Mitsubishi rejected allegations of German authorities saying it committed fraud by using illegal software on certain diesel models.
It may be one of the oldest sports cars in production, with the original one being around since 2007, but the Nissan GT-R has been constantly updated over the years, so it's still very competitive.
Last year, Swedish publication Teknikens Värld gave the Toyota RAV4 a failing grade after it showed video of it performing poorly on the so-called moose test. That's a test that puts a vehicle under maximum load through an abrupt S-shaped course correction to simulate how it would react if a moose or some other object suddenly appeared on the road before it, forcing the driver to take evasive action. Video of the magazine's test of two identically equipped, all-wheel drive RAV4s, including the one pictured below, showed the crossovers bouncing and skidding, the rear ends fishtailing badly and inner wheels briefly lifting off the pavement.
Now the publication is back with a followup test after having communicated with Toyota, and the results are much improved.
The magazine says Toyota arranged for a new test with its editors at a race track near Seville, Spain, along with a RAV4 it custom-prepped for the test. Instead of using actual passengers in the rear seats, as Teknikens Värld usually does, Toyota secured weights into the rear seats and attached a pair of lightweight aluminum outriggers to the rear doors to ensure the car wouldn't roll over.
Those changes make the test a little easier, the magazine says, but it still gave the fifth-generation RAV4 passing marks after Toyota engineers said they simply tuned the software controlling the Vehicle Stability Control system to make the electronic stability control stronger and more assertive. The RAV4 passed the Moose Test at 65 kilometers per hour (40 mph), 68 km/h (42 mph), 70 km/h (43.5 mph) and 72 km/h (45 mph). In the previous test, the RAV4 could handle no better than 68 km/h.
But there's a hitch: According to the magazine, the fix Toyota made to the RAV4 isn't yet included in production versions of the crossover unless European customers specifically request it from dealers. Toyota told it the modifications would be made available during the second quarter of 2020 for Europe-bound models.
What this means, if anything, for U.S. versions of the wildly popular crossover is unclear; Toyota hadn't respond to Autoblog's request for comment, but we'll update this post if we hear back. Toyota had previously said the RAV4, which was redesigned for 2019 as a slightly higher-riding vehicle with a lower center of gravity, had previously passed the moose test under its own supervision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the 2020 model four out of five stars for rollover crash risk and an overall five-star rating.
This security camera image shows men identified as Michael Taylor and George Zayek during their checkpoint processing at the Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. They are suspected of smuggling Carlos Ghosn out of Japan to Lebanon via Istanbul. TOKYO — Tokyo prosecutors issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn, who skipped bail while awaiting trial in Japan and is now in Lebanon. Japan has no extradition treaty with Lebanon, so he's unlikely to be arrested. Lebanon has indicated it will not hand over Ghosn. Tokyo prosecutors also issued arrest warrants for three Americans they said helped and planned his escape, Michael Taylor, George-Antoine Zayek and Peter Taylor. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Takahiro Saito declined to say where the three men were thought to be staying. He said Michael Taylor and George Zayek are suspected of helping Ghosn flee by hiding him in cargo at a Japanese airport and getting him into a private jet to leave the country. Saito would not say if Japan has asked U.S. authorities for help, though he said all options were being explored. Japan and the U.S. have an extradition treaty. Michael Taylor is a former Green Beret and private security specialist. Peter Taylor appears to be his son. Security footage released earlier showed Zayek and Taylor transiting Istanbul Airport at the same time Ghosn allegedly passed through Turkey on his way to Beirut. Prosecutors suspect Peter Taylor met several times with Ghosn in Tokyo, starting in July last year, to plot his escape. Saito said Ghosn was given a key to a hotel room in Osaka near the Kansai Airport that Ghosn left from. Prosecutors say Ghosn broke the law by violating bail conditions that required him to stay in Japan, mostly at his Tokyo home. "We want to stress that the act of fleeing was clearly wrong," Saito told reporters. "We need to erase the misunderstanding." Separately, Saito said prosecutors on Wednesday forced open a lock to search the Tokyo office of Ghosn's former defense lawyer Junichiro Hironaka for records of people Ghosn met with while out on bail, and other materials. Prosecutors are asking a judge for help in accessing contents of a computer Ghosn used at Hironaka's office that the lawyer has refused to hand over, citing attorney-client privilege. Ghosn has said he is innocent of allegations he under-reported his future income and committed a breach of trust by diverting Nissan money for his personal gain. He says the compensation was never decided on or received, and the Nissan payments were for legitimate business purposes. Ghosn has lashed out at the Japanese judicial system, saying he fled because he could not expect a fair trial, was subjected to unfair conditions in detention and was barred from meeting his wife under his bail conditions. He contends others at Nissan Motor Co., which he led for two decades, drove him out to prevent a fuller merger with its French alliance partner Renault. Ghosn's dramatic escape, while under the watch of surveillance cameras inside and outside his home, is an embarrassment for Japanese authorities. He is believed to have traveled by train to Osaka and then left via Kansai Airport, reportedly by hiding in a box for audio or musical equipment. Ghosn has not shared specifics of his escape. The maximum penalty under Japanese law for illegally leaving the country is one year in prison or 300,000 yen ($2,750) in fines, or both. The maximum penalty for hiding a criminal or helping a criminal escape is three years in prison or 300,000 yen ($2,750) in fines.
