Ford’s all-new Mustang-inspired fully-electric performance utility arrives in 2020 with targeted range of 480 kms.Handout / Ford Ford will be expanding its Mustang range to include its new all-electric crossover or at least, thats what its officially naming the SUV the Mustang Mach-E suggests.Rumours of the “Mach-E” part of the name have been circulating for a long while, but this is the first hard confirmation weve got the crossover will also wear a Mustang badge.Reaction to the announcement was understandably mixed it didnt sit well with many critics whod pointed out there’s never been an electric Mustang before, nor a crossover-bodied example. Crossing the trendy new powertrain and volume-seller body style was just a little irreverent for some who see Mustang as a hallowed marque.To assuage their worries, Fords brought on none other than Idris Elba as a sort of brand ambassador for the new vehicle; the actor himself used to work on a Ford assembly line once upon a time. The long-awaited but controversial new crossover will make its debut just ahead of the Los Angeles auto show, via a livestream at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 17.At the presentations conclusion, Ford will immediately open up a configurator tool where prospective Mach-E customers can spec their electric Mustang and put down a US$500 deposit to reserve one. Order forms will formally open up next
Origin: Ford’s new electric crossover will officially be named ‘Mustang Mach-E’
Long-Term Test Update: 2020 Hyundai Palisade
Is it wrong to confess how brilliant I am for picking my long-term test vehicle?Hockey season is in full swing, and between my sons experiment with the goalie position while coaching his team and my own beer league excursions, the Hyundai Palisade is the large crossover I never knew I wanted. The best thing about it, however, is that despite being large and accommodating in terms of passenger and cargo space, it doesnt feel large to drive the seating position is high and commanding, but the turning circle is nice and tight, the steering is linear and quick, and best of all, the excellent outward visibility, 360-degree cameras, and parking sensors make parking easy and stress-free. Even with the third row up, theres room for a couple of kids hockey bags and my coaching gear, so its carpool friendly even for hockey excursions. After enjoying the Palisade myself for a few weeks, I sent resident crank David Booth off with the Palisade for the weekend and the most criticism he could come up with was: The engine is not as smooth or as powerful as I expected. When hauling, theres more noise than expected and not as much fury as the cacophony promises. This criticism isnt even unanimous both my wife and I find the power level is entirely reasonable, and the throttle appropriately responsive in every mode. For example, even in Eco which I use frequently on my commute there is good jump off the line when you plant the throttle, while in ordinary situations it prioritizes smooth, tepid acceleration. Comfort and Smart both provide mildly different balances, and Sport is always ready with quicker throttle tip-in, holding gears longer and quicker downshifts when getting on the go-pedal at most speeds. Booth did agree on that point: I like the modes. There seems to be more differentiation between modes than in most vehicles.The transmission has also been nearly flawless, and only the most severe changes from cruising to braking and then acceleration have generated any hiccups. It doesnt hurt that the 3.8L V6 makes up to 291 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque, which doesnt sound like a lot these days, but between the eight-speed automatic and the throttle tuning, I dont feel that it struggles at all with the 2,022 kilogram-plus the weight of the family and gear were carrying around.Booth actually had many more positives to list from his short time, and speaking of transmissions, he noted, I find this the best push button control for an automatic transmission yet. Intuitive and easily deciphered even without looking, the separate park function works well. Here were in agreement, and even when making seven-point parking maneuvers (yes, Im a bit parking-challenged), the Reverse button on top and Drive button on the bottom have become second nature and I barely need to look.As mentioned, we wanted to answer any questions you had, and we had a few on our Driving Youtube channel that Ill share here. Our first question was about refinement: How is the comfort and the cabin noise compared to (the) MDX or GLE? I know these cars expensive to convert to. Just curious. Another viewer also was interested in the noise: Have read comments about some wind noise at front pillar and window, any thoughts? I can confirm the comments about noise: There is some wind noise from the front A-pillars, and as Booth points out, the sound of the engine is unrefined, but the comfort is just right, absorbing rough bumps erasing them without being soft and wallowing in turns. However, it is interesting to see that people are more than willing to compare the Hyundai to well-established luxury brands like Acura and Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes