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Thursday, March 4, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 4, 2021

Mar 04, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

2021 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is all-electric, all-wheel drive, all-cool

It's finally here, the car we've been waiting for since 2018 , the Taycan Cross Turismo. It's also exactly what you would expect: a wagon variant of the Taycan sports sedan with some light off-road tweaks, from cladding to a bit more ride height. That…

These are the best new car deals in March 2021

Acura leads this month's list of new car deals in America. If you want to save thousands off the price of a new car or truck, this is where to look.

2021 BMW 3 Series Review | Returning to form, quickly

The BMW 3 Series used to be a crown jewel of the automotive landscape. It earned so much praise and won so many comparison tests that car journalists like us were falsely accused of being on the take. Sorry, the cars were just that great. In recent y…

U.S. traffic deaths rose in 2020 despite significant decline in road travel

The increase in the rate of 2020 motor vehicle deaths in the U.S. was the largest since 1924, according to a report from the National Safety Council (NSC). More than 42,000 people are estimated to have died on U.S. roadways last year, the largest mot…

Honda Legend becomes world's first certified level 3 autonomous car

TOKYO — Honda on Thursday unveiled a partially self-driving Legend sedan in Japan, becoming the world's first carmaker to sell a vehicle equipped with new, certified level 3 automation technology. The launch gives Japan's No.2 automaker bragging rig…

Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan foreshadowed in a streamlined silhouette

The new S-Class will soon have company at the top of the Mercedes-Benz sedan lineup. It will be joined by an electric flagship model named EQS that will give buyers a zero-emissions alternative brimming with tech features. The firm released a dark pr…

2021 Nissan Rogue aces IIHS crash testing after faltering in NHTSA tests

It's been a minute since a single model has caused this much attention to be cast on it due to crash test scores, but here we are with more news on how safe the 2021 Nissan Rogue is. Nissan just announced its intention to retrofit 2021 Rogues made b…

[VIDEO] Watch Mitsubishi Express van bend its way to 0-star crash test rating

Mitsubishi became a champion of economies of scale when it joined the Renault-Nissan alliance in 2016, but the merger triggered at least one undesirable side effect. The Express, a badge-engineered version of the Renault Trafic van, received a zero-s…

SpaceX Starship SN10 nails the landing, then explodes

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX's futuristic Starship looked like it aced a touchdown Wednesday, but then exploded on the landing pad with so much force that it was hurled into the air. The failure occurred just minutes after SpaceX declared success. …

NASCAR champion Joey Logano teaches you how to drive a Ford Model T

Joey Logano is best known for driving the number 22 Ford Mustang GT stock car for Team Penske Ford. But the 30-year-old NASCAR racer's personal car collection , which he has been showcasing in his "Carography" YouTube video series, is fairly eclectic.…

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 3, 2021

Mar 03, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

No, it's not your imagination. Destination costs are skyrocketing

There's a solid reason why Autoblog always lists sticker prices with the automaker-imposed destination charge tacked on: every buyer has to pay the fee, and it's not negotiable. And it turns out we're not the only ones who have noticed an alarming tr…

2021 Honda Ridgeline First Drive Review | Less friendly by design

CANTIL, Calif. — Ever since jumping into the U.S. market in the 1950s with the tagline "You meet the nicest people on a Honda," the company's corporate image has been one of extreme friendliness. Even as its Si and Type R coupes spawned an army of y…

Next-generation Honda Pilot spy photos reveal Ridgeline-style fascia

The current Honda Pilot has been around since the 2016 model year, so it's no surprise that Honda's testing a new version of it. Based on the spy photos shown above, the new one will look much more aggressive. Not only that, but its shape and proport…

You want screens? The 2021 Cadillac Escalade infotainment system gives you screens

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade's infotainment system shocked and awed when it debuted , but now we've finally had a chance to live with both it and the giant SUV that surrounds it for a week. Sliding behind the triple OLED screens is like stepping into th…

Mercedes-AMG introduces E-Performance brand, teases hybrid GT 4-Door variant

Mercedes-AMG and the Mercedes-AMG Formula One team are going to be working even closer together in the years to come. The announcement today about increased cooperation and technology sharing between the two births a new branding: E Performance. It's…

Infiniti Formula One-inspired Q60 Project Black S has been canned

Infiniti gave enthusiasts a preview of what a high-performance hybrid coupe equipped with Formula One-derived technology could look like when it released the Q60-based Black S concept in 2017. While executives hinted the 563-horsepower model could re…

Cobra Daytona Coupe was Carroll Shelby's own, and now could be yours

What is being billed as Carroll Shelby's personal Daytona Coupe is being offered for sale. Known as chassis number CSX 2469, it shares a body with the famous Shelby race cars that won numerous races around across the globe in the mid-1960s. The Shel…

2022 Honda Grom is upgraded but costs the same $3,399 as before

The heavily upgraded 2022 Honda Grom will hit dealerships across the United States in May, right as the riding season swings into high gear. And it will carry the same $3,399 base price as it did before. For another $200, an ABS model adds anti-lock …

Nissan will retrofit a 2021 Rogue safety fix after 2-star crash rating

Update: We asked Nissan if it could be more specific about what it's changing to improve the crash test score. A spokesperson told us that "the changes include updating the passenger air bag module, replacing the front passenger seat belt and updatin…

Porsche commissions a vibrantly colorful Taycan 4S for a good cause

Porsche is arguing the electric Taycan 4S can be loud even without a race-tuned exhaust by turning one into an art car. The head-turning, one-of-a-kind sedan is scheduled to cross the auction block in April 2021. New York City-based artist Richard P…

