Motor News

Hyundai has discontinued the standard Veloster for the 2022 model year, leaving only the high-performance N model. The Veloster N is powered by a 275-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with either a six-speed manual or a newly available eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Hyundai originally told Car and Driver that only some Veloster models would be discontinued, but now, due to market demand, it decided to kill them all except for the N.UPDATE 7/12/21: Hyundai has discontinued the Veloster’s 2.0, 2.0 Premium, R-Spec, Turbo and Ultimate models for the 2022 model year, leaving only the high-performance Veloster N. A Hyundai spokesperson told Car and Driver that when this story initially published, Hyundai was still evaluating by trim level, and now, due to market demand, it decided to only offer the N model for the 2022 model year.The standard Hyundai Veloster might be overlooked by the high-performance, 275-hp Veloster N, which just finished our 40,000-mile long-term test, but that doesn’t mean Hyundai isn’t committed to it. After news reports surfaced that the Korean automaker could be discontinuing Veloster models other than the N, a spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver that the Veloster will live to see the 2022 model year.

Hyundai says that it will offer fewer trim levels for the 2022 model year, but wouldn’t specify which ones will go away. The Veloster, now in its second generation, is currently available as 2.0, 2.0 Premium, Turbo R-Spec, and Turbo models along with the high-performance N version. Veloster 2.0 models are powered by a 147-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a standard six-speed manual gearbox, with a six-speed automatic transmission optional. Turbo models are motivated by a 201-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with the manual or a dual-clutch automatic unit. When we tested the 2019 Veloster Turbo, we called it “a blaring deal compared with other sweet-driving compact hatchbacks such as the Mazda 3 and the Honda Civic Sport.” And we just said goodbye to our Performance Blue 2019 Veloster N with its 275-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and six-speed manual transmission. Numerous Car and Driver editors agreed that it was great but no Honda Civic Type R, its 306-hp competitor.The 2021 Veloster starts at $19,905 for the 2.0 equipped with the six-speed manual. The Turbo R-Spec starts at $24,445 and the Turbo at $26,755. The Veloster N starts at $33,255 for the manual and $34,755 with the new dual-clutch automatic transmission. This story was originally published April 7, 2021.
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Ford confirmed to Car and Driver that the F-150 will no longer be available with the Power Stroke 3.0-liter V-6 diesel due to the popularity of the other engines such as the EcoBoost V-6 options.Customers who want towing ability and efficiency should now go for the PowerBoost hybrid, Ford says, which makes more torque than the diesel while returning better fuel economy.The Power Stroke can be ordered on the F-150 until July 16, with deliveries occurring over the remainder of the year.Around a year after Ford introduced the 14th generation of the F-150, the company has announced that it is already discontinuing one of the engine choices. Initially reported by Ford Authority, Ford has confirmed to Car and Driver that it will no longer sell the F-150 pickup with the Power Stroke V-6 diesel option. A Ford representative explained that the decision to drop the diesel was made because “our customers overwhelmingly order our EcoBoost V-6 gasoline engines.” The Power Stroke 3.0-liter V-6 first appeared in the previous-generation F-150 in 2018 and was carried over unchanged into the new truck for 2021.

It is not especially surprising to see the Power Stroke fall by the wayside—it produced just 250 horsepower, which made it the least powerful engine in the lineup, easily surpassed by the 290-hp 3.3-liter V-6 and the 325-hp EcoBoost 2.7-liter V-6. The Power Stroke’s calling card as a diesel had been its 440 pound-feet of torque, making it a great option for those who wanted to tow. Ford told Car and Driver that “customers who need maximum towing torque” should now opt for the PowerBoost, with the 3.5-liter V-6 hybrid setup putting out 430 hp and 570 pound-feet, improvements over the Power Stroke on both measures.The hybrid is also better than the diesel in terms of fuel economy. The diesel variant had previously been the choice for those who wanted a fuel-sipping F-150, since its EPA combined rating of 24 mpg is the highest among all variants of the 2020 truck. However, for 2021, the diesel’s rating dropped by 1 mpg, while the new PowerBoost hybrid has an EPA rating of 24 mpg combined, making it the new efficiency king in the F-150 lineup.