GLE only starts at $64,000, while the Palisade tops out at $53,999 for this fully loaded Ultimate.The base Acura MDX, which starts at $54,390, is a fairer comparison, but youre trading brand reputation (and likely some refinement) for features like the 360-degree camera system, perforated leather seats that are cooled in addition to being heated (if you have the second row captains chairs, those are also ventilated), various driving aids like blind-spot warning and rear-cross-traffic alert, and the MDX is showing its age as it does not even offer head-up display in any trim, though it does counter with a built-in widescreen in top trim to keep the kids zoned out on long trips.The next question we had was about the technology: How customizable is the digital display? How does the ACC and lane centre work compared to others?” At this point, I have used adaptive cruise quite a bit, and it’s been very good at maintaining the pace of traffic and smoothing changes of speed, without leaving huge gaps or lurching forward when a car moves out of the way. Lane keep assist has also been good, but it does sometimes react a bit late and give a bit of a jerky tug rather than smoothly getting the Palisade back to centred. The digital instrument cluster’s customization is a little disappointing, as I was hoping
Origin: Long-Term Test Update: 2020 Hyundai Palisade
Judgy-Pants: The Train Edition
“They had so many options,” says the title on %7B%22provider_name%22:%22reddit%22,%22provider_url%22:%22https:%5C/%5C/www.reddit.com%5C/%22,%22object_url%22:%22https:%5C/%5C/www.reddit.com%5C/r%5C/IdiotsInCars%5C/comments%5C/dv5us5%5C/they_had_so_many_options%5C/%22,%22html%22:%22%5Cn%20%20%20%20%5Cn%20%20%20%20%20%20They%20had%20so%20many%20options%20from%5Cn%20%20%20%20%20%20IdiotsInCars%5Cn%20%20%20%20%5Cn%20%20%20%20%5Cn%22,%22type%22:%22oembed%22,%22channels%22:%5B%22desktop%22,%22tablet%22,%22phone%22%5D%7D target=_blank rel=noopener>this recent reddit post. And they did. But let’s pick the video apart and figure out what those options actually were.A wide, main street in middle America – Kentucky, apparently – a quaint downtown with those deep, angled parking spots that make parking so easy. Perhaps too easy? Down the center of the street runs a set of train tracks. A locomotive crawling at about 15 km/h is slowly approaching when a motorist starts to back out. They had so many options from IdiotsInCars It’s easy to call out the first of those “so many options”: look before you back out, and wait for the streetcar to clear. Nope. That’s not going to happen. At least there is tons of room for the car to maneuver and go on its way. All the driver has to do is reverse, keep the car in its lane and head off. Nope. Perhaps spooked by a pedestrian, moving even slower than the train, perhaps worried about the lights now flashing on that streetcar. The lights warning that a car is sitting on the track for no discernible reason. Next option, maybe pull back into the parking spot, wait to do it again? Nope.The only thing that makes any sense, then, is to back all the way up on the tracks to the intersection behind. Worst option, of course.But this is a Judgy-Pants after all. What should have happened?Take Our Poll
Origin: Judgy-Pants: The Train Edition
5 things I learned driving Ford’s new 2020 Explorer Hybrid
2020 Ford Explorer HybridFord The 2020 Ford Explorer is an attractive beast, big on North American muscularity and pronounced haunches. Effete is not a word that comes to mind when you climb and, considering its step-up height, you really do have to climb into its vastness. After the initial size-shock, we took a closer look and these were the five observations that stood out the most.These big SUVs are becoming more minivan-likeThough Ford claims the 2020 Explorer is quite off-road worthy and I have no reason to doubt them it does look and feel like a butched-up family hauler. No, theres no sliding door or hideaway seats, but this latest Explorer feels more like an old Chevy Suburban the ultimate, well, soccer-mom SUV than the traipsing-over-hill-and-dale Explorers of old. Thats not so much a criticism as an observation, made all the more obvious to someone who spent virtually no time in the last generation Ford and can only judge the new version against Explorers long past. Ford tuned the Hybrid for torqueThe very first thing I noticed apparent before I had driven even a kilometre is that the Explorer Hybrid has excellent low-end punch. It might even have a little too much, other journalists complaining of overly aggressive throttle tip-in right off idle.I had no such plaints, just praise for the way the electrified V6 jumps off the line. Oh, all that promise peters off once youre past 60 km/h or so the gas portion of the Explorer Hybrid is but a 3.3-litre V6 and a non-turbocharged one, at that but one cant help be impressed with the its initial verve, especially considering that it boasts 318 horsepower. 