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O F

JANUARY 2023

T H E

Y E A R

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O F

JANUARY 2023 CONTENDERS...34 FINALISTS..........56 WINNER .............70

Tests & Drives 20 American Dream Chevrolet Corvette Z06 No less than the best American sports car of all time. And we have test numbers. Scott Evans

EST. 1949 VOL. 75 NO. 1

T H E

Y E A R

JANUARY 2023

ON THE COVER For the first time, our SUV of the Year is electric.

Photo: Evan Klein

30

26 Downforce Deal Porsche 911 GT3 RS Stuttgart’s latest accomplishes what few cars can at this price point. Mac Morrison

MotorTrend (ISSN 0027-2094) January 2023, Vol. 75, No. 1. Published monthly by Motor Trend Group, LLC, 831 South Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245. Copyright© 2022 by Motor Trend Group, LLC; All rights reserved. Periodicals Postage Paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: U.S. and U.S. Possessions $18 for 12 issues. Canada $30 per year and international orders $42 per year (including surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to: MotorTrend, P.O. Box 37200, Boone, IA 50037.

4 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

YOU ARE HERE

The first-ever GR Corolla.

300 HP. GR-FOUR AWD. Manual only.

Get behind the wheel of this wild child.

MotorTrend Car Rankings See more at MotorTrend.com/Cars

FIRST DRIVE A track-ready factory Corolla? Sure, why not?

12

Departments & Features 10 Editor’s Letter The Of The Year rules are the same, but the SUV game is changing.

12 Intake This month’s hot metal.

18 Technologue 5G is about to remake the world.

19 Your Say Responses to recent issues.

82 The Big Picture “Sport” remains an elusive term.

18

82

MTGARAGE ARRIVAL Hyundai Santa Cruz UPDATE Mazda CX-50 VERDICT BMW X7

76

STREAM THE NEW TOP GEAR AMERICA ON THE MOTORTREND APP! SIGN UP FOR THE ALL-NEW adventures of Dax Shepard, Rob Corddry, and Jethro Bovingdon at MotorTrend.com/TopGearAmerica 6 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

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TWIN TURBO Editorial

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Digital Director Erik Johnson Executive Editor Mac Morrison @Mac_Morrison Deputy Editor, Daily Content Alex Stoklosa Daily Content Team Justin Banner, Andrew Beckford, Monica Gonderman, Alex Kierstein, Matt Rodriguez, Justin Westbrook International Bureau Chief Angus MacKenzie @Angus_Mack Senior Features Editor Jonny Lieberman @MT_Loverman Detroit Editor Alisa Priddle @alisapriddle Mexico Editor Miguel Cortina @CortinaMiguel Features Editors Scott Evans @MT_Evans, Christian Seabaugh @C_Seabaugh Editor-at-Large Edward Loh @EdLoh Senior Editor Aaron Gold Manager, Visual Assets Brian Vance Photography Asset Editor William Walker @MT_dubdub Associate Photographers Renz Dimaandal, Brandon Lim, Darren Martin Managing Editor Rusty Kurtz Senior Copy Editor Jesse Bishop @thejessebishop Copy Editor Claire Crowley

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Editor’s Note

2023 SUVOTY

It’s MotorTrend awards season once again.

s you know, the automotive industry is living in a transitional period as it moves from internal combustion engines to battery electric powertrains. We saw this coming 10 years ago when we named the Tesla Model S our 2013 Car of the Year, making it the first electric vehicle to ever take home the Golden Calipers. Since then, Tesla has positioned itself as a dominant player in the luxury market, not just among EVs. Last year, the company delivered more Model 3s than Audi did the A4, BMW the 3 Series, and Mercedes the C-Class—combined. And in the past decade, MotorTrend has recognized other EVs with its top honors, including the Chevrolet Bolt, Lucid Air, and Rivian R1T. Today, we’re testing more electric vehicles than ever, including during our SUV of the Year evaluations.

Electric moves are far from over. During our planning and execution of the 2023 SUV of the Year program, several events occurred across the industry. In July, new EV sales surpassed 5 percent of total new car sales in the U.S. for the first time. In August, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed and included big incentives for EV sales and manufacturing. Later that month, on August 25, the California Air Resources Board issued landmark rules for phasing out internal combustion engines in new vehicles by 2035. Within the next month, Washington, Massachusetts, and New York followed suit with regulations of their own.

Tesla is still a big player, but it faces increased competition as other brands introduce competitive EVs. In early 2021, there were about 20 EV models for sale in the U.S.; that figure jumped to 33 in 2022.

And it was evident while executing SUV of the Year, where we had 14 battery electric models, seven plug-in hybrids, and four hybrids—all of them new or significantly updated. And this doesn’t include the vehicles we invited that didn’t show up because of a lack of pressfleet availability or recalls, like the Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid and Subaru Solterra and Toyota BZ4X electric twins.

Like it or not, electrification is here to stay. Tesla CEO Elon Musk stepped into the automotive industry as a disruptor, and for a while, legacy automakers seemed not to take his company seriously. Now, almost every OEM is scrambling to catch up, with some committing to an all-electric lineup in the near future.

A

10 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN MARTIN

The 2023 SUVOTY competition was marked by the large field of high-riding vehicles. During the course of a week and a half, we tested, photographed, filmed, and drove 45 SUVs across multiple surfaces. Honda Proving Center in Cantil, California, once again served as our stage for our annual showdown, including its off-road areas and its winding test road. As in previous years, we split the event into different phases, with our test and photo teams hustling to get through every vehicle before the judges arrived. Once all the judges drove each one, we chose the finalists, which we then drove on a 27.6-mile loop encompassing twisty roads, railroad crossings, city streets, and highways around Tehachapi, California. The final phase included a lengthy debate and eventual vote to proclaim the winner.

Choosing MotorTrend’s SUV of the Year isn’t an arbitrary decision, and it isn’t a direct comparison test, either. We grade each vehicle against our six key criteria, with each contender getting judged on its own merits in the following categories: Advancement in Design The quality and execution of exterior and interior styling, materials, fit and finish, and even ingress and egress are critically assessed.

Engineering Excellence Here we evaluate powertrain and chassis behavior as well as the vehicle’s software and user experience to assess its overall engineering integrity.

Performance of Intended Function We critique how well each satisfies its goals. A three-row family SUV must provide ample space and convenience for the whole family, for example.

Value We consider each contender’s performance, features, and bang for the buck relative to its competitive set.

Safety From driver assistance systems to passive safety equipment to government and industry crash ratings, safety is vital to us all.

Efficiency The rated mpg or electric range per battery size within the model’s segment is a key cost and convenience consideration for most buyers.

As society continues this transition into electrification, you can count on our reporting to call out the good and the bad of the latest trends, just like we do in this issue. We hope you enjoy it. Q

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Intake 1.23

FIRST DRIVE

2023TOYOTA GR COROLLA Is a Corolla with 300 hp still a Corolla?

Hey, Toyota—is everything, um, OK?

S

trapped into the new Toyota GR Corolla and sitting in pit lane awaiting our turn at a 2.1-mile section of Utah Motorsports Park’s wildly undulating road course, we felt slightly silly. Until now, we imagined, the only people who’d ever worn helmets inside a dealership-ready Corolla were unbalanced folks with visions of, well, something as absurd as a track-ready production Toyota Corolla.

One such person is Toyota President Akio Toyoda. He’s been pushing the company’s Gazoo Racing (GR) subbrand, and he personally signed off on the final product. The result is the craziest showroom-spec Corolla hatchback ever built.

Just how out of bounds is it? We can count on one hand the sporty Corollas sold here over the decades. It was long ago typecast as an anodyne, safe compact car with a carefully curated reputation for reliability, quality, and affordability.

A track-ready factory Corolla once made as much sense as, well, a track-ready factory Corolla. Yet here we are.

12 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

If the regular Corolla casts as wide a net as possible, the GR Corolla is a precisionguided missile aimed at enthusiasts.

Under the hood sits an unusual 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-three making 300 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed manual and an AWD system with driver-selectable front-to-rear torque splits. Oh, and with all this kit, it only costs $36,995 to start, with fully optioned Core models running less than 40 grand. With an extra pound of boost, the $50,995 GR Corolla Morizo Edition pushes 295 lb-ft of twist through a shorter-ratio transmission.

The base tire fitment is a Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. The Morizo, which lacks a rear seat, runs Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 track rubber. Morizos also get stiffer springs and firmer monotube shocks.

GR-specific touches include the steering wheel and seats.

Circuit Editions get most everything that’s optional on the base Core as standard, including front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials. The Circuit and Morizo also add a few pieces that aren’t available on the Core, such as a carbonfiber roof panel, a bulgier hood with louvered vents, and a Morizo-signed shift

INTAKE I 1.23

Without a rear seat, the Morizo Edition is, yes, a two-seat, four-door hatchback.

knob. Who’s Morizo? That’s Toyoda’s alter ego, the pseudonym he uses to enter races.

The GR Corolla’s small-displacement three-cylinder makes peak power high in the rev range, so launching it hard requires buzzing the tach to around 6,000 rpm and lifting off the clutch smoothly and deliberately. A drama-free, rapid takeoff ensues, and although low-end torque is fairly weak, the turbo-triple builds revs eagerly and pulls hard toward its 6,500rpm hp peak, making a muted, someonedropped-a-beehive noise. Toyota says it can hit 60 mph in “less than five seconds.”

We timed it in 5.4.

Weaving through Utah Motorsports Park’s series of similar corners allowed us to quickly compare the GR Corolla Core, Circuit, and Morizo Edition models. A few difference makers became apparent: the tires on the Core and Circuit, the Morizo’s extra boost and torque, plus grip from its spicier rubber. All three GR Corollas exhibit medium-weighted, accurate steering, a firm and easily modulated brake pedal, a well-sprung clutch pedal, and a pleasantly mechanical-feeling shifter.

The lower-spec models are more playful, however, thanks in part to less ultimate

2023 Toyota GR Corolla

With its extra boost and shorter-ratio transmission, the Morizo suffers less for LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 2-5the engine’s powerband. The gearing is pass, 4-door hatchback simply better matched, and at least at ENGINE 1.6L/300-hp/273–295-lb- Utah Motorsports Park, everything about ft turbo DOHC I-3 the powertrain felt sharper. The Morizo’s TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual aggressive tires also amp up braking and CURB WEIGHT 3,200–3,300 lb (mfr) cornering responses. In fact, the Morizo might be a hair over-tired. If you hope to WHEELBASE 103.9 in track your GR Corolla, we suggest finding LXWXH 173.6 x 72.8 x 58.2 in a way to be among the few hundred folks 0–60 MPH 4.9–5.4 sec (MT est) who end up with the Morizo.

EPA CITY/HWY/ 21/28/24 mpg (est) COMB FUEL ECON If there’s a complaint to have with the GR Corolla’s missing fourth cylinder, it’s EPA RANGE, COMB 320 miles (est) that you can’t take full advantage of the ON SALE Now driver-adjustable torque splits. In the grip from their Pilot Sport 4S tires. default drive mode, the center viscous The narrow powerband is well managed coupling directs 60 percent of torque with judicious gear selection. Drop below to the front axle and the rest to the rear.

5,000 rpm with an early upshift or rev Pressing the “Track” button on the center beyond 6,500, and thrust dies off. Shifting console calls up the 50/50 torque split. right at 6,500 rpm, not redline, lets the Which setting you choose will come tri-cylinder shine. down to preferred driving styles, but we found twisting the knob to the 30/70 split, calling up the Sport drive mode, and defeating traction control dialed things to our liking.

Going 30/70 teases just a little more shove from the tail in steady-state cornering. Big drifts require mostly off-throttle inputs to induce; we were able to carry a few slides, and the Corolla’s balance made holding slip angles easy. The car also has a proper handbrake lever.

We found it odd Toyota restricted our drive to the track; a road drive would reinforce the feral Corolla’s general appeal.

The GR is rather quiet, with daily-drivable ride comfort, and the I-3 sends no bad vibes through the body or controls. You’ll almost wish the exhaust were louder. Did we just find the Corolla within? Maybe.

And that’s our favorite part. Sure, the GR Corolla might first appear wildly out of character for the company. Yet that experience is delivered in a uniquely Corolla-ish way; far from ruining the fun, the touch of traditional Corolla cues rounds out the package beautifully.

BASE PRICE

$36,995-$50,995

Alexander Stoklosa JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 13

MOTORTREND I 1.23

Intake

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6

FIRST DRIVE

shocks, and increased axle stiffness, means impact harshness is very well controlled.

The suspension tune is taut, and the lower center of gravity means the Ioniq 6 hides its mass well when changing direction, with little body roll or corner entry understeer. In a straight line, Hyundai says the 6 can whoosh from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5.0 seconds.

When we began our route, the crisply rendered graphics on the 12.0-inch digital instrument panel showed the battery at 96 percent charge with a predicted range of 258 miles. It proved accurate: We finished with 50 percent charge in the battery and an estimated range of 130 miles. The 12.0-inch touch-sensitive screen adjacent to the instrument panel controls the array Long Range model with the 320-hp, 446-lb-ft dual-motor powertrain, 77.4-kWh of communications, infotainment, and vehicle management systems. battery, and optional 20-inch wheels. It The 800-volt electrical architecture looks even more dramatic in traffic than of Hyundai’s impressive E-GMP electric it does in the design studio, and although vehicle platform means quick recharging. its drooping tail takes a little getting used A fast charger capable of delivering 250 to, from the rear it throws off whale-tail kW or better will take the Ioniq 6’s battery Porsche 911 vibes. from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in Our drive route comprised a 132-mile as little as 18 minutes. loop out of Seoul and back, with quick No official word on pricing yet, but bursts on winding mountain roads Hyundai sources hint the Ioniq 6 may bookended by 60–70-mph cruising on retail for slightly less than comparably freeways and stop-and-go driving on equipped Ioniq 5 models when it hits crowded Seoul streets. dealer showrooms. That suggests prices On the road the Ioniq 6 is smooth and ranging less than $40,000 for the entryquiet, as you’d expect of an EV, but more level rear-drive car to about $58,000 impressively, it has a hewn-from-billetloaded. If that’s the case, or even if the steel feel. The excellent body rigidity, Ioniq 6 is priced the same as the 5, this EV combined with new hydraulic suspension bushings, new frequency-sensitive variable is an absolute steal. Angus MacKenzie

Hyundai’s newest electric car is a benchmark midsize sedan.

“I

always see a streamliner badge,” SangYup Lee says when describing Hyundai’s swoopy new EV. But when the Hyundai design chief shows pictures of classic streamlined vehicles he says inspired the Ioniq 6’s design, he isn’t playing visual games. This is one of the most aerodynamic sedans ever built.

While the newest addition to Hyundai’s electric car lineup shares its platform and powertrain technology with the highly regarded Ioniq 5, the soap-bar-smooth Ioniq 6 has a claimed drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.21, compared with the relatively bricklike Ioniq 5’s 0.29. All that windcheating means the Ioniq 6 should have 15–20 percent better range than the 5 across the board, largely thanks to its aero.

For our first drive of the Ioniq 6, Hyundai put us in a fully loaded AWD

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 AWD Long Range PRICE LAYOUT

ENGINE TRANSMISSION

14 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

$56,000-$58,000 (est) Dual-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan 302-hp/446-lb-ft permanent-magnet-type electric 1-speed automatic

CURB WEIGHT

4,600 lb (est)

WHEELBASE

116.1 in

LXWXH

191.1 x 74.0 x 58.9 in

0-60 MPH

4.9 sec (MT est)

EPA FUEL ECON, CITY/HWY/COMB

Not yet rated

EPA RANGE (COMB)

300 miles (est)

ON SALE

Spring 2023

MOTORTREND I 1.23

Intake

Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance Prototype

Rear View

From the MT Archive ...

FIRST RIDE

Can a C 63 without a V-8 be exciting?

S

mall car plus big V-8 engine: It’s been a surefire performance formula since the original Pontiac GTO. With its rumbling V-8 ready to brew up a storm, the nuggety C 63 has always felt right at home here in the land that invented the muscle car.

There’s no shortage of muscle under the skin of the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance sedan. It packs 670 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful C 63 sedan ever, capable of hitting 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, according to AMG. But it only has four cylinders.

Sacrilege? Heresy? Not at all, AMG chief technical officer Jochen Hermann says as he drives a camouflaged C 63 prototype onto the 2.5-mile racetrack at the sprawling Mercedes-Benz proving ground some 80 miles south of Stuttgart. It’s more like moving with the times.

We’re in Race mode, and Hermann punches the gas. There’s a deep baritone snarl from up front and neck-snapping acceleration as all four tires claw at the tarmac. No, this new C 63 doesn’t quite sound like the old ones. It doesn’t quite go like them, either. It’s much harder, more instant, more intense.

The C 63 S E Performance is a plug-in hybrid, but it’s nothing like a Toyota Prius.

For starters, under the hood is a 469-hp version of AMG’s 2.0-liter electrically turbocharged inline-four, and there’s a 201-hp motor mounted at the rear axle.

How these two powerplants work together is the secret to the explosive performance.

16 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

The four-banger drives all four wheels through AMG’s Speedshift nine-speed automated transmission. The motor drives the rear wheels through its own automated two-speed transmission, which shifts to high gear at 87 mph, and an integrated electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The motor can also send drive forward via a separate propeller shaft to a clutch unit at the rear of the nine-speed transmission, from which it can be distributed to the front wheels. Having each powerplant supply its energy to the drivetrain independently means each can play to its strengths.

Key to the powertrain concept’s operation is an AMG-developed 400-volt electrical architecture and a 6.1-kWh battery mounted at the car’s rear. The battery has been engineered to deliver rapid bursts of energy when required by the motor and to be able to be replenished quickly.

Even from the passenger seat, it feels like a next-level AMG performance car. You can set it up to drift, but with its race face on, this four-door punches more aggressively away from a standing start and harder out of corners than any C 63 in history. The powertrain delivers weapons-grade grunt all the way through the powerband. And you’re never aware of which part is doing what to make it all happen.

We’ll reserve final judgment until we get behind the wheel ourselves, but on first acquaintance, this is an impressive piece of work. It’s brutally quick yet stunningly sophisticated—an AMG car for the modern era. Angus MacKenzie

“Is this the new Mustang?” our cover asked. Actually, it was a souped-up Pinto kit car called the Pangra, but considering the Mustang II that would arrive soon after, we weren’t that far off. We looked at

Corvettes old (’54) and new, reviewed CB radios and very early car phones (which—and we’re not making this up—had rotary dials), and checked out Volkswagen’s face-lifted ’73 Beetle and 412. Other articles: Common car repair scams and how to handle your car when a crash is inevitable.

JANUARY 1993 PRICE: $3.25

JANUARY 2013 PRICE: $4.99

We drove the all-new, 275-hp Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and noted its evolution: “Former punk rocker, now solid citizen.” Our attempt to drive a Civic VX from L.A. to San Francisco and back on one tank of gas ended in Bakersfield, 59 miles short; still, the Honda averaged 64.6 mpg.

We named the Tesla Model S our 2013 Car of the Year.

We were stunned to find a vehicle could be so sporty yet so serene.

In comparison tests, the Porsche Panamera GTS beat the BMW M5, and the Buick Verano Turbo topped the Acura ILX 2.4.

JANUARY 1973 PRICE: $0.75

ARX-05 RACE CAR SHOWN. ©2022 ACURA. ACURA, PRECISION CRAFTED PERFORMANCE, AND THE STYLIZED “A” LOGO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.

ACURA WINS AGAIN. AGAIN. & IN AGAIN. After another successful season, Acura brought home its third IMSA DPi manufacturers’ championship. Meyer Shank Racing’s #60 ARX-05 claimed the 2022 IMSA DPi teams’ championship title, and Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis took the 2022 IMSA DPi drivers’ championship.

We toast our champagne to all the drivers and teams that helped us make this sustained success possible. Next year, watch Precision Crafted Performance take on a whole new form as our brand-new, electrified ARX-06 enters the track to write the next chapter.

Three-time IMSA champs: ’19, ’20 and ’22

Frank Markus

Technologue What is 5G, and how will it change cars and driving? ave you noticed about every 10 years or so, your phone’s performance takes a leap forward?

Clunky first-gen 1980s car phones and bag phones carried analog voice communication only. Things sounded better with second-gen (2G) digital voice service in the early ’90s. New-millennium 3G could send and receive data (simple websites and texting).

When 4G and LTE mobile broadband brought the full internet in the 2010s, drivers proved unwilling to ignore their phones, so cars evolved with screen mirroring.

Now, get ready for the biggest leap of them all: 5G. Fifth-gen wireless tech relies on broadcast technology like 4G’s, but you won’t be able to flash-upgrade a 4G phone. That’s because 5G is designed to operate over a broader range of radio frequency spectra. Leveraging multiple frequencies allows 5G to broaden its coverage area, increase data transmission speed, and reduce response time (latency). Low-band (sub-1-GHz) frequencies propagate best over sparsely populated rural areas. Mid-band spectrum (1–6 GHz) allows more data to reach shorter distances faster, boosting coverage in densely populated areas. High-band (millimeterwave) carries the most data the quickest, but it’s blocked easily by buildings and weather. So although 5G will still use large, high-powered broadcast antennas like the earlier networks have, a fully mature 5G network will also involve a far greater number of smaller cell stations—some located on electrical poles and building roofs.

The latest 4G wireless networks (dubbed 4G LTE+, 4G LTE-A, or even 5GE) deliver between 100 and 300 megabits per second (Mbps), rarely hitting that top end.

The best 5G devices, locked onto an mmWave signal, can download 1.0–2.1 gigabits per second (1 Gbps=1,000 Mbps). That’s quick enough to begin playing a 1080p video without buffering. The more reliable 5G midband should hit 300 Mbps–1 Gbps, while low-band manages 50–250 Mbps. Note that today’s widely used 4G LTE service (which is just enhanced 3G) delivers

H

just 3–100 Mbps. So 5G mmWave is 700 times better than the worst 4G LTE, and good mid-band is 3–10 times quicker than proper 4G. With data moving quicker, often across shorter distances, latency drops from 4G’s 20 milliseconds to just 1–5 ms. Such real-time communication between vehicles and the infrastructure is a necessary step toward full self-driving, which could save $500 billion per year via crash avoidance. Before then, commuting time will drop thanks to traffic lights that communicate with approaching vehicles to improve timing, as well as cloud-based navigation that knows where all the traffic is and can suggest routing that better uses the roadways. Cars that report road conditions to other cars and to the proper authorities will help reduce wear and tear and allow for more efficient pothole repairs, snow removal, emergency response, etc. Cars will diagnose and sometimes repair themselves via connections with a dealer or factory. Even vehicle assembly can be streamlined when a 5G network connects parts-delivery and assembly robots (as Mercedes-Benz is demonstrating in its Sindelfingen, Germany, plant). And 5G will enhance onboard virtual and augmented reality information and entertainment.

The U.S., Japan, South Korea, and China will lead the charge, spending billions on 5G infrastructure between now and 2030. By then 5G services will be mainstream.

Verizon offers mmWave 5G in about a dozen cities, and T-Mobile’s 5G network is up and running in several major metro areas. Sprint (now also part of T-Mobile) has installed mid-band 5G in some areas. Lagging AT&T has launched “5GE,” which is just enhanced 4G tech.

Early vehicles available in North America with 5G modems embedded include BMW’s iX and i4 models and Ford’s new Super Duty. Audi and GM plan to begin embedding 5G modems in 2024. Pray that by then, our cars are at least as adroit at avoiding collisions with each other as our onboard phones are at distracting us with high-definition video. Q

Drone communications

Public safety/ Emergency services 5G NR mmWave nx10 Gigabit 5G

Existing LTE deployments

5G NR Sub-6-GHz and LTE coverage nx1 Gigabit 5G Gigabit LTE

This diagram shows how 5G uses mmWave frequencies in dense urban areas, employs low- and mid-band frequencies farther out, and continues (for some time probably) to use LTE in the farthest reaches.

Fun fact: When you actually talk or text on your 5G phone, you’ll transmit mostly across 4G infrastructure for the time being, though voiceover-5G tech is in the works.

VoLTE

18 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

LTE loT

Ubiquitous LTE Gigabit LTE, VoLTE

Automotive (C-V2X)

Private LTE networks

INTAKE I 1.23

Your Say ...

Dear Jonny Thanks, Jonny Lieberman, for a great article on the Lamborghini Countach (November). It reminded me of the first time I saw “the” Lambo in person.

It was 1983 in London, on my U.K. honeymoon with my (still) lovely wife. At an intersection in Knightsbridge, I saw it. A black Countach. I had my backpack off, 35mm camera out, quick focus, and ripped off a couple of shots. Then the machina was gone. Throughout the monthlong trip I ended up with eight rolls of 36-exposure film, all secured carefully in a lead-lined bag to prevent exposure to X-rays. Arriving home, it was straight to a photo shop for developing. Then the moment of truth: Did I get the shot? Sure did—and the driver was smiling back at me, too. Oh yeah, and some of the other photos worked out, as well.

John Badger Via email

I just finished Scott Evans’ simply superb BMW M5 CS, Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S comparison and Jonny Lieberman’s fantastic Lamborghini “The Last Countach” story in the November issue. The “Dear Jonny” device Evans used for the sedan comparison was brilliant. It put a novel spin on an old magazine format and even added a delightful touch of romantic parody. It’s the most refreshing thing I’ve read in any car magazine in recent memory. By the way, it’s also gratifying to see MotorTrend making an effort to bring more diverse faces and voices to the page.

Kudos for tapping Reggie Watts to fill in for your ailing scribe.

Having read that Jonny was sidelined with COVID, I was relieved to see his byline on the article about driving the last Countach ever built. I hadn’t seen the 60 Minutes episode he mentioned in the story, so I put down the magazine, hopped online, and watched. It really did provide essential context for the rest of the article.

As usual, Jonny was able to communicate the joy not only of being in the vehicle but also of being in the moment.

I’m in my 60s now and have been reading MT since the ’80s. It hasn’t always been a good read, but those days are long gone. Keep up the great work.

Jerry Barrax Sherman, Texas

WRITE US AT 831 S. Douglas St. El Segundo, CA 90245 Email us at MotorTrend@MotorTrend.com

Reader on Location Our first Reader on Location of 2023 is Mark Stephenson of Zeeland, Michigan, who writes to us from … Zeeland, Michigan. He reports: “Because my COVID symptoms lingered, I was isolated at my home longer than normal. On isolation day 13, a Saturday, I was delighted to see the new MotorTrend in my mailbox. Between reading it and seeing the Wolverines win another game at the Big House, I was quite happy just to stay at home. Although it will never happen, I could dream about driving a Koenigsegg.” We hope you’re doing better, Mark!

Family Reunion Angus MacKenzie’s November column on Volkswagen Group was so perfectly spot on. Hopefully VW will heed his words and correct its course. “Malaise” exactly sums up the feeling I get from the company’s modern offerings. Even the ID4, as nice as it is, has a feeling of “just good enough” if you’re familiar with VW. From a 40,000foot, mass-market view, it’s excellent. But if you’re really a fan of the company, or

like me you own six VWs ranging from an ’82 Scirocco to a ’21 ID4 and you’re really aware of the history, you feel like there’s a lot of slacking off occurring right now.

Bill Rehbock Santa Clara, California

MT’s Billy Rehbock says, “Hi, Dad!”—Ed.

We Won’t Forget You I have been an MT reader for more than 30 years. I am disappointed, however, with your recent decision to give so little attention to gas-powered cars. In the past, I have greatly valued your insights about different vehicles—especially your headto-head comparisons. I hope you will bring back that kind of coverage for the gaspowered segment of the auto market.

Mark Adelson Long Island City, New York

We have no intention of ignoring traditional internal combustion vehicles. As always, our focus is on the latest and greatest new cars, trucks, and SUVs. A huge number of those right now happen to be electric.—Ed.

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FIRST TEST I Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ere’s the short version of our review of the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06: It’s the best American sports car ever made.

How can we say this so definitively? What about the Ford GT? What about the Dodge Viper ACR? You know we’ve driven, tested, and tracked them, and they’re both great cars.

And each is a Le Mans winner in its own right (though Corvette Racing has more wins than the two of them combined). The 2023 Z06 is better.

As much as there is to talk about with the C8 Z06, we must begin with the sacrilegious dual-overhead-cam, flat-planecrank V-8 engine. No, it doesn’t burble like a cross-plane-crank V-8, because it isn’t one. It does, however, make more naturally aspirated power than any production V-8 in history. We’re talking 670 American ponies. Fair trade, we say.

Disagree? You won’t, not after the first pull to redline with the exhaust open.

This isn’t the banshee scream of an Italian V-8 or the monotone growl of a modern

H

20 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

turbocharged German eight-cylinder. The latest Z06 sounds like the angriest person you’ve ever heard screaming at the top of their lungs. It’s an unhinged war cry, all ragged emotion and zero conscious thought.