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 2, 2021

Mar 02, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

2021 Chevy Corvette loses its sub-$60,000 base price in mid-model year increase

The C8 Chevrolet Corvette snuck into its second model year without a price increase, but it's not going to stay that way for the 2021 edition. A new report from CorvetteActionCenter.com confirms that GM is raising the base price of the C8 by $1,000 s…

2021 Jeep Wrangler and Renegade Islander give you that spring feeling

The Jeep Islander variants are coming to town. We've known about or heard reports that the 2021 Wrangler and 2021 Renegade would gain Islander trim variants , but now the official information and photos are out. We'll start with the Renegade, since t…

Volvo introduces 2022 C40 Recharge crossover, announces all EV sales will be online-only

Volvo plans to become an electric car brand, with EVs making up half of sales by 2025, and all sales by 2030 . Volvo has now also announced that as part of its electric future, it will move all vehicle sales to online-only, and will expand its custome…

Volvo to go all electric by 2030, hastening internal combustion's death

LONDON — Volvo's entire car lineup will be fully electric by 2030, the Chinese-owned Swedish company said on Tuesday, joining a growing number of carmakers planning to phase out fossil-fuel engines by the end of this decade. "I am totally convinc…

The 2021 Honda Talon provides an answer to, 'Why not get a truck?'

CANTIL, Calif. — To be honest, I never really got the appeal of side-by-sides. The only place I encountered them was while off-roading my 2003 TJ Jeep, which seemed compact and rugged enough, but could also be a fully functioning street-legal car wit…

2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S Road Test Review | Driving to Germany, sort of

Under normal circumstances, right about now would be the time that Porsche would call us up and invite us to a winter driving program designed to demonstrate the capabilities of its all-weather, all-wheel-drive cars. Perhaps somewhere in the Alps. We…

Ram introduces 5th and final 'Built to Serve' edition

Ram introduced the fifth and final variant of its "Built to Serve" pickup series Tuesday. Finished in Spitfire (orange) or Bright White, this final version honors the Coast Guard. "We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our armed forces and the brave m…

Glickenhaus 008 Baja Dakar Buggy is an off-roader for the DIY crowd

New York-based Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) released a set of renderings to preview the 008 Baja Dakar Buggy. Announced in early 2020 as the Boot's smaller sibling, the race-ready off-roader will land as a kit car positioned at the bottom of th…

Jeep reportedly releasing Peugeot-based, Fiat-built baby 'ute in 2022

Jeep is now under the same Stellantis -branded roof as Peugeot, among other European carmakers. It will take full advantage of its new ownership to quickly develop and launch an entry-level car, according to a new report. Anonymous sources told indus…

Fisker abandons solid-state EV batteries

Henrik Fisker's eponymous electric car startup has abandoned plans to develop solid-state battery technology, citing its lack of near-term viability (among other complications) in an interview with The Verge . Fisker said the company felt it was "90…

Monday, March 1, 2021

What You Missed | Your Autoblog Daily Digest for March 1, 2021

Mar 01, 2021

Top Stories of the Day

Next-gen Honda CR-V spied through the grapevine for the first time

A new Honda CR-V is coming soon, as one of our spy shooters just caught the next-gen model out testing for the first time. It wasn't an easy catch. The shooter says they used an ultra-long telephoto lens to shoot at a long distance from this secret E…

NHTSA probing engine bay fires in 1.9 million Toyota RAV4s

DETROIT — The U.S. government is investigating complaints of engine compartment fires in nearly 1.9 million Toyota RAV4 small SUVs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating after getting 11 fire complaints involving the…

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2-row spy photos reveal unique bodywork

The two-row 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been spotted testing in the wild alongside its three-row sibling, giving us our first glimpse at how Jeep plans to differentiate the two beyond their available seating configurations. This is our first look …

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV First Drive Review | Super-sized with Super Cruise

TAYLOR, Mich. — For the first time in a long time, the sun was shining and the snow was beginning to melt as we first laid eyes on the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV in person. Less than two weeks after the reveal of the just-slightly-larger sibling to the …

2022 Kia Carnival priced with a $1,700 premium over the outgoing Sedona

It's only been a week since the Kia Carnival debuted , and we already have full pricing available. The base LX starts at $33,275, including the $1,175 destination charge. Versus a totally base Sedona, that's a $1,700 price increase. Standard equipmen…

VW is thinking of turning the ID.3 into its first convertible EV

Volkswagen developed the ID.3 as an electric alternative to the Golf. It's offered only as a four-door hatchback, but several members of the company's top brass expressed their wish to see a convertible variant join the range. Ralf Brandstätter, the…

Polaris teases an all-new electric Ranger utility vehicle

Six months ago when we learned that Polaris was working with Zero Motorcycles on electric vehicles , we figured "an upgraded version of Polaris' electric Ranger EV line that uses motor and battery technology from Zero" would likely be the first collab…

Cadillac will expand its range of high-performance Blackwing models

Cadillac proved the American sport sedan isn't dead when it introduced the Blackwing variants of the CT4-V and the CT5-V (pictured) in February 2021. Launched to denote a short-lived V8 engine , the nameplate will appear on other go-fast members of th…

The Porsche 911 GT3 attracts American manual buyers

There's a line that we have grown accustomed to hearing from automakers: We don't offer a manual transmission because the take rate is so low. Moreover, the rule of thumb is that Americans buy automatics while our friends across the Atlantic prefer m…

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Dodge Caravan With 5-Speed Manual Transmission

Believe it or not, minivans with manual transmissions once roamed America — not in huge numbers, but they existed. Plenty of mid-engined Toyota Vans and early Previas came with three pedals here, and Ford sold manual-trans Aerostars through 1994 … bu…