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Car and Driver’s weekly soap opera explores new emotional depths as the Window Shopping crew reaches into its traumatized youth to recall the utter crap our families once drove. Join us in a terrifying journey into the abyss of shoddy engineering, horrifying quality and really stupid decision making. These are… The Worst Cars of Our Lives. No mention is made of any vehicular hideousness currently resident in our garages. That will be another episode. So what nightmares did we recall? Did someone in this crew actually own a Chevrolet Vega? Yes. Yes, he did. Another panelist recalled his father’s nine-month sojourn with an ’81 Oldsmobile Toronado powered by the infamous diesel V-8 that that GM division foisted upon the world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Another burned his thighs on the hot vinyl of a Chevrolet Citation. While one felt Carroll Shelby had betrayed his kin by getting involved with a lousy front-drive Dodge. Finally, well, the youngest panelist had a pretty good life that included (Gasp!) having to manually wind up the windows in a Toyota Corolla CE! Can you imagine how that has scarred his psyche and burdened soul? Yeah, that’s right. It’s lunacy. Join us for this week’s conflict, comedy and cheating. This time, bad is good. Like, subscribe, and please share on Facebook, Twitter and any other media to which you participate. Also, bring it up in conversation the next time you’re on line at the supermarket. Because like sands through the hour glass, these are the Worst Cars of Our Lives. Then, once you’re done watching and have recovered your grip on reality, go to RoadAndTrack.com to read all the latest stories written by John Pearley Huffman.

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The Subaru WRX enters its third generation with a new platform, new engine, new looks, and a sporty GT model. It’s powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four paired with either a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission. The 2022 WRX will go on sale in the U.S. early next year. Subaru launched the all-wheel-drive, rally-inspired sport compact craze in the U.S. the early 2000s with the WRX. Others followed such as the Ford Focus RS, Mazdaspeed 3, and Mitsubishi Lancer. But those cars have all come and gone, leaving the WRX and the new Volkswagen Golf R as the only remaining vehicles in this space. The pioneering Subie is now entering its new generation with only a bit more power, but it rides on a new platform, boasts improved looks, and adds a new sporty GT model.

The new car is built on Subaru’s Global Platform that currently underpins all of Subaru’s vehicles, excluding the rear-wheel-drive BRZ sports coupe that’s jointly developed with Toyota. Subaru says the new platform improves strength and provides a lower center of gravity. And, of course, all-wheel drive with torque vectoring is standard. Subaru claims to have reduced body roll in the new WRX by mounting the stabilizer bar directly to the body instead of the subframe, and switching to a dual-pinion electric power steering rack should improve steering feel.

Either 17- or 18-inch wheels are available, wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx summer tires. The new WRX retains the same overall sedan shape as before, with a large hood scoop and wide fenders, and its aggressive styling seems to be borrowed from the BRZ. We see the resemblance especially in the taillights. For 2022, the WRX gains only 3 horsepower. The new model is powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four engine that produces 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The previous WRX used a 268-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four. You can choose from either a six-speed manual transmission (#SavetheManuals) or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
A new GT model (pictured in gray) is available that adds adaptive dampers with comfort, normal, and sport drive modes, suede Recaro front seats with red stitching, and GT-specific 18-inch matte gray wheels wrapped in the summer rubber. An STI model, which is expected to have around 400 horsepower, should also join the lineup soon.An 11.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is the center point of the new car’s interior. The old model had either a 6.5-inch screen or an optional 7.0-inch unit. Like the old model, the new WRX has a black interior with red stitching and carbon fiber accents, and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is available. The 2022 Subaru WRX will go on sale early next year in base, Premium, Limited, and GT models. Those waiting for a hatchback model will be disappointed because Subaru says it’ll only be offered as a sedan for now.
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The 2022 Chevy Silverado receives notable interior and technology upgrades to better compete with half-ton Ford and Ram rivals.Most Silverado models now have a snazzier cabin thanks to better materials as well as a fully digital gauge cluster and a 13.4-inch touchscreen.Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free-driving tech, can also be had on the top trim.While pickup trucks were once body-on-frame tools of the trade defined by their max tow ratings and engine output, today’s full-size pickups are often judged by their luxury-grade interiors and tech features. The current Chevy Silverado 1500 isn’t nearly as classy or tech-savvy as the Ford F-150 and half-ton Ram, but that is starting to change for the 2022 model year.

