Motor News

The Kia Concept EV4 debuted in Korea at Kia’s EV Day event.Call it a sedan, call it a hatchback, just don’t call it late for dinner.We’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that the EV4 will make its way to the U.S.When is a sedan not a sedan? When it’s the Kia Concept EV4. Yes, this electric concept has four doors and the proportions we expect from a sedan—and don’t get us wrong, we’re glad to see this body style remain relevant for longer—but Kia claims it’s an entirely new kind of sedan. Either way, hey, it’s not a crossover!The Kia Concept EV4 is part of the automaker’s strategy to release a series of electric vehicles across a greater swath of the vehicular kingdom. Alongside the Concept EV3 that also debuted at Kia’s EV Day event in Korea, the EV4 promises to break into smaller segments, now that the automaker has unveiled larger battery-electrics including the EV5, EV6, and EV9. And while nearly the entire portfolio consists of crossovers, the EV4 toes the line between sedan and hatchback in the hope of reconverting some utility-vehicle owners who still want to maximize spaciousness.Andrew Krok|Car and DriverWhile the EV4’s silhouette is unlike anything we’ve seen, there are a few influences we can see making their way down from the EV6, which itself rides that fine line between hatchback and crossover. That long, sloping nose (yes, complete with a frunk) and heavily raked windshield should cut through the air quite nicely, but it’s the rear end that really gets weird. Looking like the love child of an EV6 and a Cadillac CT4, the rear glass starts its downward progression at the rear wheel and continues on through three zip codes, finally terminating at a familiarly shaped integrated spoiler. There are some design elements that the Concept EV4 shares with its more diminutive sibling, the blocky Concept EV3. The trim around the wheel wells contains all sorts of interesting angles. That rugged-looking gray stuff also creeps its way upward on both bumpers, adding variety to some otherwise clean body lines. The concept’s matte-gold paint is pretty slick, too.The emphasis on width makes its way inside, where a relatively clean cabin layout keeps things feeling nice and spacious. A single binnacle rises from the dashboard, but most other elements are tucked away—in this case literally, as the climate controls retract when they aren’t needed. The pin-style air vents, which are also found on the EV3, are a unique take on an oft-ignored part of the car, using individual jets to change how the air flows. If you’re wondering how much ambient lighting there is in here, the answer is “plenty.”This being a concept, Kia didn’t bring any sort of powertrain specs along for the ride, but we don’t expect the EV4 to stay in the conceptual realm for long, even though the automaker has yet to confirm whether or not this slick electric sedan will come to the U.S. With the EV9, the EV5, and both the Concept EV3 and Concept EV4, Kia has a whole lot of interesting stuff coming down the pipeline before the end of the decade.More Kia EVsSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

Kia has released specs for the Korean and Chinese versions of the upcoming EV5 electric SUV.This boxy little number will come in three variants: single-motor short range, single-motor long range, and dual-motor long range.A peppier EV5 GT is coming, but details remain scant.Kia first unveiled the upcoming EV5 electric SUV in August, but the Korean automaker left us hanging by only showing off its styling, choosing not to release any specifications at that time. Now, at Kia’s EV Day event, Kia has decided to throw us some bones—sort of.In addition to introducing the smaller EV3 and EV4 concepts, Kia’s EV Day event brings us some greater clarity on what to expect from the EV5, the third model in Kia’s electric family, following the EV6 and EV9. Since the vehicles will be built in China and Korea, and because these two markets will be the first to receive the car, most of the specs discussed here are relevant to China and Korea. The EV5 rides on the same E-GMP platform that underpins the EV6 and EV9. In China, the EV5 will come in three variations: a short-range front-driver, a long-range front-driver, and a long-range model with all-wheel-drive. The base spec carries a battery with 64.0 kWh of capacity, and power is delivered to the front wheels through a 215-hp motor. Kia estimates a range of 329 miles by China’s wildly optimistic CLTC standard. The EV5’s single-motor long-range model bumps battery capacity up to 88.0 kWh, while retaining the same 215-hp electric motor on the front axle; here, range balloons to 447 miles by CLTC standards. The long-range AWD variant slaps a second, less powerful motor at the rear, boosting total output to 308 hp. With the same battery as the single-motor long-range model, CLTC-estimated range is pegged at 404 miles. Korean-market EV5s will be offered in the same variations, but with slightly smaller batteries and slightly lower outputs. We also know a bit more about what features the EV5 will contain. A heat pump will be offered, in addition to three-zone climate control. On the dashboard, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster combines with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, while climate duties are relegated to a separate 5.0-inch display. Other than on the steering wheel, Kia promises as few physical buttons as possible in the cabin.KiaThe interior has some other clever tricks up its sleeve. While Kia touts a bench seat in the front row, it’s not so much a proper three-person bench as it is a driver’s seat and a passenger seat wide enough to replace a traditional center console—in China, at least; other markets will get a traditional armrest-style center console. Seating surfaces can be made from recycled PET plastic or plant-based leather. Massaging seats will be available, too. But when it’s time to camp out under the stars, that’s when the interior gets interesting. The second row can fold completely flat, turning the rear half of the vehicle into what Kia calls a bedroom (albeit one that’s a little tight, we wager). Roughing it doesn’t sound so rough, thanks to niceties like a combination refrigerator-warmer and a luggage divider that does double duty as a table. Kia also confirmed that a hopped-up EV5 GT is in the works, but declined to say anything beyond that. Patience is a virtue, we suppose.Now, in terms of the U.S. market, things get a little murky. At Kia’s on-the-record EV Day press conference on October 10, President and CEO Ho Sung Song told journalists that the EV5 would be coming Stateside—a sentiment that was reinforced with additional confirmation from a second high-level Kia employee during a separate roundtable that same day. However, on October 11, Kia appeared to walk back these confirmations, saying in a statement that the automaker “is considering to export the EV5 to North America starting from 2025. There is no plan to produce the EV5 in North America.” A source with knowledge of Kia’s plans told C/D that the EV5 will skip over the U.S. entirely and instead head to Canada and possibly Mexico, due to the manufacturing-related intricacies of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which altered how EVs sold in the U.S. are incentivized. It’s possible that plans could change between now and the estimated “North American” arrival of mid-2025, but we wouldn’t hold our breath.More on the EV5Senior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

