The Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can handle rough terrains while also being very comfortable inside. People talk about it because it's both a tough vehicle for adventures and a stylish car for city driving.
The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV, and the TrailSport version is designed to handle rougher terrains better than the standard model. The 2026 version will have new features to improve your driving experience.
The Kia K4 is a hatchback, which means it has a rear door that swings upward for easy access to the trunk. It's designed to be affordable and stylish for everyday driving.
New car transaction prices are the final prices that people pay when they buy a new car. This can be more than just the sticker price because it includes extra costs like taxes and fees.
Certified pre-owned vehicles are used cars that have been checked and approved by the manufacturer or dealer. They usually come with a warranty, so buyers can feel more secure about their purchase.
CPO vehicles are used cars that have been checked and approved by the manufacturer. They usually come with a warranty, so you know you're getting a reliable car.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is a fully electric truck that can carry heavy loads and drive long distances without using gas. It's part of Ford's effort to make electric vehicles more popular.
The M3 is a super sporty version of a regular BMW car that goes really fast and handles well on the road. It's popular among car enthusiasts because it combines luxury with exciting performance.
The Tata Aria is a spacious vehicle that can carry many people and is good for families. It's mentioned because it's part of Tata's attempt to make a versatile car for everyday use.
The Model X is an electric SUV from Tesla that has cool doors that open up like wings. It's popular because it's environmentally friendly and packed with high-tech features.
The Toyota BZ4X is a new electric SUV from Toyota. It's their first major step into making fully electric cars, and it's designed to compete with other electric vehicles on the market.
Plug-in hybrids are cars that use both gas and electricity. You can charge them like an electric car, and they can drive a longer distance using just electricity before switching to gas.
EVs stand for electric vehicles, which are cars that run only on electricity. They don't use gas and are better for the environment because they don't produce pollution from a tailpipe.
The Defender is a tough vehicle built for off-roading, meaning it can go anywhere, like mountains or muddy trails. It's talked about because it has a long history of being reliable in tough conditions.
The Land Rover Defender 130 is the biggest version of the Defender, with four doors and enough room for three rows of seats. It's great for families or groups.
Pound feet of torque measures how much force the engine can use to turn the wheels. More torque means better acceleration and the ability to pull heavier loads.
An eight-speed automatic transmission is a system that helps the car change gears automatically. More gears can make the car run smoother and save fuel.
Air suspension uses air-filled bags to support the vehicle instead of metal springs. This makes it possible to change how high or low the car sits, which can help with comfort and handling.
Off-road driving means taking a vehicle on rough surfaces like dirt or rocks instead of regular roads. Special vehicles are built to handle these tough conditions better than regular cars.
22 inch wheels are larger wheels that can change how a car looks and drives. Bigger wheels can make a car look sportier, but they might not be as comfortable on rough roads.
All season tires can handle different weather types, like rain and light snow, making them versatile. However, they might not work as well as special tires in very snowy or off-road situations.
Perforated leather is leather with tiny holes in it. These holes help the leather breathe, making it more comfortable to sit on, especially in hot weather.
The Impala is a big car that's comfortable for families and has been around for a long time. It's often mentioned because many people have fond memories of driving or riding in one.
The Porsche 917 is a famous race car known for being super fast and winning big races. It's often talked about because of its impressive speed and the impact it had on car racing.
The Ferrari 512 M is a classic race car that was really fast and stylish. It's talked about because it represents the peak of racing technology from its time.
The Lucid Gravity is a new electric SUV that promises to be fancy and fast. It's important because it's part of a new wave of electric cars that are trying to be as nice as traditional luxury vehicles.
LIVE
This is America on the Road named Best Radio Show by the International Automotive Media
Conference and now in its 33rd year on the air.
Thanks for being with us as we bring you the latest automotive information from around
the world.
I'm Jack Neerad with me is co-host Chris Teague.
Chris, any signs of spring up there or are you still in the midst of winter here?
Jack, I'll say we are not going to scrape the freezing point for a few days now and
we only reached 30 last week so if it's coming I don't feel it.
Wow, well a little different here but I'm not going to rub that in.
Plenty of automotive news to talk about this week anyway.
After years of hype and hard deadlines, the electric vehicle market is getting a reality
check with several high profile EV name plates biting the dust for 2026.
They'll give you the details, our reactions coming up.
We're in the midst of a major shift in the vehicles Americans are buying right now.
It's something we've been talking about for years.
We were prescient on this, Chris.
We'll tell you more about that coming up.
Canada has just made a big change in its electric vehicle rules and regulations and it sends
a clear message that forcing timelines doesn't change what consumers want to buy.
Maybe we should have policy follow the market, not the other way around and I think we're
kind of doing that here right now.
While some predict gloom for the economy, analysts and dealers are increasingly optimistic
about auto sales this year.
The auto market isn't roaring back but it's no longer limping either and we'll have the
details on that.
I'm curious as to your reaction to what Tesla among other electrics have done this year.
Well it all does feel a lot like kind of making up for some of the investments that they've
made over the last few years so I don't know, I remain optimistic but it's challenging.
