Over the past few months, Ford has launched a barrage of SUVs, introducing key models like the new Ford Escape, new Explorer, and most recently, the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E—and it’s not done with its SUV assault yet. The latest thing to hit the internet? Our first glimpse at what could be the so-called “baby Bronco’s” front grille. First posted on enthusiast forum Broco6G, the grille is the first piece of the small off-roader we’ve seen in the metal.
For the uninitiated, the baby Bronco is an off-road-oriented lifestyle SUV that will slot beneath the upcoming Ford Bronco, both in size and capability. The baby Bronco likely won’t share much with the full-on Bronco. Instead it will be a small, rugged-looking crossover that’s based off of the new Focus’ platform—the one that’s not sold here in the ‘States—and will be about the size of an Escape. Both the baby Bronco and standard Bronco are set [...]
Badging the first examples of a new car as special launch editions has become common practice, especially when there’s a certain amount of hype involved. Toyota did it with the new Supra, Jeep did it with the Gladiator pickup truck, and Ford offered the same thing with a limited run of First Editions of the new Mustang Mach-E. Now, just six weeks after its reveal, the order books for the 2021 Ford Mach-E First Edition are full. Ford declined to say how many First Editions were going to be made, but it did share some interesting stats on the pre-orders.
The Mach-E isn’t Ford’s first attempt at an EV, but it’s no doubt the Blue Oval’s biggest attempt to take a chunk of Tesla’s market share so far. Reserving a First Edition required a $500 deposit, and apparently enough people did it to sell out Ford’s allocation of that special model. A vast majority of [...]
When the Kia Soul was first introduced to the U.S. via dancing hamsters, it was a hit. Its combination of funky styling, eye-catching colors, and fun marketing made it Kia’s best-seller. Now the Soul is in its third generation, freshly revitalized with its most drastic change yet but still retaining its box-on-wheels figure. Nissan, Scion, and mothership Toyota have abandoned their boxy hatches, but Kia still has hopes for the Soul. We’ve added a 2020 Kia Soul EX to our long-term fleet to see if it still has enough, ahem, soul to stand out in a segment that’s saturated with solid options.
We opted for the EX trim, one step below the range-topping GT-Line Turbo, and sprung for the Platinum Gold exterior, a $345 option. The EX starts at $23,685. It comes with the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine pumping out a meager 147 horsepower mated to a CVT, or Intelligent Variable Transmission(IVT), as Kia calls [...]
Economy cars may not be popular in the U.S., but in other parts of the world like India and Mexico, these types of cars sell through the roof. The Honda City was specifically developed for emerging markets and is the carmaker’s entry-level sedan in Mexico. Built on the Fit’s platform, the City could be described as a Fit sedan, though a different engine and transmission power the Mexican-spec City. During my last trip to Mexico City, I had the chance to drive a 2018 Honda City, which has proven to be a popular model for those who want a reliable, spacious sedan.
In Latin America, Honda positions itself a bit higher than its competitors. It’s proven to be a successful move to make a different entry-level sedan specifically for the Mexico, where the City is widely seen on the streets. The automaker also sells the BR-V, which is a subcompact crossover that can seat up [...]
It’s been almost eight years since Suzuki left the U.S. market, and although the declining sales and a weak economy at the time were blamed for its departure, the brand sill had some good products in its lineup. Despite the growing trend of SUVs and crossovers, Suzuki’s core vehicles—save for the Jimny—are still small cars, and during the development of the new Swift, the automaker shifted resources to add some spice to its hatch. During a recent trip to Mexico City, I had the chance to drive the 2019 Suzuki Swift Sport, and there’s no denying this is real forbidden fruit for us Yanks.
Backed by a 1.4-liter turbo-four engine, this small hot hatch takes on winding roads with attitude. Mated to a six-speed manual, the engine produces only 138 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, but that’s enough to make the small hatch feel punchy and fun. Step on the gas, and you’ll feel [...]
