Motor News

If you like giving people rides, just not in your own car or maybe because you don’t have a car, Kinto is a service that will get you behind the wheel of a Toyota for around $200 a week.
A new deal in Vancouver, British Columbia, adds the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai to the list of vehicles people can rent for up to four weeks if they drive for Lyft.
In the U.S., Kinto operates with Uber in Southern California and Fort Bend, Texas, but the Mirai is not part of the program there.
Renting a car just to use it as you drive for a ride-sharing app is nothing new, but the setup is getting some high-pressure tweaks in Vancouver, Canada, thanks to Toyota and Lyft. The gist? For $200 a week you can get behind the wheel of a hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai, and then it’s up to you to hustle your way to profits.
The plan is being operated by Toyota’s Kinto Share program, which will charge eligible Lyft drivers $198 plus fees and taxes for seven days in a Mirai. Drivers can reserve a Mirai for up to a month at a time, and Kinto covers the insurance and scheduled maintenance, but not the fuel, for the rental during this time. You also don’t get any keys with this rental, as access to the car is done completely through your smartphone and the Kinto Share app. Also, you have to go to a local Toyota dealership to pick up the car, and it turns out that the $200-a-week cost is only good until late summer. The rates jump to $288 a week after August 1, 2021.

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The benefits of driving a hydrogen-powered car are similar to a battery EV since they both produce zero emissions. An H2 vehicle can be refilled in less than 10 minutes as hydrogen stations, and Lyft notes there are three such stations in and around Vancouver. Lyft said that around 20 percent of all of the vehicles involved in the Lyft platform in the Metro Vancouver region are either zero-emission vehicles or hybrids.
The Mirais available through this deal are the first-gen models, specifically from the 2019 model year, not the much better-looking second-gen vehicle which, in the U.S. at least, is only sold in California. Kinto makes a note in its FAQ that that 2019 Mirai does not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But where do they get refueled? Lyft supplies the addresses of three hydrogen refueling stations that are up and running in metro Vancouver.
Kinto did not respond to our questions about a possible expansion of the Mirai service to the U.S., where it would really only work in the Los Angeles or San Francisco areas. Kinto currently operates two U.S. locations, in Southern California and Fort Bend, Texas, where it offers “weekly, daily, & hourly car rentals for Uber, delivery, & personal use.” In the U.S., Kinto offers a number of Toyota vehicles, including hybrids, starting at a cost of $5.50 an hour or $215 a week, plus taxes.
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Kia has released a new sedan model called the K8, which replaces the Cadenza (also known as the K7 in global markets).
The K8 features Kia’s new logo and design language.
We don’t expect to see this car come to the U.S., as Kia dropped the Cadenza from its lineup on our shores recently.
Kia just killed off its Cadenza large sedan in the U.S., which means we aren’t likely to get its replacement, called the K8 (the Cadenza was called the K7 globally). And that’s a shame, because the K8 features an elegant design and looks like it could be a worthy competitor to sedans like the Lexus ES.

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The K8 is slightly longer than the car it replaces. Although Kia has yet to release mechanical details, it appears to continue with a front-wheel-drive, transverse-engine layout. The company does say that many of the K8’s design details—such as the interesting patterned grille treatment and the angular taillights—will make their way onto other upcoming Kia models.

Kia

The K8 is also the first Kia to feature the company’s new logo. The block letters are prominently displayed on the hood and trunklid. We have an inkling that the new 2022 Kia Carnival minivan will be the first car in the U.S. to get this new emblem; it will be revealed next week.
We don’t know yet what engines the K8 has, and Kia hasn’t shown photos of the interior, either. The car will go on sale later this year, likely starting in South Korea first. But don’t hold your breath for it to ever arrive on our shores.
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Lotus hopes to race the E-R9 race car by 2030, which would coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Lotus Mark IX’s debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955.
One of the car’s unique aero innovations is body panels with active surfaces that can change their shape and attitude to the airflow with the press of a button by the driver.
The Lotus E-R9 features an advanced electric drivetrain that powers each wheel independently.
Lotus is targeting 2030 for its E-R9 electric racer, and the company is hoping that the car’s interactive design and electric powerplant will put the competition in the rearview mirror.
Lotus unveiled these renderings of its new car on Tuesday.

