Future Cars: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 7 Is the Electric Three-Row SUV

Honda is having itself a busy year. Fresh off the launch of the new Civic sedan and hatchback, it is about to introduce a new HR-V small SUV, a new CR-V crossover, and this—a new-generation Accord midsize sedan. Just as the CR-V is a juggernaut among compact SUVs, duking it out with the likes of Toyota's RAV4 for sales, the Honda Accord is a mainstay in the shrinking yet still popular midsize sedan space. Even the relatively old 2022 model, which was introduced back in 2017 and is about to be replaced by this new 2023 Honda Accord, remains at the top of its class in our Ultimate Car Rankings. It is an achingly competent and satisfying car to own, delivering confident handling, a refined ride, punchy powertrains, and sleek looks inside and out.What's New, New Accord?So, what does changes are in store for the 2023 Accord? If we use the smaller Civic as a template, we can expect Honda to subtly hone everything that's made the outgoing Accord so great. Literally, just as the newest Civic is based on the previous model, the new Accord will be spun off the current one. That doesn't preclude Honda from heavily restyling the Accord, however—again, look no further than the 2022 Civic, which looks nothing like its predecessor despite using the same platform. But we also think given that Honda refashioned the Civic in the Accord's image, that it likes that image and won't change it too much for 2023. To give you an idea of what the next Accord might look like, we've provided the illustrations here.Unlike the Civic, which matured from a wild vented, slatted, and creased visage to a cleaner, simpler design that looks vastly more upscale, the Accord already wears a clean, simple design that looks subtly upscale. That means the new model will probably adopt a few details from the Civic, namely its more horizontal shoulder line, squared-off front end, and thinner headlights. The outgoing Accord's various curves, arcs, and C-shaped taillights—all holdovers from previous-gen Honda design—will be straightened out, removed entirely, or, in the case of the taillights, slimmed down and simplified.Though we haven't rendered the 2023 Accord's interior, again, look for more Civic inspiration to trickle up. The Civic's classy full-width dashboard air vent motif, with a mesh treatment blending the actual air vents into a glamorous strip stretching from door-to-door, is almost guaranteed. Ditto the Civic's more squared-off switchgear, door handles, steering wheel hub, and more. Again, where the old Accord's door panels and dashboard styling features arcs and swoops, the new one will be predominantly rectilinear.A touchscreen will again float above the dashboard, but look for the current Accord's standard split-gauge cluster (half digital, half analog) to give way to a fully digital cluster across the lineup. The roominess of today's model will carry over to the new one, with perhaps a touch more trunk space carved out of the squarer tail.Same Platform, Same Engines?Today's Accord is relatively lightweight and has a well-sorted suspension that delivers sharp handling, satisfying control feel, and a good ride. Look for minor tweaks here, though the Accord's curb weight likely will increase slightly (as did the Civic's), as we anticipate Honda will add sound deadening and more features in a bid to quiet the sedan's wind and road noise while upping the luxe factor.Look for the Accord's trio of powertrains to live on for 2023, albeit with small reworkings for improved fuel economy and power delivery. That means entry-level Accords will retain their turbocharged 1.5-liter I-4 engines and continuously variable automatic transmissions (CVTs), while up-level versions will offer a more powerful turbo 2.0-liter I-4 and a 10-speed traditional automatic. Finally, the Accord Hybrid and its 2.0-liter I-4 and electric motor combo will return, likely with changes geared toward improving its fuel economy further. Front-wheel drive probably will remain the Accord's lone option; many competitors, the Toyota Camry included, have begun offering optional all-wheel drive in recent years.Will It Be Enough?One question to keep front of mind as the 2023 Honda Accord comes into full view later this year is whether it stays relatively low-key or goes somewhat wild. Many automakers have cut bait and left the midsize segment entirely (as Ford has with its Fusion, and Chevy seems apt to do with its Malibu), and those sedans that remain have grown sexier (i.e. Hyundai Sonata), more athletic (i.e. Mazda6 Turbo), and generally more upscale in a bid to stand out to buyers. Gone are the days of "boring" midsize sedans playing the role of family sedans without appeal; automakers now see sedan shoppers looking for a more extroverted experience. Hey, if you're going to give up the practicality of a boxy crossover or a pickup, why not lean into windswept styling that cuts into rear-seat headroom and trunk space and sportier dynamics you can't get in a similarly priced SUV?The old Accord was just handsome enough, but Honda's penchant for restraint might miss the moment these relatively affordable, roomy four-doors are having. All we know is, if the Accord drives anything like the new Civic, while delivering the same if not better quality, it'll be tough to complain about attractively understated styling.

