Way back in the dark ages, Subaru decided to make its all-wheel-drive station wagon a bit more macho, and voila. Some body cladding made it the Outback in 1995.

Fast forward 31 years later, and cladding on a Subaru denotes a far more serious offroad-capable model, as the boxier new 2026 Outback shows.

But now Subaru ups the ante with its latest Forester Wilderness, which has more than just some angular cladding. It gets some copper jewelry to jazz up the chunky design.

2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Has 9.3 Inches Of Ground Clearance

This is the sixth-generation Forester, specifically what Subaru calls “the most rugged Forester Wilderness yet.” It lives at the top of the 2026 Subaru Forester food chain, which starts with the Base and Premium trim levels.

Immediately evident is its 9.3 inches of ground clearance, a bit more than the fifth-gen predecessor. The same bold black grille remains on our pearl white warrior, but with a bit more angular sculpting and less honeycomb. It digs deeper into the chunky bumper cladding, with copper accents.

The headlights and DRL shape is slimmer than before, above LED fog lights indented into faux side vents in chunky black. Below the slim lower center intake lives a serious looking silver skid plate. The angular black fender flare accents are thinner, with functional rear vents for aerodynamics on the front set. There’s a big hands-width of room between flare and treads on the 17-inch Yokohama Geolander A/T rubber on matte black spoked alloy wheels. The added ground clearance is due to suspension mods and taller off-road rubber.

There are “Subaru Wilderness” badges with mountain range on each front door, and a bronze badge proclaiming “FORESTER” on each sculpted black sill accent. The rear of the Wilderness gets the same attitude as the face, including black bands flowing from smoother, bigger taillights to a slim lower bumper with more bronze accents and a buffer lower skid plate in silver under imprinted “SUBARU.” The hatchback window gets a long white and black spoiler/shade. There’s a chunky, usable roof rack. And let’s not forget the matte black hood decal, a nod to rally and race cars to reduce glare.

The latest Wilderness has improved approach, departure, and breakover angles, compared to the rest of the sixth-generation Forester lineup. The approach angle has been extended to 23.5 degrees compared to 19 degrees. The ramp breakover improves up to 21 degrees compared to 19.6 degrees; and the departure angle edges up to 25.5 degrees compared to 24.6 degrees.

2026 Subaru Forester’s Interior Headlined By 11.6-Inch Touchscreen

Our sixth-gen Forester lives atop the Subaru Global Platform that underlies most of its car-like, and more SUV-like siblings, such as the Outback.

It’s easy to slide into the Forester Wilderness’ dark gray buckets seats, done in supple StarTex pleather with heat and power adjustments for the driver. There are embossed “Subaru Wilderness” logos on head restraints. The dark interior is made up of lots of hard plastic, with some pleather accents edged in bright copper stitching. There’s also a carbon fiber-like copper accent under the faceted plastic passenger dash, also edged in stitched pleather. The adjustable steering wheel has a thick stitched leather rim, with copper accent on the lower spoke. Small plastic paddle shifters in back work eight simulated gears on the CVT, while a button up front shifts drive modes. 

The sixth-gen Forester’s comprehensive interior redesign is centered around a big 11.6-inch touchscreen as part of a higher-mounted dashboard for increased space. The fifth-gen’s climate control knobs, plus some other physical switches, are now integrated as touchscreen controls into the tall display with mixed results.

Audio tuning and volume knobs remain, as do dual-zone temperature and defroster buttons. Fan speed, seat heat and a/c controls are now touchscreen icons. To activate safety systems like lane-keep, you need to tap the “car” icon, then work that menu. X-Mode, which activates off-road and snow settings, can be accessed by sliding the main screen’s upper info screens. Or by tapping the “car” icon again, you can select Snow/Dirt or Deep Snow/Mud on the screen. That’s twice as much to do as with a dedicated button. But really handy – the center screen can show a nose camera video of what you are driving over, or you can switch it to show all-wheel-drive status, roll and dive angle and steering articulation, with climate controls still active below.

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As nice and concise as that center screen is, it took up to a minute to boot up all functions like navigation and audio when we started it. And voice-recognition didn’t always understand our instructions. That said, we had HD Radio, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technology to run functions through my smartphone. And we had an inductive charger for phones, although mine slid a bit when driving.

The digital revolution continues inside a hooded gauge. Its screen has an 8,000-rpm tach display (configurable info inset) paired with a 160-mph speedometer. In the middle, a digital speedo joined by the EyeSight safety system screen showing vehicles in front, behind and in the blind spots, plus posted speed and other safety info. You can also pop the navigation map in the middle, or just cue up turn-by-turn directions in the tachometer info window. 

The center console gets USB slots over that phone charger, cup holders, copper-accented shifter and a button to pop on surround-view cameras. The padded center armrest hides some decent storage.

Head aft, and while the rear wheel-wells do intrude a bit, the back doors open to a roomy bench seat within a 104.9-inch wheelbase. It sits high, with lots of leg and head room, air vents and more USB points.

The rear cargo area is under a power hatch that rises high. It’s boxy and very usable with textured rubber mat. The floor mats are spill-catching rubber. There are outboard grocery bag hooks and a remote mechanism to drop the 60/40 rear seatbacks. All in all, practical and comfy.

Subaru Forester Boxer Engine Continues For 2026

Subaru has long adopted a different mode of propulsion for its vehicles, namely a horizontally-opposed Boxer (like an old VW Beetle, only water-cooled). For 2026, the familiar 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 180 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque feeds power through a continuously-variable automatic (belts and pulley vs. gears), with an 8-speed “manual” mode that you can “shift” via paddle shifters. An uprated transmission cooler offers an increased towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, up 500 from the past and the highest towing capacity ever offered on a Forester, Subaru said.

It is all-wheel-drive, with Intelligent (fuel efficient) and Sport modes for pavement driving.

Our 7,500-mile-old Boxer four gives off a sweet chuffing exhaust note under load, and is sprightly in response, more than enough power for commuting purposes. The CVT does a nice job of mimicking an 8-speed automatic most times, up- and down-shifting as demand ebbs and flows. But when we launched hard from a stop in Intelligent mode, the engine revved to 5,800 rpm, then mostly held there as the CVT’s belt and pulley changed ratios – we hit 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. In Sport mode, it launched a bit quicker, with a sportier exhaust snarl. But as speed climbed, the CVT hit about 6,000 rpm as it again worked its ratios, 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. In mixed driving modes, we saw just about 21 mpg on regular.

With taller off-road rubber and fully independent coil spring suspension (double wishbone in back) retuned in 2025 for a nicer ride, the Forester Wilderness’ all-wheel-drive system now has a faster center differential lockup and reduced wheelspin when off-roading, and incorporates steering angle data for better stability at turn-in and cornering on higher-speed roads, Subaru says. It also has Dual-Function X-MODE – Snow/Dirt for slippery surfaces like gravel or snow, or Deep Snow/Mud for that stuff, allowing more wheelspin to maintain momentum. Subaru also installs underside skid plates for when you cruise off-road.

So we went off road, tackling a grassy lakefront shoreline, where we found the suspension nicely handled bumps and divots with no harsh rebound or head tossing. Set in X-Mode Snow/Dirt – you can only do that up to about 20 mph – traction was solid in slippery areas, and if there had been any branches or ant hills, the skid plates would have helped. It also remained sure-footed in dirt and gravel, and we liked the 180-degree view nose-mounted camera to see where we were headed.

On the highway, speed bumps were handled quickly, suspension just taut enough in response to bumps and again, no rebound afterward. The overall ride was quiet and composed, the steering direct in Intelligent, a bit tighter with more feel in Sport. When we tackled some corners it was nimble enough for a slightly tall wagon. It was neutral in an arcing turn with a decent turning radius too.

There’s a bit of understeer when we pushed it harder in our skid pad, but controllable. Our 12.4-inch front/11.8-inch rear disc brakes had a solid pedal feel and decent bite. The auto-engine off does refire the Boxer four with a slight wiggle, but it doesn’t transmit into a drivetrain lurch at a stop.

The new Forester Wilderness looks like it can get into the weeds, and can to a point. But it also does very well as a daily commuter, agile and quick enough to make the drive on- and off-road fine.

The sixth-generation Forester starts at $29,995. Our Wilderness model based at $38,385 with the $2,200 digital gauge display/11.6-inch center display, harmon-kardon audio and power tailgate options. Final price: $42,035.

Bottom line: The Subaru Forester Wilderness is a right size for handling a family, commuting and some gentle off-roading. It’s also got great grip on and off-road, and fairly nimble when it needs to be. I’d love to try it in the snow.

2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Specifications

Vehicle type – 5-passenger 4-door compact all-wheel-drive SUV

Base price – $38,385 (As tested – 42,035)

Engine type –DOHC, 16-valve Boxer four

Displacement – 2.5 liters

Horsepower (net) – 180 @ 5,800 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 178 @ 3,700 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed CVT

Wheelbase – 104.9 inches

Overall length – 182.9 inches

Overall width – 81.2 inches w/mirrors

Height – 69.3 inches

Front headroom – 40 inches

Front legroom – 43.3 inches

Rear headroom – 37.7 inches

Rear legroom – 39.4 inches

Cargo capacity – 27.5 cu. ft./69.1 w/rear seat down

Curb weight – 3,675 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 16.6 gallons

Mileage rating – 24-mpg city/28-mpg highway

The post 2026 Subaru Forester Ups Its Game With Wilderness Trim appeared first on EV Rider.

Way back in the 1930s, the 126-year-old company behind our latest test vehicle proclaimed that “When Better Automobiles are Built, Buick Will Build Them.”

And in 1959, the Flint, Michigan-based GM subsidiary said “You’re Better Off with a Buick!”

So I guess I’m doing pretty good when I have my second2026 Buick Enclave Avenir to test in the same season – except it seems to have a better fuel mileage rating.

Let’s see if I’m better off.

Buick Becomes The SUV-Only Division

The Enclave is an SUV – one of four – from a company that used to be known for some pretty interesting sedans, coupes and convertibles, but makes none of those any more. Under the Enclave’s skin lives the same front-wheel-drive platform that makes up the gas Chevrolet Equinox, Traverse, and GMC Acadia. It’s sleek compared to the first-gen version from 17 years ago, with a nice profile for a 3-row crossover with the flagship trim.

We pointed our Buick’s smoked chrome honeycombed grille, slit LED DRLs and stacked headlights toward the historic waterfront town of Fernandina Beach for some cruising. That’s when I noticed its pointed prow over that tall grille, and the chrome accenting its lower intake and framing the honeycomb; gave it some of the sleekness seen in Buick’s compact Evista CUV.

Our Ocean Blue Metallic crossover lives on a relatively long 120.9-inch wheelbase. The 18-spoke silver alloy wheels are shod in 22-inch Continental CrossContact rubber connected by chrome sill spears. The flanks get a gentle tuck for some definition, aided by flattened flares in each fender.

The roofline’s got a gentle dip as it heads aft, with chrome side window trim that rises over gentle rear fender shoulders. In back, LED taillights with clear lenses thin to a lit red line under a high rear window, with rectangular steel exhaust tips framed by the rear bumper,. It’s a handsome design, but does not stand out in the crowd.

2026 Buick Enclave Avenir Has Lush Interior

Ah, but everyone who looked or sat inside its nautically-inspired blue-over-dove gray interior with bronze accents and glowing ambient lighting liked it. Almost every visible surface, from the stitched blue leatherette atop the dash, to the sculpted alloy accent edging more dove gray with dotted decorations, felt and looked plush. There are ash gray wood door accents and perforated alloy Bose speaker grilles that add a British feel here too.

I tested a 7,000-mile-old version of this Buick in January with the same lush interior color scheme. The leather seats, dashboard surfaces and doors showed no smudging after so many miles. But the white carpet mats and flooring underfoot showed some dirt – and so did our sub-400-mile-old test vehicle last week. So maybe this is not the color scheme if you have lots of kids, dogs, or wet/snowy weather to drive in.