It’s also a happy accident. The Z06 was originally slated to have an exhaust system similar to the base car with tips at the corners and not in the center, but the latter arrangement quickly proved to reduce back pressure and save weight.

It still wasn’t quite right, though. Taking turns driving an early prototype past their team, engineers realized the car sounded better from the outside than it did within.

Development delays caused by the pandemic bought time to develop a new center-exit exhaust system that happens to be 20 pounds lighter. The big fix was the two-piece tips: What appear to be separate trim rings are actually parabolic reflectors that send more noise forward to the cockpit.

Now, let’s talk about what really matters: the way this engine delivers power. This is the high-rpm, exponentially climbing, never-relenting surge that all-time-great naturally aspirated engines are revered for.

Low-end power is fine, but true excitement begins at 4,000 rpm. At 6,000 rpm, things get real, and it doesn’t stop until you hit the 8,600-rpm redline.

This is the kind of manic top-end thrust that makes your spine tingle, and it feels almost out of control as it just keeps building. It makes you wonder if you shouldn’t short-shift, as if leaving it in gear until redline might somehow let the car get away from you. It dares you to stay on the

throttle, even when you’re running out of road and really ought to consider braking.

This is what the pinnacle of performance used to feel like, before the turbo revolution. When power meant engine speed and sound and fury. It’s what makes Ferrari 458s more desirable than 488s and F8s. Chevy has seen the light, cracked the code, solved the riddle, however you prefer to describe it. We thought in the year 2022 we’d seen the last of the great naturally aspirated V-8s, and here comes Chevy with one final hail mary.

Plus, Corvette engineers connected the V-8 to a truly great dual-clutch transmission. It’s a worked-over version of the standard Corvette gearbox, but the difference is palpable. The automatic-shifting logic is better than it’s ever been and functionally as good as Porsche’s benchmark PDK. Use the paddles, and you can do anything short of over-revving the engine. Want to drop a gear and land 300 rpm below redline? Your call/mistake.

It even slams gears. Absolutely hammer the throttle, and the transmission bangs

off shifts with a little kick between your shoulders. Not enough to upset the chassis but enough to amp up the drama and make the car feel even more on the edge even though it isn’t.

During the launch event, we sampled every flavor of the Z06 the company will offer. Chevy also shipped a standard Z06 convertible to California so we could run numbers for this story. It didn’t have the Z07 package with the stickier tires, lightweight carbon-fiber wheels, high-downforce carbon-fiber aero package, or lighter coupe body. In other words, this is what the basic car can do.

Start your run by using launch control; the car hits 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds

THEBEST AROUND

See that redline way over there? That’s your target. In fact, the portion of the tachometer you can see here is the only part you really need to care about.

on the way to a 10.6-second quarter-mile time at 131.6 mph. These are wild numbers for a base convertible with all the trimmings, standard tires, and the 100-pound-heavier power-folding roof.

This car weighs a hefty 3,774 pounds and makes “only” 460 lb-ft (not that you’ll really notice the mass difference in the convertible; we didn’t).

The massive carbon-ceramic brakes, in the best GM tradition, stop the Corvette right freaking now. The electronically adjustable pedal feel is aggressive but manageable in its softest setting and reassuringly firm and direct in its stiffest.

Strong, consistent bite happens immediately and is modulated easily throughout the braking zone. As with the Z51 package, though, you’ll want to work your way up to your first big braking event to get the feel.

The pedal has less travel than you expect, and it’s easy in a high-speed braking zone to get all the way into ABS intervention when you think you have more pedal travel to go. That is, unless you get the carbon-fiber wheels, but we’ll get to those.

WORDS SCOTT EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY BRANDON LIM

HINGED THE SPECTACULARLY UN TTE Z06 2023 CHEVROLET CORVEO ING H T N G IN T N A W U YO S E V A LE EXCEPT MORE SEAT TIME JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 21

FIRST TEST

On the test track, we measured a 99-foot stopping distance from 60 mph, supercar territory but several feet shy of the best we’ve tested. We expect a fully loaded Z07 with gummier tires and carbon wheels to stop a few feet shorter.

Not that the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires have anything to apologize for. We recorded 1.10 average lateral g on the skidpad, and it enabled the Z06 to drop a 22.7-second figure-eight lap at 0.93 average g. Anything less than 23.0 seconds is world-beating supercar territory.

That’s if you drive it properly, of course.

Get too aggressive entering or exiting a corner, and things can get messy. Carry too much trail-braking into the turn, and the rear end will unload and step out. It’s easy to catch and control, and you can just as easily avoid it by starting and ending your braking sooner and being smoother with your steering input. Similarly,

Even the Corvette coupe has a removable roof, so no reinforcement was needed when designing the convertible. It’s only 100 pounds heavier.

22 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

carrying too much speed midcorner can induce mild and predictable understeer.

With a 39/61 percent front/rear weight balance and the heavy bits in the middle, this isn’t a car that likes to hold a lurid drift on the way out, either. It’ll power-oversteer with the best of them—but the margin for catching and holding a drift angle is short and sweet. You’re best to back off and let it hook up because staying in it is very likely to induce a spin. This Z06 wants to go forward, not sideways.

But there’s no reason you should be in that situation to begin with. GM’s fantastic Performance Traction Management system is more than happy to prevent you from overpowering the tires. With any level of PTM engaged, Race modes included, you don’t need stability control.

Any time you turn the steering wheel and press the accelerator, PTM meters the exact amount of power the rear tires can

handle: Just smash the throttle and go.

Do so, and you’ll quickly find other limits, however, such as the road surface and your own risk tolerance. Physics restricts how fast you can go around any corner, and the equation changes in any given vehicle. As you approach a car’s limit, then, you have to decide where your personal line is. How much are you willing to risk to go a tiny bit faster?

This question looms large on a track and enormously on public roads in the Z06; ultimate speed requires you to reckon with this question constantly because you quickly get the impression the car has more in it. It could go faster around that corner. Could you? Are you willing to gamble being off by an inch? Are your lap times putting dinner on the table? This car can bring glory, but needless folly is also on the menu if you aren’t up to the task.

W A T C H L I V E E X C L U S I V E LY O N

SCAN HERE

S TA R T YO U R F R E E T R I A L MOTORTREND.COM/MECUM2022

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Convertible BASE PRICE

$136,140

PRICE AS TESTED

$158,210

VEHICLE LAYOUT

Mid-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door convertible

ENGINE

5.5L direct-injected DOHC 32-valve 90-degree V-8

POWER (SAE NET)

670 hp @ 8,400 rpm

TORQUE (SAE NET)

460 lb-ft @ 6,300 rpm 8-speed twin-clutch auto

TRANSMISSION

Not that the Z06 doesn’t urge you to chase that last tenth, hundredth, or thousandth of a second. Midcorner bumps do not matter. Want to use the curbing?

Go for it. Slam off the red-and-whites.

It doesn’t care. There’s an unshakable confidence to it, a feeling that the chassis is impervious to big suspension hits, similar to what made us big fans of the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28. This is a car that feels light and delicate and also indestructible.

Drive it hard—it can take it.

Don’t forget, either, we’re talking about the base Corvette Z06. There’s still the Z07, and it’s even better. Forget about the price, forget about the specs. You will absolutely, without question, feel the difference on the track—and you’ll already love a track day in a Z06. In the Z07, you’ll try to figure out how to mount an auxiliary gas tank so you never have to pit.

The magic is in the way the relatively short list of upgrades work together. The lightweight wheels amp up the steering feel and, in concert with the Michelin Pilot Cup 2R tires, dramatically improve the already good braking feel. If the base Z06 feels like it’ll stop right now, the Z07 feels like it already stopped yesterday.

If there’s anything you could call a weak point, it’s that the Z06 can overdrive the

CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)

3,774 lb (39/61%)

WHEELBASE

107.2 in

LX W X HEIGHT

185.9 x 79.7 x 48.6 in

0-60 MPH

2.6 sec

QUARTER MILE

10.6 sec @ 131.6 mph

BRAKING, 60-0 MPH

99 ft

LATERAL ACCELERATION

1.10 g (avg)

MT FIGURE EIGHT

22.7 sec @ 0.93 g (avg)

EPA CITY/HWY/ COMB FUEL ECON

12/21/15 mpg

EPA RANGE, COMB

278 miles

ON SALE

Now

standard tires on a track. The Cup 2Rs solve that problem. Power-on oversteer is much more difficult to induce when exiting a corner, and you must carry more speed to get any midcorner understeer.

The Cup 2Rs are assisted by the high-downforce Carbon Aero package and 10 percent stiffer springs. Even more so than the Z06, the Z07 feels as though you can murder the curbing at every corner and the car won’t care a bit.

Get it light and loose over a crest, and it feels anything but unnerving. You know instinctively it’s going to grip right back up so you can drop the hammer immediately.

This is a Corvette in which you feel like

THIS CAR FEELS LIGHT AND DELICATE AND ALSO INDESTRUCTIBLE. DRIVE IT HARD—IT CAN TAKE IT.

24 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

you can throw caution to the wind. You find yourself hitting wide-open throttle in sections of the track you hadn’t before and keeping it pinned deeper into the braking zones. You wait longer on the brakes, use more curb, and get even more aggressive with the gas. You drive it harder than you ever thought you could.

It’s a refreshing thing to say about a Corvette. As good as the C7 was, its chassis was at its limit, and adding more power wasn’t going to make for better instrumented performance, lap times, or driver confidence. The C8? It was quicker out of the box, it’s even quicker now, and it’s only going up from here.

Every Z06’s steering response is immediate and pinpoint-precise. The feedback is meaningful and helpful, and should you drop $12,000 to get the carbon wheels, it tops that of most supercars on the road today. The “squircle” steering wheel continues to annoy some people, but shy of navigating parking lots and catching big slides, you shouldn’t need to move your hands from nine and three often enough to make it a big issue.

The only other meaningful complaints are leftovers from the standard C8. The wall of buttons dividing the cockpit is logical in theory, but even after a yearlong test of a Z51, we still can’t find the button we want without distraction.

The wireless phone charger remains in a difficult-to-reach and easy-to-forget place. The power-folding convertible roof completely hides the glorious engine. The trunk gets too toasty for groceries, and now the frunk does, too.

And technically, the ride quality is worse than the base C8’s. Chevy engineers say the springs are 35 percent stiffer on the Z06, 45 percent on the Z07. They could’ve fooled us: We put 16,512 miles on our long-term C8, and we’d have guessed the Z06 is 10 percent stiffer, maybe 15.

Yeah, it’s a little less comfortable to roadtrip, but not enough to matter.

Although those concerns are all valid, to dwell on them misses the point. This is the world-beating supercar we always wanted the Corvette to be. It’s the result of a relentless focus on building the best traditional supercar possible, on prioritizing the driving experience and making it a stone-cold track assassin. People say Corvettes aren’t collectible because Chevy builds too damn many of them. That may be true, but this time, it doesn’t matter.

Chevy can build a million examples, and each will still be worth getting excited about whenever you see one. Q

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FIRST DRIVE I Porsche 911 GT3 RS

RS IS A PORSCHE’S NEW 911 GT3 TO THE MIND-BENDING FORAY IN POWER OF DOWNFORCE WORDS MAC MORRISON

26 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

efore you read a word, look at the pictures accompanying this story and answer this question: If the 911 GT3 RS carried a sticker price of $1 million, how long would you need to pick yourself up after you collapsed in laughter?

Whatever your estimate, it’s likely fair enough on the surface. The 911’s enduring, insuperable popularity has encouraged Porsche to crank out as many derivatives of its 59-year-old sports car as its assembly lines can accommodate—and selling every one of them, mind you. Another year, another month, another week; ho-hum, look out, here comes another 911! People who don’t get it understandably hit the snooze button.

If the average 911’s ubiquity is at least partially a result of its inherent goodness, the GT3 RS is the line’s bucket of dry ice (no water) to the face. Unlike previous modern RS models, this car doesn’t merely up the standard 911 GT3’s general, measurable capabilities by 5 or 10 or some other smallish percent, and then add another $25,000 or so on the sticker. That’s not to say the GT division had become lazy or those cars weren’t world class; rather, there’s only so much you can do to improve a baseline concept that represents tip-ofthe-spear performance—so near the tip, the regular 911 GT3 a little more than a year ago claimed MotorTrend’s inaugural Performance Vehicle of the Year award.

Throw the concept literally to the wind, however, and you get something unanticipated and significantly more freakishly capable than any previous production 911. Which brings us back to that absurd million-dollar question.

The point: Recall the McLaren Senna’s $965,000 MSRP. For that sum, buyers received a funky-looking hypercar with a twin-turbo V-8 producing 789 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, one supernaturally pinned to the ground thanks to 1,764 pounds of aerodynamic downforce at 155 mph in an overall package weighing 3,011 pounds. Similarly, if a bit less extreme, Aston Martin recently told MotorTrend its forthcoming $800,000-plus midengine Valhalla will make more than 1,433 pounds of downforce at 150 mph.

Granted, thanks to a maddening lack of an industry-standard metric, every manufacturer seems committed to providing its aero figures at different speeds from the next guy, making absolute 1:1 on-paper comparisons tricky.

Still, Porsche says the GT3 RS makes 895

B

The twin-nostril hood and roof strakes deflect hot air from the radiator and prevent it from reaching the rear engine inlets, preserving horsepower.

pounds at 124 mph and 1,896 at 177. That’s more than twice as much downforce as the previous-gen 991.2-series 911 GT3 RS and roughly three times as much as the standard 992 GT3. More nearly preposterous perspective: Porsche engineers flaunt a graph to illustrate how the road-legal GT3 RS’ maximum downforce figures eclipse those of the 992 GT3 Cup race car and even bleed into the lower-level downforce settings used on the company’s GTE-class 911 RSR Le Mans racers. All this, and the active/movable front-and-rear winghavin’, drag-reduction-system-equipped RS’ true base price isn’t anywhere close to a million. How does $225,250 sound?

Take a moment to digest this. It’s understandable if for the first time in your life you said, “That’s all?!” and legit meant it while reading about a vehicle costing nearly a quarter-million dollars. On the flipside, Chevrolet’s massively impressive new Corvette Z06 (page 20) with its optional high-downforce Carbon Aero package makes a substantial 734 pounds at 186 mph and 362 pounds with its standard aero and optional wickerbill spoiler extensions installed. The Z06’s base price is $89,110 less than the Porsche’s; in other words, pound for aerodynamic pound, you usually get what you pay for. In the RS’ case and compared to the previously mentioned hypercars, you now get far more. And a few extra actual pounds, too.

Perhaps counterintuitively, the RS is about 80 pounds heavier than the standard GT3, but this is due to the extra go-fast equipment, including wider 911 Turbo–style bodywork, the hydraulically controlled massive rear wing, the active wing flaps in the nose, wider front and rear track widths, and wider wheels and tires. The GT division clawed back much of the weight gain by using more carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP, but just think of it as carbon fiber) for pieces such as the doors and front fenders, as well as fitting lighter and thinner glass and a stainless-steel exhaust system.

Armed with this information in normal circumstances, the press corps Porsche invited to the Silverstone Circuit would’ve

The rear wing’s hydraulic DRS actuator.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 27

FIRST DRIVE

overboiled with enthusiasm, us included.

Instead, the media collective was glued to mobile weather apps. The home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix and its offering of several fast corners would, in dry and warm conditions, be a prime venue for showcasing this 911’s cornering ability. But outdoor activities planned for late September in the U.K. are always a meteorological lottery, and of course we hit the jackpot as sporadic but consequential rain arrived on the day of our drive.

We slid behind the wheel of an Ice Grey Metallic example. This RS carried a couple additional performance upgrades, including carbon-ceramic brakes ($10,110) and lighter forged aluminum wheels (21-inch rear, 20-inch front; $3,080). As with all GT division models, an optional Weissach package ($33,520) is available and shaves 33 pounds from the curb weight with the inclusion of things like forged magnesium wheels and exposed CFRP on the roof, rear wing, hood, and sideview mirrors. The cockpit similarly features more carbon, plus magnetic (for a more satisfying click and more positive feel) shift paddles made from magnesium. Lighter CFRP bits you

The GT3 RS underwent 250 hours of windtunnel time.

can’t see include the rear suspension’s coupling rods, rear axle shear panel, and front and rear anti-roll bars Inconsistent conditions—damp here, damper there, nearly dry over yonder— are one of the worst things you can encounter when evaluating a supersonic performance car, and ambient temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s don’t help. But contrary to our fears, we still learned plenty even as we couldn’t get anywhere near the RS’ limits.

There’s a relatively new automotive parable that attempts to express advanced aero in tactile terms, as in “you can feel the downforce.” It’s rubbish if you take it literally, if you think it means you can feel the car being forced into the road surface and thereby somehow understand where the dynamic limits lie.

You can’t. It’s not nonsense if you have a reasonable seat-of-the-pants dyno.

Even at wet Silverstone, we saw and felt the downforce’s benefits in deceleration zones. Following a seasoned instructor who had more laps of the circuit than we did and who was regardless probably inherently quicker than us, the GT3 RS absolutely annihilated his standard GT3 on the brakes. We’re talking utter carnage as it devoured yards’ worth of distance from the advantage he held going into a corner.

Likewise, in corners where we felt more confident and on exits where we believed there was plenty of grip to allow early power application, it was no sweat for the RS to carry its speed as if the entire exercise were pedestrian. Meanwhile, we could see our pace car working harder to hustle through the bends and maintain control as its back end danced on the edge of adhesion. In contrast, we only felt the front or rear slide on-power over the track’s wettest sections—we’re confident we could have stayed in it without issue, but we didn’t want to be “that guy” who bins it into a barrier.

Making a reasonable extrapolation regarding how this would have gone

on a dry circuit, the fight was entirely unfair, the GT3 looking baldly average in comparison. We practically forgot just how amazing the latter is as a track car and how it blew away our entire team of testers last year on the Streets of Willow road course.

Speaking of power, the 911 GT3 RS boasts a mild bump over the GT3, 518 hp versus 502, while peak torque decreases from 346 to 342. The small horsepower gain is thanks to a few changes to the 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six, mostly its new intake and exhaust camshafts and a more efficient exhaust system. The revised

Front-suspension pivot points are moved lower to reduce dive under braking, thereby helping maintain a consistent aero balance.

valve timing and new engine mapping keep the intake valves open for longer, delivering improvements to the overall power and torque curves especially in the upper half of the rev range, at the slight expense of the peak torque number.

The GT3 RS is stout in terms of acceleration; it never seems to fade as it yowls toward its 9,000-rpm rev limiter, but it also never overwhelms you on the power.

That’s the one characteristic where it loses out to aero-similar million-dollar cars like the McLaren. We began to wonder if, bank accounts being equal, we’d miss the extra juice in the long run.

And then Jörg Bergmeister was ready to give us a hot lap of the circuit. You know, just to show us what was possible even in tricky conditions.

The former Porsche factory driver, a Le Mans class winner, and owner of multiple sports car championships, is a wonderfully nice man, but on this day, he might as well have looked us in the eye and said, “I’m sorry, my friend, but you suck at driving.” That’s what two laps riding shotgun with him around Silverstone demonstrated. Corner after corner, we sat in near-silent, fearless amazement as Bergmeister essentially treated the track as if it were bone dry, practically braking at apexes rather than before them, carrying so much speed as the RS rotated into turns that it felt like the chassis was mounted on a spindle. And then we moonshotted out the other side, each time under more lateral acceleration than this author

2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

even more of a mindscrew.

Even if the track had been dry, it’s BASE PRICE $225,250 unlikely we would’ve had the mental Rear-engine, RWD, LAYOUT bandwidth during a whole eight laps to 2-pass, 2-door coupe fully unpack the GT3 RS’ skill set. It takes ENGINE 4.0L/518-hp/342-lb-ft enough brain capacity to even begin to direct-injected DOHC 24-valve flat-6 understand the limits here, and we need 7-speed twin-clutch auto much more time with the car to get to that TRANSMISSION point. MotorTrend’s Performance Vehicle CURB WEIGHT 3,300 lb (est) of the Year program might be a perfect WHEELBASE 96.7 in opportunity, though we’ll have to wait L X W X HEIGHT 180.0 x 74.8 x 52.1 in until the 2024 edition.

0-60 MPH 3.0 sec (mfr est) In the meantime, we may need to go so EPA CITY/HWY/ 15/18/16 mpg (est) COMB FUEL ECON far as pondering a new metric for evaluating cars like this. Sure, the GT3 RS will EPA RANGE, COMB 270 miles (est) produce solid figures in our traditional PRICE AS TESTED $261,730 testing. But that isn’t what this level of ON SALE Spring 2023 capability is about, and they’ll do nothing has experienced in 20-plus years in this to express the point. As GT division boss business, driving and riding in some of the Andreas Preuninger told us, “This car, on most impressive cars ever built. high-speed corners with a Cup R–rated Why fearless despite the reality-defying street tire, is quicker than a 911 Cup race corner speeds? Simple: At no point did any car on slicks. Not in every corner but in of this feel like Bergmeister was tempting high-speed corners. For a street-legal car fate or that the car was a snappy handful this is a serious, serious statement.” controllable only by a top-flight pro driver.

He inspires a final thought: UnfortuWatching his hands and feet on the wheel nately, we didn’t drive on the street so we and pedals supported this perception; he can’t comment on how the new GT3 RS wasn’t “chasing” the car on the steering functions as a road car. Preuninger said wheel with big helpings of opposite-lock it’s surprisingly livable in terms of ride to keep it all together. Yet the sheer quality, but either way, there’s no reason physicality of the cornering forces and for anyone to buy this aerodynamic speed is nearly unprecedented in a roadmegalodon if regular racetrack running legal series-production car on street isn’t part of their plan. That’ll be the only tires, and it’s entirely unprecedented at reason to ever laugh at this car—one of this price point. Only afterward did we the most road-course-capable production remember the track was still damp. What models of all time, let alone 911s—at this 911 must be capable of in the dry is almost any price. Q

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 29

30 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

JUDGES/TESTERS

WORDS MOTORTREND STAFF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY RENZ DIMAANDAL, BRANDON LIM, AND WILLIAM WALKER

ERICK AYAPANA Associate Road Test Editor DUNCAN BRADY Associate Editor MORAY CALLUM Automotive Design Expert GORDON DICKIE Automotive Industry and Engineering Expert ZACH GALE Buyer’s Guide Director AARON GOLD Senior Editor ERIK JOHNSON Digital Director

ALAN LAU Road Test Analyst ALEX LEANSE Associate Editor ED LOH Head of Editorial ALISA PRIDDLE Detroit Editor CHRISTIAN SEABAUGH Features Editor ERIC TINGWALL Testing Director CHRIS WALTON Road Test Editor JUSTIN WESTBROOK Senior Editor

SUVS RULE THE SALES CHARTS, AND MANUFACTURERS MUST BRING THEIR BEST EFFORTS TO STAY IN THE FIGHT JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 31

SUVOTY I Behind the Scenes

Welcome Back I WORDS AARON GOLD PHOTOGRAPHY MT STAFF

A glimpse behind the curtain at OTY.

t sounds like every gearhead’s childhood dream: two days to drive 45 brand-new vehicles ranging from the tediously mundane to the truly magnificent, all in the consequence-free environment of Honda Proving Center.

Once actually faced with the task, though, you might wish your childhood dream was to be a dentist.

It’s not just the pitfalls you might encounter (scorpions, rattlesnakes, dehydration, heatstroke, irate Scotsmen, silly hats, poor liquor choices, and Christian Seabaugh’s biannual tradition of getting a car mired in sand). It’s the realization that you must evaluate each SUV thoroughly lest you miss the hidden gem, the vehicle most deserving of MotorTrend’s coveted Golden Calipers.

It’s a title growing in importance. Car of the Year is arguably still our flagship award, but SUVs now make up more than half of new vehicle sales in the U.S., a figure reflected in the sheer number of SUVOTY contenders: 33 models, several represented by multiple entrants with different powertrains or trim levels, for a total of 45 vehicles.

Happily, the proving ground provides everything we need for thorough evaluations: an undulating road course to assess dynamics, ride roads of varying surfaces that reveal chassis and suspension faults, a vast asphalt lake for at-the-limit handling, gravel roads and dirt tracks to assess off-road ability, and—because

there’s no snow in the Mojave Desert— loose sand courses to emulate low-traction driving.

We have two guest judges: Moray Callum, Ford’s recently retired VP of design, and Gordon Dickie, adviser to car companies worldwide on engineering and R&D. It’s a privilege to work with them both. Callum gives a detailed talk on design principles and highlights, a genuine thrill and a rare opportunity.

(Journalists normally only get to hear designers talk about their own vehicles.)

Dickie has a virtuoso’s insight into why cars do bad things, and his test-drive notes are a master class in assessing automotive minutiae. We refer to this engaging duo as the Happy Scotsman and the Angry Scotsman; subpar execution and quality are the victims of Dickie’s accented ire.

Of our 45 test vehicles, 14 are purely battery-powered, which poses a challenge, as there are few charging stations in the Mojave. Our friends at General Motors’ Hydrotec division come to the rescue with trailer-mounted hydrogen fuel cell power stations (page 69). Intended to replace diesel-powered generators for on-site backup power, these machines easily deliver enough juice to fast-charge an EV. So our two-day free-for-all begins, with clouds of dust from sand courses and clouds of tire smoke from the asphalt lake.

Each judge is well versed in our six OTY criteria (efficiency, safety, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function).

As usual, we have no shortage of problems. We flatten four tires, each requiring a 20-mile round trip to the closest tire

Above, retired Ford VP of design Moray Callum leads his design seminar. Below, guest judges Gordon Dickie (engineering and R&D consultant, left) and Callum (right).

shop. Seabaugh gets an all-wheel-drive Kia EV6 bogged down in the sand—not just stuck but spectacularly stuck. It takes an hour to get it free. To Seabaugh, this is a compelling reason why the EV6 is not a proper SUV. To us, it’s a compelling reason not to ride with him.

Desert-specific hazards include a postmortem sighting of the largest scorpion we’ve ever seen outside of National Geographic. It was on its way inside to kill us and might have succeeded had one of

the photographers not inadvertently closed a garage door on it.

But relentless heat is our biggest problem. Temps hover around 108, and it’s a short journey from dehydration to heat stroke. We don our sun hats and wrap our necks in wet towels. Even so, one staffer comes perilously close to a ride in another sort of vehicle—the kind with flashing red lights on top.

Two days fly by in a haze of steering wheels and searing heat, and somehow everyone manages to drive everything. Tired, dusty, and hot, we gather to pick the finalists. Judges take turns nominating vehicles for elimination, with arguments ensuing as to whether it should stay or go. This is the toughest part of the process: There are SUVs here that tickle every enthusiast synapse but aren’t well-rounded enough to go the distance in all six criteria. There is serious lament for some of the vehicles we have to cut, but we emerge with 11 strong finalists.

That night, we find ourselves facing unexpected peril when we let Callum choose our post-deliberation libation.

We figure letting a Scot shop for alcohol is a no-brainer, but he selects a banana bourbon. We’d have been better off letting the dead scorpion pick the booze.

The next morning we gather to drive the remaining vehicles on our finalist loop.

Each judge gets one hour with each SUV, a tight schedule for the next day and a half, and then we meet to deliberate once more.

We’re tired and irritable. After one SUV garners praise from our Detroit contingent, Dickie the Angry Scotsman loudly dismisses it as a “fookin’ desgrayce.” None

Features editor Christian Seabaugh mires the Kia EV6 in sand, while associate road test editor Erick Ayapana deals with yet another flat tire.

Right: the vehicle dynamics area, where you can see evidence of our figure-eight testing.

of us speaks Scots Gaelic, but we’re pretty sure we know exactly what he means.

Finally, the vote: secret ballot, with every judge selecting a first, second, and third choice. Our fearless leader Ed Loh tallies the scores, stares deadpan at the results, and says, “Wow.” Loh has 17 ways of saying “Wow.” We know them all, and this isn’t one of the good ones. We brace for bad news— Layoffs? We’ve been bought by Consumer Reports?—but it turns out he is wowing the diversity: Of our 11 finalists, six have earned first-place votes, and nine are on top-three lists. Wow, indeed.

Still, amid this variety there is consensus: One vehicle has garnered

significantly more first- and second-place votes than any other. It’s an SUV we are all quite fond of and one we all agree is a worthy SUV of the Year.

We’d toast our winner, but all we have left is Callum’s awful banana bourbon. Q

OUR TWO-DAY FREE-FOR-ALL BEGINS WITH CLOUDS OF DUST AND TIRE SMOKE.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 33

Contenders

2022 Acura MDX Type S

PROS Great audio system • Nice steering feel • More fun to drive than the standard MDX CONS Not as fast as it sounds • Not as sporty as it looks • Poor brake and transmission tuning

A

year ago, the Acura MDX went home from our SUV of the Year competition empty-handed as it felt a touch underpowered, unrefined, and claustrophobic in the third row.