It is challenging.
American on the Road is brought to you by drivingtoday.com, emlancy.com.
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You got to quote today at drivingtoday.com slash auto insurance.
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Well Chris, I'm curious as to the vehicle you're going to be testing for us this week.
I drove what will probably be the most expensive vehicle I drive all year, the 2026 Land Rover
Defender Octa.
I can't wait to tell you all about it.
Yeah and you are well schooled in Land Rover so Range Rover and all that stuff so I'm curious
as to your take on all that.
I am driving a vehicle that's far less expensive than Honda CRV Trail Sport for 2026 so stay
with us for that and we'll tell you all about that.
We have a great guest, young Kim will be telling us about the Kia K4 hatchback so string along
with us and we'll be right back right here on America on the Road.
Welcome back to America on the Road with Chris Teague, Jagdney Radback with you.
We're so glad you're with us.
We really do appreciate it.
We'd like to double our listenership this year so if you like America on the Road please
pass along.
We'd love that.
That would be very, very nice.
We'd appreciate that and let's talk about some automotive news here.
There is a major shift in what Americans are buying these days and it's something that
we've kind of talked about on the show.
New vehicle prices are still near record highs so more buyers are turning to used vehicles
and certified pre-owned vehicles.
We've seen that in early 2026.
The new car transaction prices of about $50,000 are pushing shoppers toward vehicles that
are a lot less expensive.
According to Kelly Blue Book, I think you know something about Kelly Blue Book there,
Chris.
A lot of people are looking at used vehicle prices which average around $26,000 which
is one hell of a lot better than $50,000.
What's your overall take on this?
Well we've been preaching the benefits of used vehicles and CPO vehicles for years now
but one thing we saw during COVID when the new vehicle shortages were kind of in their
full swing is that used vehicles tend to become more expensive when more people are buying
them in the supply dwindles.
So I hope that that's not the case this time.
I know that there's not so many supply constraints and things but I do worry that as more people
shift into the used market they're not going to be as affordable as they are now.
That said, I do agree that that's a great way for people to get into more affordable
or safer newer vehicles without having such you know $1,000 monthly payments every for
seven years.
Absolutely, I agree with you and the difficulty here is that there are fewer vehicles coming
off lease because we're like three or four years out from COVID, right?
So when the COVID sales fell and there was virtually no leasing or very little leasing
back in COVID days, the leased vehicles have a tendency to come back at CPO vehicles three
years later and we're now running into the fact that there aren't as many.
So used vehicles are probably more expensive than they would otherwise be.
That doesn't mean that they're still not a great bargain though.
I think they're a terrific bargain and looking at a CPO vehicle often has a longer warranty
than a new vehicle, oddly.
So I think that's pretty interesting.
Yeah, I've owned a couple of CPO vehicles over the years, a Honda and a Toyota and the
warranty extends to I think 100,000 miles on the powertrain in some cases and it's just
a really good deal.
I mean, you pay a little bit more than the average used car with that, but I think it's
worth it for most people.
Yeah.
Well, let's talk about what's going on in the electric vehicle market.
Certainly that is recalibrating for 2026, softer demand, higher costs.
I mean, those costs have always been there.
I don't know whether they're higher or not, but there's certainly high costs for electric
vehicles.
So a lot of electric vehicles have just been dropped.
We've talked about the Ford F-150 Lightning.
The Acura ZDX is apparently going away.
The Genesis Electrify G80.
The Nissan Aria, the one I always have trouble pronouncing, but I think I got it right this
time.
And then Tesla's Model S and Model X are going away too.
So we're seeing a lot of electric vehicles fall by the wayside here.
Some reaching maybe the end of the line anyway, I would say Model X, for example, from Tesla.
I am curious to see your comment about all this stuff.
Well, Tesla's an interesting case because we've talked, you know, they might not be
focusing on making cars for the future here.
They might be going into autonomy and things, but refreshing vehicles and building new vehicles
and designing them takes a lot of money, time and resources and everything else.
So I can see why they might skip those, especially with the tax credits being gone.
I'm particularly bummed about the Acura ZDX.
I really liked that vehicle.
I thought it was incredibly, not incredibly, but surprisingly fun to drive.
But I think we're seeing the effects of, you know, what the market is going to do now.
They don't have the, we don't have tax credits in place.
We don't have, you know, a lot of state level incentives left anymore.
So maybe this was just the sort of right sizing of the EV market for the Americans.
Right.
I remember when the Nissan Aria was going to be the savior of that brand.
I mean, that a long ago to remember that.
And it's just never seen.
I don't know that I saw one that was sold to a consumer.
I've driven a couple of them, but I don't know that I've ever seen one in the wild,
you know, driven by a team.
One.
Yeah, it's kind of a bizarre thing.
Now, automakers are concentrating on plug-in hybrids and extended range electric vehicles.
Maybe we'll see whether that goes somewhere.
I think just basic hybrids are probably the way to go for a lot of people.
At the same time, I think Toyota is about to introduce a couple,
maybe more electric vehicle name plates here and mess around with some of their other stuff.
So kind of interesting time, I think.
