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Automakers are actively collaborating with movie franchises to create some stellar concepts that are definitely not real-world worthy. However, some of the car manufacturers are rolling out superhero movie-inspired editions that add a certain zing to the existing models, like the Jeep Renegade Batman vs. Superman Special Edition, Kia Sorento X-Men Edition, and the Isuzu Vehicross Iron Man Triathlon special. Now, Hyundai has revealed a tasteful example called the 2019 Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition.

Audi’s crossover and SUV lineup is already mighty stout, but that isn’t stopping the Four Rings from adding yet another high-rider to the list. The latest will take the name Q4, and as you might expect, it’ll squeeze in between the Q3 and Q5 within Audi’s stable. Alternatively, the new crossover could also carry the name Q3 Sportback. Either way, the fresh ‘ute will offer a more coupe-like roofline compared to the standard Q3, but carry over the current Q3’s interior appointment, engine, and drivetrain, plus all the options.

Update 1/22/2019: The Audi Q4, a coupe-like SUV that will slot just above the Q3, has been spotted doing some more cold-weather testing, just a year after it was last spotted in the wild. Nothing has changed as far as design or camo cover, however, this recent sighting tells us that Audi is still working on the compact crossover, and that’s something to be happy about. Check out the latest shots in our spy shots section below.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR is a hardcore GTI focused at amateur track day enthusiasts, and it’s heavily inspired by one thing - the TCR competition. No, it is not a race car, but a production, roadworthy hot hatch that spruced out of a four year long TCR competition. Volkswagen has been part of the TCR touring car series since 2016 with the awesome GTI based racer.

Since the inaugural TCR season in 2015, the TCR touring car series saw a number of cool entries. Including the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR, the Subaru WRX TCR, and, as you may have noticed if you followed our coverage of the 2019 Detroit Motor Show, the Hyundai Veloster N TCR. It is quite an impressive competition that already gave birth to some cool cars. Like the N badged Hyundais for example.

Back on the streets, the new Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR will fight its fight against the Hyundai i30 N, the Honda Civic Type R (also in the TCR competition), the Renault Megane RS and the RS Trophy, among many others.

Ducati revamped its Hypermotard range ahead of MY2019 with the 950 and 950 SP to replace its outgoing Hypermotard 939 models. The new 950 borrows from the supermotard world for general design and rocks sharper angles for a more aggressive look. The 950 dropped some weight compared to its predecessor and replaced it with ponies for greater performance across the board, and the “SP” comes with top-shelf suspension and wheels, plus an expanded electronics suite and carbon fiber components to sweeten the deal. The hooligan-bike sector isn’t what you’d call the most populated by any means, but I’ve already got some potential competitors in mind so let’s go ahead and dive right into Ducati’s newest jackass bikes.

Audi first kicked off production of the Q3 luxury subcompact crossover in 2011 for the 2012 model year, following it up with a series of refreshes in 2014 and 2015. Also offered as a pair of tuned versions from Audi Sport GmbH under the SQ3 and RS Q3 nomenclature, it looks as though the Four Rings is gearing up to release a second generation for the go-faster Q3’s, as evidenced by this series of spy shots showing a black-and-white test mule out and about for some apex huntin’ at the Nurburgring.

Update 01/10/2019: The Audi RS Q3 was caught on camera playing in the snow only this time, it’s taken more of a production-ready appearance that pushes us to believe Audi looks to compete with the new AMG A45. Check out our spy shots section below to see the images and learn about the latest developments.

Audi is in the advanced stages of testing an all-electric version of its Q2 crossover, the smallest high riding vehicle it currently sells. The Q2 e-Tron (which is what it will most likely be called) will complete the Q2 lineup that also includes the SQ2 performance model, as well as an extended wheelbase Q2 destined for the Chinese market. The Q2 EV won’t differ much visually from other models in the range, but with a careful look, you will be able to spot that it is the battery powered model. The camouflaged prototype snagged by our spies has no exhaust pipe, for instance, and it’s bound to have additional small exterior giveaways as to what it is. It’s also been suggested that the Q2 e-Tron might use the lengthened platform of the Chinese-market model, but at the moment we really cannot make a definitive judgment on that based solely on this batch of spy shots. Furthermore, the Q2 e-Tron may only be sold in China, although there is a good chance it will reach Europe as well - this would represent the first sale of a long-wheelbase Chinese-market Audi model in Europe.