Aside from the new off-road-oriented Silverado ZR2 model, which we’ve covered separately, the most notable changes to the 2022 Silverado are found inside. The dashboard design is modernized and many of the materials now look more upscale. Before tradespeople start dreaming about a fancy-pants Work Truck or Custom model, Chevy limits the new interior and upgraded features to the LT trim and up. The top-of-the-line High Country benefits from new materials such as open-pore wood. This should help it better align with equally expensive F-150 Platinum and Ram 1500 Limited models, but we’ll have to experience it firsthand to know for sure.
Drivers of the updated Silverado trims now face a configurable 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. At the center of the dash is a landscape-oriented 13.4-inch touchscreen. Peep inside an F-150 or Ram 1500 and the biggest infotainment screen you’ll see measures a mere 12.0 inches. Along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Chevy’s new infotainment system includes Google’s voice assistance, maps, and app store.

Easily the most noteworthy addition to the 2022 Silverado’s roster of high-tech assists is GM’s hands-free-driving feature, Super Cruise. It’s currently only available on the High Country, but we expect it to eventually trickle down to lower trims. For now, the system will control the truck—under certain conditions, of course—for prolonged periods without the driver needing to use their hands. Super Cruise is functional when pulling a trailer, too. It can also automatically make the truck change lanes, just not when trailering.Although bottom-rung Silverados miss out on the above upgrades, they do get an array of driver-assistance technologies that are now standard across the board. The safety suite includes everything from automated emergency braking to automatic high-beam headlights to lane-keeping assist. Every 2022 Silverado also has fresh front-end styling and select models with wing-shaped running lights now have an animated lighting sequence.
Chevy says it enhanced the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder to be more refined and retuned the eight-speed automatic transmission that this engine pairs with. Previously, the four-cylinder engine developed 383 pound-feet of torque, but that figure rises by 20 percent to 420 pound-feet. Silverado models equipped with the Duramax diesel 3.0-liter inline-six benefit from chassis updates and compatibility with the Max Trailering Package, which now enables it to tow up to 13,300 pounds (up from a previous max of 9500 pounds).Chevy hasn’t said how much the 2022 Silverado will cost, but we expect to find out before they start to hit dealership lots in the spring of 2022.
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The new ZR2 model is the most distinctive and off-road-ready 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500.The Silverado ZR2 has a 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, 33-inch tires, Multimatic spool-valve dampers, and electronic-locking front and rear differentials.Despite its notable hardware, Chevy’s beefiest half-ton Silverado isn’t as impressive as the Ford F-150 Raptor or Ram 1500 TRX.The 2022 Chevy Silverado ZR2 doesn’t share a nickname with prehistoric predators. It also doesn’t make 700-plus-horsepower like the Hellcat-powered Ram 1500 TRX, and it doesn’t offer 37-inch tires like the high-flying Ford F-150 Raptor. Hell, the Chevy doesn’t even have 35-inch tires. What the first-ever Silverado ZR2 does have is a 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory off-road tires, and advanced Multimatic spool-valve dampers. All these goodies make it the bow-tie brand’s most formidable off-roader, even if its stat sheet isn’t likely to impress anyone who lusts after a Raptor or TRX.

The Silverado ZR2’s proportions aren’t as visually stimulating as the Raptor or TRX, but it sports a distinctive front end. Unlike its supercharged and twin-turbocharged rivals, the Chevy’s small-block engine is naturally aspirated, but its gaping grille—with its hollowed-out bow-tie logo—looks capable of both swallowing large air masses and unsuspecting jaywalkers. Which is to say, the ZR2 looks appropriately aggressive, even if it’s not as distinctive as its wide-bodied little brother, the Colorado ZR2.
Above the red tow hooks and the skid plate on the Silverado ZR2’s chin is a high-mounted steel front bumper. Not only does it look badass, it also contributes to the truck’s 31.8-degree approach angle, which Chevy says is more than you’ll get on any other Silverado. That would include those with the Z71 Off-Road package or Trail Boss models with their standard 2.0-inch lifted suspension. The ZR2 sits a half-inch taller than Trail Bosses, and it’s only offered with a crew-cab body style and either the short- or standard-length cargo boxes.