Safari vs. DakarA Lamborghini Safari, TooMore Special Editions

ProsEngine apparently runs on TanneriteBalanced chassisStupid quick ConsToo many drive mode settings for someAWD adds some heftThat faceThere are two places where you'll probably never catch a glimpse of the new BMW M3's garish front end: from its driver's seat and,  anyone sharing the road with one, from another car. Why? Because it'll take some fairly exotic machinery to keep up with, let alone pass, the BMW M3 Competition.Even when the M3 is coming at you, it'll streak by so fast, those big ol' vertical nostrils will seemingly blur into wider shapes that recall BMW's kidney grilles of yore. Whatever your thoughts about it, BMW did ensure the M3's sniffing schnoz shovels a ton of air into the engine bay, where its fierce 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six lies.BMW says the engine produces 503 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. But man, it seems like there's no way this I-6 punches below 600 hp. Equipped with BMW's available xDrive all-wheel drive, the M3 Competition we tested shoots to 60 mph in 3 seconds flat. The quarter mile is dispatched in 11.1 seconds at 124.7 mph. That's Porsche and performance electric vehicle territory.The 630-hp Lamborghini Huracán STO bests it by just two tenths to 60 (2.8 seconds); the advantage of the 720-hp Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is even slimmer—just 0.1 second. How can we reconcile that the M3, despite loading each of its horsepower with 7.8 pounds, somehow keeps up with those supercars, which carry 5.1-5.4 pounds per hp? We can't. BMW historically has underrated its beefier engines, but this is egregious.As features editor Christian Seabaugh summed things up, "It's just hilariously unhinged." There exists a drive mode where power is only sent to the rear axle, with predictable results. But you needn't activate the RWD setting for lurid oversteer. Forget chucking the M3 into a corner; you can just as easily induce drifts by pressing harder on the gas with the steering wheel turned. BMW's xDrive seamlessly sends so much engine torque to the rear wheels that you'd swear the car is rear drive.Speaking of, compared to the rear-drive M3 Comp he'd driven previously, senior features editor Jonny Lieberman bemoaned the heft, which he swore he could feel the M3's AWD gear added to the front axle. Indeed, some judges found it was often necessary to briefly lift off the gas or dab the brakes to get the M3's mass to transfer to the front for optimal turn-in, especially on the Streets of Willow Springs—a behavior Lieberman insisted was the result of the hundred or so extra pounds the AWD M3 Competition carries up front. But without a rear-drive M3 Comp on hand for comparison, most didn't find it disqualifying.More noticeable are the personality shifts from the previous M3 to this one. Gone is the sensation that the M3 tries to pummel the earth into submission with its overly firm suspension and heavy controls. In its place is a pleasant new delicacy to its dynamics. The suspension seems to have more travel and compliance, the body is allowed to roll and pitch slightly rather than remaining stiffly dead-level at all times, and even in the sportiest modes its steering is almost light.This smidge of movement lends the M3 a more natural feel, and you can easily detect where you are in its grip envelope by dint of the body lean. Our shoulders like the transition to the less weighty steering, which, along with the suspension's newly up-on-its-toes feel, gives the M3 Competition a furtiveness to its responses that's nearly Alfa Romeo-like.This harmonic lightness let several editors settle into a satisfying, fast-paced flow. On the Angeles Crest portion of our evaluation, where the M3 changed several judges' minds, Lieberman was able to keep pace with features editor Scott Evans driving the   Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. Of the two, only Evans could spot the M3's awful nose—in his mirrors—as it bore down on his 720-hp über-sled. Alexander Stoklosa 2022 BMW M3 Competition (xDrive) Specifications Base Price/As tested $77,895/$108,545 Power (SAE net) 503 hp @ 6,250 rpm Torque (SAE net) 479 lb-ft @ 2,750 rpm Accel, 0-60 mph 3.0 sec Quarter-mile 11.1 sec @ 124.7 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 105 ft Lateral Acceleration 1.03 g (avg) MT Figure Eight 23.3 sec @ 0.89 g (avg) EPA City/Hwy/Comb 16/22/18 mpg Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Engine, Transmission 3.0L Turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve I-6, 8-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R DIST) 3,899 lb (54/46%) Wheelbase 112.5 in Length x Width x Height 189.1 x 74.3 x 56.4 in On Sale Now Show All