Fiat didn’t really want to make the 500e, but it was forced by emissions regulations to add a full EV to its lineup, which it reluctantly did back in 2013. The vehicle itself wasn’t received particularly well at the time, being criticized for its limited range and availability, as well as its high price - it can only be ordered in the states of California and Oregon, although there are plenty you can now buy second hand wherever you live, even in Europe where it was never intended to be sold.

Believe it or not, the 500e is still on sale and has gone essentially unchanged for the last six years, but it’s never really been that popular, an issue with which it hasn’t been helped by the constant introduction of new and better EVs. But, the 500e is not all bad, thanks to its instantly recognizable styling, peppy performance, and decent usability if you’re buying it exclusively for short journeys not too far away from a charging point.

Kawasaki’s Ninja family has been a household name for over three decades now, and the factory aims to keep it that way with a couple of new models in the liter-bike range; the ZX-10R base model and its KRT variant. Toward that end, Kawi boosted power through a number of individual improvements throughout the engine. The engineers also added a few items that will certainly endear these siblings to the hearts of the race fans and wannabe knee-draggers out there, and they set up the head with those folks in mind as well. It doesn’t stop there; the electronics were upgraded with even more fandanglery on the menu, so without further ado, let’s dive into these new Ninjas and see what’s up.

Ram just dropped the new fifth-generation 1500 pickup truck for the 2019 model year, and it’s looking better than ever. Redesigned from the ground up, the 1500 once again hits dealers in a number of different trim levels and configurations. Higher in the range, the pickup can be had in all manner of upscale luxury and features, but the Big Horn, offered as the second model above the entry-level Tradesman, offers everything you need and nothing you don’t. Read on for all the good stuff this pickup has to offer.

It’s safe to say that “cruiser” isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind when I think of Ducati, or even the third, yet here we are with the XDiavel and its slightly dressier, “S” trim package that carries the brand into uncharted waters. The “X” is meant to signify the cross and blending of the two worlds — cruiser and sport — and the end result is what the factory calls a “Techno-cruiser” due to its melding of Italian performance DNA and a more cruise-tastic rider triangle than you normally see from this brand. Powered by a 1,262 cc Testastretta engine, the XDiavel duo put the “sport” in “sport-cruiser” and opens the performance field to folks that ordinarily wouldn’t have such an option.

Triumph refurbished its Speed Triple family ahead of MY2018, and the British giant carries its new-for-’18 Speed Triple S and Speed Triple RS straight over into the 2019 lineup. These two rides epitomize the “performance naked” subgenre with a stripped-down look. They come with an updated powerplant alongside a robust electronics suite on the base model that gets even better on the “RS” variant. Power, poise and control, the new Speed Triples seem to have it all, so today I want to see how well they hold up to closer scrutiny and pit one of ’em against a likely competitor from Japan, or maybe Italy. Let’s get to it.

The bagger genre is a uniquely American phenomenon, and as such, it can be difficult to compete against the established domestic brands, but BMW does exactly that with its K 1600 B. At a glance, the “B” hits all the pertinent design high points, and under the hood, the thing is chock full of comfort and safety features to make the “B” capable of pulling double duty as a tour bike. If you’re into inches (no giggity), Beemer accommodates you with over a liter-and-a-half in its six-banger mill to make it capable of standing up to Honda’s Gold Wing — probably. So let’s dig into this Boulevard Bruiser and see how it actually compares to the hard data from Honda’s GW bagger.

Discontinued in 2002, the Honda Passport made a comeback for the 2019 model year. Introduced at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, the modern Passport fills the gap between the CR-V and the Pilot.