While specifications for the Silverado ZR2 indicate it can tow 8900 pounds with a conventional trailer hitch and haul up to 1440 pounds of payload, we don’t know how much ground clearance it has or the range of wheel travel. We do know that along with the aforementioned spool-valved dampers that it has specially tuned springs that Chevy says give it increased wheel travel versus the Trail Boss. Likewise, the ZR2 benefits from other specific chassis and suspension tuning, and its selectable Terrain Mode allows drivers to crawl across rocks and other terrain using a single pedal. Think of it as an off-road cruise control.
Chevy introduced the ZR2 along with a slew of significant changes to the standard Silverado 1500 for the 2022 model year. The biggest transformation happens within, where the truck benefits from a drastically different dashboard and dazzling digital displays. Alongside a 12.3-inch fully digital gauge cluster is a 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The materials are prettier, the switchgear looks sturdier, and there’s even an electronic shifter mounted on the center console that looks similar to what you’ll find in the upcoming Hummer EV. Interior improvements and techno-wizardry aside, the ZR2 is intended to look intimidating and have fun when the blacktop ends.Chevy hasn’t said how much the 2022 Silverado ZR2 will cost, but we imagine it’ll be as much or more than the current top-of-the-line High Country, which starts around $55,000. If so, that’ll at least make the ZR2 considerably more affordable than the Raptor or TRX, which start at $65,840 and $72,120, respectively. The ZR2 is expected to arrive on dealer lots in spring 2022.
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Ford announced today that it will cease production of vehicles in India following a decade of losses totaling $2 billion. The restructuring will result in about 4000 layoffs.The company’s plants in Chennai and Sanand are responsible for the Figo, Aspire, Freestyle, and Endeavor, which are not sold in North America; the EcoSport, which is sold here, is also produced in India and will be discontinued.The American automaker’s presence in India will continue through the Ford Business Solutions arm and by importing vehicles into India that were assembled elsewhere.UPDATE 9/9/2021, 5 p.m.: The Detroit Free Press reported this afternoon, citing Ford as confirmation, that the EcoSport and other India-built models will stop production. Ford said in a statement, “Sales of current products such as Figo, Aspire, Freestyle, EcoSport and Endeavour will cease once existing dealer inventories are sold.”Following a decade of losses, Ford announced today that it will end production of vehicles at its two assembly plants in India. The company said that over the past 10 years its Indian manufacturing arm has posted losses totaling $2 billion.The two Indian plants assembled vehicles for sale locally in India, including small cars such as the Figo, Aspire, and Freestyle. The North American version of the EcoSport is also built at Ford’s plant in Chennai and The Detroit Free Press has reportedly received confirmation that the subcompact SUV will be discontinued as a result of the plant closures.

Ford Freestyle (L) and Aspire.
Ford India

“As part of our Ford+ plan, we are taking difficult but necessary actions to deliver a sustainably profitable business longer term and allocate our capital to grow and create value in the right areas,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a press release. “Despite investing significantly in India, Ford has accumulated more than $2 billion of operating losses over the past 10 years and demand for new vehicles has been much weaker than forecast.”

Ford’s presence in India will continue after the restructuring, with about 100 manufacturing workers retaining jobs to provide parts and support for current customers and about 500 remaining on at the Sanand plant to build engines for the Ranger pickup truck. As part of the restructuring, the American automaker will refocus its efforts in India on its 11,000-person Ford Business Services team, which offers engineering, software development, finance, accounting, and data analysis services. Although the Indian market will no longer include the aforementioned small cars and SUVs, the company plans to begin exporting models to India, including the Mustang and the electric Mustang Mach-E.

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