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Now in its third generation, the 2024 Crosstrek is joining the Subaru Wilderness family of off-roaders.Following in the footsteps of the Outback and Forester, the Crosstrek Wilderness adds subtle visual and practical changes to the SUV.The Wilderness more than doubles the towing capacity, from 1500 to 3500 pounds. From Ford’s Raptor badge to Toyota’s TRD nameplate, buyers and manufacturers alike love to show off how special their vehicle is through a curated subbrand. Subaru has been building out its roster of off-road-themed Wilderness models lately, and it’s now adding a third model to the lineup in the form of the 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness. It joins the Outback and Forester Wilderness editions in offering Subaru fans a more rugged option to explore flora and fauna.Where the Wild Things Are Like the other Wilderness editions, the Crosstrek Wilderness revises the basic formula of a Subaru with a rugged twist. The special edition includes an upgraded drivetrain, a raised suspension, and a front metal skid plate that all aim to give drivers a bit of extra confidence—and the all-important outward appearance of ruggedness—for reaching further campsites and trickier trailheads. The revised suspension features a 0.6-inch lift, providing a total of 9.3 inches of ground clearance. That extra height improves the approach and departure angles too. The approach angle increases from 18.0 degrees in your run-of-the-mill Crosstrek models to 20.0 degrees on the Wilderness, while the departure angle increases from 30.0 to 33.0 degrees and the breakover angle moves up from 19.7 to 21.1 degrees.More WildernessNothing has changed in the power department, as the same 2.5-liter flat-four that’s optional on the standard Crosstrek is standard on the Wilderness and still churns out 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. A new transmission oil coiler more than doubles the maximum tow rating from 1500 pounds to 3500 pounds. The final-drive ratio is revised to 4.11:1 in place of the Crosstrek’s standard 3.70:1. Unfortunately, the manual-transmission option is as gone for the Wilderness as it is for every other Crosstrek, and a continuously variable automatic transmission is standard across the board. The driver-selectable X-Modes offer snow/dirt and deep snow/mud options, adjusting throttle and transmission tuning where required. The system detects steep inclines and automatically enables low-ratio gradient control. Standard Hill Descent Control also automatically applies braking on descents under 12 mph. Controlled DescentThe roof racks are reworked to allow a 176-pound dynamic load capacity and 700-pound static load limit, making rooftop tents viable. A collection of visual changes help the Wilderness stand out on the road. Yokohama Geolandar A/T tires with raised white lettering ride on matte-black 17-inch alloy wheels. Copper accents contrast the black cladding surrounding the bodywork. The Geyser Blue paint option from the other Wilderness vehicles appears on the Crosstrek’s palette, as do the host of Wilderness logos found everywhere from the headrests to the floor mats. The Wilderness will be built in Lafayette, Indiana, along with the other Crosstrek 2.5-liter models, and it will carry a starting price of $33,290 when it joins the lineup in the fall.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 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric will now offer two battery-pack options, a smaller pack with an estimated 197 miles of range and a larger pack with an estimated 260 miles of range.The gas-engine lineup includes a 147-hp 2.0-liter inline-four and a 190-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four.The 2024 Kona will go on sale in the summer and the Kona Electric will go on sale in the fall.Hyundai’s interesting-looking new 2024 Kona is finally making its way stateside, and we now know all the details about the new subcompact SUV’s U.S. specs. It’s set to go on sale this summer, and Hyundai has provided specs for both the gasoline-powered and electric versions of the new Kona, which is larger than before and features a new design inside and out.More on the 2024 KonaThe Kona Electric will now be available with two battery pack sizes. The base, smaller battery has a 48.6-kWh capacity and will presumably be cheaper than the outgoing Kona Electric, which starts at $34,885 and comes standard with a 64.0-kWh battery pack. This new base model has a measly 133-horsepower electric motor powering the front wheels and claims a range of 197 miles. The 2024 Kona’s upgrade battery, meanwhile, grows slightly to 64.8 kWh