTWe had the opportunity to unleash the Cayenne Turbo GT on some of our favorite roads in Southern California to see how the changes affect this sportiest of utility vehicles. The Turbo GT certainly deserves its position as the spiciest of Cayennes. If it had a Scoville rating, it’d easily mimic its six-figure pricing. Acceleration should be similar to the insane 2.8 seconds we recorded in a ’22 model, and when you pin the pedal to the floor, you’re met with one of the most glorious V-8 engine growls this side of a Jaguar F-type. Off the line, the Turbo GT stumbles for just a brief moment as it struggles to keep the sticky Pirelli tires from going up in smoke and prepares for the next gear, but it is nonetheless impressive and chuckle-inducing. The standard ceramic composite brakes are up to the task of getting this about-5100-pound SUV slowed, and the firm pedal adds further assurance. Easing into a turn, the Cayenne’s steering is appropriately Porsche-like with its precision and effort. The standard adaptive air springs and lightweight carbon roof keep the Turbo GT from feeling top-heavy as it tracks through the curves with only a hint of body roll. Mid-corner bumps can cause the rear tires to momentarily step out of line, but the Cayenne regains grip and composure before you can react. Just as impressive as its cornering prowess is the Turbo GT’s comfortable ride. Dial the drive mode back to Normal, and the suspension relaxes its clenching tautness for the kind of smoothness needed for longer journeys. The prominent road noise will add a bit of long-distance fatigue back, though.Cayenne S DriveWe also drove the Cayenne S on the same roads, and the differences were telling but not dramatic. The big news for this midrange model is the return of the V-8 engine in place of the previous V-6, bringing with it an additional 34 horses. But you won’t find the Turbo GT’s theatrical snarl in the S, which instead has a comparatively bland sound that could be mistaken for the six-cylinder. The Cayenne S also comes with a more conventional adaptive suspension that doesn’t have the range of comfort or performance from which the Turbo GT benefits. It’s more nervous and jittery over rough pavement and not as solidly settled in long sweeping curves. The air suspension is available as a $2390 option, however, and we highly recommend it for both the Cayenne S and base model, whether or not you’re seeking handling performance. Even with this addition, the Cayenne S costs half as much as the Turbo GT.Of course, performance is only part of the Cayenne equation. It’s still a luxury SUV, and its interior handily meets expectations. While we could do with less piano black on the center console, the cabin is swathed in premium materials, and there’s a sturdy heft behind all of them. Besides the aforementioned road noise, the interior is devoid of any creaks, squeaks, and excessive wind noise. Moving the gear selector to the dash also allows for a wireless charging pad that’s well placed under the dash and is a great pairing with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get a larger storage pocket and cupholders. The new climate-control panel thankfully keeps some physical toggle switches for distraction-free adjustments. Secondary controls are capacitive touch buttons that require looking away from the road to use.We’re not convinced the optional passenger touchscreen is worth the $1490 price, but there is a certain cool factor, nonetheless. It allows the front passenger to enjoy their own streaming entertainment, control several vehicle features, and play co-pilot with navigation, even though the center touchscreen is only a short reach away. The display’s polarized filter makes it appear to the driver as just a black plastic dash element to eliminate distraction. Our main issue with this display is the likelihood of triggering motion sickness for more sensitive passengers.Altogether, the changes make the 2024 Porsche Cayenne even more desirable than before. For the driver who seeks more performance than the base Cayenne already delivers, the Cayenne S is sure to raise your heart rate. We’d suggest optioning the air-spring suspension for a broader spread of both comfort and handling. As glorious as the Turbo GT is, its very nearly $200,000 price seems excessive. But if we had the kind of bank balance that could absorb such a hit, you’d better believe we’d go for it. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Porsche Cayenne S/Turbo GT Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4- or 5-passenger, 4-door wagon or hatchback
PRICE
S, $97,350; S Coupe, $103,750; Turbo GT, $197,950
ENGINES
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 468 or 650 hp, 442 or 626 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.0 inLength: 194.1–194.2 inWidth: 78.1–78.5 inHeight: 64.9–66.8 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 54/50–51 ft³Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 24–27/52–60 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4900–5100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.8–4.2 sec100 mph: 7.0–8.5 sec1/4-Mile: 11.1–12.7 secTop Speed: 169–189 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16–18/14–16/19–21 mpgContributing EditorWith a background in design and open-wheel racing, Mark Takahashi got his foot in the door as an art director on car and motorcycle magazines. He parlayed that into a career as an automotive journalist and has reviewed thousands of vehicles over the past few decades. More

From the August 1981 issue of Car and Driver.A few years ago the Japanese automo­bile industry saw protectionist senti­ment growing in the United States and evidently reasoned that one way to slow their market penetration without hurt­ing profits would be to slide their whole product portfolio upscale—pump in more content all the way across the board and move out of the low-buck price-leader competition. Thus we’ve seen Toyota come to market with cars like the Celica Supra, the Corolla SR-5, the new Coronas, and the Starlet­—which surprised most people by coming in at a higher price than the base Corol­la Tercel and apparently ignoring its most obvious U.S. competitor, the Chevrolet Chevette. None of this has slowed Toyota’s growth a bit, but it’s the thought that counts. The new Cressida is the latest and best step in this orderly progression into the upper-upper-middle price class. More than that, it demonstrates that the Japanese are now quite capable of building cars at any level of any market and scaring the bejeezus out of whatever established competitors might have been there ahead of them. Thus, with the arrival of the Toyota Cressida and Nissan’s very similar Datsun 810 (Car and Driver, April 1981), firms like Volvo, Peu­geot, Audi, and Saab had better look to their defenses, because their markets are ripe for exactly the same kind of pillage that occurred down­stream among the econoboxes. It goes without saying that the danger is at least as great for the Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and Mercurys, already buffet­ed by the mighty wind from the East.The Cressida is a handsome car, in the sort of nondescript, Mercury Zephyr sense of the word. Straight