The comfy leather-clad steering wheel has tiny plastic paddle shifters in back that are only usable when you select low range, and look a bit cheap – radio controls are integrated with them, a big – and handy volume knob on the center console. The buckets are comfortable if a bit flat, with heat, cooling and very gentle massage. You tap a screen icon to get heat or cooling, and fiddle with the seats’ power-adjust buttons to get the massage active and adjusted – a main screen display showcases that. We also had dual memory preset for the driver.

The sweeping 30-inch gauge/infotainment display atop the dashboard’s centerpiece continues to impress. Multi-configurable, it’s concise. I like the digital speedometer with sweep-hand needle over a bar graph 7,000-rpm tachometer and gas gauge, plus 2-wheel/4-wheel-drive indicator. Day, date, time and temperature are to the left, your media choice to the right, with cellphone status nearby. You can pop up a navigation map with digital mph for simplicity; simpler still is just speed and basic driver info, all doable from steering wheel buttons.

Head to starboard (right) a bit and you’ve got time and temp, then tap icons for functions like navigation, audio, phone and main menus. The navigation screen quickly showed traffic jams, or a (slightly small) backup camera with 360-degree view overhead. I liked that. There’s wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto. HD Radio has to be enabled via a screen menu. The 16-speaker Bose audio system was solid as well.

Praise be, there’s real fan and temperature controls above big center vents, with vent position, seat heat/cool and others relegated to touchscreen icons nearby. Headlight controls are activated on that display after tapping the light icon on the screen – tapping another menu icon next to it allows changes in vehicle operation, including traction control. I wish instead it had distinct, direct-action buttons. That said, drive mode and front- to all-wheel-drive changes get a button to the left of the steering wheel. Visually the change is confirmed on the center-screen.

Another fave remains the floating gloss black center console. Yes, it attracts fingerprints, but a big volume knob is next to an inductive phone charge slot and a small rubber padded storage nook and cup holders. There is huge rubberized storage space underneath, and a 12-volt port. More space is under the center armrest, plus there are dual USB ports nearby.

Twin captain’s chairs recline and slide in the second row, with center armrests and solid adult head and leg room. Overhead vents keep them cool or warm, with more USB ports. There’s enough room between the white leather seats, with the same blue piping as in front, to slide into a usable 3-person bench seat in back. There’s just enough head and leg room for adults if the second row slides a touch forward.

And what’s a family SUV without rear cargo space? The rear power hatch rises high, and folding the 60/40 rear seatbacks expands stowage, plus some storage under the floor. Remote buttons on the aft bulkhead let you drop third- and second-row seatbacks, while second rows slide when folded down via seatback buttons. 

It’s a richly appointed interior, if a bit bright, and prone to showing dirt.

2026 Buick Enclave Avenir 0-60 MPH: 7.5 Seconds

Buick’s used to mean a powerful V-6 or V-8 under the bonnet – think 401-cu. in. Nailhead with 325-hp, or the 1987 GNX’s 300-hp turbocharged V-6. Well, the Enclave has a respectable 328 hp and 326 lb.-ft. of torque – from a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. But it sounds a bit coarse when pushed, although it is quick to respond when asked.

There are many driving modes: Tour, Sport, Snow/Ice, Off-Road and Tow/Haul. There’s also switchable front-/all-wheel-drive.

Auto-engine off works unobtrusively, refiring without a lurch as you tap the gas pedal to move out. It can tow up to 5,000 lbs.

The last Avenir we tested was comfortably used, with 7,200 miles on it. This, our second go-round tester, had less than 800 miles, just getting comfy in its own skin.

We did our usual tests. Set in front-wheel-drive and Normal mode, the Buick launched strong, turbo boost coming in smoothly to hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. That’s a tenth-of-a-second more than the one we tested in early 2026. Same as before, no wheelspin on launch, but the exhaust note was a bit hard-working 4-cylinder.

In Sport mode and all-wheel-drive, our test Buick hit 60 mph in 7.9 seconds with smooth upshifts and seemingly a slightly sportier exhaust note. That’s compared to 7.2 seconds in Sport/all-wheel-drive in the early, higher-mileage version.

Fuel mileage on regular was better than the last one, seeing an average 28 mpg vs. 24 mpg on the earlier model. And while that earlier tester had an EPA average of 19-mpg city/24-mpg highway, this one was listed as 20-mpg city/24-mpg highway – a magic extra mile meaning better testing?

Enclave Avenir’s four-wheel independent suspension delivers a very comfortable ride. It’s quiet and composed with a bit of float after some bumps. On a concrete bridge with some slight sag to each segment, the Avenir had a tightly-controlled bounce on each, but quickly settled. In other words, it gave what I would expect a well-suspended Buick CUV to give in many miles of highway and 2-lane country road driving.

On curves, set in front-wheel-drive, this Buick neutrally tackled sweeping turns and expressway ramps under power with a bit of body roll and no understeer when pushed harder through a corner. Tighter turns in all-wheel-drive saw it corner with just a hint of understeer and a hint of traction control, but no drama. Even when pushed in our skidpad, it was easy to handle as traction  control nudged in more.

Steering is direct if a bit over-boosted in Tour mode, but firms up noticeably in Sport mode, a bit artificial in feel. We applaud a 3-row CUV with a tight turning circle. The Avenir’s 17-inch front/rear disc brakes’ pedal had a decent bite on initial tap, then gave solid control, and minimal nose dive on hard stops. We had a touch of fade after a few hard hits from 65 mph.

As with many higher-end GM vehicles, we had Super Cruise, a hands-free autonomous driving system with auto-lane changing if something slower is sensed ahead – and that greenlight bar when it’s on. During our brief stints on interstate and state highways that were in its map/cloud database, the system maintained lane control with only occasional wiggling, usually over bad pavement. It was a lifesaver during a half-hour slowdown due to a crash ahead, holding speeds as low as 10 mph, stopping when needed, then resuming. Just keep your eyes on the road. The sensors read wandering pupils and it shuts the system off.

The auto-lane changes were done safely and smoothly, or the move could be triggered with a steering wheel touch. Super Cruise shut off once after we hit a pothole on an interstate. On some stretches of federal and state highway, it would shut off sometimes for no obvious reason. It would flash the steering wheel light bar red and buzzing seat buzzers when it did. Once it did shut off on a state highway bridge in a curve, and we had to steer.

The Lansing, Mich.-built Enclave Avenir’s base version starts at $48,395 with front-wheel-drive; Our Avenir starts at $59,600 with lots standard except: the $3,015 Super Cruise package with auto-parking assist, $2,000 all-wheel-drive and $825 Illumination package – add destination and total price is $67,335.

Bottom line: The Enclave Avenir is handsome, quick enough, comfortably roomy and very well-equipped. A more refined powerplant presence and a slightly sportier ride would be nice.

2026 Buick Enclave Avenir AWD Specifications

Vehicle type – mid-size luxury all-wheel-drive 5-passenger crossover

Base price – $59,600 ($67,335as tested)

Engine type – turbocharged 16-valve DOHC in-line four

Displacement – 2.5 liter

Horsepower (net) – 328 @ 5,500 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 326 @ 3,500 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic

Wheelbase – 120.9 inches

Overall length – 207.6 inches

Overall width – 79.6 inches

Height – 71 inches

Front headroom – 42.6 inches

Front legroom – 44.3 inches

Center headroom – 39.9 inches

Center legroom – 41.4 inches

Rear headroom – 38.2 inches

Rear legroom – 32.1 inches

Cargo capacity – 22.9 cu.ft./57.1 w/rear seats folded/97.5 w/2nd & 3rd row folded

Curb weight – 4,537 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 18.4 gallons

Mileage rating – 20-mpg city/24-mpg highway

The post 2026 Buick Enclave Avenir Moved By Turbo 4 appeared first on EV Rider.

I have been mourning the loss of the station wagon from many major carmaker lineups for years, replaced by cookie-cutter crossovers that look alike.

Sure, there’s a few still left. Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW and Volvo make some snazzy wagons. Heck, even Ferrari had a shooting brake – that’s station wagon in our lingo – in the 2016 GTC4Lusso.

But all of those cost $50,000 or more for the luxury of hauling four adults and a tall dog – until now.

Hot on the heels of the 2026 Dodge Charger – yes, it’s a full-size 6-cylinder fastback sedan with a hatchback – comes a very sexy shooting brake from Kia. And mine had Star Wars lightspeed animation on startup, then Darth Vader and his red lightsaber as part of the main display’s themed graphics.

Yes, the Force is with this golden rocket.

Kia’s Global Design Center Jazzes Things Up With K4 Hatchback

A year ago, Kia’s Global Design Center really spiced things up when it replaced its midsize Forte with the angular K4. Now comes what the South Korean company calls its K4 Hatchback – “the athletic counterpart to the K4 sedan, featuring a distinctive floating roof design and versatile cargo space.” 

Our long, sleek press car retains the 2025 K4’s redesign of the company’s trademark “Tiger Grille,” with its slim center section that flows outward, with inverted amber “Ls” framing vertically with LED projector headlights and smaller staggered double stacked elements at each end. The lower grille gets very aggressive with an air dam and gloss black side inlets. The glossy black air dam continues aft to frame the slightly flare wheel arches as well as the doors’ lower sill. Its visually long 107.1-inch wheelbase is capped with 10-spoke black alloy wheels shod in 18-inch Kumho Majesty rubber.

The hatchback’s design differs from the B-pillar aft, with a shapely long roof (with dark glass moonroof up front) whose horizontality tapers just a tad down to a more upright rear window under a shade/spoiler. The flared D-pillar gets mid-level black slashes for a semi-floating roof look over squared-shoulder rear fenders. The short tail gets a squared-off edge under the window, while angular rear light clusters have slim LED elements that echo the headlight design and help with a nice broad-shouldered look. The wide rubber underneath gives it a squat, sporty look. A bold lower black fascia gets aero finlets and a dual exhaust in one corner.

I like the fastback shape of the sedan, but I love the leaner, more aggressive look of this hatchback, which says continental tourer more than plain Jane station wagon. And I love the back door handles hidden in the black C-pillars. I wasn’t the only one. I took it to a Euro-centric cruise-in near me. It garnered some interest as the only golden (officially Sparkling Yellow) station wagon GT among a row of import hatchbacks, and a cool red Kei pickup truck. Some construction workers circled it, smiling as they looked it over.

Slide into the K4 Hatchback, and the black over off-white pleather bucket seats are low-slug like a sports sedan, comfortable and decently supportive.

There’s the sweeping digital infotainment display, 28 inches wide and about 5 inches tall. It’s inset into the padded gray dashtop. There’s a neat color-variable accent light strip splitting top and bottom on either side. The squircle (squared-circle) steering wheel gets simple function buttons in front, plus scrolling audio volume, a Sport/Normal drive mode button on the bottom spoke and small paddle shifters behind.

Dead ahead through the thick leather-clad wheel is a simple digital speedometer and tachometer display framing a center screen that can show trip info, navigation and more, with basic temp and gas level/distance-to-empty always there. A now-Kia standard – the tach or speedometer switch to that side’s blind-spot camera when the turn signal is flipped, while one center screen display shows icons of cars behind, in your blind spot and ahead..

That said, the steering wheel’s right rim pretty much eclipsed the central climate control screen and its touchscreen buttons for defrost, vent position and recirculate. There’s real buttons along the display’s base for Home screen, navigation, audio and the like, framing a thumbwheel for audio volume. And glory be – real buttons below center air vents for dual-mode fan, temperature and vent position.

The widescreen navigation map can be “Home Screen”-ed into segments you can swipe left or right for map, audio, phone. And the Force is with you – each of those menu items gets a Star Wars character as its icon – Darth Vader for Phone Projection, Gen. Grievous for Entertainment, or a lightning-firing Emperor for Voice Memo – go figure.

And as part of the overhead surround-view camera system, Kia gives us a simulated K4 Hatchback with live camera views all-round, which you can circle the view.

The 2-tone front seats get heat and cooling, plus dual memory presets and a bit of power lumbar for the driver. They are comfy and fairly supportive, a softly-embossed “GT-Line” in the upper seatbacks.

Again, like the sedan, the wide center console’s has size-adjustable cup holders, a wireless inductive phone charger slot in a padded below-dash nook, and USB ports. Digital Key 2.0 allows use of compatible Apple and Android smart devices as virtual vehicle keys. And the center armrest hides decent storage room.

