Motor News

Subaru posted a video online that teases a new SUV model that’ll be revealed on September 15.The 15-second clip shows several shrouded shots of the upcoming ute, which looks a lot like the next-gen Crosstrek.We’re surprised Subaru would reveal a new Crosstrek before a new Impreza since they’re one and the same, but maybe it means the small car is on borrowed time. The next generation of the Subaru Crosstrek could be on the way. At least that’s our takeaway after watching a video Subaru posted online today that teases a new SUV model, which the company plans to reveal September 15.

The 15-second clip was posted on YouTube by Subaru of Japan, and it can also be seen on the Japanese website. Almost all of the shots are shrouded in darkness, with only a few specific details visible. The clearest design elements we can see are the headlights and taillights, which look similar to units on Subaru’s newest models. Illuminating DetailsAlong with the new SUV’s headlights and taillights, we’re able to make out parts of its front end. There appears to be a crossbar connecting the tips of the headlights and running across the upper part of the grille. The Subaru logo is positioned in the middle of the crossbar. The grille itself looks to have a large outline, much bigger than the current Crosstrek. However, the shot of the rear quarter panel shows character lines that appear awfully similar to those on the current Crosstrek.

Subaru

Stubby Subie SpottedWith all the shadowy close-ups and quick cuts, it’s hard to gain perspective on the size of the SUV in the video. Still, there’s one part of the short clip that shows its stubby stature when the Subie enters a dark cave. That shot makes it look wider than it is tall, which aligns with the current Crosstrek’s dimensions, as it measures 63.1 inches high and 71.0 inches wide.

Subaru

Bye, Bye Impreza?We feel confident the SUV teased in the video and the one Subaru plans to reveal on September 15 is the next-generation Crosstrek. If that turns out to be true, it makes us wonder why the company would reveal a new Crosstrek before a new Impreza. After all, they’re one and the same. The Crosstrek evolved from the previous Impreza-based Outback Sport hatchback from several years ago, and it remains a lifted version of the current Impreza hatch, sharing a platform, powertrains, and much of its styling, despite wearing a different nameplate.A look at the sales for both models shows that over the last two years Subaru has sold more than twice as many Crosstreks as Imprezas. That, combined with its higher asking price, makes the SUV model a lot more profitable, and it could signify that the Impreza is on borrowed time in the U.S. market.
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The entry-level 2023 Infiniti QX60 Pure starts at $50,395, which is $2520 more than the previous model year.Price hikes also apply to the $55,250 Luxe (up $1325), the $59,795 Sensory (up $2420), and the $63,795 Autograph (up $2420).For 2023, wireless charging and a frameless rearview mirror become standard, and all models add free scheduled maintenance.When Infiniti released the newest generation of the QX60 just last year, the redesign included a starting price that was $2500 higher than its predecessor. For the 2023 model year, the company is once again raising the mid-size SUV’s base price, this time by $2520 to $50,395.QX60’s Rising Prices

While the entry-level Pure sees the highest price hike, the rest of the lineup also costs more than before. The Luxe gets the smallest increase, with the extra $1325 pushing its starting price to $55,250. Meanwhile, Infiniti adds another $2420 to the bottom lines of both the Sensory and Autograph models, which now start at $59,795 and $63,795, respectively. Adding all-wheel drive remains a $2000 option on all but the top-of-the-line Autograph where it costs $1900. QX60’s New ExtrasOf course, Infiniti does offer some new content to offset the QX60’s increased prices. Most notably, Infiniti now provides free scheduled maintenance with every 2023 model, which includes the QX60. The service spans three years or 36,000 miles and covers inspections, oil changes, and tire rotations.