lines, taste­ful ornamentation and trim, everything neatly coordinated, the Cressida looks like a quality piece, and it is. It also looks like the Datsun 810, so much so that one wonders which batch of Japa­nese designers was looking over whose shoulder. With better seats, more head­room, and the Cressida’s engine and transmission, the 810 would be a dreamboat. On the other hand, if the Cressida had better seats, more head­room, and the 810’s independent rear suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, it would be an absolute sensation. As it is, it begins to come pretty close to cars with much longer pedigrees and strong German accents. More Archive ReviewsUnfortunately, at $12,699, our Cres­sida was about $1800 dearer than the comparably equipped Maxima, and that must surely give pause to the prospec­tive buyer. The Toyota may have a larg­er engine, a better automatic transmis­sion, and marginally better acceleration, but $1800? And when Datsun’s four­-wheel disc brakes and independent rear suspension are thrown into the equa­tion—with their attendant improve­ments in skidpad and braking perform­ance—one really must wonder what the Toyota bean-counters had in mind. The wonder increases when we consider that the Cressida comes with independent rear suspension in its home market. Senior Japan watchers on our staff opine that the uncomfortable difference in price is due to the fact that Toyota has always regarded the Cressida as their top-of-the-line luxo-cruiser, no matter how underwhelmed America may have been by that little conceit, while Datsun is playing catch-up with the 810 and its Maxima variant. This may be true, but the dollar difference, relative to the amount of real-world product content involved, is an awful lot to swallow. Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverPrice and performance differences to the contrary notwithstanding, we were perversely inclined to prefer the Toyo­ta. Its interior lacked the Detroit-hyper decor that characterized the Datsun, for one thing, and its overall feel was tighter, sportier, for another. The Toyota’s 2.8-liter fuel-injected six-cylinder (shared with the Supra) is torquier, and its four-speed automatic transmission (three plus overdrive) is really effective at converting that torque to entertain­ment. The car’s isolation from both en­gine and road noise is very good, but that stirring six-cylinder drone can still be heard to good effect when the loud pedal is depressed all the way. Further­more, the Toyota feels solid, all-of-a­piece. Everything fits, everything is well finished, and the car is a rolling defini­tion of that see-touch-smell quality so elusive to Detroit’s moguls. The Cressida comes with a full com­plement of beads, bells, and whistles to captivate North America’s gadget-con­scious natives. There is a wildly compli­cated radio/tape deck with buttons and levers enough to confuse an astronaut. Whether this device sounds as breathtaking as its plethora of controls would lead one to believe it should is a highly subjective judgment call, but the sound is better than average. Another feature that never fails to attract the curious is the Cressida’s motor-drive passive-re­straint system: open either of the front doors and the upper end of the shoul­der belt slides forward and down the windshield pillar a little way, the lower end pivoting on its anchor between seal and driveline tunnel. You hop in, close the door, and the upper end of the belt whirs back into place just behind your ear and above the door. There is also a lap belt, but it’s a little awkward, per­haps a tad too far forward to be com­pletely effective, and there was a strong tendency among our drivers and pas­sengers to simply rely on the gee-whiz shoulder belt—which, comfortable and convenient though it may be, wouldn’t prevent the occupant from submarining in a frontal collision. If anything, the Toyota solution to the passive-restraint problem only points up once again that nothing works as well as a three-point lap-and-shoulder-belt combination. No passive-restraint system has yet met with the even halfhearted approval of the Car and Driver staff, but the Cressi­da’s system gets a few points for innova­tive thinking. The dash panel is a good one, with full instrumentation and good graphics. The speedometer and tachometer are round, side-by-side, non-digital, and easily read. An old solution, but one hard to beat. These are flanked by oil­-pressure and water-temperature gauges on the left, and fuel level, voltmeter, and digital clock on the right. A hori­zontal row of warning lights—”Blow your nose!” “Check your fly!” “Have you called your mother?”—marches across the bot­tom of the display panel, and some of these are actually helpful. The center of the dash contains the heater and air­-conditioner controls, as well as the AM/FM/cassette sound system. In the sys­tem’s defense, we’d like to point out that everything is in one place; there’s no equalizer panel or pre-amp hidden somewhere else in the cockpit. The headlights are controlled with the turn-signal lever, and wiper-washer functions operate from a counterpart lever on the opposite side of the steer­ing column. For reasons we cannot comprehend, the cruise-control and overdrive switches are located on the instrument panel instead of somewhere near the steering-wheel rim, and this was a pain, virtually guaranteeing that those two controls would be ignored most of the time by most drivers. In the case of the overdrive, switch it on and forget it. Cruise control? Stick with your right foot. It may be old-fashioned, but it’s right there at the end of your leg and you never have to wonder where it is, or grope around with your left hand to find it. Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverOnce in the driver’s seat, upper body restrained by Japanese ingenuity, you survey the creature comforts and ap­pointments. The quality signals are just as strong on the inside as they were on the outside. The seats are quite com­fortable, and offer a nice range of adjustments—fore-and-aft, backrest angle, lumbar support, and tilt—but the tilt mode is in some ways redundant, and is no substitute for a simple up-and-down adjustment. Drivers over six feet tall lacked headroom, and no combination of tilt and backrest angle could be ar­ranged to keep one’s hair from clinging to the headliner through the miracle of static electricity. Eliminating the sun­roof would be helpful in this regard. Speaking of the sunroof, this always pleasant source of fresh air worked well enough and was free of buffeting, but its control was a complicated little man­ual-dexterity test—two fingers for the electrical buttons, then one hand to ram it home manually the last few sixteenths of an inch—an obscure Asian safety precaution almost as silly as many of ours. If the sunroof is an essential part of the Cressida’s luxury appeal, why couldn’t it be opened and closed with a manual system as functional and straightforward as that of the Saab? Available either as a four-door sedan or a station wagon, the new Cressida is Toyota’s most American car to date, a triumph of Japanese market research and technological cloning. It is a very good car. Its engine performs faultlessly