The Kia Concept EV3 makes its debut as part of Kia’s EV Day event.Its squarish good looks borrow more than a hint of influence from the larger EV5 and EV9.Kia will likely confirm the EV3 for the U.S., but nothing has been set in stone just yet.The Kia Concept EV3, along with the Concept EV4 sedan debuting simultaneously, marks the next step in the automaker’s plan to introduce electric vehicles across a wide variety of segments and prices. Most of what we’ve seen thus far has occupied the loftier side of the window-sticker spectrum, so here is what Kia has in mind as it begins to shrink those dimensions down.And when we say “shrink those dimensions down,” we mean it. The EV3 borrows a whole lot of style from the EV5, which itself took a good deal of its styling from the larger EV9. Usually, this kind of generational self-pollination can lead to the whole design language feeling a little hackneyed, but a general softening of the 5’s and 7’s harder edges helps mitigate that. The EV5 picks up some clever twists that separate it from the EV9, and the EV3 does that, as well—and we’re not just talking about those slick four-spoke wheels, but those are boss, too.Andrew Krok|Car and DriverKia clearly believes it has a design hit on its hands with this new generation of robust-looking EVs. Despite its compact size, Kia found all sorts of room to throw interesting design elements. The squared-off trim around the wheel wells provide a bit of angularity, and it plays well with some equally beefy body panels. Around back, the “floating” C-pillar treatment drags your eyes toward the taillights, which follow the shape of the body practically back to the wheels. The tailgate’s rising bumper trim keeps that rough-and-tumble vibe going.All this seems pretty tame by concept-car standards—and it should, as the EV3 shouldn’t take too long to transition from concept to production—but thankfully, the interior brings some of that traditional pie-in-the-sky thinking back into the fray. Sort of like the old Honda Fit’s Magic Seat, the bench in the back folds upwards, allowing a bike or scooter to fit inside. And thanks to Kia’s vehicle-to-load charging tech, said bike or scooter can pick up some juice as you go along. Between the front seats lies a console table made of mycelium, a fungus-based material that’s growing in interior-study popularity with automakers seeking more eco-friendly materials. The rest of the cabin keeps things pretty light and airy, with slim seats and a pair of screens rising from the dashboard. Like the Concept EV4, the EV3 has the strangest climate system known to man, which replaces traditional vents with a number of small jets that move individually to adjust airflow. And yes, the whole lower half of the cabin lights up, because why wouldn’t it?Since it’s a concept, Kia didn’t divulge any sort of powertrain specs. Considering how production-ready its styling looks, and how determined Kia is to grow its EV market share rapidly between now and the end of the decade, we can’t imagine we’ll have to wait too long. Soon enough we’ll likely find out what will provide the EV3’s motive force, and whether or not it’ll end up coming to the U.S.More Kia EVsSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