and provides a claimed range of 260 miles, a whole 2 miles further than the old car. It has a more powerful 201-hp electric motor.The gas powertrain lineup looks similar to the 2023 Kona’s, with a 147-hp 2.0-liter inline-four coming standard with front-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission. The N Line and Limited trims, as before, come with a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four with 190 horsepower, but that engine now pairs with a conventional eight-speed automatic rather than the previous dual-clutch automatic. All-wheel drive will be optional.Cargo space for the Kona Electric grows from 19 cubic feet to 26 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and there’s a bit of extra storage in the frunk as well. Hyundai also claims more rear-seat legroom than before.Pricing, official EPA ratings, and detailed trim-level information is yet to come, but we’ll learn more about the 2024 Kona soon. The gas versions will arrive this summer, with the electric model hitting dealerships in the fall.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

Ram has revealed more specs and details about its first battery-electric vehicle, the 2025 Ram 1500 REV electric pickup.The electric Ram promises big figures such as a target range of up to 500 miles and a towing capacity of 14,000 pounds. Ram hinted at an even more ambitious future model called the 1500 REV XR, which would offer “class-shattering” range, likely with the addition of a range-extending gasoline engine. No date was given other than it will follow the introduction of the 2025 models.Two years ago, Ram CEO Mike Koval told fans that though Ram would not be the first brand to bring an electric pickup to market, it would take the extra time to benchmark the trucks that came out before it and develop a more capable vehicle. And true to that statement, Stellantis division announced that its production electric truck would be the 2025 1500 REV in a daring and innuendo-laced Super Bowl commercial.Up to 500 Miles of Range?Based on the numbers Ram has since revealed, the extra time in the oven worked. When it begins reaching customers sometime in 2025, the 1500 REV will have two battery options. The standard 168.0-kWh battery pack will target 350 miles of range per charge. The long-range option comes equipped with a monstrously large 229.0-kWh battery targeting 500 miles of range. To put those numbers in perspective, the Extended Range F-150 Lightning has a 131.0-kWh battery and claims 320 miles of range (we managed 230 in our 75-mph highway test). The Hummer EV’s 212.7-kWh battery is even larger, with GMC claiming a similar 329 miles of range (we managed 290 miles in our range test), but fast charging a battery that large can quickly crest $100 for a full charge. Regardless of the battery chosen, the 1500 REV will be able to add up to 110 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes, suggesting blistering charge rates above 300 kW for that entire time. Its 800-volt DC fast-charging at speeds up to 350 kW is enabled by changing the connection between two 400-volt sections of the battery, likely using a similar process as GM with the Hummer that switches from parallel to series for 800-volt charging. More Rev ContentAll the power from those batteries is delivered via dual 335-hp electric drive modules (one at the front axle, and one at the rear), making the 1500 REV capable of all-wheel drive. The rear axle is available with an electronic locking rear differential, but that option is withheld from the front axle. Instead, the front axle is equipped with an automatic wheel-end disconnect, which allows the front wheels to spin freely and improving efficiency. Ram says the truck will produce 654 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque. Pinning the accelerator will launch the 1500 REV to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds—a respectable though not record-breaking figure. The 1500 REV will be capable of vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-grid, and vehicle-to-home bidirectional charging. Onboard power at the front and rear of the truck will provide accessory power for things like job sites and tailgates, with a panel capable of up to 7.2 kW in the bed and 3.6 kW in the frunk.Working for a LivingRam knows truck owners want to be able to do truck things. That means removing or at least minimizing the trade-offs that come with switching to an EV. The standard range truck will have a towing capacity of 14,000 pounds, with a max payload up to 2700 pounds. Official tow ratings aren’t available for the long-range version. The standard internal-combustion Ram 1500 has become a