2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid First Test: Is Gas-Electric the Answer?

The upcoming Lotus Emira will be the last combustion-powered sports car from the fabled British sports car maker, and they seem to be sorting out a very special tune to celebrate it. While many will be interested in the more-powerful V-6 model, the Lotus Emira will also adopt AMG's turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, which the company claims is the most-powerful road-going four-pot in the world. To equip it in a mid-engine sports car configuration is incredibly drool-inducing.The Emira will go on sale with either a 3.5-liter supercharged V-6 sourced from Toyota, or AMG's 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4, and both will be available in the "First Edition" launch spec for the model. The blown V-6 puts out just over 400 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, but it's the fancy new four-cylinder that will get people talking.The Mercedes-AMG four-cylinder is already in production, found under the hoods of performance models such as the Mercedes-AMG CLA45, GLA45 and GLB45, but Lotus says the engine will get a slight re-work for the Emira's mid-engine configuration, as well as a unique software tune and Lotus-designed exhaust. The twin-scroll turbo design allows for minimum lag and faster spool-up. While Lotus and AMG claim the motor is good for up to 208 bhp per liter, the four-cylinder Emira is rated at just 365 hp and shares the same 310 lb-ft of torque as the more expensive V-6 Emira.The new I-4 Emira will also get a new-to-Lotus eight-speed paddle-shift dual-clutch gearbox. Gavan Kershaw, Director, Vehicle Attributes, Lotus, says: "It's a bespoke rear-wheel drive variant of the transmission developed by Lotus in collaboration with AMG. On top of that, the gearshift strategy has been defined by the Hethel team as part of the car's performance attributes. It is unique to the Emira and optimised [sic] for the best blend of outstanding driving engagement and performance, fuel consumption and emissions." The V-6 Emira gets a six-speed manual 'box with the addition of a Torsen limited slip differential, or the familiar six-speed auto found on previous Lotus cars.All First Edition Emiras, which you'll be able to option with either motor, come with 20-inch ultra-light forged alloy wheels in a V-spoke design that are diamond cut for a two-tone finish, but all-silver or all-black finish will also be available at no cost. Two-piece brake discs are available with red, yellow, silver or black calipers, with a tire pressure monitoring system included in the First Edition package.Six paint colors are available at launch (Seneca Blue, Magma Red, Hethel Yellow, Dark Verdant, Shadow Grey and Nimbus Grey), paired with seven optional interior colors (red, black, grey and tan Nappa leather, plus three black Alcantara options with either red, yellow or grey stitching). Interior trim is finished in satin chrome, and the seats are 12-way adjustable and heated with driver memory presets.This being Lotus, they felt the need to specify the car comes standard with climate control, cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, a KEF-tuned digital radio behind a 10.25-inch screen, and a 12.3-inch driver display (and the Emira will not be available without these, for you lightweight purists, at least for now).The First Edition comes with four normally optional packages already checked. The Lower Black exterior pack paints the lower features on the car black. The Design Pack adds privacy glass, new pedals, black Alcantara headliner, and throws in floor mats. The Convenience Pack adds parking sensors, a reversing camera, auto-dimming mirrors with memory settings, and rain-sensing wipers.Finally, the Lotus Drivers Pack offers customers the choice of Tour or Sport suspension tunes, and a choice of rubber between a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. You will have to pick if you order a First Edition, so make sure you do your homework before ordering.The entry-level, AMG I-4 Emira will start at $85,900 in the U.S. for the First Edition model, before factoring in local tax and destination costs. The V-6 First Edition with the manual is $93,900, and with the old six-speed auto it's $96,050. The base V-6 Emira will start at $82,000, and the rest of the Emira lineup pricing will be available this summer.Lotus promises more details on the new lineup this summer, when customer reservations become available outside of the UK. Deliveries are anticipated to begin by the end of this year, and you can now play with the Emira configurator on the Lotus website in the meantime.