The shooting brake’s sloping roofline means I had to duck a bit to get into a roomy rear bench seat with good head and leg room behind the hard-shelled front seatbacks. There’s vents and more USB ports. Then comes the added benefit of wagoning versus sedan-ing – 22.2-cu.-ft. of squared-off space (expands to 59.3-cu-ft.) behind the split and fold rear seatbacks inside a hatchback that opens high enough to clear my head, versus the sedan’s 14.6-cu. ft. trunk. A space-saving spare takes up most of the under-floor space, and the rear seats trio of head restraints does slim down rearward vision.

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Overall, this is a quiet, roomy space for four adults and more stuff – actually a tad more headroom than the sedan. There’s just a hint of tire noise at speed. And along with HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s decent Harmon Kardon sound, although it took a while to boot up audio.

Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Offers Good Gas Mileage

Under the bonnet of our GT-Line Turbo is a turbocharged aluminum 1.6-liter four. No serous GT here – it’s got 190-hp at 6,000 rpm, and 195 lb-ft or torque at 1,700-4,500 rpm. Its front-wheel-drive, with an 8-speed automatic transmission and small, but usable alloy paddle shifters. There’s a Normal and Sport drive mode, the latter juicing throttle response and tightening steering feel.

That said, the 3,338-lb. Hatchback K4 is just 73 pounds heavier than the sedan version I last tested, so was there any difference?

In Normal drive mode, we had a moderate launch before the turbo kicked in, a hint of wheelspin in the first-second shift en route to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. In Sport mode, a bit quicker launch, a nice exhaust snarl, and 60 mph in 6.7 – quicker upshifts and a bit more urge in passing. The paddle shifters gave us quick downshifts as we entered corners, but I didn’t use them much. Fuel mileage on our 2,200-mile-old hatchback was almost 30 mpg.

For comparison, the 3,265-lb. K4 Sedan we tested a year ago with the same drivetrain hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, while Sport mode saw a slight touch of torque steer and sharper shifts en route to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. It delivered about 26 mpg. And a 2024 201-hp Kia Forte I tested for a since-retired website, with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four, hit 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds.

Our golden wagon has MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, hydraulic twin tube shock absorbers all-round. The ride was just taut enough, absorbing bumps with minimal bounce after a speed bump. Handling was solid, a neutral and flat feel on expressway ramps under power. We had a tight steering feel in Sport mode that mixed well with near-neutral cornering in most corners. Push harder, and front wheel drive shows with some understeer, more evident in our skidpad, but easy to handle with throttle.

The power steering had a direct feel in Sport, tightening up nicely in a curve with some solid feedback, versus a bit artificially over-boosted feel in Normal Mode. With 2.4-turns lock-to-lock, we found a tight turning radius for U-turns. And with 11.3-inch ventilated front/10.3-inch solid rear disc brakes, there was a nice bite after depression, then straight stops and some nose dive on hard stops – no noticeable fade.

The K4 had safety gear like smart cruise and those great blind-spot cameras that display on the left or right side depending on what you signal for. Lane-keep assist works smoothly, if a bit firmly to keep you in lane.

The base Kia K4 EX Hatchback starts at $24,990. Our GT-Line Turbo starts at $28,790 with almost all we had standard except a $2,300 tech option with safety systems, ambient lighting, surround-view cameras, smartphone digital key, memory driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel; $395 golden paint; and $190 carpeted floor mats for a final price of $32,670.

Bottom line: Even more stylish and almost exotic in looks; roomy and comfy; and decent performance. A Kia K4 hatchback is the one I’d get to haul a dog, ladder and friends.

2025 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Specifications

Vehicle type – 4-door, front-wheel-drive compact station wagon

Base price – $28,790 ($32,670 as tested)

Engine type – Turbocharged aluminum DOHC, C-VVT in-line four-cylinder

Displacement – 1.6-liter

Horsepower (net) – 190 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 195 @ 1,700- 4,500 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic with manual and paddle shifting

Wheelbase – 107.1 inches

Overall length – 174.4 inches

Overall width- 72.8 inches

Height – 56.3 inches

Front headroom – 39 inches

Front legroom – 42.3 inches

Rear headroom – 38.3 inches

Rear legroom – 38 inches

Cargo capacity – 22.2/59.3 cu.ft.

Curb weight – – 3,338 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 12.4 gallons

Mileage rating – 26 mpg city/36 mpg highway

The post 2026 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Is Affordable Fun appeared first on EV Rider.

Every major pickup truck maker offers three basic versions of its rigs – basic fleet, luxury family hauler, and rugged off-roader.

Some even succeed in combining luxury and off-road prowess.

Here’s one of them, which combines some serious comfy kit with serious off-road items from none other than American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), which describes itself as “the leading store for high-quality off-road vehicle parts” and also does a pretty rugged-looking Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison model, which I have also tested.

So let’s drive.

2026 Sierra 1500 AT4X: American Expedition Vehicles Upgrades

The Sierra was born in 1999 as a more macho variation of Chevrolet’s light-duty pickup truck, built on GM’s GMT800 platform with some simple nose and taillight redesigns. Now into its fourth generation, introduced in 2019, the truck got a substantial GMC-specific redesign outside in 2022, resulting in a more square-jawed face. And now we get the AEV upgrades as a separate version of its Sierra 1500 AT4X model, which already gets some off-road kit.

Road Tests Of Some Competitors: Ford F-150 Lightning | Rivian R1T | Tesla Cybertruck | Ram 1500 HEMI

Big Red’s stacked vertical face looks ready to shred some mud, with a tall black barred grille under a decorative faux hood scoop, side intakes over a body-color and black bumper with tow hooks and inset fog lights.

There’s a prominent AEV-upgrade boron steel skid plate, one of five under this truck. C-shaped LED DRLs frame projector headlights. 

Those are AEV stamped steel front and rear bumpers with front winch capability are shaped to improve approach and departure angles off road. There’s AEV badging on bumpers. Off-road rocker panel protectors help shield the sills and frame rails, while we did not have the optional bolt-on step assist, handy when not off-roading.

Black cladding frames AEV racing-inspired Salta wheels with 12-spoke design and recessed valve stems wearing 33-inch off-road Goodyear Wrangler rubber. It includes offroad-capable Multimatic DSSV spool valve dampers easily visible through lots of fender-to-tread clearance – a 2-inch factory lift. There are no running boards here, so its its 11.5-inch center ground clearance is preserved.

In back, GM’s trick Multipro tailgate, done in contrasting black, has an integrated step.

The whole rig is almost 232-inches long and stands 6-foot, 5-inches tall at the crew cab roof.

2026 Sierra 1500 AT4X Interior: Worth The Climb

With no running board, you grab the leather-wrapped grab handles, or the steering wheels, and pull yourself up into black leather seats with white piping, plus AEV buffalo-embroidered head restraints over AT4X accents, with deep rubber all-weather floor liners.

You sit very tall in these massage, heated/cooled seats, with memory presets for the driver. The stitched leatherette-topped dashboard design, with thick red stitching on door armrests and steering wheel, is refreshingly different than its sister Chevrolet Silverado. Some of the leather in here has a woodgrain effect – cool – and seats front and rear get that piping. That said, there’s basic black plastic in the lower door and dash trim, with some basic GM switches and buttons here and there.

The paddle shifters behind the wheel are small, and only work if you slap the center console electronic shifter into Manual mode. They are joined by intuitive audio controls. I appreciated the steering wheel heat button up front on some frosty Florida mornings.

The 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is clear and concise, with a basic 140-mph speedometer and 6,000 rpm tach, or other designs that include simple digital speed, or a simpler speedo and tach. All come with choices in information, including off-road angle and drive status in the middle, or customizable insets like a compass. There’s a big head-up display as well.

The dash center is a wide 13.4-inch touchscreen with navigation, audio, seat heat/cool and other menus including HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It has a real volume knob, while voice command handles navigation, audio, phone and more. Underneath there’s a big engine start/stop button, dual-zone climate control with big temperature knobs, and nine buttons to handle differential lock, power tailgate, hill descent control and more.

The wide center console gets a cellphone recharger slot, plus lots of storage space, usable cupholders, trailer brake bias control and a deep center armrest storage area with more USB ports. The rearview mirror can be switched to a widescreen rear camera view, while the center display can access a gander at the cargo bed, trailer hitch or front/side/top-down and more views.

Seat massage settings are adjustable via a knob on the bottom cushion, displayed on the center screen, although you can not actually adjust them from the screen. Controls for headlights, driving modes and 2- and 4-wheel-drive settings are down low on the left of the steering wheel, which are not easy to see. 

Again, it’s a climb into the rear bench seat, but there’s lots of head and leg room, a drop-down center armrest, a/c vents, outboard seat heaters, and more USB ports. Under the split flip-up seat bottoms are storage areas, plus more inside the seatbacks, along with a power rear window.

That 6-foot-long bed has lots of room (2,286-lb. cargo capacity) and tie-downs, while its Multi-Pro, meaning the upper segment that drops independently has a step for easier loading of small stuff, or using a built-in waterproof Bluetooth speaker system underneath for tailgating. 

This is an imposing rig, but there’s a high level of tech as well as luxury for passengers.

2026 Sierra 1500 AT4X: Ready For Off-Road Adventures

OK, no matter how much off-road gear is woven into this Sierra’s DNA, some folks just may not do worse than a sandy parking lot. For those who do really take it off-road, it includes front and rear e-locking differentials, all that ground clearance, 35-inch mud-terrain tires, 2-inch suspension lift, Multimatic DSSV dampers, specific front upper and lower control arms and steering knuckles, larger steel transfer case and other skid plates.

That lifted suspension and knobby rubber could have harshened the ride on and off road, but this rig was quite refined on the highway – and darn nice over some lumpy, hillock-filled fields and weedy, potholed old Navy base back lots. Traction in 4-wheel-drive high and off-road drive mode was solid, with no slip over grass. The ground clearance and clipped AEV bumpers gave a great approach angle, allowing an easy traverse of grassy old Navy drainage ditches. In 4-wheel-drive low, dirt and grass fields presented no challenge, while a mid-field swale was shrugged off too – down, through and up with no harsh suspension rebound and great ground clearance. We saw some steep angles going up and along some shallow hills, and the Sierra stayed planted.

But what about daily commuting?

There’s an available 3-liter Duramax diesel with 305-hp, 495 lb-ft torque and tow 8,800-lbs. We had the 6.2-liter with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm, running through a 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel-/all-wheel-/4-wheel-drive high or low with Normal, Sport, Off-Road and Terrain drive modes – they adjust transmission shift points, throttle and StabiliTrak.

Driven mostly in Normal mode and rear-wheel-drive on the highway with cruise control, we barely scratched 15 mpg, and saw as low as 11 mpg after some dirt-dogging, even with auto-shut off at stops, which was fairly transparent on restart from a stoplight.

The V-8 gave quick throttle response and precise upshifts in Normal mode en route to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds/5.8 in Normal/all-wheel-drive Auto. It gave a nice exhaust note thanks to its active system, and minimal road noise, mostly from the tires.

Set in Sport mode/rear-wheel-drive, we got some wheelspin en route to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, while 4-wheel-drive Auto saw great traction off line en route to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. This rig can tow up to 9,000-lbs. – better exhaust rumble in Sport. The truck was entertaining to drive, with great passing power – slap the gearshift aft for Manual mode, and the tiny paddle shifters worked well.

To compare, a test I did back in a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Crew Cab 4×4 saw 60 mph in 5.7 seconds in 2-wheel-drive in Normal mode, while switching to Sport and all-wheel-drive auto made for a quick launch to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds with rapid shifts in the power band – it averaged about 16 mpg, with only some tire and light wind noise at highway speed.

Under the skin lives independent coil-over-shocks up front, and a solid axle with semi-elliptic/variable-rate/two-stage multi-leaf springs in back. Both get two-speed transfer cases for four-wheel-drive with high and low range and locking differentials. The result is a firm ride, but with decent buffering over sharper bumps – nothing rattling. Unladened, it swallowed speedbumps with no tail hop.

