This Is What Volkswagen's Electric Pickup Truck Will (Probably) Look Like

If you've ever been to San Francisco, you know one of two things: the pain of getting a parking ticket or the nightmare of trying to find a curbside parking spot. Street parking in other major metropolises such as New York City and Los Angeles isn't much better, but surely those cities can't match this: A couple in San Francisco had parked their car in their normal spot at the corner of Union and Larkin Streets, something they had been doing for years, only to find a parking ticket—and a freshly red-painted curb. Whoever painted the fresh no-parking zone for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) even had to paint around the tire of their car, leaving an amusing (or infuriating) unpainted triangle on the curb.The story comes from an ABC7 sister station in San Francisco and it paints (no pun intended) a picture of a couple that has been wronged. It's rather understandable, too. From the images provided in the ABC7 report, the curb in question was so faded that one couldn't see that it was ever painted at all. Even worse, this curb has been this way for a very long time, with an image as far back as 2016 showing that the paint was just as faded as the image from 2020, and the day the couple parked in this spot.They say they never received a parking ticket until the day the SFMTA finally decided it was time to paint it. In fact, the painter had to paint around the tire that was turned into the curb, and there's now a blank spot in the paint where the tire was clearly sitting on the curb.One of the pair—who's dealing with chemotherapy on top of everything else—saw the ticket and the poor paint job and immediately contested it and contacted the news station. ABC7 then contacted the SFMTA and a representative said the ticket was issued before the spot was painted, according to their records. They even provided an image of the spot to show just how faded it was. With that evidence, you'd think the SFMTA wouldn't have issued the ticket because it was as faded as it was for over seven years, and they have evidence that the spot wasn't clearly marked until after it was painted.For now, the couple will have to wait up to 60 days to see if their ticket will be dismissed by the citations clerk or if it will be enforced. In the meantime, the couple have stated that this isn't the only challenge they've had with living in San Francisco—the husband had his catalytic converter stolen on another vehicle. They told the reporter that they're planning on relocating in the near future.

There's a very human instinct that, when faced with a problem, one must do something. Take action, lest we possibly lose control over the outcome. Toyota isn't human, it's a car company. But humans work there, and those people seemed concerned enough about customers' wholesale abandonment of full-size sedans in favor of SUVs, they decided to do something about it. The 2023 Toyota Crown is that something.Programmatically, at least, it makes sense: Full-size cars like the Avalon—which Toyota recently discontinued—might as well be invisible to most buyers because, well, they're low to the ground and conspicuously not SUVs. So, why not make a sedan taller, creating a swoopy four-door that is neither SUV nor car—with a trunk, no less? It's a curious choice that'd be bold if not for the ample historical evidence that such a vehicle isn't the genius white-space opportunity Toyota thinks it is. Remember AMC's Eagle Sedan, or Subaru's Legacy SUS (that's Sport Utility Sedan), or more recently, Volvo's S60 Cross Country? We didn't think so.Toyota insists we haven't quite been here before. Those other lifted, SUV-ish sedans (sedan-UVs?) were smaller midsizers, and weren't offered in the same fevered, SUV-crazed market crucible we're living through today. Oh, and this one's sporty! And a hybrid! Okay, maybe?The Crown nameplate is not new. In fact, it adorned the first Toyotas sold here in America back in the 1950s, before fading from this market in the early '70s. All in all, it's been through 15 generations overseas, where it has long been attached to premium Toyota sedans. (More recently, Toyota added an SUV version based on what we know as the Highlander, and it's expected that the Crown family in Japan will grow to include more body styles soon.) Consider the Crown name appropriate, then, for this up-market four-door, which, yes, essentially fills in for the now-dead Avalon in Toyota's U.S. lineup.To further differentiate the Crown from mere cars—or similarly sized offerings such as Nissan's Maxima or Dodge's Charger—all-wheel drive is standard. So is hybrid power. On the entry-level Crown XLE and midlevel Crown Limited, that hybrid power is delivered by the latest version of Toyota's 2.5-liter-four-cylinder-based gas-electric combination, similar to what you'd find in the RAV4 Hybrid crossover. Final power figures are forthcoming, but look for something in the neighborhood of 236 hp between the dual front electric motors and gas engine and the separate (third) electric motor that independently powers the rear axle. Toyota expects this combination will deliver up to 38 mpg combined.Step up to the range-topping Crown Platinum, and Toyota swaps in a hybrid powertrain geared toward sportiness over efficiency. In goes a new 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder and six-speed automatic transmission combo with an electric motor standing in for the torque converter, plus a larger rear-axle motor. This layout mimics that on the new-generation Lexus RX's 500h F Sport trim, though instead of 367 hp it delivers 340, along with some 400-lb-ft of torque. The Platinum also has a Sport+ drive mode (XLE and Limited models top out at "Sport") and paddle shifters for its automatic transmission. (The XLE and Limited, like other Toyota hybrids, have a planetary-type continuously variable automatic transmission tuned for smoothness.) Fuel economy drops to a combined 28 mpg, perhaps a worthy tradeoff for the huge power.Toyota says the Crown generally and the Platinum specifically are tuned for sportiness, though both also prioritize quiet operation and comfort, with standard acoustic front glass and a thick noise-absorbing mat lining the firewall. If those sound like disparate and conflicting goals, well, consider them on-brand: You're talking about a vehicle that can't figure out if it's an SUV or a car. Internal strife seems to be its thing.The Crown itself is big. Think Avalon big. It is 194 inches long, 72.4 inches wide, 60.6 inches tall, and its wheelbase stretches 112.2 inches. Those dimensions are all just a hair smaller than those of the Avalon, save for the height, which is taller. (Toyota says the Crown sits 4 inches higher off the deck than a regular sedan, which we take to mean the Avalon.) The rear seat area is commodious, and even the Crown XLE rides on 19-inch wheels. In a Toyota first, the Platinum wears standard 21-inch rollers. Toyota also will offer a two-tone paint option on the Platinum only, which slathers the hood, roof, and decklid in black paint, in case the whole lifted-giant-sedan look weren't bold enough for you. Underneath, its platform isn't shared with other Toyotas; instead, its TNGA-K bones are closer to those of the new Lexus RX crossover.Without poking further fun at the Crown's oddball format, it has some presence in person. The shape is very sleek for a Toyota sedan—er, thing—and while the detailing is a bit strange, it's not an incohesive design. There is a full-width, thin taillight, along with slim headlights. A contrasting color panel on the lower door area breaks up the otherwise slab sides, and the mouthy grille is distinctive. Of course, nearly 100 percent of that mouth is not actually open; only a thin section below and nostrils on either side of a central front crash sensor are perforated to allow air into the nose.Every Crown is loaded with glamorous tech, including a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen running Toyota's latest Audio Multimedia software. This easier-to-use, snappier-looking interface first appeared on the 2022 Tundra pickup and is rapidly proliferating throughout Toyota's lineup. A thin row of climate control buttons live beneath this screen, as does a central volume knob. While XLE versions get a six-speaker audio system, Limited and Platinum models upgrade to an 11-speaker JBL setup.Other niceties include standard heated front seats (ventilated and heated up front and heated in back on Limited and up); Toyota's SofTex faux leather (Limited and up get real leather); and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS) active safety features including blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist. Limited and up also get full-LED headlights, parking sensors, and rain-sensing wipers. For the Platinum, Toyota also fits an electronically adaptive suspension, which can firm up or soften depending on which drive mode is selected.We poked around the interior of the new Crown and felt it was premium, but not quite Lexus level. There are some mainstream-feeling plastics on the door panels and center console, but the overall look is definitely more up-market than you'll find on any other Toyota. One glaring issue we found has nothing to do with quality, but practicality. For as large as the cabin is, the trunk—yes, there's a trunk, not a hatch like the fastback roof suggests—feels Corolla-sized at best, and with an odd opening and only a small pass-through to the cabin with the rear seats folded.Whether this combination of supposedly sporty (or at least powerful) hybrid-ness and tall sedan-ness is something buyers are looking for remains to be seen.  What we can say is that Toyota's will to do something for full-size sedans is as admirably human as it is abnormal. The logical thing for an automaker watching shoppers abandon one vehicle segment it no longer serves for another it has more than covered would be to step out of their way. Do nothing but hold up a big sign for the RAV4, Highlander, or Sequoia. Instead, this fall, the Crown will arrive in dealerships.

