In general, the Subaru Crosstrek is a great little hatch. Not only did we name it an SUV of the Year finalist for 2018, we also liked it enough to add one to our long-term test fleet. Its biggest downside, though, it that it’s pretty slow. So now that Subaru has officially revealed the Crosstrek Hybrid, we’re happy to report that the more fuel-efficient Crosstrek is also quicker.
Starting with a more efficient version of the regular Crosstrek’s 2.0-liter engine and CVT, Subaru added two electric motors and an 8.8-kWh battery. The first serves as a starter motor and generator that can charge the battery, while the second powers the wheels with a maximum output of 118 hp and 149 lb-ft of torque. That brings the total system output up to 148 hp and an undisclosed amount of torque.
Whatever that torque figure is, it must be quite [...]
One wrong step in the Mojave Desert can bring you within striking distance of a scorpion. This is something I know all too well. One recently followed me around at Honda’s desert proving ground with its arms raised and its beady eyes staring like it wanted me for dinner. Could you imagine coming face-to-face with one weighing 2,500 pounds?
Fortunately, I don’t mean one of those giant arachnids from a ’50s sci-fi movie. But rather, my encounter was with the much sleeker 2019 Fiat 124 Spider, decked out in Abarth’s famous red and yellow scorpion logo.
The Abarth emblem was inspired by Carlo Abarth’s astrological sign—Scorpio. For 70 years it’s been intimidating competitors in its various incarnations as a race car and performance road-car builder, as a demon tuner, and since 1971, a symbol of adrenaline-addled Fiats.
In commemoration [...]
When we first drove the 2016 BMW 330e, we came away impressed with how much the plug-in hybrid felt like a regular 3 Series. Well, a regular 3 Series with way more torque. Even with a tiny 14-mile range when running on electricity alone, the 330e showed that hybrids can actually be pretty fun to drive. And now that BMW’s redesigned the 3 Series, the 330e is back, looking more appealing than ever.
Perhaps the most important thing to know about the BMW 330e is that its EV range is now 50 percent better than before. Battery size is up from 8.8 to 12 kWh, which BMW says is enough to drive 37 miles (60 km) on a single charge. European range tests tend to be extremely generous, though, so when the EPA tests the 330e, expect that number to drop to about 21 miles. Still, that’s enough [...]
The driver’s window was down long before he stopped next to me, so I rolled mine down. Clearly, he wanted to talk, but the driver stared at me a few seconds first. Then his eyebrows raised, but his face otherwise remained deadpan. Over the clatter of his diesel, finally: “Holy s–t.”
It was a common sentiment, if not always so eloquent. In a land where “Super Jeeps” like his—all 40-plus-inch tires and snaking snorkels up the windshield pillars—are a common sight, my Lamborghini Urus attracted as much attention as Ed Sheeran, who’d recently added a second night to his debut Icelandic performance due to popular demand (fun fact: Iceland has half the population of Vermont).
That it was, as far as I could tell, the only yellow vehicle on the island certainly contributed.
For an automaker looking to make a splash in the frigid North Atlantic, that’s reason [...]
Many probably could have guessed Aston Martin would name its upcoming SUV after the concept that first previewed it, but now we get to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Aston Martin confirmed today that its first SUV will indeed be called DBX, and it also shared the first photos of a development prototype for the vehicle.
The prototype, seen here driving the mixed-terrain route of the WRC’s Welsh Rally stage, looks less low-slung than the concept we first saw way back in 2015. As promised by Aston CEO Andy Palmer, the DBX sports rear doors, which help it look more like a conventional SUV when viewed from the side. But up front, the DBX is anything but conventional. Aston’s signature grille shape is enlarged to fit the DBX’s front end and is outlined in red, giving it a gaping, catfish-like appearance. Luckily, this is just a prototype and doesn’t necessarily preview the production [...]
