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At $7 million for a 30-second spot, this year Super Bowl commercials are an expensive proposition.That’s why GM brought in Will Ferrell to introduce the idea that you’re about to see GM EVs all over Netflix shows, but only where it makes sense, so no Bolts in Bridgerton.Kia, Jeep, and Ram will also have commercials in the Big Game, but our first look at them will have to wait until Sunday. We do know that Kia’s has something to do with a pacifier emoji.According to Adweek, a 30-second commercial on this year’s Super Bowl television broadcast costs $7 million. At least three automakers have previewed some ads they believe are worth the money. Here’s what we know about the Super Bowl LVII car commercials appearing on Fox when the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs play Sunday evening. GM + Will Ferrell + NetflixFirst up, an ad that’s about as meta as they come. Will Ferrell plays himself as a spokesperson for GM and Netflix about the streaming giant’s promise to use more of GM’s electric vehicles in upcoming shows. A commercial about other commercials, in other words, ones that aren’t supposed to look like commercials but are now being explicitly called out. GM calls it “Giving EVs the Stage they Deserve.” This content is imported from youTube. 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.Army of the Dead Squid GameBridgerton, and . Will jokes that it wouldn’t make sense to introduces EVs into some of these shows, but at least is guaranteed to feature a GM EV on screen sometime in the next year: a GMC Hummer EV pickup. Netflix also announced that will include a Chevrolet Bolt EUV and that will show a Cadillac Lyriq.Will Ferrell’s time-tested humor keeps things light, even when he’s being bitten by a zombie from or kidnapped like the characters in . We also see him plopped into scenes from Stranger Things,Queer EyeQueer Eye Love Is BlindUnstableStellantis Buys Time for Ram and JeepUnlike GM, Stellantis is keeping previews of the Super Bowl commercials for two of its brands, Jeep and Ram, off the Internet for now. The advertising trade media report that Stellantis has purchased two 60-second commercial spots during the game. A Jeep ad will air during the second quarter, followed by a Ram ad in the fourth quarter. Stellantis did not air any commercials in last year’s game.This content is imported from youTube. 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.Jeep released a short teaser for its spot, showcasing a chameleon in a recording studio and the tagline “Let’s boogie,” followed by a lightning-covered “Freedom is electric.” We’re not sure how that last bit works well with a separate commercial Jeep posted to its YouTube channel this week called “Parking Spot,” which makes fun of electric-vehicle drivers trying to find a charging cable buried in snow. One step forward, two watts back.Kia’s Binky Emoji MysteryKia started off with this bizarre teaser, and at that point we only knew that it had something to do with forgetting babies. KiaToday, the automaker dropped the full commercial.This content is imported from youTube. 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.Binky Dad | The 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro All-Terrain AWD SUVWatch ona petitionNo, seriously, a major automaker is spending millions of dollars trying to get a pacifier added to the emoji keyboard. It’s like the Ford truck emoji thing but sillier. As of this writing, the petition already has 385 signatures.The spot will be Kia America’s 14th Super Bowl commercial, following the story of a robot dog in love with the EV6 last year. Kia is concurrently trying to get some of that sweet, sweet online engagement through on Change.org. The reason for this astroturfed grassroots effort? To demand a Binky emoji. More

The 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary editions debuted at the Chicago auto show. The commemorative kit is limited to the plug-in-hybrid 4xe and V-8-powered 392, with a run of 150 even more extreme AEV versions available for between about $21K—$23K extra. The 20th Anniversary editions have a half-inch lift, revised seven-slot grille and more; the 4xe starts at $71,380 and the 392 starts at $92,690.Jeep is celebrating 20 years of the Rubicon nameplate—taken from the legendary off-road trail in California—by revealing a set of special-edition Wranglers today at the Chicago auto show. Available on the 2023 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe plug-in hybrid and the 470-hp V-8-powered 392 models, the 20th Anniversary edition Jeeps feature a slew of cool goodies, including a redesigned seven-slot grille, beadlock-capable wheels, an 83-piece tool kit, a triple-hoop grille guard, steel bumpers, a half-inch suspension lift, and 20th Anniversary decals.Additional equipment on the 4xe 20th Anniversary edition includes 33-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires on 17-by-7.5-inch beadlock-capable wheels. The interior features red and black leather. An integrated off-road camera at the front and heavy-duty steel rock sliders