Motor News

Michael Fletcher via Instagram

The upcoming GMC Hummer EV stands out for its monstrous combination of size and all-electric power, but its most unique feature is the one that makes it just a little bit more nimble. We just got a closer look at what it actually looks like in real life. “Crab Mode,” also referred to as crab walk, was designed to utilize the Hummer line’s four-wheel steering and electric power to freely move diagonally from a standstill, with all four wheels turning to point on the same trajectory and going forward regardless of the position of the car itself. In theory, it is an off-roading feature designed to greatly increase the situational maneuverability of what is already set to be a king of the trails. In practice, it can also be utilized as a fascinating and unnecessary way to show off the Hummer EV’s incredible set of features in traffic.
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This video, originally captured by Instagram user Michael H. Fletcher and shared by Hummer specialist shop Mod Mafia, shows a pre-production GMC Hummer EV truck (the model with the pickup bed, distinct from the slightly smaller Hummer EV SUV) utilizing the feature in stop-and-go traffic after what looks like a day of off-road testing. The feature does not seem to be serving any meaningful purpose, but the car is able to move at traffic speeds at an odd, diagonal angle with the crab walk engaged.The sight is jarring, but that is part of the goal. The Hummer EV has the ability to quite literally move like nothing else on the road. If the truck has them, might as well try out the gadgets.

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The Audi A6 e-tron, revealed today at the Shanghai auto show, is a concept for an upcoming production electric sedan that will be offered alongside the internal-combustion-engine version of the A6, not as a replacement. Audi says the stylized sportback concept is “95 percent” what the production car will look like. The A6 is built on the new PPE platform, a modular and scalable design that will allow Audi to design electric vehicles from sports cars to SUVs, and is the basis for an aggressive electric-vehicle release schedule.If anything is going to repopularize sedans, it might be electrifying them. Audi’s concept for its new A6 e-tron debuted at the 2021 Shanghai auto show, and its curvy lines, twinkly lights, and long wheelbase might just win buyers back from SUVs. If it doesn’t, Audi will be offering additional electric models to its stable—which already includes the e-tron, the e-tron GT, the newly released Q4 e-tron, and Sportback versions of the e-tron and Q4.

This concept is based on the scalable Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform, a chassis design that can be lengthened, lifted, and widened as needed to support a range of EV models. The A6 e-tron concept—which will come alongside the gas-engine A6, not as a replacement—looks slick with its silver floating grille and shaved doors. We won’t see quite so radical a car in the dealerships, but Audi says the concept is “95 percent” what we’ll get in production.
Currently, Audi’s EVs use a variety of platforms: the e-tron GT is on the J1 platform, while the Q4 e-tron is on the MEB, which is the same one that underpins the Volkswagen ID.4. Going forward after 2022, however, newly developed Audi EVs will begin to use the same PPE platform as this concept. Its modular design not only allows for different-size bodies, but also single or multiple engine configurations. Not having to work around large front-mounted engines and bulky transmission tunnels gives the designers more creative space and passengers more cabin space. The A6 e-tron has almost the same exterior dimensions as the current A6/A7 but should have an even more spacious interior. We can’t say for sure, because Audi has yet to release any interior images, but it looks big from the outside.
Performance, charging, and range are crucial selling points for any electric car, and the A6 e-tron concept uses two electric motors with a total output of 469 horsepower and is, as one would expect from Audi, all-wheel drive. All the PPE-platform vehicles will use 800-volt charging tech, which makes for fast fill-ups. At a compatible station, the battery can get 186 miles of range in 10 minutes or go from 5 to 80 percent in less than half an hour. Audi expects a full charge to offer a range of more than 400 miles.

Along with fast charging, the A6 e-tron’s use of digital lighting technology in the form of matrix LEDs and OLEDs allows for very slim lights that still meet all headlight and taillight safety requirements, and go beyond, to offer customizable designs, projected turn signals for added pedestrian warning, and even playable video games. The headlights act as a projector if you park the car facing a wall. What a concept! Electric cars aren’t just starting to look cool and be viable as alternatives to gas engines; they’re fun, too.
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Genesis has revealed the electric version of the G80 luxury sedan.It’s called the Electrified G80 and will eventually be sold in the U.S.More details about its powertrain and battery pack will be coming later this year.Genesis’s mid-size luxury sedan, the G80, will be the first model in its lineup to offer a fully electric derivative. It’s called the Electrified G80 and appears to be nearly identical to the gas-powered version aside from a few minor trim differences and a different front grille that contains a panel that opens to reveal a charging port.