WHAT IT IS: The seventh generation of the icon that launched the pony-car genre will arrive in time for the Mustang brand's 60th anniversary. Expect it in coupe (as rendered here by our artist) and convertible forms with two powertrain offerings. Variants delivering greater performance and efficiency will follow in the years to come.  WHY IT MATTERS: The Mustang, along with the Bronco and F-150, is a pillar of the Ford brand that carries immense emotional appeal. It's Ford's sole North American car offering and also ranks as one of a shrinking number of affordable, fun-to-drive two-doors. Plus the droptops are all over rental fleets in tropical locations—what would we do if it disappeared? PLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN: The 2024 Mustang will get a new code name (S650), but we expect its D2C-derived architecture to largely carry over from its S550 predecessor. And based on numerous prototype spy photos and leaks, it will receive only mild evolutionary styling revisions, such as squintier three-element headlamps, a revised hexagonal grille, and new air intakes. New electrical architecture will enable new feature content at launch, like a fully digital instrument cluster and today's latest safety and driver assist features. It will also support over-the-air updates to an increasing number of software-enabled features, helping it stay as fresh as ever over its expected eight-year lifespan.Powertrain offerings will carry over at launch, including the 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 and 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engines, as well as the six-speed manual and 10-speed automatic transmissions. Engine outputs may be adjusted—we hear base 2.3-liter power will increase from 310 to 320 hp, for example. And Ford officials have cautioned us that the six-speed could be phased out at some point during this model's lifetime.The 2021 Mustang Mach 1.One major powertrain addition expected in 2025 is conventional and/or plug-in hybridization. Leaked info suggests both engines will get an electric boost. This could be accomplished most easily by employing a version of Ford's Modular Hybrid Transmission (MHT) as found in the Explorer Hybrid, which should be adaptable to either engine.Among the electrification possibilities, enthusiasts will be most stoked by a unique V-8 hybrid powertrain revealed in patent drawings. It mounts a roughly alternator-sized electric motor on each side of the V-8, with their output shafts roughly aligned with the crankshaft centerline. It being patented makes sense, as we're not aware of any other vehicle employing such a setup. Plus, it's far simpler than trying to package a single electric motor somewhere and needing to run a shaft through the oil pan; that would likely require halfshaft angles that would overtax existing CV joints. Using dual motors also allows handling-enhancing torque-vectoring up front—might this system power the next Bullitt or Mach 1?The rumor mill has hinted at a plug-in version offering at least 10 or 20 miles of electric range, and this would undoubtedly boost efficiency and possibly contribute in some small way to achieving higher corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) ratings coming for 2026. But it would also add even more weight to a sports car that typically weighs more than 3,800 pounds today. So if there is to be an efficiency-focused Mustang hybrid, expect it to be an EcoBoost with rear drive. Of course, once there's a battery and an MHT to work with on this platform, it's not hard to imagine pairing them with the V-8 and front motors, juicing those Coyote V-8 and motor outputs, and creating a worthy Shelby GT500 successor with blistering torque-vectored AWD performance and respectable EPA numbers.Spy shots have also revealed a shift away from the retro-look dash with binnacles to a more streamlined interior dominated by big instrument and infotainment screens capable of displaying the latest Sync graphics in dazzlingly high resolution. It's unclear that the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger as we know them will survive into the next decade, but we expect Ford to assume they will—and to sharpen the Mustang's chassis dynamics sufficiently so it once again outhandles the Camaro.ESTIMATED PRICE: Expect a modest price bump to an even $30,000 for a base EcoBoost coupe or $40,000 for a GT, with the ragtop adding roughly $5,500 to either.EXPECTED ON-SALE DATE: Could Ford possibly resist launching its 60th anniversary Mustang on Monday April 17, 2023—the 59th anniversary of its World's Fair debut?