There has been a gigantic gap, in both size and price, between electric cars in this country. Choices like the Chevy Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona Electric are reasonably affordable, but they're small and their interior sparse for the money. Above them — way above them – are high-priced luxury choices like the Tesla Model S and X, Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace and Porsche Taycan. 

It's really no surprise that the Tesla Model 3 has taken the country by storm. It fit into this electric gap. Well, at least in terms of price. Though wildly successful, the Model 3 is still a sedan and Americans want something that looks like an SUV. There is indeed the Tesla Model Y, but at present, it starts around $50,000 and therefore beyond the aforementioned gap. That hasn't always been the case, but for now ...

There's a brand new Mitsubishi Outlander for the 2022 model year, and we've been told that a plug-in hybrid version is on the way. But before that happens, Mitsubishi has given the current Outlander PHEV an under-the-skin refresh for 2021 that brings more power, more range and a new trim level. Despite the upgrades, the starting price hasn't budged.

The Outlander PHEV gets a new 2.4-liter engine rated at 126 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque that replaces the previous 2.0-liter engine. A rear-axle-mounted electric motor adds 70kW of electric power, up 10kW over the old version. Add it all up and the powertrain spins out a total of 221 hp, up 31 ponies from the previous model. Updated software is said to improve "synchronization between battery and engine," which Mitsubishi says yields reductions in noise, vibration and harshness. All Outlander PHEVs are equipped with Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control all-wheel drive system, and the 2021 edition gains Sport and Snow driving modes.

The new Isuzu D-Max has finally reached the UK's shores, where it is available in three body styles, single, extended and double cab, and three distinct versions, named the Business, All-Purpose and Adventure.

The 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance revives the dormant IS F formula, bringing V8 power back to the compact luxury Japanese sport sedan for the first time since 2014 and confirming rumors of a new series of V8-powered performance (small p) cars from Lexus.

Very little surprises us these days, especially in the luxury segment, but if you'd told us a month ago that we'd be confirming a V8-powered Lexus IS and a new, all-four-cylinder lineup for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the same week, we'd have called you crazy. Parent company Toyota's presence in Texas may have rubbed off on Lexus, though, because after a years-long hiatus, the V8-powered IS sedan returns. That's right. A V8. In a brand-new compact sport sedan. In 2021. 

When it was updated for the 2021 model year, people accused the IS 350 F Sport of needing a little more engine. Well, Lexus has listened.

Lexus has a mystery F Sport reveal for us coming up this Monday morning. Turn your dials to the YouTube video above at 11 a.m. ET today to see what new performance model Lexus has to offer.

The teaser image is exactly the same as it was a week ago. There's a simple F Sport badge sitting proudly on an engine cover, but no exact indication of what the car is. We picked the engine cover out as the same cover found in the RC F, suggesting that the car we're going to see has the 5.0-liter V8 under its hood. However, the F Sport badge contradicts this, as the only cars with the performance V8 in Lexus' lineups are full F models (without the Sport moniker).

One of Subaru’s forgotten limited editions is now up for sale in Hong Kong. This über-low mileage 1999 Subaru Impreza RB5 WR Sport has been listed for HK$728,000 (US$93,900) at a performance car specialist in the former crown colony.

WASHINGTON — Toyota is investing $210 million to expand engine production in West Virginia and add 100 new jobs.

The Japanese automaker said it would boost capacity by 70,000 engines a year at the Buffalo, West Virginia plant, up from the nearly 1 million transmissions and engines it produces annually for vehicles assembled in North America.

Mazda will shutter its prototype racing program at the end of the 2021 IMSA DPi season. Starting next year, the sole focus of Mazda's motorsports endeavors will be the MX-5 Cup, a one-make series for the Miata. Mazda didn't divulge a reason for the move, but it's been slashing a number of racing programs in recent years.

Mazda has been closely associated with prototype racing since the early 1980s, culminating with its historic 1991 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's still the only time a rotary-engined car has ever won the pinnacle racing event. Mazda was also a dominant force in IMSA for two decades, from the mid-70s to mid-90s thanks to cars like the legendary RX-7. Overall, the company has over 200 IMSA victories under its belt, about half of them with the legendary rotary engine.

The Lexus LC500 is one of the most beautiful cars on the market and this particular example, fitted with a set of custom Strasse wheels, is particularly striking.

The Nissan Qashqai, which previews North America's upcoming Rogue Sport, has been revamped for the 2021MY, with significant improvements in every aspect compared to its popular predecessor.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue earned just two stars in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's front passenger-side crash test, a two-star drop in performance in that particular category compared to the model it replaced and an unusually low score for any new car, let alone coming off a fresh redesign. Despite the unimpressive frontal crash test results, NHTSA still gave the Rogue an overall four-star crash test score. 

This lukewarm performance comes on the heels of more bad news for Nissan's latest models. Not only does this represent a regression for the Rogue's crash test scores (the 2020 model received four stars in the same test), but it's the second new model to get a dicey result in the passenger-side front crash test. The 2021 Sentra was awarded only three stars for its performance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, on the other hand, named it a "Top Safety Pick," further highlighting the differences in the two organizations' testing procedures. 

Lexus has unveiled the "first vehicle designed by and for the Twitch community."

TOKYO — Honda Motor Co said on Friday Chief Executive Officer Takahiro Hachigo would step down, handing over the reins to the head of the automaker's research and development arm, Toshihiro Mibe, on April 1.