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Toyota revealed the hardcore TRD Desert Racer Tundra at the SEMA show in November 2021.We are wondering, could the concept truck be Toyota’s plan to take on the Ford F-150 Raptor?Then again, the TRD Desert Racer may simply be a concept designed to inspire Tundra buyers and aftermarket suppliers.It seems just about every automotive brand with a full-size truck in its lineup wants a piece of the Ford F-150 Raptor’s pie. Ram has the mighty 1500 TRX, Chevy’s expanding its off-road-oriented ZR2 trim to the Silverado 1500 for 2022, and GMC is adding an even harder-core AT4X trim to the 2022 Sierra 1500 model line. Only the Nissan Titan and the Toyota Tundra remain unrepresented in this segment. This may change soon, however, as Toyota’s TRD Desert Racer Tundra concept from last year’s SEMA show potentially points to the fact the Japanese brand plans to take on its American competition with an all-terrain truck of its own.

If Toyota ultimately decides to enter the Baja-truck-inspired rat race, then the brand is likely to use the TRD Desert Racer concept as a template, according to a report from The Drive. We wager this includes the likes of the show truck’s TRD-sourced suspension upgrades, widebody kit, and 37-inch all-terrain tires. Whether the TRD Desert Racer concept’s General Tire Grabber X3 rubber and Method Race Wheels–supplied 18-inch wheels get the green light is a different story. Nevertheless, we’re sure Toyota plans to put proper tires and a special set of wheels on any potential TRD Desert Racer–inspired Tundra it produces.
While we doubt Toyota plans to fit such a Tundra with a powertrain that pumps out anywhere close to what the TRX’s 702-hp supercharged V-8 makes, we think it’s likely the automaker will manage to squeeze a few extra ponies from the Tundra’s available 437-hp gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain called iForce MAX. Whether this occurs by way of tweaks to the setup’s electric motor, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine, or some combination of both is anyone’s guess. We certainly won’t be surprised if such a Tundra model makes an even 450 horsepower, a figure that matches the output of the Ford F-150 Raptor’s forced-induction V-6.Likewise, expect such a Tundra model to maintain the TRD Desert Racer’s grille-mounted amber lights that the government requires for vehicles of a certain width (this also means that the future Tundra would sport a similar set of red lights on its rear end). The plethora of driving lights fitted to the TRD Desert Racer, however, likely would fall to the cutting room floor. Still, we hope Toyota offers the show truck’s light bar with power-raising driving lights as an option throughout the Tundra line, and not just as one for its possible hardcore off-road model.Toyota continues to keep quiet on the production prospects of the TRD Desert Racer concept truck, and only time will tell if this SEMA vehicle ultimately serves as a template for an upcoming F-150 Raptor–fighting Tundra model. It could just turn out to be little more than a cool custom truck designed to stoke a fire in consumers and aftermarket suppliers. After all, they’ll always be looking to build upon stock versions of Toyota’s redesigned full-size pickup truck.
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This is the 2023 Toyota Sequoia full-size three-row SUV, and it shares many components with the 2022 Tundra pickup. It comes standard with the iForce MAX hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 that produces a total of 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. Arriving in the summer, it’ll be available in SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Capstone models starting at around $50,000. Toyota is revamping its ancient body-on-frame offerings with technology from the modern era, including better interiors with massive touchscreens, coil-sprung rear suspensions, and more efficient powertrains. The 2022 Tundra pickup arrived first, aiming to capture a larger share of the full-size-pickup market dominated by Ford, Chevy, and Ram, and now the new 2023 Sequoia full-size SUV is here with similar upgrades. And it only comes as a hybrid.

2023 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro.
Toyota

Like the new Tundra, the Sequoia is built on Toyota’s TNGA-F platform, but it’s shorter in length compared with the full-size pickup. This platform also underpins the new global Land Cruiser and Lexus LX, but the former isn’t sold here anymore. The Sequoia now uses a solid rear axle instead of an independent setup like the previous-generation and the Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and Jeep Wagoneer. Rear air springs and adaptive dampers are available, and the off-road-oriented TRD Pro model has 2.5-inch Fox dampers with internal-bypass chambers and remote reservoirs and 33-inch Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires.