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Among its innovations are an active aerodynamics system with adjustable body panels that can change their shape in relation to airflow when triggered by the driver at the press of a button or automatically, through what Lotus is calling “performance sensor inputs.”

The Lotus E-R9 has a bit of a Delta Wing look to it.
Lotus

The car’s E-R branding stands for Endurance Racer, while 9 is a nod to Lotus’s racing past. Lotus hopes to race the car in 2030, which would mark the 75th anniversary of the Lotus Mark IX’s debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955. Company founder Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart drove the original Mark IX.
According to Lotus, the E-R9 was developed by the engineering team of Richard Hill, chief aerodynamicist at Lotus, and Louis Kerr, principal platform engineer on the Lotus Evija electric hypercar as well as technical director, GT, Geely Group Motorsports International. Russell Carr, design director for Lotus, led the design team.

Lotus Cars

“What we’ve tried to do is to push the boundaries of where we are technically today and extrapolate into the future,” Hill said in a press release. “The Lotus E-R9 incorporates technologies which we fully expect to develop and be practical. Lotus has an amazing history of developing unique solutions, and we’ve done it many times in motorsport and with our road cars.”

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The Lotus E-R9 features an electric drivetrain that powers each wheel independently.
“Battery energy density and power density are developing significantly year on year,” Kerr said. “Before 2030, we’ll have mixed-cell-chemistry batteries that give the best of both worlds, as well as the ability to hot-swap batteries during pit stops.”
The car builds on technology already integrated on the Lotus Evija electric hypercar, though for the E-R9 it would be fully adjustable by the driver inside the cockpit.

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The 2022 McLaren Artura is full of firsts for the British supercar maker: first with a new 3.0-liter V-6, which makes 577 horsepower; first plug-in hybrid model; and first underpinned by the company’s new MCLA architecture.
The weight of electrical components is offset by a lighter engine, keeping the Artura’s weight relatively low at 3308 pounds.
The Artura will be priced starting at about $225,000 and goes on sale later in 2021, although orders are being taken now.
McLaren has produced hybrid models in the past, such as the 2014 P1 that incorporated a 177-hp electric motor, but the new Artura—seen here for the first time—is set to break new ground for the British supercar maker. This will be McLaren’s first plug-in hybrid, the first model to use a freshly developed 3.0-liter V-6 engine, and also the debutante for the company’s new MCLA architecture, which is designed to accommodate electrified powertrains.
But the Artura isn’t a direct replacement for the recently retired 570S Sports Series. As well as being substantially faster than the outgoing model, the plug-in is also going to carry a sizable premium, with the range starting at $225,000. Meaning that the McLaren GT, which sits on the old platform and keeps V-8 power, is now the company’s entry point.

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2022 McLaren Artura

Many of the Artura’s statistics are compelling, but the most interesting is the claimed 3303-pound curb weight. McLaren boss Mike Flewitt warned us that a plug-in would have to carry a weight penalty, but based on the company’s numbers, this is an impressively modest one. The mass of the electrical components has added a total of 287 pounds, but mass has been saved elsewhere through both a lighter structure and the smaller V-6, which weighs 110 pounds less than the 3.8-liter V-8 in the Sports Series.

