First drive

Audi has a new midsize EV, and we’ve driven it: The 2025 A6 Sportback

Audi A6, car review, Cars, First drive / Beth Washington / July 23, 2025

Audi S6 drives on a straight road past vineyards — Long straight roads glide underneath. Credit: Audi

The car’s cabin layout and ergonomics are starting to feel familiar at this point—it shares much not only with the electric Q6 e-tron but also Audi’s new midsize combustion cars, the A5 and Q5. (We’ll leave for now the fact that a combustion A6, unrelated to today’s vehicle in virtually all but name, is also in development, bringing an end to the “odd numbers for ICE, even numbers for EV” convention that briefly took hold at the automaker. Now nameplate chaos reigns.)

Hey Audi…

The voice control proved a frustrating alternative to using the touchscreen, with a lot of “I’m sorry I can’t do that” and “can you ask me that again” for commands that I’m pretty sure ought to have worked. But both the A6 and S6 felt mature in terms of software, something that wasn’t true for the same infotainment platform a year ago. I remain frustrated with how limited the UI options remain for the main instrument display, however.

I keep writing this, but Audi pioneered the use of high-resolution digital displays instead of analog dials and gave owners quite a lot of choice, including the option of a moving map for navigation. Now, there’s a way to make the display very minimal, which would be useful at night, but otherwise, you’re extremely limited in what you can display in front of you. The optional full-color heads-up display has the same augmented-reality direction tech that we’ve seen in other luxury cars, and it remains helpful when driving on unfamiliar roads, although that requires using the native navigation app; Apple CarPlay users should still see turn-by-turn directions on the HUD, though.

The layout is starting to become familiar. Audi

There’s no true one-pedal driving mode, just a choice between B—0.25 G of lift-off regeneration deceleration—and D, which can be toggled between none, 0.06 G, and 0.15 G of lift-off regen braking using the paddles behind the steering wheel. B is preferable when the road turns twisty, something both A6 and S6 coped with surprisingly well. Hairpins proved the steering and suspension rapid enough to rotate the car quickly, and what felt like numb steering initially began to reveal some information about road surfaces and available grip as the road surface changed then changed again. There’s also a noticeable difference between the drive modes. Comfort feels a little soft and wallowing, Dynamic effectively transfers more bumps into the cabin, and Balanced is a rather good midpoint between the two, and where I spent most of my time. I should also note the lack of fatigue I felt despite a full day behind the wheel of both cars.

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2025 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante: A-M’s ultimate GT goes topless

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, car review, CarPlay Ultra, Cars, First drive / Kelly Newman / July 23, 2025

It’s hard to blame them. Top up or down, the Vanquish’s aesthetic is one of eagerness and aggression, largely due to the F1-derived aero elements to cool the massive power unit as well as to balance out air from front to back. The rest is all Aston Martin-quality craftsmanship, shaping the Vanquish into a taut, sleek form wrapped in formal attire.

An Aston Martin Vanquish engine bay — Yes, you could just have an electric motor make this much torque and power almost silently. Credit: Aston Martin

Bond. Aluminum Bond.

The secret underlying the Vanquish’s capabilities is its bonded aluminum body, which is perfectly suited for a grand tourer like this. Bonding panels together rather than welding them makes controlling the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels much easier as the adhesives absorb vibrations, while the stiffness provides much more control in terms of lateral movement. This also means the suspension has less to compensate for, which means it can be stiffer without adding teeth-rattling jitter.

Indeed, on the move, the Vanquish Volante is velvety-smooth on the highway, and with the top down, conversations don’t need to be shouted. Raise the soft top and the well-sealed cover is indistinguishable from the coupe as far as your ears are concerned.

The even-keeled nature is also due in part to the balance Aston Martin maintains between the throttle input and the electronic rear differential. At low speeds, the Vanquish is quite agile, but a progressive power band keeps it from being nervous or jerky when laying down the power, with the wheels effectively locked in place at high speeds for added stability.

A silver Aston Martin Vanquish Volante seen in profile

If a Vantage is for track work, a Vanquish is for cruising. Credit: Aston Martin

We’re talking autobahn speeds, here, by the way. What we’d usually muster on the highway is a cakewalk for this immense luxury chariot. It goes too fast too quickly, for better or for worse, with 80 mph (129 km/h) feeling like half of that. Different drive modes make a palpable difference in behavior, with GT mode supporting smooth, long stretches while Sport and Sport + offer more engaging, throaty behavior for twisty backroads. Here, the car continues to be well-mannered, though the occasional dab for power triggers an overeager automatic into dropping a gear or two, sending the V12 into a fury.

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2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA feels like a real car, not a science experiment

car review, Cars, First drive, Mercedes-Benz CLA / 9u50fv / July 17, 2025

Mercedes’ new 800 V electric powertrain is ready for the public, and we’ve driven it.

Mercedes-Benz has high hopes for its new EV technology, which debuts in the 2026 CLA. Credit: Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a marked departure from Mercedes’ EV efforts. Instead of a dedicated line of EQ vehicles—like the EQB, EQC, and EQS—we’re getting vehicles “with EQ Technology.” It started with the electric G Wagon, but the CLA is the first mainstream product to make the change. The thing is that the change is significant and for the better. Several months ago, we got some time in a prototype CLA; now we’ve driven the final product.

The CLA returns for the 2026 model year as an EV first (with a hybrid coming) on an all-new 800-volt architecture. This architecture will find its way to other Mercedes vehicles, like the upcoming GLB and GLC. This thoroughly modern setup features some of the company’s biggest innovations.