The updated MDX Type S—a new high(er)-performance variant— aims to right those wrongs and have its vengeance.

Acura made three major changes to the MDX in creating the new Type S version. The standard SUV’s aging 290-hp 3.5-liter V-6 (shared with Honda stablemates like the Ridgeline pickup, Odyssey minivan, and Pilot and Passport SUVs) is replaced with an Acura-exclusive 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 that produces

a healthy 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. As in the standard MDX, that power is sent through a 10-speed automatic to a torquevectoring all-wheel-drive system.

Not content to stop there, Acura also fits the sportier MDX Type S with adaptive dampers, uprated front Brembo brakes, and its firstever air suspension.

The upgrades make the MDX Type S reasonably fun to drive.

Its steering is nicely weighted and quick, and Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system helps virtually shrink the wheelbase to make the SUV more maneuverable than its size would suggest. The new engine, as associate editor Alex Leanse put it, “sounds better than it goes,” though.

The 10-speed automatic likely deserves some of the blame. It does a good job of getting out of the way when tooling about, but when driven harder, it upshifts early and downshifts late. The shift paddles are also of little use, as the transmission will still continue to do its own thing when in manual mode.

Brake feel was lacking, too.

Despite the Brembo calipers up front, the brake-by-wire system felt squishy and proved difficult to modulate smoothly. The end result is a sport performance crossover that doesn’t feel sporty.

Inside, the results are similarly mixed. The new ELS Studio 3D Signature Edition audio system— only available on the Type S with the Advance package ($73,245)—is stellar. The 25-speaker system gets crisper, clearer, and just plain better the louder you crank it. However, judges were divided on the touchpadoperated infotainment system.

“The system needs to go in the trash can,” Leanse said. “It’s not anywhere near as good as a touchscreen; even dial-based systems work better. It’s confusing, unpredictable, and fussy.”

Associate editor Duncan Brady was in the opposite camp. “I don’t hate this infotainment controller the way some people do,” he said. “The touchpad offers more flexibility than a rotary dial, and not having a touchscreen means the display can be mounted high on the dash in the driver’s eyeline.”

While Mom and Dad are arguing up front about the Acura’s infotainment suite, junior will find the second-row bench to be roomy if a bit hard and flat, though the third row—accessed by pressing a button that tumbles

the second row out of the way—is cramped. But hey, who’s making the payments, anyway?

Ultimately, the MDX Type S is a marked improvement on the core MDX product, yet it lacks the special joie de vivre of rivals such as the Audi SQ7 and Dodge Durango SRT 392, to say nothing of the most special cars in Acura’s past. Christian Seabaugh

2022 Acura MDX Type S (Advance) Base Price/As Tested

$67,895/$73,745

Power (SAE Net)

355 hp @ 5,500 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

354 lb-ft @ 1,400 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

6.0 sec

Quarter Mile

14.5 sec @ 96.1 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

123 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.83 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

26.9 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

17/21/19 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

352 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 3.0L turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6, 10-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,769 lb (58/42%) WHEELBASE 113.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 198.4 x 78.7 x 67.1 in ON SALE Now 34 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2022 Buick Envision

PROS Athletic styling • Tons of standard equipment

• Comfy seats

CONS Engine doesn’t sound good • Subpremium materials and switchgear • AWD system needs work

T

he redesigned second-gen Buick Envision made its debut last year and recently became available in the brand’s range-topping Avenir trim, which is akin to GMC’s Denali line in that it aims to deliver improved materials and a more premium experience for occupants.

The Envision’s new exterior redesign is a success with an athletic and handsome mien, and the Avenir gets 20-inch wheels and clear taillights for an even more attractive look.

Some of the swanky style makes its way to the interior, as well, with associate editor Duncan Brady commenting that the Envision now has a

“premium-styled cabin with comfy seats and attractive perforated leather.” Fellow associate editor Alex Leanse highlighted the dense roster of standard equipment that comes with the Avenir trim: “This crossover has it all: massaging, heated, and ventilated seats; an enormous panoramic roof; highresolution cameras; a digital

rearview mirror; premium audio; and quilted seats.”

However, the materials used to execute the interior, including some of the piano black plastic dashboard trim and obviously fake wood, mitigate the premium vibe, as do the cheaper-feeling control stalks and switchgear.

Leanse wasn’t impressed: “Just a quick glance around the cabin or a few minutes of driving shows that this is nowhere close to being on the level of a Genesis GV70, Acura RDX, or Volvo XC60.”

Multiple SUV of the Year judges complained about the intrusive startup clatter and rattling idle from the Envision’s new 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine—the only available powertrain—a decidedly unluxurious experience. Road and suspension noise are also simply too high for a vehicle with these aspirations. Actual get-up-and-go

is adequate if not thrilling, however, and the ride is nice and soft without dissolving into float; body motions and wheel patter are controlled, but only just.

But the biggest issue we had came down to the selective all-wheel-drive system. The Envision defaults to front-wheel drive, and AWD only engages if the driver actively selects it. You also must have your foot off the accelerator to activate AWD, which means you’ll want to set up everything before you get stuck in a situation where you need it. An active system that automatically engages AWD would be preferred and far more unlikely to catch anyone out in inclement weather or other slippery conditions.

Detroit editor Alisa Priddle labeled the Envision Avenir an “underwhelming luxury vehicle,” which captured the mood of most of our judges. Buyer’s guide director Zach Gale added, “There’s nothing exceptional about this SUV except maybe its pricing,” which starts at $43,045 and nudged $50K as tested.

His suggestion? “If you aren’t a Buick loyalist, consider the GV70 (last year’s MotorTrend SUV of the Year winner), which is also on the value side of the segment.”

The Envision Avenir is stylish and reasonably comfortable, but that simply isn’t enough to capture our top prize.

Justin Westbrook

2022 Buick Envision Avenir AWD Base Price/As Tested

$43,045/$49,380

Power (SAE Net)

228 hp @ 5,000 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

258 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

7.5 sec

Quarter Mile

15.8 sec @ 88.2 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

116 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.80 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.7 sec @ 0.60 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

22/29/25 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

403 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 2.0L turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, 9-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,999 lb (59/41%) WHEELBASE 109.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 182.5 x 74.1 x 64.6 in ON SALE Now JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 35

Contenders

2022 Ford Bronco Raptor

PROS Unstoppable off-road • Surprisingly docile and agile on pavement • This is hardcore off-roading done right CONS Wide as a building • Extreme width makes it tricky to drive and park • Engine note doesn’t match up to the rest of the package

W

e’re pretty sure we heard Ford’s new Bronco Raptor snicker when we brought it to the off-road course at our SUV of the Year competition. Said course is set up to test the off-road abilities of the average SUV, but when it comes to off-roading, there’s nothing average about the Braptor.

Ford Performance didn’t play around when it Raptorized the Bronco: It stiffened the body, enlarged the engine, supersized the tires, and fortified the suspension, including a massive increase of 9.8 inches in track, bringing it within an inch of the girth of a Hummer H1. All the important numbers—horsepower,

torque, ground clearance, suspension travel, and approach, breakover, and departure angles—read less like a spec sheet and more like a wish list.

So, yes, our off-road course barely tickled the Braptor’s capabilities; no question, it was the most capable off-roader at this year’s competition. As digital director Erik Johnson put it: “Performance of intended function is off the freaking charts.

This is just a pure, unvarnished ass-kicking machine.” Associate editor Alex Leanse added, “It’s precision-engineered to enable tomfoolery.”

You’re probably expecting the word “but …” to show up any

second now, but (heh) that isn’t going to happen—because for all its off-road specialization, the Bronco Raptor proved to be an unexpectedly capable on-roader.

We prepared ourselves for excessive noise, clumsy handling, and a bouncy-castle ride, but the Bronco Raptor surprised us: It’s no Bentley, but it’s a damn sight more livable in these areas than it has any right to be. Even the interior is nicer than we expected.

Yet despite the Braptor’s on-road acceptability, we can’t really say it’s a good choice as a daily driver. For one thing, its massive width makes it a real pain in the tailgate to wield. Wherever you think the front tires are, they’re always farther away. And there are some OTY criteria where it simply cannot get ahead.

On-road safety is always going to be compromised in a vehicle this focused on off-road ability.

There’s just no getting around that. Efficiency? Its 15-mpg EPA combined rating is maybe higher than you might expect, but it’s still 15 mpg. Value? If you’re a hardcore off-roader planning to build your ultimate go-anywhere machine, then we don’t have to explain why our Raptor’s $81,085 as-tested price is a bargain—but to anyone else, we probably can’t explain. Also, good luck getting your mother-in-law into the back seat for the ride to her Saturday canasta game.

The Braptor nevertheless charms. From its 37-inch tires to its 418-hp engine (410 on California’s 91-octane fuel) to its cheery blue paint, the Bronco was a welcome reprieve from the ranks of ordinary family trucksters competing in SUVOTY—a cartoon intermission in the middle of a serious documentary. Not making it a finalist felt a bit like betraying a good buddy.

Johnson’s lament summed it up: “Really, it’s a shame the Braptor falters on some of the criteria, because it’s just so, so good. We always give our Golden Calipers to a hugely deserving and wellrounded machine—but sometimes being transcendent at one or two things can equal a different kind of greatness. After all, Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, can’t catch all that well, doesn’t block, and he sure as hell can’t run, but man, can he throw.”

Aaron Gold

2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Base Price/As Tested

$70,095/$81,085

Power (SAE Net)

418 hp @ 5,750 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

440 lb-ft @ 2,750 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

6.2 sec

Quarter Mile

14.9 sec @ 91.0 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

145 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.69 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

29.0 sec @ 0.56 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

15/16/15 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

318 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 3.0L twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6, 10-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,747 lb (56/44%) WHEELBASE 116.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 191.0 x 85.7 x 77.8 in ON SALE Now 36 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2023 Genesis GV60

PROS Genesis designers clearly had fun with this one • 800-volt architecture = seriously quick charging • It’s a blast!

CONS Interior quality is a mixed bag • More expensive than its Hyundai/Kia siblings but not notably better • Limited availability

A

t most big, full-line automakers—say, GM, Volkswagen, or Toyota—it’s easy for the luxury brands to stand out from their mainstream counterparts. The luxe variants usually have more power, more advanced technology, and more upscale interiors.

Here, Hyundai Motor Group doesn’t grant its luxury arm, Genesis, that grace. The undeniable strength of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6—the former a design benchmark and the latter a performance standout—have given the related Genesis GV60 no quarter.

On paper, the GV60 seems well-suited to go up against its

mainstream siblings. It rides on the same Electric Global Modular Platform as the EV6 and Ioniq 5 (though it has the shortest wheelbase of the trio), it features a 77.4-kWh battery pack good for up to 248 miles of range, and in top-trim GV60 Performance guise it sports a combined 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, more than any Ioniq 5 or EV6, save for the EV6 GT. It even charges quickly, going from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 18 minutes, thanks to its 235-kW peak charge rate.

But Hyundai and Kia offer the same 77.4-kWh battery pack and can clear 266 miles and 274 miles when equipped with dual motors.

They also match the GV60’s

poor body control for a luxury SUV equipped with adaptive dampers.

The GV60 was initially successful on the design front.

“Credit must be given to the Genesis designers,” associate editor Alex Leanse said. “Details like the glove box drawer, mirror adjustment pod and matching diffuser, and shift dial all function exactly as well as they should while adding style and distinction.” Editorial director Ed Loh agreed: “Hyundai Motor Group’s design team is clearly having the most fun in the automotive industry. I love the drama, beauty, and elegance of the GV60’s interior. I like the show of the shifter, the way it rotates to go from a crystal to a beautiful dial, and the awesome blue leather with the contrast lime green stitching and piping.”

But start poking around, and, well, other Genesis models like charge times and the Advanced version’s power output, plus they’re cheaper. The Ioniq 5 costs $56,295 when comparably equipped to the $59,985 base GV60, and the equivalent EV6 is $57,965. The other two are more widely available, as well; the Genesis is currently sold in just eight states.

If the GV60 had any hopes to advance, it was via performance and styling. Regarding the former, the Genesis has the softest ride of its compatriots.

On highway surfaces and city streets, that’s a boon. “On the highway, the GV60 drove the best,” guest judge Gordon Dickie said. “It readily absorbed expansion joints with little to no head toss or tire slap.”

Some judges even thought the GV60 did a decent hot hatch impression when driven hard, though others lamented

the 2022 SUV of the Year–winning GV70 wouldn’t be caught dead with Hyundai or Kia switchgear, yet it’s prevalent in the GV60’s cabin. And although the orb shifter and other baubles distract the eye, some of the silver and gray plastic buttons look and feel cheap.

Ultimately, as strong as the GV60 is, its siblings are simply stronger. This Genesis is an appealing electric luxury SUV, but you give up little to nothing by opting for the Kia or Hyundai.

Christian Seabaugh

2023 Genesis GV60 AWD (Performance) Base Price/As Tested Power (SAE Net) Torque (SAE Net)

$68,985/$69,560 216 hp (front), 216 hp (rear); 429 hp (comb) 258 lb-ft (front), 258 lb-ft (rear); 516 lb-ft (comb)

Accel, 0-60 mph

3.6 sec

Quarter Mile

12.1 sec @ 113.2 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

127 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.85 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

26.9 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

97/82/90 mpg-e

EPA Range, Comb

235 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTORS, TRANSMISSIONS Permanent-magnet elec, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,863 lb (50/50%) WHEELBASE 114.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 177.8 x 77.4 x 62.6 in ON SALE Now JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 37

Contenders 2023 Honda HR-V

PROS Clean interior design • Standard driver assist features

• Good road manners

CONS Painfully slow • Lacks the typical Honda charm • Less efficient than before

S

ub-$30,000 SUVs can be hard to find in 2022; the average new vehicle transaction price topped $48,000 in August. And the newly redesigned CR-V ditches its base model— which means Honda’s compact SUV is pricier than ever.

Thankfully, the automaker has an all-new version of the CR-V’s smaller and more affordable sibling, the HR-V. This is now the only offering in Honda’s SUV lineup with a base model priced below $30K, but does it retain the level of charm of the new Civic?

Not quite. We’ll start with the staff’s near-universal complaints about the powertrain. We recognize that subcompact SUV

buyers are mostly unconcerned with straight-line speed, but even for those shoppers the HR-V is underpowered, not to mention less efficient than its predecessor.

Our judges’ notes described the engine as anemic, gutless, and problematic. Not only that, the non-turbocharged subcompact Honda’s meager power reserves are found high in the rev range. We often needed

to pin the accelerator to the floor to drive comfortably on highways or inclines. It’s noisy, too, and the continuously variable automatic transmission means the engine groans unpleasantly during acceleration. If Honda offered the HR-V with the turbocharged I-4 available in the Civic and CR-V, it would go a long way to addressing both the power and loudness.

For what it’s worth, the HR-V was surprisingly adept through an off-road course designed to replicate driving in low-traction conditions. Especially in Snow mode, it moved easily through the deep stuff with plenty of grip and enough clearance.

Multiple judges also called out accurate steering and good body control, but buyers should know there are comparable alternatives with softer ride quality and less road noise.

Honda’s driver assist tech is intuitive and works well, plus it’s standard on all trims.

Inside, the cabin is clean and functional—though one judge is growing tired of the honeycomb air vents, first seen on the Civic (also featured in the CR-V and Acura Integra). Honda provided plenty of clever storage solutions in the cabin, and there’s more space inside than we expected.

The digital instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system are logically laid out, but the graphics look slightly dated, and we wish the screen were canted toward the driver.

In the back, associate editor and resident “do you play basketball?” staffer Alex Leanse could nearly fit behind his own seating position at 6-foot-10. We liked the center storage cubby, but most judges bemoaned a lack of charge ports and air vents for rear passengers.

So the HR-V offers strong value for buyers seeking a Honda SUV, and we like its clever, spacious interior and useful standard safety tech. But that’s just not enough to compete in a subcompact crossover segment that has ballooned to more than 20 vehicles. We might have felt different had Honda offered its subcompact entry with a more powerful and efficient turbo engine or a hybrid powertrain, but as it sits we know Honda can do better. Duncan Brady

2023 Honda HR-V AWD (EX-L) Base Price/As Tested

$30,195/$30,590

Power (SAE Net)

158 hp @ 6,500 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

138 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

9.8 sec

Quarter Mile

17.5 sec @ 83.0 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

125 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.80 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.5 sec @ 0.56 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

25/30/27 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

378 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 2.0L port-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, cont variable auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,290 lb (58/42%) WHEELBASE 104.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 179.8 x 72.4 x 63.4 in ON SALE Now 38 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2022 Hyundai Kona N

PROS Sharp handling • Accessible performance • Huge, huge fun CONS No manual or AWD options • Stiff ride • Strictly an onpavement SUV

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he recently deceased Hyundai Veloster N was a magnificent, manualoffering sporty hatchback with sharp handling and tons of value and thrills. But nobody buys hatchbacks, so now Hyundai has taken its subcompact Kona SUV and given it most of the same N go-fast goodies—a smart decision given consumer tastes, but one that ultimately results in compromises on both the SUV and performance fronts.

Just looking at it, you’d hardly qualify the Kona as an SUV, but it does stand taller and sit higher than the Veloster, so on goes the label from Hyundai’s marketing department and an invitation to

our SUV of the Year competition.

Most of the assembled staff was charmed by the Kona N’s aggressive styling, with its split headlights and DRLs, splashes of red trim, and purposeful-looking aero. The flair sadly doesn’t carry over to the interior, which is mostly black and lacks the clever mixed materials of some rivals; features editor Christian Seabaugh likened being inside

precise, accurate steering and tons of grip. Plus, “you don’t need to drive at 10/10ths to feel it,” buyer’s guide director Zach Gale said. However, there are too many ways to adjust the drive modes, and not all of them are intuitive.

Finally, the ride is wicked harsh— almost unlivable—in the most aggressive mode.

The Kona N is also front-drive only with no option for all-wheel drive. “The lack of AWD is a huge miss considering Subaru is abandoning STI buyers and hatch lovers,” said Seabaugh, who was also frustrated by the car’s eightspeed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which was “far too dumb to be left to its own devices.”

Other judges also impugned the gearbox for rough clutch takeup and wished for a proper manual transmission, which is unavailable. It’s worth mentioning that if you like the Kona N’s look, desire all-wheel drive, and don’t want or

to “sitting in a black hole.” But it’s not all bad. As associate editor Duncan Brady noted, “There are also some fun blue and red buttons that tell me it’s fast, and the seats rock—they’re supportive and comfy.” He did add, however, that other similarly sized SUVOTY contenders, namely the the Honda HR-V and Toyota Corolla Cross, offer roomier rear seats and elevated levels of utility.

The red overboost button on the steering wheel provides an additional 10 horsepower for a short period of time for quicker acceleration. That brings the Kona N’s max output up to 286 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque, but with the same peak torque and 276 hp on hand, it never feels lacking. The powertrain is responsive in performance driving, and this little thing simply likes to charge hard.

Handling on pavement is sublime, the chassis serving up

need the aggro performance, the semi-sporty Kona N Line is also available.

The Kona N did complete our off-road course without getting stuck clambering up a hill or clawing through deep sand, but it wasn’t particularly happy there, underlining its status as a hot hatchback rather than a multifaceted contender. Despite not making the finalist group, this SUV is ultimately a driver’s car— and a really good one, at that.

Justin Westbrook

2022 Hyundai Kona N Base Price/As Tested

$35,495/$35,895

Power (SAE Net)

276 hp @ 5,500 rpm*

Torque (SAE Net)

289 lb-ft @ 2,100 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

5.3 sec

Quarter Mile

13.9 sec @ 101.1 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

115 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.94 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

25.1 sec @ 0.73 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

20/27/23 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

304 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 2.0L turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, 8-speed twin-clutch auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,342 lb (64/36%) WHEELBASE 102.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 165.9 x 70.9 x 61.6 in ON SALE Now *286 hp with temporary overboost

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 39

Contenders

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV

PROS Impressively low base price • 30-mile electric range

• Spacious interior

CONS Apple CarPlay and Android Auto require a cord

• Lacks a use-EV-miles-later mode • Busy front styling

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yundai is the rare automaker offering something for nothing. Well, in a way.

When you consider the Santa Fe plug-in hybrid, you’re getting a midsize SUV with PHEV technology for essentially the same price as the compact Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in.

With no other midsize competitors for less than $60K, the Santa Fe plug-in hybrid deserves some recognition just for existing. The electrified Hyundai is an attractive package, but a few faults prevent it from earning a spot as a 2023 SUV of the Year finalist.

Hyundai goes big with the Santa Fe, which offers an expansive four-powertrain lineup

including two hybrids. The PHEV is the most expensive model, and it offers 261 total system horsepower and 224 lb-ft of torque plus 30 miles of EPA-rated electric range.

As with all plug-ins, this means you can whir to work on electric-only propulsion and the engine will kick in automatically once that range is depleted. Complex, but it’s a best-of-both-worlds setup that’s great for those who aren’t ready to go full electric.

Except in the Hyundai, it’s missing one feature we look for in plug-ins: a save-charge mode.

“My main gripe with this PHEV is that it doesn’t let the driver choose when to use its EV driving range,” associate editor Alex Leanse said.

“It starts draining away as soon as it drives off from the charger.

That’s fine if you leave home for around-town errands, but freeway driving depletes whatever charge you have. A ‘save’ mode would allow the driver to preserve exactly how much charge they have left for another time.”

Even so, its respectable range and pleasant driving dynamics make it a good choice within its lonely competitionless segment.

(The Grand Cherokee 4xe starts about $20,000 more.) MotorTrend editors waxed lukewarm in the logbook about its overall experience. Guest judge Gordon Dickie appreciated the SUV’s innovative

Smart Park driverless parking feature, its safety scores, and its spacious interior, but he wanted more steering feel.

A couple editors appreciated the Santa Fe plug-in hybrid’s brake feel; road test editor Chris Walton described it as predictable, while associate editor Duncan Brady detected no obvious handoff between regenerative and conventional hydraulic brakes.

“The Santa Fe plug-in sells the near luxury experience with a quiet, comfortable ride and generous features,” Brady said, “but … it’s not changing the game.“ Exactly. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Santa Fe plug-in to someone who wants more space than the RAV4 Prime and at a lower price than the Grand Cherokee 4xe. However, the Hyundai’s 30-mile range, while good, is significantly lower than the similarly priced but smaller Toyota.

Despite that, the Santa Fe carves out a space for itself among a dizzying array of SUV choices.

Offering a plug-in hybrid midsize

SUV with a low-$40,000 starting price, five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance is pretty darn good.

Senior editor Aaron Gold sums it up: “This is a nice SUV, very conventional, very useful. Actually, I can’t find much to complain about.” Of course, there’s not much that excites, either. Zach Gale

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV AWD (Limited)

Base Price/As Tested Power (SAE Net) Torque (SAE Net) Accel, 0-60 mph Quarter Mile Braking, 60-0 mph Lateral Acceleration MT Figure Eight

$47,305/$47,900 178 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 90 hp (elec); 261 hp (comb)

195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 224 lb-ft (elec); 258 lb-ft (comb, est) 7.0 sec 15.2 sec @ 93.1 mph 125 ft 0.79 g (avg) 27.9 sec @ 0.60 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

33/32/33 mpg (gas), 79/72/76 mpg-e* (gas+elec)

EPA Range, Comb

30 mi (elec), 440 miles (gas+elec)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine/motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 1.6L direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus elec, 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,496 lb (56/44%) WHEELBASE 108.9 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 188.4 x 74.8 x 66.3 in ON SALE Now 40 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

*EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

Contenders I SUVOTY

2022 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid

PROS Sharp exterior and interior styling • Standard AWD

• Low base price

CONS Toyota RAV4 Prime has more electric range • Fussy controls

• Not efficient among PHEV SUVs

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iewed strictly within the Hyundai ecosystem, the Tucson Plug-in Hybrid is great. Unmistakable styling, a long warranty, and a base price well below $40,000 are only the beginning. The plug-in is also the quietest, the most efficient, and— get this—the quickest Tucson.

Although we’d recommend the Tucson PHEV to the right buyer, this SUV doesn’t shine as bright when you consider the competition from other automakers.

The Tucson’s origami sheetmetal still catches our eye, but what’s special is how Hyundai matched that aesthetic inside.

Especially on our loaded Limitedtrim test SUV, the tech-forward

cabin impresses as soon as you sit in the driver’s seat. A digital instrument cluster and 10.3-inch touchscreen are matched in future-appeal by a push-button gear selector and a smooth dash with touch-sensitive buttons.

Associate editor Duncan Brady praised its interior design: “I love how the lines on the door panel continue through the climate control vents, across the top of

the digital instrument cluster, and flow down the center stack.”

Frankly, we also appreciate the very existence of this plug-in hybrid at the top of Hyundai’s Tucson range. While Honda focuses on core segments with the most sales volume—a standard gas engine and a conventional hybrid—Hyundai tackles those segments and adds the plug-in hybrid on top. Also, unlike the 2022 Ford Escape PHEV, which can only be had with front-wheel drive, the Tucson PHEV has standard AWD. Like the Ford, Hyundai offers its plug-in hybrid compact SUV at a relatively affordable price. To put that in perspective, the excellent Toyota RAV4 Prime’s MSRP is nearly $5,000 more than the Tucson PHEV’s $37K. Of course, that Toyota manages the rare feat of being both more efficient and quicker than the competition. We’ve

tested the plug-in RAV4 hitting 60 mph in only 5.5 seconds, compared to the Tucson plug-in’s perfectly respectable 7.1 seconds.

But that’s not the most important number for plug-in hybrids— that would be the all-electric range. The Toyota has the entire segment beat there, too, with a 42-mile figure (for a 2022 model). The Hyundai comes in at 33 miles before the gas engine automatically turns on for another few hundred miles.

Like the larger Santa Fe plug-in hybrid, the Tucson could make more of its EV range if it had a battery-save mode, which we’ve seen on some PHEVs. For example, if you’re traveling on the highway at 70 mph, you could press a button to lock in exactly how much EV juice you have for later to make your trip through the suburbs or to the market is as quiet as possible.

Oh, and about the touchsensitive controls that wow in the showroom? In practice, some of our staffers found fault with their responsiveness and tendency to

distract—sometimes there’s just no substitute for physical dials and knobs.

If you’re looking for the best Tucson, we still advise checking out the hybrid or plug-in hybrid models. Especially with the plug-in, however, keep in mind efficiency and range aren’t strong suits of the Tucson, relatively speaking. Zach Gale

2022 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD PHEV Base Price/As Tested Power (SAE Net)

$44,495/$44,690 180 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 90 hp (elec); 261 hp (comb est)

Torque (SAE Net)

195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 224 lb-ft (elec); 258 lb-ft (comb est)

Accel, 0-60 mph

7.1 sec 15.3 sec @ 92.2 mph 124 ft 0.83 g (avg) 27.3 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)

Quarter Mile Braking, 60-0 mph Lateral Acceleration MT Figure Eight EPA City/Hwy/Comb

35/35/35 (gas), 87/74/80 mpg-e* (gas+elec)

EPA Range, Comb

33 miles (elec), 420 miles (gas+elec)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine/motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 1.6L direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus permanent-magnet elec, 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,202 lb (58/42%) WHEELBASE 108.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 182.3 x 73.4 x 64.0 (est) in ON SALE Now *EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 41

Contenders

2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L

PROS Strong new Hurricane engine • Excellent stereo and infotainment system • Lots of space and amenities in all three rows

both this I-6 and a 6.4-liter V-8— and the top-end power is there, as well.

CONS Exterior styling not distinctive enough • Weak lane keep assist “This vehicle is one of the • Basic three-year warranty is not competitive best-handling large SUVs I’ve driven so far,” Loh said. “It he Grand Wagoneer L is the inches of available screen area absolutely puts every other big largest and grandest Jeep (including a co-pilot screen for the three-row on the trailer on the on the market, extending front passenger), clever storage, winding track. It’s very composed more than a foot longer than the excellent massaging and reclining through the corners.” shorter-wheelbase Jeep Grand seats, and a massive amount of But features editor Christian Wagoneer, which is an already space in all three rows. “There’s not Seabaugh experienced some huge full-size SUV. a bad seat in the house,” head of lag under hard acceleration as It’s a tale of two designs. The editorial Ed Loh said. the transmission took a beat to exterior is bland—with no Jeep Propelling this humongous Jeep, respond, and the brake feel was badging, you might not guess the new high-output version of the too soft for his liking. what it is if not for the giant Hurricane 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6 The SUV drives like a much “Wagoneer” lettering across the delivers 510 horsepower and 500 smaller vehicle until you hit big back. That isn’t by accident; Jeep lb-ft of torque, and it comes paired impacts on the road, which serve treats Wagoneer as its own brand. with an eight-speed automatic. as a reminder of how heavy it is.

