Tag Archives: la auto show
2020 Lincoln Aviator Crossover Has 400HP As Standard
The 2020 Lincoln Aviator crossover is merciless to its competitors. Finally revealed in its production form following its concept debut at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, the new crossover has a whopping 400 horsepower as standard while even more power is promised for its plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Once launched, the Lincoln Aviator will be available in two engines, both of which are twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6s though one will arrive with a plug-in hybrid. The standard engine will produce an impressive 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. That’s 40 horses more than the top-rung six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 and about 65 horsepower more than the entry-level six-cylinder BMW X5 xDrive40i.
The hybrid powertrain brings the Aviator to 450 horsepower and a staggering 600 pound-feet of torque. That’s six horsepower away from the V8-powered BMW X5 xDrive50i but 121 more in terms of torque.
Typical to many plug-in hybrid powertrains, the one in the Aviator crossover can run the vehicle in pure electric mode or hold the charge to be deployed at a more opportunistic time such as driving on the highway. Lincoln hasn’t released figures for its pure electric range. There are no details about fuel efficiency, too.
The layout of the standard engine and the hybrid system is pretty radical. Lincoln said the battery for the plug-in hybrid powertrain fits nicely under the passenger side of the vehicle between the front and rear wheels while the motor is placed between the engine and the transmission.
This layout is partly why all versions of the Aviator will use the same 10-speed automatic transmission, which is gradually being used in the Ford family. From there, power will be distributed to either the rear wheels or through an optional all-wheel-drive system. Lincoln also said that this is a modular hybrid system, so it will be used in other Lincoln and Ford products in the future.
2020 Hyundai Palisade Crossover Revealed At The LA Auto Show
The 2020 Hyundai Palisade crossover made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It’s a big three-row crossover that’s perfect for family road trips and outings. Following closely the style and the size of the Santa Fe XL, the Palisade crossover will comfortably seat eight persons—with two cupholders per person.
The Palisade Has Options For All-Wheel Drive
The Palisade uses a V-6 engine just like the XL though it’s going to be a 3.8-liter mill this time much like the Genesis. The engine pairs well with the Palisade’s option for front- or four-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic transmission. The V-6 produces 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, which isn’t that much far from the Santa Fe’s 3.3-liter V-6 that makes 290 horsepower.
The Palisade Has More Interior Space
Replacing the XL is Palisade’s three-inch longer bumper-to-bumper and four inches additional space between the wheels, both of which adds more interior space that can seat eight people comfortably. Second-row passengers, in particular, will enjoy the cavernous space as the Palisade boasts of 40 inches of rear-seat legroom. This is more than what the Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot, and Subaru Ascent are offering. The third-row passengers will get 31.4 inches of legroom, which is average for its class.
That interior space carries over to the cargo space as the Palisade effectively boasts of 18 cubic feet of cargo room, nearly 46 cubic feet when the third row is folded flat.
The Palisade Has More Options For Comfort
Families will love the option to get second-row captain’s chairs that can be optionally cooled. For the top trims, Hyundai will offer its 10.3-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. There will also be a powerful folding third-row on most models. Standard to all Palisades will be the Apple CarPlay and the Android Auto.
Hyundai hasn’t revealed pricing details for the Palisades but we expect it to cost more than the Santa Fe XL, which has an entry price of $31,895.
2019 Nissan Maxima Updates Its Look But Not Its Performance
The 2019 Nissan Maxima made its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The exterior looks infinitely better than the outgoing model and it also comes with additional safety features. However, Nissan missed out the opportunity to upgrade the car’s performance, too, as the Maxima will come with the same 300-horsepower V-6 engine.
Powertrain
This is the main problem with the new Maxima—it arrived with the same 3.5-liter V-6 engine that makes a respectable 300 horsepower. There’s no additional power; not even five or 10 horses just to show that there was a change in the performance. There was no talk about a hybrid powertrain option, too, so forget about that.
The Japanese automaker clearly missed out on the opportunity to sell more of its flagship car to an ever-changing market.
Exterior
What it does boasts of is the change in the exterior, which includes redesigned front and rear fascias that look sharper than the ones in the previous generation. It also now has a larger V-motion grille, new intake grille in the fog lamp housing, boomerang LED headlights, and smart 19-inch “Hyper Silver” wheels that are exclusive to the Platinum Reserve package only.
Don’t worry since there are new wheel designs for the other five trims—S, SV, SL, SR, and Platinum—too. The Maxima is also being offered with a new “Sunset Drift” exterior shade while the rear now has integrated quad exhaust tip finishers and a new sport spoiler mounted on the trunk.
Interior
The Maxima retained the “Gliding Wing” layout from the previous generation but it also added a lot of features inside the cabin. For example, the top two trims now come with new seat inserts and charcoal headliner to make it look like a cockpit.
The interior is finished off with Satin Bronze interior finishing treatments, heated rear seats, and a dual panoramic sunroof on the SR Premium Package. The Platinum Reserve trim level has Rakuda Tan leather, which is the same material used in the GT-R sports car.
Plug-In Hybrid Porsche 911 To Be Released In 2023
We’ve heard a lot of rumors about the plug-in hybrid Porsche 911, but none have been confirmed for quite some time. However, it looks like the plug-in hybrid is all but confirmed for production as Porsche is gearing to bring the company to new heights in 2023.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume allowed that little tidbit to slip during the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. Apparently, an electrified version of the iconic sports car will make its debut around five years from now.
The comments were made to Automotive News . The plug-in hybrid of the Porsche 911 is set to be released after the launch of the next-generation car, which will make its debut by the end of 2018. If you will recall, there was a plan from Porsche to make an electrified version of the current generation 911, but the plans were scrapped and no word has been made about another plan to do so.
Blume said the decision to pull the plug from the earlier project was because the performance of the car might be compromised because of battery weight. Fast-forward today, Porsche finally managed to engineer a platform that would not compromise the performance of an electrified Porsche 911.
The Porsche chief said the 911 plug-in hybrid still needs approval from the company’s board but in his opinion, the company needs to push through with the project to keep up with the demands for electrified luxury supercars.
Previous reports about the electrified version of the 911 said it will be released as a range-topping model quite like the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. The electrified hatchback, thanks to electric motor and batteries, is able to produce 680 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of torque.
For the Porsche 911, the company hopes to reach a 43-mile all-electric range, which will be made possible by the next-generation batteries. Blume added that the batteries will allow for lighter weight.