Thanks to Honda hosting media in Valencia, Spain, for first drives of the Honda E, we have more details on the city car we're condemned to lust after from afar. The power and range specs we already knew — either 134 horsepower from the base model, or 152 hp in the upper Advance trim, and 232 pound-feet of torque from both, deliver a 137-mile range from the 35.5-kWh battery pack. The distance figure is measured on the more accurate WLTP cycle, not the old NEDC; however, it requires the standard 16-inch alloys to achieve. Opting for the 17-inch wheels cuts range to 130 miles. The E hits the scales with 3,338 pounds, balanced 50:50 over the wheels. The weight makes the two-door about 350 pounds heavier than the old Fiat 500e, which was 11 inches shorter, and the E is exactly 200 pounds lighter than a Nissan Leaf, which is 23 inches longer.
A little over a week ago, we told you to check out this spectacular, 21,000-mile 1971 Datsun 240Z on Bring a Trailer. Your chance has come and gone, but the good news is you probably couldn't have afforded it anyways. This gorgeous green coupe now appears to have earned the title of the most expensive example of a first-generation Z ever sold on the premium auction site, fetching a winning bid of $310,000. When we first laid eyes on this immaculate Z car, we said it would be hard to imagine it not setting a record price. It appears we were right. With the winning bid, this Z nearly tripled the sale price of the previous record holder, a 1970 model that sold in June of 2019 for $124,240. It should come as no surprise that prices for clean, first-generation Z cars have climbed in recent years, but the good news is that aside from this and a few other particularly noteworthy and clean examples, most sale prices have been hovering around the $20,000 mark. In fact, only three have fetched six figures; even a minty 1973 race car topped out at just over $77,000 in back in late 2017. This Z cleared the $30,000 mark in just the first day of bidding. This rare Racing Green over brown was given to the son of an Indiana Datsun dealer as a dental-school graduation present. It was alternately stored at home and the dealership, and was rarely driven. A dealer mechanic maintained the car for the owner until their passing in 2019. Thanks to this arrangement, the Z still shows fewer than 22,000 miles on its odometer, and none of it in foul weather, so the listing claimed. This unrestored, almost mint condition Z shows its originality well. While there are some signs here and there of its age, it's in remarkable overall shape. BaT commenters nerded out over details like the original (green) distributor, original radiator cap, and original hoses. The only obviously non-original parts appear to be the wheel covers; some of the interior parts are still covered in protective shipping plastic. If you missed out on this one, fear not. There's a very reasonable 1971 with a 5-speed swap still for sale on the auction site, along with a 1973 rocking a full-on L28 from the hotter 280Z, and those are just the two available at the time of publication. Z cars are fairly common on BaT, so more will come along soon enough. Note: At publication time, the 240Z's winning bid was listed as $310,000; due to issues with the Bring a Trailer web site, this figure may not be accurate. We will update this story if necessary.
