Toyota is modernizing its famed production system to take on Tesla in the EV era with a slew of new manufacturing technologies that will debut in just a few short years.
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F-150 Flash: Lightning Quick!
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2022 Chevrolet Bolt – Pros and Cons
The Chevrolet Bolt compact electric hatchback impressed us so much when it first hit the market, we named it the 2017 MotorTrend Car of the Year. It was bold and fresh, ushering in a new era of fun electric cars that made sense as everyday drivers.
For the 2022 model year, Chevy gave the Bolt a needed update to compete with an exploding number of new EVs, hoping new clothes on the old emperor would be enough to win the title again.
By Alisa Priddle – Writer, Darren Martin – Photographer – MotorTrend
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2022 Audi E-Tron GT
Ah, to be young! Established automakers like Audi or Mercedes-Benz likely look upon the Rivians and Lucids of the world with a sense of envy—oh, what can be done if starting from scratch. But with storied legacies to maintain, you’re left with the sense some brands are entering the electric era cautiously. Case in point: the 2022 Audi E-Tron GT.
By Christian Seabaugh – Writer, Darren Martin – Photographer – MotorTrend
Is there a future for the Porsche Panamera beyond its current generation? With sales of the brand’s original four-door sedan lagging as consumers gobble up the similarly shaped, all-electric Star Award-winning Taycan – which through October had outsold every other vehicle in the lineup sans Macan and Cayenne – it’s a fair question. But in the here and now, Porsche is making, of all things, a value play with the 2022 Panamera Platinum Edition.
Of course, Porsche doesn’t explicitly say “value.” That’s a four-letter word for the high-performance vehicle manufacturer. But a quick look at what the Platinum Edition adds to the Panamera, Panamera 4, and Panamera 4 E-Hybrid (the three most affordable members of the family) makes seeing any other impression tricky. We’ve attached the standard prices to each item’s description, to give you an idea of just how much the Platinum Edition saves owners.
By Brandon Turkus – Motor1
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2022 Kia Rio
Surviving another year, the 2022 Kia Rio is better than you’d expect of a subcompact. While others have abandoned the segment entirely, Kia continues to support entry-level buyers who don’t want the larger Forte sedan. For the 2022 model year, the Rio returns mostly unchanged and continues to be offered as a sedan or hatchback.
By Kelly Lin – MotorTrend
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2022 Kia Carnival
“Where are the other ones?!” This frequent refrain from our judges cut to the core of why the all-new Kia Carnival wasn’t a 2022 Car of the Year finalist. Blame our organizing committee: The only version we requested was a loaded, top-shelf SX Prestige model with the unremovable but fabulous VIP second-row lounge seats. Thus, our judges had to determine its fate using only a version that doesn’t “minivan” as well as others might.
By Erik Johnson – Writer, Darren Martin – Photographer – MotorTrend
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2022 Kia Stinger GT
When Kia brought the Stinger five-passenger sport sedan to compete for the 2018 MotorTrend Car of the Year award, we were delighted with its capability, but the lineup suffered from an underpowered base engine.
The Stinger is back to address that complaint with a new 2.5-liter I-4 that puts out 300 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. The power output represents an impressive 45-hp hike over the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder it replaces, and the new mill is more fuel efficient.
By Alisa Priddle – Writer, Darren Martin – Photographer – MotorTrend
The newest Lexus IS sport sedan punches an eight-cylinder peg through a six-cylinder hole with predictably polarizing results. Essentially an IS350 F Sport with a 472-hp naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8, the IS500 F Sport Performance is a throwback to when turbocharged engines didn’t yet dominate the premium sport sedan space. The powerful Lexus carves its own path in a niche shared with the Audi S4, BMW M340i, and Mercedes-AMG C43, but we’ll get right to it: The Lexus doesn’t shift the conversation in a significant way. This one’s for dedicated Lexus performance fans.
By Zach Gale – Writer, Darren Martin – Photographer – MotorTrend
Honda has taken the wraps off the facelifted 2022 Passport, including a new TrailSport trim that offers more aggressive looks and enhanced off-road abilities … but without the enhanced off-road abilities. Confused? Yeah, us too. Bear with us and we’ll try to straighten it out.
By Aaron Gold – MotorTrend