Yeah, for Toyota, I mean, they were slow to move in the first place.
You know, it took a while to get the BZ4X out the door.
And even then, it felt like they were just kind of putting something out there
to see what happened with it.
You know, so I think it'll be interesting to see, as you say,
with these couple of new models that they've teased.
But I have to think at this point, they've got a good feel for what the market is going to do.
So hopefully, hopefully they're able to kind of hit it where it needs to be
in terms of pricing and positioning.
Yeah, I'm going to drive some of these pretty soon.
So we'll see what happens as they're doubling down.
Canada has made a basic about face on electric vehicles.
I think they've looked over the cliff and seen that what they had was
an electrical vehicle mandate for 2026, I think, that had been put in place
under the auspices of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Twenty percent of new vehicle sales were supposed to be emission free by 2026.
Well, guess what? We're in 2026.
So they knew they weren't going to be able to do that.
So they kind of changed things up.
They have now set stricter emissions limits for vehicles sold between 2027 and 2032.
So it's a big change.
And I think it's basically facing reality, right?
Yeah, but for some people, this might still feel like a mandate, right?
They're incentivizing plug-in hybrids and EVs without incentivizing regular
hybrids or any more fuel efficient gas vehicles.
I'd be interested to see what their actual fuel, what their emissions
standards are going to be, right?
You know, we look at Euro five, six, seven standards in Europe and they're
pretty darn tight up to and including banning certain types of vehicles.
So I'd like to see what they're what they're going to do with this.
Yeah, I mean, what remains in place in Canada is seventy five percent
a mandate for seventy five percent electric vehicle sales by 2035.
That seems like fairly far off in the distance,
but it's really not in automotive industry terms.
And then 90 percent by 2040, I've got to believe that those are going to fall
by the wayside, too, but they're just they don't have the political will
to do that right now, kind of interesting.
And, you know, certainly the Europeans are changing things up a bit.
But I'm more stringent about electric vehicles.
Yeah, I think the one upside here is that they are committing to
invest money in the charging network.
I think that is one thing that the United States has kind of slowed down on
that could help and inspire people to buy electric vehicles.
But again, I think the Canadians are very similar to Americans with a lot
of their buying habits vehicles included.
So I'm going to wait and see what happens here.
And I say the Great White North is probably the last place that electric
vehicles are going to be very palatable, given the fact that cold weather,
which they have a tendency to have in Canada and a lot of places in Canada
really diminishes their capacity to and range.
So there you have it.
Well, a lot of people are curious about what US auto sales will be this year.
Some people are predicting a slowdown, but others are expecting sales to stabilize,
gradually improve.
We're going to see, I think we've already seen, interest rates eased somewhat,
I think more so.
Inventories normalize, certainly on the electric vehicle side,
I think the electric vehicle side, they will normalize.
And buyers who delayed purchases will begin returning to the showrooms.
And then we're going to see rising tax refunds.
That's going to be interesting, I think, as we hit April 15th here.
I think a lot of people are going to find that they're going to get a bigger
refund than they expected.
And a lot of times that translates into good auto sales.
So what's your take on that?
Well, I hope it comes.
I would love to get a tax refund on April 15th.
Well, we'll see how that goes.
But as you mentioned, you know, affordability is still the big thing here.
People say that they're willing and excited to buy these cars.
But, you know, the average price is still hovering around $50,000 on the new
side of the market, you know, but we do see a lot of automakers kind of taking
steps back and saying, look, you know, Ford is saying, we're going to make a
sedan again now, and it's we're going to target under $40,000 for these vehicles.
I really just think it all depends on whether they're able to get these cars
out the door at a reasonable price.
Yeah, it's kind of interesting, too.
I mean, people say that the economy isn't great.
And yet individually, they seem to be spending like the economy is just fine.
You know, their individual spending is OK.
I think they're hearing a lot of drumbeat about the economy not being all that
wonderful, but maybe that's true.
Maybe that's not for individuals.
Oh, we'll just have to see what what happens going forward.
It's kind of interesting times, of course.
Remind us of your road test vehicle this week, Chris.
I drove the 2026 Land Rover Defender Octa.
Wow, that sounds cool.
And I was in a vehicle I was really eager to drive.
And I'll tell you all about it.
The Honda CRV Trail Sport.
So stay with us for that.
And we'll be right back right here on America on the road.
We're so glad you're with us and stay with us.
We'll be right back.
I got this letter from a reader the other day, and I thought I'd share it with you.
I'm on vacation on the beach in Keebiscayne and just finished reading
Dance in the Dark.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Great plot and twists I never saw coming.
You're really good at creating visual images.
Congrats, you made my vacation all that more enjoyable.
This is just the kind of feedback an author loves to hear.
I'm Jack Neerad, host of America on the Road and the author of Dance in the Dark,
a crime novel inspired by true crime.
Many have told me the Dance in the Dark is all a realism of fatal photographs.
My true crime account of the famous bathing suit model murder case.
That's great to hear because Dance in the Dark is filled with suspense,
plot twists and surprises.
But at the same time, it's a believable story in the tradition of writers
like James M. Cain, Jim Thompson and L. Roy Leonard.