add to the off-road capability of the anniversary Wrangler. The 392 20th Anniversary edition also comes with the Xtreme Recon package, netting a slightly larger set of 35-inch K02 tires, 17-by-8.0-inch wheels, a 4.56 rear axle ratio, an onboard air compressor (the first offered from the factory), as well as a collection of other upgrades from Mopar. Additionally, the Jeep team enlisted American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) for an optional upfitting—limited to 150 units—that adds 37-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires (the largest rubber Jeep has ever offered). It also features an AEV-specific suspension (with a 2.5-inch lift), bumpers, skid plate, off-road lights, and more.All that extra height increases ground clearance to 14.2 inches and allows the Jeep to ford 37.1 inches of water, while also giving it a 50-degree approach angle, 33-degree breakover angle, and 43-degree departure angle. The AEV upfit runs $22,978 for the 4xe and $21,130 for the 392. Those AEV upcharge figures are on top of the base prices for the 20th Anniversary models, which start at $71,380 for the 4xe and $92,690 for the 392. Tack on the AEV packages and those prices rise to $94,358 and $113,820 (!), respectively. The limited-run commemorative Jeeps are set to go on sale later this month. Both models will enter production at the Toledo Assembly Complex sometime this quarter, with vehicles arriving in dealerships in Q2 of 2023.More on WranglerThis 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. More

Subaru has revealed the U.S. version of the new 2024 Crosstrek.It has a 152-hp 2.0-liter engine as standard and a 182-hp 2.5-liter engine as an option, just like the previous model. There’s no more manual transmission.Pricing starts at $26,290 and ranges up to $32,190, and it goes on sale this spring.The third generation of Subaru’s popular Crosstrek offers much of what we’ve come to expect from this lifted version of the Impreza hatchback. The 2024 model has carryover engines and maintains a similar aesthetic, but Subaru says it features a stiffer chassis, and its standard-features list grows. The only thing missing is the previous model’s manual transmission, which is dropped for the lineup, leaving a CVT as the only transmission. As such, the base price rises from $24,870 to $26,290, although the equivalent automatic-transmission base model doesn’t see a price increase.SubaruTrim levels include base, Premium, Sport and Limited. Like the previous Crosstrek, the lower two trims have a 152-hp 2.0-liter flat-four, while the $30,290 Sport and $32,190 Limited have a more powerful 182-hp 2.5-liter flat-four. A CVT and all-wheel drive are standard across the board. Subaru says it has made improvements to the AWD system to make it quicker to respond, and the X-Mode off-road driving mode is said to offer increased capability.More on New SubarusThe Crosstrek has a similar shape but amps up the rugged look with even more black plastic body cladding; the Sport also has yellow accents inside and out for more color contrast. 17-inch wheels are standard, with 18-inchers optional, and the Crosstrek has 8.7 inches of ground clearance.A 7.0-inch touchscreen is standard equipment, but all but the base model have Subaru’s large vertically oriented 11.6-inch touchscreen. Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assistance features are standard equipment on all trims.Crosstreks equipped with the 2.5L engine will now be built in the U.S., at Subaru’s plant in Indiana, while 2.0L cars will still be built in Japan. There’s no word yet on a new version of the Crosstrek plug-in hybrid. Subaru says the new 2024 Crosstrek will start arriving at dealerships this spring.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. More

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander is bigger and roomier than the regular Highlander, but it has more to offer than that.The Grand Highlander has three powertrain options, including an 362-hp hybrid setup from the Toyota Crown quasi-sedan.To improve interior packaging and ride comfort versus the regular version, the Grand Highlander features a redesigned rear suspension.Toyota will have to forgive folks who think the newly introduced Grand Highlander is simply an XL version of the regular Highlander. The new entry goes beyond just being bigger, but size-based assumptions are bound to happen when an adjective like grand is plopped into a popular nameplate—and the Highlander has proved pretty popular.Making the Highlander More PopularOver the past two years, Toyota has sold nearly 487,000 Highlanders, making the three-row mid-sizer its second-best-selling SUV in the U.S. behind only the compact RAV4. However, the brand believes there’s more meat on the bone, so it’s introducing the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander to satiate customers who crave a big interior without an overly bulky body. Basically, Toyota expects the Grand Highlander to fill the space between the full-size Sequoia and the regular Highlander. Dimensionally, it does just that. At 201.4 inches front to back, the Grand