and its automatic-overdrive transmis­sion is smooth and sure. We wish that its roadholding, handling, and braking performance were more European than American, but it’s nonetheless a quality car throughout, and a very pleasant one to drive. It offers ample space for peo­ple and their luggage, delivers reasonable fuel economy, and is unoffensively good-looking. Unfortunately it costs a ton. The success of Japanese cars in the United States so far has been largely a matter of hitting it where Detroit ain’t. It will be interesting to see if Japan can continue its dizzy upward market-share spiral with cars that go head-to-head with the competition, at very high prices.CounterpointWhile every three-letter organization from the UAW to the ITC was busy scolding the Japanese for swamping us with cheap cars, Datsun and Toyota both kept their heads down, preparing yet another sneak attack. This time the target is the expensive-car business. Now that the Cressida and the 810 have landed, I can’t help thinking there must be a few mumbling, “Hey, why didn’t we think of that?” in Detroit, because there is no direct made-in-America competition. The Cressida in not particularly space-efficient, there are bigger and heavier cars that match or beat it in fuel economy, and its styling is hardly what you would call soul-stirring. Even so, I’d spot it high on the appeal scale; it comes in a socially acceptable size, it has $10,000 worth of quality inside and out, and it drives well. Furthermore, there is something for just about everybody with this kind of money: technical intrigue under the hood, a satisfyingly solid body structure, and state-of-the-art reminders throughout. The automatic seatbelts are years ahead of their time. The stereo system could play Carnegie Hall. And under the gas pedal, the Cressida has its own secret reserve of Sixties-style acceleration. I’d love to shake one of those white-gloved hands that made it. —Don ShermanThis new Cressida is certainly improved, but it still leaves me lukewarm. The styling is finally in the current decade, and it’s brimming with the multifarious features that people seem to demand in this class of car. But, while bestowing these riches on the Cressida, Toyota has ignored the needs of the discerning driver.Seemingly small and subtle shortcomings become all too apparent when you drive the car. The steering has a dead zone on center that confuses the subliminal corrections essential for a non-fatiguing trip of any length. The speed-control and overdrive-switch locations were based on something other than convenient driver access. And the inside seatbelt anchor is too far forward of the hip to provide any useful longitudinal restraint.These may appear to be trivial concerns, but they differentiate great cars from merely adequate ones. The Toyota’s fundamentals are sound enough to justify a more than superficial look, however. If experience is a guide, Toyota will eventually correct these problems. It’s just too bad that it takes so many tries. —Csaba CsereThe Toyota Cressida is a perfect example of why the Japanese carmakers are blowing the Big Three out of the water. There’s not a car built in America that can match it for value.These days, folks roll their eyes at the price of a fully loaded K-car. But the Cressida looks and feels worth every penny of its five-figure price tag. The fit of its body panels, its paint, its solidity, and the quality of materials used in the cabin are all up to Mercedes standards.Given the sheer volume of the Cressida’s thoughtful convenience features and standard equipment, it’s a little embarrassing to realize that American manufacturers have only recently discovered the reclining seatback. And why is it that a Japanese automaker has already addressed the question of passive restraints so innovatively while our own carmakers are dragging their feet?The Cressida reminds me yet again of the simple reason the Japanese are whipping us silly in the showrooms—and in a lot of other areas of trade: their products give you the most for your money. —Rich CepposArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1981 Toyota CressidaVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $11,599/$12,699Options: AM/FM-stereo radio/cassette with graphic equalizer, $445; electric sunroof, $420; alloy wheels, $235.
ENGINESOHC inline-6, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 168 in3, 2760 cm3Power: 116 hp @ 4800 rpmTorque: 145 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm 
TRANSMISSION4-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/rigid axleBrakes, F/R: 9.7-in vented disc/9.0-in drumTires: Yokohama GT Special 351,185/70SR-14
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 104.1 inLength: 184.8 inWidth: 66.5 inHeight: 54.3 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 50/36 ft3Trunk Volume: 12 ft3Curb Weight: 2930 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 3.3 sec60 mph: 10.2 sec1/4-Mile: 17.5 sec @ 77 mph90 mph: 29.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.8 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 7.2 secTop Speed: 106 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 221 ftRoadholding, 200-ft Skidpad: 0.70 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 19 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 25/22/29 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the September 1990 issue of Car and Driver.You’ve got two ways to pound the pave­ment: row the twin-turbo 300ZX’s stan­dard five-speed gearbox for all you’re worth, or make little more than polite waves of the shifter atop Nissan’s new four-speed automatic.The automatic transmission takes the edge off the powertrain’s visceral feel but improves straight-line performance. It delivers bulleting acceleration and smooth shifts, and it sports a lockup torque converter for fuel efficiency at highway speeds. It has the same gut as the muscular automatic introduced in the high-performance Q45 sedan sold by Infiniti, Nissan’s fancy-pants division. The automatic offers its own two ways to go: you can sit calmly at idle and mash the throttle for a zooming rush of turbo boost, or you can build the boost first by using the drag-racing technique of brake-torquing the engine. This calls for holding the car still with the brakes while building revs, boost, and wheelspin, then sidestepping the brake pedal and bury­ing the throttle. Brake-torquing pro­duced our 0-to-60-mph time of 5.9 sec­onds. Flooring the throttle from rest without benefit of brake-torquing raises the time to the mid-six-second bracket (but requires less planning). Quarter-mile times and trap speeds with both transmissions wind up within a tick of each other. But above 60 mph, the automatic 300ZX Turbo becomes Ja­pan’s next best thing to a time machine. Belting the five-speeder from 0 to 100 mph eats up 16.3 seconds, but the auto­matic bites it off in only 15.8. The auto­matic’s advantage widens to 1.2 seconds at 120 mph, 24.5 seconds versus 25.7. More on the Nissan ZHow can this be? The auto-car weighs 30 pounds more and, says Nissan, pro­duces 280 hp, 20 less than the five-speed­er. Well, an automatic typically complements a turbo engine. The torque converter launches the car