Infiniti

The ’23 QX60, which is currently on sale, gets a few other updates, too. The Pure model now comes standard with wireless device charging, which previously only came standard on the three higher trims. There are also new accent colors for the lower front bumper on specific trims. The trim now becomes gloss black on the Luxe and dark gray on the Sensory and Autograph. Finally, all models get a frameless rearview mirror.
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Toyota and Lexus have announced a recall of nearly 85,000 Toyota Tundra and Lexus NX250 and NX350 models from the 2022 model year. The recall stems from an issue with the electronic parking brake. It may not engage or disengage properly, leading to the danger that the vehicle will roll away while parked.Toyota said it will notify owners by late October to bring their vehicle in to a dealer.Toyota has announced that it will recall a combined 85,000 Tundra pickups and Lexus NX SUVs over an issue regarding the electronic parking brake. According to the announcement, affected vehicles may not properly engage or disengage the parking brake, which in turn could lead to the vehicle rolling away. The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) recalls website does not show the recall yet, but Toyota and Lexus also announced that owners of affected vehicles will be notified by late October. Toyota and Lexus dealerships will update the skid control ECU software for customers at no charge once the recall gets underway. Meanwhile, owners can check the NHTSA website, the Toyota recalls website, or Lexus’s own recalls site to learn if their vehicle is affected.This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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

VW has released U.S. details for the 2023 Golf R’s 20th Anniversary Edition model.Unlike the Europe-market version, it doesn’t get a power bump.The $650 upgrade includes visual changes including black wheels, special badging, and other trim add-ons.Volkswagen is celebrating the 20th birthday of R-badged Golf hot hatchbacks, but the special-edition model we’re getting in the U.S. isn’t quite as cool as the version sold in Europe. While the Golf R 20 Years overseas gets a 14-horsepower bump for its turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, Americans will instead get the 2023 Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition with the same 315 horsepower as other versions of the Golf R.

Volkswagen

To be fair, the anniversary model only costs $650 more than the standard model, starting at $46,035 with the six-speed manual and $46,835 with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. (It’s also worth noting that the Europe-market 20 Years car doesn’t offer a manual at all.) For that small sum, you get a whole host of visual changes, including 20th anniversary badging for the B-pillars, blue “R” logos inside and out, and special puddle lights that project a “20R” graphic on the ground. The interior receives carbon-fiber trim, and black 19-inch wheels are standard.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen

The 20th Anniversary model is available in blue, black, or white. If you choose white or black, the mirror caps are finished in blue. If you choose blue, the mirrors are black. The panoramic sunroof that’s standard on the Golf R is deleted for the special-edition car, which VW says saves weight.Around 1800 units of the 20th Anniversary Edition will be offered in the U.S., and they’ll arrive at dealerships later this fall.
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Ford has announced it will recall 163,253 Ford Expedition and 35,229 Lincoln Navigator SUVs from the 2015 through 2017 model years over a fire risk.The problem is believed to be a defect in the front blower motor.To date, Ford has received 25 complaints of fires believed to be caused by the problem.Ford Motor Company will recall 198,482 2015–2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs because of the danger of an interior fire. The automaker believes the problem is a defect in the blower motor located behind the glovebox. Although the company has been unable to pinpoint a cause of the motor failure, there have been 25 reports of fires in these vehicles, of which 13 were localized to the area of the blower and 12 caused more extensive damage, including one report of injuries to a person’s hand. In every case, vehicles were running at the time the fires started. Some owners have also reported “an inoperative fan, burning smell and/or smoke from the instrument panel vents while the vehicle is on” as symptoms of the problem.Interior of 2015 Lincoln Navigator.MICHAEL SIMARI|Car and DriverA report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says this same design of blower motor has been installed in Expedition and Navigator SUVs from the 2009 through 2017 model years, but only the three most recent model years are being recalled. The later model years “[coincide] with a reduction in blower motor production volumes from the supplier,” according to the chronology filed with NHTSA, although it doesn’t explain what, if anything, changed about the blower motors. The report also says that data shows this current problem does not seem to exist in vehicles from the earlier model years.In May, Ford recalled 66,221 of its 2021 Expedition and Navigator SUVs for a separate, unrelated problem that caused reports of underhood fires. In that case, Ford advised owners to park them outside away from buildings or other vehicles until they could be seen by dealers to replace a defective battery junction box.Owners will receive notifications starting on September 12. Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, and in the meantime, owners can check the NHTSA recalls website for updates or to determine whether their vehicle is affected.This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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