The CLA will be available with either one or two electric motors, with a two-speed setup for efficiency and performance. The 250+ base model makes 268 hp (200 kW) and 247 lb-ft (335 Nm) of torque. Mercedes is claiming up to 792 km of range with this model on the WLTP cycle. Accounting for WLTP’s optimism, it’s still possible we might see an EPA-rated range over 400 miles, but Mercedes isn’t quoting any real numbers yet.

Not quite a sedan, more like a four-door coupe. Mercedes-Benz

The dual motor, all-wheel drive 4Matic variant, makes 349 hp ( 260 kW) and 380 lb-ft (515 Nm) of torque. It also has a two-speed setup. The WLTP estimate from Mercedes here is up to 771 km, which would still be potentially 400 miles under EPA testing in the real world.

Peak DC fast charging is 320 kW, with a 10–80 percent charging time of 22 minutes for the 85 kWh usable lithium-ion battery pack. For comparison, the current EQB peaks at just 110 kW.

Two charge ports

Like the upcoming Nissan Leaf, the charge connector situation will be a little weird on the CLA. It’ll have a standard SAE J-1772 plug for level 2 charging, but sitting next to it, behind the charging door, is also a NACS connector for DC fast charging. It’s not my favorite solution to the problem. If you were to switch from a Model 3 to a CLA, you might already have a Tesla charger in your garage, and you’ll need an adapter for the J-plug, but we are in a strange transitional time for all of this. At least they’re on the same side of the car.

Some early cars making their way to the United States will only support 800 V DC fast charging stations. Those would include Mercedes’ own stations, along with Ionna. But those early cars won’t work on the nation’s biggest 400 V network, Tesla Superchargers.

Mercedes tells us that these early cars will be limited to demonstration vehicles, with customer vehicles early next year supporting both 400 V and 800 V chargers.

“After the initial limited delivery of cars late this year for demonstration of the CLA’s fast-charging abilities, 2026 US customer orders from early next year will feature a converter and be capable of charging at 400 V and faster 800 V, meaning the largest number of US charging points, currently over 140,000.”

Customers shouldn’t have to think about it when they receive their own cars, which is ultimately what matters the most. It does, however, highlight some of the challenges of developing EVs in a fast-changing environment.

Finally, a hood that opens

The CLA with EQ Technology has some new changes for Mercedes in the cargo capacity department, too. It’s the first Mercedes with a frunk since the W23 of the 1930s. It was silly to offer a hood on a car that is bolted shut, so it’s nice to not only see Mercedes change course on that but also provide 2.5 cubic feet (71 L) of storage up there.

The cockpit layout is similar to the EQ Mercedes EVs. Mercedes-Benz

That gives the CLA overall cargo capacity of 18.7 cubic feet (530 L) between the frunk and the trunk. The trunk swallows two people’s luggage without much issue, but the load lift into the trunk is pretty high. This is not uncommon for a proper sedan, but it is noticeable.

Speaking of being a proper sedan, the new CLA is 1.3 inches (33 mm) longer than the old car, with a 2.4-inch (61 mm) longer wheelbase. It also has more headroom for both front and rear passengers and is a comfortable place to spend time once you get settled.

Our test models all had the AMG Line package, which included sportier seats that are actually quite comfortable. The cabin gives you a feeling of being cocooned in the car, but it doesn’t feel cramped or claustrophobic.

When you look ahead, you have an optional heads-up display and Mercedes’ new MBUX Superscreen. This is a 10.25-inch driver display, a 14-inch center display, and a 14-inch passenger display. They are all powered by MB.OS and Unity Game Engine. The new infotainment includes support for apps, like Disney+ and Angry Birds. The driver can access these while parked, but the passenger can use their display while the vehicle is in motion.

the back half of a Mercedes CLA seen with pedestrians and cyclists in the foreground. — Less eye-catching colors are available. Credit: Mercedes-Benz

While playing Angry Birds, I couldn’t help but notice how good-looking the passenger screen was. In fact, all the screens have excellent contrast and color reproduction, which is partly due to their lack of a screen filter that normally prevents the driver from seeing the screen.

Keep your eyes on the road

However, in the CLA, the passenger display is initially visible to the driver. The camera mounted above the center display, which is also used for features like video conferencing or in-car selfies, watches the driver. If the driver looks toward the passenger display, the screen will be disabled until the driver pays attention to the road again. It’s an interesting way to solve the driver distraction problem while not ruining how the screen looks.

Star Wars’ Andor looks and sounds pretty good with the Burmeister sound system, even if it’s in Danish by default—because we’re in Copenhagen—and I don’t know Danish.

My biggest complaint about the new infotainment system in these versions is huge bezel on the center screen. Some of the bezel is needed for the camera, but in 2025, it comes across as being a bit cheap. They look great, just the bezel doesn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if upgraded displays in higher-end future models expand to fill those gaps.

We’ll need to spend some time with the CLA on familiar roads before we can truly judge its efficiency. Credit: Mercedes-Benz

Driving the new CLA is a pleasant experience. The 250+ has plenty of grunt for most of the driving normal people do. The two-speed setup operates seamlessly, and at no point did I feel the need for more power.

If you want more power, or more importantly, all-wheel drive, the 350 4Matic delivers. In the normal driving mode, acceleration is even more brisk, but it doesn’t snap your head back. Put the car into the Sport setting, and you get all the acceleration you could really want. Yes, there’ll be more powerful versions in the future. But a 4.8-second run to 60 mph in a non-performance car is plenty.