strongly, and the nonstop power delivery keeps the turbo boosting without disruption. The rush barely tapers as the automatic rips up through its gears. The five-speed’s clear advantage is its direct effect on both forward motion and cornering attitude. Still, the automatic suffers only one functional shortcoming: the otherwise nifty action of the shifter finishes at third gear, leaving you to en­gage fourth with a button. The small but­ton tucks awkwardly beneath a larger shift-release button, and the poor ergonomics interrupt the flow established by the lever’s moves through the first three gears. You could leave the unit in over­drive and let it kick out and in according to throttle angle—not much fun in a car that prompts you to stir well. In the big Infiniti, the automatic sports a slotted shift gate with notchy stops for all four gears. They eliminate miscues, making it a more logical setup for a car capable of covering ground like a guided missile on Spandex legs.The ability to run and gun is what first propelled the twin-turbo Nissan into our hearts. It offers the performance of Chevrolet’s Corvette with notably better build quality and sensory satisfaction. It even stands comparison with the twice-­as-costly Porsche 928GT. Nissan under­stands that subjective nuances make the difference between good and great. The Turbo’s price of $34,075 (including an $800 premium for the automatic) strikes few as dirt cheap, but this is pay dirt that Nissan has mined and refined. The Turbo’s straight-ahead perfor­mance comes in a chassis ready for most all the road rocketing the engine can throw at it. The best engineers know cars can only be their best when they do your bidding without bother or guile. Count Nissan’s current thinkers among the best. Into an organically slick body that schusses down the road looking like a Venusian hovercraft, the Nissan team has poured an engine that scoots like quick­silver. It whirs within the solid breast­works of a thoroughly designed and de­veloped structure and suspension. These contribute to the ZX’s feeling of well­being, creating a sense that the car can do no wrong, or at least little wrong. And that it will do its doggonedest to help make up for mistakes. The springs, shocks, and geometry of the all-independent suspension jell to a firmness that produces jiggles over bad pavement but works masterfully for the driver. The steering needs more feel, and the brakes could use more fade resis­tance for onslaughts of switchbacks. Yet they feel decently suited to Nissan’s bold­ly stated purpose, which was to make the 300ZX the world’s best (though heavy) sports car. Larry Griffin|Car and DriverThe sticky-tired coupe turns in 0.87 g of grip on the skidpad and, thanks to anti­lock four-wheel disc brakes, an arresting 164-foot stop from 70 mph. The ZX’s dy­namics give you pause simply because their limits loom so high yet beckon so reachably. Unlike our long-term five­-speed Turbo, which showed up on Michelin MXX tires and recorded 0.89-g cornering, our automatic skulks on Dun­lop D40 M2 meats. The Dunlops feel more predictable near the limit but less crisp at lower speeds. Still, few chassis/tire combos compare to either of these in terms of manners and magic.Nissan’s engineers also hooked up their trains of thought on the integration of interior form and function. The 300’s firm, well-formed seats, covered in appealing cloth (hides are optional), grip your caboose like the coupler on a switch engine. They support your rib cage like new roadbed shoring up old rails. Their upholstery, like the entire layout, looks classy. Alas, the gauges, depending upon your driving position, may play coy with your line of sight through the artful steer­ing wheel. The EPA reports 18 mpg for the automatic on the city fuel-economy cycle. Overall, we managed a so-so 16 mpg. But that’s hardly the point of such a car. Nissan’s point was to create a fast shortcut between the points A and B of motoring legends. And never mind if the big guns’ established property lines get bent in this showdown between tradition and tomorrow. The high ground is not only up for grabs but undergoing a rigor­ous title search. As of mid-1990, squat­ter’s rights go to Nissan. Its twin-turbo became the most important performance car introduced to America last year. Whether you want to sit and git or row your own, the automatic widens the ZX’s wicked appeal. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1990 Nissan 300ZXVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $33,800/$34,075
ENGINEtwin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 181 in3, 2960 cm3Power: 280 hp @ 6400 rpm
TRANSMISSION
4-speed automatic 
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.5 inLength: 169.5 inCurb Weight: 3562 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.9 sec1/4-Mile: 14.5 sec @ 95 mph100 mph: 15.8 secTop Speed: 155 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 164 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMYObserved: 16 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity: 18 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

Now that battery-electrics appear firmly plugged into the transportation grid, hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) benefit from the shortest odds for wide adoption they’ve ever known. That’s still no guarantee, however. General Motors built the hydrogen-fuel-cell Electrovan in 1966, yet at no time in the last 57 years has the most common element in the universe merited even the notional optimism of “give it five years to take hold.”But that countdown timer might be counting down, finally. The Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Anaheim, California, recently gathered all the bettors among the alt-fuel ranks. The refrain from everyone we spoke to, when it comes to trucking, was “Hydrogen is here.”Hyundai is placing its first bet with the XCIENT, a Class 8 tractor on sale now and entering fleet duty at the Port of Oakland this summer. The XCIENT FCEV adapts the hard points of the existing, diesel-powered XCIENT semi that has been sold worldwide since 2013. This explains some of the old-school bits tucked among the new tech that helped get the XCIENT to market quickly.Jonathan Ramsey|Car and DriverHow Hyundai’s Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Truck WorksTen hydrogen tanks are arranged two-up in a frame behind the cab, rising to nearly the 13-foot height of the tractor’s roof fairing. The tanks hold a volume of a little over 462 gallons of compressed hydrogen at over 10,000 psi, totaling 151 pounds of fuel. Refilling from empty takes about 30 minutes. The tanks feed two hydrogen fuel-cell systems under the cab, effectively the same units found in the Hyundai Nexo FCEV crossover. Adaptations focused on bracing components for the rigors of a Class 8 duty cycle. Each system contains two 121-hp stacks, for a combined output of 483 horsepower. Related StoriesAs we wrote in our fuel-cell primer, stacks perform best at a steady power output. Automakers address this by using the fuel-cell system to charge a high-voltage, low-capacity battery that powers the electric motors turning the wheels. In the XCIENT, the systems power a high-voltage, fairly