You won’t care about branding It’s smooth and creamy to drive, Push it, and there is some body roll, once inside, however, because providing the right amount of what almost unavoidable in a vehicle the interior is a luxurious delight, you need when you need it. The this size with such a comfortable with thick leather, inlaid aluminum engine’s low-end, off-the-line suspension. Of course, this is still a “Grand Wagoneer” lettering oomph is as good as a V-8’s— Jeep—er, Wagoneer—so it offers on the woodgrain dash, 75.0 non-L Grand Wagoneers offer three four-wheel-drive systems

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and a height-adjustable air suspension; unsurprisingly, it tore through the off-road test without breaking a sweat.

Judges appreciated the intuitive infotainment system, which has hard controls for the audio and HVAC systems. “There are plenty of USBs for passengers, excellent storage for all, excellent seating throughout the cabin, and excellent ingress/ egress for the third row,” guest judge Gordon Dickie said. “And when you do get in, it is actually comfortable, so, well done.”

The Grand Wagoneer L is aimed at the upper crust, notably to go up against the Lincoln Navigator L and the Cadillac Escalade ESV, while also taking a stab at the Range Rover. This top-end Jeep has been years in the making, and families will appreciate this fine road-tripping vehicle.

“It’s a shame Jeep declined to put its name on this vehicle,” senior editor Aaron Gold said, “because it’s really an accomplishment it should be very proud of.” Alisa Priddle

2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L (Series II) Base Price/As Tested

$101,000 (est)/$114,000 (est)

Power (SAE Net)

510 hp @ 5,700 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

500 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

5.0 sec

Quarter Mile

13.5 sec @ 102.7 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

138 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.73 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.2 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

14/19/16 mpg (est)

EPA Range, Comb

488 miles (est)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 3.0L twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve I-6, 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 6,410 lb (51/49%) WHEELBASE 130.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 226.7 x 83.6 x 77.3 in ON SALE Late 2022 42 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2023 Kia Niro

Abundant cheap-feeling plastic deepens the economy car vibe. High-end models hide those under plush materials, and digital director Erik Johnson in the thumbs. Even so, he lauded “all the little bins and cubbies” throughout the attractive and spacious cabin.

A few details diminish the Niro’s practicality. Its cargo area is deep, but the second row doesn’t fold flat. The EV’s 85-kW peak charge rate isn’t competitive; consider the Kia EV6’s ability to absorb electrons at up to 240 kW. PROS Airy, attractive, practical cabin layout • Impressive digital displays • Three ways to save on gas CONS Choppy, noisy ride quality • EV model’s slow recharging

• Simply not an SUV

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ere’s a rare instance where the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo can be equated to the Kia Niro. Not because of its electrified focus, but because we struggled to decide which Of The Year contest to invite them to—SUV or Car? In these cases, we typically defer to the automaker’s preference. Porsche said its Taycan Cross Turismo fit in better at our 2022 SUV of the Year party, and it was almost correct. Likewise, Kia claimed the redesigned Niro was ready to run through our 2023 SUV of the Year wringer.

The Niro appeared twice previously at our annual competitions, in 2018 and

2020—but both times it competed for Car of the Year. What about this Niro, new for 2023, makes it an SUV? Other than Kia’s marketing preferences, we’re still unsure.

As before, the Niro is frontdrive-only, which hindered it in off-road assessments. Features editor Christian Seabaugh hit its limits. “I had to bail on the sand as it bogged down and couldn’t get moving,” he said. “In a first for me, it barely made it up the hill climb, spinning its wheels all the way to the top.” No judge held illusions that the Niro is Rubicon-ready, but these struggles undermined an idea of its SUV-ness. As Detroit editor Alisa Priddle pointed out,

“I’m trying hard to understand the logic of offering three electrified powertrains but not all-wheel drive, given SUV buyers want it whether they need it or not.”

The Niro is offered as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and a full EV. With the most power and torque, the EV was the driver’s choice, yet all share certain dynamic attributes.

“It’s surprisingly not bad on the handling course,” associate editor Duncan Brady said. “The tires could use more grip, but I’m sure buyers would trade lateral g’s for mpgs.” Several judges noted good blending of regenerative and friction braking, but more bemoaned the loud, harsh ride.

Buyer’s guide director Zach Gale equated it to an economy car: “I thought this punched above its price point until it made a huge banging noise over a road imperfection. And then I realized, ‘OK, there it is.’”

Hybrid

In 2023, what defines a true SUV is less clear than ever—such ambiguity even applies to this year’s winner. When our judging panel started making cuts, it recognized the Niro’s appeal as a value-oriented, fuel-saving runabout.

Ultimately, though, we held that Kia pitted it in the wrong contest.

Said Seabaugh: “The Niro could perhaps do well at Car of the Year—but not here.” Alex Leanse

2023 Kia Niro

EV

Base Price/As Tested Power (SAE Net)

$39,000 (est)/$39,000 (est) $27,785/$33,785 105 hp @ 5,700 rpm (gas), 201 hp 11+43 hp (elec); 139 hp (comb)

PHEV

Torque (SAE Net)

188 lb-ft

106 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm (gas), 106 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm (gas), 26+125 lb-ft (elec); 195 lb-ft (comb) 26+150 lb-ft (elec); 195 lb-ft (comb)

Accel, 0-60 mph

6.5 sec

9.1 sec

Quarter Mile

15.0 sec @ 95.5 mph

16.9 sec @ 81.9 mph

15.7 sec @ 89.8 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

132 ft

121 ft

129 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.79 g (avg)

0.84 g (avg)

0.80 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.3 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)

27.9 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)

27.9 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

113 mpg-e (est)

53/45/49 mpg

108 mpg-e* (gas+elec)

EPA Range, Comb

253 miles (est)

539 miles

33 (elec)/510 (gas+elec)* miles

$35,000 (est)/$35,000 (est) 104 hp @ 5,700 rpm (gas), 11+83 hp (elec); 180 hp (comb)

7.3 sec

EV; HYBRID; PHEV VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-motor; front-engine/motor, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTOR, TRANSMISSION Permanent-magnet elec, 1-speed automatic; 1.6L direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus permanent-magnet elec, 6-speed twin-clutch auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,717 lb (56/44%); 3,216 lb (60/40%); 3,465 lb (57/43%) WHEELBASE 107.0; 107.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 174.0 x 71.8 x 61.8; 174.0 x 71.8 x 60.8 in ON SALE Now *EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 43

Contenders

2022 Kia Sorento Plug-In

PROS Useful all-electric driving potential • Spacious, versatile, and functional • Excellent driver assist features CONS Disadvantageous powertrain strategy • Hesitant accelerator responses • Six-seat configuration is mandatory

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e’re Sorento fans over here. The gas-powered version of this crossover enabled fun adventures during its stay in our long-term review fleet and was a surprise finalist at our 2022 SUV of the Year competition. Much has changed since then. Gas prices now hover in the realm of absurdity, making this a great time for the Sorento plug-in hybrid, a late addition to the lineup, to arrive and vie for our 2023 SUV of the Year award.

The plug-in hybrid builds on the conventional hybrid version, keeping that model’s 1.6-liter turbocharged I-4 but gaining a 13.8-kWh battery and a more powerful electric motor that

deliver up to 32 miles of driving sans gasoline.

As a midsize crossover with three rows, the Sorento already splits segments. But with the PHEV model, Kia created a category of essentially one. “This is the niche buster that Toyota, Honda, and Ford can’t or won’t build,” buyer’s guide director Zach Gale said. “I appreciate that this sub-$50,000 three-row plug-in even exists.”

Only the smaller Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV also fits that description.

Existing is one thing; performing is another. Like with Sorento models that competed last year, judges praised the PHEV’s design and versatility. Head of editorial Ed Loh called it a “very impressive piece of packaging” with a “luxurious and comfortable” second row. Although most judges agreed the third row’s sizing is better for quick carpools than long trips, associate editor Duncan Brady appreciated its cupholders, cubbies, and charge ports, “all of which will please the minivanreplacement crowd.” Detroit editor Alisa Priddle noted its second- and third-row child-seat compatibility is key for families.

That’s all true of any Sorento, though; what about its plug-in powertrain? Electric range of 32 miles is plenty for many drivers’

daily needs, but it comes with too many caveats. A slow peak charge rate of 3.6 kW means staying tethered for approximately four hours on a 240-volt Level 2 plug. Plan to leave it connected overnight on a 110-volt outlet.

More vexing is that the electric miles begin to fade as soon as the Sorento PHEV drives away from the plug. That’s no issue for drivers who want to use EV mode immediately, but unlike some PHEVs, there’s no way to prioritize the gas engine and save precisely the amount of charge left for later.

The charge dwindles until it hits a minimum state, at which point the Sorento PHEV effectively becomes a Sorento Hybrid—only more expensive. In fact, Gale’s praise proved short-lived, as a few weeks later Kia announced that for 2023 the Sorento PHEV will be sold in a single high-end trim level that costs more than $50,000.

Other than delayed accelerator pedal responses in EV mode, this Sorento drives fine, returning a settled ride and accurate steering.

Its safety earns commendation, on account of its IIHS 2022 Top Safety Pick designation, which credits

Kia’s useful and consistent driver assist tech.

The Sorento PHEV really hinges on value and whether its electric driving capability is worth the outlay given the shortsighted powertrain programming. For certain use cases, it might be—but filling a deeply specific niche isn’t enough to bag our SUV of the Year award. Alex Leanse

2022 Kia Sorento AWD Eco Plug-In (SX Prestige) Base Price/As Tested

$49,385/$50,040

Power (SAE Net)

177 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 90 hp (elec); 261 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 224 lb-ft (elec); 258 lb-ft (comb) 7.4 sec 15.6 sec @ 90.5 mph 122 ft 0.83 g (avg) 27.7 sec @ 0.61 g (avg) 35/33/34 mpg (gas), 83/75/79 mpg-e* (gas+elec)

Accel, 0-60 mph Quarter Mile Braking, 60-0 mph Lateral Acceleration MT Figure Eight EPA City/Hwy/Comb EPA Range, Comb

32 miles (elec), 460 miles (gas+elec)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine/motor, AWD, 6-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTOR, TRANSMISSION 1.6L turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus permanent-magnet elec, 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,615 lb (55/45%) WHEELBASE 110.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 189.4 x 74.8 x 66.7 in ON SALE Now 44 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

*EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

Contenders I SUVOTY

2022 Lexus LX 600

PROS More interior cargo space • Hasn’t lost its off-road chops • Comfortable first and second rows CONS Bouncy, trucklike ride on the road • Third row is tough to access • Interior quality still falls behind competitors

T

he 2022 Lexus LX 600 is the all-new version of the luxury brand’s body-onframe off-roader, even moving to an all-new chassis mostly in an attempt to make it more comfortable and handle better on-road.

Yet the LX still feels strikingly old-school, for better or worse.

The big change is the switch to the Toyota GA-F platform, which is shared with the Toyota Tundra, Sequoia, and global Land Cruiser.

With the new chassis comes the new downsized 3.4-liter twinturbo V-6 good for 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque linked to a new 10-speed automatic transmission.

(The engine is confusingly marketed as a 3.5-liter, but the

fine print reveals it actually displaces 3.445 liters.) Thanks to the GA-F platform, Lexus could offer a hybrid powertrain option in the future, as Toyota has in the new Tundra, but the company already confirmed it will not offer a diesel for this model.

This new powertrain and chassis, along with a new aluminum roof panel, contributes

to a weight reduction of between 90 and 300 pounds on our scales, and fuel economy improves from 12/16 mpg city/highway to 17/22.

Still, the LX can’t shake its truck-based roots, with digital director Erik Johnson feeling “a ton of secondary vibrations, especially over rougher surfaces, that filter up through the frame into the body and on to the driver.” However, it was still plenty capable in our off-road testing, with Johnson calling it a “tank that will get you wherever you need to go” in any of its three drive modes.

But the LX is really meant to shine inside, where it received the most significant improvements.

It offers a commanding seating position, an updated infotainment system that no longer looks outdated, betterquality materials (in most places), and a comfortably equipped

second-row bench. However, the third row is difficult to access and features noticeably downgraded materials quality compared to the rest of the cabin.

Overall, the package just doesn’t measure up to the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, or any of the German luxury SUVs, all of which offer more premium audio systems, bigger screens with better graphics, and more premium materials throughout the cabin.

“This may be the flagship Lexus SUV, but it’s nowhere close to being a three-row version of the LS sedan,” associate editor Alex Leanse said. “Details like the jiggly shift knob, flimsy leather upholstery, and small gauge display are substandard and behind the times for a new luxury SUV. I’m not convinced Lexus buyers would be so satisfied by the LX’s rugged capability that they’d overlook all the niceties and trim they don’t get in it.”

Still, the LX may move plenty of units based on its reputation and its go-anywhere attitude, especially its truckish qualities,

even if they compromise its ride quality on the road.

Guest judge Gordon Dickie said it felt like the LX could have gone on sale 15 years ago, but as the used car market has shown, there are plenty of people looking for the old-school style of rugged luxury the LX 600 still delivers.

Justin Westbrook

2022 Lexus LX 600 (Luxury) Base Price/As Tested

$104,345/$106,940

Power (SAE Net)

409 hp @ 5,200 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

479 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

6.1 sec

Quarter Mile

14.5 sec @ 95.9 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

136 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.73 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.4 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

17/22/19 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

400 miles (est)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 3.4L twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6, 10-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,918 lb (53/47%) WHEELBASE 112.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 200.2 x 78.4 x 72.6–81.6 in ON SALE Now JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 45

Contenders

2023 Maserati Grecale

PROS Magnificent engine and chassis • Thrilling to drive

• Dripping with Italian charm

CONS High price • Hard ride • Alfa Romeo Stelvio delivers similar thrills for less cash

A

lthough it wears an SUV body, Maserati’s new Grecale Trofeo is an Italian exotic in nearly every other respect, and if the visuals don’t make that obvious, firing up and revving the 523-hp MC20sourced engine sure as hell will.

From the lipstick-red interior to the screaming turbo engine, no other contender in our SUV of the Year competition waved the flag for its country of origin like the Maserati.

And yes, the driving experience is every bit as electrifying as the visuals promise. “What a chassis!” digital director Erik Johnson said.

“Incredibly responsive steering, braking, and powertrain. Lovely

damping and best brake pedal here. Tons of personality from the engine. I love the way it sounds, and I love the way it looks. It’s by far the most charismatic thing in the competition—only the Hyundai Kona N comes kind of close, but it’s merely in the same solar system, not on the same planet.”

So it’s good, but it isn’t the best.

At least two judges invoked the name of Porsche’s Macan—not a contender this year—to suggest the Maser wasn’t as good. That’s an issue because the Macan is precisely the SUV the Grecale was designed to compete against.

An even bigger problem was another brand that kept coming up in the judges’ notes: Maserati’s

sister marque, Alfa Romeo.

Seven judges separately expressed nearly identical sentiments: “It feels like a slightly richer flavor of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.” “Driving it quickly reminds me of the Stelvio; no wonder, it has the same underpinnings.” “I love this thing right to the core of my being, but what precisely makes it a Maserati and not an Alfa Romeo?”

The Grecale certainly drew no shortage of compliments for its high-luxe driving environs. We liked the four-screen dashboard; one of those screens—the round one—takes the place of the traditional analog clock and can show performance data, as well. But we also noticed idiosyncrasies, such as paddle shifters that blocked access to the column stalks and door seals that couldn’t keep out the dust from our low-traction course

(which, by the way, the Grecale handled just fine despite its road-biased summer tires). And although it was by far the quickest gas-powered SUV in this year’s competition, it couldn’t outrun the mightiest electrics.

Compared to the Stelvio, the Grecale does have the advantage of more space for rear passengers, an important factor not lost on associate editor Alex Leanse: “Maserati didn’t forget to make this a usable SUV. The back seat is spacious and has lots of amenities.” Associate editor Duncan Brady made similar observations: “Nice that it has 40/20/40 fold-flat rear seats with HVAC controls and charge ports back here. Cargo space is larger than I expected.” And that’s important because the Trofeo isn’t the only version; Maserati will also offer four-cylinder versions with 296 or 325 hp.

But the Trofeo was what we

had in front of us, and we stopped short of deeming it a practical SUV. We couldn’t ignore its hard, noisy ride or its high price. Options, including a $3,100 suite of driver assistance features (most of which come standard on a $24,000 Toyota Corolla Cross), inflated the price to $122,255.

We can’t deny the Grecale Trofeo delivers thrills worth paying for, but it’s a lot of money for what head of editorial Ed Loh accurately called “a very one-note vehicle.” Aaron Gold

2023 Maserati Grecale Trofeo Base Price/As Tested

$103,995/$122,255

Power (SAE Net)

523 hp @ 6,500 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

457 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

3.7 sec

Quarter Mile

12.2 sec @ 113.8 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

108 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.87 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

25.2 sec @ 0.76 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

18/25/20 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

338 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 3.0L twin-turbo port- and direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 90-degree V-6, 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,584 lb (53/47%) WHEELBASE 114.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 191.3 x 77.9 x 65.3 in ON SALE Fall 2022 46 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2023 Mazda CX-50

PROS Fun to drive • Premium interior details • Attractive styling CONS Firm ride • Heavy steering effort • Small panoramic moonroof opening

M

azda ventures farther into the outdoors than it ever has with the new CX-50.

For buyers seeking the go-anywhere look and capability of the Subaru Outback in a less shouty design, the CX-50 could be their ride. Or at least, that’s how Mazda might present its case. So don’t judge it simply based on its stylish headlights, long hood, and entertaining driving dynamics. That it looks good and drives well should come as no surprise, but what else does it offer?

For years, Mazda’s only compact SUV has been the CX-5, which continues alongside the longer, lower, and wider CX-50. Engine options

begin with the standard 187-hp 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I-4; a turbocharged version of that powerplant good for 227 hp (or 256 hp with 93-octane fuel) is the uplevel option. Sounds good enough, and really, the CX-50

2023 Mazda CX-50

AWD (2.5 S)

Turbo AWD (Premium Plus)

Base Price/As Tested

$28,025/$39,495

$37,625/$43,170

Power (SAE Net)

187 hp @ 6,000 rpm

227 hp @ 5,000 rpm*

Torque (SAE Net)

186 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

310 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

8.5 sec

7.0 sec

Quarter Mile

16.5 sec @ 84.1 mph

15.4 sec @ 89.7 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

118 ft

117 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.81 g (avg)

0.84 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.0 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)

26.8 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

24/30/27 mpg

23/29/25 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

427 miles

395 miles

of engine, off-road performance mostly impressed us.

“This thing was so much fun in the dirt,” Detroit editor Alisa Priddle said of the more powerful CX-50. “It would start drifting then start to slow down, but when the turbo would kick in with a renewed burst of power, it would fly out again.” The standard CX-50 handled itself fine off-road, as well, but a couple editors noted more power would have made things easier.

Our two loaded test SUVs did their best premium impression, and the effort was received well. “I love the interior design of this car— the contrast stitching, climate control pod, slim, high-mounted infotainment display—and the exterior looks sensational,” associate editor Duncan Brady said.

“It feels more BMW than massmarket compact SUV.” A few details pull the CX-50 down, however. There’s the superoffers few surprises for those familiar with the brand.

Our test team lauded the way the CX-50 conducted itself in our performance tests. Road test editor Chris Walton likened its brake feel and modulation to that of a sports car and said it was well balanced on the skidpad. Multiple editors echoed that general sentiment during more normal driving, though many wished the steering weren’t so heavy and the ride weren’t as firm. A few also wanted the CX-50 2.5 to be a tad quicker.

“On pavement, the lower-spec model feels gutless,” features editor Christian Seabaugh said.

“There’s just nothing there, especially at the engine’s top end. I can’t imagine how slow this will feel filled up for a weekend trip.” That’s true, but to be fair, a number of base-engine compact SUVs feel that way. Regardless

small opening of the panoramic dual-panel sunroof, and Mazda’s conventional powertrains deliver fuel economy that’s just OK. Also, its cargo area is smaller than those of the segment leaders.

Those last two criticisms could apply to many Mazdas available today. Where the CX-50 differs is in its design details and in offering an off-road mode. Although the SUV is a solid Mazda, a few missteps and a clear focus on fun and fashion kept it from earning a spot as a 2023 SUV of the Year finalist. Zach Gale

AWD; TURBO AWD VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 2.5L direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4; 2.5L turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,779 lb (58/42%); 3,863 lb (59/41%) WHEELBASE 110.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 185.8 x 75.6 x 63.5 in ON SALE Now *256 hp on 93-octane fuel

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 47

Contenders

2022 Mercedes-EQ EQB-Class

PROS Right size for city living • Handsome baby box styling

• Surprisingly agile

CONS Low maximum charging speed • New … except it’s not

• Interior comes across as dour

W

ho doesn’t love a juice box? Fun to look at and packed with funky flavor, they’re the perfect beverage analogue for the new Mercedes-EQ EQB electric luxury SUV—right down to the little straw.

But for as much as we like the EQB 350, the SUV’s little straw, er, limited maximum charging speed, stands out as wholly inadequate in today’s EV marketplace. Where some small EVs boast charge speeds that comfortably exceed 200 kW, the mini Mercedes is limited to a maximum of just 100 kW, a relative trickle that nearly all other electric vehicles now surpass.

Its 227 miles of range also falls short compared to much of its

competition. That’s more than enough for day-to-day driving, but 300 miles is today’s baseline. Asking buyers to fork over 60 grand for a car that charges slower and doesn’t go as far as most other EVs at or below this price is a nonstarter. (The Genesis GV60 Performance has a modest 235-mile range, but it also charges at a comparatively blazing 235 kW that can deliver a 10 to 80 percent top-up in 18 minutes or so.)

Some of its electric powertrain shortcomings can be pinned on the fact the EQB is actually old despite being new this year. It’s based on the existing GLB SUV, the handsome “baby G-Wagen” and thus uses a vehicle architecture

that also serves ICE and hybrid applications, so compromises are inherent. Take, for example, the battery packaging, which raises the vehicle floor and seriously crunches room in the rear seats.

“The second row is a real dealbreaker,” senior editor Aaron Gold said. “Mercedes didn’t compensate for the battery by raising the seat bottom, and one sit back there eliminated it as a finalist for me. Even short folks are pinched.”

In a vehicle that offers a nigh useless third row, a second row that can only accommodate kids is a mortal sin. In addition, there’s no frunk for increased utility.

At least the EQB is good to drive. Multiple judges praised its balance and agility, with the word ”nimble” coming up multiple times in their notes. “I like how balanced the power delivery is across both axles,” associate editor Alex Leanse said. “It’s very predictable,”

he added, a quality that makes rotating the EQB around its central axis a snap.

The power delivery is also expertly tuned, with the accelerator pedal offering a fidelity that seems capable of metering output down to the electron. The primary gripes about how it drives are notable body roll—even if it is well controlled—and a one-pedal driving mode incapable of bringing the EQB to a stop. Because we have to use it, we also wouldn’t mind a brake pedal that communicates better with the driver.

As it sits, the EQB 350 is a decent but not great electric vehicle best suited for urban duty, or perhaps as a small daily runabout for those with one or two other, more complete vehicles already in the garage. And any Of The Year winner—heck, any finalist—must be a vehicle that intrigues, that captivates, that moves the goalposts in its segment and beyond.

This Mercedes simply doesn’t and thus didn’t advance to our finalist round. Like a juice box, it’s great

for a quick drink but incapable of slaking a deeper thirst.

The good news is that this EQB is something of a short-timer: We expect an all-new model on a dedicated EV platform to arrive for 2025. So long as that EQB keeps the good and fixes the bad, we won’t be surprised to see it go farther in our SUV of the Year competition. Erik Johnson

2022 Mercedes-EQ EQB 350 4Matic Base Price/As Tested

$59,100/$61,400

Power (SAE Net)

288 hp

Torque (SAE Net)

384 lb-ft

Accel, 0-60 mph

5.6 sec

Quarter Mile

14.4 sec @ 94.1 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

138 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.79 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.4 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

98/93/96 mpg-e

EPA Range, Comb

227 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV MOTORS, TRANSMISSIONS Asynchronous induction (front), permanent-magnet (rear) elec, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,813 lb (51/49%) WHEELBASE 111.3 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 184.4 x 72.2 x 65.6 in ON SALE Now 48 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2023 Mercedes-EQ EQS-Class SUV

PROS Quiet, somewhat nimble driving experience

• First-class accommodations up front • Big, smart HUD CONS Not as refined as EQS sedan • Nonlinear brake feel

• Awkwardly designed third row

A

s full electric luxury flagship SUVs go, the EQS 580 certainly looks like it has the goods to take out the Tesla Model X. Prior to the arrival of this Benz and the Rivian R1S, the Tesla was the only three-row, sevenpassenger electric SUV. Mercedes brings the right specs. At 107.8 kWh, the 580’s battery is larger than the Model X’s and is second only to the R1S’ 133-kWh unit. That should help get approximately 285 miles of range on a full charge, a fair bit behind Tesla’s longest-range Model X, which has a 348-mile range.

Dual permanent-magnet electric motors send a combined 536 hp and 633 lb-ft of torque

through single-speed transmissions to each axle and provide the silent, smooth, and seamless whoosh we now expect from EVs. (Less powerful EQS 450 models are available.) Unexpected is how relatively nimble this 6,423-pound leather-lined sensory deprivation tank can feel thanks to four-wheel steering and air suspension (both standard).

We found that when the going gets bumpy or the EQS is asked to hustle harder than the usual commute, the ride loses some refinement—at least compared to the EQS sedan—and this SUV’s sheer mass becomes apparent.

But on perfect stretches of asphalt, the 580 does a passable

impression of cruising at altitude, and off-road excursions cause only minimal turbulence for cabin occupants.

Flying comparisons don’t end with the cruising behavior. Front passengers are treated to firstclass accommodations, with a world-class head-up display for the driver and dazzling graphics that appear to flow across a single dashboard-spanning screen.

Upon closer inspection, that one screen is actually made up of three individual displays beneath a shared pane of glass.

As stunning as this setup is, its software needs some upgrades.

“The interface is obtuse and forces you to rely on ‘Hey, Mercedes’ voice commands as a band-aid to make up for the poor UX,” features editor Christian Seabaugh said.

“I shouldn’t have to talk to the car to tell it to turn on the HUD or do basic functions.”

The second row does a passable business-class impersonation, with an open feel afforded by the large sunroof and lots of room from the upright, oddly firm seats. But the expected luxury touches, like the huge infotainment screens, pillowy headrests, and individual climate controls, are jarringly offset by a few non-premium aspects, like plasticky buttons and trim and no cupholders in the armrest.

Unfortunately, the third row is no-status, middle-seat economy class, and it’s here the EQS loses most of its luxury and engineering credibility. Ingress and egress are atrocious; just getting back there to unfold the third row requires two hands and a fair amount of shoving. And that is after removing a sturdy sliding cargo cover that bisects the third row.

The EQS 580’s style, substance, and sheer novelty should immediately propel it to the top of the cross-shopping list for potential Tesla Model X buyers. Range and

most of the luxo-tech touches are there, but for this to be worthy of the three-pointed star and tagline “The Best or Nothing,” Mercedes has work to do refining the body motions and various accommodations. We recommend beginning with the fancy pop-out electronic door handles that occasionally do not. Ed Loh

2023 Mercedes-EQ EQS 580 4Matic (SUV) Base Price/As Tested

$127,100/$152,005

Power (SAE Net)

536 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

633 lb-ft (comb)

Accel, 0-60 mph

4.1 sec

Quarter Mile

12.6 sec @ 111.8 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

113 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.82 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

26.1 sec @ 0.70 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

79/74/76 mpg-e

EPA Range, Comb

285 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV MOTORS, TRANSMISSIONS Permanent-magnet elec, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 6,423 lb (48/52%) WHEELBASE 126.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 201.8 x 77.1 x 67.8 in ON SALE Fall 2022 JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 49

Contenders

2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

PROS Usable electric-only range • Quick charging capability • Feature-rich, comfortable interior CONS Puny third row • Wheezy, droning gas engine • Soft suspension struggles with hefty curb weight

D

espite our consistent preaching at the altar of minivan superiority, some folks still can’t bring themselves to buy one. Fair enough. Until recently, if one of those buyers wanted a recommendation for a new affordable three-row plug-in hybrid family car, they’d either need to swallow their pride and buy a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid or grab a much pricier Volvo XC90 or Lincoln Aviator. Now, in addition to the midsize Kia Sorento PHEV, there is a new Outlander PHEV. The standard Outlander was a pleasant surprise at last year’s SUV of the Year competition. A 2022 redesign brought it to the same platform as the Nissan Rogue,

which contributes to a colossal improvement over the vehicle it replaced. Among our complaints was the coarse, underpowered four-cylinder, a problem solved with the new plug-in hybrid.

The PHEV is 2.1 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the standard SUV, and no judges complained about lack of power. That said, the heft of Mitsubishi’s largest SUV was still made obvious by abundant roll through corners and excess body movements after hitting a bump.