It was fairly agile for a 5,890-lb. truck, tackling turns well with some body roll, power shifting front and rear in 4-wheel-drive auto to help it get through. Go to rear-wheel-drive only and I could power squeak the rear rubber coming out of a corner, but it’s easy to handle – for a truck. The suspension didn’t get upset by a bump mid-turn. The disc brakes had a nice bite high on the pedal, responsive and controllable with no fade after repeated hard use, hauling its weight down from 60 mph. Pedal engagement was high up, with progressive bite and no drama. And again, steering was precise and well-weighted in Sport mode, with a decent turning radius.

For safety, the Sierra includes front and rear park assist, lane-change alert with blind zone and rear cross traffic warnings via seat buzzers. There’s lane-keep assist that gently nudged steering to stay between the lines, auto-high beams and adaptive cruise control with full start/stop/resume.

A base rear-wheel-drive GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab starts at $40,495. Our 1500 AT4X AEV started at $79,400. The AT4X AEV Edition option is $6,910, with skid plates, bumpers, wheels and all the other AEV stuff; the 6.2-liter V-8 is $1,500; Volcanic Red Tintcoat was $645; and active exhaust $395, for a total MSRP of $89,945.

Bottom line: Great power, ride and good handling for a serious off-roader, eager to get dirty and stay outta trouble, with decent tech and plush interior too.

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab AT4X AEV

Vehicle type – full-size 5-passenger crew cab all-wheel-drive pickup

Base price – $79,400 ($89,945 as tested)

Engine type –OHV 16-valve alloy V-8

Displacement – 6.2 liter

Horsepower (net) – 420 @ 5,600 rpm

Torque – 460 @ 4,100 rpm

Transmission – 10-speed automatic transmission

Wheelbase – 158.9 inches

Overall length – 252 inches

Overall width – 81.9 inches w/mirrors

Height – 82.7 inches

Front headroom – 43 inches

Front leg room – 44.5 inches

Rear headroom – 40.1 inches

Rear legroom – 43.4 inches

Cargo bed – 6-foot/71.7 cu. ft. volume

Payload/towing – up to 1,050 pounds/8,900 pounds

Weight – 5,890 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 24 gallons

Fuel mileage – 14 mpg city/16 mpg highway

The post Big, Off-Road Bruiser: Sierra 1500 4WD AT4X AEV appeared first on EV Rider.

For the past 37 years, Subaru’s Outback was based on its Legacy station wagon and sedan, with a raised ride height, all-wheel-drive and some chunky cladding to macho it up.

But for 2026, that Subaru’s legacy now turns from wanna-be SUV, to SUV-lite. The rounded wagon becomes a boxy SUV-like shape that still packs a BOXER (flat) four engine, all-wheel-drive, and even bolder cladding.

And yes, with the same 8.7 inches of ground clearance and X-MODE, we could (and did) play off-road.

At its birth, the Legacy-based Outback was just a station wagon/sedan with some macho cladding. But as its generations grew, so did its off-road mods, like more serious rubber, added ground clearance and a more defined look – plus “Save the Whales” and “Save The Trees” bumper stickers, a paddleboard on its roof rack, or even a Jet Ski on a trailer.

For 2026, Subaru Outback Premium Bulks Up Exterior Design

For this seventh-gen, Subaru ditched the car body, but didn’t change the basics. The 108.1-inch wheelbase remains, while the overall length grows almost a half inch to 191.7 inches and it’s an inch taller. The SUV-like redesign was also done as sales for 2025’s Legacy-based Outback dropped just over 6% from the previous year.

The aluminum clamshell hood is just over waist high, fronted by a tall vertical gray grill under gloss black over a slim black lower intake and chunky brush guard, flanked by LED fog lights in boxy bumper corners. Slim LED DRLs accents the hood line’s upper corners, with headlights underneath.

More black body cladding with vents and notches frames P225/60R18 all-season Dunlop Grand Trek tires on gray geometric spoked alloys. The doors in between gain notched lower sills. Burly (and functional) roof rack bars add height to the tall wagon, while the back bumper is chunky under an LED lightbar and taillights. The back window gets a big black shade with sculpted, swept-back D-pillars.

It’s a more purposeful Outback, appearing bigger than it is, and certainly looking more capable to play off-road.

2026 Subaru Outback Premium’s New Interior Gets Smooth Makeover

The new Outback’s interior is dominated by a 12.1-inch center screen, and a 12.3-inch gauge display, the design gaining a nice padded tweed-like cloth on the doors and dashboard, all other surfaces done in padded dark gray with touches of dark plastic wood inserts. But despite the digital revolution, the redesign does not eliminate all the needed buttons.

Changing to an SUV-like shape also benefits those getting into the new Outback, since the seats are just about high enough to slide right into. Underfoot, black rubber mats for those days when snow or mud greets the driver, with neatly done carpeted mats just in case you want something different underfoot.

Those gray and black seats, done in supple StarTex pseudo-leather, were comfortable and mostly supportive. The driver gets a heated seat (turn it off, or it stays on after you restart the car) and warmed steering wheel. The driver also gets power adjustments, while the passenger goes manual.

Subaru keeps some necessary manual controls as it moves into touchscreen systems, volume as well as dual-zone heat knobs. There’s an inductive phone charging pad under it, but it’s so wide my phone just slid. It also has two USB ports.

The center console includes cup holders, electronic parking brake and decent storage under the padded center armrest. The base audio system sounded good, with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and HD Radio. There’s also voice command, triggered by saying “Hey Subaru,” for many features. It’s nice to see this feature moving beyond luxury cars. That said, the voice command and some screen features take a few seconds to boot up when you start the Outback.

The rear doors open almost 90 degrees to access a bench seat with decent adult head and leg room. There are rear vents and USB ports. The power aluminum rear hatch opens high to access a big cargo area with a textured rubber mat with lips to prevent mud or snow drip spillage. It’s expandable via split rear seatbacks. There’s also a bit of storage under the floor.

2026 Subaru Outback Premium Keeps BOXER Heritage

The Outback sticks with a naturally- aspirated 2.5-liter BOXER (flat) four with 180 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, power funneled through a Lineartronic CVT with 8-speed manual mode function and paddle shifters to all-wheel-drive. There’s no drive modes, just an X-MODE mud and snow option.

The continuously-variable transmission’s belt and pulley do a decent job of simulating up- and downshifts as it strives to get some fuel economy in our 3,741-lb. Outback. Initial response at throttle tip-in was quick as the engine revved up to 6,000 rpm, briefly holding until it settled down to about 5,100 rpm as the CVT shifted ratios enroute to hit 60 mph in an OK 7.9 seconds.

CVT “downshifts” were quick enough when passing power was needed, the opposed 4-cylinder engine giving a bit of classic VW Bug exhaust note. Slap the gearshift left for manual operation, or “shift” vi small paddles on the wheel. The auto-engine off system cleanly stills the motor at stoplights to save gas, but was a bit slow re-firing as I went from brake to gas. Fuel mileage was about 25 mpg.

To compare, a 2,000-mile-old 2020 Subaru Outback XT I tested back then – the one based on the Legacy but with a turbocharged 182-hp engine – got to 60 mph in a quicker 6 seconds. And it got about 21 mpg.

The Outback gets 8.7 inches of ground clearance on top of independent suspension front and rear. The result was a comfortable ride that soaked up every bump quickly. There was occasional bounciness off sharper edges that damped quickly for a very quiet ride.

The Outback handled off-ramps with no understeer, all-wheel-drive sending traction where needed. There was only a bit of body roll due to the ground clearance. Push harder in tight right-handers and again, the Outback hangs on with no drama. Pushed on our tight skidpad, gentle understeer was controllable and easy to deal with. Active torque vectoring taps the inside front brake to push more power to the outside front wheel and reduce wheelspin.

Steering was accurate, with a bit too much power assist for my taste. The brake pedal had a bit of travel before biting. There was lots of ABS at lockup, but it stopped well with a bit of nose dive. There was a hint of fade only after serious repeated hard use. Being a tad taller meant a bit of sideways wiggle during some winter storm crosswinds.

2026 Subaru Outback Premium Exudes Off-Road Vibe

We did get a chance to use X-MODE, which optimizes the engine, CVT and all-wheel-drive for low-traction snow, mud, dirt or steep inclines, generally working at speeds under 12–20 mph. With a well-controlled and comfortable suspension, we easily tackled soft dirt and a recently crushed asphalt parking lot chunks as well as a rutted grassy field. The suspension easily rebuffed every bump quickly, and it crawled easily over every soft or rugged patch with no traction loss

The Outback has EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. It monitors where the driver’s eyes are, nagging you with a message on the gauge display if your peepers stray too long on the radio or a passing Ferrari. The system has automatic emergency braking when driving forward or in reverse, and adaptive cruise control with gentle-but firm lane centering and haptic steering wheel feedback. It’s very sensitive – stray an inch out of lane and it warns you, almost autonomous in its lane keeping – along with messages to pull over for a rest if you don’t stay straight and true.

The center safety display shows cars ahead, and alerts you to those in the left and right rear blind spots. A series of three LEDs in a head-up display alert you to a vehicle ahead, or if you stray out of lane. It’s a bit like a safety nanny, beeping at many infractions, but you can selectively back off some of it via the center display’s menus.

The base Subaru Outback starts at $34,995, with lots of what we had standard. Options included that nice $395 Deep Emerald Green Pearl paint, and a $2,270 option package that included the 12.1-inch center screen, power moonroof, heated steering wheel, wireless phone charger and rain-sensing windshield wiper for a final MSRP price of $39,110.

Bottom line: A station wagon – excuse me, small SUV-ish wagon that can commute, or hit some picnic trails out back with the family in style.

2026 Subaru Outback Premium Edition Specifications

Vehicle type – 4-door, 5-seat all-wheel-drive sports utility wagon

Base price – $34,995 ($39,110 as tested)

Engine type –aluminum 16-valve DOHC boxer 4-cylinder

Displacement – 2.5 liters

Horsepower (net) – 180 @ 5,800 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 178 @ 4,400 rpm

Transmission – CVT automatic with 8-speed manual mode and paddle shifters

Wheelbase – 108.1 inches

Height – 67.5 inches

Overall length – 191.7 inches

Overall width – 74 inches w/mirrors

Ground clearance – 8.7 inches

Front headroom – 40.5 inches

Front legroom – 43 inches

Rear headroom – 40.5 inches

Rear legroom – 39.5 inches

Cargo capacity – 34.6 cu. ft./80.5 w/seats folded

Towing capacity: up to 2,700 lbs.

Curb weight – 3,741 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 18.5 gallons

Mileage rating – 25 mpg city/31 mpg highway

The post Subaru Outback Premium Updated For 2026 appeared first on EV Rider.

Yes, it’s got a HEMI. You may remember Stellantis sought to ditch the iconic V-8 in 2025, and go with the Hurricane 6 and EVs. But fans wanted the HEMI back, so here it is – complete with this “Symbol of Protest” badge on each front fender.

That’s a Ram’s head on a HEMI V-8 engine block, signifying defiance against the now-postponed shift to 6-cylinder engines and EVs, and celebrating customer demand for V-8 power as decreed by Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis.

Road Tests Of Some Ram Competitors: Ford F-150 Lightning | Rivian R1T | Tesla Cybertruck

But this isn’t your father’s HEMI. Nope – it’s got eTorque – a mild hybrid system said to give some more get-up-and-go, with better fuel efficiency.

Let’s see.

The Ram was a boxy beast when first intro’ed in 1981. Now it enters the seventh year of its fifth-generation (introduced in 2019) with a sleeker look to its slim quad LED headlights with DRL bands, flowing into a large sculpted 6-sided grille with silver crossbars and mesh flanking big “RAM” lettering, under a flatter power dome hood with  “1500 E-TORQUE” badges. The big bumper is flush, with slim fog lights, big center intake and tow hooks.

The fenders have edgy, less pronounced (than past gen) flares framing satin alloy and black wheels wearing P285/45R22-inch Pirelli Scorpion rubber. Doors get chrome side spears and window trim over running boards that power down to aid entry. The roofline seems low, while the cargo bed neatly meshes with the cargo bed. Big LED taillights wrap around back corners, a tight fit to the step bumper with integrated trailer hitch over chrome pipes.