That’s smooth

The country roads outside Copenhagen don’t offer many opportunities to really push the car to its limits, but ride comfort is excellent. Only when we hit a manhole cover on a torn-up street did I feel like I was driving an entry-level vehicle.

On the other hand, I didn’t feel the need or desire to switch over to the car’s sport mode. With a standard fixed suspension, little changes when you engage the setting (except unlocking the full acceleration power), and frankly, it never felt necessary.

That’s not to say the car isn’t fun or isn’t any good. On the contrary, I could spend a lot of time in one of these and be quite happy with it. However, there’s room to add an AMG variant that really cranks up the performance.

As for looks, I find the car attractive without being too much. I think the darker colors, look better on this car than the lighter ones, as the front grille looks a little busy with lighter colors. I find the car more attractive in person than in photos, and while I wasn’t a fan of the TriStar motif in the rear taillights, it has grown on me.

I haven’t driven the G580, but the GLC prototype I drove last month and the CLA feel different. Unlike previous Mercedes EVs, these feel like cars and not just science experiments. Yes, the technology is all there, but the one thing that BMW was able to do on its EVs that previous EQs lacked was delivering a driving experience that felt like it wasn’t exclusively dictated by math. There’s also no word on pricing yet.

The CLA with EQ Technology might be a mouthful, but it represents a significant leap forward.

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Rivian’s new Quad-Motor R1T and R1S beat the competition in any conditions

car review, Cars, First drive, Rivian, Rivian R1S, Rivian R1T / Mike M. / July 8, 2025

Faster than a supercar to 60, still able to rock crawl with the best of them.

Lots of EVs can accelerate quickly, few also have off-road abilities that would put a mountain goat to shame. Credit: Tim Stevens

It’s getting harder to find hyperboles to describe the performance of modern EVs. Horsepower figures measured in four digits and acceleration figures clocking in well under three seconds aren’t exactly de rigueur, but they’re well short of rare these days.

Rivian’s latest generation ticks those boxes, joining the automaker’s range alongside the cheaper dual-motor models we tested last year. The new Gen 2 Quad-Motor versions of the company’s R1S SUV and R1T truck offer 1,025 hp (764 kW) and 1,198 lb-ft (1,624 Nm) of torque, enough to get the pick-up from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds—the heavier SUV is a tenth slower. That’s awfully quick for a truck that weighs in at around 7,000 pounds (3,175 kg) and can tow 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg) or, in the case of the SUV, seat seven comfortably.

That spread of performance and practicality is impressive, but as I learned in a day behind the wheel of both the $115,990 truck and $121,990 SUV, winding around and over the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, that’s just scratching the surface of what they can do.

Rivian launched its second-generation R1 last year, with a cheaper dual motor version. Now it’s time for the more powerful quad motor powertrain to hit the road. And the trails. Tim Stevens

More motors, more potential

As you can guess by the name, the Quad-Motor editions of Rivian’s R1 machines offer four motors, one per wheel. That, of course, provides those astronomical performance figures, providing the sheer force necessary to accelerate them so quickly.

But it goes well beyond that. Most EVs with all-wheel drive—including the cheaper dual-motor R1S and R1T that Rivian started selling last year—rely on a pair of motors: one up front and one out back, each splitting its power across two wheels courtesy of a differential. Each differential divvies up the twisting force from a motor but introduces extra friction and drivetrain losses into the equation.

Most traditional differentials also struggle with wheelspin, such that when one wheel starts to lose grip, the EV actually needs to apply the brakes on that wheel to keep it from spinning wildly. Hitting the brakes while you’re trying to accelerate isn’t great for maximum performance.

Rivian R1 interior — Rivian continues to eschew buttons and phone-casting interfaces like CarPlay. Credit: Tim Stevens

Installing one motor per wheel simplifies the whole setup immensely. Now, each motor can be controlled individually, with no differentials required to ensure power goes where it’s needed. If one wheel starts to slip, the car can simply cut that motor’s power without impacting any of the other three.

That process is helped by Rivian’s new system architecture introduced in the Gen 2 R1 platform last year. This not only greatly simplified the architecture of the vehicles, cutting cost and weight, but it enabled far more finite control over those motors.

The four motors are backed by a 140 kWh (usable) NMC battery pack, which, for the first time on a Rivian, is charged via a Tesla-style NACS port. That pack offers up to 374 miles (602 km) of range per the EPA if you go with the efficiency-minded all-season wheel and tire setup. Switch the Quads over to Conserve drive mode, and Rivian’s engineers told me upwards of 400 miles (643 km) on a charge is possible.

But if you want that eye-opening acceleration figure mentioned above, you’ll need to opt for the optional summer wheel and tire package, which swaps out the low-rolling resistance tires for a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S tires on staggered 22-inch wheels, measuring 275 wide at the front and 305 at the rear.

More into the off-road side of the equation? There’s another wheel and tire package available: 20-inch wheels with aggressive Pirelli Scorpion tires. Choose wisely, because your selected wheel and tire will have a huge impact on the personality of your Quad.

Rolling clean

I started my day in an R1T Quad-Motor on the street performance-oriented Michelin tires, and sadly, the first hour or so was spent idling through traffic. That meant leaving most of those 1,025 horses safely blanketed in the stable, but it did give me time to sample the more nuanced changes in the Quad.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Rivian’s second-generation machines, but Quad-Motor features a few updates. The cel-shaded visual display design has been cleaned up a bit, especially the gauge cluster view of the world around you, meaning the entirety of the interface looks equally clean and charming.