Dance in the Dark is available in paperback and Kindle ebook form from Amazon.com.
And it's available direct from the publisher emlancy.com as well.
If you have a chance, please look for it.
If it makes your vacation better, we'll both be happy.
That's Dance in the Dark by Jack Arneerad at Amazon.com or emlancy.com.
Thanks for giving it a look.
Welcome back, everybody, to America on the Road with Chris T. Jack D. Radback
with you for Road Test Time.
And Chris, you were outclassing me as you usually do,
but certainly outclassing me in terms of vehicle this time around.
Tell us all about that snazzy vehicle you had.
Yeah, I drove the 2026 Land Rover Defender Octa as some of you who listen may know.
I actually bought a not a base model Defender,
but a lower level Defender from 2020.
A few months ago.
So it was interesting to get to compare the two.
Jack, when's the last time you drove the new Defender?
I'll ask you that.
Boy, it's been a long time.
I'm not even 100% certain that I've driven the new version of the Defender.
How long?
It's been out since what, 2022 or something like that?
2020.
Yeah, probably in car of the year or that North American car of the year,
but other than that, not.
Yeah, I get to drive one just about every year.
A Land Rover sends a fleet of vehicles up to New England.
The last one I drove was the Defender 90, which is the two door version.
The Defender Octa that I drove is the 110, which is the four door version.
And you can get a 130, which is a three row four door version.
But the base 110 starts at around $65,000, which isn't cheap.
I guess it's cheap for a Land Rover, but not cheap in terms of four wheel drive SUVs.
The Defender Octa that I tested starts at $160,150 with some options.
Mine came up to around $168,000.
So we're talking about a house in much of the Midwest for this vehicle, the house prices here.
But taking a step back, this vehicle comes standard with a four cylinder engine.
It makes 296 horsepower and that's the version that I have.
It's plenty for me and I think it's plenty for most people.
You can get a turbocharged six cylinder engine with around 400 horsepower
and then Land Rover offers three versions of a twin turbocharged V8.
I'm sorry, a supercharged or a twin turbocharged V8.
The one I tested had 626 horsepower and 553 pound feet of torque.
Sent all four wheels through an eight speed automatic transmission.
Now, I will say that this vehicle has multiple drive modes,
including an Octa mode that turns all the controls, all the traction controls off
and cranks everything up to 11.
But even in just basic, you know, around town mode, this vehicle is a beast.
And there's absolutely nothing, no other way to describe it.
It's very hard not to chirp the tires at every stop light and stop sign with 626 horsepower.
I will say you get a great V8 sound with this engine, as I mentioned, plenty of power.
But I actually prefer the smaller engines having driven the six cylinder and owning the four
cylinder engine. I think that the tamer engines fit better with this vehicle's personality that
the defenders never been a rock star in terms of speed.
In fact, the old versions are almost dangerously slow by today's standards.
But other than the speed, I don't think you get a lot out of this powertrain.
I mean, if you want to say you have the top dog defender, this is the one you got to get.
But you still get all the four wheel drive modes in this vehicle, air suspension,
with three settings, you get an entry setting so you can climb in and out very easily.
A normal setting, which is comfortable for driving around town.
And then you get a raised setting for off-road driving.
And this vehicle came with 22 inch wheels and all season tires,
which for my money is not the best for winter or off-roading.
So I think this is absolutely more of an on-road feel here, Jack.
What do you think of the more luxury on-road defender?
It's kind of a mind boggler to me.
I mean, there's a thing in the industry called the price band and then the price walk between
this vehicle. And like the price band for this vehicle has got to be kind of amazing.
It's like the difference between the bottom vehicle and the top.
What is it? Like $100,000 or something like that?
Yeah, probably more with options, yeah.
I mean, that's kind of crazy.
I mean, that just doesn't really happen in the industry.
It's kind of hard to justify the top end when the low end,
something that has the same basic profile is basically the same vehicle,
is that much less expensive?
I just don't know how it works.
Yeah, I will say, you know, it looks great, right?
My, the Octa that I tested had matte bronze paint and black wheels and black badges.
And it looks fantastic.
But I think the lower level versions of this vehicle are more utilitarian.
They're also easier and less stressful to take off road.
And they're far more, far more affordable.
But inside the regular defender 110 seats, five people, the 130 seats up to eight,
five people is just fine in this vehicle.
They're more, they're more than comfortable.
You get partial leather upholstery and some nice sort of rugged feeling upholstery in the lower versions.
This one had perforated some really fancy leather name that is escaping me right now,
but really high end seats in this vehicle.
There were sportier seats than the ones in my defender.
So I think you, you can get a couple of different versions of the seats here.
I think maybe multiple.
So full leather, premium leather steering wheel, leather wrap, shift knob,
heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats.
And you get a good number of leather touch points throughout.
So if you're in this vehicle and it feels rugged or looks rugged from the outside,
you get in, it doesn't really feel all that rugged inside.
And that's probably a good thing if you're spending almost a hundred,
you know, 160, 170 thousand dollars on a, on an SUV.
