First Drive

Throwing development cash at a shrinking segment, with the hope of persuading badge-obsessed drivers to rethink their brand loyalties, sounds like a fool's errand, but Acura has plotted a surprisingly sensible course with the new 2021 TLX. True, sedans may now comprise less than 38-percent of new premium vehicle sales in the US, but that's still a sizable group of potential customers. Offer them something stylish, affordable, and rewarding from behind the wheel, and you could have a hit on your hands.

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Not all hybrids are created equal, something the 2021 Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid makes abundantly clear. While this mid-cycle refresh of the second generation Panamera adds electric range and makes it easier to whir along in zero-emission harmony, the lure of 552 horsepower suggests Porsche isn't exactly expecting hypermiling to be high on the agenda for owners. Think of this as electrification by way of speed-obsessed Stuttgart.

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Beastly SUVs are in fashion right now. It's not hard to see why: SUV sales in general are buoyant and there are power-hungry drivers willing to open their wallets extra-wide for a family hauler that, to be blunt, hauls ass, too. The 2020 Audi SQ7 is not the first to pair performance and usability, then, and nor is it the most powerful.

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The Polestar 2 arrives to plenty of big expectations. Probably the most direct competition the Tesla Model 3 has faced so far, this handiwork of a Volvo and Geely collaboration gets to cherry-pick the best of their tech, then fast-track it to roads without the headache of an internal-combustion legacy. In theory, that means the best of establishment automaker and agile startup principles; in practice, we know little necessarily goes to plan in the EV world.

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I don't particularly enjoy convertibles, and that might seem like a rough place to start with the new 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4. There are generally noise and performance compromises that come with a drop-top, I'm very pale and I burn easily, and they always feel a little more ostentatious and attention-seeking than their hard-top cousins.

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It's been a painfully long wait for the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible. I'm a big fan of the LC 500 coupe, and like many was made that way the first time I laid eyes on its concept-stylings back in 2016. It's a luxurious grand tourer that, even after several years on sale, still turns heads with its elegant design, futuristic trim, and of course the benefit of Lexus' flagship LF-A supercar's aura. Then there's the naturally-aspirated V8 engine, giving it the raw power of a true muscle car. There's no replacement for displacement, after all.

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With the arrival of the 2020 Cadillac CT4-V, membership in the automaker's "V" club has never been more attainable. Promising to take the new entry-luxury sedan and give it not only an entertaining jolt of performance but a distinct personality from its German rivals, the CT4-V also gets the spoils of Cadillac's latest architecture gadgetry - and flagship GM tech like MagneRide 4.0. That's a lot for not so much money: could this newest "V" simply be trying too much at once?

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Porsche's love for acronyms runs deep, even by auto industry standards, but arguably its three most important letters can be found on the back of the new 2021 Porsche Cayenne GTS and Cayenne GTS Coupe. Latest to bear the coveted "Gran Turismo Sport" label, the two SUVs trace back their lineage all the way to the original 904 GTS that first earned the badge its kudos in 1964.

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The sports car had a good run, but its days are numbered. Time and trends are callous in their disregard for nostalgia: drivers are voting with their wallets, and they're voting for super SUVs like the new 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63. With 603 horsepower to play with, can you really blame them?

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You'd be forgiven for not realizing the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid was, well, a hybrid, and that's by design. Side by side with the gas-only crossover, this freshly electrified version bears all the hallmarks of simply being a fancier trim. The Honda badge is now blue-edged, while the rear bumper is different and hides the tailpipe; Touring trim splashes on some extra chrome, too. It all begs the question: how loud does your hybrid really need to be?

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Could Audi be the king of quiet sports sedans? The 2020 Audi S6 isn't short of a bark from its exhausts when the need arises, but when it comes to staying under the radar while still having horsepower on tap, this may well be the four-door to pick. After all, not everybody wants to shout about their performance.

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You could call it folly, launching a new luxury sedan at a time when SUVs are swallowing sales, but Cadillac would argue the 2020 CT5 isn't short of potential customers. True, utilities are where the biggest growth is, but there's still a not-insignificant cohort - either the SUV-averse or simply sedan-lovers - who haven't given up on the traditional four-door. Cadillac hasn't given up on them, either, but is the new CT5 - and its hotter CT5-V range topper - worthy of their affections?

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