high-capacity battery. The Nexo’s lithium-ion pack has a 40.0-kWh capacity, while the three 24.0-kWh lithium-ion packs in the XCIENT equal a total of 72.0 kWh.The pack’s frame bolts to the passenger-side frame rail, opposite the cooling apparatus attached to the driver-side rail. Nestled in the rails between them sits an electric motor making 469 horsepower and 1650 pound-feet of torque. (By comparison, a diesel XCIENT makes up to 512 horsepower and 1844 pound-feet.) Jonathan Ramsey|Car and DriverJonathan Ramsey|Car and DriverThe motor hooks up to an Allison six-speed automatic transmission. Since the XCIENT’s top driven speed is just 57 mph, the truck only uses the first five cogs in the box. We specify “driven” because a cruise-control offset feature allows the rig to reach 9 mph over the cruise speed when going downhill, so the gravity-assisted top speed is 66 mph. The transmission housing contains a mechanical retarder that helps slow the truck when the battery is full and regen braking can’t be employed. Future evolutions will eventually do away with the traditional gearbox and put electric motors on the axles, eliminating the mechanical retarder and improving regen performance. A driveshaft turns both tandem axles in back, creating the 6×4 drivetrain that’s the norm for U.S. over-the-road Class 8 trucks. With full tanks and when loaded to the 82,000-pound gross combination weight limit for electric tractor-trailers, Hyundai claims the XCIENT can go 450 miles. Hyundai and other FCEV commercial vehicle makers say the benefit isn’t only that these miles will be far kinder on the environment compared to miles put down via diesel, they’ll be far kinder to drivers as well.Driving the Hyundai XCIENT Hydrogen Fuel-Cell TruckFirst, drivers must make the unexpectedly high ascent into the cab. The U.S. market has preferred conventional trucks, the kind with engines out front, which have a lower cab floor. In a cab-over like the XCIENT, where the body needs to clear the whole height and width of the engine, getting seated is like climbing a ship’s ladder to a bosun’s chair.HyundaiA familiar truck layout greets those who reach the summit. Analog gauges in the cluster flank a central screen displaying vehicle information. A small infotainment display in the center console is angled toward the driver. On the steering wheel and dash, multiple rows of buttons manage functions such as changing airbag pressure, activating convenience features such as hill-hold assist, cycling through the infotainment, and controlling the HVAC. Two stalks emerge from the right side of the steering column. Move the upper stalk up and down to shuffle through the four levels of regenerative braking, and it can also be pushed or pulled to select the highest gear allowed. (When descending a long hill, setting third gear as the maximum caps the truck’s speed with regeneration rather than the friction brakes.) The lower stalk is the shift lever; turning the knob at the end of the stalk changes gears.Our six-mile test drive encompassed two rectangular laps around Anaheim’s city streets. The XCIENT’s only foible made itself apparent before we left the parking lot: brake-pedal programming. The first smidgen of travel didn’t seem to have any effect, followed by every brake pad latching onto its drum with haste. Cab-overs naturally jiggle a lot more than the conventional rigs we’re used to, being hinged at the front bumper and lacking the damping effect of six feet of engine ahead of the bulkhead. Combined with the abrupt brake actuation, only once did we manage to slow down or come to a stop without making the XCIENT shimmy.Jonathan Ramsey|Car and DriverIn every other way, the test drive presaged vastly more pleasant workdays for truckers. Driving a turbodiesel big rig is to be submerged in urgent noise, vibration, and harshness for the 11 hours a day that federal law allows truck drivers to spend behind the wheel. If the truck must run while parked, the NVH becomes a lullaby for the day’s remaining 13 hours. The result is that all the soothing advantages credited to electric cars count exponentially more for heavy trucks and their pilots. The XCIENT’s idling, driving, and robust acceleration at every speed are accompanied only by the occasional muted whine, easily ignored. Conversations can be held at a natural volume, a marvel in a big rig. The XCIENT is so carlike and easy to drive, in fact—just mind your mirrors and the turning circle—that its truck-size steering wheel feels comically large. We also drove the Nikola TRE FCEV Class 8 truck and a BYD battery-electric Class 8 in Anaheim, and one afternoon made it clear that electric trucks are outstanding as both workplaces and beasts of burden.Jonathan Ramsey|Car and DriverThose outside the truck benefit too. Hyundai is focusing first on the drayage market, which offers short, regular routes anchored at industrial locations suitable for hydrogen refilling stations. Drayage trucks spend a lot of time idling in residential areas around ports while they wait their turn to grab a load. Hydrogen power silences the cacophony local citizens have been forced to listen to and also improves the air those folks breathe.Hyundai hasn’t said yet how much the new XCIENT costs. It will say that it expects current state and federal clean-vehicle subsidies to put the XCIENT FCEV at cost parity with current diesel models over a service life of six to eight years. That’s good news for fleets, for truck drivers, and for residents in areas with lots of truck traffic. More

From the June 2023 issue of Car and Driver.Route 66 ain’t what it used to be. The Mother Road has long been bypassed by the Interstate Highway System, and most of its once-numerous roadside motels, gas stations, and eateries have vanished beneath the blades of bulldozers. Those that remain generally fall into one of two categories: graffiti-slathered skeletons of their former selves that live on in Instagram infamy or Route 66 memorabilia outfits selling tchotchkes and supplies to infrequent passersby.But the road still has a lot of appeal, especially the more desolate stretches that wander far from the interstate through lonely yet beautiful lands that convey a sense of time travel. These are places where you can see the weather advancing across the countryside as you drive down into the valley to meet it. There are few people out here and even fewer services, making it an interesting environment to take the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan off leash on a road trip.The sleek Ioniq 6 sedan shares much with the Ioniq 5 SUV. Both ride on Hyundai’s acclaimed E-GMP platform, with an available long-range battery pack that stores 77.4 kWh of electricity. The Ioniq 6 is available in rear-wheel drive with a rear-mounted motor that provides 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque or all-wheel drive with an added front motor that bumps total output to 320 horses and 446 pound-feet. Curiously, Hyundai claims both Ioniqs weigh nearly the same, with the SUV’s gross vehicle weight rating exceeding the sedan’s by just 44 pounds in long-range spec.HIGHS: Cruises with the best of them, attractive and spacious interior, you won’t spend a lot of downtime