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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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Lamborghini will release four new cars this year, and they’ll be the final Lamborghinis to use gas engines without any electric assistance. That’s according to CEO Stephan Winkelmann in an interview with the U.K.’s Car magazine.These new models will be followed by a plug-in-hybrid replacement for the Aventador in 2023, with plug-in Huracán and Urus models arriving the year after. Lamborghini’s first electric car will likely be a grand tourer, and that one is currently in the very early planning stages, according to Winkelmann.While Ferrari is already building two series production hybrid supercars—the plug-in SF90 Stradale and its baby brother, the 296GTB—Lamborghini has made just one electrified model, the limited-production Sián. But that is soon to change, with Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann revealing the Italian supercar maker’s path toward an electric future in a recent interview with CAR magazine. Before Lamborghini’s electrified onslaught begins, however, the last Lamborghinis with a gas-only powertrain will arrive this year. Winkelmann confirmed two new variants of the Huracán and two versions of the Urus SUV as part of a mid-cycle facelift. The first new Huracán model is expected to be the Sterrato, a rally-style off-road supercar first shown as a concept back in 2019. Car claims that the second Huracán derivative will be a subtler take on the garish high-performance STO (think Porsche 911 GT3 Touring), possibly called JV Stradale. The updated Urus has already been spotted testing and is likely to add a high-performance model.

Lamborghini

Plug-In Hybrids Coming, Plus a New EngineThen 2023 will mark the start of Lamborghini’s electrification plans, with Winkelmann revealing that the Aventador replacement will arrive that year sporting a plug-in-hybrid setup with a new V-12 engine. This will be Lamborghini’s first plug-in model, and itwill quickly be followed by two more, an Urus and a Huracán, in 2024. The Urus will use a V-8, but Winkelmann remained tight-lipped about what will power the plug-in Huracán, only saying that it will have a “completely new engine.” According to Car it will be a V-8, but unlike the unit found in the Urus, it will be developed by Lamborghini itself and not shared with Audi or Porsche. Car claims the V-8 will have a 10,000-rpm redline and will be able to run on synthetic fuels, with the hybrid system generating an approximate total of 850 horsepower.

Further down the line, Lamborghini is preparing a fully electric grand tourer. Lamborghini’s first EV is still in its early planning phase, with the company testing electric rivals and working out the details of what the car will need to be competitive. While it may be a while until we see Lamborghini’s EV debut, the Italian automaker has plenty of exciting models to keep us sated in the meantime.
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The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is arguably the definition of American excess, and the big Jeep is both beautiful and atrocious for it. Sure, no one needs an approximately three-ton box with a 471-hp V-8 that rockets it to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, nor does anyone need up to seven infotainment-related screens or enough leather and wood trim to put an Aspen ski lodge to shame, but dammit, they want it. Is that not the American Dream, after all? [editoriallinks id=’da5f97fb-da53-491a-9115-a8b6da79027c’ align=’left’][/editoriallinks]Yet, as indulgent as it is, the Grand Wagoneer still shows some signs of restraint. At 214.7 inches long, Jeep’s full-size SUV casts a shadow more than a foot shorter than that of the largest Cadillac Escalade, the Escalade ESV. This is due to change soon, though, as Jeep seems intent on adding a long-wheelbase variant to the Grand Wagoneer model line, as evidenced by these images that show the vehicle undergoing testing alongside a standard-wheelbase model. [image id=’5b6c5e39-14b3-410c-8224-942ad01b67f8′ mediaId=’c9068c95-f3e2-4ac1-8373-2b25477e290a’ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’18×11′][/image]The 2022 Grand Wagoneer’s measurements top those of the standard-wheelbase Escalade by 3.7 inches in overall length and by 2.1 inches in wheelbase (at 123.0 inches). In much the same way, the long-wheelbase Grand Wagoneer (the Grandiose Wagoneer?) will almost certainly overshadow the giant Escalade ESV with its 134.1-inch wheelbase. Although we only see Jeep testing an extended Grand Wagoneer in these images, we believe the brand plans to offer the less opulent Wagoneer in long-wheelbase form as well.Save for additional third-row space and cargo room, the longer Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer should carry over the features of its shorter kin, including those models’ powertrain options. This includes the likely addition of a plug-in hybrid 4xe variant. One thing that is likely to remain missing from this extra-large Wagoneer model, however, is Jeep’s Trail Rated badging. If the standard-wheelbase iterations of the Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer lacked the agility to earn this distinction, then these even bigger versions—with surely worse departure and breakover angles—can be expected to fail to achieve the honor. Jeep is still keeping quiet about its longer Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer for now. That said, we think the off-road-oriented brand will formally unveil these massive models before the end of the year, likely as 2023 or 2024 models.[poll id=’f3777272-1ea8-41fb-beb7-9d840b96bd0f_98d2ad120519b’ type=’text’ question=’Should Jeep add long-wheelbase Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer variants to its model line?’ answer1=’Yes.’ answer2=’No.’][/poll][editoriallinks id=’eda9a23f-9579-4c53-a7dd-a25e7bc488fe’ align=’center’][/editoriallinks]

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