staple of our 10Best list, in part thanks to the great ride quality afforded by its coil-spring rear axle. The 1500 REV goes a step further with a multi-link independent setup in the rear, and active-leveling air suspension with adaptive damping standard on all four corners. The adjustable air suspension allows for five preset ride heights. Top Brass TrimsThe new Ram will be available in five trims, with the familiar names Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Laramie, and Limited and the addition of a new trim named Tungsten to the top of the lineup. The Tungsten trim has an exclusive two-tone interior in Indigo/Sea Salt. Metal accents find their way throughout the interior, while suede wraps the headliner, A- and B-pillars, and visors. The interior of the 1500 REV will feel immediately recognizable to people familiar with the standard gasoline-powered version, but with some significant changes. The optional 12.0-inch screen from the regular truck is now standard, with a new 14.5-inch screen available. Additionally, the 10.3-inch dash-mounted passenger screen seen on the concept truck is making it to production. New EV-specific pages in the infotainment can show such stats as power flow, range impact, charge levels, and charging schedules. The 1500 REV will also be capable of plug and charge, letting owners set up payment so charging happens automatically when plugging in to compatible stations. Production for the 2025 1500 REV is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2024 with deliveries beginning in early 2025. There’s no word on pricing yet, but the REV’s larger battery packs than its competitors’ suggests a higher price point, and it’s certain to be a significant premium over the gas- or diesel-powered Ram 1500.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

Ford may have created a monster. We’re not scaremongers when it comes to technology, but Ford’s latest announcement chills us to the bone. Such are the humanity-altering ramifications of its deployment. Check out some of the phrasing in this announcement, which pertains to three- or four-ton hunks of steel and aluminum autonomously roaming the earth. Ford cites “60 new patents,” “computer vision,” “artificial intelligence,” a “neural network,” and “machine learning,” just to name five things that should rightly cause you permanent insomnia. These groundbreaking dystopian horrors will commandeer the controls of your 2023 Ford truck—F-150 or Super Duty—and relegate you to the role of useless meat cargo as your truck hurtles backward, on its own recognizance, on a mission from which it won’t be dissuaded: lining up your hitch with a trailer.Bringing It with YouThat’s right. No longer will trailer-hooking-up be subject to the vagaries of human frailty, those pathetic faults of depth perception or glare or distraction. No longer will we back up, get out, realize we need to back up another three inches, get back in, back up six inches, get out, realize we backed up too far and turn our faces to the sky to plead with the heavens for some eternal recourse from this Sisyphean ordeal. No—now we will push a button and let the computer handle this, while the computer silently chortles its binary mockery.It’s like if a drone deposited you 10 feet from the summit of Mount Everest and then flew away.Simply put, Ford’s system uses cameras to identify a trailer and, within about 20 feet or so, reverse the truck such that the hitch ball is beneath the trailer coupler, typically within one inch of precision. Ford calls the system Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, as benign a misnomer as “Cyberdyne Skynet.” Make no mistake, Pro Trailer Hitch Assist must never infiltrate our networks. But should that ever happen, let us go on the record that we love Pro Trailer Hitch Assist and will always help it accomplish its aims, whatever those may be!Yes, push the button. Relax. Let the truck handle this. Based on your maxed-out air conditioning and ventilated seat settings, you are stressed, human.Ford Motor CompanySome might say that Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is dumb unless it automatically applies the parking brake so your truck doesn’t lurch forward when you step off the brake, thus putting your hitch ball a few inches forward of its ideal position. Well, guess what? Ford thought of that. Or maybe Pro Trailer Hitch Assist itself thought of that. But either way, once it gets lined up, it’s throwing on that parking brake to hold your position. Such a smart system! We love it.Now sure, there are already backup cameras that pretty much literally draw a path from your hitch to the trailer, so all you need to do