Motor News

GM might be pushing hard into electrification, but it’s not done with internal combustion yet. Last week, the company announced an $854 million investment into a variety of its plants to build the sixth-generation small-block V-8. It’s the first confirmation that GM is working on a new small-block, though the company isn’t yet releasing any technical details on the engine.Of the $854 million, $579 million will go to GM’s Flint engine plant, which will machine blocks, cranks, and heads, and assemble the complete unit; $216 million will go to the Bay City, Michigan plant, which will build camshafts and connecting rods, and machine blocks and heads; $47 million will go to the Defiance, Ohio plant, which will make block castings; and finally, $12 million will go to the Rochester, NY plant, which will build intake manifolds and fuel rails.The Chevrolet small-block V-8 dates back to 1954, with the current, fifth-generation debuting in 2013. Along with Stellantis’ Hemi and Ford’s Godzilla truck engine, the small-block is the only surviving overhead-valve V-8 sold in new cars today. (All three manufacturers offer pushrod V-8 crate engines as well.) Currently, you can find small blocks in GM’s lineup of full-size trucks and SUVs, plus the Camaro, Corvette, and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. In its press release announcing the investment, GM made only specific reference to full-size trucks and SUVs. We already know that the CT5-V Blackwing is a one-and-done, with the Cadillac brand headed for full-EV sales, and the current Camaro is likely the last of the breed. We’d imagine the small block will soldier on in some capacity for the Corvette for as long as Chevy is allowed to sell it. The new hybrid E-Ray gives a good look at the Corvette’s future—old-school naturally aspirated V-8 assisted by electric power. We probably won’t see the Gen-VI small block for at least a couple of years. We also can’t help but wonder if this will be the last of its type. More

A reader reached out to Car and Driver, providing a screenshot from a customer survey that shows potential specifications for the upcoming electric Kia EV9 mid-size SUV. The survey shows the EV9 starting at $56,000 with rear-wheel drive, with the highest trim bringing all-wheel drive and costing $73,000.The range will allegedly be between 220 and 290 miles, while horsepower will rise from 200 ponies in the base model to 400 hp in the top trim.Car and Driver has obtained a document from Kia that could show specifications for the upcoming electric 2024 Kia EV9. A reader, who says they own a Telluride, contacted C/D after they received a survey for prospective EV owners and sent a screenshot purporting to show details about the powertrain, pricing, and range for the electric crossover. While these potential specifications could easily change before the EV9 reaches production, the information in the survey gives a good idea of Kia’s targets for its new three-row EV SUV. In a statement to Car and Driver, Kia said, “Like other car companies, we are constantly evaluating the market and often conduct research on a regular basis to inform future product development.”KiaThe trim-level names for the five EV9 models listed remain a mystery, but the document states that the two lower trims will come with rear-wheel drive, 200 horsepower, and 250 pound-feet of torque. The base model will apparently start around $56,000, providing 220 miles of range and a claimed 8.5 second 60-mph time but with no towing capacity. Stepping up to the $61,000 RWD trim, which presumably has a larger battery pack, lets you tow 2000 pounds and adds an extra 70 miles of range at the expense of 0.4 seconds in the sprint to 60 mph.Opting for all-wheel drive will set you back at least $63,000, but this upgraded powertrain allegedly brings 400 horsepower and 380 pound-feet. Range drops to 260 miles, but towing capacity jumps to 3500 pounds and the 60-mph time is slashed to 6.0 seconds. Paying $68,000 for the next trim up adds 20-inch wheels in place of the standard 19s, cutting range to 240 miles. The Kia EV9 concept from 2021.KiaThe top trim, at $73,000, features the same range estimate, but torque is boosted to 480 pound-feet and the claimed dash to 60 mph goes down to 5.2 seconds. The towing capacity increases to 4500 pounds. This version also gets black 21-inch wheels, black exterior trim, and an extra 0.4 inches of ground clearance.More about Electric KiasThe EV9 will be an electric counterpart to the popular Telluride mid-size SUV, will ride on the e-GMP platform that will also underpin the Hyundai Ioniq 7, and is set to go on sale in the second half of 2023. Teaser photos show a design that will hew closely to the concept shown at the 2021 Los Angeles auto show, and now we might have a decent idea of what to expect from the EV9.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. More