Highlander is 6.5 inches longer than its smaller sibling and roughly 7 inches shorter than the Sequoia. The Grand also stands 2 inches taller and spans 2.3 inches wider than the regular Highlander. With about 116 inches between its axles, the bigger Highlander’s wheelbase is approximately 4 inches longer than its counterpart.Obviously, the Grand Highlander’s increased exterior proportions translate to a roomier interior, particularly in the cargo area and third row. Compared with the regular Highlander, the Grand’s rearmost row gains 5.5 inches of legroom (33.5 versus 28 inches). There’s also an extra inch of headroom and over 2 inches of additional shoulder space. This 5’10” author sat in the enlarged third row and found it to be genuinely comfortable, even with the second-row captain’s chairs slid all the way back. It’s also nice that Toyota includes a USB-C port and dual cupholders for outboard passengers back there. Unlike the regular Highlander, the Grand offers ventilated second-row captain’s chairs, but only on the top-spec Platinum trim. The XLE and Limited are the only other models; both are available with a second-row bench seat that unlocks an extra spot for an eighth passenger. ToyotaToyotaWith either seven or eight people onboard, the Grand Highlander boasts 21 cubic feet of cargo volume behind its third row (five more than the smaller version). Stowing the seats in the back two rows opens up 98 cubes of storage space, which is 14 more than the regular Highlander.Grand Gets More than a Bigger BodyThe Grand Highlander is built on the same TNGA-K platform that underpins the regular Highlander. Of course, Toyota did more than just stretch its proportions. We’re told the Grand’s structure is more rigid overall due to extra spot welds and additional adhesives, which are also expected to help reduce noise, vibration, and harshness levels.Along with improved NVH, the Grand Highlander’s interior packaging and ride comfort are said to benefit from a redesigned rear suspension. Toyota says structural changes to the multilink setup on the bigger Highlander were designed to maximize the space in the third row and cargo area as well as make the ride more comfortable.Arguably the biggest difference between the two Highlanders is the Grand’s exclusive hybrid powertrain (dubbed “Hybrid Max”) that’s cribbed from Toyota’s quasi-sedan, the high-riding Crown. While it’s retuned for use in the Grand Highlander—namely to support its 5000-pound max towing capacity—the hybrid setup is otherwise said to be similar.Toyota hasn’t released many technical specs about the Grand Highlander’s Hybrid Max powertrain, except that it makes 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Still, the SUV should continue to pair a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder with two electric motors. One of them exclusively powers the rear axle (resulting in all-wheel drive), and the other goes between the gas engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Multiple Powertrains and Mature LooksAs with the regular Highlander, the Grand is available with a gas-only turbo four and a less powerful hybrid option, giving customers a total of three choices. Toyota hasn’t released outputs for either powertrain, but we’re told both are essentially the same—besides the obligatory tuning changes, of course. In the smaller Highlander, that means a 265-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter four-pot with an eight-speed automatic and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a CVT and two electric motors that combine for 243 hp. Toyota estimates the latter will earn up to 34 mpg combined. Both powertrains are available with front- or all-wheel drive on the Grand.While the regular Highlander has a rather distinctive look with prominent side surfacing, we think the Grand appears more mature. It has a boxier profile that’s spearheaded by an assertive mug—and people say BMW’s grilles are oversized? The rest of the design is requisite of most modern SUVs: a high beltline, lower body cladding, and available 20-inch wheels.Inside, the Grand Highlander Platinum we saw first-hand gave off Lexus vibes with its attractive materials and soft-touch surfaces. While only the top-of-the-line trim has a digital rearview mirror and a head-up display, it shares a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with the rung-below Limited. Both trims also have standard leather-trimmed upholstery, a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats.All three of the Grand Highlander’s trims have a crisp 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. They all have a big center console with a wireless charging pad below the physical controls for the HVAC unit. We also appreciate the sliding cover for the large center-console bin, which Toyota says is big enough to hold a tablet. As is the case with all Toyotas, every Grand Highlander has a host of standard driver-assistance technology that includes adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and even blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Platinum alone has a 360-degree camera system.Toyota has yet to say how much the 2023 Grand Highlander will cost or when it will go on sale. Those details are expected to be announced sometime the coming months. If we had to guess, we’d expect the new XL version to range somewhere between $43K and $56K. That would make it a little pricier than the regular Highlander, but don’t forget the Grand is more than just a size up.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. More