Sadly, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are still missing, which I found particularly annoying when testing the now Atmos-equipped sound system. Since I couldn’t access the music I’d downloaded on my phone, I was stuck relying on the truck’s data connection to stream music through Apple Music. Connectivity is spotty in the rural routes around Lake Tahoe, and it was rare that I got through a single track without stuttering or outright pausing. Fumbling for my phone and having to pair over Bluetooth felt awfully low-rent for a $119,900 as-configured machine.

Rivian infotainment screen showing the RAD tuner — The RAD tuner is new. Credit: Tim Stevens

An unexpected software surprise was the new RAD Tuner. This presents you with a screen full of vehicle parameters to modulate, including standard stuff like suspension stiffness and throttle response, plus far more nuanced parameters like front-to-rear torque split and even roll stiffness. You can modify any of the stock on- or off-road modes or just add new ones to your heart’s content.

As someone who is often frustrated by the lack of configurability in modern EVs, I loved being able to tweak every slider. Each adjustment is paired with an intuitive graph and explanation showing you exactly what it does. Best of all, I could really feel the differences. Dragging the roll slider up and down made the R1T go from a relaxed, floppy feel to a taut, engaging turner.

Unfortunately, nothing I changed made the ride quality any better. The truck was surprisingly harsh over broken asphalt, and there was a fair bit of road noise, too. That’s a big difference from what I’ve experienced from Rivian’s R1 machines in the past, making me think the sportier wheel and tire package is the culprit here. I unfortunately did not have a chance to sample the all-season wheels and tires, but I would have to figure their less aggressive design would be an improvement.

Given that, I’d probably skip the Michelin tire setup. But with it equipped, the truck was impressive. Acceleration was truly eye-opening, as you’d expect, while the ability to seamlessly apply power to each wheel as needed resulted in a confidence-inspiring machine when the traffic cleared. Only the complete lack of steering feedback dampened the fun, but even so, the R1T Quad-Motor is far more engaging on the road than a truck this size has any right to be.

A pair of Rivians seen off-road at dusk. — Time to get dirty. Credit: Rivian

But things got even more fun when the road ended.

Rolling dirty

The second half of my time behind the wheel was spent in an R1S Quad-Motor outfitted with the more aggressively treaded Pirelli Scorpion tires. That three-row SUV brought me up and over some astonishingly tricky terrain, including a sheer rock wall that, on foot, would have required a ladder.

Over loose gravel and tricky articulations, the new Quad showed its ability to lean on those tires with grip while quickly cutting power to those left hanging in the air. This is the kind of next-level traction management that trumps locking differentials and makes an R1 Quad-Motor a cinch to drive up even the most extreme terrain.

It was easy going down, too. On loose surfaces, with the regen set to maximum and the SUV’s central display showing the output of the individual motors, I could see how each corner of the vehicle dynamically ramped its regen up or down to match the available grip. The result was a clean, straight descent.

The side of a Rivian R1T, seen from the rear. — Tire choice is quite important. Credit: Tim Stevens

The Quad-Motor is even easy to turn around in tight spaces. Rivian’s original Tank Turn returns, now rebranded and expanded as the Kick Turn, enabling 360-degree spins on loose surfaces or even tail-dragging pivots around tight corners. The process of engaging this mode is a bit clumsy, requiring you to hold buttons on the steering wheel simultaneously with both thumbs to indicate spin direction. But, when off-road at least, this helps to make up for the R1’s continued lack of rear steering.

At the end of the day, I honestly wasn’t sure whether I was more impressed by the on-road or off-road capabilities of Rivian’s new Quad-Motor machines. That spectrum of performance makes the top-shelf R1 series unique, an addictive mixture of supercar speed and super truck capability.

Rivian’s new Quad-Motor R1T and R1S beat the competition in any conditions Read More »

2025 Audi S5 and A5 first drive: Five-door is the new four-door

Audi A5, Audi S5, car review, Cars, First drive / Mike M. / June 18, 2025

The S5 is eager and more engaging to drive than the A5. Jonathan Gitlin

Like the Q5 last week, the A5 and S5 use a new electronic architecture called E3 1.2. This is a clean-sheet approach to the various electronic subsystems in the car, replacing decades of legacy cruft and more than a hundred individual electronic control units with five powerful high-performance computers, each with responsibility for a different domain: ride and handling, infotainment, driver assists, and convenience functions, all overseen by a master computer.

On the road

Sadly, those looking for driver engagement will not find much in the A5. Despite the improvements to the front suspension, there’s still very little in the way of feedback, and in comfort mode, the steering was too light, at least for me. In Dynamic mode, on the other hand, the car felt extremely sure-footed in bad weather. The A5 makes do with conventional springs, so the ride doesn’t change between drive modes, but Audi has tuned it well, and the car is not too firm. I noted a fair amount of wind noise, despite the acoustic front glass that comes with the ($6,450) Prestige package.

The S5 will appeal much more to driving enthusiasts. The steering provides a better picture of what the front tires are doing, and the air suspension gives the car a supple ride, albeit one that gets firmer in Balanced rather than Dynamic modes. Like some other recent fast Audis, the car is deceptively quick, and because it’s quite quiet and smooth, you can find yourself going a good deal faster than you thought. The S5’s exhaust note also sounds rather pleasant and not obnoxious.

The A5 cabin has a similar layout as the Q5 and Q6 e-tron SUVs. Audi

The A5 starts at $49,700, but the $3,600 Premium Plus package is likely a must-have, as this adds adaptive cruise control, a heads-up display, top-down parking cameras, and some other features (including USB-C ports). If you want to get really fancy, the Prestige pack adds speakers in the front headrests, OLED taillights, the aforementioned acoustic glass, plus a second infotainment screen for the front passenger.