We don’t know much about the G80’s electric drivetrain other than the fact that it will come standard with all-wheel drive and claims up to 310 miles of range by the global NEDC standard or 265 miles by the Korean standard. Genesis has yet to provide a battery-pack size or power output, but does say that standard fast-charging capability will be able to replenish the battery pack from 10 percent to 80 percent charge in 22 minutes. A claimed zero to 60 mph time of 4.9 seconds means the electric model should be quicker than the G80’s base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, if not as fleet as the optional twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6.
The interior appears to have the same elegant dashboard design as the gas model, but Genesis says it has incorporated numerous recycled materials. Genesis has eschewed the futuristic exterior and interior design touches seen on other electric luxury sedans such as the Audi e-tron GT and Mercedes EQS in favor of a look that’s essentially indistinguishable from the conventional G80.Genesis says it will release more U.S.-specific details about the Electrified G80 later this year, which suggests it will go on sale on our shores either in late 2021 or early 2022. It will likely start command a significant price premium compared with the gas-powered G80, which starts at $48,745.
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The Lexus ES is in store for a few minor changes as it rolls into the 2022 model year.Slightly tweaked headlamps, a revised grille design, and new wheels are visual identifiers for 2022 models.Inside, the ES receives new touchscreen infotainment systems; the ES’s driver-assistance tech also gets a few upgrades.Lexus showed off the refreshed 2022 ES sedan at the Shanghai auto show today, but unless it’s parked directly next to a 2021 model, you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference. That’s probably okay, as this latest generation ES is still looking attractive even though we’re midway through its life cycle. Say what you want about the spindle grille, this sedan’s design has otherwise aged well.
Some minor tweaks to the headlights have been made, and they now feature bi-LED lamps as well as an auto-leveling feature. The grille has been tweaked, and new wheel designs have been added. Even so, the ES more or less looks the same as it did last year. Speaking of appearance, the more aggressively-styled F Sport trim will be offered on the hybrid ES300h model for the first time. Buyers of the V-6–powered ES350 F Sport model will now have the option of a new Dynamic Handling package, which adds adaptive dampers as well as Sport + and custom drive modes.
The most noticeable change for 2022 is actually on the inside, as the ES’s infotainment display has been swapped out for a touchscreen unit and has been moved closer to the driver for easier access. This fixes a minor gripe we’ve had with the ES since its last redesign, which required drivers to interact with a rather fussy touchpad on the center console as the sole way to control the car’s infotainment system. An 8.0-inch touchscreen is standard but, as in 2021 models, buyers can upgrade to a larger 12.3-inch unit.

Also on the technology front, the 2022 ES receives the upgraded Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 suite of driver-assistance features. The step from 2.0 to 2.5 brings pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as a few new features, including Intersection Turning Assist and Curve Speed Reduction, the latter of which reduces the vehicle’s speed in sharp corners when using adaptive cruise control. The updated ES will also be offered in two new colors, Iridium and Cloudburst Gray, along with a few new interior color schemes and newly available black open-pore wood trim. You can expect to see the 2022 ES at Lexus dealers in the fall.
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The Toyota bZ4X electric crossover, previewed by this concept vehicle, will be the first of Toyota’s new Beyond Zero EVs to arrive next year. It’s built on the Toyota and Subaru co-developed electric platform, and this model has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup.There will eventually be 15 new Toyota EVs, with seven to carry the bZ name. Toyota says it has 15 new electric vehicles on the way, of which seven will use the moniker bZ, for Beyond Zero. The first to arrive will be the bZ4X crossover, previewed by this concept vehicle—a logical choice, since the RAV4 was Toyota’s best-selling car in the U.S. last year. The bZ4X will arrive in mid-2022 with others, including an electric pickup truck, to follow in the next few years.
The bZ4X concept is similar in shape and size to the RAV4 crossover but lower, with a longer wheelbase and sharper styling. From the outside, the concept captures the ethos of bold, futuristic EV looks, but we can’t say the same for the interior. It’s taken over by an awkwardly bulky steering column, with a digital gauge cluster set back far apart from the steering wheel that has an oversize hub with buttons for the cluster and driver-assistance features. A large touchscreen extends up out of the center console, which has a rotary shifter placed in the middle and storage underneath with two USB-C ports.