The 2020 Nissan Titan and Titan XD have gone through some changes for the new model year. You can read all about our impressions of the refreshed Titan here, and all the new details on the Titan XD here — we're about to drive the XD, so look out for first drive impressions on that one soon, too. However, the news today is all about pricing of the improved Titans, which we haven't known about until now. A base 2020 Titan S King Cab will now cost $37,785, a $5,500 increase compared to the cheapest 2019 Titan that money can buy. A lot of this can be explained by Nissan's decision to drop the Single Cab altogether; the King Cab is now the base truck. Comparing apples to apples, the Titan's price rises $2,230 for the S King Cab. To get four-wheel drive, add $3,200. A PRO-4X King Cab will run you all the way up to $49,185. If you go for the full-zoot Platinum Reserve Crew Cab with four-wheel drive, it'll top $60,000 – even Nissan wants a piece of the luxury truck pie. The more capable Titan XD is returning with similar improvements. The diesel is gone, but the gasoline V8 has a bit more power than last year like the non-XD does. It starts at $46,175, a huge increase of $11,590 – due in part to the elimination of the Single Cab model, and also making 4WD standard on the XD (2WD was available last year). What Nissan has done is limit folks' choices into a few much more expensive configuration than before. The PRO-4X costs $55,575, and the most expensive Platinum Reserve trim costs $63,285. That's a lot of money for a truck, but it's no more than what Ford, Ram and GM charge for their luxury pickups. Nissan says the new Titans will go on sale at the start of this year sometime, so look for them in dealer lots soon.
Few segments have expanded as rapidly in recent years as subcompact crossovers, and although the 2020 Honda HR-V certainly remains competitive, the deluge of newer alternatives makes it a lot harder to recommend. That was made clear to us last year when the HR-V participated in a four-car comparison test with the Hyundai Kona, Jeep Renegade and Kia Soul. Each offers a different take on the segment, but in general, we found Honda's entry to be deficient in key basic areas where those competitors are clearly superior. Notably, that would be the HR-V's antiquated and finicky tech interface as well as its slow and droning powertrain. So broadly speaking, the HR-V isn't the strongest subcompact crossover choice. However, its unmatched interior versatility gives it something that should specifically be appealing to those looking to downsize their SUV or, from the opposite direction, seeking a bigger, more practical vehicle that doesn't break the bank. Only the Nissan Kicks comes close to matching the HR-V's cargo versatility, but the Nissan's lack of all-wheel drive will inevitably limit its appeal. As such, considering the HR-V is a must, but so too is checking out the competition.
Nissan is looking to cut its workforce in the U.S. and slash expenses following a drastic tumble in local sales.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks to medical workers in a hospital where coronavirus patients are being treated in Wuhan, China. / Reuters BEIJING/SHANGHAI — Toyota Motor Corp's production plants in China will stay closed through Feb. 9, the Japanese automaker said on Wednesday, in response to the spread of a new coronavirus that now includes a sharp rise in fatalities. Toyota, which runs plants in regions such as the northern city of Tianjin and the southern province of Guangdong, said the closures after the Lunar New Year holidays were in line with transport lockdowns in some places, and as it assesses its parts supply situation. The United States and Japan evacuated their nationals from the quarantined city of Wuhan, while British Airways suspended flights to mainland China. Deaths have leapt to 132, and a Chinese government economist predicted a huge hit to the economy. Beijing's pledge to slay the "devil" coronavirus has won the trust of the World Health Organization (WHO) but confirmation of another 1,459 cases — taking the total to 5,974 in China — only fueled public alarm worldwide. Travelers with the illness were identified around the world, including in the United States, but almost all of the cases of the illness have been in the central province of Hubei, the capital of which is Wuhan, where the virus emerged last month in a live wild animal market. The situation remained "grim and complex," Chinese President Xi Jinping acknowledged. In many Chinese cities, streets were largely deserted, with the few who ventured out wearing masks. Starbucks stores in Beijing required people to have temperatures taken and posted notices saying it was a state requirement to wear masks inside. "It's