Meanwhile, the S5 starts at $62,700; the Premium Plus package (which adds mostly the same stuff) will set you back $3,800. For the S5, the $7,550 Prestige pack includes front sports seats, Nappa leather, rear window sunshades, the passenger display, and the adaptive sports suspension. Those are all some hefty numbers, but the A5 and S5 are actually both cheaper in real terms than the models launched in 2018, once you take seven years’ worth of inflation into account.

2025 Audi S5 and A5 first drive: Five-door is the new four-door Read More »

Here’s Kia’s new small, affordable electric car: The 2026 EV4 sedan

car reviews, Cars, First drive, Kia EV4 / Beth Washington / June 16, 2025

The mesh headrests are a clever touch, as they’re both comfortable and lightweight. The controls built into the side of the passenger seat that let the driver change its position are a specialty of the automaker. There are also plenty of other conveniences, including wireless device charging, 100 W USB-C ports, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. We relied on the native navigation app, which is not as visually pretty as the one you cast from your phone to the 12.3-inch infotainment screen, but it kept me on course on unfamiliar roads in a foreign country while suffering from jet lag. That seems worthy of a mention.

Public transport

Traffic in and around Seoul makes a wonderful case for public transport; it provided less of an opportunity for the EV4 to show its stuff beyond relatively low-speed stop-and-go, mostly topping out at 50 mph (80 km/h) on the roads, which are heavily studded with traffic cameras. Determining a true impression of the car’s range will require spending more time with it on US roads, as a result.

It was, however, an easy car to drive in traffic and to drive slowly. It’s no speed demon anyway; 0–62 mph (100 km/h) takes 7.4 seconds if you floor it in the standard range car, or 7.7 seconds in the big battery one. The ride is good over broken tarmac, although it is quite firm when dealing with short-duration bumps. Meanwhile, the steering is light but not particularly informative when it comes to providing a picture of what the front tires are doing.

Good driving dynamics help sell a car once someone has had a test drive, but most will only get that far if the pricing is right. That’s yet to be announced, and who knows what will happen with tariffs and the clean vehicle tax credit between now and when the cars arrive in dealerships toward the end of the year. However, we expect the standard-range car to start between $37,000 and $39,000, undercutting the Tesla Model 3 in the process. That sounds rather compelling to me.

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The new version of Audi’s best-selling Q5 SUV arrives in the US

Audi Q5, Audi SQ5, car review, Cars, First drive / Kelly Newman / June 11, 2025

The driving dynamics are improved, and there’s plenty of tech to play with.

This is the third-generation Audi Q5. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin

ASPEN, Colo.—There’s a lot riding on Audi’s next Q5. The model has been Audi’s bread and butter here since the model went on sale in the US in 2009, as tastes changed and sedans fell out of favor. The third-generation Q5 is built on an all-new platform and is one of a new generation of software-defined vehicles that’s meant to ditch a lot of legacy crud for a clean sheet approach. You would have known all of that from our look at the new Q5 in a studio last year, when Audi briefed us on its new platform. What you wouldn’t have known from that piece is how it drives, particularly on US roads. The answer is: surprisingly well.

PPC

Just a few years ago, the world’s big car brands were telling us that soon everyone would be driving electric cars, and that it would be wonderful. Things haven’t quite panned out the way people thought they might when prognosticating in 2018, though. Electric powertrains have yet to reach price parity, in many places infrastructure still lags, and so automakers are developing new combustion-powered vehicles, particularly for markets like the US, where adoption remains far behind Europe or China.

For Audi and the other premium brands within the Volkswagen Group empire, that’s a new platform called PPC, or Premium Platform Combustion. PPC will provide the bones for new vehicles in a range of sizes and shapes, the same way the MLB (and MLB Evo) platforms have done until now. In a week, you can read about the A5, for example, but as the sales figures show, SUVs are what people want, so the Q5 comes first.

And this is the third-generation Audi SQ5. Jonathan Gitlin

To begin with, the US will get just two choices of powertrain. The Q5, which starts at $52,200, is powered by a 2.0 L turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder engine, which generates 268 hp (200 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm), which is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The SQ5 is the fancier, more powerful version. This starts at $64,800, and its 3.0 L turbocharged, direct-injection V6 provides 362 hp (270 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm), again to all four wheels via a seven-speed DCT.

At some point Audi will likely put a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Q5, but there’s no guarantee it would come to the US, particularly if the US government remains hostile to both foreign trade and environmental protection. Audi sells a 48 V mild hybrid Q5—essentially a powerful starter motor—in Europe but currently has no plans to bring that version to the US. Happily for those looking for an entirely electric Audi midsize SUV, the Q6 e-tron is ready and waiting.

But you can get the Q5, and the SQ5, in a pair of different body styles. As before, Audi has a Sportback variant, which trades the upright rear hatch for a more sloping roofline. What the Sportback loses in rear headroom, it makes up for in style but should drive the exact same way. In Colorado, Audi only had the regular SUVs for us to test.

Software-defined vehicles

Although the Q5 and Q6 e-tron don’t share a common platform, they do share a common electronic architecture. Gone are the days of CANBUS and a hundred or more discrete black boxes and ECUs, each with a single function. Instead, it’s an entirely clean-sheet approach known as a software-defined vehicle, where a handful of powerful computers are each responsible for controlling a different domain, in this case vehicle dynamics, driver assists, infotainment, climate, and convenience, all tied together by Ethernet, with a backbone computer overseeing it all.