Toyota is expanding its SUV lineup for 2024 with the new Grand Highlander, a roomier alternative to the three-row Highlander that has been on sale in its current form since 2020. While the two models may share a name, there are plenty of distinguishing features that set the new Grand Highlander apart from its smaller sibling.ToyotaExteriorThe most obvious difference is the design. Not only is the Grand Highlander larger—stretching 6.5 inches longer, 2.0 inches taller, and 2.3 inches wider—but the new crossover also benefits from unique styling. The slicked-back front end of the Highlander has been swapped for more upright, boxier looks dominated by straight lines and sharp angles. The rear end is also fresh, with a D-pillar and taillights more reminiscent of the compact RAV4 than the mid-size Highlander. While the regular Highlander has a trendy blacked-out A-pillar and a slight slope to the roofline, the Grand Highlander model sticks to a more traditional roofline. The Grand Highlander.ToyotaThe 2023 Highlander.ToyotaInteriorAn extra four inches in the wheelbase improves interior space, with the third row adding 5.5 inches of legroom, an inch of headroom, and more than 2 inches of shoulder space. Not only is the third row actually comfortable for adults now, but the rearmost passengers are also treated to a USB-C port, absent in the standard Highlander. Both crossovers feature dual cupholders in the third row.The Grand Highlander also distinguishes itself by offering ventilated captain’s chairs for the second row in the top Platinum trim. The Grand’s added length is a boon for cargo space as well, with five more cubic feet behind the third row or an extra 14 cubic feet with the the two rear rows folded away.The dashboard has been tweaked with a more streamlined design, but like the more expensive trims of the Highlander, the Grand has both a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen. Just as with the standard Highlander, you’ll have to upgrade to the top-of-the-line Platinum model if you want goodies like a head-up display and a digital rearview mirror.ToyotaPowertrainsThe Grand Highlander will be offered with three powertrain choices. The headlining act is the Hybrid Max setup, which first debuted in the Crown last summer. A turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four works in conjunction with two electric motors—one powering the rear axle and the other sandwiched between the engine and the six-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain has been beefed up for use in the Grand Highlander, producing a combined 362 horsepower—up from 340 ponies in the Crown—and 400 pound-feet of torque. Toyota also says it’s been adjusted to help the Grand Highlander achieved a 5000-pound max towing capacity, which equals the maximum for the standard Highlander.The Grand also comes with two lesser powertrains both found in the smaller Highlander. Toyota didn’t specify outputs but said that little has changed, besides tuning differences to account for the Grand’s, well, grander size. The base engine is a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four paired with an eight-speed automatic, which makes 265 hp in the standard Highlander. A hybrid setup combining 2.5-liter four-cylinder with two electric motors and CVT gearbox for a total of 243 hp is also available in both SUVs. Just as in the original Highlander, these powertrains are offered in the Grand with front- or all-wheel drive, but the Hybrid Max is all-wheel-drive-only thanks to the electric motor on the rear axles. The 2023 Highlander.ToyotaChassis and SuspensionThe Grand Highlander, unsurprisingly, shares its TNGA-K platform with the standard Highlander, but Toyota didn’t leave the Grand’s structure untouched. The automaker says that the body is stronger and stiffer thanks to more spot welds and extra adhesives. These upgrades are also said to keep the cabin quieter and better isolate the occupants from vibrations or bumps in the road. Contributing to this smoother, more placid ride is a revised rear suspension that sees the multilink setup redesigned to increase the roominess of the third row and cargo area.More New ToyotasPriceAs is the case for most new car reveals, Toyota isn’t yet divulging the price of the 2024 Grand Highlander. We predict that the enlarged crossover will start at $43,000, with the top Platinum trim opening around $56,000. This will put it about $4000 to $6000 higher than the regular Highlander, and we expect the Hybrid Max to only be offered on the Limited and Platinum, with the XLE receiving just the base engine and less-powerful hybrid setup.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. More