The front seats are very supportive, nice.
There's a lot of space there.
And this vehicle is very tall.
So even if you're six, five or six, six, I think you'd have plenty of room.
And me at six feet, I have plenty of room in the backseat too.
And there's never really any sort of fighting between positioning
between the front and the back seats for taller people.
You get plenty of tech in this vehicle as well.
A 12.3 inch digital gauge cluster, 11.4 inch touchscreen,
wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, satellite radio,
radar, satellite, radio, geez, and the whole deal there.
And then we also had a full suite of safety equipment here,
which some of which are optional blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alerts
and things like that.
So I love the Defender Jack.
I think for my money, I would opt for like the S or the SE
and spend 65 or 70 thousand dollars and get most of the package here without the V8.
Yeah, that makes sense to me.
It's kind of cool that they do this thing.
It almost strikes me that it should, it should just be a custom model, right?
I mean, like bespoke or, you know, one-off kind of thing.
Oh, they offer that too.
You can spend more money on it if you want that.
Yeah, yeah.
I guess, yeah, they'll call you and or you can call them and they'll build it in a suit.
Why not do that?
Well, I had the latest iteration of a car company climbing on a bandwagon, I think.
And the bandwagon is light duty off-roaders.
I was testing the Honda CR-V Trail Sport.
And it just shows that Honda gets where the market is going,
because certainly this seems to be where the kind of compact SUV market,
and of course, that's what the CR-V is, is compact SUV market is going.
It at least people want to look like they can go off-road, right?
I mean, this is meant in theory for dirt roads, snowy trailheads and campsite duty.
I'll tell you a 68 Chevy Impala can probably do that.
His body on train too.
Yeah, exactly.
More so than the Unibody Trail Sport, right?
This isn't really meant to turn this into a rock crawler, but it is a good looking vehicle.
And I think, you know, spot on for the market.
Meaningful changes, some are meaningful, maybe some are more cosmetic.
All-wheel drive is standard, so that's good.
It has a standard hybrid powertrain, so there's good low-end grunt.
I think that's one of the major advantages of having the hybrid powertrain here.
Low speed control, the suspension and tire choices are aimed at going off-road,
at least somewhat going off-road, while not beating you up when you're on the highway,
because this is a vehicle that's going to spend most of its time on the road.
And maybe even the everything from a Jeep on up is going to do that.
Let's talk about powertrain here.
It's a hybrid, as I say, it's a two-liter Atkinson cycle, four-cylinder engine,
a little more fuel-efficient type cycle, a two-motor hybrid system, 204 horsepower,
big torque number, 247 pound-feet of torque, and it's available immediately.
That's important off-road, isn't it, Chris?
It is. So many times you end up in a situation where you just need to dig out and go,
and torque is the way to do that.
Yeah. So having that is good.
It has a continuously variable transmission, not thrilled about that, but it works fine.
It's not obtrusive in this application, so I shouldn't be scoffing at that.
As I said, all-wheel drive is standard.
It's been recalibrated specifically for the trail sport here, and you see in the TV ads,
you see them roaring through the mud and doing that kind of stuff.
Front bias system, of course, front drive bias system,
and then it adds rear-wheel drive when that's valuable, which is some of the time.
Pretty decent in terms of fuel economy, I guess,
but it's not going to be killer in terms of fuel economy.
When you add this off-road stuff like the bigger tires and more stuff hanging off the vehicle,
it has a tendency to cut down your fuel economy, so that's a problem.
But on the other hand, this is a hybrid vehicle, so you've got that going for you.
EPA ratings of about 35 miles per gallon combined, so that's good for an off-roader of this type.
Who do you think buys this and why, Chris?
Who? Well, most of the people where I live buy these things.
There's Subaru wilderness trends are all over the place.
People who want to look like they can go places, and maybe occasionally do that,
but it's been most of their time on the road, I think is probably the target.
I mean, you've got tires that increase the ground clearance.
You've got a little increased ground clearance.
There's no low-range transfer case, of course,
so it's not exactly Jeep-like in its ability to rock, crawl, and do that kind of stuff.
The suspension has been adjusted for all of this.
I probably have to adjust the suspension to deal with the larger wheels and tires,
or smaller wheels with larger tires, I guess, to be absolutely exact there.
It's a vehicle that feels nice on the road, and that's where most people are going to drive it.
The cabin is good. I mean, the CR-V is a nice roomy vehicle.
Plenty of roomy stuff. It has adventure kind of trim setup and upholstery and that kind of thing.
Good driving position. Plenty of cargo space, 39.3 cubic feet of cargo room,
so that's a lot of cargo room in a compact SUV.
76.5 if you collapse the rear seats, it's a five-passenger vehicle.
Very practical vehicle, isn't it, Chris?
Yeah, the CR-V has always been a winner in that regard.
I just hope the people don't get too disappointed with the fuel economy with those bigger tires.
Nine-inch infotainment screens. Screen, which is good. Ergonomics work pretty well.
I mean, Honda gets clobbered a little bit for some of its ergonomics here and there.
Safety is strong with Honda sensing, so this is a vehicle priced at close to $40,000.