In our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, we found the fuel economy of our long-term Kia Carnival improved by 3 miles per gallon (or 12 percent) with its factory crossbars removed.Having those bars hanging out in the airstream increases aerodynamic drag, which increasingly hurts fuel economy the faster the vehicle is traveling.Our results with the crossbars removed equate to a highway driving range increase of roughly 60 miles and a fuel cost savings of about $14 every 1000 miles based on current national average gas prices.During the long-term test of our 2022 Kia Carnival, we were initially disappointed in our observed fuel economy. Speculating the crossbars installed from the factory, a $360 option, to be the culprit, we opted to remove them to see how much of a difference it made. Removal takes roughly 10 minutes and all the tools are included: remove the endcaps on either side of the crossbars and loosen clamps that attach the bars onto the roof rails that are included on SX and SX Prestige trim levels. Upon removal, we instantly saw increased efficiency numbers, prompting us to make a second attempt at our 75-mph highway fuel economy test. In the second run, we bested our prior attempt by 3 mpg (25 mpg to 28 mpg), a 12 percent increase and also better than the EPA’s highway figure of 26 mpg.Even though the units fitted to our Carnival are shaped to be aero friendly, they still take quite a toll on its ability to slice through the air. This uptick in drag increases exponentially as speeds rise, so around-town driving will result in a lesser hit to fuel economy than highway motoring. Testing, TestingThe additional 3 mpg we gained after parting ways with our crossbars means a roughly 60-mile uptick in highway driving range, from 470 to 530 miles. Hypothetically, if a driver were making a 1000-mile road trip, this makes it possible for only one fuel stop when starting with a full tank as opposed to two stops with the crossbars installed. And, using today’s national average gas prices, overall fuel costs would decrease as well, with $14 savings every 1000 miles when using regular 87 octane fuel. Stretching that over a year, and assuming half of driving miles are completed on a highway, a driver could see near triple-digit savings based on the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s average annual mileage of 13,476. That’s roughly enough to cover an entire year of a Disney+ subscription. Michael Simari|Car and DriverThe Carnival’s increase in efficiency doesn’t exactly take it to world-beater territory. The most recent, hybrid-only Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica eHybrid we tested lead the pack among minivans at 33 mpg, with the Sienna’s figure being a bit more impressive given that our test car had all-wheel drive. Taking home the bronze is the gas-only Pacifica at 31 mpg, followed by the Honda Odyssey at 30 mpg. Even with this newfound efficiency, the Carnival remains last relative to other minivans in our highway fuel-economy testing. Ultimate driving range, however, is a different story. The Kia, sans crossbars, trails only the Toyota in that category, and by a mere 10 miles (530 and 540 miles, respectively).Of course, attaching a cargo carrier, kayak, paddle board, or other large accessory to those crossbars will reduce fuel economy by an even greater amount. But the point is, it’s worth taking a few minutes to remove the crossbars when you’re not using them. More

Ford still can’t build enough Broncos, and the issues aren’t about to go away if our reading of the tea leaves in a new “2023-Model Bronco Cancel Order & Purchase Replacement Offer” are correct.The letter, which Ford recently sent to dealers, says that customers can get a $2500 discount if they order a different Ford model before early April.Another option is to switch to a lower-trim or lower-content Bronco by removing “constrained commodities.”Ford has a problem, and it thinks $2500 might make it go away. The problem—admittedly, a good one to have—is that demand for the Ford Bronco has remained strong since the Jeep-esque off-roader debuted in 2021. But, supply chain and production challenges have meant that Ford has had to repeatedly delay Bronco orders. Now, Ford is going to force, in Ford’s words, a “small number of existing Bronco reservation and order holders” who ordered but have not yet received their 2023 Bronco to choose among four options, none of which will result in these customers getting the vehicle they ordered.Specs and Details, but Don’t Expect to Get One (Yet)First reported by Cars Direct, Ford has sent an incentive bulletin to dealers that offers anyone who’s ordered a 2023 Bronco a $2500 discount if they switch to another Ford model. The 2023-Model Bronco Cancel Order & Purchase Replacement Offer says Ford is prepared to give “an additional incentive to cancel their current 23MY Bronco Order and retail order an eligible 23MY Ford vehicle,” according to Cars Direct. Customers can get the discount if they make the switch to one of seven other Ford models before April 3. The qualifying list of non-Bronco vehicles includes the Escape, Bronco Sport, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Ranger, and F-150.The Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Tremor, and Raptor apparently do not qualify.Ford told Car and Driver that the causes of the problems are, unsurprisingly, ongoing supply-chain challenges. The missing parts mean that certain “constrained features,” like the Sasquatch and Lux packages and the Molded in Color Hard Top, are not going to be available for 2023 model Bronco customers who ordered them and have not yet received their vehicle.”Customers who remove constrained features are expected to receive a 2023 model year Bronco along with a $2500 rebate toward purchase or lease in addition to existing MSRP price protection they may have,” Ford spokesperson Mike Levine told C/D.Customers who don’t want to modify their reservation will have to accept one of four options. As mentioned, there’s the $2500 rebate. Customers can also just cancel their reservation and get their original $100 deposit back. Third, they can try to find a “suitable Bronco” at a dealer that happens to have one. Finally, they can just cancel their order and place a new one for a 2024 Bronco.”If we are not able to schedule a reservation or order for production, it will be canceled for the 2023 model year and their $100 reservation deposit will be refunded automatically,” Levine said. One problem with all of this is that no one can order a new Bronco at the moment. While the configurator remains active, Ford’s consumer site also says, “Due to high demand, the current model year [2023 Bronco] is no longer available for retail order. Limited inventory may be available at selected dealers.” There’s also no way to order a 2024 Bronco through the site just yet. Ford’s site also says, “[Bronco] supplies are limited and there are no guarantees.” You don’t say. 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.A Range of Broncos, Tested More

