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BMW’s iDrive 8.5 infotainment update is designed to mimic smartphones more than before.The updated operating system’s home screen will allows quicker access to functions and a more configurable layout.This summer, iDrive 8.5 will be available on models that currently have iDrive 8; these include all EVs, the X5 SUV through the new plug-in-hybrid XM, and the 7-series.The first iDrive system that debuted in 2001 on the E65-generation BMW 7-series included a control knob meant to mimic a computer’s mouse. The proliferation of smartphones over the past decade-plus has conditioned many people to pinch, poke, or swipe their fingers on a screen to make things happen. BMW is in the business of giving consumers what they want, which is why the iDrive 8.5 infotainment update the company is releasing this summer will be more smartphone-like than ever. For models that currently have iDrive 8, the revised infotainment software will be available via production or an over-the-air (OTA) update. The list of BMWs includes the 7-series, the electric i4 and iX, the mid-size SUVs (X5, X6, and X7), and also the plug-in-hybrid XM.BMW says iDrive 8.5 will have a home screen that’s designed to make smartphone-users feel more, well, at home. Along with clearly arranged functions, the updated infotainment system is said to have a menu structure that’s akin to, say, an iPhone. People using iDrive 8.5 will have the ability to customize and reconfigure the home screen. The updated interface will also have fewer layers, meaning less menu diving, which should translate to fewer distractions. With iDrive 8.5, there’s a vertical section on the driver’s side of the infotainment screen that allows quick access to functions such as media, navigation, vehicle settings, and more. To return to the home screen, people can simple touch the “home” icon at the bottom of the display.BMWThese newly introduced infotainment features coincide with BMW’s stated mission of prioritizing touch and voice controls. This philosophy further evolves with the introduction of iDrive 9, which will debut on the 2024 BMW X1. Unlike version 8.5, which uses a Linux-based operating system, the ninth installment of iDrive will feature Android software. Unfortunately for those of us who prefer physical controls like those in the E65 7-series, the future of BMW’s iDrive looks knobless.This 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.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

The U.S. version of the VW ID.Buzz electric van will debut in June, Volkswagen has confirmed.It will have a long-wheelbase configuration and seven seats as standard.We expect it to arrive for the 2024 model year, meaning it could go on sale late this year or early next year.VW’s Microbus revival, the electric ID.Buzz van, is already on sale in Europe, and now we’re finally getting some updates on the U.S. version and when it will arrive on our shores. Volkswagen has confirmed that the long-wheelbase version of the Buzz will make its debut in June before going on sale in America for the 2024 model year. Our spy photographers have also spotted a prototype of the LWB van testing in wintry conditions, giving us our first look at this different configuration.KGP Photography|Car and DriverVolkswagenThe difference between the short-wheelbase European model and the long-wheelbase U.S. model is most obvious if you look at the length of the rear sliding doors. Otherwise, the two look nearly identical on the outside. The U.S. version will come standard with three rows of seats and should offer seating for seven passengers, while the Euro version has two rows of seats. We expect some other interior trim differences, although we’re hoping that the fun interior color options make their way to our market.More on the BuzzVW has also told us that the bigger U.S.-bound Buzz will have a larger battery pack than the 77.0-kWh pack available elsewhere. The base model will have a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 201 horsepower, and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive upgrade will be optional and should offer the same 295 horsepower as the AWD option in the ID.4 SUV. KGP Photography|Car and DriverLook for more information to come when the 2024 ID.Buzz makes its U.S. debut in June, including pricing, range estimates, and a more concrete on-sale date.This 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.Senior 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 U.S. version of the VW ID.Buzz electric van will debut in June, Volkswagen has confirmed.It will have a long-wheelbase configuration and seven seats as standard.It will arrive for the 2025 model year and will go on sale in the U.S. in summer 2024.UPDATE 3/13/23: VW confirmed to C/D that the U.S.-bound ID.Buzz will arrive for the 2025 model year and that it will go on sale on our shores a year after the debut, in June 2024. We have updated this story accordingly.VW’s Microbus revival, the electric ID.Buzz van, is already on sale in Europe, and now we’re finally getting some updates on the U.S. version and when it will arrive on our shores. Volkswagen has confirmed that the long-wheelbase version of the Buzz will make its debut in June before going on sale in America for the 2024 model year. Our spy photographers have also spotted a prototype of the LWB van testing in wintry conditions, giving us our first look at this different configuration.KGP Photography|Car and DriverVolkswagenThe difference between the short-wheelbase European model and the long-wheelbase U.S. model is most obvious if you look at the length of the rear sliding doors. Otherwise, the two look nearly identical on the outside. The U.S. version will come standard with three rows of seats and should offer seating for seven passengers, while the Euro version has two rows of seats. We expect some other interior trim differences, although we’re hoping that the fun interior color options make their way to our market.More on the BuzzVW has also told us that the bigger U.S.-bound Buzz will have a larger battery pack than the 77.0-kWh pack available elsewhere. The base model will have a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 201 horsepower, and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive upgrade will be optional and should offer the same 295 horsepower as the AWD option in the ID.4 SUV. KGP Photography|Car and DriverThe Buzz won’t go on sale in the U.S. until a year after the debut, as a VW spokesperson told C/D that it will arrive on our shores in June 2024. Look for more information to come when the 2025 ID.Buzz makes its official debut in June, including pricing, range estimates, and more.This 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.Senior 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