Unlike the Tundra, which is available with a nonhybrid twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6, the Sequoia comes standard with the iForce MAX hybrid setup. It has an electric motor between the twin-turbo V-6 and 10-speed automatic transmission that’s powered by a roughly 1.5-kWh nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. This combination provides 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. Toyota hasn’t announced fuel-economy estimates yet for the Sequoia or Tundra hybrids, but Sequoias can tow up to 9000 pounds. That’s 600 pounds more than the Chevy Tahoe’s max rating but less than the Ford Expedition’s and Jeep Wagoneer’s. To help with hauling, a towing technology package adds a trailer backup guide, and towing mirrors and a surround-view camera are available. The Sequoia’s grille is somewhat downsized compared to the Tundra’s. It’s about 10 percent smaller than the pickup’s, since it’s not a single-frame look, but the rest of the front end is shared with the pickup, including the headlights. We think the Sequoia’s best angle is the rear three quarter view, which shows the thin taillights that complement the lights in the front. Among the exterior color choices are Lunar Rock and Supersonic Red.
Interior improvements first seen on the Tundra carry over into the Sequoia. An 8.0-inch touchscreen is standard on the SR5 model, but the large 14.0-inch touchscreen is available as an option on that trim on it and standard on the rest of the lineup. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is standard, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. It offers either a second-row bench or captain’s chairs, and the third-row bench seat can slide up to six inches and fold down to fit in an adjustable cargo shelf. When it goes on sale this summer, the Sequoia will be available in SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Capstone (a fully loaded, luxury model first introduced on the Tundra) models with two- or four-wheel drive available. A TRD Sport package is available on the SR5 model that adds black TRD wheels, Bilstein dampers, and other TRD accents. Newly available on the Sequoia SR5 and Limited models is a TRD off-road package, and it adds a locking rear differential, Bilstein dampers, black 18-inch TRD wheels, Multi-Terrain Select off-road drives modes, and off-road cruise control. The 2023 Toyota Sequoia will be built alongside the Tundra at Toyota’s factory in San Antonio, Texas. Pricing is expected to start close to $50,000 and reach around $70,000 for the fully loaded Capstone model.
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Kia has revealed more information about the new 2023 Niro hybrid.It will again use a 139-hp powertrain with a 1.6-liter gas four-cylinder engine. Plug-in-hybrid and EV models will follow.The Niro hybrid will likely go on sale in the U.S. later this year.After revealing the second-generation Niro late last year, Kia is now providing more information about the second generation of this small hybrid crossover. The 2023 Kia Niro will again be offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric forms, with the conventional hybrid set to arrive first.

The Niro hybrid will again use a powertrain that combines a 1.6-liter inline-four gasoline engine, an electric motor, and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Kia says total output will be 139 horsepower, the same as before, and it will be front-wheel-drive-only. Details aren’t yet available on the plug-in-hybrid or electric versions, but they will surely use more powerful electric motors and larger battery packs. Kia has released photos of the Niro EV showing a slightly different front-end design.

Niro EV
Kia

The 2023 Niro is larger than the old model, with a slightly longer wheelbase, an increase in width, and a 2.5-inch longer body that should provide both more passenger space and extra cargo room. Its styling is taken largely from the HabaNiro concept car and will offer interesting trim customization possibilities: eight exterior colors are on offer, with six color options for the contrasting C-pillar trim and three trim choices for the body cladding.Inside, the Niro comes with a 10.3-inch touchscreen and a digital gauge cluster like many other new Kia models. A rotary shift knob, previously seen only on the Niro EV, is now standard on the hybrid models as well.
We expect to see Kia provide more U.S.-specific information in the coming months, as the Niro is set to go on sale in Korea first with other markets to follow later this year.
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The 2022 Kia EV6 starts at $42,115 and goes up to $57,115 for a fully loaded model.The EV6 is available in Light, Wind, and GT-Line trim levels in various single- and dual-motor combinations.Kia says the EV6 will start arriving at U.S. dealerships within the next few weeks.The 2022 Kia EV6 is more expensive than the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5, starting at $42,115 compared to the Ioniq’s $40,925 starting price. The Kia will offer a choice of two battery pack sizes and either a single-motor rear-wheel-drive powertrain or a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain. Its trim levels include Light, Wind, and GT-Line, while a more powerful GT model is said to arrive later on.

The base EV6 Light RWD comes with a 167-horsepower electric motor and a 58.0-kWh battery pack that offers a 232-mile EPA-estimated range. The $48,215 Wind RWD comes with a larger 77.4-kWh battery pack and a more powerful 225-hp electric motor, offering an EPA-estimated range of 310 miles. The GT-Line RWD is also available with this same powertrain setup and starts at $52,415.Both the Wind and GT-Line offer an upgrade to the dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup that produces 320 horsepower and comes only with the larger battery. The Wind AWD starts at $52,115 and the GT-Line AWD starts at $57,115. These are rated to deliver 274 miles of range by the EPA.The EV6’s basic specs are identical to the Ioniq 5’s, although the Kia’s EPA range estimates are longer than the Hyundai’s. We’ve gotten behind the wheel both EVs and found them to have different driving characters, and the two cars’ exterior designs are very distinct from each other.Kia says that the EV6 will start arriving at U.S. dealerships in the next few weeks.

