Innehållsförteckning för July/August 2021 från Car and Driver

IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A DECADE SINCE THE FIRST MODERN mass-market electric vehicle went on sale. EVs have come a long way, but they make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. vehicle market. That could change with the F-150 Lightning, the EV version of Ford’s half-ton pickup. If even 1 percent of F-150 buyers went electric, sales would surpass 2020 numbers for the Audi e-tron, Kia Niro EV, and Porsche Taycan, among others. In the United States, F-series models have topped the bestselling-vehicle list for 39 consecutive years, raking in mountains of cash for Ford and filling parking lots with blue ovals. If Ford were to spin off the F-series, the resulting brand would pull in $42 billion annually—more revenue than Nike, Coca-Cola, and Netflix. This is the…

WHAT SHOULD THE CARS OF THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE? HOW SMOOTH, HOW TALL, HOW SPACIOUS SHOULD THEY BE? For more than a century, most automotive designers have had to work around an internal-combustion engine and transmission. Gas, diesel, and hybrid powertrains need room to spin and breathe—sometimes to the detriment of passengers. We’re so used to stumbling over the hump of a driveshaft tunnel and giving up kneeroom for the sake of a set-back engine that it never occurred to most of us that anything could be different. But in the future, especially the near future, with a focus on electric cars built on new, dedicated platforms, designers have a rare opportunity to reimagine what a car can offer. Many early EV ventures used existing platforms and arranged electric powertrains…

Why do so many adjustments in Tesla’s Model Y require twice the number of steps we’re used to? Why is the charging plug different from what all other automakers use? Why is the Y so much worse than the Model 3? Every Tesla provokes a few head-scratchers, but this particular Model Y Performance left us flummoxed. If you drive the 3 and the Y back to back, you’ll find little to convince you they share a platform. Where the 3 is smooth, the Y jerks. This may seem harsh, just like this Tesla’s ride, but it didn’t help that the infotainment system on the Y we tested stopped working within 12 hours of the car’s arrival. Sloppy fit and finish and a grating squeak coming from the right rear seat…

Besides its robotic name, there’s little to suggest the Audi etron portends the future. Sure, this 402hp electric SUV literally sounds like something Han Solo would pilot. But the etron and its swoopy-roof Sportback counterpart could be mistaken for other Audis in a parking lot. The conventional design, which includes a palatial cabin, should make the switch to electric a bit easier for some, although new EV customers might want more than the etron’s 222 miles of estimated range. In our 75mph highway test, the Audi went just 170 miles before needing a recharge. However, in our fast-charging test, it sucked down electricity faster than any other EV, although some more efficient cars were able to add driving miles quicker. The 5.2second run to 60 isn’t terribly impressive for an…

Before you set off on your first EV road trip, there’s something you need to understand about range figures. EPA estimates, which automakers use in their marketing, are based on testing that mimics city, suburban, and highway driving. If you jump on an actual interstate and expect to match the number on the window sticker, you’ll probably coast to a stop well short of your destination. To help buyers know what to expect on a long-distance highway drive at grown-up speeds, Car and Driver’s real-world range test is conducted at 75 mph. Due primarily to the aerodynamic drag at that speed, most EVs underperform their EPA estimates. The 11 here missed their window-sticker figures by an average of 17 percent. Tesla has mastered scoring big range on the government test,…

Acura keeps sending forget-me-nots. First came the second-gen NSX, a 573-hp mid-engine sign that the brand had been working on itself. It showed us that it had made some big changes and wanted to have a heart-to-heart about performance. Now the 2021 TLX Type S sports sedan has arrived at our doorstep, and its 355-hp V-6 and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system are the kind of wooing that totally works on us. Not to be confused with the relatively mild-mannered TLX introduced last year, the Type S revives Acura’s high-performance moniker. Set up for use on the street and not necessarily with track driving in mind, this car is priced to compete with models like the Audi S4 and BMW M340i—not Audi’s more extreme RS models or BMW’s M cars—but it’s about…