It’s not easy keeping city passenger buses up and running, especially in cold climates. Swap out the diesel for electrons, and you’ve got a new set of challenges, like reduced range and slower charging times.Juneau was the first city in Alaska to buy an EV for its bus fleet, but repeated problems with a wiring harness have often kept it sidelined. Manufacturer Proterra said it is working on a more robust harness for the city’s bus.Even with this EV speed bump, Juneau has ordered another seven electric buses. This time, though, they will be made by Proterra competitor Gillig.Colder climates can be a challenge for many electric vehicles to perform well in, but it’s not just the temperature causing problems for Juneau’s public transit system. The Alaskan capital announced in 2021 that it would add a 40-foot, all-electric passenger bus to its fleet, but the zero-emission model has recurring mechanical problems that force Capital Transit to park the bus in the garage for weeks on end.This version of Proterra’s electric bus is going to the city of Victoria, British Columbia.ProterraThe issue is a faulty wiring harness that the transit agency has repeatedly tried to fix but sometimes still disables one of the bus’s two motors. Alaska Public Media (APM) reports that the bus’s manufacturer, Proterra, still needs to supply Juneau with a replacement part. Still, electric buses are coming to Alaska. While Juneau was the first to purchase an EV for its bus fleet, the city of Anchorage tested an electric bus in 2018. Smaller municipalities including Ketchikan and Metlakatla have also announced plans to add electric buses to their fleets.Range Dropped with the TemperatureWhen Juneau’s lone electric bus was able to ferry passengers around town, drivers and city managers sang its praises. As might sound familiar to electric passenger-car drivers, bus drivers liked the quieter ride, and the bus needed less maintenance. In frigid weather, though, the 440-kilowatt hour (kWh) battery’s 210-mile range dropped to 100 miles, and the battery took longer to charge. Capital Transit superintendent Rich Ross told APM that the faulty harness and other issues aren’t putting Juneau’s transit authority off electric buses. “There’s going to be learning curves along the way,” Ross said. “So while this bus has been a lemon—somewhat of a lemon—we also understand the technology is improving in leaps and bounds as time goes on.”Proterra agrees.”With the introduction of any new technology, we expect there to be some learning curves along the way,” the company told Car and Driver. “These learnings allow us to improve products. In this case, we are working to design and source a more robust harness to support Juneau’s bus.”We Checked It Out Juneau’s faulty bus is a 2020 model, and in 2022 Proterra announced that its 40-foot ZX5 electric transit bus could be equipped with a 738.0-kWh battery. “This newer product is now the preferred choice for municipalities in northern climates to buffer against the additional heating requirements of extreme cold-weather days,” Proterra said. Gillig electric bus.GilligCapital Transit has already ordered seven more electric buses, but this time they will come from one of Proterra’s competitors, Gillig. Gillig also manufactured the 17 diesel buses used in Juneau’s fleet. Gillig’s electric buses are already in use in places with intense winter weather, like Missoula, Montana. The company announced last month that it had received the highest-ever score for a battery electric bus, 89.5, at the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus Test Program in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Basically acing that reliability test meant that Gillig’s e-buses could qualify for purchase with federal funding dollars. Gillig has also announced that 45 transit agencies across the country would use money provided in part by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to purchase Gillig’s low- and no-emission buses. The Proterra bus remains in Juneau’s fleet.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. More