Ford is reportedly pulling the Transit Connect from its lineup, and Ram will end production of the ProMaster City for the U.S.Mercedes-Benz also recently announced it’s dropping the Metris and Nissan had already ended production of the NV200.This means the compact cargo van segment is disappearing in the U.S. entirely—at least for now.As recently as 2018, there were five brands selling compact vans in the U.S.: Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Ram. Soon, with both the Ford Transit Connect and the Ram ProMaster City set to end production by 2023, there will be none left.Ford has scrapped plans for a new generation of the Transit Connect that was set to be built in Mexico, according to Automotive News. The report states that the current model, which is built in Spain, will exit the U.S. market in 2023, and no direct successor is planned. A Ford spokesperson told C/D, “we do not comment on speculation.” Meanwhile, Ram will also stop importing the Ram ProMaster City to the U.S. by the end of this year, a Ram spokesperson confirmed to C/D. Like the Ford, the Ram is built in Europe, and it is based on the Europe-market Fiat Doblo.These cancelations follow in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz’s decision to drop the Metris from its U.S. lineup after the 2023 model year. Though it’s slightly larger and based on a rear-wheel-drive platform, there was some overlap between the Metris and the smaller, front-wheel-drive Transit Connect and ProMaster City in terms of price.Nissan was the first to exit this segment when it dropped the NV200 after the 2021 model year. Chevrolet had also sold a rebadged version of the NV200, called the City Express, from 2015 to 2018.

Mercedes-Benz Metris

Nissan NV200
Nissan

The trend started in 2010 when Ford brought over its Europe-market Transit Connect cargo van to the U.S. for the first time. It was meant to offer small-business owners and urban delivery services a cheaper, more maneuverable, and more fuel-efficient alternative to Ford’s massive truck-based E-series vans. Ford also offered a passenger version of the Transit Connect with rear seats and windows. Nissan joined in for the 2013 model year with the NV200, which it sold as a cargo van. There was also a taxi version of the NV200, although Nissan was ultimately unsuccessful in signing a contract to be the exclusive provider of New York City’s taxi fleet. Even still, many NV200s and Transit Connects are in use today as taxis. Ram started selling the ProMaster City for 2015, and Mercedes first brought over the Metris, sold in Europe as the Vito and V-class, for 2016.

What’s causing these automakers to abandon small vans now? For one thing, sales have been declining for the past few years. The Transit Connect sold 41,598 units in the U.S. 2019 but managed to move just 26,112 in 2021; both of these figures pale in comparison to the full-size Transit, which racked up over 130,000 sales in both 2019 and 2020. The story is similar over at Ram, where the larger ProMaster regularly outsells its smaller City sibling by a factor of five to one.The commercial van segment is also evolving to include electric models, which requires a big investment in new platforms and battery packs. Ford has already begun selling the e-Transit, while GM has created a new division called BrightDrop that plans to sell electric cargo vans to commercial clients. Mercedes, too, has announced an electric version of its full-size Sprinter van, the eSprinter, that’s slated to begin production in 2023. Of course, it’s also possible that the scalability of electric vehicle platforms could spell a return of compact vans at some point in the near future. Startup automaker Canoo has already shown its idea of what a small EV van could look like. Although we’re not sure if that vehicle will become a reality, American small-van enthusiasts probably shouldn’t lose hope quite yet.
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The 2023 Honda Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter turbo-four makes 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque—up 9 and 15, respectively.The new CTR also has track-minded upgrades that are said to improve engine cooling and make it perform better.While we still don’t know how much the 2023 Civic Type R costs, Honda says the car’s price will be announced closer to its launch this fall.Honda has revealed the latest Civic Type R like a multi-course meal, serving up details piece by piece. We savored the first photos and few specs that came out in July, but we’ve been starving for the juicy technical details, many of which the company finally released today.More Power!Ladies and gentlemen, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R has 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. That represents an increase of 9 ponies and 15 pound-feet compared with the previous-generation car, which had totals of 306 and 295, respectively. Max horsepower now arrives 100 rpm sooner at 6400 rpm, whereas peak torque is produced between 2600 and 4000 rpm. Previously, peak torque was available from 2500–4500 rpm.
While the new CTR features the same K20C1 turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as before, Honda made myriad modifications that contributed to the power boost and that it claims will improve engine response. The enhancements include a freer-flowing air intake, a redesigned turbo, and a revised exhaust system with an active valve that now opens at higher rpm.