It shouldn’t be this easy to beat a Bugatti Chiron in the quarter-mile. This level of acceleration should require more driver skill, some rare manual dexterity lacking in Joe Commuter. Admittedly, it’s pretty easy to do a full-bore standing-start launch in a Chiron or any gas car that shifts gears for you. But the electric Rimac Nevera’s acceleration and its impact on you are so extraordinary, it feels as though it shouldn’t be available to just anyone with $2.4 million and enough courage to hold down the accelerator. You do need to be brave, because the Croatian carmaker’s latest creation is unnerving. Find a long straight and bring the car to a stop. Turn the drive-mode selector to Track to enable maximum power. Hold the brake and push the right…

If EVs are our future, Volvo spinoff Polestar takes a guarded approach to what’s next. Its 2 seemingly draws from modernist architecture, with a palette dominated by gray tones reminiscent of concrete and steel. Exterior styling is restrained and free of gimmicks. This is essentially tomorrow’s Volvo. The Android-based infotainment system featuring a voice-activated Google Assistant is simple to operate, and the most commonly used touchscreen controls are easy to find. Our test car’s adjustable Öhlins dampers refine the ride, but the 2 will change from laidback city commuter to eager corner carver when asked. Ample punch from the 408-hp electric motors rockets the car to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. However, the 200-mile range we recorded in our 75-mph test can’t match the segment’s top end. By combining otherwise…

If you drive the XC40 Recharge while wearing headphones playing the buzz and hum of a four-banger, you could make yourself believe you’re driving the gas version of Volvo’s blocky crossover. Gasand battery-powered XC40s are similar, sharing interior and exterior designs and even a flinty ride. But instead of a turbo four, the Recharge has two electric motors. The difference between the powertrains is obvious when you pass a left-lane dawdler or pull away from a stoplight. While the gas-powered XC40 tops out at 248 horsepower, the EV version has an eager 402 horses, needs a mere 4.3 seconds to leap to 60 mph, and scoots from 50 to 70 mph in 2.2 seconds. The Recharge’s effortless quickness helps justify its $55,085 base price, but its 75.0-kWh battery pack is…

Not many automakers have the audacity to take on Ferrari. But when your name is Maserati and you’re looking to crown your lineup with a new 621-hp mid-engine supercar, you’re not going to let a former partner—no matter how storied—stand in the way. The MC20 is the first mid-engine Maserati developed and produced in-house since the Bora and Merak in the early ’70s. The coupe driven here comes first; an electric version and a convertible follow in a year or so. In 1997, Maserati and Ferrari came together under Fiat, a move that curbed Maserati’s supercar ambitions. They split in 2005, and while Maserati still uses Ferrari engines in various models as part of a long-running supply deal, corporate strategy in Modena now calls for complete engineering independence from Maranello.…

Whatever kind of engine you want, the Jeep Wrangler offers it. Jeep’s four-wheel-drive anachronism is available with a turbocharged four-cylinder, a naturally aspirated V-6 (with or without 48-volt hybrid assistance), a turbo-diesel V-6, and a turbo four with a plug-in-hybrid system. And now, rounding out Jeep’s offer-all-the-engines policy is a gargantuan 470-hp 6.4-liter V-8. No, Jeep didn’t use the supercharged Hellcat engine. Nobody has enough life insurance for that. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 is Jeep’s G63. A mud-bog Maserati. It’s “Hold my beer” with an eye-level hood scoop. While everyone is fawning over the Ford Bronco, Jeep is clearing its throat through quad tailpipes and asking for your attention. You’ve seen the Wrangler, folks, but never like this. Why did Jeep wait more than 30 years to build a V-8…

So how did this guy come to be on the verge of controlling one of the most storied names in motoring? It all starts in the least Bugatti-like manner, with a 20-year-old Mate pulling the blown engine out of his beater E30 BMW 325i and replacing it with an electric motor from a forklift. He eventually pulled that out too, made it better, and has been refining his electric powertrains ever since. What he’s learned has allowed him to establish Croatia’s first carmaker and create two hypercars. Now the biggest whales in the automotive ecosystem are visiting his tiny, young country, wondering whether its cleverest kid can really give them a shortcut to high-performance EVs. Seems he can, though they took some reassuring at first. Hyundai Motor Group, one of…

If Tesla has proved anything, it’s that electric cars don’t have to be boring. The Model 3 Performance has the power, tires, and brakes of a proper sports sedan, and it can set your pulse racing as fast as any gas-powered four-door. Not a believer? Floor it from a stop. Now try a few 30-to-50-mph pulls. This is a car that flirts with 1.00 g both on the skidpad, with a 0.96-g effort, and in its acceleration, where it punches the gut like Tyson in the ’80s. It blasts to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, with an instant response and all-wheel-drive traction that give it an off-the-line advantage over the 760-hp Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. It’ll go sideways too. In Track mode, the driver can adjust the torque split to…

