Car reviews

We really have to come out and say it straight off the bat: the Peugeot 508 SW is one of the best looking estate- or wagon-style vehicles on the market right now at any price. It builds on the striking but stylish look of the 508 sedan but adds extra coolness and practicality courtesy of the wagon shape.

It debuted a few months after the three-box hatch (which looks like a sedan, but it really isn’t) was unveiled at the 2018 Geneva motor show, where people flocked around the Peugeot stand to get a better look at it - I’ve literally never seen a motor show stand more crowded, and as I was approaching it, I thought Peugeot had unveiled a surprise concept. In the end, it was actually the production-spec 508.

The 508 SW I think looks even better than the already pretty hatchback, especially since it’s not really a boxy, traditional wagon, but more of a fastback/shooting brake type of vehicle. Unusually for a load lugger of its type, it ticks the “looks like it’s moving while standing still” cliché box.

Skoda announced the Rapid’s replacement in July this year, and now, the company has launched its successor under the nameplate "Scala." That was quick! Although we crib and cry when a car is teased for ages and not launched, we must admit that we missed that phase with the Scala. We saw just a couple of spy shots before the company released a few teasers and technical specs, and the car itself, all in quick succession.

Fiat has revealed its revised 500X crossover which has been nipped and tucked for the first time since its 2014 European debut (in the US for the 2016 model year it was launched). It comes with a refreshed exterior with new front and rear light clusters, more tech, and improved engines.

Update 12/12/2018: We’ve updated this review with images taken at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Check them out in our gallery below!

The Kia Niro EV is the all-electric version of the Niro subcompact crossover that the Korean automaker launched for the 2017 model year. Unveiled in Autumn 2018 as the e-Niro for the European market, the Niro EV is the U.S.-spec model and broke cover at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show in late November. Virtually identical to its European sibling, the Niro EV and e-Niro share the same features and specification, save for the less powerful base model. Kia chose to bring only the more powerful version to the U.S., where it will compete against its platform sibling, the Hyundai Kona Electric (or EV on this side of the pond). The Niro EV is Kia’s first all-electric crossover and among the first battery-powered SUVs for the non-premium market.

Genovation GXE is an electric vehicle based on the C7-Gen Chevy Corvette with plenty of power as well as visual treatment to let onlookers know it’s something a bit special. Wraps officially came off the limited production version at the 2018 LA motor show, where we were informed of its strict 75-unit production cap as well as the fact that the company expects to deliver the first ones in mid-2019.

Now while Genovation rips out the Corvette’s V-8 and replaces it with two electric motors, the company leaves the stock transmission inside, and you can even choose whether it’s a manual or automatic. Exact performance numbers aren’t mentioned, but we are informed of the vehicle’s sub-3-second zero to sixty time.

Visually, the GXE does stand out among Corvettes, with its unique bumpers, rims, and LED strips that highlight some of its design features. You will definitely know something is up when one of these drives by, not only due to the extra exterior lighting but also because of its almost complete lack of noise as it moves along.

Its only slight problem is the fact that you are asked to part with $750,000 in exchange for one. And, while the sheer novelty of having a usable, more luxurious, custom, and fully electric Corvette it is going to be out of the reach of most enthusiasts, it’s important to remember that you can buy no fewer than six Corvette ZR1s for the same money. You know, just to put things into perspective.

It ain’t easy standing out in the overly-saturated subcompact crossover segment, but the Kia Soul does exactly that with its mix of unique and attractive styling, equipment, and overall value. Now the Soul enters its third generation for the 2020 model year with a debut at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, and its bringing a fresh take on the boxy goodness of the outgoing model, plus loads of gear, fun features, and a stout turbo engine option.

The company’s smallest crossover yet, the Porsche Macan arrived in 2014 and slotted under the highly popular Cayenne. After four years on the market, the compact SUV was updated to mid-cycle specifications. The Macan S is very similar to the base model we saw hit the spotlight earlier in 2018 on the outside. It’s identical inside the cabin as well save for the trim-specific features. However, it’s a different story under the hood, as the "S" badge comes in tow with a larger, 3.0-liter V-6. What’s more, while the four-banger lost a few horses with the facelift, the V-6 delivers a bit more power and torque.

For 2018, Volkswagen is introducing a new Passat GT model. The GT introduces some sporty touches to the Passat line. The Passat has mostly been about sensible family transportation until now, excluding the 2003-2004 Passat W8 perhaps. It would have been very easy for Volkswagen to come up with a sporty version of the Passat but they instead have gone for more luxurious models. It looks like Volkswagen is finally dipping their toes into the sports sedan waters to judge the public’s reaction with the Passat GT.

The seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf was introduced in 2012 in Europe, but it didn’t make it to U.S. soil until 2014, when it was launched for the 2015 model year. Slightly larger and sportier than its predecessor, the Mk7 also gained a revamped interior, new convenience and safety features, and a wide range of gasoline and diesel four-cylinder engines. The new-generation Golf also spawned a new GTi model, but a more powerful R version was also launched for 2015. With the regular model having received a facelift in 2016, an updated version of the Golf R followed for 2017.