Ford told Car and Driver that orders for the F-150 with the Power Stroke will remain open until July 16, with deliveries happening over the rest of the year.
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GMC is making a few changes to the Acadia lineup for 2022.The base SL model and its 2.5-liter inline-four are gone, and the SLE is now the base model.Prices start at $35,995 and range up to $47,795 for the Acadia Denali.GMC is rejiggering the 2022 Acadia lineup, dropping the base SL trim level and its 2.5-liter inline-four engine. This means that the starting price rises by $5000, as the $35,995 SLE now serves as the base Acadia. SLT, AT4, and Denali trim levels remain, and there are a few new standard features and a new extra-cost color called Light Stone metallic.

The SLE and SLT ($40,295) trims come with a 228-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, and now have additional driver-assistance features as standard equipment. The 18-inch and 20-inch wheel designs are new. A 310-hp 3.6-liter V-6 is optional on the SLT for $495, and all-wheel drive is a $2000–$2300 option.
The off-road-oriented AT4 trim level starts at $42,595 and comes standard with the V-6 and all-wheel drive. The Denali, which has a slightly more luxurious interior and more chrome trim, starts at $47,795 with front-wheel drive and the 2.0-liter engine. A fully loaded Denali with all-wheel drive, the V-6 engine, and all the options tops out at around $55,000.
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Rivian has made a big deal out of the “tank turn” capability of its electric vehicles. The four motors, one powering each wheel, can basically spin the EV around in place by spinning the wheels on either side of the vehicle in opposite directions. But on soft surfaces, a tank turn brings with it the chance to get stuck, so the company is also trying to patent a “K-turn.”Using the same ability to control each wheel individually, the K-turn will hold one of the inside rear wheels and allow the vehicle to pivot around it, dramatically reducing its turning radius.For a certain subset of Star Wars nerds, a K-turn (aka a Koiogran turn) is a tricky way to escape a pursuing craft during a dogfight. But in the automobile world, “K-turn” could soon be associated with Rivian, which filed a newly published patent application outlining a method for the company’s electric vehicles to offer drivers a much tighter turn radius than other vehicles offer.

Whether or not this K-turn will make an appearance on Rivian’s upcoming R1T and R1S EVs is not directly specified in the patent application, but Rivian has already promoted a different unusual turning method for these vehicles. Called the “tank turn,” this tech uses the EV’s four motors (one connected to each wheel) to rotate the wheels on either side of the EV in opposite directions, kind of like moving the treads on a tank against each other, to basically spin the vehicle in place. It’s a neat party trick, but it can’t be used everywhere. As Rivian notes in its patent application: “Such a [tank] turn when employed on soft surfaces can cause the wheels to dig into the ground and sink rather than turning the vehicle.”Rivian’s K-turn builds off the tank turn, deploying its separate propulsion source at each of the four wheels in a slightly different way. Instead of putting the center of the turning circle at the midpoint between all four wheels, a K-turn would instead happen only when there’s substantial steering angle. Forward torque is applied to those angled front wheels, while the inner back wheel is more or less held in place. This wheel then forms a pivot point for the car to turn left or right. Think of it like an old-fashioned pencil compass, where the metal point represents the stationary rear wheel and the pencil side is the front of the car. The end result? “K-turn mode [allows] the vehicle to achieve a significantly reduced turn radius (e.g., the vehicle may pivot around a point under the chassis of the vehicle),” according to the patent application. This is similar to the Ford Bronco’s trail-turn assist, where, at low speeds, it locks the inside rear wheel to pivot around it, shortening the turning radius by as much as 40 percent.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Other parts of the patent filing talk about slightly different modes where the rear wheels would instead be spinning in reverse rather than the inside rear wheel held in place. Rivian makes it sound like actually making one of its vehicles perform a K-turn will be a fairly simple process. The patent application mentions that “processing circuitry” could engage K-turn mode if the steering wheel is asking for the wheels to rotate beyond the standard turn threshold.Just because an automaker files a patent does not guarantee that the technology will ever make it to a production vehicle, but this is one that we expect to see on future Rivian models. It uses the same components as the tank turn, something Rivian has been happy to promote, and it provides a benefit in some situations where a tank turn would cause problems.Rivian filed the patent application on December 31, 2019.
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Buyers of Big Horn or Lone Star trims of the 2022 Ram 1500 will now be able to add the BackCountry Edition package to add an off-road look to their truck.The package includes an off-road suspension system, all-terrain tires, skid plates, an electronic rear differential, and hill-descent control. The BackCountry Edition also includes useful utility features such as a bed extender, a spray-in bedliner, and adjustable bed tie-down hooks.As if the Ram 1500 wasn’t rugged enough, a new BackCountry Edition package will soon be available for buyers of the value-oriented Big Horn and Lone Star models. Intended to go up against rivals such as the Chevrolet Silverado Trailboss and FX4 versions of the Ford F-150, the Ram 1500 BackCountry Edition adds basic equipment one might need for wilderness adventures.
The package includes front skid plates, an electronic locking rear differential, off-road shock absorbers, all-terrain tires, and a hill-descent control feature. Going with the BackCountry Edition also adds several upgrades to the truck’s bed, including adjustable tie-down hooks, a deployable bed step, a spray-in bed liner, and a bed extender.

