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GM might be pushing hard into electrification, but it’s not done with internal combustion yet. Last week, the company announced an $854 million investment into a variety of its plants to build the sixth-generation small-block V-8. It’s the first confirmation that GM is working on a new small-block, though the company isn’t yet releasing any technical details on the engine.Of the $854 million, $579 million will go to GM’s Flint engine plant, which will machine blocks, cranks, and heads, and assemble the complete unit; $216 million will go to the Bay City, Michigan plant, which will build camshafts and connecting rods, and machine blocks and heads; $47 million will go to the Defiance, Ohio plant, which will make block castings; and finally, $12 million will go to the Rochester, NY plant, which will build intake manifolds and fuel rails.The Chevrolet small-block V-8 dates back to 1954, with the current, fifth-generation debuting in 2013. Along with Stellantis’ Hemi and Ford’s Godzilla truck engine, the small-block is the only surviving overhead-valve V-8 sold in new cars today. (All three manufacturers offer pushrod V-8 crate engines as well.) Currently, you can find small blocks in GM’s lineup of full-size trucks and SUVs, plus the Camaro, Corvette, and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. In its press release announcing the investment, GM made only specific reference to full-size trucks and SUVs. We already know that the CT5-V Blackwing is a one-and-done, with the Cadillac brand headed for full-EV sales, and the current Camaro is likely the last of the breed. We’d imagine the small block will soldier on in some capacity for the Corvette for as long as Chevy is allowed to sell it. The new hybrid E-Ray gives a good look at the Corvette’s future—old-school naturally aspirated V-8 assisted by electric power. We probably won’t see the Gen-VI small block for at least a couple of years. We also can’t help but wonder if this will be the last of its type. More

A reader reached out to Car and Driver, providing a screenshot from a customer survey that shows potential specifications for the upcoming electric Kia EV9 mid-size SUV. The survey shows the EV9 starting at $56,000 with rear-wheel drive, with the highest trim bringing all-wheel drive and costing $73,000.The range will allegedly be between 220 and 290 miles, while horsepower will rise from 200 ponies in the base model to 400 hp in the top trim.Car and Driver has obtained a document from Kia that could show specifications for the upcoming electric 2024 Kia EV9. A reader, who says they own a Telluride, contacted C/D after they received a survey for prospective EV owners and sent a screenshot purporting to show details about the powertrain, pricing, and range for the electric crossover. While these potential specifications could easily change before the EV9 reaches production, the information in the survey gives a good idea of Kia’s targets for its new three-row EV SUV. In a statement to Car and Driver, Kia said, “Like other car companies, we are constantly evaluating the market and often conduct research on a regular basis to inform future product development.”KiaThe trim-level names for the five EV9 models listed remain a mystery, but the document states that the two lower trims will come with rear-wheel drive, 200 horsepower, and 250 pound-feet of torque. The base model will apparently start around $56,000, providing 220 miles of range and a claimed 8.5 second 60-mph time but with no towing capacity. Stepping up to the $61,000 RWD trim, which presumably has a larger battery pack, lets you tow 2000 pounds and adds an extra 70 miles of range at the expense of 0.4 seconds in the sprint to 60 mph.Opting for all-wheel drive will set you back at least $63,000, but this upgraded powertrain allegedly brings 400 horsepower and 380 pound-feet. Range drops to 260 miles, but towing capacity jumps to 3500 pounds and the 60-mph time is slashed to 6.0 seconds. Paying $68,000 for the next trim up adds 20-inch wheels in place of the standard 19s, cutting range to 240 miles. The Kia EV9 concept from 2021.KiaThe top trim, at $73,000, features the same range estimate, but torque is boosted to 480 pound-feet and the claimed dash to 60 mph goes down to 5.2 seconds. The towing capacity increases to 4500 pounds. This version also gets black 21-inch wheels, black exterior trim, and an extra 0.4 inches of ground clearance.More about Electric KiasThe EV9 will be an electric counterpart to the popular Telluride mid-size SUV, will ride on the e-GMP platform that will also underpin the Hyundai Ioniq 7, and is set to go on sale in the second half of 2023. Teaser photos show a design that will hew closely to the concept shown at the 2021 Los Angeles auto show, and now we might have a decent idea of what to expect from the EV9.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

