Motor News

After over a year of teases, Infiniti has finally debuted the all-new QX55 SUV.
It shares mechanical parts and an interior design with the QX50, but offers a more coupelike exterior style reminiscent of the brand’s storied FX SUV that debuted for the 2003 model year.
Interested buyers won’t have to wait long, as the 2022 QX55 is expected in North American Infiniti dealers in spring 2021.
Coming soon to an Infiniti dealer near you is the 2022 QX55, the brand’s fastback compact SUV which will battle it out for crossover-coupe supremacy with the BMW X4 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC-class coupe. Infiniti’s designers were tasked with adapting the squareback QX50’s platform to create the QX55, but they didn’t have to look far for inspiration. The brand’s athletic-looking FX SUV served as their muse, the evidence of which you can see in the QX55’s curved roofline and muscular rear fenders.

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Infiniti

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Other styling differences set the QX55 further apart from the QX50, including a larger front grille with an origami-inspired mesh inlay. The lower front bumper is also unique to the QX55 and piano-key lighting elements in the taillights tie it to the brand’s redesigned QX60 crossover.
The QX55 is powered by the brand’s 268-hp variable-compression turbocharged four-cylinder engine but, unlike the QX50, offers all-wheel drive as standard. We haven’t tested the QX55 yet, but a similarly equipped QX50 model set a 6.4-second zero-to-60-mph run at our test track. The 20-inch wheels shown in these photos will be standard and their design is specific to the QX55.

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Infiniti

While the QX55’s dashboard and center console design is essentially identical to that of the QX50, designers have chosen to use bolder color combinations and have passed over the QX50’s optional quilted leather upholstery for a two-tone look. Base Luxe models will come with faux leather but genuine leather and semi-aniline leather will both be offered in mid-range Essential and top-spec Sensory trims.
Black-colored open-pore wood trim accents the door panels and dashboard in Sensory models—a tasteful alternative to carbon-fiber trim that prevails among sporty SUVs; Luxe and Essential trims get a dark aluminum trim. For better or worse, Infiniti’s dual-screen infotainment system carries over unchanged to the QX55, but wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability are now standard.

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Infiniti

The dramatically sloped roofline has a predictable downside in the form of pinched rear-seat headroom and a smaller cargo area. Behind the second row seats—which slide fore and aft for some level of adjustment—buyers will find a slightly smaller 26.9-cubic-foot cargo area, down from 31.4 cubic feet in the QX50.
Infiniti hasn’t released pricing for the QX55 yet, but we expect it will start slightly above similarly equipped QX50 models when it goes on sale. That would mean a starting price for the base Luxe model of around $43,000, with pricing moving up to around $45,000 for the Essential and over $50,000 for the Sensory trims.
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Building on VW’s technology that lets its vehicles park into different kinds of parking spaces with one-button control, the Touareg can now do the same trick even if you’re outside the vehicle.
Instead of pushing the “drive” button in the car, the Touareg will now respond to someone holding the button down in a connected smartphone with the VW Remote Park Assist Plus app.
VW says the technology will be rolled out in the U.S., starting in 2022 with the ID.4.
Automakers have apparently come to the conclusion that people really don’t like parking. What used to be a mundane part of driving is now talked about like it’s a burden on our busy lives. Whatever your personal take on parking is, Volkswagen is about to make it easier.
All 2019 and newer Volkswagen models sold in the U.S. are available with a feature called Park Assist as part of some packages. Park Assist is a semi-automatic technology that allows a VW to maneuver in and out of parking spaces by controlling the steering wheel. Someone still needs to be in the driver seat to manipulate the pedals. The Touareg now ups the ante, becoming the first (and so far only) VW capable of assisted maneuvering without a driver on board. The Touareg is also capable of parking itself with a person in the driver’s seat. VW calls the upgraded tech Park Assist with remote control assist system. As the name implies, VW manages the “look mom, no hands” trick by connecting the Touareg to your smartphone.
The overall process is similar whether you’re inside or outside the vehicle. First, when you’re close to a parking space, you push the P button on the infotainment screen. Then, you let the SUV use its four cameras and twelve ultrasound sensors to identify available spaces and then you choose where you want the car to go. From there, whether you’re sitting in the car or outside looking at the VW Remote Park Assist Plus app, you push the Drive button and that tells the car to do its thing. If you remove your finger from the Drive button, the Touareg will stop moving. Otherwise, you keep holding it until the vehicle settles in for a rest.
The Touareg can also exit its space when it’s time to leave, with one minor difference to the process. Through the app, you first start the car and then choose one of six space exiting maneuvers (straight backwards, for example, or forward left). Then, you hold down the Drive button until the car has squeezed itself into position, get in and drive away.VW says the Touareg can now use they remote control system to park in “all types of parking spaces,” which shows how far the technology has come in the last few years.
In 2018, the Volkswagen Group said it was testing autonomous parking in Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles at the Hamburg airport in Germany. The vehicles could only maneuver in and out of spaces that had “simple pictorial markers” installed to give the vehicles a way to orient themselves. Everything is moving according to plan, as VW said then that it would offer autonomous parking in production vehicles in 2020.