Toyota hasn’t said anything about battery size or range, but the bZ4X will have to compete with other electric crossovers such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, with up to 305 miles of range, and the Tesla Model Y with 326 miles of range on its Long Range model. The bZ4X, along with additional upcoming Toyota models, will be built on the e-TNGA electric vehicle platform that Toyota developed alongside Subaru, and it supports single-motor front- or rear-wheel-drive setups or dual-motor, all-wheel-drive models, like this bZ4X. A single-motor bZ4 should also be available, and we’ll see an electric vehicle from Subaru, too.
We’ll know more details about the Toyota bZ4X soon, and it will arrive in the U.S. in the middle of next year. We expect the production version to cost around $40,000 given that the plug-in-hybrid RAV4 Prime starts at $39,220.
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BMW has released more details about the all-wheel-drive versions of the new M3 and M4.The 2022 M3 and M4 xDrive will carry a $4100 price premium over the rear-wheel-drive 2021 Competition models.The AWD cars will start arriving in the U.S. this August.BMW’s first M3 equipped with all-wheel drive will be landing in the U.S. market a few months from now carrying a significant price premium. Available only for the higher-powered M3 Competition and M4 Competition models, the AWD 2022 M3 and M4 xDrive models cost $4100 extra compared with the equivalent RWD 2021 versions (BMW has not released 2022 pricing for the non-xDrive cars).

The M3 Competition xDrive starts at $77,895 and the M4 Competition xDrive starts at $79,795. The xDrive cars come with the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine as the RWD Competition, with 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard; the only way to get a six-speed manual is to opt for the non-Competition spec, which has 473 horsepower.
The AWD system offers a few different driving modes. The default “4WD” setting incorporates a rear bias and distributes torque to the front wheels as needed; “4WD Sport” increases the amount of torque sent to the rear; and “2WD” is a drift mode that requires stability control to be deactivated.BMW says that the xDrive models will be slightly quicker than the RWD cars, claiming an 0.4-second improvement in their 60-mph acceleration times. The AWD system also adds 100 pounds to the M3 Competition’s claimed curb weight and 99 pounds to the M4 Competition’s claimed curb weight. We look forward to testing the AWD M3 and M4 ourselves to see how they stack up.
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The VW ID.6, unveiled at the Shanghai auto show, is the first ID EV model that Volkswagen designed for a specific market, which is why the EV has a long wheelbase and a panoramic glass roof to feel larger.It also features China-market-specific connection technologies, like the ability to check on local air quality ratings.The ID.6 slots in below the VW Atlas in size. A version might come to North America, Automotive News said earlier this spring, quoting a VW spokesperson.UPDATE 4/18/21, 5:00 pm: VW told Car and Driver that it will not give out specific details about future products, but we did get the hint that an Atlas-size SUV built off the MEB platform—something similar to the ID.6 described here but without the China-specific touches—will go on sale in the U.S. at some point in the future.Volkswagen is thinking expansively about EVs. The new electric lineup already includes the ID.3 hatchback (available in Europe) and the ID.4, which is sold in the U.S. and will be getting a higher-performance GTX variant. We know the ID. Buzz van will go on sale in the U.S. in 2023. And now here comes the ID.6, a three-row electric crossover SUV based on the I.D. Roomzz concept. Unveiled in connection with the Shanghai auto show this weekend, the ID.6 will be sold in two versions in China, the ID.6 Crozz and the ID.6 X.

Volkswagen

There will be a total of four configurations of the ID.6 in China, with the largest having seats for seven people. Two battery capacities will be available, 58.0 kWh and 77.0 kWh. On China’s NEDC testing cycle, the new VWs will have a claimed total driving range of up to 270 or 365 miles. In 4Motion guise with two electric motors, the ID.6 is claimed to be able to go from zero 62 mph in 6.6 seconds, and the EV will have a top speed of 99 mph.

Like other ID models, the ID.6 rides on VW’s MEB platform, an EV-only solution the company is using to transform itself into an electric mobility company. What’s different is that the ID.6 is the first ID vehicle that was developed specifically for a particular market, and VW said the ID.6 put the “needs and wishes of Chinese customers” top of mind when it comes to size, functionality, and user experience. The ID.6 will be the largest member of the ID family with a total length of 192 inches, 11.8 inches more than the ID.4. A panoramic glass roof and optional sunroof just add to the sense of roominess. When compared with the U.S.-market Atlas, it’s on a similar-size wheelbase, but the Atlas is about six inches longer and wider and four inches taller than the ID.6.