In our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, we found the fuel economy of our long-term Kia Carnival improved by 3 miles per gallon (or 12 percent) with its factory crossbars removed.Having those bars hanging out in the airstream increases aerodynamic drag, which increasingly hurts fuel economy the faster the vehicle is traveling.Our results with the crossbars removed equate to a highway driving range increase of roughly 60 miles and a fuel cost savings of about $14 every 1000 miles based on current national average gas prices.During the long-term test of our 2022 Kia Carnival, we were initially disappointed in our observed fuel economy. Speculating the crossbars installed from the factory, a $360 option, to be the culprit, we opted to remove them to see how much of a difference it made. Removal takes roughly 10 minutes and all the tools are included: remove the endcaps on either side of the crossbars and loosen clamps that attach the bars onto the roof rails that are included on SX and SX Prestige trim levels. Upon removal, we instantly saw increased efficiency numbers, prompting us to make a second attempt at our 75-mph highway fuel economy test. In the second run, we bested our prior attempt by 3 mpg (25 mpg to 28 mpg), a 12 percent increase and also better than the EPA’s highway figure of 26 mpg.Even though the units fitted to our Carnival are shaped to be aero friendly, they still take quite a toll on its ability to slice through the air. This uptick in drag increases exponentially as speeds rise, so around-town driving will result in a lesser hit to fuel economy than highway motoring. Testing, TestingThe additional 3 mpg we gained after parting ways with our crossbars means a roughly 60-mile uptick in highway driving range, from 470 to 530 miles. Hypothetically, if a driver were making a 1000-mile road trip, this makes it possible for only one fuel stop when starting with a full tank as opposed to two stops with the crossbars installed. And, using today’s national average gas prices, overall fuel costs would decrease as well, with $14 savings every 1000 miles when using regular 87 octane fuel. Stretching that over a year, and assuming half of driving miles are completed on a highway, a driver could see near triple-digit savings based on the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s average annual mileage of 13,476. That’s roughly enough to cover an entire year of a Disney+ subscription. Michael Simari|Car and DriverThe Carnival’s increase in efficiency doesn’t exactly take it to world-beater territory. The most recent, hybrid-only Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica eHybrid we tested lead the pack among minivans at 33 mpg, with the Sienna’s figure being a bit more impressive given that our test car had all-wheel drive. Taking home the bronze is the gas-only Pacifica at 31 mpg, followed by the Honda Odyssey at 30 mpg. Even with this newfound efficiency, the Carnival remains last relative to other minivans in our highway fuel-economy testing. Ultimate driving range, however, is a different story. The Kia, sans crossbars, trails only the Toyota in that category, and by a mere 10 miles (530 and 540 miles, respectively).Of course, attaching a cargo carrier, kayak, paddle board, or other large accessory to those crossbars will reduce fuel economy by an even greater amount. But the point is, it’s worth taking a few minutes to remove the crossbars when you’re not using them. More

Ford still can’t build enough Broncos, and the issues aren’t about to go away if our reading of the tea leaves in a new “2023-Model Bronco Cancel Order & Purchase Replacement Offer” are correct.The letter, which Ford recently sent to dealers, says that customers can get a $2500 discount if they order a different Ford model before early April.Another option is to switch to a lower-trim or lower-content Bronco by removing “constrained commodities.”Ford has a problem, and it thinks $2500 might make it go away. The problem—admittedly, a good one to have—is that demand for the Ford Bronco has remained strong since the Jeep-esque off-roader debuted in 2021. But, supply chain and production challenges have meant that Ford has had to repeatedly delay Bronco orders. Now, Ford is going to force, in Ford’s words, a “small number of existing Bronco reservation and order holders” who ordered but have not yet received their 2023 Bronco to choose among four options, none of which will result in these customers getting the vehicle they ordered.Specs and Details, but Don’t Expect to Get One (Yet)First reported by Cars Direct, Ford has sent an incentive bulletin to dealers that offers anyone who’s ordered a 2023 Bronco a $2500 discount if they switch to another Ford model. The 2023-Model Bronco Cancel Order & Purchase Replacement Offer says Ford is prepared to give “an additional incentive to cancel their current 23MY Bronco Order and retail order an eligible 23MY Ford vehicle,” according to Cars Direct. Customers can get the discount if they make the switch to one of seven other Ford models before April 3. The qualifying list of non-Bronco vehicles includes the Escape, Bronco Sport, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Ranger, and F-150.The Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Tremor, and Raptor apparently do not qualify.Ford told Car and Driver that the causes of the problems are, unsurprisingly, ongoing supply-chain challenges. The missing parts mean that certain “constrained features,” like the Sasquatch and Lux packages and the Molded in Color Hard Top, are not going to be available for 2023 model Bronco customers who ordered them and have not yet received their vehicle.”Customers who remove constrained features are expected to receive a 2023 model year Bronco along with a $2500 rebate toward purchase or lease in addition to existing MSRP price protection they may have,” Ford spokesperson Mike Levine told C/D.Customers who don’t want to modify their reservation will have to accept one of four options. As mentioned, there’s the $2500 rebate. Customers can also just cancel their reservation and get their original $100 deposit back. Third, they can try to find a “suitable Bronco” at a dealer that happens to have one. Finally, they can just cancel their order and place a new one for a 2024 Bronco.”If we are not able to schedule a reservation or order for production, it will be canceled for the 2023 model year and their $100 reservation deposit will be refunded automatically,” Levine said. One problem with all of this is that no one can order a new Bronco at the moment. While the configurator remains active, Ford’s consumer site also says, “Due to high demand, the current model year [2023 Bronco] is no longer available for retail order. Limited inventory may be available at selected dealers.” There’s also no way to order a 2024 Bronco through the site just yet. Ford’s site also says, “[Bronco] supplies are limited and there are no guarantees.” You don’t say. 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.A Range of Broncos, Tested More