That, I think, will probably sell quite well to people who want to look like they can go off-road.
Thoughts?
Yeah, I think a lot of people discovered that a CR-V EX or EXL would probably do most of what
this would do for less money, but it looks great, so more power to them.
Yeah, and when we come back, we'll have a terrific guest. Young Kim is the expert on the Kia K4
hatchback, so stay with us for that. We'll be right back right here on America in the room.
I'd like to tell you about the most exciting and authentic racing novel I've ever read.
It's called Closing Speed, written by award-winning author Ted West.
In 1970, the Indy 500 pole speed was 170 miles an hour, but at Le Mans,
Vic Alfred's Porsche 917 raged down the Mulsin Strait at 248 miles per hour.
The racing pit of the Porsche 917 vs. the Ferrari 512, the fastest road racing ever,
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an incomparable racing read. It's available now at Amazon. That's Closing Speed by Ted West.
Look for it.
Welcome back, everybody, to America on the Road Checking Redback with you, we're in Southern
California, on Angeles Forest Highway, I think there's something close to it.
We're getting the opportunity to drive the all-new Kia K4 Hatchback, with me is a Kia expert on that.
I'm Kim, thanks so much for being with us, we appreciate it. Thank you for having me.
Tell us about why we have a hatchback version of what has become already a very popular sedan.
Yeah, the K4 sedan has been extremely popular in our market. We sold over 140,000 last year,
but we wanted to offer a sportier variant of this K4 to attract some of the younger,
first time a little bit more male, more urban customers to our fold. So we're not looking to
take away those K4 sedan customers, we're trying to expand the appeal to different customers.
Expand the reach of that particular vehicle. It was interesting to, I think all of us here,
industry observers, that you introduced the K4 sedan in the first place, with the way everything's
going, car companies have a tendency to label anything they can as an SUV, or as a crossover,
so getting a sedan was very, very cool. And now we're getting the hatchback, which interestingly
is significantly shorter, but somewhat taller than the sedan. Tell us about that,
you know, about interior space. That's correct. So the hatchback is 11 inches
shorter than the sedan, all of that comes from the rear. So we do have a lot more efficient
packaging. The roof of the vehicle is taller and it doesn't slope down as much as it does in the
sedan. So inside, you actually get one inch more rear headroom and add it to the class-leading rear
legroom that we also all found the sedan. Yeah, and more cargo space significantly more. Cargo space
behind the rear seats and then overall. Cargo space is really important to our customers because a
lot of our younger customers are using this as their only vehicle. So it needs to be able to
meet all their needs, whether they're going to Ikea to pick up furniture or going camping.
So we offer 22.2 cubic feet with the rear seat up. The more impressive stat is actually we offer
almost 60 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down, which is more than some entry SUVs in the
market. Yeah, I mean, it must have been, you also have an entry SUV, so probably that begs the
question why you didn't label this an SUV, but there's really good reasons for that. And there's
better for a lot of people, especially in the urban environment, than an SUV does. Talk about that a
little bit. So the hatchback body style has a lower center of gravity, actually affords more
sporty styling. So we think we're going to attract customers who are not attracted to, you know,
what's basically the mainstream vehicle body style is the SUV right these days. So if they're looking
for something a little bit more different, more fun, more sporty, you know, expressing their
personality, the hatchback is perfect for that. Right. These are all front wheel drive. Right.
Yep. But with two separate engine opportunities, talk about that. Yeah, we're carrying over the
extremely successful two power train options that we have on the sedan. So for customers who are
looking for efficiency, we have the two liter engine with the IVT. And that will meet a lot of
customers needs. But for people looking for something more sporty, fun to drive, we had the
one six turbo made it to a HP automatic. Right. So the base engine has a essentially
140 various variable transmission, yes, with 140 horsepower, 147 horsepower. So plenty of
horsepower, especially for the needs of that particular buyer, not necessarily looking for
sport, but they're looking for a vehicle to convey them right and convey their stuff. Yes.
You know, help them with their life stuff. Yeah. And then you have the sportier engine,
I think we that's actually what we drove that is what we drove. So the exciting thing about that
one, we're actually the lowest price turbocharged hatchback in the compact segment. So not too
many people are offering turbocharged powertrain. I think that's a big opportunity for us to offer
something new to the customers. Yeah. And that's 190 horsepower. 190 horsepower, 195 pound feet of
torque. Yeah. Yeah. And the cool thing about turbocharged engines too, is you can tune that
torque to be available pretty easily, right? The peak torque is available from a very low
1700 RPM. So it makes drivability, whether you're just driving around cities or driving on fun roads
like today, a lot more comfortable. Right. Affordability is the word of the day. Yes.
Certainly the word of late 2025, I think going into 2026. And affordable vehicles, I think
the car market is kind of the epitome of lack of affordability. Right. We're seeing so few vehicles
that are even under $30,000. Yes. You have a real good value story to tell. Yeah. So the average
new vehicle, I think I just saw something last month, is over $50,000 in the U.S. So for that
price, you can actually get a K4 sedan and a K4 hatchback. All three trims of the K4 hatchback
are priced under $29,000, with the base trim starting under $25,000. So we're offering something,
a lot of affordability, practicality, and fun to drive at a very low price. I mean,
you can count practically on your thumbs the number of vehicles that are under $25,000.