We already knew the new Type R would have a standard six-speed manual. However, we didn’t know what changes, if any, Honda made to the DIY transmission. Now, we’re told that the six-speed has a stiffer shift lever and updated shift-gate pattern that together are said to make gearchanges more precise and satisfying. Plus, the ’23 CTR has a lighter flywheel, and Honda says it revised the transmission’s rev-match feature to work better. While rumors swirled about a possible dual-clutch automatic, that isn’t currently part of the picture. Track-Minded ImprovementsHonda says it spent lots of time testing the newest Civic Type R on racetracks around the world. The most notable names the company dropped are Germany’s Nürburgring and Japan’s Suzuka Circuit, where the Type R set a track record for a front-drive production car. We hope all those development hours pay dividends when the production versions start hitting local road courses.
Among the various track-minded improvements made to the R-rated Civic is better engine cooling. Honda says it accomplished this by enlarging the car’s grille opening and bolting in a bigger radiator with a large-diameter fan. Also addressed are the brakes, which are said to benefit from better cooling and an updated brake booster that supposedly makes the pedal easier to control. While Honda hasn’t said exactly how much the new Type R weighs, a spokesperson told Car and Driver that its curb weight has “gone up slightly.” The CTR also now rolls on 19-inch wheels that are smaller than the old 20-inchers, which might reduce unsprung weight, but we can’t say for sure. The new rollers are wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer rubber that is 0.8 inch wider and has a slightly taller sidewall.
As for the rest of the Civic Type R’s chassis, its front track is 1.0 inch wider and its rear track is 0.8 inch wider than its predecessor. Honda also says it retuned the dual-axis strut front and multilink rear suspension, but it doesn’t say what specifically is changed, other than it should provide better steering feel and straight-line stability. The hatch’s new bodywork, including hips that are 0.6 inch wider, is more aerodynamic than before and is said to generate more downforce. Also, its body structure is said to be more rigid than before.

Honda

Honda

Just Waiting on PriceWithout a doubt, the most important detail about the 2023 Honda Civic Type R that we’re still waiting to find out is how much it’ll cost. We think its starting price will likely end up around $39,000, but Honda says we’ll have to wait until closer to the car’s launch this fall to learn pricing—the final piece of this multi-course reveal.
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The 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee is the latest “Last Call” edition to be revealed before the current Charger and Challenger are killed off after 2023.The Super Bee uses the Scat Pack as a starting point, adding adaptive dampers with a “Drag Mode” and wide drag radial tires.The Super Bee also gets snazzy exterior graphics and will come in either Plum Crazy or B5 Blue paint jobs.After more than a decade in production, the current generation of the Dodge Charger is set to be discontinued after the 2023 model year. Before an electric replacement inspired by the Charger Daytona SRT concept arrives, Dodge is giving the Charger (and the Challenger coupe) a farewell with a series of “Last Call” special editions. The 2023 Charger Super Bee is the latest of those sendoffs to be revealed, arriving with unique graphics and performance equipment.

Dodge

The Super Bee name first debuted in 1968, based on the Coronet coupe, and migrated to the Charger in 1971. The moniker returned in 2007 using the Charger SRT-8 as the base, and then reappeared for 2012 as a 392-powered variant of the current generation, acting as a cheaper performance model below the SRT. The latest Super Bee continues in that vein, using the Scat Pack as its base and attempting to balance daily driving with drag-racing performance. To that end, the Super Bee gains adaptive dampers with a special “Drag Mode,” and rides on drag radial tires. Super Bees equipped with the Widebody design—which will account for half of production—will use 18-inch wheels wrapped in 315-width tires, while the standard narrow-body Super Bees will feature 20-inch wheels shod in 275-width tires. Other performance gear includes red-painted four-piston Brembo brakes, an SRT hood with a functional scoop and dual heat extractors, and black SRT exhaust tips.

Dodge

Visually, the Super Bee stands out with a stylized graphic on the hood and a stripe on the rear fender, along with Super Bee badges on the grille and front fenders. There is also a black Mopar hood pin kit, and Super Bee logos appear on the seatbacks and instrument panel. The Super Bee is outfitted with equipment from the Plus Group and Carbon/Suede package.

Dodge will build 1000 units of the Super Bee. The 500 Widebody examples will be painted in Plum Crazy with white graphics, while the 500 with the standard body will come in B5 Blue with blue graphics. Pricing will be shared when orders open later in the fall. The Super Bee is the second “Last Call” model to be revealed after the Challenger Shakedown, with five more special edition Chargers and Challengers coming out this fall. Dodge says the next “Last Call” variant will be revealed September 7.
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