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Tesla will be added to the S&P 500 stock index on December 21, the S&P Dow Jones Indices announced on Monday.
Tesla will be the largest company to ever be added to the index, and will likely land among the top ten largest companies in the index once it is added.
The news has spurred a jump of nearly 10 percent in Tesla’s stock price the morning following the announcement.
Tesla is on its way to being included in the S&P 500, one of the most closely followed stock indices in the U.S., S&P Dow Jones Indices announced on Monday. The news follows months of speculation as to whether Tesla would be added to the index once it cleared the hurdle of the S&P 500’s rules for inclusion with its second-quarter earnings report. Its ticker, TSLA, will appear in the S&P 500 beginning Monday, December 21.
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The decision by the S&P committee comes as a sort of vindication for Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk. It further dignifies the electric-vehicle maker in the automotive space and shows that however unorthodox Musk’s tactics may be at times—which include tweeting that he thinks Tesla’s stock price is “too high”—they work.

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Tesla’s stock shot up nearly 10 percent the morning after the announcement, which is partly due to investors buying the stock in anticipation of a further jump once Tesla starts trading on the index. When it does, according to some Tesla investors, it’ll be opened up to a whole new investor base as there are many funds, including exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, and others that track the performance of the S&P 500. Those funds will have to buy Tesla stock in order to balance their portfolios.
And they’ll have to buy a significant share of Tesla stock in order for their portfolios to be properly weighted; Tesla will likely fall in the top 10 largest companies listed in the S&P 500, somewhere near Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. Nonetheless, others say that after a few days of elevated trading, Tesla will settle back down.

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After recording a net profit for the second quarter, the sum of Tesla four previous quarters’ earnings was positive, which was the last hurdle Tesla needed to clear to gain entry into the S&P 500. Nonetheless, the committee passed over Tesla back in September, and some speculate that it was due to Tesla’s reliance on regulatory credits for its quarterly profits.
Now, Tesla has five consecutive quarters of profits behind it, the first time in its history to achieve that. Once the electric automaker gains entry to the S&P 500, it’ll be the most valuable automaker in the index, far ahead of Ford and General Motors, the other two automotive stocks traded on the index.
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BMW’s Mini brand revealed an autonomy-focused concept called the Urbanaut as part of a forward-looking online conference this week.
The Urbanaut is electric and has at least some self-driving capability, although Mini gave few specifications.
There’s an octagonal grille and the obligatory swiveling seats, but no production plan announced for the imaginative concept.
Mini unveiled its Urbanaut concept today, on the heels of a week of future-minded reveals from the BMW Group. Like all current Minis, this one has a small footprint, a minimalist design, and a high cuteness quotient. But unlike current Minis, this one would be able to drive itself.

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Mini provided scant details on the Urbanaut’s powertrain, chassis, or autonomous technology. We know that it’s electric and can drive itself in at least some circumstances, though it can also be driven in the conventional sense—the steering wheel retracts into the dashboard when not in use. But either those details haven’t yet been fleshed out or Mini would simply rather keep them secret for now. Instead, plenty of attention has been paid to the loungelike interior, which can be configured in three different ways to suit different moods and uses.