There was dissent, though; digital director Erik Johnson acknowledged the softness but called it well-controlled, and Detroit editor Alisa Priddle called the Outlander “fun and nimble.”

Although numerous judges praised the one-pedal drive mode with regenerative braking, drivers who forgo that feature will contend with a brake pedal action that associate editor Alex Leanse called “long, mushy, and vague.”

Likewise, if you run out of juice or ask for full throttle and wake up the engine, the requisite noise is wheezy and unpleasant.

Of course, there’s a subset of buyers who won’t care about the driving-experience details, only that it has enough get-up for merging and passing. That buyer will instead be wowed by quilted leather and an outstanding list of features. Who could’ve guessed there would one day be a Mitsubishi with a panoramic glass roof, a large touchscreen, and massaging seats?

The Outlander PHEV’s 38 miles of electric-only range is more than any other mainstream three-row

plug-in hybrid (the Sorento and Pacifica are both rated for 32 miles), and it’s the only vehicle of that trio with fast-charging capability. Problem is, it might as well be a two-row SUV. The rearmost seat is so cramped it qualifies as “disingenuous to Mitsubishi’s customers,” Leanse said.

The electric range is great and feature content exceptional, but if you absolutely need a three-row plug-in hybrid that isn’t a minivan, the Kia Sorento offers better packaging and similar features at a competitive price point, and that SUV delivers a much better driving experience. The Outlander Hybrid would be perfect for the eco-conscious buyer who, say, carpools five young elementary school students on a 40-mile loop—or only needs the third row very occasionally, regardless of occupant size. Duncan Brady

2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Base Price/As Tested $41,190/$50,000 (est)

Accel, 0-60 mph

132 hp @ 5,000 rpm (gas), 114 hp (fr elec), 134 hp (rr elec); 248 hp (comb est) 144 lb-ft @ 4,300 rpm (gas), 188 lb-ft (fr elec), 144 lb-ft (rr elec); 332 lb-ft (comb est) 6.5 sec

Quarter Mile

15.6 sec @ 84.3 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

131 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.79 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.4 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

25/27/26 mpg (gas), 64 mpg-e* comb (elec + gas)

EPA Range, Comb

420 miles (elec + gas), 38 miles (elec)

Power (SAE Net) Torque (SAE Net)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTOR, TRANSMISSION 2.4L direct-injection Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus front/rear elec, CVT plus 1-speed auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,747 lb (53/47%) WHEELBASE 106.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 185.4 x 73.2 x 68.7 in ON SALE Winter 2022 50 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

*EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

Contenders I SUVOTY

2022 Nissan Rogue Turbo

PROS Improved around-town grunt • Plush ride

• High-quality materials

CONS Lacks feature-per-dollar value • Dated infotainment

• Still no hybrid option

L

ook familiar? Nissan’s compact Rogue SUV competed in our 2021 SUV of the Year contest fresh off a full redesign. We were impressed enough that it earned a finalist spot despite its thrashy, underpowered engine, but Nissan then equipped its small crossover with a new standard powerplant for 2022 and beyond.

The 2022 Rogue’s new turbocharged three-cylinder engine is rare among its compact crossover competition; most of its peers rely on turbofours. Although there’s one other offering with a standard three-pot (the less powerful Ford Escape), no other manufacturer

besides Nissan’s luxury arm Infiniti uses VC-Turbo tech, which alters the engine’s compression ratio to prioritize efficiency or performance based on driving behavior.

The new three-cylinder gets higher EPA ratings than the engine it replaces yet is also more powerful. Especially compared to the outgoing non-turbo fourcylinder, the new setup provides noticeably more low-end grunt around town. Multiple judges called out the I-3’s playful snarl.

Although the engine’s inherent additional vibration is well isolated from the plush seats, we noticed a buzz through the brake pedal and the floor.

Nissan’s CVT automatic still isn’t as responsive as we’d like.

The transmission can take a moment to register your right foot’s requests; some judges appreciated its simulated shifts, but others had little patience for the CVT-induced engine groan at high rpms when trying to execute a pass at highway speed.

The rest of the driving experience is mostly positive.

Staffers praised the Rogue’s cushy ride quality (though guest judge Gordon Dickie called it “a little harsh”) and its competent behavior on winding roads.

A gravel surface revealed no dynamic faults or troubling vibrations, and with a bit of

slip and struggle, the Rogue consistently made it through our snow-simulating sand course.

This year’s judges also appreciated the interior and usability improvements, which we applauded last year, as well. The quilted leather and panoramic roof of our loaded Platinum model impress, the seats are especially comfortable, and second-row access is easy thanks to rear doors that open nearly 90 degrees. Nissan’s infotainment is far from the segment’s best, though; features editor Christian Seabaugh called it “fussy and unintuitive,” and the screen isn’t as responsive as in the best compact SUVs. Examination alongside its peers is where the Rogue failed to earn another finalist finish. The Kia Sportage comes to mind, as it provides similar interior panache with better performance and, in the case of the Sportage Hybrid, superior efficiency figures. Nissan offers no hybrid model in this space, and at more than $42,000 for our loaded Rogue Platinum test vehicle, other compact SUVs offer more for less. Duncan Brady

2022 Nissan Rogue Platinum AWD Base Price/As Tested

$39,725/$42,395

Power (SAE Net)

201 hp @ 5,600 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

225 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

8.4 sec

Quarter Mile

16.4 sec @ 86.2 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

125 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.81 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.7 sec @ 0.60 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

28/34/31 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

450 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 1.5L turbo direct-injected DOHC 12-valve I-3, cont variable auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,721 lb (58/42%) WHEELBASE 106.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 183.0 x 72.4 x 66.5 in ON SALE Now JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 51

Contenders

2022 Toyota Corolla Cross

PROS Lots of standard safety features • Available high-end convenience features • Straightforward, easy-to-use controls CONS Sluggish acceleration • Driving dynamics are less than dynamic • Some cheap interior fittings

W

e’ll be honest: None of us expected Toyota’s new Corolla Cross to win SUV of the Year, nor did we expect it to be a raging disappointment.

We figured Toyota’s newest SUV, which squeezes into the lineup between the smaller C-HR and larger RAV4, would exhibit the kind of hard-working, no-frills competence that keeps society functioning. And that’s exactly what it did.

The Corolla Cross doesn’t look anything like a regular Corolla, at least from the outside. In fact, it reminds us of a baby Highlander, with a squared-off body that stands 3.6 inches longer and 7.7 inches taller than the Corolla

sedan. Considering the heated debates about whether some of our SUV contenders really were SUVs, we appreciated the Corolla Cross’ lack of ambiguity. This is an SUV in all but half of its name.

Beyond the body, though, this really is a Corolla: same TNGA-C platform, same 169-hp 2.0-liter I-4 and CVT, same suspension setup (with the Corolla sedan’s twistbeam rear axle for front-drive examples and the hatchback’s multilink rear with AWD), and largely the same dashboard layout. And it certainly felt like it has the last-forever build quality Corollas are famous for.

The Corolla Cross drew a few demerits for some cheap

interior bits and a tinny feel to its doors, but it won praise for its equipment levels, particularly the suite of safety and driver assistance features that come standard on all models. Our top-of-the-line XLE priced out at $32,789 thanks to a few extra-cost options, including a power tailgate, which associate editor Bob Hernandez noted was “another convenient feature only just trickling down to less expensive mainstream vehicles.”

In terms of driving dynamics, the Corolla Cross didn’t exactly get our blood a-pumpin’. Its 9.3-second 0–60 run felt more like a brisk walk, though it was 0.5 second quicker than its archrival, the new Honda HR-V. We also found high levels of engine and wind noise, an unsettled ride over the worst pavement surfaces, and quite a bit of body lean out on the road course.

Still, our all-wheel-drive example exhibited good grip on loose gravel and sand surfaces, which translates to sure-footed traction in wet and snowy weather. The steering felt responsive despite a lack of feedback, and brake-pedal feel was a surprising high point. Space in the second row and cargo area was fine for such a small SUV, though the décor (particularly in the back seats) felt parsimonious in nature. “It feels basic and built to a price point well below this vehicle’s $32,789 MSRP,” associate editor Alex Leanse said.

Toyota has a hybrid version of the Corolla Cross on the way, but it wasn’t ready in time for our SUVOTY competition. The electrified powertrain should greatly improve on the 2.0-liter’s tame acceleration, but it’s a regular hybrid, not a plug-in, so it probably wouldn’t have launched the Corolla Cross into a finalist position.

So no, this Toyota is not SUVOTY winner material, but unlike many of its competitors, it did earn our respect as a useful and costeffective subcompact SUV.

Associate editor Duncan Brady summed it up quite tidily. “The Corolla Cross isn’t so bad,” he said. “It’s efficient and cheap and has all the safety features you can imagine. The only issue is that it doesn’t do anything new or interesting or special.”

Aaron Gold

2022 Toyota Corolla Cross XLE AWD Base Price/As Tested

$29,210/$32,789

Power (SAE Net)

169 hp @ 6,600 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

150 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

9.3 sec

Quarter Mile

17.1 sec @ 83.1 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

120 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.80 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.2 sec @ 0.57 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

29/32/30 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

397 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 2.0L direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, cont variable auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,389 lb (59/41%) WHEELBASE 103.9 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 175.6 x 71.9 x 64.8 in ON SALE Now 52 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2023 Toyota Highlander

PROS Significantly reduced emissions • Well-equipped interior with lots of storage • Seats up to eight CONS Engine noise creeps into cabin • XSE lacks sufficient performance differentiation • Cramped third row

T

he updated Highlander midsize SUV is just as notable for what it adds as for what it discards. The new Highlander swaps in a different gas-only powertrain as an alternative to its available hybrid setup, and the new turbocharged I-4 engine makes more torque but produces less power than the old V-6 it replaces. Can 18 percent more torque make up for a loss of 30 horsepower?

With 265 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque, the four-cylinder is linked to an eight-speed automatic, and Toyota says the new setup is intended to deliver not only performance but also reduced NOx emissions, by up to 50

percent. Also to the good, it can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Toyota’s trade-off of power for torque seems to pass muster on the road—in certain cases.

For example, digital director Erik Johnson found the new setup “powerful enough to move the Highlander with just a driver aboard and sprightly enough off the line,” but he’s not so sure about it with “a roster of four or five people and their stuff.” It also doesn’t sound particularly great, with associate editor Duncan Brady reporting the engine note as downright unpleasant. The Highlander’s noise issues carried over to the suspension, which also produced notable jiggle

and secondary motions when traversing bumpy pavement.

The XSE AWD is fitted with the Highlander’s more advanced of two available AWD options, with torque vectoring, drive mode selection, and driveline disconnect for a front-drive mode that improves fuel economy.

During our off-road testing, Detroit editor Alisa Priddle was “surprised at the ease with which it sliced through the deep sand.”

She also found the off-road buttons and settings with various drive modes straightforward and easy to use. At the same time, many judges experienced significant stability control intervention in the dirt and some hesitation in sending power to the rear wheels. But as a car-based crossover, it did well enough; it never got stuck, anyway.

The Highlander’s interior also received updates, including

a newly standard 7.0-inch driver display screen and an optional 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The Highlander offers a seven-seat, three-row layout with standard three-zone climate controls; an optional second-row bench seat bumps capacity to eight bodies. Those riding in the way back, however, might not love it. Buyer’s guide director Zach Gale noted the floor was uncomfortably high for third-row passengers, and head of editorial Ed Loh called it cramped. Even with the third row in use, though, there’s still decent cargo room, accessed by a new hands-free power liftgate.

One weird quirk every judge called out was the Highlander’s uneven front armrests for the driver and front passenger—one elbow rests higher than the other.

It’s bizarre, uncomfortable, and annoying.

Overall, the new Highlander is comfortable and well equipped, serving up plenty of charge ports, storage cubbies, and other things families on the move crave. But despite the

fresh turbo-four’s improved fuel economy, a new engine wasn’t necessarily what this Toyota needed. “The Highlander’s not going to disappoint very many buyers,” Johnson said, “but no aspect of it will get anyone’s heart beating faster, either.”

Justin Westbrook

2023 Toyota Highlander XSE AWD Base Price/As Tested $46,000 (est)/$46,000 (est) Power (SAE Net)

265 hp @ 6,000 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

310 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

8.0 sec

Quarter Mile

16.1 sec @ 88.3 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

132 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.81 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.5 sec @ 0.61 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb 21/28/24 mpg (mfr est) EPA Range, Comb

430 miles (est)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 2.4L turbo port- and direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,411 lb (55/45%) WHEELBASE 112.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 197.4 x 76.0 x 68.1 in ON SALE Fall 2022 JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 53

Contenders 2023 Toyota Sequoia

PROS Much improved fuel economy • Chiseled, chunky looks • Well-considered three-row functionality CONS Generally unrefined driving manners • Feels overwhelmed off-road • Top trims are quite expensive

A

fter 14 years, the Toyota Sequoia turns a new leaf and is—finally—redesigned for 2023. Beyond its headlinegrabbing turbocharged V-6 hybrid powertrain, the third-gen Sequoia’s design and features are thoroughly modernized. Even so, the Sequoia seemed old-school amid the futuristic field at our 2023 SUV of the Year contest.

Hybridization drastically improves this full-sizer’s efficiency; it gets better city fuel economy than its V-8 predecessor did on the highway. However, the V-6 and electric motor’s integration split opinions. Senior editor Aaron Gold was positive, saying, “It feels like a V-8 with

something more to it—as if there’s an invisible force pushing the vehicle along.” Conversely, features editor Christian Seabaugh felt the powertrain “slingshots the Sequoia forward,” and despite augmented engine sounds rumbling through the cabin, “it isn’t as quick as it wants you to think it is.” In low-speed maneuvers the engine shuts off to save fuel and lurches slightly when it fires back up.

Perhaps a Sequoia TRD Pro would’ve performed better off-road than our luxurious Capstone test model. Loose surfaces flummoxed it and triggered excessive computer intervention. Associate editor

Duncan Brady was frustrated by how “even with traction control off, the system limited the powertrain’s potential.”

Seabaugh was nearly stranded because the Sequoia “pulled a ton of power while climbing up the sandy hill, almost digging itself in.”

That said, with four-wheel drive engaged, it eventually found its way back onto pavement.

Qualms about the chassis were common. Guest judge Gordon Dickie noted “shimmying typical of body-on-frame construction” on textured surfaces and excessive body roll on the smooth handling course. Brady couldn’t escape its “unsettled” feeling and noted how “the front end feels planted, but there’s a constant jiggle from the rear.” Gold called the road manners “big-car clumsy.”

Refinement matters less than functionality in a three-row SUV of this ilk, however, and

here the Sequoia fares better.

An adjustable load floor and partitions in the cargo area enable diverse storage solutions.

Digital director Erik Johnson called the third row “one of the easiest in terms of ingress and egress,” and he appreciated the “little set of ‘stairs’ that lead from the ground to the far back.”

Up front, various switchgear struck some judges as almost comically oversized, but it’s plenty usable. Similarly, the available 14.0-inch touchscreen impressed in its presentation, but we’d deeply appreciate a home button. We’re also not fans of subscription-based navigation, though beaming directions over wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto works.

Those eyeing the Sequoia for family duty should remember Toyota builds other three-row hybrid vehicles: the Highlander and Sienna. Those are similarly versatile, more fuel efficient, and significantly less expensive.

Neither can match the Sequoia’s 9,000-pound tow rating, but Seabaugh predicted this hybrid SUV’s mushy brake feel will

compromise confidence during pulling exercises.

It comes down to this: When we recommend the Sienna and Highlander—neither finalists in their most recent Of The Year appearances—instead of the Sequoia, it tracks that the Sequoia isn’t finalist material, either. Alex Leanse

2023 Toyota Sequoia Capstone (4x4) Base Price/As Tested

$80,095/$80,095

Power (SAE Net)

389 hp @ 5,200 rpm (gas), 48 hp (elec); 437 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

479 lb-ft @ 2,400 rpm (gas), 184 lb-ft (elec); 583 lb-ft (comb)

Accel, 0-60 mph

5.6 sec

Quarter Mile

14.2 sec @ 97.7 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

134 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.74 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.4 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

19/22/20 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

450 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTOR, TRANSMISSION 3.4L twin-turbo port- and direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6 plus front elec, 10-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 6,183 lb (50/50%) WHEELBASE 122.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 208.1 x 79.6 x 74.5 in ON SALE Now 54 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Contenders I SUVOTY

2022 Volvo C40 Recharge

PROS Shocking, bat-out-of-hell acceleration • Stylish, sustainable interior • Cute crossover-coupe countenance CONS Poor handling • Head-tossing ride • Range is only adequate

I

n one obvious way, there is less to love about the Volvo C40 Recharge compared to its older brother, the XC40 Recharge.

The two all-electric crossovers are based on the same architecture, including a 75-kWh battery pack and single-speed automatic transmissions, but the rearward-sloping roofline of the coupelike C40 means it provides less cargo-carrying capacity (with a gain of 3 miles of range, to 226 miles total on a full charge).

Safety has long been Volvo’s selling point, but the brand focuses just as much on three other s-words working hand in glove: sustainable Scandinavian style. The blacked-out roof and

Fjord Blue paint, unique for the Launch Edition C40, give the chunky coupeish crossover a sporty edge. Inside, the steering wheel and shifter feel like they’re covered in tanned hide, but it’s vinyl. Leather is no longer an option in any Volvo EV going forward, so seating surfaces are covered in either a suede

guest judge Gordon Dickie said.

“Going through the bends, the suspension was jittery, and it tended to plow with too much body roll.”

Detroit editor Alisa Priddle agreed, noting the C40 is “horrible over any kind of bumps, big or small. Probably the worst ride of the field on the ‘special surfaces’ portion—jangling and bouncing all over the place on its overly stiff suspension.”

Driving range is on the lower end now that more EV entrants have crowded the compact SUV space. The C40’s 226-mile range would have been reasonably competitive a couple years ago, but with 300-plus miles now the benchmark for this segment, the C40 Recharge is simply not that appealing.

We liked the XC40 Recharge at our 2022 SUV of the Year competition and noted it was quicker and more affordable

textile (made of 100 percent recycled polyester) or a fabric made of 30 percent wool and 70 percent polyester. The matching blue carpet on the floor, door inserts, and transmission tunnel is made entirely of recycled polyester. Across the dash sits an eye-catching strip of backlit recycled plastic, printed with a topographic contour map of Sweden’s Abisko National Park.

Although these stylish and environmentally conscious touches might bring comfort to the senses and soul, the driving dynamics inspire us far less.

The C40 is stunningly quick in a straight line, but it falls apart when the road gets twisty. Where you might expect a ride and handling trade-off benefiting one versus the other, in this case, both are bad. “On the winding road, I was shocked by how poorly this vehicle handled,”

than the base Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. The same holds true for the C40, but these party tricks have worn thin.

Sure, Volvo is pioneering Google’s Android operating system in the C40, which gives it cutting-edge tech to go with its smart and sustainable style, but competition is fierce at this price point. Others offer greater range and superior driving dynamics at a lower cost. Quick and cute only go so far. Ed Loh

2022 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin (Ultimate) Base Price/As Tested $59,845/$60,540 Power (SAE Net)

201 hp (front), 201 hp (rear); 402 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

243 lb-ft (front), 243 lb-ft (rear); 486 lb-ft (comb)

Accel, 0-60 mph

4.2 sec

Quarter Mile

12.8 sec @ 109.0 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

125 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.78 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

26.3 sec @ 0.72 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb 94/80/87 mpg-e EPA Range, Comb

226 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTORS, TRANSMISSIONS Permanent-magnet elec, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,762 lb (52/48%) WHEELBASE 106.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 174.8 x 73.7 x 62.8 in ON SALE Now JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 55

Finalists 2022 BMW iX

PROS Excellent handling • Sublime interior design and details • Hands-free driving tech CONS That face is really something • Overcomplicated, labyrinthine infotainment • Hexagonal steering wheel isn’t for everyone

F

rom its unconventional, Johnny-Cab-meets-RalphMcQuarrie-shuttlecraft shape to the acreage of its geometric kidney “grilles,” the BMW iX looks like nothing else on the road. And once our SUV of the Year judges laid eyes on the great, grotesque thing, its looks were all anyone could talk about.

“It’s jarring and lacks cohesion.”

“I can’t excuse its face.” “It looks like an overweight rodent baring its teeth.” And on and on.

Then we drove it.

The iX handles with a grace missing from many more mainstream BMWs, to say nothing of the luxury EV competition, offering surprising athleticism, balance,

and verve despite weighing more than 5,700 pounds. With 516 hp and 564 lb-ft of torque, the xDrive50i we tested hurtles to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds, and when the road bends, the iX’s light, accurate steering serves up oodles of feel. Many editors lauded the brake pedal, with associate editor Duncan Brady summing it up: “This is what an EV brake pedal

should feel like, engaging softly at the top of its travel and progressively adding stopping power the deeper you get into it.” But just as impressive is how well the iX plays the part of a luxurious cruiser, with astounding ride quality and a serene, comfortable cabin.

And, oh, what a cabin it is, an indulgent and deeply luxurious space punctuated by exquisite details. Among them: seat quilting that wraps around the bottoms’ sides and front panels; the delicate, architectural struts that support the digital displays; the cantilevered, walnut-topped center console; the Hans Zimmer– scored sounds for the drive modes; and the highly effective electrochromatic panoramic glass roof.

The semi-automated, hands-free driving function was the best at this year’s competition, too, confidently placing the SUV within the lines on the highway and even

on twisting, winding two-lane portions of our test loop.

Complaints? For one, iDrive remains frustratingly chaotic in how and where you access certain functions and how deep they’re placed in the menu structure. It takes too many taps to select Sport mode, as an example; this should just be a button, and we’d welcome a few more hard buttons in general. The visually arresting hexagonal steering wheel isn’t comfortable for all users, either, though its shape does reveal more of the instrument panel to the driver. And, well, most of us still ain’t fans of that face.

Yet the iX still scored highly in our advancement of design criteria.

“It represents a new, bold era for BMW, setting the stage for daring designs,” associate editor Alex Leanse said. While having no frunk earned the iX wagging fingers, the washer-fluid filler’s placement under the hood’s BMW roundel is an inspired solution. There’s simply no denying this SUV is interesting to look at; many of us warmed to its aesthetic upon closer inspection of its exterior details, including the rose gold trim, the texturing of

various pieces, and the deceptively complex headlight innards.

This expertly executed electric SUV represents nothing less than BMW’s future, from its handling and design to its technology and how it pampers those lucky enough to be inside. Yes, the iX certainly looks like nothing else on the road—and it offers an indelible experience to match. Erik Johnson

2022 BMW iX xDrive50 Base Price/As Tested

$84,195/$104,820

Power (SAE Net)

Accel, 0-60 mph

268 hp (front), 335 hp (rear); 516 hp (comb) 260 lb-ft (front), 295 lb-ft (rear); 564 lb-ft (comb) 4.0 sec

Quarter Mile

12.3 sec @ 115.8 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

120 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.83 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

26.2 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

86/85/86 mpg-e

EPA Range, Comb

315 miles

Torque (SAE Net)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTORS, TRANSMISSION Brushed electromagnet, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,711 lb (48/52%) WHEELBASE 118.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 195.0 x 77.4 x 66.8 in ON SALE Now 56 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Finalists I SUVOTY

2023 Cadillac Lyriq

PROS Stunning, distinctive design • Natural brake feel for an EV • Google Maps can plan charge stops CONS Fussy exterior door handles • Must use infotainment for basic tasks • Early-run build quality needs improvement

T

he Lyriq, which ushers in Cadillac’s electric vehicle future, is being unfairly critiqued by those doubting EVs in general and Cadillac in particular.

Here’s what we concluded after our judging: The Lyriq is a strong harbinger of what’s to come for the marque, thanks to its striking good looks, spirited driving dynamics, excellent regenerative braking, and innovative touches.

From a styling perspective, the Lyriq looks the part of an electric vehicle without sacrificing its design in the name of aerodynamics. “It has that classic Cadillac long-nose profile and harkens back to the brand’s heyday, with the neat vertical

taillight elements and ostentatious delights like the walkup and shutdown light show,” features editor Christian Seabaugh said.

Guest judge and former Ford design chief Moray Callum had even higher praise for the Lyriq’s exterior. “I think it’s the bestlooking car out there,” he said.

Inside, the main attraction is a 33.0-inch curved screen with crisp graphics. Although judges were divided on the intuitiveness of the Lyriq’s infotainment system, associate editor Alex Leanse felt Cadillac’s approach to splitting digital and physical controls was a reasoned one. Amenities include heated, cooled, and massaging seats; a panoramic sunroof with a

Erik Johnson said. Seabaugh noted how power “comes in one long, smooth gob of V-8-like torque,” adding, “The accelerator mapping and weighting makes the Cadillac really easy to drive.”

When it comes to stopping, the Lyriq benefits from natural pedal feel for an EV and offers excellent one-pedal driving, which eases off the brake pressure around 5 mph to deliver a “buttery-smooth limo stop,” associate editor Duncan Brady said.

Given everything the Lyriq offers for its price point, we appreciated the overall value play. “Incredible for less than $63,000 in terms of features and range,” buyer’s guide director Zach Gale said.

On the downside, several judges found the Lyriq a bit immature in some areas. Cadillac pulled its launch forward, leaving features like Super Cruise to come later, and systems such as its lane keep assist were deemed sunshade; AKG stereo speakers in the front headrests; and a pullout drawer in the dash.

Thankfully, Cadillac didn’t dip into the old GM parts bin. Its bespoke door handles and interior controls are nicely weighted. For the headlights, you simply press a button on the left edge of the screen for the menu spelled out— no symbols to decipher. The judges also praised this particular Lyriq’s wood trim with a laser-cut pattern.

Engineering-wise, the Lyriq uses GM’s Ultium EV platform and battery management system, helping the single-motor, reardrive Lyriq achieve 312 miles of range and a 97/82/89 mpg-e rating. Judges found the power delivery smooth and its steering quick, with a well-damped ride from its coil-spring setup.

“There’s a wonderful liveliness and creaminess to the Lyriq’s transitory behavior,” digital director

weak in execution, allowing it to get too close to the lines. Judges also called out some fit and finish issues, including the flimsy charge door cover, which guest judge Gordon Dickie noted squeaked like a mouse when opening.

No, it’s not perfect, and its early start might have hindered overall execution, but the Lyriq is an impressive first EV for Cadillac and an important addition to the segment. It should more than suit Cadillac buyers considering an electric vehicle, all while introducing the brand to a new generation of customers. Alisa Priddle

2023 Cadillac Lyriq 450E (Debut Edition) Base Price/As Tested

$62,990/$62,990

Power (SAE Net)

340 hp

Torque (SAE Net)

325 lb-ft

Accel, 0-60 mph

5.7 sec

Quarter Mile

14.2 sec @ 100.5 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

134 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.79 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.2 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

97/82/89 mpg-e

EPA Range, Comb

312 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Rear-motor, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTOR, TRANSMISSION Permanent-magnet elec, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,654 lb (49/51%) WHEELBASE 121.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 196.7 x 77.8 x 63.9 in ON SALE Now JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 57

Finalists

2023 Honda CR-V

PROS Excellent build quality and engineering • Peppy handling, comfortable ride • Straightforward, functional, user-friendly CONS Prosaic exterior design • Outdated technology features • Less value than some of its peers

F

ew vehicles at our 2023 SUV of the Year carried higher expectations than the CR-V. After all, it won the contest the last two times it was eligible, in 2015 and 2018. The attributes we praised in those victories remain largely true of the new sixth-gen CR-V and its hybrid variant—but Honda’s bestseller didn’t earn our Golden Calipers a third time. Why? Looks lead, and our judges struggled to see advancement in the CR-V’s exterior. “Although it has a handsome new appearance, it hardly moves the needle,” senior editor Justin Westbrook said. Features editor Christian Seabaugh suggested Honda might be a victim of its own

success: “It comes across as just a plus-sized Civic hatchback, while inside, I see the same interior found in that and the HR-V.” Copy-pasted as the cabin may be, its physical controls are practically foolproof—unlike some competitors’ digital equivalents.

“I like that I’m not struggling to do anything, be it changing the temperature, adjusting the stereo, or shifting into gear,” senior editor Aaron Gold said. “It’s conventional, straightforward, and easy.” To an extent, this plain approach is commendable.

Yet it’s also, well, plain. Judges were nonplussed by the lack of modish tech and amenities.

The infotainment system was a

frequent target. “This centermounted, forward-facing touchscreen looks and feels about a decade old,” Westbrook said of the 9.0-inch display on our test vehicles—and that’s the upgrade.

Buyer’s guide director Zach Gale deemed it “unacceptable” that base models get a 7.0-inch unit.

After driving the CR-V, however, praise poured forth from the judges, who often cited its balance and composure. “It moves with precision and zeal that somebody who appreciates driving will find fulfilling,” Gold said. “Yet nothing will alienate those who don’t care about that sort of thing.”