my first time here in Asia, I feel very unlucky," said Brazilian tourist Amanda Lee, 23, reluctantly cutting short a trip. "I couldn't even see the places I wanted, like the Great Wall." There was relief, however, among those evacuated from Hubei province, home to about 60 million people and under virtual lockdown. "I was extremely worried that I was stuck there," said Takeo Aoyama, who arrived in Tokyo on a chartered plane carrying 206 Japanese out of Wuhan, with more flights planned. Two of the Japanese evacuated had symptoms of pneumonia, but coronavirus had not been confirmed, medics said. The virus is weighing heavily on the world's second-biggest economy. Companies are curbing travel to China, and airlines are cutting flights, with British Airways one of the biggest names in aviation to do so. But in what could be a major step towards taming the disease, scientists in Australia said they had developed a lab-grown version of the coronavirus, the first to be recreated outside China. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 210 Americans had been flown out of Wuhan. Those on board the aircraft would be screened several times and evaluated on arrival in California, it said in a statement released via the U.S. embassy in Beijing. A U.S. government official told Reuters 50 diplomats and contractors were among the passengers. U.S. officials said the White House was weighing whether to suspend flights to China. It was holding daily meetings on the outbreak and monitoring China-U.S. flights as a likely source of infection, sources briefed on the matter said, though it had decided against suspending air traffic for the time being. The number of cases in China now exceeds its tally of 5,327 infected with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus that killed about 800 people globally in 2002 and 2003. While some experts believe the new strain, known as "2019-nCoV", is not as deadly as SARS, alarm has grown over its rapid spread and many unknown attributes, such as how lethal it is. Like other respiratory infections, it is spread by droplets from coughs and sneezes, with an incubation time between one and 14 days. There are signs it may spread before symptoms show. About 60 cases, but no deaths, have been reported in 15 other countries, including the United States, France and Singapore.
The team in charge of Kia's Australian division is asking the company's top brass for a rugged, body-on-frame SUV with Toyota Land Cruiser-like off-road capacity. The model could arrive quickly if it's approved for production. "We need probably one or two bigger [SUVs], to be quite honest. That would help us dramatically," affirmed Damien Meredith, the chief operating officer of Kia Australia, in an interview with Motoring. He added there's room above the Sorento for a new SUV, and he requested a sturdy model capable of towing and going off-road. In the United States, Kia's biggest SUV — and the largest car it has ever put its name on — is the well-received Telluride (pictured) released in 2019. It's not as tough as the body-on-frame model Meredith has in mind, and it's not sold in Australia because it's currently only available with left-hand drive. Kia would need to create a new model to challenge the Land Cruiser Prado (which is smaller than the standard model, and sold as the Lexus GX in the United States) and the Ranger-based Ford Everest in Australia, but it might not have to start from scratch. In 2019, Meredith confirmed Kia and sister company Hyundai are jointly developing a body-on-frame pickup aimed at Toyota's Tacoma-sized Hilux and the Ford Ranger, Australia's best- and second-best-selling vehicles in 2019. Kia could follow the path blazed by its rivals and turn its upcoming medium-sized truck into a family-friendly SUV. This strategy would give its Australian division the Land Cruiser-punching model it's asking for, while allowing it to leverage the benefits of economies of scale by sharing parts across several model lines. Kia stressed the SUV on Meredith's wish list hasn't been approved for production yet, so it's far too early to tell whether it will be available in the United States. Offering it outside of Australia is a must, though. Toyota sold 18,335 units of the Land Cruiser Prado on the Australian market in 2019; even if Kia tops it with 20,000 sales, that's not nearly enough volume to justify developing a new car, even one built on an existing platform. We'll have a better idea of what the future holds for Kia's global SUV range when the aforementioned trucks make their debut. Both are expected on sale by 2021, so they're around the corner, and neither has been confirmed for the American market yet; Hyundai's version is unrelated to the Santa Cruz also under development.
