Toyota on Wednesday announced plans to build two new three-row crossover SUVs at its Princeton, Indiana, plant. The tease provided just enough information to spur speculation, but both vehicles will seat eight passengers and one of the three-row SUVs will be badged a Lexus. Toyota stopped short of...Read More»
The 2021 Kia Niro Hybrid and plug-in hybrid get minor upgrades and a minor price increase, the automaker announced Wednesday. New standard features on the efficient small crossover include rear occupant alerts and the standard 8.0-inch touchscreen that cuts the cord with wireless smartphone...Read More»
Toyota plans to sell an electric crossover SUV and electric sedan later this year in the U.S., the automaker announced on Wednesday. After years of touting hydrogen fuel cell technology over battery electric vehicles (BEV), and decades of being the global leader in hybrid vehicle sales, Toyota's...Read More»
The best utility vehicle of the year also happens to win The Car Connection's Best Minivan To Buy 2021 award, and for the fifth year in a row, the winner is the Chrysler Pacifica. Prized for its versatility, roominess, refinement, standard features, and superior practicality compared to SUVs, no...Read More»
Last year, in this very space, The Car Connection's editors picked a high-powered, expensive luxury car as our favorite four-door. This year, we're going in the opposite direction. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is our choice for Best Sedan To Buy 2021. It also won our Best Hybrid To Buy 2021, edging...Read More»
The Venza nameplate returned to the Toyota showroom as a sleek two-row crossover SUV with a hybrid powertrain that looks and feels as much like a Lexus as it does a Toyota. The 2021 Toyota Venza would fit in a Lexus showroom if the Japanese automaker’s luxury division hadn’t gotten ugly...Read More»
Hyundai and Kia announced the recall of certain sedans and crossovers for an increased fire risk, the NHTSA reported Monday. The South Korean automakers maintain separate identities but share many parts, including the Theta II, Lambda, Gamma, and Nu engine models investigated by the NHTSA prompted...Read More»
Hyundai plans to expand its electrified lineup from a couple hybrid cars to five plug-in hybrid and battery electric crossover SUVs by the end of 2022, the South Korean automaker announced Wednesday. Its electrified lineup of 10 vehicles will roll out to consumers throughout 2021 and 2022. In...Read More»
The refreshed 2021 Honda Accord mid-size sedan comes with more standard safety and convenience features, as well as a price increase of up to $875 over the 2020 model. But Honda wants you in the 2021 Accord Hybrid. "The new Honda Accord Hybrid is really the Accord to buy, offering customers more of...Read More»
The 2021 Ford F-150 pickup truck hybrid made headlines when it was announced in June, but its 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 gets the attention now with a tow rating and payload capacity that tops rivals such as the Ram 1500 and Chevy Silverado, Ford announced Monday. The 400-horsepower 3.5-liter turbo...Read More»
For a brand that’s almost 80 years old, change comes slowly. Jeep’s latest evolution also will come silently. On Thursday, the brand unveiled its 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe SUV, which is the first plug-in hybrid Jeep on sale in the U.S. The boxy off-roader will be the first of many, Jeep...Read More»
Lexus' mid-size sedan has a fuller lineup for 2021, the luxury carmaker announced last week. The 2021 Lexus ES sedan will be available will all-wheel drive for the first time in the sedan's 31-year history. The all-wheel drive version will cost at least $40,925, including mandatory destination...Read More»
The 2021 Toyota Venza is reborn as a hybrid crossover. With six Lexus or Toyota hybrids to choose from, we pitted the new Venza’s luxury-leaning interior against the 2020 Lexus RX450h to see how premium trims have narrowed the gap on premium brands. Is the Venza better for the money? Is the...Read More»
The police officers stopped where I was parked on the sidewalk in front of one of Chicago’s landmark attractions. I hustled to get one last picture of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid, and told them I’d be on my way. “Is that the electric one?” One officer asked. I...Read More»
Toyota is expanding a recall from 2018 on certain Prius models that can stall while driving, according to paperwork filed with the NHTSA last week. A transistor in the power module can fail when accelerating quickly and cause the hybrid system to shut down, which may cause the vehicle to stall and...Read More»
For 2020, the best-selling cars in America come with hybrid options. The redesigned 2020 Ford Escape and refreshed 2020 Honda CR-V aim for the 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the best-selling non-truck in America that will also come as a plug-in hybrid for 2021. The cutthroat compact crossover segment...Read More»
Toyota's venerable small car can always learn a few new tricks. When it arrives in dealers later this year, the 2021 Toyota Corolla will offer standard Android Auto and satellite radio compatibility, as well as more standard and available safety equipment, Toyota spokesman Zach Reed confirmed. Reed...Read More»
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid costs $28,725 in base Blue trim and reaches $36,275 in top Limited trim, the brand announced on Wednesday. The mid-size hybrid sedan is more expensive than the $26,575 Honda Accord Hybrid but cheaper than the $29,385 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The 2020 Sonata Hybrid ekes...Read More»
At least in some ways, it feels like 2010 all over again. The 2021 Toyota Venza crossover SUV and 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan were revealed Monday as mostly hybrid, all-wheel drive family vehicles. After a long absence and previous incarnation as a wagon, the Venza is reborn as a crossover SUV. The...Read More»