Associate editor Duncan Brady called it “decent fun” and added that “it brakes, steers, and rides better than most in the segment.”

Still, that wasn’t enough to earn his recommendation. “I doubt most compact SUV buyers will even notice,” he said of the CR-V’s

2023 Honda CR-V

AWD (EX-L)

Hybrid Touring AWD (Sport)

Base Price/As Tested

$36,000 (est)/$36,000 (est)

$39,000 (est)/$39,000 (est)

Power (SAE Net)

190 hp @ 6,000 rpm

145 hp @ 6,100 rpm (gas), 181 hp (elec); 204 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

179 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm

138 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm (gas), 247 lb-ft (elec)

Accel, 0-60 mph

8.7 sec

7.6 sec

Quarter Mile

16.7 sec @ 86.4 mph

16.2 sec @ 81.5 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

130 ft

123 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.82 g (avg)

0.79 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.0 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)

29.3 sec @ 0.57 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

27/32/29 mpg (est)

40/34/37 mpg (est)

EPA Range, Comb

406 miles (est)

518 miles (est)

lively nature before pivoting to its droning powertrain. “I think many would prefer a quieter ride over engaging dynamics.”

Then there’s the matter of choice, or lack thereof. Competing crossovers offer less expensive base models and better-equipped range-toppers. Reconciling this against the new CR-V’s higher starting price and unimproved fuel economy reduces its value appeal.

Prior CR-V wins were predicated on it being a solid all-around performer, not a cutting-edge crossover. That hasn’t changed, yet it’s part of the new model’s problem. Gold best summed up Honda’s staid approach: “What’s

missing is the notion that you might buy a vehicle for anything other than practical reasons. This CR-V functions well but lacks any sort of whimsy, innovation, or sign it’s striving to be something more than it is.” Simply being a CR-V gives it all-around appeal, but to triumph again it needed to take a bigger leap. It didn’t. Alex Leanse

EX-L; HYBRID VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine; front-engine/motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTOR, TRANSMISSIONS 1.5L turbo directinjected DOHC 16-valve I-4, cont variable auto; 2.0L direct-injected Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus permanent-magnet elec, 2-sp auto (gas), 1-sp auto (elec) CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,613 lb (58/42%); 3,904 lb (59/41%) WB 106.3 in L x W x H 184.8 x 73.5 x 66.5 in ON SALE Fall 2022 58 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Finalists I SUVOTY

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee

PROS Wide spectrum of trims and powertrains • Attractive interior with high-end materials • Intuitive Uconnect 5 infotainment system CONS No remote-folding rear seats • Lacks good lane keep assist

• Aging V-6 and V-8 engines

T

he Jeep Grand Cherokee entered its fifth generation for 2022, moving to a new platform to further enhance its on-road manners while upgrading its off-road chops to win even more converts. Although its 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engines carry over, the SUV is otherwise all new, and its family grows with the 4xe plug-in hybrid, which represents Jeep’s future. A new three-row L version launched last year.

For 2023’s SUV of the Year, we had a trio of two-row models on hand: a Limited with the 293-hp V-6, the top-end Summit Reserve with the 357-hp V-8, and the new 375-hp 4xe Trailhawk.

“The Grand Cherokee is an honest vehicle with a broad lineup to serve almost everyone,” digital director Erik Johnson said. “It’s as comfortable taking you to a nice restaurant as it is humping a backcountry trail—and looks appropriate doing either.”

Guest judge Gordon Dickie called it “a true SUV,” with towing and off-road capability to live up to the brand’s heritage while delivering a comfortable daily driving experience on regular road surfaces, where, of course, most Grand Cherokees will spend most of their time. Still, with three available 4WD systems, available air suspension, and more, the Jeeps easily scrambled through

the off-road course we tested them on. Suspension tuning input from Alfa Romeo engineers pays off in the road manners, which are surprisingly sharp with hefty, direct steering and minimal body roll.

Even the Grand Cherokee Limited on regular steel springs pleased judges, and the air suspension on the 4xe Trailhawk kept body motions in check while offering several ride heights to choose from.

The 4xe offers up to 25 miles of electric range, true one-pedal driving, and a seamless hybrid mode. “I’m really impressed with how well-integrated this powertrain is,” features editor Christian Seabaugh said. “It can’t be easy managing a 2.0-liter turbo engine,

two motors, a four-wheel-drive system, an eight-speed automatic, and probably a dozen other variables, but it works really well.”

More surprising is how this is virtually the same hardware used in the Wrangler 4xe, where it isn’t tuned as well and any shortcomings are exaggerated by that Jeep’s lack of a fixed roof, doors, or windshield. Wrapped in the Grand Cherokee, it almost feels like a different powertrain.

The luxurious trappings help. Every model offers nice woodgrain trim, and the rangetopping Summit gets quilted diamond stitching on the leather seats and doors, with good use of color, metal, and microsuede— luxury without pretension. It also has a plethora of comfort and safety features, and the infotainment system has sufficient hard switches. One quibble: The digital gauge cluster’s info is presented too small, making it difficult to see.

Overall, the Grand Cherokee has a “solid, heavy-on-the-road feel that many crossovers lack,” senior editor Aaron Gold said.

“You pay more for it, but it literally feels like more car for the money.”

That, combined with the Jeep’s square-jawed good looks, should ensure it remains one of the most popular two-row midsize SUVs out there—luxury-badged or otherwise. Alisa Priddle

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4

Summit 4x4 (Reserve)

4xe Trailhawk

Base Price/As Tested

$48,440/$52,250

$62,095/$72,880

$65,455/$72,965

Power (SAE Net)

293 hp @ 6,400 rpm

357 hp @ 5,150 rpm

270 hp @ 5,250 rpm (gas), 44 + 134 hp (elec); 375 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

260 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

390 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

7.3 sec

6.4 sec

295 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm (gas), 39 + 181 lb-ft (elec); 470 lb-ft (comb) 6.0 sec

Quarter Mile

15.5 sec @ 89.8 mph

14.8 sec @ 94.3 mph

14.6 sec @ 93.6 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

142 ft

126 ft

139 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.78 g (avg)

0.81 g (avg)

0.78 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.1 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)

27.0 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)

27.3 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

19/26/22 mpg

14/22/17 mpg

23/24/23 mpg (gas), 57/56/56 mpg-e* (gas+elec)

EPA Range, Comb

506 miles

391 miles

470 miles (gas+elec), 25 miles (elec)

LIMITED; SUMMIT; 4XE VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine; front-engine; front-engine/motor 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTOR, TRANSMISSION 3.6L port-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6; 5.7L port-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8; 2.0L turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 + 2 front permanent-magnet elec, 8-speed auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,473 lb (54/46%); 5,062 lb (54/46%); 5,631 lb (52/48%) WHEELBASE 116.7 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 193.5 x 77.5 x 70.8; 193.5 x 77.5 x 70.9; 193.5 x 77.5 x 70.8 in ON SALE Now *EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 59

Finalists

2023 Jeep Wagoneer L

PROS Excellent new Hurricane I-6 engine • Huge, well-appointed interior • Handles well for such a large SUV CONS Body-on-frame shudder over rough pavement

• Nondescript exterior styling • Weak lane keep assist

T

he 2023 Jeep Wagoneer L is a new long-wheelbase model—the L is more than a foot longer than the standard version—introduced to compete with other behemoths such as the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, and Ford Expedition Max. The idea is that the L can carry up to eight passengers and all their stuff, providing extra utility over the short-wheelbase Wagoneer, which is akin to a Chevy Tahoe, regular-length Yukon, or nonMax Expedition.

The second-row seats slide forward and aft and offer easy access to the third row, which comfortably seats three adults, and behind that there’s plenty of

room left for their bags. The extra length also adds some elegance to the Jeep’s blocky shape, at least in some staffers’ eyes.

“I love the presence the Wagoneer has,” senior editor Aaron Gold said. “It amazes me—it feels like Jeep has been competing with the Suburban for 20 years rather than being brand new to the game. It’s such a well-executed product.”

The Wagoneer L costs substantially less than its Grand Wagoneer L counterpart, and although this interior lacks wood trim and there’s no “Grand” lettering, it does not look cheap.

Most judges found the L downright impressive with its soft leather, rotary shifter, flat-bottom steering wheel, storage shelf, and secondary touchscreen that flips up to reveal a hidden storage area with USB and power outlets. There are four more USB ports in each of the back rows. “Is there a vehicle on the market with more charging options?” associate editor Duncan Brady asked. Third-row passengers also have reclining seats, armrests, separate air vents, and a moonroof.

The Wagoneer L has Ram truck underpinnings, so it’s hardy and can tow up to 10,000 pounds but is also highly maneuverable with light and direct steering. Being

a Jeep, the Wagoneer L also handled the off-road course with ease, slicing through the sand and making easy work of the frametwister section.

The Hurricane engine is the last new internal combustion engine family from Stellantis as it transitions to EVs. In the L, the 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6 makes 420 hp and 468-lb-ft of torque in “low-output” tune; the Grand Wagoneer L gets more power still. It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic, and acceleration is strong off the line. Shifts are clean, quick, and crisp. Unexpectedly, the big L has wonderful brake and throttle response.

“I can’t believe this is the ‘low-output’ engine,” associate editor Alex Leanse said. “The fact that it moves such a large vehicle so adeptly indicates the depth of its engineering excellence. That low-end torque response is similar to a V-8, and midrange torque seems more than sufficient.”

“The Hurricane is excellent,” digital director Erik Johnson said.

“ICE engines are this century’s version of the horse, but they won’t leave the party without a fight if this one is any indication. It’s super smooth, has lots of low-end punch, and sounds nice.”

The combination of a new vehicle and a new powertrain can be hard to pull off in the first model year, but Jeep has a solid new entry with the Wagoneer L. “It’s hard to believe how good this SUV is,” Brady said.

Alisa Priddle

2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L (Series II) Base Price/As Tested

$101,000 (est)/$114,000 (est)

Power (SAE Net)

510 hp @ 5,700 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

500 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

5.0 sec

Quarter Mile

13.5 sec @ 102.7 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

138 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.73 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

28.2 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

14/19/16 mpg (est)

EPA Range, Comb

488 miles (est)

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 3.0L twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve I-6, 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 6,410 lb (51/49%) WHEELBASE 130.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 226.7 x 83.6 x 77.3 in ON SALE Late 2022 60 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Finalists I SUVOTY

2022 Kia EV6

PROS Usable range and quick charging • Bonkers EV6 GT and fun volume models • Well-done standard driver assists CONS Carlike seating position (if you want an SUV, that is) • Finicky dual-purpose touch controls • Not as intriguing as its Hyundai cousin

A

s the SUV sphere has shifted from majority truckbased behemoths to crossovers with car underpinnings to the more recent crop of low-slung hatchback EVs marketed as crossovers, we constantly discuss what qualifies a vehicle as an SUV. As we discovered this year with the EV6, it largely comes down to feel.

Numerous judges commented on the EV6’s qualifications.

Features editor Christian Seabaugh called the Kia “a great car, and there’s no shame in that word.” Buyer’s guide director Zach Gale suggested the seating position “doesn’t say SUV at all,” and senior editor and resident old-man-yelling-at-cloud Aaron

Gold is convinced Kia only calls the EV6 an SUV for marketing purposes. We’re done as a publication deciding what’s an SUV; if a company sells it as one, we’ll evaluate it as one, off-road abilities and all.

Of course, Kia’s argument for its new EV as an SUV is even harder to take in the case of the EV6 GT. With 576 hp, a GT button that turns off traction control for tail-out antics, and minimal ground clearance, it’s much more sport than utility. Gold called it “an electric drift monster.”

That sporty character extended past the GT. Senior editor Justin Westbrook noted all three EV6s we tested “drove like performance vehicles,” and we praised

Numerous staffers took issue with Kia’s setup, which involves two sets of dual-function touch controls housed within one panel; the driver swaps functions at the press of a capacitive button. Frequently, we’d reach for the knob to change the volume and end up adjusting the temperature.

Beyond that, we like the interior.

Flowing lines on the dashboard, supportive two-tone seats, and user-friendly infotainment and instrument cluster systems come across as modern and sporty.

There’s plenty of knee- and headroom in the back seat, but multiple judges noted there isn’t space to tuck your toes under the front seats. Cargo volume is decent, though, and buyers can fold the rear seats nearly flat with a pair of levers in the cargo area.

With the seats down, a 6-footer can nearly lie down, perfect for eco-friendly car camping. Well, so long as you don’t venture too far their controlled body motions and direct steering.

When not carving up canyon roads, drivers will appreciate the five levels of regenerative braking and linear power delivery.

The Kia’s driver assist features (shared with Hyundai and Genesis) are intuitive and impressive; the EV6 will follow gentle curves and can even execute lane changes at a prod of its turn signal when hands-free driving is active. That said, most judges noted the EV6 rode more stiffly and offered a less commanding view of the road than its Hyundai Ioniq 5 platform-mate.

Another difference between those two is how each approaches climate and media controls.

2022 Kia EV6

GT-Line (RWD)

GT-Line AWD

(2023) GT

Base Price/As Tested

$52,995/$53,985

$57,965/$58,685

$62,000 (est)/$62,000 (est)

Power (SAE Net)

225 hp

99 hp (front), 221 hp (rear); 320 hp (comb)

214 hp (front), 362 hp (rear); 576 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

258 lb-ft

188 lb-ft (front est), 258 lb-ft (rear est); 446 lb-ft (comb)

Accel, 0-60 mph

6.5 sec

4.5 sec

258 lb-ft (front est), 287 lb-ft (rear est); 545 lb-ft (comb) 3.2 sec

Quarter Mile

15.0 sec @ 95.0 mph

13.3 sec @ 101.2 mph

11.4 sec @ 121.0 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

123 ft

117 ft

114 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.84 g (avg)

0.89 g (avg)

0.87 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.0 sec @ 0.64 g (avg) 25.9 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

134/101/117 mpg-e

116/94/105 mpg-e

92/69/79 mpg-e (est)

EPA Range, Comb

310 miles

274 miles

206 miles (est)

off pavement; the all-wheel-drive EV6 GT-Line got stuck on the sandy hill during our off-road test.

Call it what you want, the EV6 nails its intended function by providing a spacious back seat and the usable cargo area of an SUV with the long range and ultrafast charging of the best modern EVs. Judging by this 2023 SUV of the Year finalist, Kia’s electric future looks bright. Duncan Brady

25.1 sec @ 0.77 g (avg)

GT-LINE RWD; GT-LINE AWD; GT VEHICLE LAYOUT Rear-motor, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV; front- and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTORS, TRANSMISSIONS Permanent-magnet elec, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,393 lb (46/54%); 4,668 lb (49/51%); 4,790 lb (49/51%) WHEELBASE 114.4; 114.4 in; 114.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 184.8 x 74.4 x 60.8 in ON SALE Now; now; winter 2022 JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 61

Finalists

2023 Kia Sportage

PROS Spacious interior • Impressive tech for the money • Excellent hybrid model CONS Mediocre standard engine • Overall economy could be better • Frustrating dual-purpose controls

S

top! Put away those outdated preconceptions about the Kia Sportage, because most of them are wrong. Kia has transformed the Sportage, and we’re not just talking about its futuristic styling. From bumper to bumper, the new version boasts a wealth of changes to attract buyers who don’t want another Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Yes, there are a couple missteps, but on balance the Sportage is a very good compact SUV. Kia offers three powertrains for the new Sportage, and we’ll be blunt: The base engine, which will power most examples—a 187-hp 2.5-liter I-4 mated to an eight-speed automatic—is far and

away the weakest of the bunch.

At the track, a 2.5-liter-powered Sportage X-Pro finished the sprint to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds, at the back of a competitive pack. It’s possible another trim without the X-Pro’s off-road focus might be a couple tenths quicker, but regardless, the engine was criticized early and often by our judges—especially those coming out of the peppier Honda CR-V.

larger items when you don’t. USB outlets are placed halfway up the backs of the front seats, making them far easier to use than those placed just above the floor like in so many other SUVs. Then there are the controls in the cargo area that fold the rear seats. Those latches make it slightly easier to use the Sportage’s sizable cargo area when you have large items to haul.

It’s a detail Honda no longer offers.

The hybrid model is the sweet spot. Its EPA mpg rating in AWD form isn’t quite the match of the segment’s best, but it’s close enough, and we can forgive that fault because it’s a compelling crossover otherwise. The hybrid cuts a full two seconds off the base engine model’s 0–60 sprint while markedly boosting fuel economy and reducing cabin noise.

“Decent efficiency; a comfortable, well-equipped interior; and an engaging drive make for a package that’s easy to recomThe Sportage Hybrid erased much of the bad taste. It drove nearly as well as the new CR-V Hybrid and otherwise held its own against the longtime MotorTrend favorite Honda. If that sounds like we’re damning with faint praise, zoom out and you’ll start to see the bigger picture. The Sportage is one of the most spacious compact SUVs on the market, one in which a 12.3inch touchscreen is standard on almost every trim. Even a digital instrument cluster is standard equipment, and although its functionality is limited, it’s still cool.

Innovative ideas abound throughout the Sportage’s cabin. The cupholders have two retractable claws that can hold cups when you need them to and

mend the next time someone asks me what to shop for,” senior editor Justin Westbrook said.

There are some downsides besides the base engine, including the plug-in hybrid model’s weak 34-mile electric range and frustrating dual-function buttons.

Other than that, though, we found the new Sportage lineup more competitive and versatile than ever before. Zach Gale

2023 Kia Sportage

X-Pro AWD

HEV AWD (SX Prestige)

PHEV X-Line AWD (Prestige)

Base Price/As Tested

$35,785/$38,895

$37,485/$38,235

$44,285/$44,680

Power (SAE Net)

187 hp @ 6,100 rpm

177 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 17 + 59 hp (elec), 227 hp (comb)

177 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 17+90 hp (elec), 261 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

178 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph Quarter Mile Braking, 60-0 mph Lateral Acceleration MT Figure Eight EPA City/Hwy/Comb

9.3 sec 16.9 sec @ 82.1 mph 128 ft 0.81 g (avg) 27.9 sec @ 0.58 g (avg) 23/28/25 mpg

195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 32 + 195 lb-ft (elec); 258 lb-ft (comb) 7.3 sec 15.6 sec @ 89.9 mph 126 ft 0.80 g (avg) 25.7 sec @ 0.65 g (avg) 38/38/38 mpg

195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 32+224 lb-ft (elec), 258 lb-ft (comb) 7.1 sec 15.3 sec @ 93.2 mph 128 ft 0.79 g (avg) 27.6 sec @ 0.61 g (avg) 35 mpg (gas comb), 84 mpg-e* (elec + gas comb est)

EPA Range, Comb

358 miles

521 miles

34 miles (elec), 430 miles* (elec + gas est)

X-PRO; HEV; X-LINE VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine; front-engine/motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTORS, TRANSMISSION 2.5L port- and direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, 8-speed automatic; 1.6L turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 2 permanent-magnet elec, 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,715 lb (58/42%); 3,901 lb (59/41%); 4,246 lb (59/41%) WHEELBASE 108.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 183.5 x 73.4 x 66.9; 183.5 x 73.4 x 66.1; 183.5 x 73.4 x 66.9 in ON SALE Now *EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

Finalists I SUVOTY

2022 Land Rover Range Rover

The two powertrains available for our testing largely feel worth the money. With a broad torque curve and a refined purr as it works through the standard eight-speed automatic’s well-spaced gears, our SWB V-8-powered test vehicle is well worth the upcharge over the I-6. That’s not to say the base engine is a slouch, but judges missed the V-8’s low-end torque and smooth top end in our LWB three-row test vehicle.

No matter the engine, the Range Rover goes down the road PROS Looks expensive • Smells expensive • Performs as a Range Rover should CONS It is expensive • Closely resembles the old one • Base engine not nearly as nice as the optional one

T

he 2022 Land Rover Range Rover is a feast for the senses. Words like “looks,” “feels,” “sounds,” and even “smells” were common in our SUV of the Year judges’ notes. Land Rover’s attempt to bring the Range Rover into the über-luxe stratosphere looks to have paid off in a big way.

It’s tempting to dismiss the new Range Rover as a subtle redesign of a well-worn classic, but the new range-topping Land Rover is an extensive rework of the timetested formula. There’s a new modular architecture (a derivative of the platform underpinning the 2021 SUV of the Year–winning Land Rover Defender), which in

turn allows for more powertrain options, wheelbase lengths, and seating configurations than any Range Rover in the previous 54 years. It’s offered in standard- and long-wheelbase forms, with two or three rows, in four-, five-, and seven-seat configurations, with two powertrain options at launch (and a plug-in hybrid on the way), and with more interior colors, materials, and trim options than we can count.

It looks stately but reserved from the sidewalk, yet the inside is a revelation. “Gorgeous materials are everywhere,” associate editor Alex Leanse said. “This door panel is sculptural, looking more like an art piece crafted from metal and

2022 Land Rover Range Rover SE P400 (LWB)

P530 (SWB First Ed.)

Base Price/As Tested

$110,350/$130,175

$159,550/$169,900

Power (SAE Net)

395 hp @ 5,500 rpm

523 hp @ 5,500 rpm

Torque (SAE Net)

406 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm

553 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph

5.7 sec

4.6 sec

Quarter Mile

14.4 sec @ 94.9 mph

13.1 sec @ 107.1 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

127 ft

126 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.74 g (avg)

0.74 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

29.2 sec @ 0.56 g (avg)

28.6 sec @ 0.60 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

18/26/21 mpg

16/21/18 mpg

EPA Range, Comb

500 miles

495 miles

leather. Even minor touchpoints are finished superbly.”

The simplified interior has few hard buttons, with many functions relocated to the 13.1-inch curved infotainment display. Such a change usually gives us pause, but this one feels considered.

All of the basic functions are on the display’s left side, so drivers must position their right hand just inches off the wheel to tap the screen, while the display’s haptic feedback and subtle convex glass replicate the positive feedback of real buttons.

“It even smells expensive in here,” associate editor Duncan Brady said. That’s because it is. Range Rover prices start at $105,975 and top off at nearly $220,000, making it less of a value for most buyers but attractive for those who cross-shop the new Rangie with Bentleys, Maybachs, and Rolls-Royces.

as you expect. “It has the traditional Range Rover chassis feel, from the plush ride to the squishy but well-controlled body motions,” digital director Erik Johnson said.

“You can tell it was tuned on some awful British B-roads.” It’s excellent off-road, too. Detroit editor Alisa Priddle noted it “really loves to play and drift” after toying with the Sand mode revised for Middle Eastern markets. “Sand was flying up the sides and raining down on the windshield. Pure joy!” Drive (or ride in) one, and you’ll feel joy, too.

Christian Seabaugh

P400; P530 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV; front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE/MOTOR, TRANSMISSION 3.0L turbo and e-superch’d, direct-injected DOHC 24-valve I-6 plus permanent-magnet elec*; 4.4L twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 32-valve 90-degree V-8, 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,938 lb (50/50%); 5,980 lb (49/51%) WHEELBASE 126.0; 118.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 207.0 x 80.6 x 73.6; 198.9 x 80.6 x 73.6 in ON SALE Now *Mild hybrid motor does not contribute to acceleration; it merely recovers energy for the e-supercharger.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 63

Finalists

2023 Nissan Ariya

PROS Good-looking exterior, great-looking interior • Outstanding Pro Pilot Assist system • Approachable and easy to operate CONS High price for what you get • Range, charging speed, and onepedal mode are just OK • Vague steering with strange off-center feel

T

here was plenty of debate at this year’s SUV of the Year competition about which electric vehicles were really SUVs and which were merely hatchbacks. The judges were split on many aspects of Nissan’s all-new Ariya, but we all agreed it’s an SUV through and through.

It certainly makes a good first impression. “Design is probably its strongest suit,” features editor Christian Seabaugh said. The interior also drew our interest, in particular the touch-sensitive buttons integrated into the wood trim. Associate editor Duncan Brady noted they “look seamless and expensive.” (We also noted some inconsistencies in their

operation in our preproduction test car; Nissan reports this is being addressed for production.)

Opinions were split on the motorized center armrest; some judges thought it was useful, others a gimmick. But we were all confused by the power-operated under-dash drawer and its sliding lid; Nissan calls it a “slide-out table” for use as “a mobile office or on-the-go picnic table”—yeah,

maybe if your work computer is an iPad Mini and your lunch is a bag of Skittles. We all thought mechanizing it was a waste of electrons.

Because our testing took place early in the Ariya’s launch, Nissan was only able to supply us with the single-motor, front-drive version with the long-range battery. Most of the EVs at SUVOTY had a performance bent, but the Ariya was more relaxed, which was fine with most of us. “It offers gentle power delivery and an approachable driving experience for first-time EV buyers,” Brady said.

The Ariya’s Pro Pilot Assist 2.0 setup allows hands-off driving on mapped roads (and lane centering on others). We regarded it as one of the better systems in the competition. Not so the E-Pedal mode, which provides one-pedal driving to a point; the driver needs to step on the brake pedal to fully stop. We also don’t like that the

brake pedal moves on its own when E-Pedal is in use, as there’s no telling where it will be.

For hands-on driving, we found it capable if not exactly captivating. “It feels a lot like a Nissan version of the Volkswagen ID4,” Seabaugh said. “Steering is light and comfortable, and it rides fairly well. It’s simple, basic transportation, and there’s nothing wrong with that.” Brady was a little more harsh: “bizarre off-center steering feel, poor brake pedal feel, and seats utterly lacking lateral support.”

The front-drive/large-battery combo we tested offers a range of 289 miles, and other models will fall between 216 and 304 miles. Fast charging, meanwhile, maxes out at 130 kW, charging from 20 to 80 percent in 40 minutes. This is “good enough” territory, but these figures are mostly eclipsed by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

The price is the hardest number to swallow: The entry-level Ariya, with FWD and small battery, will start at $44,485, and prices rise to more than $60K. That strikes us as rather high for a blue-collar brand like Nissan, especially when

you consider its EVs don’t qualify for the $7,500 tax credit under updated federal guidelines.

When we looked at the utility, value, and driver engagement offered by the Ariya’s rivals, the Nissan just didn’t deliver enough.

Were this a more value-oriented EV, more Rogue-like than Muranolike in price and presentation, we might have had a more favorable opinion. Aaron Gold

2023 Nissan Ariya Empower+ Base Price/As Tested

$47,125/$54,000 (est)

Power (SAE Net)

238 hp

Torque (SAE Net)

221 lb-ft

Accel, 0-60 mph

7.5 sec

Quarter Mile

15.8 sec @ 92.9 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

128 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.79 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

27.6 sec @ 0.61 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

105/91/98 mpg-e

EPA Range, Comb

289 miles

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-motor, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTOR, TRANSMISSION Permanent-magnet elec, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,725 lb (53/47%) WHEELBASE 109.3 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 182.9 x 74.8 x 65.7 in ON SALE Now 64 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

Finalists I SUVOTY

2022 Rivian R1S

PROS Genuinely handsome, head-turning design • Same jaw-dropping performance as the R1T • Great interior package CONS Heat-soaking sunroof • No Apple Carplay, Android Auto, or SiriusXM • Fussy infotainment and driver assistance systems

H

ow? HOW?! How could the Rivian R1S not be our SUV of the Year? Less than 12 months earlier we named its older brother, the R1T, our 2022 Truck of the Year. Is it possible there’s something better? Let’s explore.

The R1S uses the R1T’s powertrain, down to the 133-kWh battery pack, and it’s equally impressive on- and off-road and at the test track. It’s basically identical to the R1T from the tip of its front bumper until just aft of the B-pillar.

(There’s no clever gear tunnel, but it adds a very usable third row.) It even gives you the same injection of smugness, the one similar to how you feel when donning a new Patagonia jacket. “Oh, yeah—this

looks great, my neighbors are going to be so jealous, and it saves the earth.”

With apologies to Yvon Chouinard, the R1S does look straight out of his company’s fall catalog. It’s the only EV in this year’s competition that actually looks like a burly, traditional two-box sport ute, albeit laced with the latest sustainably sourced wood trim and water-resistant

2022 Rivian R1S

(Launch Edition)

(Launch Edition) (A/T tire)

Base Price/As Tested

$91,500/$96,000 (est)

$91,500/$98,750 (est)

Power (SAE Net)

415 hp (front), 420 hp (rear), 835 hp (comb)

415 hp (front), 420 hp (rear), 835 hp (comb)

Torque (SAE Net)

413 lb-ft (front), 495 lb-ft 413 lb-ft (front), 495 lb-ft (rear), 908 lb-ft (comb) (rear), 908 lb-ft (comb)

Accel, 0-60 mph

3.1 sec

3.2 sec

Quarter Mile

11.6 sec @ 111.2 mph

11.8 sec @ 111.6 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph

121 ft

131 ft

Lateral Acceleration

0.82 g (avg)

0.78 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight

26.1 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)

26.4 sec @ 0.69 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb

73/65/69 mpg-e

73/65/69 mpg-e

EPA Range, Comb

316 miles

316 miles

Contrast this with the BMW iX, whose system was consistently available and worked well across varied situations.