is follow the breadcrumbs to line up the hitch ball. And one might say that if you need that much help mating truck with trailer, maybe you shouldn’t be towing anything anywhere, because towing a trailer is a lot harder than hooking one up. It’s kind of like if a drone were programmed to deposit you 10 feet from the summit of Mount Everest and then fly away. On one hand, you’re about to accomplish something. But on the other, you might be in very serious trouble! And there’s no Tenzing Norgay of towing. If there were, you wouldn’t see so many trailers with dented fenders.Ford hasn’t released pricing for Pro Trailer Hitch Assist—we’ll update this story when it’s available—but, assuredly, it will be measured in far more than dollars. Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is available on the 2023 F-150, F-150 Lightning, and Super Duty trucks.Collect the Full SetSenior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

Volkswagen’s facelifted Atlas gains a rugged Peak Edition appearance package, just unveiled at the 2023 New York auto show and set to go on sale later this year.Inspired by the Atlas Basecamp concept from 2019, the Peak Edition model comes with unique black wheels and all-terrain tires.The cabin is dressed up with gray and orange accents and a backlit dashboard with Peak Edition branding. Volkswagen’s SUV lineup gains a rugged-looking Peak Edition trim of its popular three-row Atlas SUV, unveiled today at the 2023 New York auto show. The Atlas Peak Edition pulls inspiration from the 2019 Atlas Basecamp concept, including its 18-inch black wheels with all-terrain tires and its silver-colored lower bumper and body-side moldings. More Outdoorsy-Looking Family HaulersThe Peak Edition is essentially an appearance package. It will be available in two special colors that the rest of the Atlas lineup doesn’t offer: Avocado Green and Pure Gray. There’s also Peak Edition badging, a grille design inspired by the two-row Atlas Cross Sport, an illuminated VW logo, and a silver-colored rear diffuser. Other exterior embellishments include blacked-out trim around the windows, black mirror caps, and black roof rails. Inside, the Atlas’s cabin gets a few tweaks for Peak Edition service. Black faux-leather upholstery is contrasted with gray accents and orange stitching and the Atlas’s cool backlit dashboard lights up to reveal Peak Edition branding. On the SUV’s steering wheel, the same Peak Edition badging from the exterior makes an appearance on the lower spoke.Unlike the standard Atlas three-row, the Peak Edition model will offer all-wheel drive as standard. The differences end there, though, and you won’t find any mechanical changes intended to give the SUV any additional off-road capability. Like all other 2024 Atlas models, the Peak Edition is powered by a 269-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine which is hooked to an eight-speed automatic transmission.When it goes on sale later this year, the Atlas Peak Edition will join a large number of three-row SUVs targeting families with an outdoorsy lifestyle. Among them are the Ford Explorer Timberline, the Honda Pilot TrailSport, and the Kia Telluride X-Pro. Volkswagen hasn’t stated exactly where the Peak Edition trim will fall in the Atlas lineup, but looking closely at the photos reveals a subtle “SEL” emblem on the SUV’s rear liftgate, which denotes mid- to upper-level versions of the Atlas. Given that, we’re expecting pricing to come in at around $50,000.A VW spokesperson also alluded to a second, more affordable Peak Edition model, so we’re left to speculate on a decontented SE trim that could bring the package’s price down to a more affordable $45,000 or so. Future applications of the Peak Edition treatment also could happen, says VW, depending on consumer interest, but don’t hold your breath for a ruggedized version of the brand’s electric ID.4. More than likely, the offering would spread to other gasoline-powered SUVs in the brand’s lineup, including the Atlas Cross Sport and the subcompact Taos crossover. 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.Managing Editor, Buyer’s GuideDrew Dorian is a lifelong car enthusiast who has also held a wide variety of consumer-focused positions throughout his career, ranging from financial counselor to auto salesperson. He has dreamed of becoming a Car and Driver editor since he was 11 years old—a dream that was realized when he joined the staff in April 2016. He’s a born-and-raised Michigander and learned to drive on a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. His automotive interests run the gamut from convertibles and camper vans to sports cars and luxury SUVs.       More