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After nearly 50 years, Volkswagen has killed off the Passat sedan in the U.S.The last of 800,000 Passat sedans to come off the Chattanooga, Tennessee, production line was a Limited Edition 2022 Passat in Platinum Gray.The plant will now turn to the ID.4 EV, with production to start later in 2022.The Volkswagen Passat officially takes its leave of our market, as the last U.S. Passat has rolled off VWoA’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, assembly line. The Passat enjoyed a long run in the States, one that dates back to 1974, when the model was known as the Dasher.

1977 VW Dasher.
Volkswagen of America

The first Passat shared its Giugiaro-penned “folded paper” styling with the Golf and the Scirocco. With Volkswagen preparing to leave the Beetle behind, the brand used the Passat/Dasher to push its way upmarket. By the late 1970s, VW was (rather optimistically) hawking the Dasher as a luxury model. In this Passat commercial from 1979, a Malibu, California–dwelling proto-yuppie mocks the notion that he’d drive a Buick:
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The Dasher was offered in coupe and sedan (both hatchbacks) as well as wagon body styles. That three-model lineup would continue into the second generation in 1982, when the Dasher nameplate gave way to Quantum. Four- and five-cylinder engines were offered and again were longitudinally mounted, as the platform was shared with Audi. All-wheel drive (Syncro) was also available. The Passat name finally appeared on the third-generation car, which arrived for 1990. Sold as a sedan (with a trunk) and a wagon, this Passat rode on a transverse-engine VW-based architecture. For 1992, a 2.8-liter narrow-angle VR6 joined the base 2.0-liter four as the higher-output engine offering. A facelift bringing additional equipment marked the fourth generation, which carried the Passat through 1997.

1998 VW Passat GLS wagon.
Volkswagen of America

The Passat moved out of the shadows with the fifth-generation model that debuted for 1998. Reverting to an Audi platform (shared with the A4), this Passat delivered impressive quality for a mainstream mid-size sedan and wagon. Four-cylinder and V-6 engines and front- or all-wheel drive were available. A technically complex W-8 engine arrived later in the life cycle, as did a turbo-diesel.

2007 VW Passat sedan.
Volkswagen of America

Worries that the Passat had grown too expensive led VW to divorce the U.S. version from the European model, starting with the B7 Passat that debuted in 2006 as a sedan and 2007 as a wagon. Four-cylinder and V-6 engines were again offered, along with front- or all-wheel drive.Yet another attempt to better align the Passat with American tastes and pricing brought a new, larger Passat for 2012. To keep costs under control, the model was assembled at a brand-new U.S. factory in Chattanooga. The Passat grew larger still and much more spacious than before. This is the model, with updates, that VW has sold right up to the present day. Although the Passat is ending production, the Chattanooga factory will continue to build the Atlas three-row SUV and the (slightly) smaller Atlas Cross Sport two-row SUV. It will also start building the ID.4 EV later in 2022, VW said.With the Passat’s departure, buyers seeking a mid-size four-door could check out the sleek VW Arteon. But most probably won’t. Instead, they’ll gravitate to one of the other remaining mainstream mid-size sedans. Of them, our top choice would be the Honda Accord, a multiple 10Best winner. But shoppers can check out all the mid-size offerings here.
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The new 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-class sedan will start at $44,600.The C300 will offer 4Matic all-wheel drive as an option and comes in Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle trim levels.Mercedes says the new C-class will arrive at U.S. dealerships in the spring.Mercedes is raising the price on the new 2022 C-class sedan and introducing a new trim-level structure that bundles certain options together into Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle models. The C300 sedan, which starts at $44,600, will be the first of the new W206-generation models to arrive in the U.S., while the previous-generation coupe and convertible models will be sold alongside the new sedan for this model year.