As it is the case with most Volkswagen facelifts, the mid-cycle update doesn’t bring too many features. However, the Golf R is a bit sportier on the outside and benefits from the many technological improvements made to the lineup. The turbocharged engine was also uprated, but while the Golf R is now slightly more powerful than the Honda Civic Type R, it’s nowhere near as brawny as the impressiveFord Focus RS. How does it compare to the competition? Let’s find out in the review below.

12/12/2018: We’ve updated this review with new images of the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R taken at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Check them out in the gallery below!

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has been making headlines in the auto industry for a few decades now, with many claiming it’s the future of the fossil-free automobile. However, unlike the electric car market, the hydrogen segment has evolved rather slow, with most automakers opting to stay away from the big development costs and the expensive carbon-fiber fuel tanks. Until Toyota debuted the Mirai, Hyundai was the only company that actually launched a production model. The ix35 FCEV, also known as the Tuscon FCEV in some markets, was introduced in 2013. After several tests, full-scale production began in 2015 and examples were delivered in more than 20 countries worldwide. Come 2018 and Hyundai wants to take things up a notch with a brand-new model, called the Nexo.

Introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show, the event where automakers launch their high-tech products for a few years now, the Nexo will replace the ix35/Tucson FCEV. And the new hydrogen-powered EV is a significant departure from its predecessor. Not only riding on a new platform, it also features a unique design, a brand-new interior, and bespoke technology. And unlike many vehicles we usually see at the Consumer Electronics Show, the Nexo is ready to go into production and will become available in select markets later in 2018. Let’s find out more about Hyundai’s next-generation FCEV in the review below.

Update 12/12/2018: We’ve updated this review of images of the 2019 Hyundai Nexo taken at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Check them out int he gallery below!

Although Hyundai didn’t offer an SUV until the Terracan was introduced in 2001 (the 1991 Galloper doesn’t really count since it was a rebadged Mitsubishi), the Korean firm now has four different crossovers on offer. The latest to join the family is the Kona, and it’s the company’s first subcompact offering. But more importantly, it’s the first subcompact SUV to get an all-electric version. Unveiled in February 2018, the Kona Electric is the first of its kind on the European market and crosses the pond to the U.S. for 2019.

Much like any other EV or hybrid based on a conventional vehicle, the Kona Electric is very similar to the gasoline-powered Kona. The styling carries over with a few changes inside and out, while the equipment lines remain pretty much the same. It’s the drivetrain that makes a big difference, as the Kona Electric doesn’t use dinosaur juice. What’s more, the Kona Electric comes with impressive performance and range of a crossover that will cost significantly less than the expensive Tesla Model X. Let’s find out more about that in the review below.

Update 12/12/2018 We’ve updated this review with fresh images of the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric take at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto show. Check them out in the gallery below!

First introduced for the 2003 model year, the Lincoln Aviator was initially offered as a luxury sport utility vehicle for the mid-size segment. After failing to meet sales expectations, Lincoln axed the nameplate in 2005 after just a few years in production. Now, however, as nationwide SUV sales continue onwards into the stratosphere, the Aviator makes its triumphant second-generation return for the 2020 model year, slotting in between the Nautilus and the standard wheelbase Navigator in Lincoln’s lineup. The latest model offers elegant styling, a top-notch interior layout, oodles of comfort, the latest tech, and a super torquey hybrid engine option.

Get ready for yet another coupe-like SUV, this time from a fledgling manufacturer that has yet to establish itself: Lynk & Co. This time the vehicle in question currently doesn’t yet have a name, but we do know it is the more rakish and slightly less practical version of the high-riding 01 model.

The vehicle was recently spotted by our spies under thick camouflage, but we are able to make out its BMW X6-inspired rear end design, as well as the same front end as on the 01 - the car in the photos looks like it’s the same until the B-pillar, but from there on its roofline dips in fastback style.

Its interior and engine range will be the same, although the coupe variant of the SUV may come with sportier suspension tuning and slightly less emphasis on comfort - this is also what other manufacturers that have such vehicles do to give these models more than just a visual differentiation.

And in the not too distant future, we may start to see lots of Lynk & Co vehicles not only in Europe but also the States. Geely, the Chinese automotive giant that owns Lynk & Co (as well as Volvo), is examining possibilities to open manufacturing facilities in Gent, Belgiu as well as in North Carolina.

Introduced in December 2018, right between the auto shows in Los Angeles and Detroit, the 720S Spider replaces the 650S Spider in the lineup and enables McLaren to compete with the 488 Spider and Huracan Spyder. It’s the third member of the family, joining the coupe and the race-spec 720S GT3. The 720S Spider shares all exterior and interior features, as well as the drivetrain centered around the 4.0-liter V-8 engine, with the coupe model. Although it’s 108 pounds heavier than the coupe, the 720S Spider remains the lightest in its class with a dry weight of 2,937 pounds.