Author Archives: Vincent Nguyen

You pick up a few names in the space of forty years, but whether you call it the Mercedes Geländewagen, the G-Wagen or, its most modern moniker, the 2019 G-Class is still legendary in every sense, whether you're on or off the road. Mercedes-Benz's unwavering commitment - some might say obsession - to maintaining the G’s core essence is instrumental in making it so successful over the past four decades. Even so, it's strange to think that the late model G-Class from 2018 is now considered a "classic," courtesy of this all-new model just around the corner.

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Audi gets an A for showmanship, introducing the world’s first 95kWh battery for the upcoming all-electric Audi e-tron SUV in a lighting-filled Faraday cage. Typically, you wouldn't want the sort of high voltages your EV relies on to be visibly dancing around the car, but a big battery deserves a big splash. When it reaches the road, mind, the e-tron's bleeding-edge power tech will be an even bigger deal.

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In the long-running battle between Porsche and Aston Martin, the familiar - and legendary - 911 is getting a very different challenger. The all-new 2019 Aston Martin Vantage is the automaker's new weapon, starting with a clean sheet design from the ground up, inside and out. Its goal is simple: be the most badass, Ferrari, Porsche and Bentley-hunting machine you could hope for.

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The battle is no longer just Camaro versus Mustang. The 2019 Camaro Turbo 1LE is the tip of a new spear for Chevrolet: an entry-level track car with a key differentiator that sets it apart from what its rivals - beyond simply Ford - are offering: it's all under warranty, should something blow up on the track. Final pricing hasn't been confirmed but, with a sticker expected to fall somewhere inside $30-$35k, the Camaro Turbo 1LE is on course to be appealingly affordable, too. Still, is that appealing enough to sway would-be buyers in this increasingly competitive segment?

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The all-new 2018 Hyundai Kona is the new kid on the block with plenty to offer first-time new car buyers on a budget. Mind you, don’t let my use of the word budget and a starting price of $20,450 imply a lack of style, creature comforts, safety, or even that it’s cheaply built. Those opting to fully spec out the Kona - as was the case for our test car, fittingly, on the Island of Kona, Hawaii - will be nothing short of delighted, just as long as their expectations are in check.

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The 2018 Stelvio Quadrifoglio is always fast, all the time, regardless of what drive mode you're in. How could it not be, endowed as it is with 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque oozing out of a glorious, 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine? If there's only one take-away from my first impressions of this overpowered crossover, it's this: brace yourself, whether you're driving or just along for the ride.

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Electric is the future. smart CEO Annette Winkler already said so last time we talked with her about the smart vision EQ fortwo concept EV. Now Mercedes-Benz is echoing that slogan as well. At the Geneva Motor Show, smart and Mercedes-Benz showed off the power their combined passion for pushing the electric campaign forward. The result is the smart EQ fortwo and forfour. For those in the US, these are the familiar all-electric cars that have been silently rolling in cities. For Europe and for the future, these two are the heralds of Mercedes-Benz’s dreams of an all-electric world.

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AMG's fearsome coupes are getting a sedan sibling, though the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is no compromise on the sports front. Unveiled officially at the Geneva Motor Show 2018 this week, the new four-door borrows the aggressive design and focus on performance of its two-door cousins but makes the whole thing more practical. Well, as practical as up to 630 horsepower can ever be.

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The SUV market is getting crowded, fast, and carmakers are scrambling to have their own models stand out. At first glance, Volvo's new 2019 XC40 might not fit the bill, both figuratively and literally. Its smallest SUV, the subcompact looks like a seriously shrunken version of the company’s larger XC60 and XC90. Yet the XC40 is looking to prompt a shake-up much bigger than its footprint, with a new platform under the sheet metal and a new way of adding one to your garage. I got a chance to take the new XC40 for a spin, to see if it has what it takes to stand tall among larger vehicles in its segment.

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While SUVs may seem the darlings of the automotive industry right now, there's definitely plenty of room to innovate and wow the crowd in other segments: especially when you have a long list of new things to show off, like Audi. While the 2019 A8 represents the marque's vision for sedans, the 2019 A7 Sportback embodies Audi's vision for those buyers who demand a sportier sedan. The A7, however, is not one that can be confined and defined inside a rigid box. Instead, it takes inspiration from both past and present, and in the process embracing coupe, sedan, and even wagon in a single body.

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SUVs are one of the fastest growing segments in the automotive industry, which makes now the best time to put one’s best SUV foot forward. Jeep, a name more associated with offroad vehicles, broke into the SUV market with the Cherokee as far back as the 70s. But as it expanded its portfolio, adding the luxury Grand Cherokee to its roster, the Cherokee seemed to have gotten left out of the massive changes, the grand innovations, and the big splashes. And so for 2019, Jeep is giving the SUV a much-needed pampering, giving the Cherokee a new face, a new interior, and a new powertrain, all while keeping it an unmistakable part of the Jeep family.

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Who says concepts are just for phones and computers? Car makers have been putting out concept cars and outfitting them with forward-looking technology, some of which may never see the light of day. Some, however, do and they eventually get integrated into the car maker’s premium line. At Detroit, we sat with Audi of America VP of Product Management Filip Brabec to talk about the company’s plans to bring its technology, specifically its latest MMI system, from its luxury A8 to the rest of its premium brood.

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