charging.Measuring Up against the Ioniq 5 SUVThat they look radically different is self-evident, but there’s much to glean from the details. The sedan is 8.6 inches longer than the SUV, while its roofline is 4.1 inches lower. At 0.22, its coefficient of drag betters the cubist SUV’s by 23.6 percent. Combine this with its tidier frontal area, and we estimate the Ioniq 6 enjoys a 30 percent reduction in aerodynamic drag force.ComparisonsThis pays off when it comes to EPA ratings, as our rear-drive SE Long Range test car, a $46,825 machine, is good for a whopping 361-mile range and 140 MPGe combined. Meanwhile, the same best-case configuration of the boxier Ioniq 5 is rated at 303 miles and 114 MPGe combined. On the competitor front, the single-motor, front-drive Polestar 2 sedan is pegged for 270 miles of range and 107 MPGe combined (rising to a Polestar-estimated 300 miles and switching to rear-drive for 2024), while a rear-drive Tesla Model 3 does 272 miles and 132 MPGe. The RouteThis massive difference gave us the confidence to wander far off the interstate, following all the weather-beaten Route 66 fragments we could stitch into an itinerary from Arizona to California. In theory, the Ioniq’s competitors could manage this, albeit with more uncertainty. The old road crosses and recrosses Interstate 40 like an endless braided river, with Electrify America DC fast-charge stations sitting at several of those nodes. The options along our route read as if the station planners were guided by the song lyrics “Flagstaff, Arizona, don’t forget Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino.” Electrify America added stations in Williams, Needles, Fenner, and Hesperia for good measure, even though those burgs escaped the notice of songwriter Bobby Troup.LOWS: Trunk can’t carry much Route 66 swag, rated range overly optimistic, not terribly quick without all-wheel drive.Our trip began in Phoenix, and the portion that followed Route 66 spanned 381 miles from Flagstaff to Barstow, where we’d leave the “highway that’s the best” to keep an appointment at the test track. There was an initial uphill pull to Flagstaff, and then we persevered to Williams to avoid heavy overnight snow. The Williams fast-charge station occupied our hotel’s parking lot, so we took advantage. From there, we covered the remaining 342-mile meander to Barstow with a brief 24-minute stop in Fenner, California. We could have pressed on to our off-piste overnight in Mojave, but hunger got the best of us, and restaurants surround the station in Barstow.Competent and Confident Through it all, the Ioniq 6 proved to be a sublimely capable road-trip machine, winding in the miles with self-assured competence. Aided by an extra bit of sidewall thanks to the SE’s 18-inch Hankooks, the suspension glides over neglected, alligator-cracked two-lane pavement that fell off the highway department’s priority list decades ago. The steering holds up its end of the bargain, imparting a confident sense of straight-ahead unfettered by crosswinds and scalloped road edges. In the twistier sections, effort builds progressively as the car bends willingly into corners, a precursor to the decent 0.86 g of grip we measured at the track despite narrow 225-mm all-season rubber.Our single-motor powertrain’s 225 horsepower isn’t terribly athletic, but the absence of all-wheel drive keeps the weight down to 4225 pounds. This also gives our rear-drive Ioniq 6 a slight rearward weight bias (46.7/53.3 percent), which puts the power to the ground much more gracefully than the single-motor Polestar 2’s front-drive setup. At the track, the Ioniq 6’s 6.2-second dash to 60 mph handily beat Hyundai’s own estimate, while its ready torque and direct-drive gearbox made quick work of passing maneuvers. Romps of 2.5 seconds from 30 to 50 mph and 3.6 seconds from 50 to 70 mph compare favorably with results from the last BMW 540i xDrive we tested. Its wheelbase is 2.0 inches shorter than the Ioniq 5’s, but the sedan’s front seat offers a far more spacious environment. We’re smitten with the bi-level console and its huge basement, and we don’t mind the window switches and lock button mounted there because this enables full-length floating armrests on nearly naked door panels, allowing one to grasp anywhere to pull the door shut. The displays and controls are more attractive and intuitive than in the Ioniq 5 or its Kia and Genesis counterparts, and they blow away the barren Model 3. The streamliner’s arcing roof does impinge on rear headroom somewhat, but noggin space is still competitive. Besides, there’s plenty of room to sprawl out because of the rear cabin’s breadth and abundant legroom.Supportive InteriorAt a glance of the entry-level SE, it’s not immediately apparent what you’re missing by not stepping up to the SEL or Limited. Sure, the seats are cloth, but they are seamlessly supportive—and heated up front. The steering column isn’t power adjustable, but it tilts and telescopes. Phone mirroring and charging aren’t wireless, but USB ports and places to stash your device abound. Driver-assistance features seemingly want for little, with adaptive cruise control that’s tied into adjustable regenerative braking and Hyundai’s high-performing lane-centering system both present.VERDICT: Who needs a Tesla Model 3 when this exists?A Few WeaknessesAs good as the Ioniq 6 is, it’s not perfect. The trunk’s 11-cubic-foot capacity is weak. The headlights don’t have much reach on a dark desert highway. Also, we managed just 260 miles in our 75-mph range test, which says more about EPA ratings than anything else. The feds’ 361-mile estimate combines city and highway test cycles in a 55/45 split, and the highway portion is not the steady cruise you might imagine. Our test distills a road-trip number, and 260 miles is still a lot where bladders and appetites are concerned. On a back-road tour like this, you’ll likely take your time and fare better with range. After all, if you drive too fast, you’ll be unable to read the Burma-Shave signs as you pass.CounterpointsThere’s real polish here, both in the confident way the Ioniq 6 goes down the road and in the design flourishes that combine form and function in innovative ways. The four dots on the steering wheel reference Morse code for “H” and also serve as state-of-charge indicators while the car is plugged in—silly, but not pointless. We’ll take that over Elon’s fart mode any day. —Joey CapparellaCould the ascendance of EVs be what finally derails the trend of ever-larger wheels? The Hyundai Ioniq 6 shows why it might. When equipped with the 77.4-kWh battery pack, the single-motor version sees its headline-making 361-mile EPA range drop precipitously to 305 miles the moment buyers “upgrade” from 18-inch wheels to 20s. Making the same change on the dual-motor Ioniq 6 results in a 46-mile loss. With EV buyers prioritizing range—understandable, given the still-shaky charging infrastructure—high-style oversize wheels suddenly lose some luster. Fortunately, the Ioniq 6 still has style to spare, even on 18s. —Joe LorioArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE Long RangeVehicle Type: rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $46,615/$46,825Options: carpeted floor mats, $210. 