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McLaren

The all-aluminum V-6 has a wide 120 degrees between its cylinder banks with twin turbochargers mounted inside its vee. The rev limit is 8500 rpm, the same as the V-8, with the engine making peaks of 577 horsepower and 431 pound-feet of torque. This works in conjunction with an electric motor located within the transmission housing, which can add up to 94 horsepower and 166 pound-feet. McLaren claims total system output peaks of 671 horsepower and 531 pound-feet; the combined torque peak is less than the sum of both sides as the output is limited to “optimize powertrain drivability characteristics.”
The e-motor itself is a state-of-the-art “axial flux” unit, similar to the one in the Ferrari SF90, and can add assistance or power the car by itself. The 7.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack weighs 194 pounds and is positioned under the rear of the passenger compartment. McLaren claims a 2.5-hour time for an 80 percent charge using an EVSE cable and a 19-mile electric range under European testing methodology.
Although final performance figures haven’t been released yet, McLaren predicts the Artura will be able to dispatch the zero-to-60-mph benchmark in 3.0 seconds and get from rest to 124 mph in 8.3 seconds and zero to 186 mph in 21.5 seconds. Top speed will be electronically limited to 205 mph. Top speed in electric-only mode is a more modest 81 mph. The Artura also gets a new eight-speed twin-clutch transmission—previous McLaren road cars have had seven-speeders—with drive reaching the rear axle through a new electronically controlled locking differential. This should improve traction under hard cornering, something that more powerful McLaren models often struggle to deliver. As with the SF90, there is no mechanical reverse gear; the Artura will always back up under electrical power.
The new car’s design riffs on several familiar McLaren themes, but pleasingly so. The Artura is almost exactly the same length as the more expensive 720S. At 179.0 inches, the new car is actually 0.2 inch longer, but its tightly wrapped proportions and lack of aggressive aerodynamics mean it looks shorter. McLaren’s design director, Rob Melville, refers to the smoothed contours as being “technical sculpture,” and, unusually for something so potent, there are no active aerodynamics or movable surfaces. Compared to the 570S, the Artura’s side vents have acquired a more organic shape, it has also gained the pleasing addition of fender top air vents similar in design to the ones used by Porsche’s RS 911s. The so-called “eye socket” headlights are smaller than those of the 570S and contain all-LED elements. At the back, ultra-narrow taillights are contained within a laser-cut mesh grille which also accommodates twin exhaust tailpipes. The engine cover also includes what is described as a chimney vent leading to the vee of the engine to improve cooling.

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McLaren

Less Carbon Fiber, More Hide
The Artura’s cabin is more spacious than those of the Sports Series and 720S, and it’s accessed over narrower sills. Materials have grown plusher—with an increase in hide and microfiber and a decrease in visible carbon fiber—and power-adjustable “comfort seats” will be standard, along with vehicle nose lift, power-folding mirrors, and soft-close doors. Ergonomics have been tidied up, too, with a new 8.0-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen display running a sleeker Android-based MIS II system, which offers smartphone mirroring support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Powertrain and Handling mode switches of all modern era McLarens are still present but have been moved from the center console to binnacles behind the steering wheel; the Powertrain function also adds a new pure electric E-mode to Comfort, Track, and Sport. There is 5.6 cubic feet of luggage space under the front hood.
McLaren is also boosting the Artura’s everyday credentials with the sort of convenience and active-safety systems the brand has previously eschewed. These will include optional adaptive cruise control, high-beam assist, and road sign recognition. The car’s electronic systems will support over-the-air updates, and it will also feature a low-energy Bluetooth key that is able to detect a driver’s approach and power up certain systems before the car is unlocked.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the Artura’s steering, which will continue to use electrohydraulic assistance in place of a pure electric system as the company reckons this gives better feel and feedback. Carbon-ceramic brakes will be standard, as will adaptive dampers with McLaren’s Proactive Damping Control system, which gathers data from a battery of sensors to optimize shock absorber response. Like the Sports Series and GT, the Artura will use conventional anti-roll bars rather than the linked hydraulic system of the company’s more expensive cars.
The Artura is available to order now, with the first customer deliveries to take place later in the year.
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The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is redesigned with a distinctive exterior design and a nicer-looking interior.
It now shares its platform and engine with the Nissan Rogue.
The Outlander will go on sale in April with a starting price of $26,990.
As Mitsubishi’s first new product in several years, the new 2022 Outlander compact SUV is significant in a few ways. Not only does it look far nicer than its predecessor inside and out, it also represents the first fruit of Mitsubishi and Nissan’s alliance that U.S. customers will see.
The Outlander now shares a platform and engine with the Nissan Rogue. Its exterior design is entirely distinct, however, with an in-your-face front end that features a prominent grille, lots of chrome trim, and an interesting lighting arrangement that includes daytime running lights, headlights, and fog lights.