Although I think the K4 sedan is an even lower price. K4 sedan has two lower trims.
It starts at $22,290, which is the lowest price compact sedan on the market today.
At the same time, this is an inexpensive vehicle, even up the line, down the line, inexpensive,
but really well equipped, even in base form. Walk us through that. Yeah. So the K4 hatchback,
we wanted to really address the needs of our younger customers. They want an affordable
vehicle, but they're not looking to skimp on the features. So every single K4 hatchback comes
standard with heated front seats, syntax, seating material, which is our artificial leather.
We have blind spot detection, just a lot of features that customers will be happy with.
And an incredible display and infotainment system that really works well.
The 12.3 inch center display, that's standard on every single model. Once you move up to some
of the models that have navigation, like GT line premium package or any other GT line turbos,
then you have even more flexibility in terms of changing display themes or playing games or
watching Netflix on the system. So we took the best tech from our Halo vehicles and we
brought it down to our entry vehicle. Yeah. And your entry level vehicle here is kind of at the
mid range of the sedan, right? It's an EX trim, which is kind of mid level. Is that right?
Yep. And that's our mid trim. I think people who buy hatchbacks generally want a better equipped
with sportier styling. So we started at the EX trim. And I think we actually expect most of
our customers to move up to GT line or GT line turbo. And give our listeners the distinction
between GT line and GT line. GT line does have the multi-link rear suspension. So it's a little
bit more sporty tuned. And then we have a different interior with paddle shifters, three spoke steering
wheel. And once you move up to GT line turbo, that's where you get the standard power sunroof.
You get the Harman Kardon stereo and slightly bigger front brakes as well. So this is a really
well equipped small vehicle. It is. I think we're offering everything that customers are
looking for in the segment. It's interesting to me that you talked about it as a young person's car
and certainly it is that. But as somebody who's not exactly young, it strikes me in other market
here and you're probably aware of this too. It is for empty nesters and you know just value oriented
people that a five passenger vehicle like this just provides an immense amount of utility and fun.
I think it's not just for young people like you mentioned. I think it's also very young at heart.
Anyone who wants to drive a fun vehicle, whether it's design or fun to drive,
I think the K4 hatchback will be perfect for their needs. Talk about the distinction between the K4
sedan and the hatchback. I mean there are physical differences obviously and they look somewhat
different. The same certainly styling DNA. But walk us through that and how you're kind of
slicing off the buyers there. In terms of design. Any way you want to take that question,
you know, in terms of design, just in terms of how you're pitching the car, it's going in.
Yeah, so from a demographics of the target customer standpoint, we are targeting a different customer
set for the hatchback versus the sedan. So generally in this segment, hatchback tends to
attract younger, slightly more male, a little bit more affluent customer base and that's why
the trim strategy of the hatchback is a little bit higher than the sedan.
And what do you think the split is going to be between sedan and hatchback in terms of overall
sales? We don't have exact estimate to provide you, but I think generally we expect roughly around
one in five over the lifecycle. Okay, interesting, interesting. And what's the take rate for turbo?
Turbo in the sedan is around nine to ten percent, but on the hatchback we expect that to be a lot
higher. Yeah, 20% or higher than that. We'll have to see once we sell the vehicle, but yeah.
You have that flexibility, which is nice. And you got this question last night, we actually had dinner
next to one another. And I asked you a question, where do you think the coolest thing about this
vehicle is, but I'm going to ask you again. Okay. I want you to share that with everybody. Yeah,
I think the coolest thing about this vehicle, I think it kind of returns to the root of what
original hot hatches were, which is they're affordable, practical and fun to drive. I think over
the years, we've seen hot hatches kind of dial up the performance so much and dial up the price
so much they're kind of out of reach for a lot of our younger customers. And with the K4 hatchback,
we're bringing that back down. So a lot of younger customers can afford something fun to drive.
It certainly is fun to drive. And I don't want to understate that because we have the opportunity
to drive that. And I think it also has just a bunch of virtues as an urban car, right?
Yes. And then it's easy to park. Talk about that a little bit. Yeah, I think the smaller packaging
on the outside makes it a lot easier to park. And then for a lot of people living in cities,
they can't afford to have more than one car, right? And this is a perfect one car solution
because of the versatility we have with all the cargo and passenger space.
And talking about expressive, I mean, you can dial up, I guess, the interfaces and stuff.
Tell us about that. I mean, that's beyond what I ever expected. But I think it's kind of cool.
So I think you're talking about the display thing. Yep. So that's a really cool feature.
So we didn't save our best tech for just our Halo vehicles at the top. So we brought it down to
our lowest price vehicle. And that's really exciting, because I think our younger customers
are the ones that are going to be most excited about those features. So we have available
display themes ranging from Disney, Marvel, NBA, we talked about a little bit last year,
FIFA World Cup. So customers can always change the appearance of the screens inside the vehicle.