A decade ago, the Nissan Leaf emerged as the first affordable EV of the modern era. Intense competition has since rendered it more of a relic than a trailblazer. Even a major 2017 redesign that brought more horsepower and range with larger battery packs didn’t help. With a 215-mile EPA range, the most powerful Leaf falls short of the Chevrolet Bolt, Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model 3, and Volkswagen ID.4, all of which have CCS fast-charging ports. Plugs for the Leaf’s CHAdeMO connection are harder to find in the wild. The system also struggles to restore electrons at the advertised rate. In top SL Plus guise, the Leaf is a heady $44,920, a mere $905 less than a similarly optioned Niro EV, only $270 below the ID.4 1st Edition, and—gulp—$3730…

The Kia Niro EV reinforces some negative stereotypes about electric cars. At a glance, its dorky looks make it barely more appealing than a golf cart, and its economy-grade cabin materials don’t live up to the price (our loaded EX Premium test car stickered for $47,145). But unlike in the bad old days of EVs, we have a car whose merits lie in its powertrain, with the Niro shattering preconceived notions about small EVs being slow and having limited range. A 201hp electric motor gets the little box to 60 mph in a swift 6.2 seconds, and there’s enough torque to spin the tires. Plus, the car’s 64.0kWh battery pack and impressive efficiency allowed it to go 210 miles in our 75mph highway test, beating the range of several more…

Numbers don’t tell the full story of the Taycan 4S, the midrange model of Porsche’s EV. Initial expectations are tempered by a steep $105,150 starting price and a hulking 5128-pound curb weight. The 3.4-second time to 60 mph from its 562-hp dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup is quick but hardly stands out next to the 2.4-second run from the 750-hp Taycan Turbo S. Even our test car’s optional 83.7-kWh battery, which ups the base ask to $111,730, earns it only a modest 227-mile range estimate from the EPA. (That said, in our hands, and thanks in large part to its unique two-speed transmission, it pulled off the impressive feat of nearly matching that number in the real world, covering 220 miles while cruising at 75 mph.) No, to appreciate the Taycan 4S,…

In the world of new cars, going a decade without a complete overhaul is a near guarantee of obsolescence. So how has the Model S endured? Starting as a trendsetter—both in range and in instigating today’s mania for ever-larger infotainment screens—certainly helps. Thanks to a steady stream of improvements, the Model S has remained at the front of the pack in terms of its ability to cover miles. For this test, we wrangled the Long Range Plus variant, the first EV to crest 400 miles on a charge according to the EPA’s methodology. With a 20 percent range boost over the 2018 100D, this Model S is also the current champ of our 75-mph highway test and the only EV in the 300s, at 320 miles. Available for only the…

If you’ve ever used a wrench in place of a hammer, you’ll understand what the BMW M2 is about. Engineers took an aging upright compact coupe that normally rides on run-flat all-season tires and transformed it into a great-driving car. Not content with the new tool, BMW has continued to adapt this wrench into the M2 CS. The 3533-pound result nails corners. From its acceleration to the sounds coming from the CS’s 444-hp engine, it has all the sports-car traits that make us warm and tingly. It is the product of clever improvisation and adaptation. But as strong as the M2 CS is, we wondered, can it do just as good a job as a hammer? Porsche’s 718 Cayman GTS 4.0—our hammer—starts out with the right stuff. It’s a two-seat,…

C’mon, man. This was, as even my friends on the other side of the aisle concede, always going to happen. Of course I’m going to sell my exclusive drive of the Ford F-150 Lightning to my favorite car magazine, the one you’re holding in your hands right now. What’s that? The kids don’t read magazines? They don’t know what they’re missing. Now, I didn’t land this Lightning exclusive because I personally knew Henry Ford. That’s horsefeathers! I’m serious. Look, folks, no one outside the Ford Motor Company has driven the electric F-150, and let me tell you, it’s all about clean, good, green jobs, good American jobs building them. But it’s also about the future. Torque is the future. That’s not hyperbole. By golly, it’s got torque. A big 775…