2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid Ford Electric-only range is minisculeThe Hybrid features a 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery (mounted unobtrusively under the second row of seats) large compared with small subcompact runabouts, but not a huge reserve considering its weight (2,254 kilograms). Feeding the smallish 44-horsepower electric motor sandwiched in between the engines crankshaft and the 10-speed automatic’s torque convertor it doesnt allow for much electric-only range. Oh, I managed about five kilometres of gas-free driving at one point, but I was treating the throttle like a first-time dad changing his first diaper; any sudden movement might end up in an unwanted squirting of, well, you know what I mean. Driven more typically, I never really got any EV-ish motoring, though as mentioned previously, that silent mode was replaced with a certain bullishness off the line. Ford engineers have confirmed that they tuned the Hybrid more for performance and towing capacity 2,268 kilos and the price is a reliance on internal combustion. 2020 Ford Explorer Limited Hybrid Jil McIntosh Fuel economy is no great shakes, eitherAnother price for the emphasis on performance is fuel economy only marginally superior to that of its more pedestrian siblings. Officially, Transport Canada rates the Explorer Hybrid at 9.6 L/100 kilometres. That is only, say the critics, slightly better than the base Limited version, whose 2.3-litre turbo-four ekes out 10.3 overall. That may be true, but the Hybrid is also more energetic than the little blown four and any time you can get more urge and better economy, no matter how minimal, is a good day.That said, Fords primary competition for its new Hybrid will be Toyota’s electrified Highlander, which until this year, was similarly V6-powered. However, for 2020, Toyota decided to mate is Hybrid Synergy Drive to a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four and it now boasts 240 horsepower. That said, its overall fuel economy is vastly superior to the Explorers with a rating of 6.9 L/100 km overall. Even with hybrids, it seems, there is no free lunch. 2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid Ford The drive, on the other hand, is exemplaryThe one thing the new Explorer Hybrid does have down pat, however, is comportment. The gas/electric engine combo, as I mentioned, is exemplary. Noise, vibration and harshness are well contained, power more than adequate, and I suspect, with a little more tweaking in future models, the fuel economy will improve. Combined with a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic, its a sweet-driving powertrain.The only thing that could make it better is if Ford combined that 44-horsepower electric motor with its 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6, rather than this 3.3L naturally aspirated version, for more torque and (probably) better fuel economy. Im sure Ford has all manner of reasons be they price-based or specific technical issues but, wow, would that be a
Origin: 5 things I learned driving Ford’s new 2020 Explorer Hybrid
1985bhp Aspark Owl makes debut in Dubai
Japanese manufacturer Aspark has revealed its debut hypercar, which it claims to be “the fastest-accelerating car in the world”. The 1985bhp Owl, which made its public debut in Dubai this week, can achieve 0-60mph in 1.69sec – around 0.6sec faster than a Tesla Model S P100D. This rapid acceleration is delivered by four permanent magnet motors, which generate approximately 1475lb ft of torque. The Owl was originally announced as a concept at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. The production version will gain an automatically extending spoiler, digital cameras integrated into the wing mirrors and an interior redesign that sees controls and switches moved to the ceiling. A 64kWh lithium ion battery is of a much smaller capacity than those in competing electric hypercars from the likes of Rivian and Lotus, with the aim of reducing weight. The car’s chassis is made from carbonfibre, as is most of its other components, contributing to a dry weight of 1900kg. Although rapid acceleration and a theoretical top speed of 249mph are the Owl’s main selling points, the hypercar is also claimed to be capable of 280 miles of range. Prices for the Owl will start from just under £2.5 million. Aspark will produce only 50 cars globally, with first deliveries beginning in mid-2020. Production is due to take place in Italy, in collaboration with Manifattura Automobili
Origin: 1985bhp Aspark Owl makes debut in Dubai
With 804 hp and no roof or windshield, the Elva has Big McLaren Energy
McLaren Automotive has released a two-seat roadster fitted with a turbo V8, an interesting new Active Air Management System — and not a single window. The McLaren Elva gets its name from the bygone sports and racing car manufacturer of the same name from the U.K., which McLaren collaborated with in the 1960s to produce a customer version of the M1A. The new Elva builds on its vintage predecessor’s open-top configuration with an ultra-modern design fitting of McLaren’s current lineup. Most notable is the car’s lack of glass of any kind (save for on the control screens) or a roof. That, along with ample use of carbon fibre throughout the shell, monocoque, bodywork, interior and more. Power is generated by a twin-turbo V8 from the same family as that in the Senna and Senna GTR. In the Elva, it’s rated at 804 