Volkswagen

Counting the ID.6, VW will have launched eight ID. models in China by the end of 2023. Olaf Gutowksi, vice president of sales, marketing, and after sales for Volkswagen China Passenger Cars, said the brand needs this kind of variety to keep pace with the “fierce” competition from domestic brands like Nio and Xpeng in the EV space. VW’s Chinese EVs also need to have more whiz-bang technology features to attract attention, Gutowski said. The ID.6 will have the bare minimum number of physical buttons and switches on the dash, and drivers will interact with the car using a 12.0-inch touchscreen and VW’s “Hello ID” voice-control system. “One difference in our ID. models in China is that they will have a high level of computing power and a robust software platform in order to provide customers with the necessary digital and connectivity services,” Gutowski said in a statement. “For instance, Chinese ID.6 customers can check for updates on air quality or traffic violation tickets.”So the ID.6 will initially go on sale in China, but Automotive News said, quoting an unnamed VW spokesperson, that it is “conceivable” a version of this EV will come to the U.S. We expect the U.S. to get a three-row EV SUV in the Atlas size range from Volkswagen before long, which is likely to be built here as well.
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Mercedes-Benz has revealed another electric-vehicle entry, the EQB, based on the GLB crossover, and it’s coming to the U.S. next year.The EQB will be launched first in China, where it debuts in a luxuriously equipped all-wheel-drive version with AMG Line styling.Europe gets it next in three versions: front- and all-wheel-drive models and a range-optimizing mid-level EQB.Just three days after Mercedes-Benz revealed the mother of all EVs in the form of the stunningly sophisticated EQS luxury sedan, here’s yet another addition to the Mercedes-EQ family of cars: the EQB, an electric seven-seater crossover SUV that is to the GLB-class what the EQA is to the GLA. And yes, it will come to the U.S. market, expected here by the 2022 calendar year.

Mercedes-Benz

While the sheetmetal and glass are identical, the styling department under Gorden Wagener has cleaned up the exterior for a more contemporary and sophisticated look. The front is graced by the trademark EQ headlight/fascia assembly, with a horizontal light bar stretching over the entire width. This element is reflected on the tail end, which boasts a horizontal light strip as well. There are EQ-specific colors and wheels, and there will be a choice of regular or AMG-Line front and rear bumpers.The interior is carried over from the GLB as well, but it comes with EQ-exclusive color and trim options, including rose gold (pictured here), one of Wagener’s favorite colors. Due to the battery packs in the floor, interior space suffers a bit: Daimler cautions that the third row will only work for people up to 5’5″, and the trunk shrinks considerably. That said, the EQB is still a crossover SUV that offers more space than usual for its exterior dimensions.The EQB was unveiled in China, and it will be launched there first as a fully loaded model with a standard AMG Line look, all-wheel drive, and two motors that make a combined 288 horsepower. Europe will get both the EQB350 4Matic with around 268 horsepower and the front-wheel-drive EQB250 with 221 horsepower; there will also be a midlevel version designed as a long-range model. Both China and Europe will see the EQB at dealers within the 2021 calendar year. The U.S. will have to wait until 2022, and the company is mum about the possible powertrain options. “Stay tuned for more details in the coming months,” we are advised. What we can deduce from our experience with the EQA is that even the least powerful versions of the EQB will come in at around 4500 pounds, which we hope won’t translate into plodding, cumbersome handling characteristics, even if that would feel a bit less out of place in a people hauler like the EQB than in a compact hatch like the EQA. There will be no true AMG version, unlike on the EQS and the EQE. However, we’ll suspend judgment until we can drive it.

Mercedes-Benz

Once it arrives on U.S. shores in mid-2022 as a 2023 model, we expect pricing to begin in the $40,000 range for the entry-level version. That model’s performance, despite the EQB250 moniker, can be expected to fall way short of the GLB250, which starts at $39,100. Unlike the EQS, the EQB will be no game changer. But it could be a fitting second or third car to share the garage with Daimler’s new king of EVs, the EQS sedan.
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