Crossover

Any new version of the Toyota RAV4 is automatically a big deal. Aside from a few big pickup trucks, the RAV4 is America’s favorite vehicle. And it has also been a winner among eco-conscious buyers; not long after the gas/electric RAV4 Hybrid debuted in 2016, it became America’s favorite hybrid — even outselling Toyota’s iconic Prius.

So when Toyota announced the 2021 RAV4 Prime, it was a big deal. Forget about the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, a low-range plug-in hybrid version of a forgettable SUV. Forget about a planned Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, which doesn’t offer all-wheel-drive and whose on-sale date got bumped back a year over fire risks. Forget about various plug-in sedans and hatchbacks, and various expensive luxury plug-in hybrids that can barely crack 20 miles of low-speed all-electric use. And forget about the range anxiety that keeps many people away from fully electric vehicles. No, it’s the RAV4 Prime that promises to make Americans plug in their cars en masse.

We spent a week in the new 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime to see how it bridges the gap between the gasoline and electric worlds. Here’s what we found.

Ford just released info on the highly anticipated Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, and the all-electric SUV is quicker than all Mustang models save for the Shelby GT500. It also comes with a bit more torque than the regular Mach-E GT, as well as extra features inside the cabin.

EPA fuel economy estimates for the new, 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 are in and the German EV is just as efficient as the company claimed it would be. The Environmental Protection Agency says that the ID.4 will be able to travel for up to 250 miles on a single change, which is identical to Volkswagen’s forecast for the U.S. market. This figures places the ID.4 above the Standard Range version of the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Ford entered the off-road Bronco prototype, the Bronco R, at last year’s Baja 1000 and it took a lot of people by surprise because the Bronco was not unveiled yet. It couldn’t complete the race, but it managed to add to the ongoing buzz surrounding it. This year, the Bronco R completed the race, but couldn’t beat its rival, the SCG Boot. The SCG Boot just scored its second consecutive Class 2 victory despite a punctured tire during the run. Is the Boot on the verge of becoming a legend in the Class 2 category?

The Ford Mustang Mach-E was introduced with great fanfare back in November 2019 as the company’s first true EV and an all-electric SUV that can match the mighty Mustang on the performance front. It’s been a year since then and deliveries have been postponed to 2021, but that’s not the biggest issue Ford has with the Mach-E. It seems Ford is bracing for poor resale values of the electric crossover, as revealed by a MachEClub forum member who got his hands on the company’s bulletin of lease residual values sent to dealers.

If there’s a crossover you could call balanced from a visual standpoint in Audi’s lineup that would be the Q5 and subsequently, its performance-oriented SQ5 cousin. Maybe it’s just us, but it just looks right and well-proportioned and as of now, those who love oil burners can now buy Audi’s diesel-centric take on performance.

Here’s all you need to know about the SQ5 TDI.

The Kia Seltos is the newcomer to Kia’s lineup. It’s been in production since 2019, but 2021 marks the first year that it will be available on U.S. soil. It has just recently made it into dealerships as Kia begins to roll out its 2021 crop of vehicles, and it’s poised to make quite the disruption in the subcompact crossover market. Of course, let’s be clear, this still isn’t Kia’s smallest model – it’s the model designed to sit between the Soul and the Sportage. Highlights of the Seltos include better-than-expected cargo room, a Bose audio system, and the range-topping engine that’s good for 175 horsepower. What might be even more impressive, though, is the Seltos starting point of around $22,000.

Remember the old Infiniti FX, the company’s first attempt at the coupe-styled SUV market? Or maybe you remember it as the QX70 following its name change in 2013? Don’t worry if you don’t, it wasn’t a very remarkable vehicle and it was discontinued in 2017 anyway. But Infiniti just introduced a spiritual successor that looks infinitely better. It’s called the QX55 and yes, it’s a coupe version of the more familiar QX50. And it’s coming to the U.S. in spring 2021 to take on the German competition.

The 2022 BMW iX1 is an upcoming all-electric crossover that’s scheduled to debut sometime in the second half of 2021. As the name suggests, the 2022 iX1 will be based on the X1 subcompact SUV and will feature an all-electric drivetrain. The 2022 iX1 will be BMW’s second electric crossover after the iX3, introduced in 2020.

The 2022 BMW iX1 will be offered with at least two powertrain options, including an entry-level FWD variant and a more powerful AWD versions. Let’s find out more about it in the speculative review below.

The facelifted SQ2 won’t make the trip to the U.S. as it remains an EU-only affair, but at least it looks sharper than the car we saw take a bow two years ago, so that might mean something for prospective customers from Europe.

Mind you, the makeover is strictly of a cosmetic nature, so power and torque gains are off the table.

The Sorento came to market in 2002 and has since been one of Kia’s top-selling models in the US of A. We’re taking a closer look at the 2021 Sorento, a car that has come a long way from its inception to the all-rounder mid-size SUV it is today.

Right now, the Sorento comes with three powertrains, including a hybrid, and we’re told a plug-in hybrid is expected to show up next year. The 2021 Kia Sorento goes on sale in the U.S. by the end of 2020, so let’s see what it brings to the table.

Hyundai has went full German on the new 2022 Hyundai Tucson’s design and that’s not a bad thing. Not at all. In fact, it shows the Korean carmaker’s competitiveness in a cloak-and-dagger segment. However, you need more than a pretty or sci-fi face to make it in this arena.

We’ll know more about what the 2020 Tucson feels like inside and out once we take it for a spin. For now, here’s what the crossover has to offer on paper.

Launched in 2016, the Chevrolet Bolt has led GM’s assault on the electric car market in recent years. The subcompact hatchback is about to be joined by a second Bolt model, called the EUV. That’s short of Electric Utility Vehicle, because the Bolt EUV will be a crossover version of the Bolt EV.

In development since 2019, the Bolt EUV will go into production in 2021 and Chevrolet is already teasing the EV. Chevy’s latest video gives us our first glimpse at the interior.

The BMW Vision iNEXT has become the BMW iX – a pre-production prototype that previews the brand’s upcoming electric SUV. With a year still to go before its market launch at the end of 2021, the BMW Group is providing a first look ahead to the future BMW iX, which is currently still in the series development phase. The BMW iX is the first model based on a new, modular, scalable future toolkit developed by the BMW Group and focused on a fresh interpretation of design, sustainability, driving pleasure, versatility and luxury. Check out our awesome photo gallery below!

The 2021 Fiat Tipo Cross is a crossover-style version of the company’s compact car. Introduced in 2020 as a new trim for the Tipo range, the 2021 Tipo Cross is based on the hatchback model.

The Cross version joined the existing sedan, hatchback, and wagon models following the mid-cycle facelift, which added revised exterior elements, new tech inside the cabin, and a brand-new gasoline engine. But is the Tipo Cross a good addition to the lineup and will it give the Ford Focus Active a run for its money? Let’s find out in the review below.