Based on Honda’s Global Light Truck platform, the SUV shares many of its underpinnings and drivetrain components with the three-row Pilot and Ridgeline pickup trucks. It has a similar unibody construction, but it’s presented as a more rugged, off-road capable crossover. More importantly, it’s Honda’s very own design and not a rebadge Isuzu, like the old Passport. Unlike other Honda SUVs, it also benefits from a range of accessories, much like Mopar is offering for FCA vehicles. Let’s find out more about it in the review below.

Triumph’s new Tiger 1200 XCa resides comfortably at the top of food chain with all the fandanglery the British marque has to offer and it comes billed as its ultimate adventure bike. That sets a fairly high bar, but at a glance, it seems like the factory is on-point with oodles of goodies to include an off-road specific addition to the riding modes, a clutchless shifter and a keyless ignition to name a few. Today I’m going to dive into this globetrotting machine to see what else Trumpet stuffed in there, so join me while I check out this state-of-the-art adventure bike.

Kawasaki raised the bar for its Versys adventure-bike range with the new-for-2019 1000 SE LT+. The Special Edition rocks a host of new comfort- and safety-related features to put it on Kawi’s top shelf and make it the flagship of the Versys family. If that sounds like high praise, just read on and I assure you, I’ll prove it. It may be set up as an uber adventure-tourer, but the factory added a full electronics suite to include items usually reserved for proper race-style bikes, so this thing really is a Cadillac on two wheels. I’ve looked forward to delving into this machine, so without further ado, let’s check it out, then see if I can find a suitable competitor. I’m thinking a Brit or an Italian at this point; let’s see how it shakes out.

Italian EV-bike builder Energica buffed up its Ego superbike for MY2019 with a number of comfort- and control-centric features intended to increase its appeal and viability as an alternative to internal combustion bikes. Not only does the factory show due concern for performance, but it goes farther than most to retain the smoker-bike look that lets the Ego blend right in with a crowd of the usual super/street suspects. Electric bikes are still fighting to expand the toehold it has in the market, and it’s bikes like this that the still-burgeoning genre needs to continue to grow. Think I’m overselling it? Just wait till you see what all the Ego has going on under the hood before you make that call.

It’s been more than two decades since Subaru stopped offering a subcompact hatchback developed in-house, but this could change in a couple of years. What’s more, it could hit the market in a higher performance version too. In order for this to happen, recent rumors about Subaru planning to return to the World Rally Championship need to become reality.

According to a couple of Japanese websites, Subaru is tempted to return to WRC, the competition that made both the brand and the Impreza nameplate famous in the 1990s and 2000s. But to do so, the Japanese firm needs to build a brand-new car, as the Impreza and WRX are no longer suitable for the series. Instead, word has it Subaru is working on a brand-new subcompact car the size of the Ford Fiesta,] Hyundai i20, and Toyota Yaris.

Audi’s current sedan lineup consists of the A8, the A7, and the A6, followed by the A4 taking up the smallest slot of them all. Among these four-door nameplates, Audi also offers a variety of wagon iterations for added practicality, and now it’s looking like the compact A4 Avant is close to an extensive refresh, as revealed in a series of spy shots that capture a new prototype out and about for some cold-weather testing in Sweden. Updates are likely to include fresh exterior styling, a sleeker interior layout, and the very latest technology for convenience, entertainment, and safety.

Italian powerhouse Ducati hits MY2019 with an all-new pair of Diavel models for the sport-naked sector: the Diavel 1260 and 1260 S. Both toe the family line as far as aesthetics are concerned, and they even run the same exact Testastretta powerplant so the differences between the two essentially come down to the trim package and chassis features. Performance and safety go hand-in-hand with a number of top-shelf electronic goodies to help you keep all that power under control. This bike is truly a rolling tribute to Ducati’s ingenuity, and the best is under the hood hidden away from plain sight, so today I want to delve into this pair and see how it stacks up against some of the likely competition from Japan or maybe elsewhere in Europe.

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.

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.