The aluminum tailgate gently powers down, a breeze to lift due to assist. The soft cargo cover neatly unclips and folds back to access the box. The fender-tops are wider due to integral Ramboxes for added storage. It has drain plugs so you can ice down sodas. It has deployable steps under the rear bumpers’ corners to aid bed access. The suspension drops Ram for better air flow, and even lower for access. The cleanly-designed shape is clad in a nicely-applied Granite Crystal Metallic paint.

As you stroll up, the running boards deploy with puddle lamps, projecting “RAM” on the ground as the headlights and taillights glow. The air suspension can drop the ride height by two inches to aid cargo or people loading. It’s fairly easy to ascend into this luxurious truck – so much so our 9-year-old grandson said, “Poppa, I know this is a truck – but it’s like a limousine.”

2026 Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab Interior Features Acres Of Room

There are stitched leather grab handles at the A- and B-pillars, then black leather seats with piping, plus heat, cooling and massage up front. The driver gets memory presets. The dash and doortops have contrasting stitching, while the doors and center armrest get embroidered patterns; with some woodgrain on doors and dash.

Those seats are firm and supportive if a bit flat. The tilt/telescoping steering wheel gets more wood and padded stitched leather, with controls for phone, voice command, gauge display, manual shifting and adaptive cruise, with stereo controls behind.

The gauge display has multiple options, from classic 120-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm tach, to five info boxes under a digital speedo over a bar tach. It’s framed by light bars that glow green when autonomous drive activates.

There’s a center 14.4‑inch Infotainment Touchscreen flanked by real buttons for climate control, traction and lane-keep systems, even defrosters. It can show a big navigation map with traffic warnings and the like, or split in three with navigation or audio on top, plus apps, climate control or other stuff on the bottom. Main menu (Comfort, Media, Nav, apps, phone and Vehicle) touchscreen buttons are on the bottom, then truck height and parking sensor icons. A rotary transmission selector with rear-/all-wheel-/4-wheel-drive and axle lock buttons is next to it.

The screen was a bit slow to react to some taps, although almost all you need is easy to use on the move. But to activate seat heat/cooling and heated steering wheel, deploy side steps, dim rear-view mirror or activate 360-degree cameras, you had to tap the “Comfort” button on the touchscreen, then use its menu. The 19-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system was superb, with HD Radio. Uconnect offers a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to link smartphone apps into that screen. Its backup camera and parking sensors lets you back up to a trailer via the screen, then drop or raise the suspension to hook the trailer hitch hands-free.

Move right, and a 10.25-inch screen allows the passenger to access audio, or watch video, aided by a strip of USB ports nearby, plus an HDMI input. There are dual cellphone inductive chargers there too. There’s lots of storage space: upper and lower gloveboxes, door map pockets, plus wide center armrest storage with a 115-volt outlet under a cup holder tray.

The rear doors open 90-degrees wide onto a bench seat with tons of head and leg room. Three adults can fit. There are rear air vents, USB and USB-C ports and a 115-volt outlet, and the outboard rear seats have heat and cooling. Seat bottoms split and fold up to reveal an almost flat floor with dual under-floor storage bins. The rear center window powers open.

The 5-ft., 7-inch box’s tailgate powers up and down remotely via the key fob. There’s LED lighting inside; sidewall tracks with movable tie-downs for cargo; a soft vinyl cover that’s easy to remove; and an expandable cargo divider. The RamBoxes atop the rear fenders narrow the cargo bed a bit but there’s still plenty of space, with room for tailgate snacking. There are drain plugs for ice or scrubbing it down, along with a 120-volt plug.

Ram Brings Back 5.7-Liter HEMI, Citing Consumer Sentiment

“Ram will continue to offer the more powerful and more efficient Hurricane Straight Six Turbo,” added Kuniskis in a news release. “But we heard loud and clear from consumers: there is no replacement for the iconic HEMI V-8. At the end of each month, we count sales to customers, not statisticians or ideologues. Data be damned — we raise our flag and let the HEMI ring free again!”

We see “HEMI” atop the 5.7-liter V-8, with 395 hp and 409-lb-ft of torque. Fuel-saving tech includes variable camshaft timing and cylinder deactivation, and a belt-driven motor generator vs. a traditional engine-mounted alternator. That works with a 48-volt battery pack to provide quick engine start/stop, torque addition to the engine crankshaft, and brake energy regeneration for responsiveness and efficiency.

The 2024 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 had the same ponies, and one less lb-ft of torque. The eTorque mild hybrid system stores energy in a compact lithium-ion battery behind the rear seat. That elegant looking eTorque system atop the V-8 is said to enhance shifts, smooth transitions under acceleration and braking, and help reduce noise, vibration and harshness.

It left us with the sweet sound of a HEMI, more so because every 2026 RAM V-8 gets a now-standard performance exhaust. So this HEMI barks to life noticeably, then rumbles sweetly as you drive. Push it, and you hear a well-rounded rumble, although not obnoxious. That said, this HEMI’s output is less than the 3-liter Hurricane inline six’s 420 hp and 469 lb-ft of torque. And while it’s close to the last HEMI I tested, there are differences.

Our tester still uses a precise 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s very responsive, even in AUTO drive mode, and even more so in Sport. You can shift manually via steering wheel buttons, but it was awkward while steering.

In AUTO/rear-wheel-drive mode, our 5,700-mile-old truck rears back and roars to hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, while a Sport mode/4-wheel-drive auto launch was quicker, reaching 60 mph in 6 seconds with a bit more mellow bellow. With 500-plus miles of indicated range from a full 33-gallon fuel tank, we saw a high of 16 mpg in our 5,600-mile-old test truck.

For comparison, the last Ram Limited I tested in 2019 hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds in Sport/four-wheel-drive auto with quick shifts, and at best reached 15 mpg. This 2026 Ram 1500 Limited can tow up to 11,320 lbs. – 1,000 less than that 2019 Ram Limited.

Our Limited had air suspension on independent front suspension with lightweight composite upper control arms, plus five-link rear coil suspension with progressive coil springs. It gave us a comfortably firm and forgiving ride. Passengers (like the grandson) commented on how smooth this pickup felt. The Ram had a bit of bounce over bumpier roads, but rebound was nicely damped. It was fairly nimble, holding its own on somewhat on-road-oriented rubber, with good grip and eager to take an interstate exit ramp without issue. A bump mid-turn didn’t unsettle the suspension or cause tail hop.

Push harder in sharper turns in 4-wheel-drive auto, and we got understeer and a bit of body roll in 4-wheel-drive auto, but no drama. Electric power steering with rack-and-pinion had a direct feel, maybe a bit over-boosted at speed. Its 14.9-inch front/14.8-inch rear disc brakes had a responsive pedal with quick bite, stopping rapidly with some nose dive but no drama. There was a hint of fade after repeated hard stops.

While we did not tempt fate too deep off road, the on-demand four-wheel-drive auto easily handled dirt roads and roaming over dirt piles. We also had low range, with electronic locking differential. That 2019 model easily plowed through deep water-filled potholes on a muddy boat ramp four-wheel-drive, great traction over some fully submerged parts. And even on a deeply rutted sand track, there was no muss or fuss. Click the air suspension to high, and we went from 8.2- to 10.2-inches, easily clearing anything.

I was glad for cameras, sensors and collision warning systems when I parked in tight lots, plus lane-departure, which offered subtle correction if I drifted near a lane line. The Stellantis semi-autonomous driving system is called Hands-Free Actice Driving Assist. It quickly activates when adaptive cruise is on, easily maintaining speed and distance, starting and stopping in traffic as needed. That said, our system sometimes shut off on interstates for no apparent reason, alerting me with vibrant seat bottom buzzers, then resuming like nothing was wrong. It hugged the left side of a lane too tightly. But a tap of the turn signal initiated a safe change.

Rams begin with the Tradesman Quad Cab starting at $41,695; our almost top-rung Limited Crew Cab 4×4 starts at $75,405. That includes all we had but: a $5,460 group with hands-free driving, RamBoxes, digital rear-view mirror, surround-view camera, head-up display and more; $2,095 22-inch wheels and tires; $1,595 dual-pane sunroof; $545 bed steps and cargo tie-downs; $595 electronic locking rear axle, HEMI eTorque engine with stop/start, 48-volt belt starter/generator and Symbol of Protest badges; and $295 paint. Add a few options and our Ram Limited was a heady $88,480.

Bottom line: This may be the sweetest-driving domestic truck-for-all-seasons I’ve tested. It can still work and handle off road, but live luxuriously doing it. And it’s got a HEMI – and so-so mpg.

2026 Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab Specifications

Vehicle type – full-size 5-passenger crew cab four-wheel-drive pickup
Base price – $75,405 ($88,480 as tested)
Engine type – iron block, 16-valve OHV pushrod V-8
Displacement – 5.7 liter
Horsepower (net) – 395 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque – 410 @ 3,950 rpm
Transmission – 8-speed automatic transmission
Wheelbase – 144.5 inches (5-ft., 7-in. bed)
Overall length – 232.9 inches
Overall width – 82.1 inches
Height – 75.8 inches
Ground clearance – 8.7 inches @ rear axle
Front headroom – 40.9 inches
Front leg room – 40.9 inches
Rear headroom – 39.8 inches
Rear legroom – 45.2 inches
Towing – up to 11,320 lbs.
Payload –53.9-cu.ft. cargo volume
Weight – 5,232 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 33 gallons
Mileage rating – 16 mpg city/20 mpg highway

The post HEMI Returns To 2026 Ram 1500 With eTorque appeared first on EV Rider.

A Tommy (British soldier) shepherding a drab green Landie (Land Rover) around the moors back in the late 1940s was a lucky guy. The British Army’s Land Rovers could go anywhere and do anything, and keep the lads in relative comfort doing so.

But I doubt that any of those soldiers would recognize what Land Rover has wrought these days – although they might love the matte gray paint scheme on our 2026 Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic. And I daresay this Rover could go over anything the Yorkshire Dales could throw at it, with heated leather seats and some moonroofs.

This is the almost top-tier luxury member in the venerable Land Rover clan. The fifth-generation Range Rover Sport is a tidier 194.7-inch version of the full-size (199-inch) Range Rover. This sleek aluminum-bodied shape was introduced in 2023, an aero-carved “sporty” size that lives on the big Range Rover’s same 118-inch wheelbase. The Sport is about two inches less in height, and a tad lighter: 4,506 vs. 5,240 pounds.

The wind-carved, tightly wrapped body design results in a pretty slick .29 coefficient of drag, despite its distinctive squared-off character. That begins with a slim black grille and thin slices of quad-element LED headlights with wispy DRL slashes that wrap around the blunt nose’s curved corners, lined up with the clamshell aluminum bonnet. There’s an aggressive lower grille and gaping intake over black-tipped air dam, with non-functional side intakes and more aero accents, LED fog light slits at the lower corners.

To prove the RR Sport can go off road, there’s minimal front and rear overhang, just right for a Rover with dreams of rock climbing. Tucked neatly (at least when suspension is lowered) into gently flared fenders are massive 23-inch Pirelli Scorpions that look more suited for on-road handling than off-road prowess. They ride on gloss black 10-bladed alloy wheels that neatly show off large disc brakes with Rover-badged calipers.

Faux black vents add surface tension to bonnet and fenders, with a bit of gloss on the matte paint job. It’s the only other shine on lower door sills that flare nicely under gentle side lines. Flush door handles pop out and light up when you unlock, although a frosty morning had me wonder if ice could thwart that in colder climates.

Above the beltline, glossy black rules the design. There are side mirrors with LED repeater turn signals with puddle lights that shine a Range Rover Sport sketch on the driveway, plus roof and pillars that shine. That roofline dips as it flows aft, while the beltline rises, tapering to join a sleek hatchback with long spoiler/shade. Slim taillights wrap tightly around rear corners, connected with a glossy bar with “Range Rover” in black. The lower bumper goes gloss black, tightly tucked with rectangular exhaust tips framing a brush guard.

The matte gray paint reflected back a gentle glow in the sun. Many liked the stealthy sci-fi look of the streamlined luxury mountain goat. When it dropped to its lowest (6 inches) height to ease onboarding, it did look a bit menacing.