It's winter sports season in many parts of the world, and auto manufacturers are using that as an excuse to make some pretty fun specialty versions of their vehicles. Only hours apart, Bentley unveiled an adventure-ready Continental GT, while Alpine dropped a surprise design study called the A110 SportsX. Similar to the Buick Regal TourX, the X indicates the lifted vehicle's rugged personality. Alpine has managed to squeeze a lot of fun variants out of the A110 since debuting the sleek sports car. After the Alpine Vision concept turned into the production A110, which debuted at Geneva in early 2017, Alpine announced an A110 Cup race car in late 2017. In 2018, Alpine announced another race car, the A110 GT4, and in 2019, an improved A110S with sharper suspension and 288 horsepower debuted. The coolest A110, however, is the A110 Rally, which debuted in late 2019. The just-announced A110 SportsX takes inspiration from the Rally but drops the oversized wing for some skis. Alpine's exhibit at the International Automobile Festival at Les Invalides in Paris, France, is called "Between Retrospective and Prospective." The stand features "present and fantasized models, whose storyline is a back and forth between two eras and the richness of Alpine's history as an inexhaustible source of inspiration." In attendance were the A210 prototype, the Alpine Vision Gran Turismo, the Alpine A110 1800 Gp4 driven by François Alessandri and Jean Pierre Manzagol in 1972, an A110 "berlinette" 1300 from 1971, the A110S, and the the A110 SportsX. Alpine says the SportsX, which is based on an A110 Pure, is inspired by the winning A110 rally car from the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally. The design concept is 3.1 inches wider and has 2.4 inches of extra ground clearance. Visually, it has a two-tone look, thanks to a dark hood and roof, and a ski rack has been mounted over the rear window. Black accents are found along the body, and the front fascia features a more aggressive aero piece. It also has dark wheels, X marks on the fog lights, and little French flag accents throughout. As a design exercise, the SportsX will not make production as it stands. This might be one of the only chances to see this car in a public place, so anybody in Paris should check it out if they can.
Grande première ce soir au @Festivalauto avec l'annonce de ce concept @alpine_cars spécial sports d'hiver !#alpinea110 #alpine #ski
https://t.co/g9O2B0yciZ — Festival Automobile (@Festivalauto) January 28, 2020
The 2020 Subaru Ascent is a full-size, three-row crossover that caters to the Subaru faithful, while welcoming new customers whose larger families might have precluded them from something with just two rows. It looks a lot like a bigger version of the Outback, and, like it, seeks to satisfy active, outdoorsy, dog-loving customers wanting something to take them to off-the-beaten-path places to play with standard all-wheel drive, ample ground clearance and sturdy, functional roof rails. Subaru even went so far as to introduce the Ascent with a pack of eight golden retrievers to prove the point to dog owners. So whether you're heading to the ski hill, campground or taking the kids to soccer practice, the 2020 Ascent offers a practical, capable, no-frills way to get people — and pets — where they need to be.
While it's not our favorite three-row crossover in this segment, it's near the top, and it could be the perfect vehicle for a wide variety of customers. It's roomy, capable and safe, but it's also a bit plain and there's only one powertrain option, a turbo-four paired to a CVT that's less powerful than those of competitors. If you're considering the Ascent, do yourself a favor and take a look at the practical but characterful Kia Telluride or Hyundai Palisade. You just may — or may not — find one of those meets your adventurous needs while making a stronger emotional impression.
Pricing remains the same for 2020, but the Ascent has a couple new tricks up its sleeve. Across the range, it gets Rear Seat Reminder as standard, to help prevent you from leaving a child or pet behind in the vehicle. Premium, Limited and Touring trims will come equipped with "one-touch interior illumination on/off controls." The Touring trim also adds new power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals.
From the driver's seat, the Ascent's packaging displays Subaru's pragmatic philosophy to car design. All the gauges are easy to see and read at a glance, knobs and buttons are easy to locate — both those of the software-based touchscreen infotainment system and the physical ones on the steering wheel and center stack. We were able to find a good seating position, thanks in part to the manually tilting/telescoping steering wheel, but we have a feeling that smaller drivers may find the driving position more awkward than larger drivers. All but the base trim level are available with second-row captain's chairs, and all but the highest Touring trim can be had with a second-row bench for a total of eight seats. Fun fact: There are a total of 19 cup holders in the Ascent.