Mini

When driving (or being driven), the Urbanaut is laid out much like any other vehicle, though its unusual dimensions make it unlike any Mini currently on the road. At 14 feet eight inches long, the Urbanaut is roughly seven inches longer than a Mini Clubman, but it’s significantly taller, with room for occupants to stretch out and even move around when the car is not in motion. Certain elements of the exterior design will be familiar, like the short front and rear overhangs and the minimalist design approach, but others are new. The grille is octagonal for the first time, as opposed to hexagonal, and the headlights are only visible when illuminated.

Mini

Mini

If you’re in more of a festival mood, the Vibe configuration may suit better. In this mode, the Urbanaut’s single side door slides open, and the circular infotainment display shows an animated soundwave graphic to match the music you’re listening to. The same animation will project onto the Urbanaut’s four wheels, perhaps helping to attract like-minded festival goers who want to talk about your sweet ride or maybe share some medicinals.

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If it’s not clear enough that this is a concept in the truest we-will-probably-never-build-anything-like-this sense, Mini doesn’t even hint at a production timeline for the Urbanaut. But it’s probable that at least some design elements showcased here will make their way into roadgoing Minis in the next few years. Our money’s on the octagonal grille, but we wouldn’t mind if it turned out to be the swivel chairs.
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Jeep has announced that the Wrangler Rubicon 392 is headed to production, and it’ll go on sale early next year.
It’s powered by a 6.4-liter V-8 that produces 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, and Jeep claims it’ll do 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.
Available only as a four-door Rubicon model, it’s equipped with 33-inch all-terrain tires, Fox shocks, Dana 44 axles, and it’s an inch taller than the standard Rubicon.
Jeep touted that it had been driving around Wranglers with V-8s under the hood in secrecy for some time and that we’d missed them. We knew it wasn’t a secret. We’d like to think we know Fiat Chrysler, Jeep’s parent company, pretty well by now, and the automaker loves to stuff powerful V-8s (most notably the 700-plus-hp Hellcat supercharged V-8) into practically everything in its lineup. The latest to get eight-cylinder injection is the popular Wrangler, originally seen in concept form, which is getting a 470-hp 6.4-liter V-8 under the hood. And it’s a Rubicon on 33-inch tires.

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Jeep

Three ninety two. Those three numbers denote FCA’s 6.4-liter (392 cubic inch) V-8 that’s found in 392 versions of the Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Durango as well as the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. In the Wrangler Rubicon 392, the naturally aspirated eight cylinder produces 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque that’s sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Jeep claims that it’ll reach 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and run through the quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds.

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Jeep

The burly V-8 is only available on the top-of-the-line four-door Rubicon model, which is the most off-road-capable Wrangler available from the factory. It’s equipped with a full-time two-speed transfer case, Dana 44 axles with electronic locking differentials, Fox shocks, an electronic front sway-bar disconnect for max articulation, and a 3.73 final-drive ratio. A set of 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels are standard, and they’re wrapped with standard 33-inch BFGoodrich K02 all-terrain tires.

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You’ll be able to tell the Wrangler has V-8 power by its functional hood scoop, borrowed from the desert-rated Gladiator Mojave, with “392” badging and a quad-tip exhaust system. A two-inch lift over the standard Wrangler (an inch taller than the standard Rubicon) provides 10.3 inches of ground clearance, and it can clear 32.5 inches of water. To account for the added power of the V-8, Jeep strengthened the chassis with additional steel, upgraded front upper control arms, and cast iron steering knuckles.

The Rubicon 392 is equipped with leather seats with bronze stitching to match the exterior’s bronze accents, and it comes standard with an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Jeep’s Off-Road Pages, which display information including pitch and roll, GPS coordinates, and power distribution. And, like the other Wranglers in Jeep’s lineup, a host of accessories, such as LED lights, rock rails, and winches, will be available from Mopar so customers can further customize their SUVs.
The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 will go on sale in the U.S. early next year and should cost around $50,000.
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Rivian

Rivian’s configurator is currently only live for reservation holders, but we were able to gain access to the system to build the electric pickups (and one SUV) that would be at home in the driveways of four Car and Driver editors.