2026 Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic Interior Is Sleek

Skinned it may be in aluminum, but the doors are substantial in weight. The bucket seats are supple, supportive, cocooning black leather with 22-way power adjust (controls on doors), heat and cooling. There’s stitched black leather on the dashboard, with smoked chrome accents, and black veneer wood on the doors.

The refined interior has a sleek, minimalist design with almost no real buttons bar start/stop and “Park” on a glossy black center console. The flat dash is split by thin air vents and the top of two glove boxes, plus two digital displays.
The thick leather-clad steering wheel has paddle shifters behind, and touch controls in front for audio, smart cruise, phone and more.

The new 12.3-inch interactive digital driver’s display behind it has configurable screens. There’s classic, with 170-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm tach, the center showing navigation, audio, mileage, four-wheel-drive system and more. You can go widescreen navigation map with basic information, or a central digital speedometer with info displays left and right.

Dashboard center is a floating 13.7-inch touchscreen with navigation, audio, performance and mileage screens, apps, and more. A row of sliding touch-buttons on either side now adjust dual-zone temperature. More icons activate Drive mode, defrost and even volume control. But you have to use the Home icon to access most menus, then go a level or two deeper to access more, like vehicle height, auto-brake and auto-engine off.

Some icons take a tap or two to activate on start-up, like seat heating. The interface to handle radio station access and favorites is a bit clunky. But the 29-speaker, 1,430-watt Meridian sound system was superb.

Main screen graphics are clear, but wash out a bit in the sun. Say “Range Rover,” and the AI voice command easily handles most requests verbally, although I had to wait for a beep to start speaking. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hot spot, HD radio and a phone charging pad under the sliding upper center console door.

The wide center console offers a stubby gearshift as well as cup holders under a sliding door aft of those. You can slide them to access storage underneath, with twin USB ports. There’s more storage under the wide center armrest. There’s also height-adjustable armrests that pivot down outboard of the console.

The rear bench has great head room under a second moonroof, after a slight duck under tapering roof line. There’s adequate knee space as well as power reclining seatback, full climate controls, and armrest with cup holders. The power rear hatch opens high to access a 31.9-cu.ft. storage area, with cargo area buttons to lower the 60/40 split seatbacks. And like a real off-roader, there are black rubber mats for human feet and the cargo area.

2026 Range Rover Sport Offers Multiple Powertrain Choices

Range Rover Sports can be had with gas hybrid engines, a plug-in hybrid, or our tester’s BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 with 523 hp, 553 lb. ft. of torque, and an 8-speed automatic transmission. There’s multi-mode four-wheel-drive with low range, hill descent and dual locking differentials. And there’s Eco, Normal, Dynamic and multiple off-road drive mode settings as well as a Sport Shift mode.

Range Rover says the Sport can hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. In Eco mode, throttle dialed back for fuel economy, we moved off gently at first, then hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. In Eco the sporty exhaust note is muted. In Dynamic mode, with gearshift slapped into Sport shift, throttle tip-in was very quick, as were upshifts. The Range Rover Sport moved out quick to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds with a slightly meatier exhaust note. In Dynamic, it reared up, dug in all four Pirellis and whipped each upshift quickly. Downshifts were quick, a bit of throttle blip – sporty. We averaged as high as 22 mpg.

The 2023 First Edition Sport I previously tested launched to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds in Dynamic/Sport Shift. Eco saw 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, and an indicated 21 mpg. FYI: that plug-in Range Rover Sport hybrid can get 75 miles of claimed electric range from its 38kWh battery.

Platform architecture has up to 35 percent higher torsional stiffness than the previous model. It has an automatic air suspension with switchable volume air springs, twin-valve active dampers, active roll control, all-wheel steering and active differential with torque vectoring by braking. Even with low-profile 23-inch rubber, which could transmit bumps to your hands and seat in some, the Range Rover Sport was refined on almost all surfaces. Dynamically stiff, there was no body or frame rattle over bumps, the suspension soaking it up with quickly-damped rebound.

There was a bit of body roll in tighter turns when its on-road ground clearance is at 8.5 inches. But the Sport held on neutrally when powered around an expressway ramp in Dynamic mode, shifting power as needed to reveal a very stable handler. Push harder in a tight right-hander and the SUV showed up. We had more understeer, traction control nudging it in shape. Power steering had a very precise on-center feel in all drive modes, with a bit of buffering in Comfort mode. There was a nice, direct feel in Dynamic and a very tight turning radius. The big disc brakes offered decent pedal feel and real bite on hard braking from 60 mph, with some nose dive and a bit of fade after some hard use.

We know, many who own an Range Rover Sport may never head off-road, but we did. And the RR Sport retains its Land Rover heritage through Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl and Configurable off-road modes. You just have to delve down into some menus to get those.

2026 Range Rover Sport Rises To 11.1 Inches Of Clearance For Off-Roading

Maximum off-road height is 11.1 inches and is accomplished with a screen tap. Even with street-biased Pirellis, I tackled some rutted sand and bumpy grass and it went everywhere we pointed it with no slip. It had a refined ride over ruts. I’m told that it can also wade up to 2-ft., 8 in. deep. It raises from 8.5 inches of ground clearance to its maximum in seconds and does so automatically in some off-road modes.

A unique main screen option shows a simulation of what’s under the hood so you can “see” what you’re going over. There are displays for altitude, front and center diff lock status, steering angle, and roll angles. It also shows steering angle and hill descent control.

Safety systems include emergency braking, 3D surround camera with parking sensors, wade sensing and adaptive off-road cruise control that lets the driver set speed and comfort level over rough surfaces to focus on steering. Smart cruise maintains speed and distance from the car in front.

The base price of a Range Rover Sport SE with turbocharged 3-liter/, 355-hp inline-six mild-hybrid engine is $83,700; our Range Rover Sport Autobiography starts at $120,900 with Carpathian Gray alloy wheels ($1,750), 23-inch black alloy wheels ($1,850), rubber floor mats ($760), for a total $125,260.

Bottom line: Stealthy, sleek and luxurious, with decent tech and serious off-road ability. See you on the moors.

2026 Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic Specifications

Vehicle type – mid-size 5-passenger luxury all-wheel-drive SUV

Base price – $120,900 (as tested – $125,260)

Engine type – Twin-turbo V-8

Displacement – 4.4-liter

Horsepower (net) – 523 @ 5,300 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 553 @ 1,800 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic with paddle/sport shift

Wheelbase – 118 inches

Overall length – 195 inches

Overall width – 81 inches

Height – 72 inches

Front headroom – 38.8 inches

Front legroom – 40 inches

Rear headroom – 39 inches

Rear legroom – 38 inches

Ground clearance – 8.5 to 11.1 inches

Cargo capacity – 31.9 cu. ft./53 w/3rd row folded

Towing capacity – up to 7,716 lbs.

Curb weight – 4,506 lbs.

Mileage rating – 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway

The post 2026 Range Rover Sport Comfortably Tackles Off-Road appeared first on EV Rider.

It entered the automotive stage in 1998 as a thinly-disguised Chevrolet Suburban. But five generations and 28 years later, the Cadillac Escalade is now an accepted star at red carpet and state events.

We tested an Escalade ESV Sport Platinum in August, right after its mid-cycle refresh. EV Rider has also experienced it EV stablemate, the Escalade IQ. And now we have the most fully loaded, top-tier, all-wheel-drive long-wheelbase gas version of this Cadillac flagship SUV, riding on blacked-out 24-inch aluminum wheels with new glossy dark trim.

Here is the 2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport, a 6.2-liter V-8 under its bonnet, and the highest-tech interior this side of Cadillac’s CT5 V Blackwing. Last year, the 123-year-old GM luxury marque decided its fifth-generation gas-version luxury wagon needed a mid-season refresh. Refreshing this 17.5-foot-long flagship included some serious technology, convenience and luxury upgrades – plus 4-wheel-drive.

Call it the ghost of Christmas Present, as we rolled out to holiday parties in our pearlescent white Escalade Platinum, its light blade headlights and taillights pulsing in greeting (to the key fob) as we walked up, the Cadillac badge on the big grille glowing as the same shape was projected from puddle lights. The Sport Platinum-specific black mesh grille and surround are big, framed by razor-thin LED DRLs over vertical multi-element LED headlights. The deep lower intake thins out to design lines on either side. In back, LED light blade taillights frame the rear hatch, echoing classic Cadillac fins of decades past.

Fenders and doors are basically like the Escalade’s GM cousins, the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe, roof included. But our Escalade lives on big shoes. It has 24-inch Bridgestone Alenza rubber on 12-spoke black alloy wheels neatly framed by edged wheel wells. More black accents include lower sill slashes, plus the tucked-in power running boards and side window pillars. Under the step bumper in back there are twin rectangular exhaust tips in gloss black in the lower trim.

Parked at a Clay County (FL) Cruzers holiday cruise-in, folks loved the size (Where’s your anchor?, asked one.), big wheels and glowing pearlescent paint on steel fenders and aluminum hood and doors – the latter for weight savings.

2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport’s Interior Is Cadillac Plush

To open the doors you tap buttons inside door handles, or slide a digit over haptic feedback icons on a center console touchscreen, and they power out – stopping short of people or cars next to it thanks to sensors. A luxurious brown and cream white interior with soft accent lighting starts with padded semi-aniline leather, stitched seams behind and below, a sweeping 55-inch panoramic screen bookended by AKG speakers. Glossy, warm woodgrain lives above a wide alloy strip with air vents.

Stitched leather seats up front get heat, cooling and multiple massage settings, plus dual memory presets. They were very comfortable, with decent side support. The stitched leather steering wheel has slick touch points for main functions, plus alloy switches for cruise, driver screen and other uses. Behind, there are small alloy shifters that only work when you tap one of those alloy buttons for manual shifting.

That panoramic screen before us has three sections flowing into one. The driver’s instrument cluster can be configured to show a 7,000-rpm tach, digital speedometer and inset audio display, a wide nose camera view ahead, or a navigation map with inset speedometer.

There’s also a night-vision infrared camera display for those dark and stormy nights. It works nicely, human beings outlined in yellow boxes to highlight them.

To the right is a basic information screen that can show tire pressures or other displays. Then comes a wide-screen navigation map that can split to show map and infotainment display. This also shows blind spot cameras, left or right as that turn signal is tapped, plus a backup/overhead view for parking.

The screen in front of the passenger shows YouTube, Hulu, Netflix and other apps. The driver can watch it when parked. But put the Escalade in gear, and it goes privacy-screened like a laptop so the driver can’t see it.

That AKG sound system is very good,  42 speakers that include head restraint-mounted ones for serious spatial effect. Audio is controlled off the big center console touchscreen via the center console twist/tap/scroll dials and its main menu audio, map and Home screen buttons.

That center console touchscreen also handles climate control and seat massage, as well as the power door open/close function to power opening and closing all four doors via a fingertip slide. But some functions require two or more dives into its menus to do things, like adjusting cooled seats, or activate rear child locks. Opening the glovebox also requires using the touchscreen.

The center console gets that gracefully curved screen flowing into a gloss black panel with the only physical controls – a knurled alloy main screen controller, volume knob and buttons for Auto Hold, Auto Engine Off and main climate control buttons. Cup holders get patterned chrome (plastic) trim. An inductive phone charger is nearby, as is deep storage under the center armrest. There’s also USB ports, a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Head aft for the ground-bound equivalent of a private jet. The second row captain’s chairs have center armrests, plus heat, cooling and massage. Their occupants can gaze at large (12.6-inch) touchscreen displays for streamed video. There are climate controls at the back of the front center console, and more USB ports.

There’s room between the seats to access a third-row bench with decent adult room for two, or a third in a pinch. The rear hatch powers up high enough to clear my head at the tap of the Cadillac seal. The window opens separately. Either accesses a decent 25.5-cu.-ft. of space behind those 60/40 third-row seats, which power fold or rise via buttons in back. The second row can be folded via other buttons – we hauled all our holiday decorations to the storage unit

Break out the calculator: 6,014 lbs. of luxe SUV with 420-hp means 14.3 pounds per horsepower, respectable from a naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 with a healthy 460 lb-ft of torque, funneled to all or rear wheels only via a 10-speed automatic. There’ are drive modes for Tour, Sport, Tow/Haul, Off-Road and My Mode. All fine tune engine and transmission response, plus suspension stiffness, ride height and exhaust note. You can tap into rear-wheel, all-wheel, 4-wheel-drive and low range from buttons a bit hidden on the dash’s lower right next to the drive mode. A Low Mode button on the steering wheel allows for manual paddle shifting.