Muscle car aficionados take heart: the future of electric cars from Dodge is mean, menacing, and loud. Proof: The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept which teases the production electric muscle car coming in 2024 amid promises it will beat all the performance metrics Dodge has laid down to date.Yes, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT is powered by batteries and electric motors, but air still swooshes through chambers and pipes for a rumble very similar to the roar of a Hemi Hellcat V-8 in today's Dodge Chargers and Challengers. It is only when the electric Charger is being turned off that the final whirr reminds you it is a battery-electric car. And no melted jellybean shape here—the car is sleek, powerful, and true to Dodge muscle car DNA.The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept has been imbued with the looks and sounds that should appeal to the muscle car brotherhood customer base. The concept is Dodge's vision of its replacement for the internal combustion engine muscle cars that will soon go out of production. The last Dodge Chargers and Dodge Challengers will roll off the line at the Brampton, Ontario, plant in December 2023. Here's what it sounds like, from the live reveal on YouTube:Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis says Dodge needed its own unique pathway to the EV age; the small brand would get lost if it tried to do things the same way as bigger players. To stand out and hold its own, Dodge needed to show electrification can still shock people.The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept is designed to impress and appease its loyal customer base, many of whom are fundamentally opposed to EVs and all they stand for. So, Dodge created an e-muscle car that looks mean and roars as loud as the Hellcats with supercharged Hemi V-8s that it will replace. "We believe we need the sound and experience," says Kuniskis. That is why the car has a multispeed transmission and an exhaust note, so the driver can feel and hear the crack of the exhaust while shifting.Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept is a True CoupeThe Dodge Charger Daytona SRT is a large car, and yes, this Charger is a true coupe with only two doors but with a hatch for greater utility. The concept, in Greys of Thunder dark glossy paint, has a clean design right down to the flush door handles and absence of a rear spoiler. It is muscle without being a caricature, bold yet subtle. Head of Dodge Exterior Design Scott Krugger says his team started by designing a muscle car, not an EV, with a signature face, swept profile, and turbine-style 21-inch wheels.It is also pure EV without a melted front for aerodynamics. Instead, true to the Daytona name, it has a nose cone built into it, a patented R-Wing which allows air to pass through the front of the hood and enhance downforce while keeping a blunt Dodge profile that all but hides the headlights. There are carbon fiber intakes on both sides of the front and rear fascias for an air curtain to further improve aerodynamics. The front end is patented, as is the sound, which means these are intended for production."We found a way to make a muscle car slippery," Kuniskis says.What about the Fratzog logo Dodge has been teasing us with? The triangular badge adorned Dodge muscle cars from 1962-1976 and stood for nothing in particular. It now has a purpose as the new symbol for Dodge electrification—and there are Fratzog badges all over the concept. It glows white in the center of the cross-car light bar across the front grille, red in the rear taillight, and on the center locks of the wheels.Sounds Like a Hellcat?Back to the sound. This is the industry's first exhaust system for an electric vehicle, producing a similar 126-decibel sound as the one coming from the today's Hellcat engine. Dodge calls it "Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust." When the Daytona converts electricity to power, air flows through the exhaust system and the sound produced goes through an amplifier and tuning chamber at the rear of the vehicle. You can see and feel the pressure from the exhaust coming out the back.Dodge Charger Daytona SRT's Electric BitsDodge is not revealing full specs and details yet, but we do know the high-performance SRT trim will be powered by a new 800-volt Banshee propulsion system. Lower trim models will have a 400-volt system. The screaming Banshee badge is on both sides of the car where Dodge previously put Hellcat and Demon logos on its internal combustion-powered vehicles. The Banshee name and badge will be used only for the top-performing EVs. Kuniskis refers to the concept as the Daytona Banshee.The concept has standard all-wheel drive so we know there are at least two motors, one up front and one in the back. AWD is also key to making the Daytona SRT quicker than the Hellcats that precede it, Dodge executives say.The Daytona Banshee has a multi-speed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting. Dubbed eRupt, the transmission does not deliver more power, but allows the driver to feel each shift point, Kuniskis says. The brand chief won't reveal the number