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Thursday, September 10, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for September 10, 2020

Sep 10, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

Lucid Air production electric luxury sedan is a dream revealed

The slow drip of Lucid Air sedan teasers culminated Wednesday with the world debut of the production version of the startup's electric car with a range of up to 517 miles . Starting below $80,000 and available in four initial variants, the first examp…

Mid-engined, 621-horsepower MC20 inaugurates a new era for Maserati

No longer embedded in the gap separating Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, Maserati is preparing to give its range of models an overhaul that's so comprehensive it merits its own chapter in the firm's history. The first car in this installment isn't a volume-g…

Nissan Z Proto manual transmission confirmed, and here's how the engine sounds

Nissan is marching on with its teaser campaign for the Z Proto that will be fully revealed on September 15. Today, Nissan has confirmed in a YouTube video that it will feature a manual transmission. The video pans sideways to a manual gear lever, th…

Short-seller accuses Nikola of fraud after its $2 billion GM deal

If you read the account earlier this week of GM's $2 billion investment in Nikola , saw that GM was doing all of the manufacturing, and wondered what the startup was bringing to the table, you weren't the only one. Shares of Nikola Corp fell 8% on T…

Ford Maverick test mule exposed by spy photos of rear window

A fresh round of spy photos has outed the new Ford Maverick — a new pint-sized pickup based on the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport platform — thanks to a photo that clearly shows the little utility vehicle's sliding rear cab window. The mystery prototy…

'Top Gear' shows off its socially distant live setup, and everybody's car gets to go

Fresh episodes of "Top Gear" are right around the corner. For the long-running British motoring show's 27th season, the coronavirus pandemic has the crew switching up the format, and while we'll have to wait and see how well it works, our initial rea…

2020 Volvo XC90 Inscription Interior Driveway Test | A lesson in minimalist luxury

We tend to love Volvo interiors. They're beautiful, simple, inviting and a relaxing place to spend time in. Designers needed to get it right, too, because Volvo has applied the same styling and design language to every vehicle in its lineup. We're f…

Maserati Grecale announced as new compact crossover set to debut next year

Maserati is on a roll right now , and the Italian brand has just teased another new model: Grecale. Judging by the silhouette (and the information Maserati provided), it's a smaller SUV than the Levante . Think Porsche Macan or BMW X3 size. Its stubby …

Citroen Ami $7K plastic car's intended buyers: 14-year-old drivers

PARIS — France's Citroen has a new vehicle it hopes will reach a market most major carmakers have not tapped — drivers as young as 14. The French automaker's tiny two-seater Citroen Ami vehicle is powered by a modest 6 kilowatt electric motor, so un…

Sebastian Vettel signs with Racing Point for the 2021 F1 season

LONDON — Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel will drive for Racing Point starting next season. The team, which will be renamed Aston Martin, announced the move Thursday, a day after driver Sergio Perez said he was on his way out. The tea…

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for September 9, 2020

Sep 09, 2020

Top Stories of the Day

Ford Bronco Raptor prototype spotted on public roads in spy photos

Ford has hit the ground running with its 2021 Bronco marketing machine, but if these spy photos are anything to go on, there's still plenty of development going on behind the scenes. Our spies claim this beefy prototype is the first development mule …

2021 Genesis G70 revealed with bodywork to match its brethren

After seeing it in spy photos for a few months , the 2021 Genesis G70 has officially been revealed. It bears the design cues of its bigger siblings, and we find it to be a major improvement. That's despite the fact that it's a relatively minor update,…

2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class prices set for refreshed range of mild-to-wild cars

Mercedes-Benz has released pricing information for the latest E-Class lineup, which ranges from the base E350 to the fire-breathing E63. Sedan, coupe and station wagon models will arrive for the 2021 model year. Pricing for the 2021 E350 sedan start…

GM will use a wireless system to manage its Ultium electric car batteries

It has been a busy few days at GM on the electric powertrain front, as the automaker announced separate deals with Honda and Nikola. On top of those EV alliances comes word that GM plans to become the first automaker to use a (nearly) wireless batter…

Here are the great-looking new VW Golf wagons you can't have

Volkswagen discontinued the Golf Sportwagen and Golf Alltrack last year in the U.S. It was sad. We mourned . The world moved on. But now there is more news in the Volkswagen wagon world (say that five times fast), and it doesn't apply to us. The eigh…

2021 Land Rover Defender PHEV and diesel six-cylinder announced, but not for America

The 2021 Land Rover Defender , while only the second model year for the off-road-oriented SUV, marks a number of important developments. The most significant of which won't be offered in the U.S., at least for the time being: a plug-in hybrid and a ne…

Ford's rumored long-wheelbase, three-row Escape comes into focus

Ford is still planning a longer Escape, a recent report claims, and we're not talking about the audacious kind Carlos Ghosn is known for . Insiders revealed the Blue Oval's popular crossover will spawn a long-wheelbase variant with seating for up to s…

Electric delivery vans in high demand after pandemic e-commerce surge

Delivery fleet operators face regulatory pressure in California and other states to buy electric vehicles, but a surge in package deliveries thanks to coronavirus lockdowns has major firms itching to switch to electric right now. And they want far m…

VW's new ID.3 electric car harshly criticized by Germany's leading test publication

FRANKFURT — Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said Volkswagen's new electric car, the ID.3, had fallen short of the carmaker's usual standards of fit and finish, and had a limited operating range, in a review of a pre-production model ahead of the car's…

Diesel-powered 2020 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra get big price cuts

General Motors is reducing the price difference between its diesel-powered light-duty pickups and their gasoline-burning counterparts, according to a recent report. As of September 3, 2020, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500 benefit…