Mitsubishi is planning to show off a host of off-road concept vehicles at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.In the buildup to the show, the Japanese automaker is teasing an electrified crossover concept that looks to be a new-generation Delica van. Whatever the concept proves to be, it seems unlikely that a production version will come to North America. The current Delica D:5 is only sold in Asian markets. With the 2023 Japan Mobility Show around the corner, manufacturers are starting to tease their show cars. Mitsubishi is planning to show off a slew of off-road concept vehicles at this year’s show. As part of the buildup, the automaker released an electrified crossover concept teaser. Scant DetailsWith the concept vehicle kicking up a considerable amount of dirt, there’s not much to be seen in the teaser. What we can see makes us think this is a new-generation Delica van. According to Mitsubishi, the concept is an electrified crossover MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) that combines SUV-like handling and MPV-like comfort and usability. Details on the concept are scant. The automaker describes the concept as having high ground clearance, though we’ll have to take Mitsubishi’s word on that given that aspect isn’t shown. It’s also said to have an electric all-wheel-drive system and large-diameter tires.Other Mitsubishi NewsIn addition to the MPV concept, Mitsubishi also teased a frumpy-looking Last Mile Mobility vehicle developed in conjunction with LIFEHUB Inc. The company says the Last 1 mile Mobility concept uses the batteries an electric car might to allow more mobility after reaching its destination. MitsubishiThe 2023 Japan Mobility Show is still a few weeks away, with concept cars scheduled to be revealed during the October 25 and 26 press days. The show opens to the general public from October 28 to November 5.Recent Mitsubishi NewsAssociate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Jaguar is continuing to bid farewell to the F-type with another special-edition model called the ZP Edition.The F-type is scheduled to end production in 2024, and 150 of these special editions will be built.The F-type will be the last gas-powered sports car from the British automaker as it transitions to an electric lineup.If you thought the 75th Anniversary version of the Jaguar F-type was the last gasp of the British sports car, think again. Before it goes away for good, the F-type will spawn yet another special edition, this time the racing-inspired ZP Edition that features color combinations from historic E-type racing cars.Only 150 ZP Editions will be built in total before production officially ends next year. They will be split between coupe and convertible body styles. The first color combination consists of an Oulton Blue exterior along with a red and black leather interior. The other is a Crystal Gray exterior hue with a navy blue and black interior. The ZP cars are also emblazoned with white roundels on the doors, just like old racing cars. These are the same liveries found on the series of restored E-types that Jaguar Classic released earlier this year that were made to commemorate that sports car’s debut and initial racing victories in 1961.JaguarJaguarJaguarJaguarOther special touches for the F-type ZP cars include a white grille surround, special trim for the leather seats, and badges for the wheels, fenders, side sill plates, and dashboard. There will also be a plaque denoting the cars as 1 of 150. All ZP models will be equipped with the F-type’s top powertrain, a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 with 575 horsepower paired with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic.More on the F-TypeSenior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

The BMW X2 enters its second generation with a new design that is quite different than its predecessor’s.The 2024 X2 comes in two versions, both with an inline four-cylinder engine: the 241-hp xDrive28i and the 312-hp M35i xDrive.Pricing has not yet been revealed, but U.S. customers will get the new SUV starting in March 2024.We called it a sportier, less practical X1, and that’s exactly what the BMW X2 remains as it enters its second generation. What is remarkable about the new model is how different it looks from its sibling. From the sharp angles of its tall, stubby hood to its chunky fastback rear end, no one will ever confuse this crossover with an X1.The previous X2 offered a unique look thanks to available contrast colors, and the C-pillars were adorned with BMW logos, a clever nod to the eternal classic, the E9 coupe. The new X2, by contrast, is a more conventional design with the typical hunchback that signifies vehicles positioned as “SUV coupes.” With such a chiseled and tallish look, it’s surprising that it sports a drag coefficient of 0.25. The M35i model is distinguished by a different grille design and four exhaust tips, one for each cylinder.Inside, the X2 is very much a sister model of the X1, with BMW’s ubiquitous curved display and the somewhat controversial gauge-cluster graphics that present the speedo and tach in the form of an angle. There is an optional panoramic roof, the cargo area measures 25 cubic feet, and—depending on the version—the seats and dashboard are adorned with Alcantara. The standard seats are clad with vinyl, bombastically called “animal-free Veganza.”While Europe gets a choice of a fully electric version, four-cylinder diesels, a three-cylinder entry-level gasoline engine and a powerful four-cylinder gasoline engine, the U.S. will get just two turbo fours. The X2 xDrive 28i is powered by a 241-hp 2.0-liter four, and the X2 M35i xDrive gets a 312-hp variation of the same powerplant. Torque is identical at 295 pound-feet, but it comes at lower revs in the entry-level model. That’s enough to offset the 3800-pound-plus heft: The sprint to 60 mph takes a claimed 6.2 and 5.2 seconds, respectively, and top speed is governed at 149 or 155 mph—if summer tires are specified. Failure to check those tires on the order form means a 130 mph governor on either model.Both models come with standard all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Handling should be satisfactory, thanks to a stiffer body, a wider track, and upgraded chassis components. We’ll reserve judgment until we’ve driven the X2, but we recommend the optional M Sport package on the entry-level X2 xDrive 28i as it comes with larger brakes, different steering, and adaptive dampers. It’s standard in the M35i xDrive.In keeping with the times, the new X2 comes with a vast number of connectivity features and driver-assistance systems. There are even in-car video games from gaming platform AirConsole. Beyond the usual driving modes, you can opt for Relax, Expressive, and Digital Art modes. An Efficiency Trainer can teach drivers to take it more slowly, while the interior camera can take photos and record videos.Pricing is undisclosed, but the X2 is sure to come in a few grand above its identically powered X1 sister models, which start in the low-$40,000 range. The 2024 X2 will arrive at U.S. dealerships in March 2024.More on the X1 and X2Contributing EditorJens Meiners has covered the auto industry since 1996 and written for Car and Driver for much of that time. He is a juror on the World Car of the Year and International Engine of the Year and founder of German Car of the Year. Jens splits his time between New York and Nuremberg, where he keeps a growing collection of historic cars. More