We noted a bit of an abrupt throttle tip-in sometimes starting off from a stop. But most times, power came on smooth and as strong as your right foot requested, moving this 3-ton SUV out with smooth alacrity. It reached 60 mph in 6.3 seconds in Tour/RWD mode, and 5.6 seconds in Sport/RWD. Our 2,600-mile-old Escalade’s engine offered a subtly strong exhaust rumble en route, a tad sportier in Sport mode. We saw a high of 16 mpg commuting in Tour. For comparison, that 8,000-mile-old August test model hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds in Tour mode/rear-wheel-drive, while Sport mode/auto AWD did it in 5.2 seconds. It averaged 17 mpg on the highway.

2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport Handles Its Weight Well

The Escalade has an independent suspension up front, and multilink in back, with coil-over shocks and stabilizer bars plus adaptive suspension and magnetic ride control that continually “reads” the road and quickly alters shock absorber damping rate.

The result is composed and quiet at speed, barring some tire noise. In Tour mode, my daily commuting setting, the ride was smooth It was just taut enough as it smoothed out rough pavement with quick bump control. The ride is a bit better than a Suburban or Yukon. Sport mode firmed up the ride, but bumps still had a comfortable edge, with a quick, well-buffered feel at compression, even with those 24-inch wheels.

There’s automatic load-leveling, lowering the Cadillac to help loading and unloading, or raising the ride a few inches off-road. The trailering package has brake bias controls on a lower panel that looked a bit basic plastic.

More Cadillac Coverage

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Cadillac Gets Its Mojo Back

In corners and twisting roads, this 7-passenger limo handles quite well for its size and height. The auto AWD with electronic limited-slip differential at the back directs torque to the wheel with the most traction. The result was no understeer in corners, and just a hint in our skid pad constant cornering. The Escalade also stayed true on path during a dip mid-turn, with minimal roll in turns. Steering was nicely boosted and direct, with a more precise feel in Sport mode. It’s turning radius is decent. The brake pedal had reassuringly short travel and decent bite, very controllable, with minimum nosedive and no brake fade after hard use.

It can handle 1,580 pounds of people and cargo, and tow 8,000 pounds of stuff.

Our Platinum edition had blind spot cameras and seat-bottom buzzers to alert you to things closer than they look in the mirrors, along with front/rear/side camera views at the tap of a button to see what’s around you. The rear-view mirror is a wide-screen display with a nice low-light camera. The highway hands-free Super Cruise maintained speed and distance in highway traffic, stopping when others do. There’s full lane-keep, but it did waver in lane sometimes. A tap of the turn signal and it safely changes lanes. It even worked on state highways. You can also set Super Cruise to allow automatic lane changes and passing.

A base rear-wheel-drive Cadillac Escalade, 211.9-inches long, starts at $93,995; our 4-wheel-drive 2026 Escalade ESV (226.9-inches) Platinum Sport started at $123,400 with so much standard. The only options: $4,750 Onyx black accents package; and $1,225 pearl white paint – total was $131,970.

Bottom line: Great power and tech, plus seriously spacious luxury, and not much to remind you there’s a Suburban under there.

2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Sport Specifications

Vehicle type – 7-passenger four-wheel-drive luxury sports utility vehicle
Base price $119,895 ($132,515as tested)
Engine type – OHV 16-valve aluminum V-8

Displacement – 6.2-liter
Horsepower (net) – 420 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 460 @ 4,100 rpm
Transmission – 10-speed automatic
Wheelbase – 134 inches
Overall length – 226.9 inches
Overall width – 93.7 inches
Height – 76.4 inches
Front headroom – 42.3 inches
Front legroom – 44.5 inches
Second row headroom – 38.9 inches
Second row legroom – 41.5 inches
Rear headroom – 38.2 inches
Rear legroom – 34.9 inches
Cargo capacity – 25.5 cu. ft./94.1 w/3rd row folded/142 w/2nd and 3rd row folded
Towing capacity – up to 8,000 lbs.
Curb weight – 6,014 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 24 gallons
Mileage rating – 14-mpg city/18-mpg highway

The post 2026 Escalade ESV Platinum Sport Review appeared first on EV Rider.

The holiday was nigh, and I needed to haul family 160 miles away to a family gathering – a Christmas enclave of sorts to enjoy roast beef and the transfer of gifts.

And lo and behold, we had a 2026 Buick Enclave Avenir, which is the flagship of the 126-year-old marque’s current 4-vehicle CUV/SUV line. It doesn’t currently have any cars on sale in the U.S., although it’s toyed with the idea.

Sharing the same front-wheel-drive platform that makes up the gas Chevrolet Equinox, Traverse, and GMC Acadia, this Enclave is the third-generation of a crossover that first appeared in 2008. That generation’s 3-row, slightly large midsize vehicle premiered just over a year ago. For this test we had the top tier of its 3-trim-level lineup, which is: the Avenir, preceded by Sport Touring (ST), and Preferred.

2026 Buick Enclave Incorporates A Pinch Of Concept car Styling

The Avenir name was first seen on a sleek 4-door 2016 Buick concept car shown at that year’s Amelia Concours d’Elegance, a shape that could “build on the rich history of the brand, but do it in a very contemporary way,” GM’s then-VP of Design Ed Welburn told me. He also said that it would give a “glimpse into the future,” no one knowing then that Buick would cease building cars and focus on CUVs and SUVs ultimately.

In the end, the first-gen (2008) Enclave was redesigned in 2018, then given its current third-gen design in 2024. The most distinct part is its face, which gained winged LED DRLs and a wide grille. The Avenir trim edges that grille’s honeycomb in chrome under a sharp edge upper line, flanked by stacked headlights under slit DRLs. The lower intake center’s gloss black trim gains a chrome lower accent, while side sills gain chrome slashes. That said, the roofline and side design’s gently incised door-skins, as well as basic fender shapes, are similar to its platform buddies like the Chevy Traverse, and not as sweepingly distinct as Buick’s sleek, compact Evista CUV.

LED taillights are connected by a thin red lit line. Rectangular steel exhaust tips are framed by the rear bumper, while 18-spoke silver alloy wheels are shod in 22-inch Continental CrossContact rubber. It’s a handsome design, in a Moonstone Gray metallic paint that really does show off its lines..

2026 Buick Enclave Has Sleek Dash

The Enclave’s interior lights glow when you stroll up at night, a warm invite to settle into a blue-over-dove gray interior with silver accents and glowing ambient lighting on the doors and dash. There’s stitched blue leatherette on the dashtop, with a sculpted woodgrain and alloy bar over dove gray with dotted accents. The stitching continues on the lower edges. The doors get ash gray wood accents, bronze strips and perforated alloy Bose speaker grilles.

Buckets seats have sculpted patterns on the leather inserts. They’re comfortable if a bit flat. They are heated and cooled. We had to tap a screen icon to get that done – although the heated steering wheel button is on the steering wheel. Both front seats are power adjustable, although there’s no memory preset. There’s also a gentle massage function.

The thick, leather-clad steering wheel has tiny paddle shifters in back that are only usable when you select low range. The usual controls are on the driver’s side of the wheel. Volume and tuning buttons are integrated in those small paddle shifters, with a big volume knob on the center console.

There’s a sweeping 30-inch dash and infotainment display atop the dashboard lip.. The gauge display’s layout is well presented, concise and configurable. You can show a digital speedometer with sweep-hand needle glowing above it, over bar graph 7,000-rpm tachometer and gas gauge, plus 2-wheel/4-wheel-drive indicator. The day, date, time and temperature are to the left, your media choice to the right, with cellphone status nearby. We liked changing it to a huge navigation map, with digital speed info on the lower left. Or just blank the display, only basic driver info shown.

Swing right and there’s a wide navigation screen with main menu buttons glowing on the widescreen’s center line. You can replace map with audio, engine gauges and more. The 16-speaker Bose audio system sounded fine, and unlike some GMs, Enclave has wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, while HD radio is also there, but has to be enabled via a menu. That said, for such a sweeping screen, the backup camera and its simulated overhead view, is nice but a bit small..

Climate control touchscreen buttons line the display’s bottom, with fan and temperature controls that are real buttons below that. If you want to turn headlights on or off manually, you have to tap the light icon on the screen to get to that menu. A tap of a menu icon on the center screen allows changes in vehicle operation, including traction control. I think it would be nicer to have distinct, direct-action buttons. At least drive mode changes are more direct. You tap a button to the left of the steering wheel, and the change appears center screen. The same occurs when you change from front- to all-wheel-drive.

The center console is gloss black. It looks great but gathers fingerprints. That bigger volume knob is next to an inductive phone charge slot and a small rubber padded storage nook big enough to hold a breakfast biscuit. It’s all on a floating console with a huge storage space underneath and a 12-volt port. The center armrest hides lots more storage and dual USB ports underneath.

2026 Buick Enclave Offers Plenty of Passenger Space With 3-Row Seating

Back doors open wide to twin captain’s chairs, with ample head and leg room – they recline and slide, with center armrests, climate controls for overhead vents, and more USB ports. You can walk between them to a usable 3-person bench seat in back with just enough head and leg room for adults, if center row occupants slide forward a bit.

This flagship Buick has acceptable rear cargo area under a power hatch that rises high, plus some storage under the floor. Folding the 60/40 rear seatbacks really expands the storage, with room for four remaining. The second and third-row seats can be remotely dropped from rear-mounted buttons, while second rows can be slid forward when folded down via seatback buttons. 

All in all, it’s a richly appointed 2-tone interior with neat accents, although the blue is a bit bright.

2026 Buick Enclave Turbo 4 Has 328 HP

The second-gen Enclave uses a 3.6-liter V-6 with 310 hp and 9-speed transmission. But to get better fuel mileage, our 2025 Enclave has a new turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It’s no wimp, with 328 hp and 326 lb.-ft. of torque connected to an 8-speed automatic and selectable front-/all-wheel-drive. That is 18 hp more than the V-6. While the Enclave Avenir is whisper quiet at speed, with barely any tire noise, the inline four does make its presence known when it runs over 3,500 rpm. Auto-engine off works unobtrusively, refiring without a lurch as you tap the gas pedal to move out.  

There are four driving modes: Tour, Sport, Snow/Ice, Off-Road and Tow/Haul. Set in Tour, power is fine for daily commuting. Upshifts are clean as the 4,713-lb. crossover easily passes what it needs to. The engine is quiet at 1,600 rpm at 70 mph cruising speed. Push to pass, and the engine sings as we take 7.4 seconds to get to 60 mph. There’s no wheelspin on launch in front-wheel-drive mode. The Enclave felt a bit brisker on launch in Sport mode, hitting 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, with the engine snarling as we moved out. That’s just what a 7-seat luxury crossover should do. It’s smooth shifting, quick enough, and quiet at highway speeds. It can tow up to 5,000 lbs. Fuel mileage on regular was about 24 mpg on our cruise-controlled trip.

For comparison, I tested an Enclave Sport Touring almost a year ago with the same engine. It hit 60 mph in a solid 6.7 seconds in Touring mode. In Sport mode/FWD, we felt a bit of front wheelspin en route to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. It averaged almost 25 mpg.

2026 Buick Enclave Handling Is Composed

The Enclave Avenir’s four-wheel independent suspension delivers a very comfortable ride in Tour mode. It’s quiet and composed with a bit of float after some bumps with front and rear stabilizer bars and continuous damping. That was the perfect for our long holiday drive over interstates and some local roads. Set in Sport mode, it is just taut enough, with bumps handled quickly with well-buffered and quick rebound and no wallowing.

On local roads with curves, set in front-wheel-drive and Sport mode, the CUV cleanly tackled sweeping turns under power, with a bit of body roll and a hint of understeer when pushed harder through a corner. Mid-turn bumps caused a bit of bounce but no loss of direction. Buick engineers clearly prioritized comfort.