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Mitsubishi

Larger than before in most dimensions, the Outlander continues to reside on the large end of the compact-crossover segment and retains its standard third row of seats. The Volkswagen Tiguan is the only other car in this class that offers space for seven passengers, although we must say that the Outlander’s third row it doesn’t look particularly hospitable in photos.

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The standard powertrain is a 2.5-liter inline-four with 181 hp and 181 pound-feet of torque. It uses a continuously variable automatic transmission. These engine specs are identical to the Rogue’s, although we expect the Outlander to be a bit heavier owing to its extra row of seats. This means it may be slower than the Rogue, which accelerated to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds in our testing. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional. Mitsubishi has also said that a plug-in-hybrid version of the Outlander is coming later but it has not yet released details on that model.

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Mitsubishi

The interior materials look to be an improvement over the outgoing Outlander, which had one of the most plasticky and low-rent cabins in the segment. There are also some interesting colors and textures available, such as the orange trim shown in these photos. An 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard, with a 9.0-inch screen optional. The infotainment and optional digital gauge-cluster displays themselves use software lifted directly from the Nissan, with similar graphics.
Other desirable options for higher trim levels include a head-up display, a power liftgate, all manner of driver-assistance features, leather seats, and 20-inch wheels.
The 2022 Outlander starts at $26,990, or $900 more than the old Outlander and just a hair more expensive than the Rogue. We don’t yet have pricing for the Outlander’s higher trim levels or option packages. It will begin reaching U.S. dealerships in April.
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The Hyundai Kona and Kona Electric are getting new looks for the 2022 model year.
The standard powertrain is still a 147-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder, while a turbocharged 1.6-liter makes 195 horsepower and is available in a new N Line model.
The 2022 Kona and Kona Electric will arrive in the spring.
Hyundai is revamping the Kona subcompact crossover for the 2022 model year with bolder looks for both the gasoline-powered and electric models. A sporty N Line (pictured above) and even sportier N model will soon join the lineup as well to help make its performance models more mainstream. The new Konas will arrive in the spring, with the Kona N arriving by the end of the year.

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2022 Hyundai Kona.
Hyundai

The new look features even more black cladding up front that’s mainly on the bumper, a larger honeycomb grille, thin light signatures, and streamlined headlights, giving the subcompact SUV a more aggressive and desirable face. In the rear, the body cladding is also accentuated, and the taillights are much thinner than on the previous model. Hyundai says the new Kona is 1.6 inches longer than the 2021 model. The N Line looks moderately sportier, with three vents above the grille and body-colored cladding, and it also has more aggressive 18-inch wheels compared with the standard 16- or 17-inchers. The Kona Electric (pictured below) previously had sporadic indents in place of the grille, but the 2022 model now has a simpler, smooth front end with refreshed headlights and a similar rear to the gas-powered Kona sans body cladding.

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Hyundai Kona Electric
Hyundai

Kona SE and SEL models come equipped with the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder as before, making 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. A turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, available in the N Line and Limited models, makes 195 horsepower, 20 more than before, and it is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The even sportier Kona N will use a 275-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four found in the Veloster N. The Kona Electric is still estimated at 258 miles of range from a 64.0-kWh battery pack, although, in our test of a 2019 model, we achieved 160 miles.