Guest judge Gordon Dickie also pointed out that for all its power and torque, air suspension, and multiple drive modes, the R1S asks potential buyers to give up a lot.

“No Apple CarPlay, no Android Auto, no satellite radio, and an infotainment system that is not that intuitive,” he said. We’d also like the braking system to include a less aggressive regeneration option. A few of our judges praised the one-pedal drivability, but it came with a jarring pitch forward upon releasing the accelerator.

Against our award criteria, the R1S has two other problems: It is one of the least efficient electric vehicles on sale today. Yes, it has a big battery and competitive range (316 miles), but it’s also one of the heaviest at more than 7,000 pounds. It’s also on the pricier side, synthetic leather. So how could a “real” SUV that aces our design and engineering criteria not capture the Calipers?

The answer is: What a difference a year makes. New EV models are launching apace, and in a huge field of thoughtfully executed competition, we were shown—often starkly—where Rivian doesn’t measure up.

Consider the glass roof. We had milder complaints in the R1T, but during days under a desert sun delivering triple-digit heat, many questioned the intelligence of not having a physical or electrochromic sunshade to help reduce solar load. The best in the segment all had them. Among advanced driver assistance systems, Rivian’s setup was inconsistent at best. For a lot of our testing, we could only use basic cruise control because the Rivian didn’t find conditions favorable for hands-free driving.

with an MSRP that has escalated more quickly than its peers’.

To be clear, the R1S is an amazing sophomore effort, and it’s arguably the best three-row EV available. It has great bones and smart packaging, and it delivers jaw-dropping performance. But it’s also overkill in many areas while missing key features consumers want and need. Let’s talk again when there’s a two-motor, 400-hp, coil-sprung R1S for closer to $70,000. Ed Loh

LAUNCH EDITION; LAUNCH EDITION & A/T TIRE VEHICLE LAYOUT 2x front- and 2x rear-motor, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV MOTORS, TRANSMISSIONS Permanent-magnet electric, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 7,068 lb (48/52%); 7,091 lb (48/52%) WHEELBASE 121.1 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 200.8 x 79.3 x 71.5–77.3 in ON SALE Now JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 65

SUVOTY POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

FINALIST SPECS 2022 BMW iX xDrive50

2023 Cadillac Lyriq 450E (Debut Edition)

DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT

Front-and rear-motor, AWD

Rear-motor, RWD

Front-engine/motor, AWD

ENGINE/MOTOR TYPE

Brushed electromagnet

Permanent-magnet electric

Turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, alum block/head, direct-injected Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus permanent-magnet electric motors

DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO

– –

– –

1,498cc/91.4 cu in, 1,993cc/121.6 cu in 10.3:1, 13.9:1

POWER (SAE NET)

268 hp (front), 335 hp (rear); 516 hp (comb)

340 hp

190 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 145 hp @ 6,100 rpm (gas), 181 hp (elec); 204 hp (comb)

TORQUE (SAE NET)

260 lb-ft (front), 295 lb-ft (rear); 564 lb-ft (comb)

325 lb-ft

179 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm, 138 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm (gas), 247 lb-ft (elec)

2023 Honda CR-V AWD (EX-L), Hybrid Touring AWD (Sport)

REDLINE

–

–

6,500, 6,100 rpm

WEIGHT TO POWER

11.1 lb/hp

16.6 lb/hp

19.0, 19.1 lb/hp

TRANSMISSION(S)

1-speed automatic

1-speed automatic

Cont variable auto, 1-sp auto (elec), 2-sp auto (gas)

AXLE/FINAL DRIVE RATIO

8.77:1 (front)/11.12:1 (rear)

11.63:1/11.63:1

5.64:1/2.27:1, 4.44:1/3.14:1

SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR

Struts, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar

Multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar

Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar

STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK TO LOCK

16.0:1 2.4

18.5:1 3.2

12.3:1 2.4

BRAKES, F; R

13.7-in vented disc; 13.6-in vented disc

12.6-in vented disc; 13.6-in vented disc

12.3-in, 12.6-in vented disc; 12.2-in disc

WHEELS

9.5 x 22-in cast aluminum

9.0 x 20-in cast aluminum

7.5 x 18-in, 7.5 x 19-in cast aluminum

TIRES

275/40R22 107Y Bridgestone Alenza 001 (star)

265/50R20 107H Michelin Primacy All Season (M+S)

235/60R18 103H Hankook Kinergy GT (M+S), 235/55R19 101H M+S Continental CrossContact LX Sport

121.8 in 65.9/65.9 in 196.7 x 77.8 x 63.9 in 7.0 in

106.3 in 63.3/63.9 in 184.8 x 73.5 x 66.5 in 8.2 in

20.2/22.0 deg 42.8 ft 5,711 lb (48/52%) 5 42.0/39.5 in 40.2/38.9 in 61.5/58.3 in 77.9/35.5 cu ft Not recommended

18.9/23.4 deg 39.7 ft 5,654 lb (49/51%) 5 38.6/37.7 in 41.4/39.6 in 58.9/58.6 in 60.8/28.0 cu ft 3,500 lb

17.7/22.1, 16.1/16.0 deg 37.3 ft 3,613 lb (58/42%), 3,904 lb (59/41%) 5 38.2/38.2 in 41.3/41.0 in 57.9/55.9 in 76.5/39.3 cu ft 1,500; 1,000 lb

1.7 sec 2.4 3.1 4.0 5.0 6.2 7.6 9.2 1.7 12.3 sec @ 115.8 mph

2.5 sec 3.4 4.5 5.7 7.2 9.0 11.3 14.1 2.5 14.2 sec @ 100.5 mph

MT FIGURE EIGHT

120 ft 0.83 g (avg) 26.2 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)

134 ft 0.79 g (avg) 27.2 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)

3.5, 2.7 sec 4.9, 4.0 6.7, 5.6 8.7, 7.6 11.3, 10.4 14.2, 15.3 – – 4.2, 4.0 16.7 sec @ 86.4 mph, 16.2 sec @ 81.5 mph 130, 123 ft 0.82, 0.79 g (avg) 28.0 sec @ 0.59 g (avg), 29.3 sec @ 0.57 g (avg)

TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH

6,000 rpm (fr); 7,600 rpm (rr)

8,000 rpm

1,700, 2,250 (gas) 7,100 (elec) rpm

AIRBAGS

$84,195 $104,820 10: Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee

BASIC WARRANTY

4 years/50,000 miles

$62,990 $62,990 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee 4 years/50,000 miles

$36,000, $39,000 (est) $36,000, $39,000 (est) 10: Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee 3 years/36,000 miles

POWERTRAIN WARRANTY

4 years/50,000 miles (battery: 8 years/100,000 miles)

6 years/unlimited miles (battery: 8 years/100,000 miles)

10 years/100,000 miles

DIMENSIONS

118.1 in 66.0/67.2 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 195.0 x 77.4 x 66.8 in GROUND CLEARANCE 8.8 in

WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R

APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/(M)/R LEGROOM, F/(M)/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/(M)/R

CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/(M)/R TOWING CAPACITY TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION

CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

4 years/Unlimited miles

6 years/70,000 miles

3 years/36,000 miles

FUEL CAPACITY

105.2 kWh

102.0 kWh

14.0 gal

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON

86/85/86 mpg-e

97/82/82 mpg-e

27/32/29, 40/34/37 (est) mpg

EPA RANGE, COMB

315 miles

312 miles

406, 518 miles (est)

RECOMMENDED FUEL

240-, 480-volt electricity

240-, 480-volt electricity

Unleaded regular

ON SALE

Now

Now

Now

66 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 Limited, Summit (Reserve), 4xe Trailhawk

2023 Jeep Wagoneer L (Series II)

2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line RWD, 2022 GT-Line AWD, 2023 GT

Front-engine, 4WD

Front-engine, 4WD

Rear-motor, RWD, front- and rear-motor, AWD

Port-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6, alum block/heads, port-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8, iron block/alum heads, turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4, alum block/head plus front electric motors

Twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve I-6, alum block/head

Permanent-magnet electric

3,604cc/219.9 cu in, 5,654cc/345 cu in, 1,995cc/121.7 cu in 11.3:1, 10.5:1, 10.0:1

2,993cc/182.6 cu in 10.4:1

– –

293 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 357 hp @ 5,150 rpm, 270 hp @ 5,250 rpm (gas), 44 + 134 hp (elec); 375 hp (comb)

420 hp @ 5,200 rpm

225 hp, 99 hp (front), 221 hp (rear); 320 hp (comb), 214 hp (front), 362 hp (rear); 576 hp (comb)

260 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm, 390 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm (gas), 39 + 181 lb-ft (elec); 470 lb-ft (comb)

468 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm

258 lb-ft, 188 lb-ft (front est), 258 lb-ft (rear est); 446 lb-ft (comb), 258 lb-ft (front est), 287 lb-ft (rear est); 545 lb-ft (comb)

6,700, 5,750, 6,700 rpm

5,800 rpm

–

15.3, 14.2, 15.0 lb/hp

14.8 lb/hp

19.5, 14.6, 8.3 lb/hp

8-speed automatic

8-speed automatic

1-speed automatic

3.45:1/2.31:1/2.72:1 (L), 3.45:1/2.31:1/2.72:1 (low), 3.70:1/2.48:1/2.72:1 (L)

3.92:1/2.63:1/2.64:1 (low)

10.65:1/10.65:1

Multilink, coil springs, air springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, air springs, anti-roll bar

Control arms, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar

Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar

15.6:1 2.7

16.0:1 2.8

14.3:1, 14.3:1, 12.6:1 2.7, 2.7, 2.3

13.9-in vented disc; 13.8-in vented disc

14.9-in vented disc; 14.8-in vented disc

12.8-in vented disc; 12.8-in vented disc, 15.0-in vented disc; 14.2-in vented disc

8.5 x 20-in, 9.0 x 21-in, 8.0 x 18-in cast aluminum

9.0 x 20-in cast aluminum

7.5 x 19-in, 8.0 x 20-in, 8.5 x 21-in cast aluminum

265/50R20 107T Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400 (M+S), 275/45R21 110Y Continental CrossContact LX Sport (M+S), 265/60R18 110H Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT (M+S)

275/55R20 113T Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza (M+S)

235/55R19 101H Kumho Crugen HP71 EV (M+S), 255/45R20 105H Continental CrossContact RX (M+S), 255/40R21 102Y Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3

116.7 in 65.4/65.4 in 193.5 x 77.5 x 70.8, 70.9, 70.8 in 8.4 in, 10.9 in (max)

130.0 in 68.4/68.3 in 226.7 x 83.6 x 77.3 in 10.0 in (max)

114.2 in 64.2/64.6, 64.0/64.4, 64.1/64.4 in 184.8 x 74.4 x 60.8 in 6.1 in

20.5/26.6 deg, 28.2/28.7 deg (max), 35.7/30.0 deg (max) 38.0 ft 4,473 lb (54/46%), 5,062 lb (54/46%), 5,631 lb (52/48%) 5 39.9/39.4 in 41.3/38.2 in 59.2/58.0 in 70.8/37.7 cu ft 6,200, 7,200, 6,000 lb

25.0/21.3 deg (max) 42.2 ft 6,201 lb (51/49%) 8 41.3/40.0/39.1 in 40.9/42.7/36.6 in 66.1/65.2/64.4 in 130.9/85.3/42.1 cu ft 9,850 lb

15.2/21.7, 15.2/21.0 deg 38.2, 39.2 ft 4,393 lb (46/54%), 4,668 lb (49/51%), 4,790 lb (49/51%) 5 36.8/38.0 in 42.4/39.0 in 57.8/55.6 in 50.2/24.4 cu ft 2,300 lb

2.5, 2.2, 1.9 sec 3.7, 3.4, 3.1 5.3, 4.8, 4.5 7.3, 6.4, 6.0 9.6, 8.3, 8.0 12.2, 10.6, 10.4 15.6, 13.4, 13.4 – 3.9, 3.3, 3.2 15.5 sec @ 89.8 mph, 14.8 sec @ 94.3 mph, 14.6 sec @ 93.6 mph

1.7 sec 2.7 4.0 5.5 7.3 9.5 12.3 – 3.1 14.1 sec @ 95.1 mph

142, 126, 139 ft 0.78, 0.81, 0.78 g (avg) 28.1 sec @ 0.58 g (avg), 27.0 sec @ 0.64 g (avg), 27.3 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)

140 ft 0.72 g (avg) 28.8 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)

2.6, 1.6, 1.4 sec 3.7, 2.4, 1.9 4.9, 3.3, 2.5 6.5, 4.5, 3.2 8.3, 6.0, 4.0 10.6, 7.8, 4.9 13.4, 10.1, 6.1 –, 13.0, 7.5 3.1, 2.4, 1.3 15.0 sec @ 95.0 mph, 13.3 sec @ 101.2 mph, 11.4 sec @ 121.0 mph 123, 117, 114 ft 0.84, 0.89, 0.87 g (avg) 27.0 sec @ 0.64 g (avg), 25.9 sec @ 0.71 g (avg), 25.1 sec @ 0.77 g (avg)

1,500, 1,500, 1,700 rpm

1,600 rpm

7,650 rpm

$48,440, $62,095, $65,455 $52,250, $72,480, $72,965 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee

$52,995, $57,965, $62,000 (est) $53,985, $58,685, $62,000 (est) 7: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee

3 years/36,000 miles

$74,000 (est) $85,000 (est) 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee 3 years/36,000 miles

5 years/60,000 miles

5 years/60,000 miles

10 years/100,000 miles (incl. battery)

5 years/60,000 miles

5 years/60,000 miles

5 years/60,000 miles

5 years/60,000 miles

23.0 gal, 23.0 gal, 19.0 gal + 14.5 kWh (est)

30.5 gal

77.4 kWh

19/26/22 mpg, 14/22/17 mpg, 23/24/23 mpg (gas), 57/56/56 mpg (gas+elec)*

16/23/19 mpg (est)

134/101/117, 116/94/105, 92/69/79 (est) mpg-e

506 miles, 391 miles, 470 miles (gas+elec), 25 miles (elec)

580 miles (est)

310 miles, 274 miles, 206 miles (est)

Unleaded regular, midgrade, regular + 240-volt electricity

Unleaded regular

240-, 480-, and 800-volt electricity

Now

Late 2022

Now, winter 2022

*EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 67

FINALISTS SPECS POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

2023 Kia Sportage X-Pro AWD, HEV AWD (SX Prestige), PHEV X-Line AWD (Prestige)

2022 Land Rover Range Rover P400 SE (LWB), P530 (SWB First Edition)

DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT

Front-engine, front-engine/motor, AWD

Front-engine, 4WD

ENGINE/MOTOR TYPE

Turbo and e-superch’d, direct-injected Port- and direct-injected DOHC 16-valve DOHC 24-valve I-6, alum block/head I-4, alum block/head, turbo directinjected DOHC 16-valve I-4, alum block/ plus permanent-magnet elec**, twinturbo direct-injected DOHC 32-valve head plus 2 permanent-magnet elec 90-degree V-8, alum block/heads

DISPLACEMENT

2,497cc/152.4 cu in, 1,598cc/97.5 cu in 13.0:1, 10.5:1

2,996cc/182.8 cu in, 4,395cc/268.2 cu in 10.5:1

— —

— —

POWER (SAE NET)

187 hp @ 6,100 rpm, 177 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 17 + 59 hp (elec), 227 hp (comb), 177 hp @ 5,500 rpm (gas), 17 + 90 hp (elec); 261 hp (comb)

395 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 523 hp @ 5,500 rpm

238 hp

415 hp (front), 420 hp (rear), 835 hp (comb)

TORQUE (SAE NET)

178 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm, 195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 32 + 195 lb-ft (elec); 258 lb-ft (comb), 195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm (gas), 32 + 224 lb-ft (elec), 258 lb-ft (comb)

406 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm, 553 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm

221 lb-ft

413 lb-ft (front), 495 lb-ft (rear), 908 lb-ft (comb)

REDLINE

AXLE/FINAL DRIVE RATIO

6,300, 5,700 rpm 19.9, 17.2, 16.3 lb/hp 8-speed automatic, 6-speed automatic 3.65:1/2.32:1, 3.32:1/2.56:1, 3.37:1/2.60:1

6,000, 6,250 rpm 15.0, 11.4 lb/hp 8-speed automatic 3.55:1/2.27:1/2.93:1 (L), 3.31:1/2.12:1/2.93:1 (L)

— 19.9 lb/hp 1-speed automatic 11.09:1/11.09:1

— 8.5 lb/hp 1-speed automatic 12.6:1/12.6:1

SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR

Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar

Struts, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar

STEERING RATIO BRAKES, F; R

13.6:1 2.4 11.0-in vented disc; 11.0-in disc

17.3:1 2.8 15.0-in; 14.0-in, 15.8-in; 14.6-in vented disc

Multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar 13.9:1 2.5 11.7-in vented disc; 11.7-in vented disc

Control arms, air springs, adj shocks, adj hydraulic anti-roll ctrl; multilink, air springs, adj shocks, adj hydraulic anti-roll ctrl 15.2:1 2.9 13.5-in vented disc; 12.9-in vented disc

WHEELS

7.0 x 17-in, 7.5 x 18-in, 7.5 x 19-in cast alum

9.5 x 23-in cast aluminum

7.5 x 19-in cast alum

8.5 x 22-in, 8.5 x 20-in forged alum

TIRES

235/65R17 104H BF Goodrich Trail-Terrain A/T (M+S), 235/60R18 103H Goodyear Assurance Finesse (M+S), 235/55R19 101V M+S Michelin Primacy A/S

285/40R23 111Y Pirelli Scorpion Zero LR (M+S)

235/55R19 101V M+S Dunlop Gandtrek PT21

275/50R22 116H Pirelli Scorpion Zero AllSeason RIV (M+S), 275/65R20 116H Pirelli Scorpion Elect RIV (M+S)

108.5 in 63.8/64.1, 63.6/63.9 in 183.5 x 73.4 x 66.9, 66.1, 66.9 8.3 in

126.0, 118.0 in 67.0/67.1 in 207.0, 198.9 x 80.6 x 73.6 in 8.6-11.6 in

109.3 in 64.4/64.4 in 182.9 x 74.8 x 65.7 in 7.1 in

121.1 in 68.1/68.1 in 200.8 x 79.3 x 71.5–77.3 in 7.9–14.9 in

18.9/26.6, 19.9/26.6 deg 38.6 ft 3,715 lb (58/42%), 3,901 lb (59/41%), 4,246 lb (59/41%) 5 37.8/38.0, 37.8, 38.0 in 41.4/41.3, 41.3, 39.5 in 57.5/55.6 in 73.7, 73.7, 65.4/39.5, 39.5, 34.5 cu ft 2,500, 2,000 lb

26.1-34.7/24.5-29.0 deg 37.8, 35.9 ft 5,938 lb (50/50%), 5,980 lb (49/51%)

17.6/22.2 deg 35.4 ft 4,725 lb (53/47%)

7, 5 39.3/39.6/35.8, 39.3/39.2 in 39.9/40.4/35.8, 39.9/40.4 in 60.8/59.1/43.8, 60.8/59.1 in 92.9/43.1/8.7, 83.5/40.7 cu ft 7,716, 8,200 lb

5 37.9/38.3 in 42.3/37.0 in 57.1/55.9 in 59.7/22.8 cu ft Not recommended

35.6/34.3 deg (max) 41.3 ft 7,068 lb (48/52%), 7,091 lb (48/52%) 7 41.1/39.6/38.6 in 41.4/36.6/32.7 in 60.6/58.9/51.1 in 88.3/46.7/17.6 cu ft 7,700 lb

1.9, 1.8 sec 2.9, 2.6 4.2, 3.5 5.7, 4.6 7.7, 5.8 10.2, 7.3 12.9, 9.1 —, 11.1 3.1, 2.2 14.4 sec @ 94.9 mph, 13.1 sec @ 107.1 mph

3.3 sec 4.5 5.8 7.5 9.4 11.8 14.9

127, 126 ft 0.74, 0.74 g (avg) 29.2 sec @ 0.56 g (avg), 28.6 sec @ 0.60 g (avg)

128 ft 0.79 g (avg) 27.6 sec @ 0.61 g (avg)

1,500, 1,400 rpm

7,950 rpm

8,050, 7,750 rpm

$35,785, $37,485, $44,285 $38,895, $38,235, $44,680 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain

$110,350, $159,550 $130,175, $169,900 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain

$91,500 $96,000 (est), $98,750 (est) 8: Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain

4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/50,000 miles

$47,125 $54,000 (est) 10: Dual front, f/r side, f/r head, front knee 3 years/36,000 miles 8 years/100,000 mi 5 years/Unlimited miles

COMPRESSION RATIO

WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION(S)

TURNS LOCK TO LOCK

2023 Nissan Ariya Empower+

2022 Rivian R1S (Launch Edition, A/S tire, A/T tire)

Front-motor, FWD

2x front- + 2x rear-motor, AWD

Permanent-magnet electric

Permanent-magnet electric

DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT GROUND CLEARANCE APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/(M)/R LEGROOM, F/(M)/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/(M)/R CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/(M)/R

TOWING CAPACITY TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION

MT FIGURE EIGHT TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH

3.1, 2.5, 2.4 sec 4.8, 3.8, 3.7 6.6, 5.3, 5.1 9.3, 7.3, 7.1 12.1, 9.5, 9.0 15.4, 12.3, 11.3 –, –, 14.2

– 5.1, 3.9, 3.7 16.9 sec @ 82.1 mph, 15.6 sec @ 89.9 mph, 15.3 sec @ 93.2 mph 128, 126, 128 ft 0.81, 0.80, 0.79 g (avg) 27.9 sec @ 0.58 g (avg), 25.7 sec @ 0.65 g (avg), 27.6 sec @ 0.61 g (avg) 1,600, 1,800, 1,700 rpm

— 3.3 15.8 sec @ 92.9 mph

1.3, 1.3 sec 1.8, 1.9 2.4, 2.5 3.1, 3.2 4.1, 4.2 5.2, 5.3 6.5, 6.7 8.0, 8.3 1.5, 1.5 11.6 sec @ 111.2 mph, 11.8 sec @ 111.6 mph 121, 131 ft 0.82, 0.78 g (avg) 26.1 sec @ 0.71 g (avg), 26.4 sec @ 0.69 g (avg)

CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED AIRBAGS

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

5 years/60,000 miles 10 years/100,000 miles 5 years/60,000 miles

FUEL CAPACITY

14.3 gal, 13.7 gal + 1.5 kWh, 11.1 gal + 13.8 kWh

23.8 gal

87.0 kWh

133.0 kWh

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON

23/28/25 mpg, 38/38/38 mpg, 35 mpg (gas comb est), 84 mpg (elec + gas comb est*)

18/26/21, 16/21/18 mpg

105/91/98 mpg-e

73/65/69 mpg-e

EPA RANGE, COMB

358 miles, 521 miles, 430 miles (elec + gas est), 34 miles (elec est) Unleaded regular, 240-volt electricity Now

500, 495 miles

289 miles

316 miles

Unleaded premium Now

240-, 480-volt electricity Now

240-, 480-volt electricity Now

BASIC WARRANTY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY

RECOMMENDED FUEL ON SALE

68 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

5 years/60,000 miles 8 years/175,000 mi (incl battery) 5 years/60,000 miles

*EPA blended-PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes.**Mild hybrid motor does not contribute to acceleration, it merely recovers energy for the e-supercharger.

JUICE BAR

SUVOTY

How We Charged 14 EVs at SUV of the Year Without Losing Our Minds WORDS ERIC TINGWALL PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN MARTIN

A pair of portable hydrogen fuel cell DC fast chargers powered the electric vehicles at MotorTrend’s 2023 SUV of the Year competition.

M

ost EV owners rarely think about where or when they’ll charge their car next.

Typically, they plug in at home and wake up to a full battery.

But there’s nothing typical about MotorTrend’s SUV of the Year program, where we gather the newest SUVs for 10 days of intense evaluation in the California desert.

With 14 EVs and seven plug-in hybrids among 45 contenders, the far-flung public charging stations in the surrounding areas weren’t going to cut it.

In years past, we’ve occasionally charged EVs at these events with massive diesel generators, but portable charging power has matured alongside EV technology in general. The hydrogen fuel cells we used this year made for a significantly quieter and cleaner competition.

Those fuel cells came courtesy of Hydrotec, a division of General Motors aiming to electrify industries where GM’s Ultium battery

technology doesn’t make sense.

The company’s first commercial product, a roughly 4x2x2-foot fuel cell power cube, goes into production in 2023.

As a proof of concept, Hydrotec also developed the Mobile Power Generation System (MPGS), which bundles a power cube with an 18-kWh buffer battery and DC fast charger on a small utility trailer weighing 4,200 pounds. The fuel travels separately. In our case, a shipping container packed with 14 hot-dog-shaped pressure vessels delivered 880 pounds of hydrogen containing 6,000 kWh of energy, enough for 18,000 miles of travel in a Cadillac Lyriq.

An MPGS charges via an SAE CCS connector at up to 60 kW. That’s slow by DC fast-charging standards, as most new EVs can accept 150 kilowatts or more, but as Hydrotec’s Mike Bearman noted, “A charger where you’re at is typically faster than another one somewhere else.” Indeed, in just

two days we saved 17 hours by not driving the 27 minutes each way to the nearest public fast-charging station in Mojave.

The savings were even greater if you consider no one needed to wait while a car charged. The Hydrotec MPGS were at our base camp so we could plug in and hop into another SUV to continue our judging. The MPGS’ portability also meant we could pack up within a couple hours and relocate them as we shifted from proving-ground testing to road evaluations.

The two MPGS generated 1,462 kWh of electricity and produced about 150 gallons of water during

our judging, all while emitting a fanlike whir quiet enough to talk over. (We supplemented this charging using 240-volt L2 equipment and permanent L3 fastcharging stations.)

GM doesn’t have any plans to commercialize these fast chargers.

Instead, Hydrotec will sell its power cubes to integrators like Utah-based Renewable Innovations, which will design and build similar devices. That company already has a working prototype incorporating batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen tanks, and DC fast chargers into a single semi trailer.

EV charging is just one potential application for fuel cells. Bearman said they could be used to provide power at military outposts, at festivals in remote locations, in the wake of natural disasters, and to avert rolling blackouts.

They could also be used to drive vehicles or their auxiliary power systems, though the power cube’s packaging means it won’t be used in passenger vehicles. Instead, Hydrotec is looking at opportunities in aerospace, trucking, and rail. Exactly where they’ll end up is anybody’s guess, but with the transportation and energy industries walking away from fossil fuels, hydrogen fuel cells are poised to ride the same wave that’s lifting electric vehicles. Q Hydrogen is light but not particularly energy-dense by volume. These 14 tanks hold the same amount of energy as 180 gallons of gasoline.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 69

SUV OF THE YEAR WINNER

The Complete Package hat is an SUV? No, seriously.

Ask a dozen people and you’ll get a dozen answers. To some, it’s a body-on-frame vehicle with four-wheel drive, much like the original Jeeps that birthed the segment. To others it’s a two-box shape with high ground clearance and room for a weekend getaway. Yet others define it as any hatchback larger than a typical car. We can all agree, generally, what an SUV should do but not on what

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it should look like. As Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said when struggling to define pornography, “I know it when I see it.”

Well, we know a great SUV when we drive one. A great SUV must inspire confidence; it’s capable of commuting comfortably, road-tripping for days, and tackling both snow and light off-road trails. An SUV must be spacious, with each row offering room for passengers and the things they carry. It also must

be safe and (relatively) efficient. Stylish looks don’t hurt, either.

We’ve spent countless hours arguing over the pure definition, but we’ve yet to come up with a more objective means of separating the mere cars from the true SUVs than our Of The Year testing and criteria. Regardless of how any individual defines the term, there’s no denying our 2023 SUV of the Year handily meets the diverse needs of the compact SUV segment it competes in,

THE HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 IS MOTORTREND’S 2023 SUV OF THE YEAR

WORDS CHRISTIAN SEABAUGH PHOTOGRAPHY EVAN KLEIN

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 71

SUV OF THE YEAR WINNER and then some. The Ioniq 5 is stellar to look at, wonderful to drive, roomy, comfortable, efficient, and a killer value.

The Ioniq 5—the first fully electric vehicle to win this award—is a gamechanging rethink of what an SUV can be.

It’s approachably modern with a form factor and controls that are familiar to anyone trading in a conventionally powered SUV or crossover for their first electric one. Yet its packaging and performance are only possible thanks to its small, energy-dense motors. More important, it offers bleeding-edge 800-volt electric architecture, making it among the quickest-charging EVs on the market (with charge times rivaling road trip rest stops).