The base infotainment system is a 6.5-inch touchscreen, but moving up to the Premium trim bumps that up to an 8.0-inch unit. The image quality is crisp, the colors bright, and simple tasks like selecting a radio preset are made easy with big virtual buttons. Accomplishing more in-depth tasks is more cumbersome, however, as settings can be in odd places within various menus. Generally, it's better than many competitors (Honda and Mazda, for instance), but not as streamlined as that of Hyundai and Kia. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as are Sirius XM satellite radio (subscription required), HD radio, and a number of integrated apps. GPS navigation is available in all but the base trim and standard on the Touring, but although we generally prefer to use our trusted smartphone navigation apps, there are times when out of cell coverage that an in-car nav is beneficial.
A 6-foot passenger will have plenty of room in the second row, which is adjustable for legroom and seatback angle. On upper trim levels, buyers can choose between a pair of captain's chairs or a three-passenger bench. We tested both setups and walked away thinking they were just about equal in terms of comfort. Third-row passengers are treated better in the Ascent than in many competitors (Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9 and Ford Explorer in particular). If the middle-seat occupants are willing to slide their seats forward a bit, there's adequate legroom for a 6-footer in the way back to sit comfortably for a fair bit of time. For kids, this means even more comfort and space.
As for cargo, the Ascent offers 17.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, which is mid-pack for this segment. It's more than the Mazda CX-9 (14.4 cubic feet), Toyota Highlander (16.0) and Honda Pilot (16.5), but less than the Hyundai Palisade (18.0), Ford Explorer (18.2) and Kia Telluride (21.0). Max cargo volume behind the first row of the Ascent is 86.5 cubic feet, putting it behind the Explorer (87.8) and Telluride (87.0), but way ahead of the CX-9 (71.2), and slightly ahead of the other aforementioned competitors. The Ascent is also pretty boxy, which is always a good thing when stuffing large items inside, and comes with big, functional roof rails to load whatever doesn't fit inside.
The Ascent's sole powertrain offering is a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, arranged in Subaru's signature boxer (horizontally opposed rather than a V or inline) configuration. Power is sent to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It provides 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque – we've found it feels just as quick in regular driving as its competitors, but know that their greater outputs do result in quicker 0-60-mph times. That said, owners living at higher elevations (as many Subaru owners do) will appreciate the lasting power from the turbocharger, which keeps the Ascent from feeling breathless at heights where naturally aspirated engines start to lose power. In other words, four cylinders are not necessarily lesser than six, and it even manages the same 5,000-pound towing capacity of most rivals.
All Ascents use all-wheel drive, so the deciding factor in the difference of fuel economy comes down to wheel size. With 18-inch wheels, the Ascent gets 21 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 23 combined mpg. Step up to 20-inch wheels, and you sacrifice 1 mpg across the board. That's about on par with, and in some instances better than, the competition. For reference, the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade get 21-23 mpg combined, while the Mazda CX-9, Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander get 23-34 mpg combined.
Seven-passenger crossover buyers aren't likely to make ultimate purchase decisions based on driving dynamics, but Subaru has still baked some fun into the Ascent package. Steering is predictably light — much lighter than the Mazda CX-9, which serves as the fun-to-drive gold standard in this class — but offers a quick ratio and a reasonable amount of road feel. Overall, the Ascent feels surefooted and secure, and rides comfortably over harsh pavement without being sprung so softly that it wallows through corners.
There are no sport modes to fiddle with in the Ascent, just a standard baseline setting, but the single setup feels well thought out and sorted. There's plenty of punch from Subie's turbo-four. There were a few times we caught the engine flat footed on our drive and had to wait a second for the turbos to spin up, but we ended our drive thinking its output is sufficient. We were able to tow an Airstream trailer just shy of the Ascent's maximum of 5,000 pounds, and we found that it had no problem getting the load up to speed and back down again. The CVT mimics the feel of a traditional automatic transmission, for the most part. It works well, and doesn't get in the way of a good driving experience.
Our first impressions of the Ascent when it was new for 2019. Among more details about its design and engineering, we found it was immediately clear that Subaru had learned from its mistakes with the Tribeca.
A roundtable discussion from several Autoblog editors assessing the Ascent's merits and shortcomings after a week of real-world driving impressions.
