Bengt Halvorson, Senior Editor
Articles
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As rainy weather and rush-hour congestion tested drivers’ patience and attention outside, Cruise revealed its fourth-generation driverless vehicle inside, near its San Francisco headquarters.
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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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First drive review: 2020 Audi A8 plug-in hybrid reflects new prioritiesAudi’s new family of plug-in hybrids supports today’s push toward fully electric E-tron models, with more than 20 miles of electric range and strong electric motors.
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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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The idea of an Explorer bearing Ford’s two speedy red letters seemed like a stretch.
Not long ago, the ST stamp was reserved for some of Ford’s brashest European concoctions. Not...
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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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If track day is important, Byton wants you to buy a different electric carTesla 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 with even more fervor. The German luxury marque aims for the pedigree of Nürburgring times and...
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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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With 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...
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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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Parking via smartphones and tablets: technology is ready, regulations aren'tIt’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 even some relatively inexpensive mainstream models, to adopt versions of such a system, which sizes...
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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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Tesla 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,...
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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...
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2016 Scion tC goes out with tuner flair: racy final edition for New York debutScion is on its way out with the 2016 model year. But to celebrate its 14-year run, at curtain call the brand is showing off some of its raciest JDM (Japanese domestic market) tuner potential yet—via a partnership with Kei Miura, in a special 2016 Scion tC Release Series 10.0. It's to be...
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2016 BMW X4 M40i first drive reviewBMW’s current model lineup is a quagmire. Sure, to the brand’s enthusiasts it’s a nice, ordered progression of models and choices; but to others it’s a muddle of models, body styles, trim versions, and powertrain variants that can seem difficult to parse. The 2016 BMW X4...
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2017 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class first drive reviewWhat’s the best pick for a sun-drenched, cross-country luxury-car road trip for two—on a route that doesn’t shy away from challenging mountain two-laners? The set of contenders has reshuffled over the years, but the Mercedes-Benz SL holds strong on the shortlist. For 2017, this...
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2016 BMW M2 first drive reviewThe 2016 BMW M2 is, at long last, the M car that doesn’t try to please everyone—and will, because of that, end up pleasing far more driving enthusiasts in ways that matter. Get a group of longtime BMW enthusiasts together to talk cars—the ins and outs of the uncompromised...
Bengt Halvorson