VW Group bit off a bit more than it could chew and tried simultaneously developing not one but two SDV architectures, before realizing no one wanted to work on the one the company actually needed sooner. That architecture is called E3 1.2, and with a bit of focus, VW Group’s software division has gotten it out the door.

I feel like Audi has taken a step back in terms of HMI for this latest generation of user interfaces. And why can’t I put a map display here? Audi

The practical upshot of SDVs, unlike older cars with their single-function black boxes, is that everything on an SDV should be updatable. The flip side is the potential for more bugs, although I can report that the Q5s and SQ5s we encountered in Colorado felt much more mature, software-wise, than the somewhat buggy preproduction cars using E3 1.2 that we drove in mid-2024.

As for VW’s future SDV architecture, it might well come from Rivian instead of its in-house division. Last summer, VW Group invested $5 billion in Rivian to gain access to the startup’s SDV technology.

As part of E3 1.2, the Q5 gets the latest version of Audi’s MMI infotainment, which now uses Android Automotive OS. There’s a more powerful voice assistant, triggered by “Hey, Audi,” that uses natural language processing that’s able to easily understand me, and which I think provides a good alternative to using a touchscreen while driving. I lament the lack of customizability, particularly in the main driver display and the fact that you can no longer display a map there, despite that being a feature Audi pioneered.

You can also add a second infotainment screen for the passenger, although only by ticking the box for the Prestige trim, which adds $8,400 to the price of a Q5, or $6,400 to the price of an SQ5. More on this later.

The driving experience: Q5

We began our day in the Q5, albeit one fitted with the optional air suspension and 20-inch wheels (18-inch wheels are standard, and 19-inch wheels are also available). Despite the altitude, there was more than sufficient power and torque to move the Q5’s 4,244 lb (1,925 kg) curb weight—forced induction providing the same benefit here as it did for piston-engined aircraft a century ago or more. At sea level, you could expect to reach 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, or 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds, according to Audi.

There’s plenty of storage places, and all the bits you touch feel pleasant under hand. Audi

There’s a new drive mode called Balanced, which fits between Comfort and Dynamic; on the road this mode is well-named as it indeed provides a good balance between ride comfort and responsiveness, with just enough but not too much weight to the steering. There’s also an individual mode that lets you pick and choose your own suspension, transmission, and steering settings, plus off-road and off-road plus modes, which we’ll encounter again later.

In fact, for a midsize crossover, the Q5 proved quite engaging from behind the wheel. It doesn’t lean too much when cornering, although if you plan to negotiate a sequence of twisty tarmac, the lower ride height in Dynamic mode, plus the firmer air springs, is definitely the way to go. When you’re not in a hurry or grinding along the highway, the ride is comfortable, and up front, there is little road noise thanks to some acoustic glass. I would like to try a car fitted with the conventional steel springs, however.

The cockpit layout is similar to the electric Q6 e-tron, with the same “digital stage” that includes a second infotainment screen for the passenger. But the materials here feel of a higher quality—my guess is that weight saving was much less of a concern for the gasoline-powered Q5 than the battery-carrying Q6. There is plenty of cargo room in the back, and perhaps a little more rear legroom than the photo would suggest—38 inches (965 mm), according to the spec sheet.

The driving experience: SQ5

The SQ5 can be specced with Nappa leather. Audi

The second half of our day was spent in the SQ5, most of it above 10,000 feet (3 km). Even in the thin air, the car was responsive, with the extra power and torque over the Q5 quite apparent. Audi was evidently confident in the SQ5, since our drive route included more than an hour on unpaved roads. None of the cars, all equipped with 21-inch wheels and lower-profile tires, had any trouble with punctures, and the off-road plus mode, which raises up the suspension, changes the throttle mapping, and disables the stability control, coped perfectly well over stretches of road that few luxury SUVs will ever face. I can report that as occupants, we weren’t even particularly jostled.

I liked the way the SQ5 sounded, particularly in Dynamic, and it’s engaging enough to drive that you’d take the long way home in it, despite being an SUV. However, it’s also deceptively quick, in part thanks to being quiet and refined inside. There’s a lack of intrusion from the outside environment that removes the noise and vibrations associated with speed, so you can look at the dash or heads-up display and see you’re 20 mph faster than you thought. That’s not great when mountain roads with no guard rails trigger your fear of heights, but the fact that I’m writing this means it ended OK.

They make you pay

I enjoyed driving both the Q5 and SQ5, but as is always the case on first drives for the media, we were presented with very well-equipped examples to test. For example, the great ride I experienced with the Q5 requires the $8,400 Prestige pack, which also adds the acoustic glass that made it so quiet inside. That’s also the only way to get heated rear seats and ventilated front seats, the clever OLED tail lights, or the second display for the passenger. (On the SQ5 the Prestige pack is only $6,400, since air suspension is standard on all SQ5s, and adds Nappa leather as well.)

A pair of Audi Q5s parked by some mountain scenery — With scenery like this, who needs to look at cars? Credit: Jonathan Gitlin

Some other features that I expected would be standard were instead behind the Premium Plus pack—$4,500 for the Q5 and $3,500 for the SQ5. I would expect the high-resolution, full-color heads-up display to be an extra, but you also have to tick this option if you want USB-C ports (2 x 60 W in the front, 2 x 100 W in the rear) in the car. And you probably do.

Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica’s automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC.

The new version of Audi’s best-selling Q5 SUV arrives in the US Read More »

2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 first drive: Engineered for insane speed

car review, Cars, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, First drive / Mike M. / May 30, 2025

Cooling for the ZR1 became an even higher priority, because the LT6 and LT7 employ extremely tight tolerances between the crankshaft and connecting rods, which mandates keeping the 5W-50 oil below 120° C (248° F) at all times. And the system simply works, as even on a hot and humid Texas day, I only noticed oil temperatures cresting above 104° C (220° F) occasionally.