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With funding from Ford and Amazon, Rivian is one of those EV startups that looks like it’s going to actually make it. The 100,000 delivery van orders from Amazon will certainly help it stay in business for a few years. But we’re here to talk about its consumer vehicles, the 2021 R1T pickup and 2021 R1S SUV. Here’s how we’d spec our Rivians, and it turns out we’re happy to wait the extra six months to get exactly what we want. You’ll be able to spec your own soon. If you’re not already on the reservation list for one of these future Rivians, you’ll just have to wait until November 23 for it to go live on Rivian’s website.
Eric Tingwall’s $72,800 Utilitarian Rivian R1T Explore

Rivian

Rivian

A Rivian R1T is all about getting outside, right? So I’m skipping the luxe interior of the higher trims in favor of a cheaper R1T that is every bit as capable. To build that truck, I started with the entry $67,500 Explore spec and ruggedized it with the $1800 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tires and the $2000 Off-Road Upgrade, which adds underbody armoring, front tow hooks, and an air compressor. Those two options make the Explore model as capable as any Adventure or Launch Edition R1T you can build while saving at least $3700. By choosing the base model, I’m losing out on ventilated seats, passenger lumbar adjustment, the premium audio, the powered tonneau cover, and upgraded interior materials. That’s fine by me; I’d rather spend the money on gear for the next adventure.
Rivian offers some superb paint colors, but I believe that the more extroverted hues like Rivian Blue and Compass Yellow work best on the R1S SUV. My colleagues claimed dibs on Forest Green first, and you don’t need two pictures of the same color, so I’m choosing Limestone, another $1500 upgrade. I like the subtle hint of green that adds dimension to Limestone’s gray base. Interior options are limited to black or white seats in the Explore trim. I’m choosing the former, because this truck is going to get dirty. The only downside to ordering your Rivian R1T like mine? You’ll have to wait until January 2022 at the earliest to take delivery.
Colin Beresford’s $97,000 Long-Range R1T Adventure

Rivian

Rivian

After all of this waiting, it’s exciting to be able to build out one of Rivian’s trucks in a configurator—it makes it feel just a little bit more real. The R1T starts at $67,500, and that’s assuming you can wait beyond the Launch Edition, which is available beginning in June 2021. I wanted to go full send on my R1T build, so I decided I could wait for one with the Adventure package, which starts at $75,000, and the 400-plus-mile range (according to Rivian) battery, a $10,000 option. The Adventure package gives me a skid plate, an air compressor, and tow hooks to help me off-road, and then, to keep me comfortable, it gives me a leather interior, heated and cooled seats, and an upgraded audio system. Because I’ll be going far off-road, I’m splurging for the $5000 kitchen, which slides out from the side of the truck and looks cool as hell. Beyond that, I couldn’t resist the appeal of a color named El Cap Granite, perhaps a nod to Rivian’s partnership with climber Alex Honnold, who’s famous for his ropeless climb up El Cap, and the $3500 20-inch all-terrain dark wheels. I finished it off with a $2000 Forest Edge interior for a final price of $97,000. A full send price for a full send truck.
Roberto Baldwin’s $77,800 Kitchen-Enabled R1T Explore

Rivian

Rivian

Trucks are for hauling, camping, and doing wicked burnouts in the snow or dirt. An electric pickup should be no different. With that in mind, I built an R1T with the Explore package, starting at $67,500. Sure I could get the more expensive Launch Edition with most of the same options plus some fancy perks like additional interior colors, but I decided I’d wait the extra six months for the Explore package so I could use my money on something more important than special badging: an induction cooktop with an integrated sink that slides out the side of the R1T. I went with a Forest Green truck that’s outfitted with a 300-mile battery pack, the $1800 20-inch all-terrain tires, and the $2000 off-road package with a reinforced underbody, tow hooks, and an air compressor. I’m saving some cash by waiting and not opting for the pricier Adventure and Launch Editions. I don’t need a powered tonneau cover, but being able to pull a portable kitchen out of the side of a truck and cook up a steak in the great outdoors sounds like reason enough to go electric while camping.
Drew Dorian Goes against the Grain with His $81,000 R1S SUV Launch Edition