• This 1995 Lexus SC400 has us seriously considering a new daily driver.• Not only does it have a silken 4.0-liter V-8 and a comfortable ride, the graceful styling hasn’t aged a day in the nearly 30 years since it rolled off the lot. • This well-cared-for example has just under 120,000 miles, with the no-reserve auction over on Bring a Trailer going until Thursday, January 26. This 1995 Lexus SC400 up for auction on Bring a Trailer has us pondering what it takes for a work to be classified as fine art. Clearly the Mona Lisa makes the cut, and no one who has seen Starry Night would argue it doesn’t make the cut—but what about a V-8 sports coupe? Surely the elegant lines of the SC400, because the car has utility? Even as the performance lags behind modern cars, the superb styling of the SC400 looks as good today as when it launched in 1992. We’re no art critics here, but we do have strong opinions on automobile styling— and this 1995 SC400 has us considering our next daily driver. More on the SC400The coupe for sale on BaT right now comes in a boring beige option, but even that isn’t enough to darken our thoughts on this car. It spent most of its life in Virginia, and was sold for $7400 on Bring a Trailer to the current owner in June, 2022. The 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE V8 was rated at 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque when new. The car has recorded just under 120,000 miles, and oil change was performed in preparation for the sale.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerIt isn’t just a looker; it’s fun to drive, and had impressive performance for its time. It’s all in the name “sports coupe.” Nearly all new cars today can put up better figures, but the 6.7-second launch to 60 mph and 145-mph top speed are more than adequate performance for a daily driver. We recorded 0.86 g of lateral grip when we first tested the SC in 1991. The modern Hankook Ventus V2 tires, mounted in April 2022 would likely improve on the already impressive grip. Bring a TrailerIn terms of amenities, the cabin has heated and power-adjustable front seats upholstered in beige leather, while bird’s-eye maple wood trim accents the dashboard and door panels. Automatic climate control, cruise control, power accessories, and a trunk-mounted Nakamichi premium audio system with a 12-disc CD changer round out the equipment. The listing refers to paint blemishes, which can be seen up close. They may ruin this car’s shot at any future concours, but they do little to detract from its overall beauty. 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. More

The Nissan Z could be getting a nose job, at least the Japanese version. The automaker first teased a new split-grille design on a custom Fairlady Z prototype that was shown at the 2022 Tokyo auto salon, and a report yesterday by Japanese Nostalgic Car claims the alternate front-end treatment is set to become a dealer-installed option in Japan sometime in the middle of this year.NissanNissanDepending on your opinion of the Z’s regular nose, this could be great news. At the very least, we think it gives the Z’s face more defined features compared with the current car’s gaping front orifice. However, it might not matter what we Americans think, as the split-grille option could be reserved for the Japan market. When asked to confirm the report that the alternative grille would enter production in Japan, a spokesperson from Nissan’s North American team said the company has yet to announce anything. Technically, that leaves the door open for the U.S. version of the Z to receive a new nose, but we’ll just have to wait and see.Brian Williams|Car and DriverFor Americans who aren’t satisfied with the Z’s standard grille—or those who find its performance lacking—all hope isn’t lost. Our spy photos of a track-focused Nismo prototype not only appear to promise a sharper-handling model, but also one with some cosmetic surgery up front.Nissan Z: Tested and ComparedThis 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. More

General Motors has designed a two-door, electric, compact pickup truck, as reported by Automotive News.The truck would compete with the Ford Maverick and would slot in beneath the Chevy Silverado EV, pictured above.The EV truck would start under $30,000, but there are no concrete plans for production as GM is still evaluating the feasibility of the new model.Both full-size and mid-size pickups have swelled in size in recent years, and Ford found an opening in the truck market when it introduced the truly compact Maverick in 2022. The company sold all 74,000 units it could build last year and already sold out of the 2023 model year. It appears that crosstown rival General Motors has taken notice, with Automotive News reporting that the automaker has created preliminary designs for a compact, two-door truck.AN says it saw images of the pickup at a GM design studio in Warren, Michigan on Wednesday. The proposed truck would be even smaller than the Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which both come only with four doors. The truck would also be electric, with a bed measuring between 4.0 and 4.5 feet long. Pricing would start under $30,000, and although no brand or model name is yet associated with the truck, it’s hard to imagine it being anything but a Chevrolet.More EV Trucks from GMGeneral Motors is currently researching what customers might want in a small truck. AN reports that Michael Pevovar, director of Chevrolet affordable EV and crossover design, said, “We’re creating these to get a reaction and then to try to modify it or move on.” Affordability is the focus of the project, and Pevovar acknowledged that the two-door body style might be too small for the four-door-dominated U.S. market. No production timeline was mentioned, but if GM receives positive feedback, we expect the electric compact truck to arrive before the end of the decade. 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. More