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At the center of the Kona’s new interior is a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen with a simplified dashboard layout and an available digital gauge cluster. A 10.3-inch touchscreen is available on the N Line and standard on the Limited model, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability are standard. Second row legroom has increased slightly over the previous model, while cargo space behind the second row remains the same. Hyundai’s Blue Link application is still complimentary for three years, and on the Kona Electric, owners can schedule their desired charges.
The 2022 Hyundai Kona, including the N Line, and Kona Electric, will arrive in showrooms in the spring. Pricing is expected to start just over $21,000 and reach close to $30,000 for the N Line. The Kona Electric will be a bit more expensive, starting just under $40,000.
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The new 2022 Infiniti QX55 starts at $47,525 and will arrive in dealerships in April.
All-wheel drive is standard, and three trims are available: Luxe ($47,525), Essential ($52,625), and Sensory ($58,075).
The QX55 is a coupelike version of the squareback QX50 crossover, and it’s powered by a 268-hp variable-compression-turbo four-cylinder.
Infiniti’s new QX55 fastback compact crossover, which is based on the squareback QX50, will arrive at dealerships in April. The coupelike SUV will start at $47,525 and will compete with the likes of the BMW X4 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC-class coupe when it goes on sale in April, although both German SUVs start over $50,000.

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Infiniti

All QX55s come standard with a 268-hp variable-compression turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with all-wheel drive (the QX50 has the option of front- or all-wheel drive) as well as a set of 20-inch wheels and wireless Apple CarPlay capability. The base price is for the Luxe model, which comes equipped with a sunroof, heated front seats, aluminum interior trim, and a Wi-Fi hotspot, which was new on the 2021 QX50.

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The mid-level Essential model starts at $52,625 and adds a navigation system, heated and cooled front seats, a 360-degree camera, and a 16-speaker Bose sound system. A ProASSIST package is also available on the QX55 Essential for $800, which includes LED headlights as well as safety features such as adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring. The top-of-the-line Sensory model includes a semi-aniline leather interior with wood trim and ambient lighting, and it starts at $58,075.
The 2022 Infiniti QX55 will be at dealerships in April starting at $47,525 for the base Luxe model and topping out at $58,075 for the luxurious Sensory model. A new QX60 three-row SUV will arrive later in the year, Infiniti says, along with several other new products.
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Hyundai has released this interior shot of the all-new 2022 Ioniq 5, ahead of the new model’s February 23 unveiling.
The photo reveals that the Ioniq 5 gets design inspiration from the 45 concept in both the interior and the exterior.
The interior of the Ioniq 5 will be clean and without many buttons.
Hyundai is set to reveal its first vehicle in the Ioniq subbrand, the Ioniq 5, on February 23. Ahead of that debut, the automaker has released an interior shot of the forthcoming electric vehicle. The Ioniq 5 is a hatchback-like mid-size crossover, as we’ve seen from earlier teasers of the exterior. Its appearance draws from the design of the 45 concept—and that look extends to the interior.

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The overhead shot of the front seats and dash shows two screens, the instrument cluster and the infotainment screen, which sit on the same panel running from in front of the driver to the middle of the dash. Buttons are sparse; there is a cluster of physical controls below the infotainment screen, but not much beyond that.
The Ioniq 5 will get a physical drive stalk to the right of a two-spoke steering wheel. That steering wheel looks similar to those in cars from Genesis, the Hyundai/Kia group’s luxury brand. Between the drivers, there is nothing more than two cupholders, an armrest, and storage. There will also be a flat floor between the drivers, much like in the 45 concept.

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The Hyundai 45 Concept
Hyundai

The driver and front passenger seats come equipped with footrests so that the occupants can rest while the car is charging. Those seats, Hyundai says, are wrapped in sustainable fabrics sourced from products such as sugar cane, wool, and recycled PET plastic bottles. Hyundai says that the interior is both spacious and customizable, but we’ll have to wait until the reveal to learn how it can be customized.
The Ioniq 5 will be revealed on February 23 at 2 a.m. Eastern time.
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