The interior is better than any prior generation of Corvette, but it feels prosaic compared to the cockpits of its more exotic mid-engined rivals. Michael Teo Van Runkle

The hardtop convertible ZR1 lacks the split-engine venting and shoulder intakes, while cutting into headroom so much that I skipped out while wearing a helmet. Other journalists noticed a drop-off in performance for the convertibles, and probably more so than the mild weight gains of just about 100 lbs (45 kg) might suggest. Instead, temperatures probably came into play, as the ECU drew back timing and instead allowed mild overboost of 24–25 psi to compensate for the Texas day. Even so, an engineer admitted he thought the engine was probably down 5–10 percent on power.

The fact that I hit my highest-ever top speed despite the ZR1 potentially giving up somewhere between 53 to 106 hp (40–80 kW) only makes this Corvettes sound even more insane. But I essentially wound up driving the turbos, since the DCT’s gear ratios carry over from the Stingray and therefore drop out of peak power when shifting from second to third and third to fourth.

I suspect nothing short of an F1 racecar feels this fast on a circuit of this size. A track designed for corner exit speeds double my pace in the ZR1 helps explain why Chevrolet declined to set us loose on public roads behind the wheel.

A Corvette ZR1 parked by turn 1 at COTA. — We drove it on track—will owners cope with this much power on the street? Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle

That’s a concern for potential buyers, though, and why the ZR1’s electronics undoubtedly ratchet back the insanity. Chevy still uses Bosch’s ninth-generation traction control, which debuted on C7 and operates on a 10-millisecond loop, even if the ABS runs at 5 milliseconds—while the ESC is at 20 milliseconds. I suspect this computerized nannying slowed me down a fair amount, in addition to the torque-by-gear restrictions in first and second that purposefully protect driveline components.

We’ve probably reached peak internal-combustion Corvette, which is something of a hint about the all-too-real question of where Chevy can go from here. If so, this car reaches a new level of unfathomable American ingenuity, combined with a newfound level of refinement and traction management that attempts to belie the undeniable absurdity to a minimal, arguably necessary, extent.

2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 first drive: Engineered for insane speed Read More »

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 first drive: Efficient, for a big one

car review, Cars, First drive, Hyundai Ioniq 9 / Mike M. / May 20, 2025

Only the $58,995 Ioniq 9 S is available with a rear-wheel drive powertrain. In this case, one with 215 hp (160 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) and a range of 325 miles (539 km) from the 110.3 kWh (gross) battery pack. All other trims feature twin motor all-wheel drive, but you give up little in the way of range.

The $62,765 SE and $68,320 SEL offer a combined 303 hp (226 kW) and 446 lb-ft (605 Nm) and 320 miles (515 km) of range, and the $71,250 Performance Limited, $74,990 Performance Calligraphy, and $76,490 Performance Calligraphy Design use a more powerful front motor to generate a total of 442 hp (315 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm), and a range of 311 miles (500 km).

The Ioniq 9’s interior loses some of the charm of the concept. Hyundai

While a short first drive is not the best place to evaluate an EV’s range efficiency, driven day to day in Eco mode, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to easily exceed 3 miles/kWh (20.7 kWh/100 km). Other drive modes include Normal, which uses the front motor much more often and therefore is markedly quicker than Eco; Sport, which has quite a lot of initial throttle tip-in and will head-toss your passengers if you have any; Terrain, first seen on the Ioniq 5 XRT; and Snow.

The ride is quite firm on surface streets but less so at highway speeds over seams and expansion gaps. As you start to corner faster you can expect to encounter understeer, but since this is a three-row SUV weighing between 5,507-6,008 lbs (2,498-2,725 kg), one has to wonder what else was expected. At sensible speeds, it’s easy to see out of and place it on the road, and if you’re stuck in a tailback with a couple of grumpy children in the back, it’s a calming enough environment to keep you from being over-stressed.

Hyundai has wisely priced the Ioniq 9 between the related Kia EV9 (which also uses the E-GMP platform) and EVs from premium OEMs like the Volvo EX90, Mercedes EQS SUV, or the aforementioned Rivian.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 first drive: Efficient, for a big one Read More »

The 2025 VW Tiguan caters to US tastes at an affordable price

car review, Cars, First drive, Volkswagen Tiguan / 9u50fv / May 16, 2025

In the modern era, cars keep getting bigger and bigger between generations. Or at least, they’re certainly not getting smaller. That’s especially true in America, where bigger is always better and the vehicles in the current crop of “compact” crossovers are now nearly as large as full-size SUVs from a decade ago. Don’t ask about curb weights, either, as more powerful drivetrains, including widespread adoption of hybrid-electric components, add significant mass, as highlighted by the new BMW M5 “sport sedan.”

Within that fray, however, the new Volkswagen Tiguan stands apart. VW purposefully refined the third-gen Tiguan to cater better to American consumer needs, which meant dropping the third row to create more interior volume for the front and rear seats. The wheelbase still measures the same length at 109.9 inches (2,791 mm), but shorter overhangs mean the overall length actually shrinks by nearly two inches. Yet more efficient packaging on the inside also results in a marginal passenger volume increase of about two percent.

To help keep pricing attractive at below $30,000 to start, VW also decided to skip out on a hybrid variant, but the new EA888evo5 2.0 L turbocharged-four nonetheless delivers more power and improved fuel economy. And all of the above actually contributes to the Tiguan losing weight while evolving from the second to third generation, shaving about 160 lbs (72.5 kg), depending on trim.