of gears or provide any performance figures yet. What we do know is there will be three power levels available and customers can go to Direct Connection authorized dealers who will offer six more levels, all covered under factory warranty. All nine power levels were designed in advance, with the hardware in place for additional upgrades at the time of purchase or later.Do a PowerShotAnd all nine levels come with a new adrenaline boost: the PowerShot push-to-pass feature. Push a button on the steering wheel for an instantaneous discharge of power, delivering an extra 25 horsepower on demand, for a few seconds, enough time to blow by the car in front of you.Drivers can choose Auto, Sport, Track, and Drag drive modes which change the driving dynamics and corresponding displays, sound, and interior lighting.Dodge officials are not yet providing range figures, but Kuniskis argues Hellcat buyers don't care about fuel economy. He says both the 400- and 800-volt models will provide the range needed to be competitive. The car will use the new STLA Large platform developed by Stellantis which is capable of up to 500 miles of range, but Kuniskis says the muscle cars will not hit that figure because of the elements that have been added to it, despite the use of carbon fiber and other efforts to reduce weight. Battery sizes for vehicles using STLA Large are expected to range from 101-118 kilowatt hours.Step Inside If Your DareThe dark sinister theme continues inside the vehicle, says Jeff Gale, Dodge's chief interior designer.The most striking feature is the multicolored lighting that stretches across the dash and through the doors, which have raised gray slats that strake diagonally for a unique look, which is not easy to do. In red, the light glows like lava flowing through troughs. There are circuit-like graphics on the carbon fiber floor that work their way up the vehicle, surrounding the passengers, flowing under the seats and up to the center console and slim instrument panel.The three-spoke performance steering wheel with flat top and bottom is also illuminated with a red SRT logo in the center, paddle shifters, and the PowerShot button on one side and drive mode controls on the other. The Daytona has a pistol-grip shifter and glowing red start button hidden under a jet-fighter-inspired cap that you flip up to engage.The driver-centric cockpit has another Fratzog as the background to the 16-inch curved screen driver display. The 12.3-inch center screen is large by Dodge standards.The concept has four slim, lightweight, race-inspired bolstered seats with a perforated Fratzog pattern. Between the seats is a floating, open flow-through storage area, all lit up. The console runs to the back to serve all four passengers.The Daytona has a panoramic liftgate-style hatch and the seats fold flat to give the car more utility—you can stuff a snowboard in this muscle car.Dodge promised it would be true to its muscle car roots when it embraced the electric car age, starting in 2024. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, which looks production ready and has patents on its key features, appears to keep that promise.

Aircraft fabricator Hawley Bowlus completed construction of the first Bowlus travel trailer in 1934 for the purpose of transporting flight crews to isolated takeoff locations. It's touted as the first aluminum riveted travel trailer in the world, even pre-dating Wally Byam's Airstream. Now the trailer is back with a tasteful modern update.Bowlus reports that "over half of the original Bowlus' built in the 1930s are still around today, often held in private collections." The lightweight 1,100-pound Bowlus was revolutionary for its time, attracting celebrity and media attention. In 2011, a 1935 Bowlus Road Chief sold at an auction in Scottsdale for $187,000. Fast-forward 90 years, and the Bowlus brand continues.The company currently sells three models: Terra Firma, Endless Highways Performance Edition, and Endless Highways Edition. They start—repeat, start—at $265,000, $240,000, and $215,000, respectively. Let's just say, if you're strapped for cash—or anything short of ridiculously, lavishly, richly well-off with a suitcase full of bands—the bespoke Bowlus may not be for you. But we can still dream, right?The trailers have avoided a fundamental technological overhaul for decades, but Bowlus has announced a few interior, exterior, and technology updates for its 2022-model-year luxury travel trailers. The kitchen has been redesigned with soft-close drawers, an improved air conditioning system, a "60-Second Hitch" towing connection assistance system, an integrated Bluetooth Smart Brake, and updated 13-diode LED taillights to clean up the look.In all of our travels around the United States, we've encountered a smorgasbord of travel trailers, massive toy haulers, million-dollar RVs, high-end off-grid teardrop trailers, and overland camper vans at campgrounds, on the road, and off-grid. But we've never, ever encountered a Bowlus. But when we do someday come upon one, at least now we know how to differentiate a 2022 model. Now that's a morsel of knowledge that'll surely impress new campfire friends.