Quirky Crossover Receives N Line Trim, Updated Styling & New Convenience Features. After months of teasing and speculations, the 2022 Hyundai Kona has finally arrived. The newest Kona is home to a comprehensive styling update spread across the entire lineup, including the quirky Kona Electric. There’s also a sportier N Line version equipped with a 195-horsepower turbocharged four-banger.
By: Jeff Perez Published by: Brandon Turkus – Motor1
Even with a mere 73 miles of range, the original Nissan Leaf was a pioneer. It was one of the first mass-market electric vehicles you could buy here in the US and helped ease buyers into electrification. But with more companies debuting better alternatives to the Leaf – like Chevrolet, Ford, Tesla, Polestar, and others – Nissan’s all-electric hatchback struggles to capture the same attention and share it once did.
Nevertheless, the Leaf is a better vehicle following its 2017 facelift, which included improvements to both the range and looks. The base version now drives up to 149 miles with its standard 40-kilowatt-hour battery pack, while a 62-kWh battery gives the Leaf Plus a range of up to 226 miles if you order the light, frill-free S trim. Three of us recently spent time in a Leaf Plus (though the SV model with a 215-mile range), and while it may no longer be our first choice, it’s still a solid option in a booming segment.
By Angus MacKenzie – MotorTrend
Quick quiz: How many 400-plus-hp production cars has Volvo built? The 402-hp 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric P8 is one of the most significant cars the Swedish brand has launched, right up there with the P144 Amazon, the 760, and the S80. But that significance derives not from being one of the most powerful Volvos ever produced (along with the Polestar-tweaked XC90 T8 PHEV), but rather what produces that power. The XC40 Recharge Pure Electric P8 is Volvo’s first electric car.
The Mazda MX-30 isn’t Mazda’s first electric vehicle per se – it’s made several prototypes, including the absurd, Kinder-Egg-on-wheels EX-005 concept of 1970 – but it is Mazda’s first production EV.
Careering straight down the plug-in crossover route seems like a safe bet for pulling in buyers, but there are plentiful clues Mazda’s doing things differently. The name, for starters: MX is usually the prefix of coupes and roadsters, most notably the MX-5, so affixing it here (in lieu of more explicit EV badging) draws a real line in the sand that we should think of this as sporty.
By Kelly Lin – MotorTrend
A few months ago, we got a glimpse at the Volkswagen ID4 EV’s somewhat vanilla exterior. Well, it looks like the new electric car’s interior follows the same simple-is-better philosophy. In fact, we rather like the clean, uncluttered look, which reminds us of the Tesla Model 3’s pared-back cabin.
Like the most modern cars, the ID4 keeps the number of physical buttons at a minimum through a reliance on digital touchscreen displays. Both the instrument display—the ID4’s key difference from the Model 3 and Model Y, which lack a formal gauge cluster ahead of the driver—and the larger central touchscreen sit above the dashboard. The steering wheel, display housings, and control panels in the doors can be had in Piano Black or Electric White, depending on the buyer’s preference. Other noteworthy details? The brake pedal features a “pause” sign, and the accelerator features a “play” sign. Cheeky.
By Frank Markus – MotorTrend
Take equal parts Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, add a splash of Volvo flair, and have lots of Google inside.
The automotive establishment’s answer to Tesla’s mainstream-budget electric-vehicle offerings, the Model 3 and Model Y, is about to hit the market in the form of the 2021 Polestar 2.
By: Kyle Conner – Motor1
It’s not a Volvo. At least not according to the badge on the front. Two opposing V-shaped accents on the hood signify a new brand: Polestar. Actually, though, Polestar isn’t even a new brand. It’s been around for decades as an aftermarket arm for Volvo vehicles, before the bigger company acquired the little to make in-house hot Swede machines, and now it’s a standalone car company under Chinese automaker Geely’s ownership.
Its first car was the Polestar 1, a rare, carbon-bodied, plug-in hybrid coupe with just 150 copies allocated for the United States per year. But the brand’s second car, the unimaginatively named Polestar 2, should be much more common. Thanks to its parent company, Polestar can take the best of Volvo’s technology to implement into their vehicles. This leaves the Polestar team free to tackle the important bits such as chassis dynamics, body design, and infotainment.
By Kim Reynolds – MotorTrend
After many years on the periphery of the automotive mainstream, the time has finally come for electric cars. One by one, the old limitations of modest range, golf-cart-like performance, high prices, and slow charging have been conquered. Now, some of the best EVs can travel farther on a charge than gas cars, their acceleration is frequently quicker, they’re dropping in price, and if at-home, overnight charging isn’t enough, fast-charging stations are dramatically shortening your pauses to recharge on the road.
But not all EVs are solving these problems simultaneously—for example, there are many instances where an EV might be quick but has poor range, or affordable but uses an uncommon plug type. There are also the big differences in the charging speeds and costs of the competing fast-charging infrastructures, and the practical prerequisite of needing a garage or at least a driveway to locate a private overnight charger.
By Kelly Lin – MotorTrend
The BMW iX3 is the automaker’s first electric crossover SUV, and it launches later this year in China. BMW’s latest battery-electric vehicle rounds out the already diverse X3 lineup, which includes gasoline, diesel, and plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid powertrains.
Power for the BEV Bimmer comes courtesy of an electric motor that produces 286 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. According to BMW, that’s enough grunt to propel the rear-drive crossover SUV to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds, making it 0.4 second slower than its four-cylinder X3 counterpart. The EV crossover’s top speed is electronically limited to 112 mph. Adaptive dampers are standard, too, though buyers can upgrade to a sportier M-tuned setup.
By Aaron Gold – MotorTrend
The Nissan Ariya – This Murano-like electric SUV will take on the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach E.
Nope, this isn’t a concept car—it’s the production version of the Nissan Ariya electric SUV shown at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, and it’s coming to the U.S. and Canada in late 2021. With up to 300 miles of range, a flat-floor cabin, a hands-off driving mode, and a $40,000-ish price tag, the Ariya promises to be the electric crossover for those who don’t want to fade into the battery-powered background of lookalike Teslas.
