News

Kia has confirmed the new three-row EV9 SUV will add a high-performance GT variant in 2025. We believe the EV9 GT’s powertrain will come from the Kia EV6 GT, which features a 576-hp all-wheel-drive dual-motor setup. For 2024, the most powerful EV9 is the 379-hp all-wheel-drive model, so the GT’s extra 200 hp will notably improve acceleration.Along with revealing more specs about new mid-size three-row EV9 SUV, Kia has confirmed a high-performance GT model is also on the way. The regular 2024 Kia EV9 will go on sale in the U.S. in the second half of this year, with the GT version that’s currently being developed to be released in early 2025. Information regarding the EV9 GT remains limited, as we’re just now starting to learn more about the standard EV9. However, our best guess is that the forthcoming GT variant will inherit the potent all-wheel-drive dual-motor powertrain from the Kia EV6 GT. That hi-po model has peak power outputs of 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque.A special green “GT” button on the wheel unlocks the full range of chaos in the GT, giving drivers access to blisteringly quick acceleration. How quick? The one we tested hit 60 mph in as little as 3.2 seconds. Of course, the heavier EV9 GT likely won’t be quite as quick. However, it could adopt other hardware found exclusively on its EV6 counterpart, such as its eLSD that can overdrive the outside rear wheel in corners, improving agility and giving the machine a more rear-drive demeanor. Adaptive dampers, upgraded brakes, and a set of summer tires like those found on the EV6 could also be part of the mix.More on the New EV9Unfortunately, the added performance benefits that come along with the EV9 GT are likely to result in the same issues as the EV6 GT. While Kia boosted the available power in that car, it stuck with the same 77.4-kWh battery pack, which led to its estimated range to drop to 206 miles. So, expect the mighty GT to have the shortest range in the EV9 family.We’re still waiting for Kia to release an estimated range for the 2024 EV9 GT-Line, which features an all-wheel-drive dual-motor powertrain that combines for 379 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque (a 516-pound-f00t burst is available in Boost mode). It uses a 99.8-kWh battery that we expect to see duty in the EV9 GT.With pricing still not set for the 2024 Kia EV9, it’ll be a while before we have any figures for the GT version. If the EV6 is any indication, the high-performance option could add about $4000. Stay tuned to find out.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 Alfa Romeo Tonale Edizione Bambini is an interesting concept that prioritizes toddlers.The one-off Tonale is a parent-focused concept intended to add practical parenting accessories to the car. Titled the Tonale Edizione Bambini, the concept has a station for changing diapers, an in-car baby monitor, and a host of new storage accessories. Parenting is hard—or so we’re told. Alfa Romeo, which hasn’t yet started deliveries for its upcoming Tonale subcompact SUV, has revealed the Edizione Bambini concept that’s designed to make parenting while driving less stressful. The Alfa Romeo Tonale Edizione Bambini is quite the mouthful. Bambini, as you may have guessed, translates from Alfa’s native Italian to mean “baby.” It’s a fitting name once you look inside the concept. The one-off Tonale is Alfa’s answer to tired parents who want to maintain the elegance of a luxury vehicle but are just too damned tired to clean the thing. The trunk of the Bambini is completely overhauled to cater to parenting duties. An in-car vacuum is stored along the back of the trunk, with storage organizers taking up the space in front of it. An Alfa Romeo–badged baby-changing station replaces the standard trunk cover and slides in and out as needed. Nothing says elegance quite like a small poop stain from one really bad day. Alfa RomeoMore on the TonaleOrganizer slots are added to the back of the front driver and passenger seats in an attempt to cure childhood boredom. Alfa also added tablet holders to the back of the front seats to keep your kids occupied. Plus, children sitting in the middle seat have their own leather folder that can hold both a tablet and their own reward chart to minimize back-seat arguing.Alfa RomeoAlfa conducted a survey of 2000 U.K. parents with children aged zero to 11 years old to learn that children kick the back of the front seats roughly three to five times per trip. To counter this, the design team for the Bambini added protective panels to maintain style. The back of the front seats also have new storage spaces for a water bottle, bento box, tablet holder, and a chart to encourage children to keep the car clean. Is the lack of storage really the biggest issue parents have with young children and keeping a clean car? Is a bento box really going to keep toddlers from somehow spilling more Cheerios than they consume? We doubt it, but props to Alfa for trying to solve an impossible problem. 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

A Toyota executive believes average new-car prices will surpass the $50,000 mark in 2023, according to a report by Automotive News.Jack Hollis, head of sales for Toyota North America, said demand will keep exceeding the company’s ability to build new vehicles, as pandemic-induced supply-chain issues continue in 2023.Higher costs of raw materials are also a contributing factor, and while some of these costs are being passed onto the consumers, Hollis said Toyota is “eating it in our own profitability.”In February, average new-car prices reached a new peak, jumping by 4.8 percent from a year ago to $46,229, according to J.D. Power. The consistent increases over the past few years may seem untenable—like the bubble will have to burst soon—but a Toyota executive thinks the average is only going to continue rising. Jack Hollis, head of sales for Toyota’s North American division, said he believes the average transaction price will crest the $50,000 mark in 2023, as reported by Automotive News.ToyotaAlthough Hollis believes that an economic recession is already underway, it does not match the usual expectations for how the market in recession should behave, with demand for new cars remaining extremely high. “We will sell every vehicle that we can make,” Hollis explained. “The only thing holding us back is the totality of the supply chain and the fragility of it, because we’re not back to normal anywhere globally.”Hollis thinks that the U.S. car market could account for nearly 17 million sales in 2023, if it weren’t for supply issues. The 15 million predicted sales for this year leaves “another 2 million vehicles added to pent-up demand.” This will result in continued strong demand in the used-car market, lessening depreciation and keeping residual values high. More on Car PricesThe rising prices have mostly been the result of higher raw material costs, according to Bob Young, vice president of purchasing supplier development for Toyota. While Young says there are starting to be improvements in this area, the reduction in material prices likely won’t be seen by consumers until 2024. Hollis predicts that Toyota and Lexus—which combined moved 2.1 million units in the U.S. in 2022—could add another 100,000 sales, but the company’s market share might suffer. The higher material prices might also need to be soaked up by the automakers. Hollis acknowledged they are trying to figure out how much they can pass onto consumers, but said, “We’re eating it in our own profitability.” The company expects to end 2023 similarly to how it ended 2022, with only around 30,000 vehicles in inventory on dealership lots due to the heavy demand.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 EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More