Displaying Items By Tag: Suspension

Hot on the heels of the 2022 MDX breaking cover, it has been revealed that Acura won't be building a hybrid variant of the fourth-generation SUV.

Besides an entirely new platform, suspension, and a turbocharged Type S model coming soon, the 2022 Acura MDX is new in another way: it seems to be losing its hybrid trim level. During a media roundtable, Acura's global development lead confirmed that there are no plans for a hybrid version of the new MDX.

Part of the reason for the lack of a hybrid for the new MDX is the aforementioned Type S model. The Acura development lead noted that the outgoing MDX Sport Hybrid is the current sporty, high-output version of the crossover. That mantle is now being taken over by the Type S with its turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. The new Type S makes 355 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque, which also represents a large power increase over the Sport Hybrid's 321 horsepower and 289 pound-feet.

Swerving to avoid an obstacle on the road at moderate speeds and then trying to get back in the initial lane as quickly as possible would scare the bejesus out of you in the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid.

Subaru gave the Crosstrek a much-needed bigger engine for the 2021 model year, but it's not forgetting about the Hybrid model. It made a handful of visual tweaks to the crossover, and it increased its base price by $200.

2021's visual changes are light enough that Subaru managed to avoid shooting a new set of press shots by Photoshopping them onto an image of the 2020 model. The modifications consist of a new-look grille with rectangles instead of hexagons and extra blue trim, plus smaller front fog lights. We've already seen the grille and the lights on the redesigned variant of the non-electrified 2021 Crosstrek, though the blue trim is model-specific.

Kawasaki hinted its future range of motorcycles will include a hybrid model. It's busily developing one of the industry's first gasoline-electric two-wheelers, and it released a video to explain how the technology works.

Pay no attention to the sci-fi three-wheeler leaning into a turn at the beginning of the film; the hybrid bike won't look anything like it, for better or worse. We haven't seen its full design yet, but the firm explained it's being developed to switch among gasoline, electric and hybrid power. It relies on an armada of sensors to identify the type of road it's traveling on and adjust its powertrain accordingly. For example, the software charges the battery pack while the bike is traveling on the highway, shuts off the gasoline engine when it rides through a city core, and leverages both power sources on a twisty road. Hybrid cars have been doing this for years.

Honda is introducing the new 2021 CR-V Hybrid to the UK market, which has been updated aesthetically to better fit with the company's latest electrified model range and has been retuned in other areas.

Nissan has officially released the first details of the upcoming 2021 Qashqai together with a set of images showing the new crossover under a camouflage wrap.

Buried in Mazda's generally bleak second-quarter earnings report were a few juicy nuggets of news. Though the company had an operating loss of $502 million and sales are down 21 percent in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hiroshima-based firm has big plans for the future. Enthusiasts and environmentalists alike should take note.

Firstly, Mazda showed an image of its upcoming straight-six engine. Essentially, it's the SkyActiv four that powers all of Mazda's current lineup, but with two additional cylinders. Unsurprisingly, the company says that it can be engineered to fit any of the current SkyActiv guises — the standard octane-variable gasoline powered G, the diesel D, and the sparkless-ignition X. The big six will pair with a new eight-speed automatic and can be combined with either a plug-in or 48-volt mild hybrid system, promising big power and efficiency.

We won't bury the lede. The 2021 Honda Accord is still a stupendous sedan and arguably the best in its segment. The car was completely revamped for 2018, and none of its competition have overtaken it since. Some among us will contend that the Mazda6 is top dog for pure driving enjoyment, but the Accord stands tall alongside the Mazda and is only getting better as this latest generation is treated to its mid-cycle update.

That said, there is one specific change that does have us bummed, and that's the loss of the manual transmission. With a take rate of just 2%, Honda decided it wasn't worth the trouble anymore. Guess you'll just have to buy a Civic Type R.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The minivan segment isn't a huge one, and it's largely dominated by three players. There's the stylish Chrysler Pacifica, with the excellent plug-in hybrid option. The Honda Odyssey unapologetically leans into its minivan-ness and family-hauling duties. Then there's the new, totally redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna. Its selling points are immediately apparent: unique styling, a standard hybrid powertrain and available all-wheel drive. Oh, and it's a Toyota, which precedes itself with a reputation for reliability and utility, as well as a huge existing customer base. Barring some sort of dealbreaker in the test drive, this blend of existing traits (brand, AWD) and new ones (design, hybrid only) should probably be enough to make the Sienna appealing to those shopping in this lightly stocked aisle.

Spoiler alert: we found no dealbreakers during our test drive, but we were able to dig deeper into what we love, what we like and what we can accept.

The 2021 Honda Accord is getting some trim shake-ups, some refinements to the powertrain in its hybrid variant, and some minor styling updates to keep the midsize sedan fresh. 

On the styling front, you'll have to really squint to see the differences, which are effectively limited to the Accord's front bumper. The grille is a bit wider, and the accent lines reaching toward either side of the lower fascia from the fog lamps now take slightly different routes. Apart from that, you'd be hard-pressed to notice anything has changed. 

The Toyota RAV4 lineup is expanding for 2021 as the company has announced a new RAV4 Hybrid XLE Premium.

TOKYO — A joint battery venture of Toyota and Panasonic on Tuesday said it will produce lithium-ion batteries for hybrid cars at a plant in Western Japan from 2022 to meet growing demand for electric vehicles (EV).

The production line at a Panasonic factory in Tokushima prefecture will have enough capacity to build batteries for around 500,000 vehicles a year, Prime Planet Energy & Solutions Inc said in a statement.

Unveiled earlier this year and expected to enter production this month, the 2021 Toyota Camry brings a few upgrades for the new model year and small visual revisions that help set the trim levels apart.