First Drive

Japanese automaker Infiniti is the first to admit its all-new 2022 QX55 four-door crossover is not meant for everyone. And they mean it, too. It’s a fact not only stated on its official website, but the top brass at Infiniti believes in carving a niche in the growing coupe-crossover segment. “Infiniti has always been a brand that believes in defying conventions,” said Payman Kargar, Senior Vice President and Global Chairman of Infiniti Motor Company. “We believe in making vehicles that are not for everyone but mean everything to some.”

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The Chevrolet Bolt EV has long been the electric car that automotive writers will tell you to buy when you ask them for advice, even though they know you probably won't, but perhaps the 2022 Bolt EUV will prove more convincing. Now in a fashionable crossover body-style, and with aggressive pricing along with freshly-available tech like Super Cruise, Chevrolet has taken maximum advantage of a familiar platform to set what's arguably the new benchmark in a growing segment.

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The Maserati brand is amid a reinvention. After giving us a taste of the Levante Trofeo in 2019, the trident brand is now offering Trofeo versions of the 2021 Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans. Both come with the same Ferrari-built 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine as found int the Levante Trofeo, along with its intoxicating soundtrack. The icing on the cake is Maserati's newest MC20 supercar, a return to form for the Italian carmaker. The MC20 replaces Maserati's flagship MC12 racing model, a limited-edition supercar that won 14 racing championships from 2005 to 2010.

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If the 2022 Acura MDX is a revolution in three-row SUVs, it could be because it doesn't treat the driver as an afterthought. Sharper styling, a more upmarket cabin, and lashings of extra tech help justify the fourth-generation MDX's climb into more expensive territory, but Acura still takes its mission statement seriously. A rewarding experience behind the wheel can't be sacrificed, even in a family hauler.

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As quirky as it may seem, ElectraMeccanica’s Solo single-seat electric vehicle actually makes a ton of sense in the real world. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 90-percent of Americans drive alone, whether it’s in a car, pickup truck, or SUV. That's a whole lot of metal for just one person.

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It's unfair to say that Volvo took the easy route in developing the 2021 XC40 Recharge, the all-electric version of its popular subcompact SUV. Sure, it may be built atop the same Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform of its gasoline brethren - and, indeed, the same architecture resting underneath its Polestar 2 cousin - but the XC40 Recharge's biggest triumph is how it seamlessly blends with urban traffic without eliciting curious "is that electric?" stares from passersby and other drivers.

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The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 is America’s first taste of a new-age VW electric vehicle. Riding atop the German carmaker’s EV-specific MEB platform, the ID.4 is all-new from the ground up, and it certainly feels like it both inside and out. After my brief stint driving the ID.4. I can see why it makes a lot of sense for the US market from a starting price perspective, especially with the longer range battery option.

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You could make a solid argument that the 2021 Nissan Armada is the poster-child for successful mid-cycle refreshes. The three-row SUV has a reputation for setting aside anything remotely sporting in favor of snooze-inducing comfort - in the best possible way - but blobby styling and a dated cabin were clear giveaways of its age.

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The 2021 Cadillac Escalade diesel is no less vast than its gas sibling, no less lavish, and actually no more expensive, and that presents buyers of big, luxury SUVs with a conundrum. An Escalade with the Duramax turbo-diesel under the hood costs the same, from $77,490 plus destination, and aside from the 600D badge on the rear there's no visible sign that you opted not to get the V8.

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The Audi Q5 may be a compact crossover, but in sales terms it's a juggernaut. Gaining in popularity every year since it first launched in 2009, it's not only Audi's best-seller but the centerpiece of the automaker's balance of technology, prestige, performance, and value. For the 2021 Q5 45 TFSI, then, there's a lot riding on its teutonic shoulders.

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Brand your new electric crossover a Mustang, and you set it up for some big expectations. Ford wasn't making life easy for the 2021 Mustang Mach-E, risking the reputation of its muscle car brand on a category it had yet to prove itself in. "Should it drive like it looks?" That's the question I couldn't help but ask, as I faced the Mach-E across an empty pop-up autocross track.

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The 2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is the first-ever SUV from Maybach and, you could say, a playful jab - and somewhat less costly alternative - to other super-luxe contenders like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley's Bentayga. The Maybach name returned in 2015 as a sub-brand of the three-pointed star, and since then the automaker has sold more than 45,000 of its Mercedes-Maybach S-Class flagship sedans globally. In 2018, one in seven S-Class models sold was a Maybach.

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