POWERTRAINMotor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC/, 225 hp, 258 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 77.4 kWhOnboard Charger: 10.9 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 235 kWTransmission: direct-drive  
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 12.8-in vented disc/12.8-in discTires: Hankook Ventus S2 AS EV225/55R-18 98W M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.1 inLength: 191.1 inWidth: 74.0 inHeight: 58.9 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 57/47 ft3Trunk Volume: 11 ft3Curb Weight: 4225 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.2 sec1/4-Mile: 14.8 sec @ 95 mph100 mph: 16.5 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.3 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.5 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.6 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 116 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 168 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.86 g  
C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING
Observed: 116 MPGe75-mph Highway Range: 260 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 140/153/127 MPGeRange: 361 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDTechnical EditorDan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department. More

The Alfa Romeo Tonale makes a good first impression. It earns major street cred for its styling, which oozes italianità, and its cabin is a tasty mix of old-school analog dials and clever Uconnect 5 digital tech. But when you push the starter button to summon the puny 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, slide the gear lever into drive, and hit the throttle, sober reality sets in. Fans hoping for a junior version of the vivacious, sharp-driving Stelvio will be disappointed. The Tonale is built for a different mission.Alfa’s compact crossover is carved from the same components set as the Dodge Hornet and the Jeep Compass. Welcome to the world of Stellantis, where mandatory synergies and compulsory differentiation are battling it out 24/7.Unlike its siblings, the Alfa in our market is offered solely as a plug-in hybrid. The powertrain combines a small 180-hp turbocharged 1.3-liter engine and a 121-hp electric motor for a total output of 285 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque. The Q4 suffix confirms that the Tonale is all-wheel drive, but there is no physical connection between the engine and the motor powering the rear axle. Although Alfa claims a commendably brisk 60-mph time of 5.6 seconds, there’s not enough high-end grunt, and the unexciting top speed of 125 mph takes forever to materialize. The sotto voce liftoff exhaust note in Dynamic mode raises goose pimples, but then the noise at high revs kills the acoustic joy.Related StoriesThe 14.8-kWh battery allows feather-footed drivers to cover a claimed 30-plus miles at speeds of up to 84 mph. (Official EPA range numbers are not yet available.) Refrain from unleashing your inner hooligan and Alfa Romeo promises a total driving range of up to 320 miles. Most of the time, the Tonale is a front-driver, but kick-down automatically engages the rear motor, as can the traction and stability control. To the credit of the system, the transition between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive ranges from virtually imperceptible to mildly entertaining in Dynamic mode with dynamic stability control deactivated, when a subtle front-to-rear torque transfer briefly enlightens the oh-so-fail-safe handling.Unique to Alfa is the DNA mode selector. D signals Dynamic (a.k.a. pure arrabbiata), N stands for Natural (a.k.a. not particularly involving), and A denotes Advanced Efficiency (a.k.a. electric but only while the battery lasts). Why is there no Individual setting to let you compile your favorite combination of throttle response, shift action, damper control, and steering feel?We went apex chasing through the foothills of Monte Mottac, gave it stick on the lightly trafficked A26 autostrada heading for Genoa, and fought our way clench fisted through Milan’s rush-hour maze. The Tonale feels tight and well made, it has strong Brembo brakes that are a joy to modulate, and the ride is sufficiently compliant on all but the most neglected surfaces. The cabin accommodates four in comfort, but the cargo hold is compromised by the bulky electric drivetrain components. We give full marks for the infotainment interface, which is easy to use, comes with an available passenger’s screen, and features wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with Fire TV to accommodate video streaming needs. The 10.3-inch touchscreen is supported by a row of direct-access buttons plus more on the steering wheel.Downsides? Yep, there are a few of those, too. The steering is rather vague, light, and woolly. There’s too much play around the straight-ahead position, and the action doesn’t get any keener as you wind on more lock. The Tonale is certainly not undertired, but it feels oddly overdamped and undersprung on bumpy terrain where recurrent floating, heaving, rolling, and pitching motions disturb the uninspiring handling. On the other hand, understeer is reasonably well controlled even when going nine-tenths, the chassis feels well balanced during cornering, and the directional stability is hard to fault too.Back on the debit side, the seats lack thigh and shoulder support, the unnecessarily wide center console steals precious legroom, the available shift paddles mask the wiper and turn-signal stalks, and, at the stated curb weight of 4133 pounds, the Tonale is actually heavier than the last 2.0-liter Stelvio Q4 we tested.The driver can preserve the current state of charge, and it’s also possible to foster the battery on the fly. Depending on the type of connection used, Alfa says it takes between two and a half and five hours to replenish the energy pack.Prices range from $44,590 for the Sprint to $49,090 for the Veloce, which features, among other goodies, the huge paddle shifters, Alcantara-trimmed seats, and adaptive dampers. A sunroof, a Harman/Kardon sound system, 20-inch wheels, a surround-view camera, and the more advanced driver assists cost extra, so we’re talking $50K-plus for a fully loaded Tonale. Not surprisingly, Alfa expects nine out of 10 cars to be leased at still-to-be-disclosed but allegedly highly favorable rates. For packaging and portfolio-management reasons, there will be no Quadrifoglio edition of this compact SUV.According to Domenico Bagnasco, head of vehicle development, Alfa did what it could with the Stellantis platform it was presented with, within the confines of a shoestring budget. “We gave the car more electric power, made it look like a real Alfa inside and out, and taught it decent road manners. The outcome is not a hardcore driver’s car, because that’s not what this segment is about. Instead, we created a user-friendly and wholly competent alternative to the German establishment. The Tonale is easy to drive and easy to live with, yet it shouts Alfa Romeo from every angle and in any gear.” Well said, Domenico. Given the audience of affluent style-conscious urbanites, a baby Stelvio is perhaps not what the market ordered, much as Alfa’s fan base might have liked to see one.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Alfa Romeo TonaleVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: Sprint, $44,590; Ti, $46,590; Veloce, $49,090
POWERTRAIN
turbocharged and intercooled SOHC 16-valve 1.3-liter inline-4, 180 hp, 199 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 44 and 121 hp, 39 and 184 lb-ft (combined output: 285 hp, 347 lb-ft; 14.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 7.4-kW onboard charger)Transmissions, F/R: 6-speed automatic/direct-drive 
