Bengt Halvorson, Senior Editor
Articles
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The Lucid Air, the debut electric luxury car California’s Lucid Motors officially revealed Wednesday evening, can slam out 9.9-second quarter-mile times (faster than any other production...
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Hyundai creates Ioniq EV brand: Crossover, sedan, and SUV all coming by 2024Three new dedicated EV models are planned within the next four years—including production versions of the 45 and Prophecy concepts.
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From analog to digital: Audi prepares to connect the engine bay with steering and suspensionIn future Audis, chassis and powertrain systems will be controlled by a single computer.
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Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron electric crossover concept: MEB goes matchmakingThe Audi Q4 E-Tron lineup will offer a choice between SUV and Sportback body styles when it goes on sale in 2021.
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Cruise Origin previews a future that takes the driver out of electric ride hailingSan Francisco-based Cruise has revealed the electric vehicle that completely removes the driver from a connected, shared experience.
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First drive review: 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S drifts into a thrilling futureFrom LA hills to a Scandinavian flick, I sample the most affordable electric car from Porsche and don’t want to give it back.
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Range is the new horsepower. Sustainability and charge ports are now status symbols as much as the luxury itself.
As I hustled the new plug-in hybrid version of Audi’s big extended-length A8L...
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2020 Porsche Taycan electric car: 6 more tech tidbitsPorsche's new electric car marks a go-it-alone philosophy in so many ways. We take a look at a few of the interesting details, including some obscure ones.
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2020 Porsche Taycan first ride: High-voltage power lineOne wild first ride in the fully electric Porsche Taycan Turbo S reveals that it’s more than Ludicrous.
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Preview drive: 2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is a stealth fighter for the familyPorsche’s most powerful SUV ever offers up a bevy of contrasts, from quiet electric commuting to track-ready snarl.
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First drive review: 2020 Ford Explorer ST dances with the family, and it's a ballThe 2020 Ford Explorer lineup has been completely redesigned and gains a 400-hp, performance-oriented ST model. We tested it out.
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Why Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehiclesTablet-like touchscreens have become the ubiquitous interfaces of choice, and they’re seemingly everywhere in daily life, on everything from thermostats to coffee makers and refrigerators. But Mazda really doesn’t think they belong in cars—or at least anywhere near the...
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Tesla vehicles have earned a reputation, boosted by YouTube reaction videos, for their blistering, dragstrip-worthy, straight-line acceleration. Porsche is getting into the electric performance game...
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2019 Audi e-tron quattro first drive review: A new normal for electric luxuryThe Audi e-tron SUV that goes on sale next spring in the U.S. isn’t just Audi’s first fully electric vehicle. It’s the luxury brand’s way of showing how an increasingly inevitable part of the future can fit right in and be a part of four-ring identity. In our first drive...
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4 features in the 2017 Volvo S90/V90 that could make you a safer driverVolvo’s all-new 2017 S90 sedan and upcoming 2018 V90 wagon, like the XC90 crossover introduced this past year, are packed with safety technology. If you’re familiar with Volvo’s reputation, that’s probably no surprise. Volvo has been at the forefront in occupant safety for...
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2018 Volvo V90 first drive reviewWagons have been staged for a comeback for more than a decade. Yet time after time, seemingly splendid, sporty wagons have fizzled in the American market. Is Volvo being hopelessly optimistic in bringing the V90 wagon to the U.S., where wagon sales barely break a one-percent market share year after...
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2017 Volvo S90 first drive reviewWith Volvo’s most recent products, including the 2017 Volvo S90 sedan and upcoming 2018 V90 wagon, the Swedish automaker is wholly embracing its Scandinavian roots. From the upright concave grille, the prominent brand ironmark, and the elongated hood in front, to the name proudly spelled out...
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2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e first drive reviewThe 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e—that’s the new plug-in hybrid version of the X5 sport-utility vehicle—is going to draw you in with its numbers: 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds; 14 miles in all-electric mode; 24 mpg combined. The numbers add up to an alluring (and image-greening) idea: that you...
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It’s been nearly ten years since Lexus introduced to the U.S. market a system through which its big luxury sedan, the LS, could park itself.
Since then there have been many luxury models, and...
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2016 BMW X1 first drive reviewThe new 2016 BMW X1 is, for the most part, a very good car. Yet there’s a big asterisk to this: It just doesn’t feel much like a BMW. In this age when executives and product planners wax poetic about preserving the “brand DNA”—seemingly to no end—this feels like...
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2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC first drive reviewRoadsters like the 2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC aren’t exactly in vogue right now. The Honda S2000 faded away a few years ago. BMW Z4 sales have fizzled to levels far below those of the more expensive 6-Series Convertible. Porsche’s pushed the Boxster upmarket. And the only bright spot on the...
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2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet first drive reviewTalk up the feel of the wind in your hair and the natural high of sunshine as you will; but in the world of convertibles, there are those that cruise the scene, and there are those that help make the scene. The 2017 S-Class Cabriolet lineup is without question in the latter group. It’s a true...
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Ahead of Tesla Model 3 reveal, pre-order frenzy begins for $35k electric carTesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA]—or just Tesla, as it might now prefer to be called—has very closely guarded nearly all the details about its third mass-production all-electric car, the smaller, more affordable Model 3. Tomorrow’s when the Silicon Valley automaker will at last reveal...
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2017 Honda Civic lineup embraces the manual transmissionIf you want to buy a new Honda Civic with the stronger 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and a manual gearbox, you’ll need to wait until the 2017 model year. That’s when every single trim level of the Civic with the smooth new turbo 4-cylinder—including the new Civic Hatchback shown...
Bengt Halvorson