We drove these two likable three-row competitors back to back to more specifically compare the driving experience between the two. From our conclusion:
"Count 'em up and you'll see that the Subaru Ascent won three out of our five categories. By that measure, it's the winner of this comparison. But, as is so often the case, the reality is more nuanced than that."
Here, we look at the specifications of some of the leading three-row crossovers to compare pricing, dimensions, fuel economy, capabilities and capacities.
The 2020 Subaru Ascent starts at a base MSRP of $33,005, including the $1,010 destination fee. The base Subaru includes as standard features all-wheel-drive, 18-inch wheels, projector beam halogen headlights, black side mirrors, body-color door handles, a 2,000-pound towing capacity, Subaru's EyeSight safety system (more on that in the safety section, below), adaptive cruise control.auto-on/off wiper-linked headlights, tri-zone climate control, six-way manually adjustable driver's seat, a second-row bench seat, second- and third-row 60/40-split flat-folding seatbacks, cloth upholstery, a 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple Carplay, Android Auto and satellite radio.
For a more in-depth look at the extra features included with the Premium ($35,405), Limited ($40,355) and Touring ($46,055) trim levels, check out this breakdown of features, pricing and specs here on Autoblog.
In addition to the usual seatbelts, airbags and traction control, the Subaru Ascent includes a number of standard safety features as part of its EyeSight driver assist technology system. These include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and Eyesight Assist Monitor, which is a basic head-up display that uses colored lights to visually alert you to system warnings. The 2020 Ascent also includes a rear seat reminder as standard. Blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, high-beam assist, reverse automatic braking and a 180-degree front-view camera are also available in higher trims.
The two major crash testing authorities have each given the 2020 Subaru Ascent their highest marks. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates is as a Top Safety Pick +, earning its highest "Good" rating in all crash tests, "Superior" front vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention, and "Good" LED headlights on the Limited and Touring trims — the halogen lights on the base and Premium trims got a score of "Poor," which is typical for base lights. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Ascent its highest five-star overall safety rating, with five-star ratings in its various crash test categories. Featured Video:
We know Nissan's on the cusp of introducing a new Rogue, having seen polished prototypes in October and December last year. Autocar says the Japanese automaker is preparing to launch the new crossover, which is Europe's X-Trail, this summer ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show. For Frankfurt, the magazine says Europe's Qashqai, our Rogue Sport, will debut. The Rogue Sport is especially important to Nissan Europe, seeing as it's Nissan's most popular vehicle across the Atlantic. The second generation is six years old this year, its age and Nissan's general malaise causing the Qashqai to lose ground to rivals. It sounds like the only thing that will carry over to the third-generation Qashqai is the platform, engineers updating the CMF-C/D architecture that debuted with the second-gen. Outside, design traits will draw from the recently introduced Juke as well as last year's IMQ electric concept, but those could be laid into a more emphatic design language that begins to restore a measure of Japanese-ness to the automaker's offerings. The interior should slot in as a junior-sized version of the interiors we've seen in those Rogue prototypes. That would mean rearranging the center console with a discrete screen atop the stack, and familiar buttons and knobs for climate control beneath. The coming Rogue picks up a two-piece shifter, the new Juke's shifter was designed to merely look like two pieces, depending on trim and engine. The Qashqai could go either way. The big deal in Europe is Nissan's rumored move away from diesels, potentially opting for two electric options alongside mild-hybrid ICE choices — the brand's in-house ePower serial hybrid system, and the plug-in hybrid powertrain used in Alliance partner Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV. The ePower fits a gas engine to keep a battery charged, the battery providing energy to electric motors. Europe's powertrain mix is undoubtedly influenced by the new emissions scheme that took effect this year. The schedule of fines for not meeting targets is onerous enough to cause many automakers to rethink how much product they'll allow to be sold there this year. American buyers will be far more interested to know when the new Rogue Sport will make it here, seeing our model was just refreshed early last year, and whether we'll finally get access to the 1.3-liter turbo four-cylinder that comes in two outputs in Europe, and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Autocar said new Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida is dedicated to "implementing a product plan with renewed vigor," and dedicated to "ensuring the manufacturer's global best-sellers are brought up to the class standard in good time." We'll be able to put proof to that — or not — come this summer at the Rogue debut.