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. of torque, which will compel the roadster from zero to 100 km/h in under three seconds. Zero to 200 km/h comes in just 6.7 seconds, beating the Senna’s time by 0.1 of a second. Aesthetically, the Elva has Big McLaren Energy, with rolling, muscular lines and no windscreen, roof, or windows of any kind cluttering up the top end. In place of the windshield, McLaren’s new Active Air Management system deploys automatically at anything greater than “urban speeds” to move air “through the nose of the Elva to come out of the front clamshell at high velocity ahead of the occupants before being directed up over the cockpit to create a relative ‘bubble’ of calm.”An actual physical windscreen is available as an option. McLaren plans to make just 399 of the open-top roadsters, with pricing at US$1.69 million for the base
Origin: With 804 hp and no roof or windshield, the Elva has Big McLaren Energy
The 2020 Toyota Camry and 2021 Avalon are getting AWD
When it comes to navigating winter in North America, many drivers prefer vehicles with AWD. Because safety. That’s part of the reason why SUVs, crossovers and pickups have been experiencing such an uptick in popularity over the last decade or so. But now Toyota is giving Canadian and U.S. drivers a couple of other, uh, less-large options. The 2020 Camry and 2021 Avalon sedans will now be offered with the option for AWD.Toyota announced it’s making its Dynamic Torque Control AWD system (pulled from the 2019 RAV4) available as a standalone option on the Camry LE, XLE, SE and XSE, as well as on the brand’s flagship sedan, the Avalon Limited, both of which are built at the Toyota plant in Kentucky. The AWD system is able to interpret front-wheel slippage and actively send up to 50 per cent of engine torque to the back wheels to counter it. It can also sense when it’s not needed and disengage from the front drive to save on fuel. Both cars will pair said system with Toyota’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.This is the first time in its lifetime the Avalon has been granted the ability to move with four wheels at once. The Camry did come in AWD guise back in 1988 to 1991, when it bore the AllTrac badge. Toyota says it “appreciates the loyalty, patience and perseverance of all those customers and dealers who sent letters, emails, Facebook comments and texts asking for a modern AWD version of the Camry.”The AWD 2020 Camry and 2021 Avalon are expected to make appearances at the upcoming L.A. auto show at the end of November. The sedans should arrive in dealerships in spring and fall 2020,
Origin: The 2020 Toyota Camry and 2021 Avalon are getting AWD
Plugged In: Toyota’s circuitous route to full electrification
Toyota Canadas Stephen Beatty, right, with the companys FCEV, the Mirai.Toyota Canada Toyota has led the hybrid charge for two decades, and as Toyota Canadas Stephen Beatty tells Plugged In host Andrew McCredie, is now all-in on EVs, particularly fuel cell vehicles.The companys vice president also has some interesting things to say about some provinces push to create electric vehicle sales quotas for 2030, and tells us about Toyotas fascinating, and potentially game-changing, work with Quebec to produce green hydrogen. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google
Origin: Plugged In: Toyota’s circuitous route to full electrification
New Ford tech could use your sweaty butt to adjust the A/C
Dont have the time or mental wherewithal to extend a digit and switch on that switch for heated (or cooled) seats? This may be your lucky day, if a new patent from Ford is any indication.According to reports, the Blue Oval has been issued a patent for moisture-sensing seat technology, one which deploys sensors underneath liquid-permeable seat upholstery to detect wetness or dampness.Before you go there, this doesnt seem to be intended to solve a problem created by an infants leaky diaper.The patent application talks about the very practical problem of a seat being dampened by a spilled water bottle and then being excluded from use in ride-share applications, for example. If a network of sensors pick up on the problem before the driver does, the seat heater can be turned on automatically to dry the seat for the next rider. There is also mention in the patent about the system further incorporating a lighting device for illuminating the seat with a light colour indicative of a wet-seat condition. Your author could have used this technology on many occasions before clambering aboard knackered taxicabs after a nights partying on George Street in Newfoundland.Yes, its also possible for this system to detect your sweaty posterior and automatically turn on the seats ventilated system. To paraphrase Forrest Gump, thats all we have to say about that.Heated and cooled seats are one of the best inventions since the wheel, permitting a comfortable space no matter the ambient temperature. Tied in with the cars remote starting system, it is now possible to sit oneself on the black leather seat of a car left to perish in the hot Arizona sun without losing several layers of skin. Here in Canada, heated seats help to prevent frozen giblets on an icy-cold winter morning.Would you want your car seats responding to the temperature of your backside? Sound off in the comment section