Two prototypes for the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 were spied testing on the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany.One of the ZR1s was seen sporting a ginormous rear wing, while the other one appeared to have the same wing as the Z06 model’s Z07 package.The ZR1 is also festooned with several additional intakes on the side bodywork and a deep vent in the hood.With a 670-hp flat-plane-crank V-8 and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is an extreme machine, as our time spent with a menacing gray example is currently proving. But Chevrolet intends to take its iconic sports car even further with a new ZR1 model, and spy photos of two different examples of the high-performance Vette testing on the Nürburgring in Germany have revealed the ZR1’s radical look.Brian Williams/SpiedBilde|Car and DriverThe first thing to catch the eye is the gigantic wing. The Z06’s rear wing is no shrinking violet, but the ZR1 takes things a step further with taller struts, a wider mainplane, and larger endplates. A second ZR1 prototype was also photographed on the ‘Ring wearing the Z06’s smaller wing. It’s possible that Chevy plans to offer two aero packages—as it does with the Z06 and did with the previous ZR1—or the automaker may be testing the different wings to get a better sense of the aerodynamic affect of the bigger unit.At the front end, a sharp splitter and aggressive dive planes help produce downforce but don’t look substantially different than the elements on the Z06’s Z07 performance package. The front grilles don’t look too different, either, but a massive slash in the hood has been added to route air up and over the cockpit and toward the rear wing. Given how deep the outlet looks, we believe the ZR1 may not have a frunk, similar to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Brian Williams/SpiedBilde|Car and DriverChevy also added increased venting along the ZR1’s flanks—the main triangular inlet seen on the Z06 remains, but with a second smaller intake sprouting off of it and another additional vent sitting atop the ZR1’s bulky shoulders. Big wing aside, the rear end of the ZR1 appears largely the same as the Z06’s. The ZR1 rides on more intricate wheels than lower-tiered Corvettes, and the wheels may be bigger than the 20-inch and 21-inch staggered setup on the Z06. The ZR1 is expected to arrive for the 2025 model year and will add two turbochargers to the Z06’s 5.5-liter V-8. That could mean north of 800 horsepower sent to the rear wheels, and while it will likely be heavier than the Z06, it should still bolt to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds. We expect the price to start around $150,000—not cheap, but significantly less than its European supercar rivals. The ZR1 may be the final pure-internal-combustion version of the Corvette.More about the CorvetteThis 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.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

Not long after showing the facelifted “ND3” MX-5 Miata, Mazda is preparing to pull the wraps off a new roadster-related concept. The automaker announced Tuesday that its Japanese Mobility Show stand will be dedicated to the MX-5, with both new and old models on display, plus a “new concept car designed to symbolize the exhibit theme.”From the teaser image released, this concept appears to be related to a scissor-door coupe concept Mazda showed last year. The rear lights are almost identical. Mazda revealed the catchily named “Vision Study Model” (pictured below) as part of a presentation on its electrification plans for the future. We expect that the current ND Miata will live on for a few more years, which is unusually long for a modern production car, but not unheard of for the Miata. The third-generation NC was produced for 10 years, and the ND hasn’t quite hit that milestone. Mazda has said the next-generation Miata will be electrified in some capacity, and we suspect that means it’ll have some level of hybridization. The automaker aims for 25 percent of its offerings to be full EV by 2030, and the rest to have some sort of electric element.In any case, Mazda has no intention to kill the MX-5 Miata, even as we switch toward EVs. A European Mazda executive said last year the sports car will “continue to exist forever.” That’s good, because we can’t imagine a world without the Miata.More MiataSenior ReporterA car enthusiast since childhood, Chris Perkins is Road & Track’s engineering nerd and Porsche apologist. He joined the staff in 2016 and no one has figured out a way to fire him since. He street-parks a Porsche Boxster in Brooklyn, New York, much to the horror of everyone who sees the car, not least the author himself. He also insists he’s not a convertible person, despite owning three. More