Buyers can choose from an extended-cab or crew-cab body style and the BackCountry is powered by the 5.7-liter V-8 engine, but can be equipped with or without Ram’s eTorque hybrid system. Black interior upholstery is the only option but it combines faux leather with cloth for a handsome look; all-season floor mats are also standard.
It might not have as much off-road capability as the more expensive Rebel model, but with a starting price of $41,780, the BackCountry Edition strikes us as a fairly good deal. The 2022 Ram 1500, including the new BackCountry Edition, is expected to arrive at dealerships later this summer.
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This is the new 2022 BMW X5 Black Vermilion Edition, and it’s limited to just 350 units in the United States. They’re all finished in black with red accents on the grille, brakes, and interior, and powered by a 335-hp turbo inline-six. Those interested can place orders at dealers starting at $83,295, and they’ll arrive in the fallBMW is offering just 350 of these X5 Black Vermilion Edition models in the United States, and the limited-edition package gives the luxury SUV a blacked out appearance with bright red accents. They’re scheduled to start arriving in September.
Each X5 Black Vermilion Edition is finished in Frozen Black Metallic paint. Their kidney grilles have red vertical slats, and the adaptive LED headlights are darkened to match the blacked-out look. The M Sport package is standard, a $5400 option, and includes the Shadowline black trim along with more aggressive front and rear bumpers. The limited-edition SUVs are equipped with Orbit Grey 22-inch wheels and red M Sport brake calipers.

It’s based on the X5’s xDrive40i model, meaning it has a 335-hp turbocharged inline-six under the hood paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. In our test, a 2019 model reached 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The Black Vermillion Edition comes with an M Sport exhaust system.
Red flows into the black interior as well with piping and stitching on the front and rear seats and binding on the floor mats. And there’s a special edition logo on the lid for the cupholders. The glass controls for the gear selector, start/stop button, and drive mode selector, typically a $650 option, come equipped along with carbon fiber trim and an Alcantara headliner. The 2022 BMW X5 Black Vermilion Edition is available to order now starting at $83,295, which is $20,600 more than the xDrive40i model on which it’s based, but it’s nearly fully loaded. And it’s only $500 cheaper than the 523-hp twin-turbo V-8–powered X5 M50i model, but much more exclusive.
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Electric-vehicle concepts are common enough these days that you need more than a zero-emission powertrain to stand out. So why not work on a negative-emission EV?That’s what Heatherwick Studio did with its Airo concept, which uses a HEPA filter under the car to filter out pollution from other cars on the road. The Airo has been on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week.Hyundai has similar air-filtering technology on its Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, but there the filter does double duty by cleaning the air that the fuel-cell stack needs to operate.A motor vehicle with negative carbon emissions has, until recently, been basically impossible. Sure, electric vehicles have no local tailpipe emissions, but to actually reduce the amount of carbon in the air as you drive is no small feat. Hyundai says its Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell CUV actually cleans the air it moves through, since the car’s fuel-cell stack needs purified air. The car accomplishes this by using a special filter that removes microparticulates from the incoming air, and that means the exhaust (such as it is) is cleaner than what was taken in. The car can even display the amount of CO2 removed.

