First Drives

First DrivesPolestar 1: A Plug-in Hybrid Shooting Star4.0/5
SAN FRANCISCO, California— Some engineers and designers must have erupted with joy when they were asked to develop Polestar’s first vehicle as a standalone brand, operating under the stewarding of Volvo and China’s Geely. They would have generous resources at their disposal, not to mention the creative freedom to do …
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First Drives2020 Audi RS Q8: Green Hell’s Fastest SUV
Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany— Somewhere between the famous Pflanzgarten and Schwalbenschwanz bends, the new Audi RS Q8 goes up in the air as Frank Stippler jumps the rumble strip at the apex of a left turn sitting on a ridge. Strapped to the passenger seat next to him, I’m extremely impressed …
First Drives2020 Cadillac CT5: In Need of More Horsepower3.0/5
ANN ARBOR, Michigan— While Cadillac dominated the 1950s and 1960s with big-bodied cars sporting fancy tailfins, the following decades were all about European luxury brands, especially those from Germany. Definitely not happy to play second fiddle, Cadillac has since tried pretty much everything to hopefully regain its enviable position, enjoying …
First Drives2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV: Once Again the Range Champ4.0/5
A lot of things have changed since the Chevrolet Bolt first hit the market in 2017. Once alone in its class, the brand’s all-electric hatchback has seen a number of highly competitive models also fight for consumer dollars. The list includes the Hyundai Kona Electric , Nissan LEAF PLUS , …
First Drives2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: Already Fantastic4.5/5
ANN ARBOR, Michigan— Two pre-production copies of the new, mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray were among the three dozen vehicles submitted to the North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) jury for three days of testing. Both were 3LT models equipped with the essential Z51 performance package and virtually all …
First Drives2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody: The Survivor4.0/5
SONOMA, California— SRT (Street and Racing Technology) is to FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz or M to BMW. It’s an expert team of engineers, technicians and drivers who have become preachers of uncompromised performance. They have the brains, the skills, the tools and the financial resources …
First Drives2020 Kia Forte GT: The Civic Si Can Rest Easy3.0/5
A good way to stand out from other compact cars is to offer a sporty variant. Kia does exactly that with the Forte GT, and it openly admits that this model is designed to take on the Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen Jetta GLI . We recently attended a media …
First Drives2020 Subaru Outback: For a Real Active Lifestyle4.0/5
WHITEHORSE, Yukon – We’ve been to countless media drives over the years, and with the SUV craze came the notion that every one of them was designed and engineered for consumers who enjoy an active lifestyle. That means folks who spend their weekends outdoors. They go camping, hiking, cycling, kayaking …
First Drives2020 Porsche Taycan: A Civilized Electric Rocket4.5/5
HAMBURG, Germany— Four years after presenting the Mission E concept and announcing the development of its first electric sports car, Porsche unveiled the production version on three separate continents at the same time. Long, wide, low and racy, the Taycan is almost identical to the early designs and fulfills all …
First Drives2020 Kia Forte5: A Hot New Hatchback Exclusive to Canada4.0/5
Kia introduced the next-generation Forte sedan for 2019. Now, it’s the Forte5 hatchback’s turn to benefit from a complete redesign. And you know what? We Canadians have access to this five-door model, but it isn’t sold in the U.S. The Car Guide recently flew to Victoria, B.C. to attend the …
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