Steering is direct if a bit over-boosted in Tour mode, but firms up noticeably in Sport mode. It’s a bit artificial in feel. The Enclave had a tight turning circle. The brake pedal had a decent bite on initial tap. The 17-inch disc brakes offer good control and solid stops with minimal nose dive, and only a touch of fade after a few hard hits.

Our Enclave has Super Cruise, a hands-free autonomous driving system. It was pretty smooth over 300 miles of interstate travel. It worked on every interstate, plus divided state highways. The green glow of the LED strip on the steering wheel confirms hands-free driving is active. There’s occasional wiggle in lane-keeping, and long curves are not perfect arcs. Super Cruise will also initiate its own lane change if something is slow ahead of you. A tap of the stalk stops it.

The Lansing, Mich.-built Enclave Preferred starts at $48,395 with front-wheel-drive; Our Avenir starts at $59,600 with lots standard except: the $3,015 Super Cruise package with auto-parking assist, and $2,000 all-wheel-drive. Total price: $66,510.

Bottom line: The Enclave Avenir is handsome, quick, comfortable and very well-equipped. It’s also far sleeker and more distinctive in looks than its predecessor. A more refined powerplant presence and a slightly sportier ride would be nice.

2026 Buick Enclave Avenir AWD Specifications

Vehicle type – mid-size luxury all-wheel-drive 5-passenger crossover

Base price – $59,600 ($66,510 as tested)

Engine type – turbocharged 16-valve DOHC in-line four

Displacement – 2.5 liter

Horsepower (net) – 328 @ 5,500 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 326 @ 3,500 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic

Wheelbase – 120.9 inches

Overall length – 207.6 inches

Overall width – 79.6 inches

Height – 71 inches

Front headroom – 42.6 inches

Front legroom – 44.3 inches

Center headroom – 39.9 inches

Center legroom – 41.4 inches

Rear headroom – 38.2 inches

Rear legroom – 32.1 inches

Cargo capacity – 22.9 cu.ft./57.1 w/rear seats folded/97.5 w/2nd & 3rd row folded

Curb weight – 4,537 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 18.4 gallons

Mileage rating – 19-mpg city/24-mpg highway

The post Buick Smooth: Enclave Avenir Glides Into 2026 appeared first on EV Rider.

Call this sedan loud, proud – and call me wowed!

In a world where even SUVs get performance rubber and honking engines of the EV, V-6 and V-8 variety; there still exists (however briefly) a place for a hand-built hand, supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 with 668 hp and a whopping 659 lb-ft of torque.

And like the amazing Corvette that birthed some of the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, this is rear-wheel-drive.

Smoke ‘em (tires, I mean) if you got ‘em!

CT5 V Blackwing Upgraded For 2025

The compact CT5 sedan was introduced in 2020, its fastback design inspired by Cadillac’s 2016 Escala concept. For 2025, this sleek 4-door got a definite facelift atop its long 116-inch wheelbase.

That refinement starts with a tougher face. Its got mesh gloss black with improved LED headlights, slim and slit down. A bigger outer edge intake flanks a very aggressive lower grille with more intakes and a subdued air dam. We had the Carbon Fiber Package, with grille accent, more aggressive lower side sills flowing off functional front fender vents low down, and a rear spoiler sprouting from the tight, high trunk lid over new quad trapezoid exhaust tips. It retains an arcing roofline that ends with a raked rear window and high trunk with pronounced carbon fiber spoiler.

Aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport rubber – P275/35ZR19-inchers in front, and wider P305/30ZR19’s in back – live on semi-gloss black 10-spoke alloys. They neatly fill flared fenders with huge cross-drilled carbon ceramic disc brakes. 

It looks so low, tight and right. We parked it at our local Caffeine & Octane Jacksonville monthly show where it gathered lots of kin – Corvettes with the same engine – and fans who looked at its aggressive stance, and its carbon fiber aero. 

Cadillac-Worthy Interior Adorns CT5 V Blackwing

The CT5 welcomes owners at night with a petite Cadillac crest glowing off the rear of the dashboard, joined by welcome lights on door handles and puddle lights, plus front and rear LED light animation. You settle into black and tan leather sports bucket seats with aggressive bolstering, plus massage, heat and cooling. The seats are housed in glossy carbon fiber shells. They have manually-adjustable thigh support while the driver gets memory presets. The sweeping dashboard is topped with stitched faux leather along with glossy carbon fiber accents edged in alloy.

The seats get embossed leather trim and really hug the occupants in curves. Despite that, they aren’t constricting. Like most GM products, there are buzzers in the driver’s seat that let you know when you are drifting out of lane or backing into something. There’s a thick leather-clad steering wheel with paddle shifters in back. Audio, cruise, phone and voice command controls are in front.

There’s a small number plate at the bottom of the wheel. Ours reads 81-341. That means it’s a limited edition CT5 (8), with 10-speed automatic (1), then the last three numbers show the production number for the car we had in that configuration.

There’s Amazon Alexa, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and HD Radio, with solid sound from the AKG audio system and a handy volume knob on the center console. Overhead, lush sueded-microfiber headliner, plus gold seatbelts front and rear. Despite Cadillac phasing out Android Auto and Apple Car Play in its newest models, it continues in the CT5.

The biggest change this year is the replacement of digital gauge, and separate center screen with a sweeping 33-inch display. The driver gets a configurable gauge display, including a navigation map with digital mpg; or tachometer and gas gauge framing the speed display, or just speed.

The center screen can display basics like a map, or audio/tripmeter/settings/safety system status and more. My favorite sections are the Performance pages with horsepower, turbo boost and torque gauge displays, or a triple-screen with big G-Force meter, tire pressures and engine info. The center touchscreen even accesses a video recorder, or a performance data recorder if you pop in a memory card.

The center console, accented in alloy and carbon fiber, has a twist/tap rotary controller to handle screen functions, plus main menu buttons. Drive modes, traction control and auto-hold brake buttons are in front of the electronic gearshift, which also offers manual shifting if paddles aren’t your thing. The included Drive modes are: Tour, Sport, Track, Snow/Ice, and My Mode to adjust shifting, steering brake feel and vehicle sound character. There’s an inductive charger out of the way, while part of the interior gets accent lighting.

The center armrest has USB ports. The head-up display shows the basics, plus navigation and safety system status. Under the center screen are controls for a/c, seat heat/cooling, parking sensors, auto-park, lane-keep and more.

The sloping roof line and some rear wheel intrusion meant the back door opening was a bit small, so I had to duck. Once in there’s good leg room. The 11.7-cu.ft. trunk is deep and wide. Basically, this Blackwing can be a sane, comfy family Cadillac – with some race car bred into it.

CT5 V Blackwing Plays Like A Race Car

Cadillac is preparing to enter Formula 1, with a very successful IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship season in the sleek V Series.R. We found this can truly be a family Corvette, right down to sharing the same engine.

As one race car driver friend said, “this isn’t your father’s Cadillac” unless it came with a supercharged 6.2-liter, cast alloy 16-valve OHV V-8 with titanium valves, forged aluminum pistons and track-capable sump oiling. It has 668 hp at 6,500 rpm, and 659 lb-ft of torque at a low 3,600-rpm. You can get it with a Tremec 6-speed manual. We had the quick-shifting 10-speed paddle-shift automatic. And like AMG, there’s an engine build plate. Ben Walden did this one.

This is a very quick 4,142-lb. rear-wheel-drive sedan that thinks like a Corvette. Set it in Tour mode and its just fine for every day driving. The Cadillac leaped off the line with a hint of wheelspin into first, second and third to hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, with a wondrous bellow from the quad pipes. When set in Sport mode the Cadillac saw wheelspin in the first two shifts as the rear stepped briefly out of line before traction control caught. It got to 60 mph in a quick 3.7 seconds.

Launch control was set by turning off traction control and tapping the button. That resulted in the Blackwing behaving, controlling wheelspin quickly as its engine roared. It then pinned us to our seat, rocketing to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Deceleration and downshifts brought a delightful overrun crackling. That had me chuckling. It was an absolute delight in a luxury sedan able to do it time and time again with almost no drama, pulling .86Gs on launch. It delivered a tad over 12 mpg average while playing and as high as 25 mpg commuting in Tour mode.

This 4-door/5-seat sedan is quicker than the 2022 Corvette ZL1 I tested with the 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8. The Vette hit 60 in 3.6 seconds. And a Hellcat Charger with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 with 707 hp and 650 lb.-ft. of torque saw 60 mph in 4.3 seconds using launch control in our 2022 test. The Hellcat wasn’t as well behaved on launch, averaging 11 mpg.

This CT5 rides on McPherson-type front suspension with cross-axis dual lower ball joints, twin-tube struts; then a five-link independent rear with coil springs. It has hollow stabilizer bars and Magnetic Ride Control at each corner. The result is a supple yet taut suspension, quickly damping every bump in Touring mode with just a hint of softness. Sport and Track mode very quickly damped any bump. It was tightly controlled on rebound, very firm but not abusive, at least on our Florida roads.

Also a delight is how this Cadillac drove the twisty bits. Steering was direct and full of feel in Touring, and delightfully more direct in Sport and Track modes with great road feel. The magnetic ride control and sticky rubber combined to make this big car shrink on turns. It easily pulled .55Gs in basic cornering. It was flat and neutral powering up expressway ramps. When we tackled steady-state cornering the car registered a totally neutral feel, with no understeer, and 1.07Gs – drama-free. There was no discernable body roll. The race track video I’ve seen bears this out. It’s flat and full of stiction in any corner.

As for stopping all this speed, there are cross-drilled carbon ceramic rotors with staggered 15.67-inch Brembo six-piston calipers (front) and four-piston 14.7-inch calipers (rear). The pedal reacted quickly, but easily controllable with quick, short and straight stops every time from speed. We pulled a negative 1.17Gs on deceleration. There was no fade after repeated use. The Cadillac was very quiet during commutes, comfortably suspended with four on board, yet able to pass anything easily with just a minute gas pedal pressure without alarming anyone with too quick a burst of speed if I desired.

We had Super Cruise autonomous driving – it stayed in lane and at speed hands-free, only drifting a bit at exit ramps when right-side lane lines moved away. It automatically changes lane if it senses slower traffic ahead. The rear-view mirror offers a wide-screen rear video image.

CT5 pricing starts at $49,090 for the RWD Premium with turbocharged 2-liter four; our CT5-V Blackwing is the top tier, starting at $97,600 with $47,620 in options. The $18,000 Precision Package adds stiffer springs and track-oriented MagnaRide Suspension, plus upgrades like the carbon ceramic brakes. The tan and black leather interior is $8,090; the two carbon fiber interior and exterior bits total $12,330; the 10-speed automatic (a hint quicker than the 6-speed manual) is another $3,675. Super Cruise adds $2,600. A few more options tallied it to $146,715. The closest competitors are the Audi RS 7, with twin-turbocharged 4-liter V-8, all-wheel drive and 621 hp, Next up, is the plug-in hybrid BMW M5 with a twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V-8 with all-wheel drive and 717 hp. They are both quick and very agile, and worthy competitors. 

Bottom line: This Blackwing can outrun most cars with four doors, and a few with two, yet waft a family gently to dinner, or a spouse to work. It’s effortless power and grace, its pace as good as what comes from across the pond.

2025 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing Specifications

Vehicle type – 4-door, 5-passenger all-wheel-drive sports sedan
Base price – $97,600 (as tested: $146,715)
Engine type – supercharged OHV 16-valve aluminum V-8
Displacement – 6.2 liters
Horsepower (net) – 668 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 659 @ 3,600 rpm
Transmission – 10-speed automatic w/paddle shifters
Wheelbase – 116 inches
Overall length 194.9 inches
Overall width – 74.1 inches w/out mirrors
Height – 56.5 inches
Front headroom – 39 inches
Front legroom – 42.4 inches
Rear headroom – 36.6 inches
Rear legroom – 37 inches
Cargo capacity – 11.9 cu. ft.
Curb weight – 4,142 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 17.4 gallons
Mileage rating – 13 mpg city/20 mpg highway

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