This filtering strategy is similar to the one used by the Airo, a new concept vehicle designed by Heatherwick Studio in England. The electric vehicle has a “state-of-the-art HEPA filtering system” that cleans the air that moves through the vehicle’s undercarriage. No precise specifics were given about how many pollutants the Airo traps, but Heatherwick told the BBC that the concept can “collect a tennis ball worth of particulate matter per year.” Heatherwick, which also designed London’s new Routemaster bus and buildings including Google’s headquarters in California and London, is displaying the Airo at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week.

Heatherwick Studio

The Airo’s interior tries to be as different as the air filter on the exterior. Heatherwick said that it’s not supposed to be simply a place to sit while moving around, but to act like a “moving room or a space for your life.” Like other EV concepts, the front seats can swivel around to face the vehicle’s center, where there’s also a four-leaf table that can fold away when you don’t want to dine or play a tabletop game, and use the Airo more like a lounge. You can also unfold a screen for projected video images – Heatherwick said the Airo can become “a perfect gaming-pod” in this configuration and the seats can even fold down into a “spacious” double bed. The glass roof can turn opaque for more private moments.

Heatherwick Studio

“Designed to simultaneously address the global space shortage, Airo is also a multi-functional room with extra space for dining, working, gaming or even sleeping,” said Heatherwick Studio founder Thomas Heatherwick in a statement. “As a new room for our lives, with a changing view, Airo is a car intended to transport us to a cleaner and better future.”

Ning Li/Heatherwick

Heatherwick isn’t planning on building the Airo itself. Instead, the studio designed the EV for IM Motors which said in April, when the Airo debuted at the Shanghai auto show, that it plans to start building the EV in 2023. The BBC said IM Motors plans to make “a million of them.” The Airo is supposedly capable of both autonomous and human-controlled driving but details about the self-driving features and exactly how the air purifier will work in the real world when it comes to production remain, well, up in the cleaner air.
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Hercules Electric Vehicles

The Detroit-based EV startup Hercules has signed Pininfarina to design its upcoming battery-electric pickup.Hercules Electric Vehicles says the Alpha pickup will be available in 2022. The company also says that the four-motor-equipped Alpha pickup will make up to 1000 horsepower. There is a lot of buzz around electric pickups following Ford’s F-150 Lightning reveal, and the tumultuous news coming out of the Lordstown Motors camp. That means there’s even more attention on the EV space and the younger EV startups like Hercules Electric Vehicles. Well, this young, Detroit-based prospective EV maker has penned a deal with the Italian design powerhouse Pininfarina to design an electric pickup truck.

The details of the deal are about as murky as the details of Hercules’s Alpha pickup truck. However, what we do know is this: Pininfarina will design the upcoming pickup truck and other future products for Hercules. Considering that Hercules claims the battery-electric pickup will be available near the end of 2022, it makes that seem like an ambitious timeline.

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That said, the top brass at Hercules seems to have a good understanding of the automotive manufacturing space. The founder, James Breyer, has bounced around different automakers and worked as the lead propulsion development engineer for the Chevrolet Spark and lead powertrain development engineer for the Chevrolet Volt. That doesn’t curb the aggressive timeline for the truck’s availability, but it does give some confidence that the trucks should be well engineered when they make it to the road.As is the case with any startup, though, there’s no telling if this truck will see the light of day. If it does, we’re sure Pininfarina will pen another fantastic design that will put the truck on EV buyers’ maps.

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