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.8 inLength: 178.3 inWidth: 74.0 inHeight: 63.0 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 52/46 ft3Cargo Volume, behind F/R: 51/23 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4150 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 5.6 sec1/4-Mile: 14.3 secTop Speed: 125 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 26/23/29 mpgCombined Gasoline + Electricity: 60 MPGeEV Range: 30 miContributing EditorAlthough I was born the only son of an ornithologist and a postal clerk, it was clear from the beginning that birdwatching and stamp collecting were not my thing. Had I known that God wanted me to grow to 6’8″, I also would have ruled out anything to do with cars, which are to blame for a couple of slipped discs, a torn ligament, and that stupid stooped posture behind the wheel. While working as a keeper in the Aberdeen Zoo, smuggling cheap cigarettes from Yugoslavia to Germany, and an embarrassing interlude with an amateur drama group also failed to yield fulfillment, driving and writing about cars became a much better option. And it still is now, many years later, as I approach my 70th birthday. I love every aspect of my job except long-haul travel on lousy airlines, and I hope it shows. More

From the August 1981 issue of Car and Driver.At first blush, nineteen hundred eighty-­one wouldn’t seem to be a year of great change for the Mazda 626. It takes the keen eye of a Mazda salesman to pick a new 626 out of a lineup from more than ten paces, and this year’s specification sheet reads like a photocopy of last year’s. Which is why the 626 is one of this season’s biggest surprises. Truth be known, it’s a very different automo­bile now. The specific subject of this short take is this year’s new addition to the fold, the 626 Luxury. Though Mazda bills the Luxury as a separate model, it’s actually an all-inclusive, check-one-box options-and-trim package. And since 626 Luxurys are little different from standard-issue 626s under the new trim, most of what we say here applies across the board. As you might guess from the quirky name, the 626 Luxury doesn’t come with four­-wheel drive or mud flaps. The package, which is available on either the two- or the four-door sedan, includes fancier upholstery and a heavy helping of comfort-and-conve­nience items—all intended to push the 626 into sporty-personal-car territory with the likes of the Toyota Celica Supra, the Datsun 200-SX, and the Honda Accord LX.Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverYou may recall that the 626 was anything but a stripped-down tin can to begin with. The $7295 base 626 offers the kind of arm’s ­length standard-equipment list that the Japa­nese have become famous for. Just a sam­pling: handsome herringbone fabric uphol­stery, full instrumentation, a five-speed man­ual transmission, an AM/FM-stereo radio, comfortable reclining front buckets with an adjustable lumbar support and a four-way­-adjustable lower cushion for the driver, an electrically operated outside mirror, inter­mittent wipers, a remote trunk release, and a split, folding rear seatback. More Archive ContentLife in the deluxe lane, Mazda obviously reckoned, demanded a whole lot more stan­dard hardware, so the $1800 premium you pay for a 626 Luxury buys another round of equipment. A set of 185/70SR-13 radials on aluminum wheels replaces the standard 165SR-13 tires and steel rims. Halogen headlights are plugged in up front. The pas­senger gets their own electric door mirror. In­side, handsome corduroy displaces the stan­dard car’s fabric. The sound system is up­graded with two more speakers. Other accoutrements include an adjustable steering column, power steering, power windows, an electrically operated sunroof, cruise control, map-reading lamps, a remote fuel-filler-door release, and more. Our car, in fact, had but one option included in its $9685 sticker price: air conditioning. What’s more, all of this good stuff is packed into an interior that rivals an Audi’s for good taste and quality. Funny model name or no, the 626 Luxury still has the look of a European driver’s car, right down to its four-spoke steering wheel. While we’ve always liked the 626 for its Continental ambiance, we loved past ver­sions for their verve. The old 626 had the feel of a half-priced BMW 320i to it. The supple suspension could keep the 626 glued down over bumps that might put some air under the wheels of a Camaro. The steering was accurate. The engine had enough zip to keep things interesting. But alas, that’s all changed. To put it bluntly, the 626 Luxury isn’t much fun to drive—and only part of the problem is the Luxury package. For one thing, the 626’s road manners have gone sharply downhill. The suspension doesn’t seem as ready to cut and run when you twist the steering wheel. (Mazda, howev­er, says the calibrations are unchanged.) The new power steering is rubbery. Worse yet, pavement that’s scalloped near the shoulder gives the front end fits. With every undula­tion the 626 straggles off toward the edge like a nosy puppy; it has to be constantly re­strained. How much of this is a result of the power steering, we really can’t say. But even if the handling of the standard 626 is up to snuff, there’s no getting around the deficien­cies in the engine bay of all 626s. Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverWhile most carmakers have been improv­ing performance of late, Mazda has gone just the other way with the 626. The 74-hp, 1970-cc four-cylinder, a refugee from Mazda’s B2000 pickup truck, wheezes heavily when you push it and performs as if it were pulling a trailer. Though the new 626 has lost only 6 horsepower to emissions regulations in the past three years, the new emissions gear Mazda fitted for 1981 seems to have sapped all the life out of the engine above the 4500-rpm power peak. (The one positive side effect is an im­pressive 17 percent improvement in fuel economy, from last year’s 24-mpg rating to this year’s 28 mpg.) The best the overbur­dened engine can manage is a leisurely 17.3-second stroll to 60 mph, an interminable 5.5 seconds longer than it took the 1979 car. And our test car’s 91-mph top speed is off a whopping 13 mph as well. The net result of this lack of oomph is that you always seem to be whipping the poor en­gine into a froth just to stay ahead of traffic­—never mind playing boy racer. And that observation pretty much sums up the 626’s problem. The solution, we believe, is already on the drawing boards in the form of an all­-new, high-tech, front-drive 626, due in 1983. Given Mazda’s penchant for getting it right, we expect it will prove worth waiting for.Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1981 Mazda 626 LuxuryVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $9095/$9685
ENGINESOHC inline-4, iron block and aluminum headDisplacement: 120 in3, 1970 cm3Power: 74 hp @ 4500 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 98.8 inLength: 173.8 inCurb Weight: 2620 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 17.3 sec1/4-Mile: 20.5 sec @ 65 mphTop Speed: 91 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 227 ftRoadholding, 282-ft Skidpad: 0.72 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 23 mpg 
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity: 28 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDDirector, Buyer’s GuideRich Ceppos has evaluated automobiles and automotive technology during a career that has encompassed 10 years at General Motors, two stints at Car and Driver totaling 19 years, and thousands of miles logged in racing cars. He was in music school when he realized what he really wanted to do in life and, somehow, it’s worked out. In between his two C/D postings he served as executive editor of Automobile Magazine; was an executive vice president at Campbell Marketing & Communications; worked in GM’s product-development area; and became publisher of Autoweek. He has raced continuously since college, held SCCA and IMSA pro racing licenses, and has competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He currently ministers to a 1999 Miata and a 1965 Corvette convertible and appreciates that none of his younger colleagues have yet uttered “Okay, Boomer” when he tells one of his stories about the crazy old days at C/D. More