Lamborghini CEO Stefan Winkelmann confirmed the Huracán’s replacement will arrive by the end of 2024 as a plug-in hybrid. Winkelmann confirmed the Urus SUV will switch to a hybrid powertrain in 2024 as well.Lamborghini will also introduce two EVs by the decade’s end; the first will arrive in 2028, with an electric Urus following in 2029. Despite Italy generally opposing the European Union’s plan for carbon neutrality by 2035, one of its most famous carmakers is stepping up its electrification plans. Lamborghini CEO Stefan Winkelmann recently confirmed two upcoming hybrid models and laid a road map for its first two EVs.Lamborghini Hybrids on the WayLast Friday, during a presentation in Sant’Agata, Italy, Winkelmann told reporters the Huracán’s successor will arrive at the end of 2024, and that it would be a plug-in hybrid. This news comes courtesy of our sister publication, Road & Track, who also reported that Winkelmann said the Urus SUV will switch to a hybrid powertrain in 2024.”And then we’ll model the Urus as a hybrid in 2024,” Winkelmann told reporters. “And at the end of ’24 the brand-new Huracán will come to market.”A Lamborghini spokesperson today confirmed to Car and Driver that both of Winkelmann’s statements are true.LamborghiniLambo’s First EVs Are Coming TooWe’ve known that Winkelmann is bullish on EVs since we talked to him in person in 2021. The comments reported by R&T also line up with what he said back then, when Lamborghini announced plans to electrify every vehicle in its portfolio by the end of 2024.What we’ve learned today—both from the R&T report and via direct confirmation from a company spokesperson—is Lamborghini’s official plans for its first two electric models. “In ’28 and ’29 we will have our first two BEVs,” Winkelmann reportedly said. “It will be the first one to be completely a BEV car in 2028. And then in 2029 there will be the new Urus.”Simply put, Lamborghini’s first EV will be an unknown car that arrives in 2028. Its second EV will be an all-electric successor to the current Urus, and it’ll arrive in 2029. More LamborghiniNot Lamborghini’s First Hybrid RodeoWe should note that when Lamborghini reveals the plug-in-hybrid replacement for the Aventador, it won’t be the company’s first hybrid rodeo. We recently learned the successor to the Aventador (referenced with the internal code LB744) will be powered by a hybrid V-12 that generates up to 1001 horsepower. It features three electric motors, with two up front and one integrated to the new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Lamborghini is also diving further into motorsports, with a commitment to LMDH racing in 2024 as it gears up for a hybrid future. Back in 2021, Lamborghini sold a very limited number of the exotic Sián, an 808-hp V-12 hybrid based on the Aventador.Hopefully, the Italian brand has made some strides in hybrid technology since then, as the Sián matched the Aventador’s EPA-rated city and combined mpg, while netting one mpg worse (14 versus 15) in its highway number. Not great, Roberto.This 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 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

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV’s starting prices range from $79,050 for the EQE350 to $90,650 for the EQE500.Unlike with the sedan version, Mercedes offers the rear-drive EQE350+ and the all-wheel-drive EQE350 4Matic at the same price. The ’23 EQE SUV’s three powertrains are offered with three trim levels: Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle.CORRECTION 3/8/23: This story has been updated after a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said the company’s original press release incorrectly stated the price of the Pinnacle trim levels on the EQE350 and EQE500 models.Traditionally, automakers charge extra for popular options such as all-wheel drive, but one brand is breaking the mold. When the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV goes on sale this spring, customers will pay the same price for the rear-drive single-motor EQE350+ as the all-wheel-drive dual-motor EQE350 4Matic. Both start at $79,050 in base Premium guise.Price Match, Aisle EQEMercedes continues to price match those two EQE350 powertrain configurations in the two higher trim levels—Exclusive and Pinnacle. They start at $81,150 and $85,000, respectively. While the single-motor EQE350+ and the dual-motor EQE350 4Matic share an identical 288 horsepower, the added motor brings an additional 147 pound-feet of torque (417 versus 564).Mercedes expects that extra grunt to barely affect acceleration, though, as the AWD version’s zero-to-60-mph time is only estimated to be a tenth quicker at 6.2 seconds. The second electric motor could impact its driving range, but we won’t know until Mercedes releases the EQE SUV’s official estimates.For whatever reason, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan doesn’t have a no-cost AWD option. Opting for the dual-motor setup on that car adds $3000. All-wheel drive also costs more on the EQS sedan and the EQS SUV. Top EQE500 Eclipses $96KThe EQE500 4Matic SUV only comes with dual electric motors and all-wheel drive, so its pricing is more straightforward. The Premium trim represents the entry point to its 536-hp powertrain, and it starts at $90,650. Stepping up to the EQE500 adds $2100, for a starting sticker price of $92,750. The Pinnacle is the fanciest trim and approaches the six-figure mark. It starts at $96,600. Mercedes has yet to announce pricing for an upcoming AMG version of the EQE SUV, so stay tuned for that.More on Mercedes’ EQ SUVsThis 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.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More