There’s some ID.4 in here, but also a big helping of generic. Michael Teo Van Runkle

Generic outside, great inside

Volkswagen USA recently invited Ars to join a rainy test drive of the Tiguan’s SE and SEL R-Life trims in Bozeman, Montana. At first glance, the new exterior definitely hews more closely to current crossover trends, which the Tiguan arguably helped to inaugurate back in the late-2000s. There’s also a healthy dose of Volkswagen ID.4 design language throughout, especially at the nose. The interior truly steps up to a new level, though. I started out in an almost-base Tiguan SE, which means front-wheel drive and minimal options, not even onboard navigation.

Like most buyers, though, I connected my iPhone via Wireless CarPlay, which effectively makes onboard nav obsolete. And the SE’s 12.9-inch touchscreen atop the dash provides all the necessary tech, as premium materials throughout clearly prioritize touchpoints to enhance the impression of quality.

The 2025 VW Tiguan caters to US tastes at an affordable price Read More »

2025 VW Golf GTI: Buttons are back on the menu, smiles never went away

car review, Cars, First drive, Volkswagen Golf GTI / Beth Washington / April 24, 2025

What’s new?

The improvements for model year 2025 amount to new bumpers—shades of Mk2, anybody?—and an illuminated VW badge that would have made you the coolest Beastie Boy in 1986. There are also adaptive front fog lights that turn with the wheels, and VW’s improved 12.9-inch infotainment system has replaced the old 10.25-inch unit. The wireless charging pad for mobile devices is now capable of 15 W, and the much-disliked capacitive multifunction steering wheel has been replaced by a wheel with plastic buttons. Hooray!

The base GTI starts at $32,445, but you’ll want to at least splash out for the $37,420 SE if only for the fantastic ArtVelours seats that previously were only found in the Europe-only Clubsport. The best wheels are found on the $40,880 Autobahn—19-inch telephone dials that evoke the Mk5. The Autobahn also benefits from adaptive dampers, a heads-up display, a parking assistant, leather seats (with 12-way power adjustment for the driver), ventilated front seats, and three-zone climate control.

Golf interiors have always been spartan. Volkswagen

A word of warning about the infotainment. The Wi-Fi stopped working on our test car, which prevented CarPlay from operating. While there is a pair of USB-C ports up front, CarPlay over USB does not appear to be an option. VW PR was not particularly surprised to hear of this malfunction; we had been issued navigation road books for the drive to Summit Point in West Virginia for just this eventuality, but no other journalists reported problems, so it seems to be a random if annoying bug that may well afflict any VW with this 12.9-inch system, at least until VW patches it.

Automakers are making a lot of heavy crossovers and SUVs now, so I mostly have to drive heavy crossovers and SUVs these days. Consequently, any time in something that doesn’t sit a foot off the ground is a refreshing change. Even more refreshing is the 3,188 lb (1,446 kg) curb weight. Sure, a few hundred pounds of the metastasizing weight of modern cars comes with better crash protection, and mod-cons like ventilated seats add a bit of mass, but the Golf has all that stuff and still tips the scales at less than a ton and a half. More of this, please.

2025 VW Golf GTI: Buttons are back on the menu, smiles never went away Read More »

2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS first drive: A big ride and handling upgrade

car review, Cars, Chevrolet Blazer EV SS, First drive / DJ Henderson / April 22, 2025

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Before letting us loose on the freshly laid tarmac of Ten Tenths Motor Club, Chevrolet was at pains to tell us that the new Blazer SS “is not a track car.” Sure, there’s a “competitive mode” to the suite of electronic settings and the fastest 0–60 mph time of any SS-badged Chevy to date. The upgrades have been focused on making the Blazer EV “stop, go, and turn” better, and you don’t need to be driving hard to appreciate the benefits.

The Blazer EV had a rocky start. When we first drove it at the end of 2023, it felt a little unfinished, and a few days later unreliable software stranded another journalist and led to a nationwide stop-sale on the then-new EV. By last March, the software was fixed and the Blazer EV was back on sale, now cheaper than before.

Watts new?

While other Blazer EVs are available with front- or rear-wheel powertrains or with a smaller battery pack, the SS only comes with all-wheel drive and the larger 102 kWh battery pack. Nominal power output is 515 hp (384 kW) and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm), which jumps to 615 hp (458 kW) and 650 lb-ft (880 Nm) if you engage the “Wide Open Watts” mode.

The styling changes for the SS trim are subtle. Jonathan Gitlin

The battery chemistry is the same as lesser Blazers, but the SS makes good use of new silicon carbide inverters in the rear drive unit that minimize energy losses and segmented magnets in the motors that reduce heat buildup. There are bigger brakes, better tires, and the suspension benefits from stiffer anti-roll bars and springs, a faster steering ratio, and new monotube dampers that (together with the springs) do a far better job of controlling the Blazer’s ride than the bits fitted to the Blazer EV RS I last drove.

Oftentimes, the performance variant of an EV suffers from reduced range as a consequence of the added power and bigger wheels. But the Blazer EV SS still manages an EPA range estimate of 303 miles (488 km), significantly better than the less powerful AWD option (which uses the smaller 85 kWh battery pack). DC fast-charging maxes out at 190 kW—I’d love to give you a 10–80 percent fast-charge time, but Chevy only quotes “78 miles in 10 minutes” when it comes to charging stats.

2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS first drive: A big ride and handling upgrade Read More »