Rivian

Rivian

While everyone is focused on the R1T pickup truck, my interest has been on the R1S SUV. Not only do I prefer its squareback styling over the pickup’s, the SUV fits my lifestyle better. As a renter, I don’t have weekend home-improvement tasks on my to-do list so I’d rather have the third row of seats and the enclosed cargo area. The Launch Edition model starts at $77,500—or $2000 more than the R1T—and comes with the large battery pack and the Off-Road Upgrade package (skid plates, tow hooks, and an onboard air compressor). Rivian will include 20-, 21-, or 22-inch wheels—call me vain, but I’d happily sacrifice ride comfort for the look of the big rollers. I’m a big fan of green cars, but Launch Green is a little too camo-esque for me, so I’d pick the deeper Forest Green and add a matching Forest Edge interior theme, which includes a rich-looking dark wood trim. In total, my loaded-up R1S wears an estimated price tag of $81,000. If that seems expensive, I’ll remind you that the Tesla Model X—the R1S’s chief rival—has a base price of $81,190 and goes up from there.

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Lincoln will reveal an updated version of the Nautilus on November 20.
The 2021 Nautilus is likely to have interior upgrades, possibly including a larger touchscreen.
Expect the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus to go on sale either late this year or early next year.
Lincoln’s mid-size Nautilus crossover is poised to get some updates for the 2021 model year. A short teaser video confirms that the 2021 Nautilus will be revealed on November 20, and we think the improvements will largely be focused on the interior.
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2021 Ford Edge Adds a Huge Touchscreen

2019 Lincoln Nautilus Improves on the Former MKX

Like its downmarket cousin, the Ford Edge, the Nautilus is likely to gain a larger touchscreen infotainment system. The 2021 Edge has a new 12.0-inch vertically oriented screen, but a leaked photo of the 2021 Nautilus’s interior on FordAuthority shows a different screen setup. It also shows a completely different dashboard layout compared to the current Nautilus. The new cabin’s air vents and HVAC controls look similar to the newer Aviator and Corsair’s.
Lincoln may also revise the 2021 Nautilus’s exterior, but we expect smaller changes in that regard. The Nautilus nameplate was introduced for the 2019 model year, but it was essentially a rebadged and restyled version of the previous MKX crossover that arrived for 2016.
More details will be available later this week about the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus, which should reach dealerships within the next few months.
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Honda will hold the live-streamed debut of the 2022 Honda Civic on its Head2Head Twitch channel on Tuesday, November 17, at 8 p.m. ET.
This will be the 11th-generation Honda Civic, although the vehicle being shown off is officially being called a prototype.
The 2022 Honda Civic will go on sale in late 2021.
Instead of the usual live stream on YouTube or Facebook, Honda has decided to unveil the prototype of the 2022 Honda Civic via the video streaming platform Twitch. The service is known more for streaming footage of people playing video games than unveiling new cars. But if you’re an automaker and your car happens to skew to a younger audience as the Civic does, Twitch is the place to be.
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The digitally streamed festivities will begin on Tuesday, November 17, at 8 p.m. ET on Honda’s Head2Head streaming channel. The actual reveal won’t take place until 9:45 p.m. The event will be hosted by Twitch personalities Rachel Seltzer and MonsterDface, and there will be a live performance by Grammy-nominated artist Cordae.

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If you’re not sure how Twitch works, not to worry, we’ve embedded the live-stream player above.
Details about the new 2022 Civic are sparse, but Honda says it will “raise the bar for style, performance, safety, and advanced technology in the compact-car market.” We also know that there will be sedan, hatchback, Si, and Type R models, and a manual transmission will be offered. Honda dropped a teaser video of the Civic prototype on November 12, and you can check it out below while waiting for the Civic to debut on Twitch.
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