Honda has just taken the wraps off the next-generation HR-V (known as the Vezel in Japan). If you like it, well, you’d better buy a plane ticket, because it isn’t coming to the United States. Instead, Honda will develop a separate version of the HR-V that Honda says will be “designed to meet the distinct needs of U.S. customers, and will differ from the Honda Vezel/HR-V that will be introduced in other regions.”
Honda recently discontinued the Fit in the U.S. as they replaced the subcompact we know and love with a new fourth-generation model that won’t be sold here. The HR-V and the Fit share the same platform, and assuming the new Vezel will go the same way, it’s not a big surprise to learn that the new Fit-based HR-V won’t be offered in the U.S.
That said, considering Honda’s volume, and the growth of the small-SUV segment, in the U.S., it makes sense [...]
We’ve seen Kia’s new logo, and now we’ve learned a more about the brand’s future plans, including seven all-electric models and three battery-powered concepts by 2027. Kia’s intent is to stake out a leading position in the EV market, and it teased five of those future production models in silhouette.
The models will be known as EV1 through EV9, part of a model-name reorganization we’ll touch on in a bit. We don’t know which models get which numbers, so we’ll use Kia’s own descriptions (and please don’t accuse of egregious use of marketing-speak; we’re just parroting here).
First up is what Kia calls “a powerful and dynamic crossover”:
A “fun and practical commuter”:
A “strong and bold SUV”:
An “agile and dynamic machine” (which they hinted would be a serious performer, perhaps an electric [...]
Sure, you could always buy a prefab skateboard from Element or Zero, but the cool kids pick their ideal size deck and then select custom trucks and wheels to suit. Tel-Aviv-based REE Automotive reckons it should be just as easy to build your electric mobility as a service (MaaS) shuttle or delivery van. At CES 2021, the company showed off its electric skateboard chassis concept comprised of its patented REEboards and REEcorners.
REEboards are way larger but only slightly more complicated than the bent plywood of an analog skateboard. In addition to providing the structural basis for the finished vehicle, the board houses a battery sized for its intended duty cycle, along with most [...]
While much of the emphasis at CES 2021 was focused on autonomy (and related sensors), artificial intelligence, and bigger-picture tech, there were still plenty of little gizmos on virtual display promising a brighter driving tomorrow. Gadgets that solve little problems, like why your phone sometimes doesn’t juice up properly in a Qi wireless charger, and how a WiFi camera can help you monitor precious trailer cargo or reverse a long rig into a tight spot, and even how to pay for gas or parking remotely. Here are five hot gizmos from this year’s non-show.
Ever notice how sometimes when you toss your phone onto your car’s Qi wireless charger, it doesn’t always start charging (or maybe it gets hot but charges slowly)? That’s often because the ideal spot on your phone for picking up inductive charging hasn’t aligned ideally with the coil on the [...]
With Broncomania in full effect, it might come as no surprise that even the Bronco Sport—the full-fat Bronco’s baby brother—is quite the hot commodity at the moment. We recently discovered it is mighty capable and much more than just an off-roadable version of the Escape SUV it’s based on. In fact, it might be more than enough to satisfy all your Bronco needs, and the best way to find out is to get behind the wheel of one.
The only problem is a test drive at your local dealership usually isn’t long enough to get a real feel for what the Bronco Sport—or any car, for that matter—can really do. Luckily Turo, the app-based car sharing service, seems to the perfect solution to this particular problem.
If you aren’t familiar with Turo, here’s a quick rundown. It’s like any rental car service: You put in your location, for how long you’ll need the car, and [...]