The C300 Premium’s starting price is $1950 more than the 2021 C300’s, and the base trim comes standard with equipment such as an 11.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, blind-spot monitoring, 18-inch wheels, heated front seats, and a sunroof. The Exclusive starts at $46,850 and adds a park-assist system, ambient lighting, wireless smartphone charging, and an upgraded audio system. The $48,550 Pinnacle sits at the top of the lineup and adds navigation with an augmented video display and a head-up display. Mercedes will also offer standalone options but has not yet released full pricing or a configurator.All C300 models come with a 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with a 48-volt hybrid system. Rear-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission are standard, while 4Matic all-wheel drive is a $2000 option. More powerful AMG models are still to come and will also use four-cylinder gas engines with varying degrees of hybrid assistance.The redesigned C-class sedan will start arriving in U.S. dealerships this spring, according to Mercedes.
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Chevrolet is introducing a 70th Anniversary Edition package for the 2023 Corvette to mark seven decades since the C1 Corvette began production.Two colors are available—White Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat and Carbon Flash Metallic—and each can be had with a pair of racing stripes.The package includes special wheel designs, unique badging, and red trim inside and out.The 2023 model year is important for the Chevrolet Corvette. Not only does this model year mark the arrival of the new Corvette Z06—propelled by a flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter V-8 pushing out 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque—but it is also the legendary sports car’s 70th birthday, as the original C1 Corvette was first launched for the 1953 model year. To commemorate the occasion, Chevy is releasing a 70th Anniversary Edition package for 2023 Corvettes, including the new Z06.

Chevrolet

The 70th Anniversary Edition package brings a choice of two unique exterior colors, White Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat and Carbon Flash Metallic. Buyers can option racing stripes in Satin Gray for the white paint job or Satin Black with the Carbon Flash look. The package also includes special wheels—with different designs for Stingrays and Z06s—which have a dark finish and a red stripe around the perimeter.

The cockpit is fitted with two-tone Ceramic leather GT2 or Competition Sport seats and red seatbelts, as well as red stitching throughout. The brake calipers are also painted red, as are the engine covers on Stingrays with the package, and there are new 70th Anniversary Edition Corvette badges inside and out. A custom luggage set with red stitching and the new logo also comes with the car. The 70th Anniversary Edition package will be available later this year when production begins on 2023 Corvettes, although there’s no word yet on price. If you don’t feel like springing for the package, all 2023 Corvettes will have a commemorative interior plaque on the center speaker and a graphic on the lower rear window noting the anniversary.
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Cybertruck Owners Club via YouTube

A video clip, showing the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck on what seems to be a shop floor, surfaced on YouTube today.Although this is circulating on the video-sharing site as a “leaked” video, the two people involved in shooting it don’t seem to be making any effort to hide their participation.Perhaps not coincidentally, Tesla will be holding an earnings call on Wednesday, January 26. We here at Car and Driver like to maintain a healthy skepticism when it comes to manufacturer claims that seem dubious. Sometimes, we even prompt fixes so that car company braggadocio aligns with reality. So while we’d certainly like to drive a Tesla Cybertruck, we wouldn’t bet our bulletproof windows on whether it’ll arrive before Elon colonizes Mars. Both because we’re skeptical, and because Tesla has given us no proof that the Cybertruck is actually imminent anytime soon. And this new video doesn’t change that.
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In a four-minute clip posted by several different YouTube accounts, a guy in a high-vis vest does a walkaround of the truck while commenting on the details he could see, which don’t amount to much. The headlights keep coming on, possibly because of proximity sensors or cameras, or maybe because someone from Tesla is just offscreen turning them on. We don’t see the interior. He doesn’t open the tailgate. There are cables of some sort running laterally across the floor of the bed, seemingly held in place with sandbags. What are they for? Why the sandbags?Our narrator does not explore this line of speculation. He comments that the truck looks like a refrigerator, and it sounds kind of like a compliment. There’s another guy with tattoos who seems to know more about the truck than the guy who’s filming. The truck has external rearview mirrors but no door handles. It has one windshield wiper. The mirrors might be a production item. Or they could be temporary, for testing. We don’t know what the deal is with any of this. All we do know is that Tesla parked a Cybertruck by itself where two dudes could examine it at their leisure and then post the resulting video online without fear of reprisal—garnering attention and stoking the idea that an important product is nearing production—a few days ahead of an earnings call. Huh!

What we don’t know is anything else, even about this particular truck. Was it built at the Texas Gigafactory, on an assembly line, as car companies do to fine-tune the production process and identify potential snags? Or is it a hand-built prototype? Does it have a production-ready powertrain? How much will it cost? Is this one smaller than the original concept they unveiled? Is this even at the Texas Gigafactory or are we led to think so because the guys have southern accents? Not to be too conspiracy-minded, but simultaneously pumping the idea that the factory and the truck are both further along than they actually are would be pretty smart.Anyway, there’s definitely a Cybertruck, and they’re planning to build more at some point. That we know. Probably.
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