Origin: New Ford tech could use your sweaty butt to adjust the A/C
Car Review: 2020 BMW 750Li xDrive
2020 BMW 750Li xDrivePeter Bleakney OVERVIEW Big grill marks big upgrades for BMW’s flagship sedan PROSmagic cloud ride and isolation, effortless urge, tech-for-days CONSnot much cabin storage, “Hey BMW” not quite ready for prime time VALUE FOR MONEYaverage WHAT TO CHANGE?More steering feel, cushier front seats HOW TO SPEC IT?avoid the Cooling Box The world may be crazy about SUVs, but premium German automakers still place the flagship crown upon their full-size luxury sedans. Up here in this rarefied air, its all about power, prestige, pampering and cutting edge technologies. A lot has filtered down from these lofty four-doors over the decades. Mercedes-Benz introduced the world to ABS (anti-lock braking) in the 1978 W116, and then ESC (electronic stability control) in the 1995 S600. The Audi A8 was the first mass market sedan with an all-aluminum structure, and BMW pioneered the modern car/driver interface with its iDrive in the 2001 7 Series.Jump ahead nineteen years and we have the refreshed 6th-generation 2020 BMW 7 Series, here in $126,400 750Li xDrive guise and optioned to the tune of $155,800. It still has a version of iDrive, but unlike its ancestor, this 7s quilted Merino leather chairs (both front and back) will cool and massage your backside six ways from Sunday. It will tickle your ears with spectacular Bowers and Wilkins audio, drive hands-and-feet free for brief stretches, park itself, slice through the rural darkness with laser headlights, and, oh yes, pick up its skirts and scoot like a kerosened cat thanks to the updated 4.4L twin-turbo V8 that now makes 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, up 80 and 74 points respectively from last year. Isolation ChamberPerhaps most importantly, the 750Li xDrive wafts along in eerie silence not unlike a Rolls-Royce, which is no great surprise, as BMW owns Rolls and (shhh) this chassis underpins the current Ghost and Wraith. Helping in this regard with this tester is the optional Active Comfort Drive with Road Preview that uses GPS info and a stereo camera to predict upcoming road surfaces, and instructs the adaptive dampers, rear air springs and active roll stabilization to act accordingly. You dont so much drive on the road as over it, such is the sense of isolation. However, even in Sport mode, there is nary a hint of sport here, as the steering is Novocain numb and the chassis really has no appetite for anything other than gradual sweepers. Yes, it handles well and corners flat for such a big beast, but you wont be inspired to go there.You sure cant miss the 2020 7 Series cartoonishly engorged kidney grill (40 percent bigger, says BMW), and you cant argue it doesnt give the sedan some serious presence that it previously lacked. Other mid-cycle tweaks include recontoured hood, body panels, more upright (read: formal) chrome Air Breather vents aft of the front wheels and a light bar connecting the rear taillights.Modern yet familiar controlsWhile the other German flagship sedans sport acres of digital touch-screenage within, BMW seems to understand the importance (and safety) of maintaining tactile controls with its latest generation iDrive 7.0. There is still the familiar rotary control knob on the centre console that, with its push and nudge functions, allows the driver to easily navigate most duties without having to prod away at a touchscreen although the 10.2-inch screen does have touch function. Additionally, a row of preset buttons can be assigned to various tasks, be they calling up a desired radio station, phoning the reservation desk at your favourite steak house, or having the navigation guide you home.There are hard buttons for most HVAC functions, as well as for heating and cooling the seats, and firing up the massage. Yes, the dash design is a busy and not particularly cohesive, but build quality and material choice are unassailable.All Canadian 2020 7 Series get standard M Sport Package that really has nothing to do with sport in the go-faster sense it adds Anthracite headliner, M leather steering wheel, M pedals, illuminated sill plate, comfort seats and special black wood trim. Technological tour de forceHalf the game in these full-size execu-barges is one-upmanship in the gizmo department.Blurt Hey BMW at any time, and the car will do its best to cater to your every whim, be it adjust an onboard system, find a destination or tap the interweb for both useful and useless information. It is early days for these mobile voice assistants, so functionality can be hit and miss.One year of Apple CarPlay is included, but after that owners will have to pay a subscription fee to use it (wha???).The 7s new digital gauge cluster comes across all modern, showing the speedo and tach displayed as arcs on the sides of the screen, with the centre portion reserved for navigation info and the like. Its not as crisp as Audis Virtual Cockpit, nor as configurable.BMW’s signature Gesture Controls coolest
Origin: Car Review: 2020 BMW 750Li xDrive
All about car 