Latest auto news, reviews, editorials and podcasts

Over-the-air updates are a significant benefit to today’s big-screen connected vehicles. Though the “screen for everything” trend can lead to extra driver distraction in some cases, the constant connectivity lets automakers add new features and refine existing functionality without requiring a trip to the dealer. Polestar recently announced such an update for the Polestar 2, which brings YouTube and improvements to the Apple CarPlay function.

Say what you will – and many have – about the name Alfa Romeo selected for its new compact crossover, there’s no denying the thing fits well into the brand’s current design language. Alfa intends for it to fit well into a customer’s monthly balance sheet as well, announcing today it expects the Tonale to run 33 miles solely on electricity and return a rating of 77 MPGe.

Horsepower and SUVs can be a wicked combination when done right; witness any number of hi-po German and, increasingly, Italian machinery which somehow successfully combine high centres of gravity and outlandish acceleration numbers.

The new Range Rover Sport SV takes the concept and cranks its wick to 626 horsepower, meaning this Rangey is capable of hitting 60 mph from rest in just 3.6 seconds.

On Wednesday, Toyota Motor Corp. confirmed that its first U.S.-made all-electric vehicle will be assembled in Kentucky starting in 2025. The Georgetown facility is the automaker’s largest in the world and will be incorporating a three-row EV into its production lines once Toyota’s battery plant in North Carolina is completed.

The Toyota Corolla Cross is a relatively new entry to the automaker’s lineup, having debuted last year for the American market. It’s received positive reviews from critics and owners, but it’s not immune to the long arm of the NHTSA. The new crossover is the subject of a recent recall for an issue that could cause its airbags not to deploy.

Chevy recently overhauled the Colorado pickup, and we’re now learning more about its hardcore off-road trim. The 2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison sports multiple skidplates, massive 35-inch tires, beefy off-road suspension, and goodies from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV).

The White House withdrew the nomination of Ann Carlson to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday, following criticisms that she was unqualified to fill the role. Despite Carlson serving as the acting administrator since September, the Senate Commerce Committee had accused her of being a career environmentalist with no formal background in roadway safety.

On our never-ending quest to improve this place by listening to feedback from the B&B, we are taking a new tack with these product posts, choosing instead to focus on items we use and have purchased with our own meager income. After all, if we’re giving you the truth about cars, we ought to give you the truth about car accessories.

Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, most gearheads can be convinced that a clean car runs better. Logically, we know it does not – but since when did logic ever figure into automotive decisions?

On Tuesday, Toyota Motor Corp. confirmed plans to merge its truck-making subsidiary Hino Motors with the rival Mitsubishi Fuso that’s owned by Daimler AG.

If you’re confused by the news, Mitsubishi only has a minority stake in the Fuso brand with Germany’s Daimler having owned 89 percent of the whole since the early 2000s. Meanwhile, Hino Motors has been wholly owned by Toyota Motor Corp. since 2001 and enjoyed a working partnership with Japan’s largest automaker since the 1960s.

About halfway through Sunday's Indianapolis 500, I looked at the clock and thought "this thing will be over soon. I am going to have more free time today than I expected." How wrong I was.

Today's UCOTD offers only three pics, and they all include the engine. Here's why: This 2003 Volkswagen GTI 20th Anniversary with 143,000 miles on the clock has a long list of performance upgrades.

The seller asks for 10 grand.

You know things are off the rails when typing “2023 Ford Bronco” into a search bar on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s database returns results with the words DO NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE in angry bold letters outlined with a red box. Oh, dear.

While that missive from the NHTSA may be a bit over-alarmist given it is for an easily remedied – but admittedly dangerous – issue of loose lug nuts from the factory, it remains true that Ford has issued yet another recall for its popular Bronco off-roader.

On Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it was wrapping up its investigation into Tesla’s "Passenger Play" feature. The service originally offered occupants the ability to play a slew of video games while vehicles were in motion. But this was changed after the automaker felt pressure from federal regulators.

Several schools of thought exist about buying a set of wheels for a teenager or new driver. Some say the youngsters should be forced to drive a knackered hand-me-down, one which builds character and won’t cost a mint when it is inevitably crashed into a tree. 

Others are of the mind that the expected tree-crashing is exactly why parents should stuff their newly licensed children into something new packing all the latest safety features. Then, in the middle ground, we find some families reaching for gently used vehicles with decent crash ratings but ones that won’t break the bank.