Sport-Utility
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South Korean carmaker Hyundai has aggressive plans to expand its lineup and its sales in virtually every segment, and it's launched consistently better cars for several years in a row. With gas prices remaining low, the compact crossover utility segment is red-hot in the U.S. market right now, and the redesigned 2016 Hyundai Tucson small SUV is a better vehicle than the one it replaces. It also has a new, higher-efficiency model, the Tucson Eco, that uses the same powertrain previously deployed in last year's Hyundai Sonata Eco mid-size sedan. DON'T MISS: 2016 Hyundai Tucson - Review The Eco...
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Tesla Model X To Arrive In 'Three To Four Months,' Autopilot In Testing: CEO Musk
Whenever Tesla Motors holds a conference call to discuss its financial results, its webcast is mobbed by journalists, financial analysts, and fans. So it was yesterday, when the electric-car maker broadcast its 2015 annual shareholders meeting. As always, a few pieces of news emerged--the most...
John Voelcker -
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring: Gas Mileage Review Of Small SUV
The Mazda CX-5 has always been one of our favorite compact crossover utility vehicles, not only for its fuel efficiency but also for its capacious functionality and fun-to-drive nature. First launched as a 2013 model, the CX-5 has been lightly updated for 2016 with minor tweaks to styling...
John Voelcker -
2015 Chevrolet Trax: Gas Mileage Review Of Small SUV
Sport-utility vehicles are all about hauling stuff, so collecting a set of 40-year-old wheels seemed like the perfect road test for the new 2015 Chevrolet Trax. The subcompact SUV offered cargo space for the wheels--which, frankly, would have fit into a sedan--along with decent gas mileage on our...
John Voelcker -
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid To Launch At New York Auto Show
It took a bit longer than expected, but Toyota will launch a hybrid-electric version of its popular RAV4 compact crossover utility vehicle at next week's New York Auto Show. The company sent out a teaser photo this morning, showing the rear of a RAV4 with badges saying "Hybrid" and "Limited" on the...
John Voelcker -
2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE 550e Plug-In Hybrid SUV Arrives This Fall
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE may seem like a new model, but in fact it's the renamed sport-utility vehicle we used to know as the ML-Class. And the company has released details of the full range of 2016 GLE models, including its first-ever plug-in hybrid SUV, to be known as the GLE 550e. It's the...
John Voelcker -
With the 2012 departure of Suzuki from the U.S. market, the title of "most challenged" automaker probably passes to Mitsubishi. While it's backed by a huge Japanese conglomerate, it's a tiny player in the tough North American market, and has had few new products lately. Now comes news that the company may exit a key segment of global market altogether. DON'T MISS: 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid: Revealed At Paris Motor Show According to the Australian site CarAdvice, Mitsubishi has halted work altogether on the next generation of its Lancer compact sedan. The company will instead...
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Green 'Alternative Power' Vehicles No Longer A Top 10 Segment In 2014: Report
Green cars were bumped out of the top 10 new-vehicle segments in 2014, new research claims.
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 Audi Q7 e-Tron Quattro Diesel Plug-In Hybrid: Live Photos From Geneva Motor Show
The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro diesel plug-in hybrid model was official unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show. The car's reveal followed last month's release of the first photos, details, and specifications of the all-new 2017 Audi Q7 line. Audi says the Q7 e-tron quattro is "the world's first...
John Voelcker -
2016 Volvo XC90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid 'Twin Engine': First Drive
By the end of this year, there will be several luxury SUV models offered in the U.S. with plug-in hybrid powertrains that let them run 12 to 20 miles on electricity alone. We've now driven one of them, the 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 "Twin Engine" model, which will go on sale this fall. And based on our...
John Voelcker -
Diesel Engines Selling Well In Large Luxury SUVs & Crossovers
In the U.S., diesel engines have long been established in pickup trucks. In passenger cars, however, they've remained a small part of the overall market. But diesels seem to be doing well in another segment: larger SUVs, particularly those from luxury makers, like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz...
John Voelcker -
2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid: Revealed At Paris Motor Show
Pity poor Mitsubishi, whose Outlander Plug-In Hybrid has been on sale in Europe and Asia for almost two years. But the plug-in hybrid SUV's U.S. debut has been delayed several times, and now is set for the fall of 2015, likely as a 2016 model. Now we can get a glimpse of what the revised plug-in...
John Voelcker -
The 2015 Honda CR-V will feature updated styling and other changes.
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2015 Jeep Renegade - Tiniest Jeep Yet Unveiled In Geneva: Video And Live Photos
It's often said that Jeep is the most valuable part of Chrysler, and the renewal of the legendarily tough utility brand's range is now well underway, courtesy of new owner Fiat. Introduced today at the Geneva Motor Show, the newest model is also its smallest modern-day vehicle ever: the 2015 Jeep...
John Voelcker -
Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid SUV Now Delayed Til 2015 In U.S.
The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid has generated a fair bit of attention, as the only plug-in hybrid sport utility vehicle thus far that will be offered for sale in the U.S. But potential buyers will have to wait a little longer, it turns out, due to high demand in other parts of the world and...
John Voelcker -
2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid: Drive Review
Over a varied road test of more than 600 miles, including Manhattan traffic and upstate New York two-lane roads, we were surprised and pleased to get more than 27 mpg in our 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid sport-utility vehicle. It's fast, handles superbly, and is a pleasant place to spend...
John Voelcker -
Five Reasons Gas-Guzzlers Won't Die--And Shouldn't--Any Time Soon
Writing about green cars can be a challenge. On the one hand, this site attracts many new-car buyers who want to learn more about more fuel-efficient alternatives to what they're driving now. Consider the Ford Explorer driver who bought a Honda Fit because it was really all he needed. But on the...
John Voelcker -
Hide the Children! Porsche Goes Green And Hybrid, Purists Blanch
Europeans have been slow to the game with hybrids, having bet most of their green strategy on highly efficient clean diesels. But they are increasingly hedging their bets, learning to work with electric motors and battery packs. In the sports-car world, aside from startups Fisker and Tesla, no...
John Voelcker -
Despite IRS tax credits and superior gas mileage figures, BMW is reportedly having a tough time selling its new diesels, the 2009 BMW 335d sports sedan and the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d (yes, that's really its name). We've thought from the beginning that Volkswagen would be the big winner in selling new clean diesels to US buyers, and that BMW and Audi would face uphill sledding. Now, BMW has put new incentives on its diesels to coincide with the start of the Cash for Clunkers plan, known officially as the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program. Through August 31, says BMW, it will give...
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2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid At Dealers Late Next Year
Hell is freezing over pretty frequently these days, it seems. Porsche, once the pinnacle of piston-engined power, will launch its first hybrid late next year. The 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid sport-utility will get gas mileage of at least 26 miles per gallon (less than 9 litres per 100 km)...
John Voelcker