At just more than $40,000 to start, it’s also the cheapest vehicle with such technology on the market today. Simply put, no SUV in our incredibly diverse 33-vehicle field more faithfully lives up to our six key SUV of the Year criteria than does the new Hyundai Ioniq 5.

With no driveshaft bisecting the Ioniq 5’s floor, Hyundai was able to rethink what an SUV’s interior could look like. We’re particularly fond of the sliding center console and lounge mode for use while charging.

Admittedly, the Ioniq 5’s styling is where you will most question its overall SUV-ness. With a raked tailgate, no D-pillar, and just 6.1 inches of ground clearance—barely more than a Subaru Legacy sedan—the Hyundai’s appearance says “midsize hatchback” more than “compact SUV.” Even so, the Ioniq 5 is one of the most exciting-looking mainstream vehicles to hit the road for a decade.

Penned as an homage of sorts to the Giugiaro-designed Hyundai Pony concept from decades ago, the Ioniq 5’s mix of 8-bit retrofuturism, sharp edges, and distinctive lighting graphics is an expert play on Gen X and Gen Y nostalgia.

“I absolutely love the interior and exterior styling,” digital director Erik Johnson said. “It’s like a Trapper Keeper with Max Headroom on its cover I might have carried to elementary school, but on wheels.” Associate editor Duncan Brady agreed: “I want to call special attention to the hash marks along the wheel arches, and of course those super-rad wheels.”

The interior design is just as successful as the exterior, even if some judges wished Hyundai designers had as much fun with the cabin as they did with the outside. The EV’s cockpit is clean, simple, and intuitive, with twin 12.3-inch displays, a brandless two-spoke steering wheel, and a mix of physical buttons, knobs, and switches.

“Hyundai really sweated the details and smoothed out the user experience,” head of editorial Ed Loh said. “This is a great transitional EV, new yet familiar. There’s

The first in the new Ioniq family of vehicles, the 5 looks like a cyberpunk Hyundai Pony. The family has grown with the new Ioniq 6 sedan (page 14) and N Vision 74 concept.

a push-button start as most people understand and lots of physical knobs for putting it into gear and adjusting things with positive response by feel. There’s no capacitive guessing or checking some screen with your eyes to confirm your input. It’s simple and elegant, which is deceptively difficult to achieve.”

Hyundai Motor Group’s cutting-edge E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) architecture underpins the stylish sheetmetal. Also used on the Kia EV6 (page 61) and Genesis GV60 (page 37), this exceptionally versatile platform allowed Hyundai Motor Group’s three brands to engineer radically different electric SUVs with different wheelbases and hardpoints while still sharing batteries and motors.

This means customers have more choices and more advanced tech at lower prices.

THE IONIQ 5 IS COMFORTABLE AND RELAXING WHEN YOU WANT IT TO BE YET ENGAGING AND PLAIN FUN WHEN THE MOOD STRIKES. Speaking of choice, Hyundai offers two battery and motor configurations for the Ioniq 5. Base Ioniq 5 SE Standard Range models get a 58.0-kWh battery pack paired with a single rear-mounted electric motor, good for 168 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and an EPA-estimated 220 miles of range. Walking one step up the trim ladder unlocks the larger 77.4-kWh battery pack. Rear-drive, big-battery Ioniq 5s get an uprated motor good for 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of twist, while optional dualmotor all-wheel-drive variants produce a healthy 320 hp and 446 lb-ft. All-wheeldrive Ioniq 5s can travel 256 miles between charges (266 for 2023 models), while the single-motor variant can clear an impressive 303 miles between plug-ins.

Even more impressive is how quickly the 5 charges. Thanks to its 800-volt architecture, this Ioniq is one of the few vehicles on sale that can take advantage of 350-kW Level 3 DC fast chargers.

With a peak charge rate of 239 kW on large-

battery models (base models are limited to 195 kW), the Ioniq 5 is capable of charging from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 18 minutes—about the same amount of time as an average fuel and bathroom/ stretch/snack break on a road trip with a conventionally powered vehicle. Even better, Hyundai says it continues working on improving the charge speed via overthe-air updates, with the end goal of making DC fast charging comparable to a traditional fuel-only stop. The Ioniq 5 is also one of the few production EVs with vehicle-to-load capability, by which an adapter allows the charge port to serve as a 120-volt outlet for powering other devices.

Despite its unconventional hatchback-esque styling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 excels when we ask it to do things we expect an SUV to do. For starters, it’s incredibly roomy. With a wheelbase longer than Hyundai’s full-size Palisade SUV, its wheels pushed out to all four

corners, and a perfectly flat floor, the Ioniq 5’s cabin is open, airy, and welcoming. Adults and children alike will find each row spacious and comfortable, with an upright and commanding view of their surroundings. There’s plenty of storage, too, both in the nifty center console (which slides 5.5 inches fore and aft) and in the cubbies stashed throughout the interior. “Enormous open space in the center console means you can easily fit a large bag there,” buyer’s guide director Zach Gale said.

“Or at least two tubs of ice cream.” And although the Ioniq lacks a frunk, it makes up for it with a spacious tiered cargo area. For, you know, more ice cream.

It drives great, as well. Our 2022 test vehicle (functionally identical to the 2023 model) is comfortable and relaxing when you want it to be yet engaging and plain fun when the mood strikes.

Its motors are smooth and powerful, offering V-8-like performance in a class filled mostly with loud, underpowered four-cylinder engines. Its brakes feel JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 73

“THE IONIQ 5 IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A CROSSOVER AND A RALLY CAR, AND I’M NOT COMPLAINING.”

We love spending time in the Ioniq 5’s cabin, but we could do with some styling touches that tie into its stunning sheetmetal.

natural, with Hyundai offering five settings for regenerative braking, including fully off, one-pedal, and auto modes.

The Ioniq 5 also handles and rides wonderfully. Its steering is quick, precise, and light, while the torque-vectoring motors allow the driver to confidently get the SUV’s nose pointed around bends—a boon in low-traction situations. Ride quality is particularly noteworthy. “The spring and damper tuning is outstanding in the way it controls the battery pack’s weight and soaks up and absorbs bumps with nary a shudder or shimmy,” Johnson said. “This is luxury-level chassis tuning in a mainstream EV. I love that it allows some body roll, too, yet still has outstanding body control—it provides some of the vehicle feedback you miss in ‘sportier’ cars.”

74 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

The Ioniq didn’t let us down in our brief forays off-road, either. Although its limited ground clearance and streetoriented tires made us wary about driving it on anything more extreme than a dirt or gravel road, the Hyundai was sure-footed and confidence-inspiring in our sand tests, our closest Southern California analogue to snow. “Some might argue it’s no SUV, but a little imagination and an off-road course will truly change their minds,” senior editor Justin Westbrook said. “This is somewhere between a crossover and a rally car, and I’m not complaining.”

The Ioniq 5 is even a decently capable tow rig; 2023 models can tug up to 2,300 pounds. That’s better than most of its compact crossover cohorts.

We do have some minor quibbles with the Ioniq’s functionality. Aside from wishing for a touch more ground clearance, we were disappointed to find it doesn’t offer a built-in trip planner, as is common in many of its EV competitors.

The Ioniq 5 knows where charging stations exist, but it won’t smartly route you to them while on a road trip like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, and Cadillac Lyriq do, as examples.

Some drivers also said the steering wheel’s rim blocked most of the instrument cluster from view, and they found the central display screen difficult to reach. A reconfigurable instrument cluster and a curved infotainment screen (as seen in the related Kia EV6) would likely make a big difference to owners.

SUVOTY

The Ioniq 5 doesn’t just have long legs— it’s among the most efficient SUVs on the road today. Single-motor Standard Range examples are EPA-rated at 127/94/110 mpg-e city/highway/combined, figures that climb to 132/98/114 mpg-e for large-battery, single-motor variants.

Unsurprisingly, the volume-selling dualmotor versions are the least efficient.

Incremental changes for 2023 made them somewhat better, though; they now gets 113/90/101 mpg-e and 266 miles on a charge, up from the 2022 model’s 110/87/98 and 256.

With motor vehicle fatality rates ticking up in recent years, we were pleased to see the Ioniq 5 receive the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2022 Top Safety Pick+ ranking. (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hasn’t crash tested it yet.) Part of the reason for the high scores is Hyundai’s decision to make advanced driver assist systems standard. We found the radar cruise control and lane keep systems predictable and easy to use, and we were taken by its ability to change lanes automatically, a feature included on top-trim models.

“Highway lane change assist is impressive,” Brady said. “The first time I tried it, halfway through the lane change it said, ‘Conditions not met,’ and moved back to the lane where I began.” We’re far from true “self-driving” cars, yet the extra set of digital eyes still provides reassurance.

Starting at just $42,745 for a 2023 Standard Range model and $46,795 for

2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 HTRAC (Limited) POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT MOTOR TYPE POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET)

models with the larger battery pack, the Ioniq 5 isn’t only the cheapest vehicle with 800-volt architecture on the market: The trim walk is reasonable, too, with Limiteds topping out at $57,795.

Furthermore, it comes with a generous warranty—five years/60,000 miles as basic, then a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty for the powertrain and battery pack. Five years of roadside assistance with unlimited miles, three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance, and two years of unlimited 30-minute charging sessions at Electrify America stations are also included.

IntelliChoice recognizes the Ioniq 5 as an “excellent” value for its low “fuel” and insurance costs and its high resale value.

Regardless of whether you call the Ioniq 5 a hatchback, crossover, or SUV, the fact is, in this year’s incredibly competitive crop of SUV of the Year contenders, Hyundai was well ahead of the pack.

The Ioniq 5 might be a somewhat unconventional pick for our 2023 SUV of the Year award, but we’re confident it will be more than capable of handling the diverse tasks Americans expect SUVs to perform without complaint, no matter if they live in the Aleutians or the Keys. The Ioniq 5 is an outstanding vehicle, and that’s why it’s our winner. Q

WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSIONS AXLE RATIO, F/R SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK TO LOCK BRAKES, F; R

Front-and rear-motor, AWD Permanent-magnet electric 99 hp (front), 221 hp (rear); 320 hp (comb) 188 lb-ft (front), 258 lb-ft (rear); 446 lb-ft (comb) 14.7 lb/hp 1-speed automatic 10.64:1/10.64:1 Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar 14.3:1 2.6 12.8-in vented disc; 12.8-in disc

WHEELS

8.0 x 20-in cast aluminum

TIRES

255/45R20 105V Michelin Primacy Tour A/S (M+S)

DIMENSIONS

118.1 in 64.2/64.6 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 185.2 x 74.4 x 63.0 in GROUND CLEARANCE 6.1 in APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE 16.0/28.5 deg TURNING CIRCLE 39.3 ft CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) 4,697 lb (50/50%) SEATING CAPACITY 5 HEADROOM, F/R 39.1/37.5 in LEGROOM, F/R 41.7/39.4 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 57.7/57.7 in CARGO VOLUME BEH F/R 59.3/27.2 cu ft TOWING CAPACITY 2,300 lb WHEELBASE

TRACK, F/R

TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION

MT FIGURE EIGHT

1.6 sec 2.3 3.3 4.4 5.8 7.6 9.7 12.3 2.3 13.2 sec @ 102.7 mph 123 ft 0.88 g (avg) 25.7 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)

CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED AIRBAGS BASIC WARRANTY

$56,295 $56,490 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain 5 years/60,000 miles

10 years/100,000 miles (including battery) ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 years/unlimited miles BATTERY CAPACITY 77.4 kWh EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 110/87/98 mpg-e EPA RANGE, COMB 256 miles 240-volt electricity, RECOMMENDED FUEL 480-volt electricity, 800-volt electricity POWERTRAIN WARRANTY

ON SALE

Now

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 75

MOTORTREND I 1.23

VERDICT BMW X7

GENESIS GV70

MT

Updates on our long-term fleet

HONDA ODYSSEY

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 19/27/22 mpg

Base Price $37,425 As tested $38,020 he Hyundai Santa Cruz is coquettish. It’s been playing hard to get since we first laid eyes on the compact lifestyle truck concept at the 2015 Detroit auto show. It created enough buzz that execs said it was a surefire addition to the company’s car-heavy lineup. For years we pestered Hyundai for updates on when it would go into production. We were intrigued by a five-passenger pickup that would drive like a car, be easy to park and fit in a garage, and still haul items to the dump or launch a fishing boat. I even picked the Santa Cruz as the truck I’d buy before seeing the production version.

Years went by, during which time Hyundai chiefs came and went, and the design team returned to the drawing board to update the look. Finally, six years later, the Santa Cruz got the green

T

76 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

KIA CARNIVAL

PHOTOGRAPHY MT STAFF

Arrival: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz “Time to see if Hyundai’s little pickup was worth the long gestation period.” Alisa Priddle

ARRIVAL HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ

light from Korea and went into production in time to be a finalist for 2022 MotorTrend Truck of the Year.

Then came word we were getting a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz to evaluate for 12 months, and it would be based out of the Detroit office. Perfect chance to find out if this elusive truck would meet our expectations.

MotorTrend’s new Santa Cruz is an SEL with AWD and the Premium package, making it the second-highest trim level of four. It has a lot of standard features for the $37,425 base price ($38,020 as tested, thanks to a premium

paint option and accessory floormats).

They include safety and driver assist systems like forward collision alert and blind-spot monitoring. (Only the top rung on the trim ladder gets adaptive cruise control.) Amenities include a power sunroof and a factory-built lockable roll-up metal tonneau cover, which makes the somewhat tiny 4-foot truck bed infinitely more practical. The Santa Cruz also has a trunk in the back of the bed; it’s small but keeps grocery bags from sloshing around. There’s storage under the flip-up rear seats, as well.

Unlike the similarly sized Ford Maverick, our Santa Cruz doesn’t have a full-size spare. It does, however, come with a “temporary compact spare tire.”

We’re hoping we don’t need to test how

SPECS Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door truck Engine 2.5L turbo port- and direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 Power (SAE Net) 281 hp @ 5,800 rpm Torque (SAE Net) 311 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm Transmission 8-speed twin-clutch auto Curb Weight (F/R Dist) 4,124 lb (56/44%) 0-60 MPH 6.0 sec ON SALE Now

Height 66.7”

75.0”

118.3” 195.7”

KIA SELTOS

NISSAN ROGUE

KIA SORENTO

RAM 1500 TRX

LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110

UPDATE MAZDA CX-50

MERCEDESBENZ E 450

RIVIAN R1T

TOYOTA MIRAI

VOLVO XC40

2023 Mazda CX-50

“A trip to Yosemite provides a bit of adventure.”

Alex Leanse

Service Life 2 months/3,383 miles Average Fuel Econ 17.8 miles Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0 Normal wear $0 Base price $42,774 As tested $43,170 EPA City/Hwy/Comb fuel econ 23/29/25 mpg

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Unlike most of its pickup contemporaries, the Santa Cruz’s interior feels cramped—rear space is like that of a small crossover.

many miles there are in “temporary.”

Under the hood, the optional 2.5-liter turbocharged I-4 puts out 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The four-cylinder is paired with an eightspeed twin-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters and HTRAC

all-wheel drive. Drive modes include Normal, Smart, Sport, and Snow (which will certainly be put to the test this winter), though there’s notably no Tow/Haul mode. Although it’s not an off-roader by any means, the Santa Cruz has hill descent assist and hill start assist control, so we’ll go in search of elevation to test their mettle.

We also look forward to taking the Santa Cruz to the brutal cold of the Canadian north to see how well the heated seats and side mirrors work, as well as the remote engine start. Hyundai doesn’t offer a trailer hitch on the Santa Cruz (though it’s rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds), but we’ll be visiting our local U-Haul dealer to get one fitted.

After all, a boat won’t tow itself.

ith the CX-50, Mazda seeks to make outdoor adventure a new brand attribute in addition to the sportiness its vehicles are known for. Our SUVOTY evaluations already put the CX-50 through standardized off-road testing (page 47), but a recent road trip to Yosemite National Park provided additional insights.

We stayed in Oakhurst, where our retreat was reachable only by a steep, winding offshoot.

Traversing that and other twisty stretches around Yosemite, the Mazda felt in its element.

These roads suited its lithe handling and adept chassis tuning. Weighty steering made the CX-50 easy to place in a curve, as did the firm brake pedal. Still, a transmission with more than six forward gears could enliven this engine.

Yosemite’s awe-inspiring terrain offers endless exploration even outside of the park’s boundaries. One such place is the Nelder Grove, where redwoods grow larger than a 747’s fuselage. After climbing up Road 632’s numerous switchbacks, Nelder Grove is accessed by venturing onto dirt. This way is no difficult trail, only mildly rutted and with water crossings barely deeper than the tire sidewalls. Even so, the CX-50 exceeded expectations. Like on pavement, surface textures were transmitted through the suspension, but its taut control kept the body—and us—from flopping about. Every CX-50 is equipped with AWD, which shifts power rearward to preserve traction or even swing the tail out a tad.

After a few days it was time to drop out of the mountains and onto the highway to head home.

There, I pondered what similar vehicle might have been a better mixed-terrain companion than the CX-50. My immediate thought was the new Mazda’s apparent target: the Subaru Outback.

Our previous 2020 Outback long-termer’s near-luxury ride smoothness, reasonable ground clearance, and Subaru’s renowned all-wheel drive would’ve been at least as capable as Mazda’s on that short off-road jaunt. But even a turbocharged Outback is no WRX, while the CX-50 was legitimately enjoyable on the Yosemite area’s back roads. Perhaps Mazda hasn’t gone far enough to conquer America’s most popular wagon, but with the CX-50 it might have created a similarly versatile—yet much more driver-oriented—alternative.

JANUARY 2023 MOTORTREND.COM 77

MT GARAGE I Verdict

one trip in particular, we spent about 10 days driving from home base in Los Angeles to the Oregon coast and then inland to Bend, Oregon. During the journey we encountered long highway stints and twisty coastal roads, and we climbed high along the sides of a volcano in Lassen National Park. We drove through sunshine, scorching heat, wind, and rain, and through it all the X7 OPTIONS Executive package ($4,100: “BMW’s biggest coddled us in perfect comfort. remote engine start, soft-close doors, boat isn’t bad, panoramic sunroof, head-up display), The pricey (but worth it) leather seats Dynamic Handling package ($3,850: active but it could be were not the only option box we ticked steering, M Sport brakes), Bowers & Wilkins better.” when building our Bimmer. We spent sound ($3,400); Merino leather ($2,450); William Walker Drivers Assistance Professional package $22,000 in options, which sounds like ($1,700: Traffic Jam Assist, Active Driving a lot. The following were particularly Assistant Pro), Luxury Seating package ($1,600: front ventilated and massaging worthwhile: seats), 22” wheels ($1,300); Cold Weather At a cool $3,400, the Bowers & Wilkins package ($1,200: front and rear heated Base Price $74,895 As Tested $96,895 seats, 5-zone climate control); Alcantara sound system was the third-priciest headliner ($1,000); leather dashboard option we added to the X7. Although it trailer hitch ($550) Service Life 13 months/23,539 miles ($850); Problem Areas None Maintenance Cost took the bronze in the spendy option Average Fuel Econ 17.6 mpg $0 (2x inspection, oil change; 1 in-cabin air games, it was by far the winner in my filter) Normal Wear $0 3-Year Residual Value* $90,600 (94%) book. There’s nothing I enjoy more than ith its 3.0-liter turbocharged Recalls None ruining the quiet serenity of a luxury I-6 and a starting price of *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles vehicle’s interior by singing badly, and $74,895, our 2020 BMW X7 at the end of three years. the Bowers & Wilkins system at least xDrive40i represents the low end of the X7 model range. It might have the incredibly efficient; over 23,539 miles, we ensured the music coming out of the smallest powerplant in the family, but saw an average of 17.6 mpg. That falls well speakers sounded good and was in key.

The Executive package’s $4,100 price don’t call it inadequate. shy of its 20/25/22 mpg city/highway/ tag makes it the most expensive option.

Putting out 335 hp and 330 lb-ft, the combined EPA ratings.

I was on the fence about including this X7’s straight-six was more than up to the Regardless, who really cares how fast on my highlights list. On one hand, task of getting things moving. During our and efficient the X7 is? A large luxury instrumented testing, we saw a respectSUV is all about comfort, and our X7 was with this option you get the awesome Panoramic Sky Lounge LED roof, softable 0–60 time of 5.6 seconds, with the big downright plush. The optional $2,450 close doors, and the much-used heated Bimmer crossing the quarter mile in 14.2 Coffee Merino leather seats were not seconds at 96.8 mph. That might be the only stylish but also darn pleasant places and cooled cupholders. On the other hand, it includes the cut-glass shifter slowest of the X7s, but during everyday to rest our behinds. We were especially and gesture controls. About halfway driving it felt plenty spry. It wasn’t appreciative of them on road trips. On

Verdict: 2020 BMW X7 xDrive40i

W

78 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

2020 BMW X7 xDrive40i POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT ENGINE TYPE

VALVETRAIN DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET) REDLINE WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION AXLE/FINAL DRIVE RATIO

Front-engine, AWD Turbocharged directinjected I-6, alum block/ head DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 182.6 cu in/2,998cc 11.0:1 335 hp @ 5,500 rpm 330 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm 7,000 rpm 16.5 lb/hp 8-speed automatic 3.64:1/2.33:1

SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR

Control arms, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar

STEERING RATIO

18.7:1 2.3 15.6-in vented disc; 14.6-in vented disc

TURNS LOCK TO LOCK BRAKES, F; R WHEELS, F; R

9.5 x 22-in; 10.5 x 22-in cast aluminum

TIRES, F; R

275/40R22 107Y; 315/ 35R22 111Y Pirelli P Zero

DIMENSIONS

APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE

122.2 in 66.3/67.1 in 203.3 x 78.7 x 71.1 in 8.7 in 23.1/20.5 deg

TURNING CIRCLE

42.8 ft

WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT GROUND CLEARANCE

CURB WEIGHT

5,530 lb

WEIGHT DIST, F/R

47/53%

TOWING CAPACITY

7,500 lb

SEATING CAPACITY

6

HEADROOM, F/M/R

41.9/39.9/36.6 in

LEGROOM, F/M/R

39.8/37.6/33.3 in

SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R

60.0/58.1/47.9 in

CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/M/R

90.4/48.6/n/a cu ft

TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH

0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION

MT FIGURE EIGHT TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH

1.9 sec 2.8 4.1 5.6 7.3 9.5 12.2 15.3 3.0 14.2 sec @ 96.8 mph 110 ft 0.86 g (avg) 26.3 sec @ 0.67 g (avg) 1,500 rpm

CONSUMER INFO

$74,895 $96,895 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes BASE PRICE

PRICE AS TESTED

AIRBAGS BASIC WARRANTY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

10: Dual front, f/m side, f/m/r curtain, front knee 4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/50,000 miles 4 years/unlimited miles

EPA RANGE, COMB

21.9 gal 20/25/22 mpg 482 miles

RECOMMENDED FUEL

Unleaded premium

ON SALE

Now

FUEL CAPACITY EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON

UNFORTUNATELY, OUR BIGGEST COMPLAINT ABOUT THE BMW X7 WAS DRIVING IT.

80 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

In something of a surprise, the big BMW’s most notable weakness: curvy roads.

through my time with the X7, I forced myself to start using gesture control, and although it works, the feature is nonetheless superfluous. The aforementioned cut-glass controls are another story. They look amazing and are a beautiful addition to an already nice interior.

Unfortunately, like any prism might, they have an annoying habit of directing a spectral array of colors directly into your eyes while you drive. It’s like when your passenger is looking at their phone and it reflects the sun into your eyes.

With a combined price of $2,800, the Cold Weather and Luxury Seating packages increased the X7’s luxuriousness substantially. Appreciated by me on cold days and by my wife pretty much every day, the Cold Weather package adds heated seats front and rear, and even heated armrests. The Luxury Seating package adds seat ventilation and massage, both of which were used almost constantly during any drive lasting longer than a couple of hours. We do wish both the seat heating and cooling were more intense, though.

Coming from the company that coined the “ultimate driving machine” slogan, it’s unfortunate that our biggest complaint about the X7 was driving it.

The vehicle is incredibly comfortable, but like a pendulum that can’t find equilibrium, its lack of body control made it feel nautical on twisty roads. More than

one person complained about feeling carsick while riding in the passenger seats, especially in the second row. For someone who mostly commutes in a city or on highways, this might not be a deal breaker, but given the competition in the segment, it’s a big miss. We don’t think BMW should have made the X7 handle like an M3, but Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac have both proven you can make an ultra-luxury SUV that drives as nice as it is comfortable.

Reliability wise, the X7 was issue-free.

During its 13-month stay with us, the X7 visited the dealership for two complimentary services. During the visits, it was inspected and received oil changes and a new cabin air filter. We put 27,332 miles on a long-term 2016 Range Rover Sport TD6 and ended up spending $1,588.11 on its two services. BMW’s Ultimate Care program means any 2017 or newer BMW vehicle purchased from an authorized dealer receives complimentary basic maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

So, was our 2020 BMW X7 40i perfect? No. Is it the best luxury three-row SUV on the market? No, it’s not that, either. But it is a great-looking, super-comfortable luxury cruiser that gets a whole lot right and is worthy of consideration. Q

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JANUARY 2023 / MOTORTREND.COM 81

Angus MacKenzie

The Big Picture

“Sporty” features aren’t always what they appear. ’m hammering an Audi RS 5 Sportback along a quiet Spanish road with Audi Sport chassis development engineer Andrei Filep riding shotgun in the passenger seat. We’re talking about steering feel and weighting.

“It’s a topic of endless debate,” he acknowledges as the Audi darts from apex to apex through a quick series of corners. This RS 5 Sportback is fitted with Audi Sport’s new Competition Plus options package, which, among other things such as an upgraded rear diff and heightadjustable coil-over suspension, includes new steering with a 13.1:1 fixed ratio.

It’s one of the quickest steering setups on a modern production car, and it’s integral to making the Competition Plus–equipped RS 5 one of the most agile and responsive front-engine Audis I’ve ever driven. But why, I ask Filep, does selecting Audi’s Dynamic drive mode simply add more weight to the steering? Weight is not the same as feel; what is the alleged benefit?

Filep sighs. Steering weight, he agrees, is not the same as steering feel. But, he says, in cars with adjustable drive modes, many automakers feel compelled to make the steering feel heavier in the sportier settings simply to reassure drivers they’ve changed something. And for many drivers, he says, heavier steering also makes their cars feel less nervous at speed.

“Heavy steering is for drivers who use the steering wheel as something to hold rather than to control the car,” Filep grumbles as we head back to the Ascari Circuit for some hot laps in RS 5 coupes and RS 4 Avants with the Competition Plus package.

I thought about my ride with Filep a few days later when I was at Silverstone to drive the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS (see Mac Morrison’s report on page 26).

The new GT3 RS is the greatest street-legal factory track rat I have ever driven. The only other road car as jaw-droppingly fast through high-speed corners, that will punch the air from your lungs under brakes with the same violence, is the McLaren Senna.

As with the Senna, a key element of the GT3 RS’ on-track

I

82 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2023

brilliance is its race car levels of downforce. The biggest mindset shift in driving this Porsche fast is learning to trust the aerodynamic grip, understanding that even when I thought I was attacking a high-speed corner as hard as I dared, the car still had more to give. I just had to trust it.

What was more impressive, though, was the aerodynamic grip didn’t smother the chassis sensitivity. Even we mere mortal drivers can feel what’s going on at the front and the rear tire contact patches. The GT3 RS telegraphs its punches with remarkable clarity and doesn’t require the hair-trigger reactions of a pro racer to tame it.

But what makes the GT3 RS even more remarkable is how intricately the driver can adjust that chassis to tailor the car more to their driving style, the track layout, or the prevailing conditions. Four rotary dials on the steering wheel control not only the suspension settings and drive modes but also the torque vectoring and traction control.

The PASM suspension controller allows the compression and rebound rates of the shocks at the front and rear axles to be independently made harder or softer. You can adjust the PTV system to deliver different levels of torque vectoring on throttle liftoff and under power. In Track mode, up to seven levels of traction control are available. It’s about as close to proper GT3 race car chassis tuning as you can get without mechanical ride-height and anti-roll-bar adjustments.

One thing you can’t adjust: the steering weight. Nor, for that matter, the level of shift-shock you feel from the dualclutch transmission when you change gears, nor the level of noise the exhaust makes when you punch the gas. That’s because none of those things would make the GT3 RS lap Silverstone or the Nürburgring Nordschleife (it posted a smoking time of 6:44.848 around the latter’s “short” layout and a 6:49.328 on the slightly longer version) or any other track any quicker.

The 911 GT3 RS exposes the little white lies automakers think we need to hear and feel—even Porsche does it on lesser 911s—when we push a button marked “Sport.” Q

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