And this makes it so customers will never get sick of what's inside the vehicle. You know,
drive the same vehicle for a long time. Yeah, I mean, it's nice to be excited about your cars.
And I think, you know, a lot of cars in this class are essentially kind of just appliances.
Don't develop much emotional attachment to them. But this is the car that certainly,
I think, will develop an emotional attachment or people will emotionally attach to the vehicle.
He thinks so too. What else would you like to say about this car before we?
Just one last thing I didn't mention is the entertainment services that we offer on this
vehicle. So I know a lot of EVs offer this, but, you know, this we're the first car in this segment
to offer streaming services inside so we can customers can watch Netflix or YouTube or even
sing karaoke. And this is a great feature for younger customers who may need, you know, maybe
they have roommates at home and they need to get away for a little bit and watch Netflix by
themselves or they have some time between classes to kill. This is a perfect opportunity for that.
Yeah, very, very cool. In market, essentially now, right? It's hitting dealers now. Yep. Yeah.
And we're going to see some advertising coming up by, I think, in the next couple of months.
I think late Q1. Yeah, very cool. Yeah. Well, thanks so much for telling us all about it. We
appreciate it. Thanks. Thanks for being here and thanks for having me. Yeah. Thanks for having me.
And stay with us, everybody. We'll be right back right here on American on the Road.
Welcome back, everybody, to American on the Road. Chris Teague with you. I'm so glad Chris is with
us co-hosting. He always adds so much to the show. We appreciate that. We'd love to answer your
questions based on our long experience providing car advice. Send them to editoradrivingtoday.com.
Chris, we've got a question from Leonardo in Davis, California. I think this is a good question,
too. With cars as expensive as they are now, I want to keep my car in top shape.
What maintenance items do people forget until it's too late?
Well, there are a lot of people who ignore common things like check engine lights and, you know,
things that really stick out to you. But I would say a few things. I would say take good care of
your tires. It's important to check them frequently and make sure that they're wearing evenly that
they have the proper air inflation that you're up to date on the date codes on the tires and that
they aren't aging improperly. Those things will put more wear on your drivetrain. They'll hurt
your fuel economy and they'll make your ride quality a little bit less, a little bit worse.
I would also say, Jack, and this might be a weird one. I don't know that it impacts
afford or reliability, is check your air filters and your fuel filters and your oil filters. I
think cabin air filters are one of those things that people hear about and they can be expensive
to replace and they just ignore it until they get weird odors in their car and you start to see
mold and some things if you're trying to keep your car for a while. But I would think those are
two of the things that people don't really think about every day. Yeah, absolutely. I think people
ignore their tires at their peril, but they do it all the time and they shouldn't do that. And the
oil level, I mean, a lot of people just plain don't do that anymore. And I had to educate my
daughters that that is necessary. If your car has a dipstick, a lot of new ones don't. Yeah,
that's the end of our show for this week or darn near. I want to remind people that my new
crime novel, only one thing stays the same, is available in ebook and paperback form at Amazon.
So look for that. If you like our show, please pass it on. Listen on this radio station each
week and let your friends know where you hear America on the road. Of course, as I mentioned
earlier, we'd love to double our listenership, right, Chris? Yes, and you can help us do that
with a quick Google search for the America on the road podcast that will bring us to you on
all the major platforms, Apple, Spotify, plenty of other ones. Like the show, leave us a review.
Those things help us out. And if you download us, you can take us with you wherever you go.
We have a YouTube channel so you can see what we look like and get scared off by that. I
hopefully not. Chris is a very good looking man. And then there's me. Our special thanks to Mercury
Insurance for sponsoring the show and to our sports byline network stations for carrying it.
Most of all, thanks to you for listening. We know you have a lot of choices. So the fact that you
listen to America on the road honors us. We appreciate it. Join us again next time for
another edition of America on the road. I received a letter from a reader this week,
and I thought I'd share it with you. Here's what he wrote. I just got around to reading
Dance in the Dark and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. I'm a compulsive reader and this one
was right up my alley. An unlikely hero. A lot of twists and turns. Some adult content. And humor
that rose naturally from the action. Keep on writing and I'll keep on reading. Of course,
that's just the kind of letter any author would love to get. I hope that others get the same
enjoyment from reading Dance in the Dark and my newest crime novel. Only one thing stays the same.
Both are available exclusively at amazon.com. That's Dance in the Dark and only one thing
stays the same. Both written by me, Jack Arneerat. Thanks for looking for them today.
About this episode
The episode dives into the automotive landscape as the hosts discuss the 2026 Land Rover Defender Octa, exploring its performance in harsh winter conditions. They also analyze the shifting trends in vehicle purchases, with more consumers leaning towards used and certified pre-owned vehicles due to high new car prices. The conversation touches on the challenges facing the electric vehicle market, including the discontinuation of several models and changing regulations in Canada. Insights into the current state of auto sales and market predictions add depth to the discussion.
This week on America on the Road, Jack Nerad and co-host Chris Teague deliver two very different road tests: a long look at the ultimate Land Rover Defender and an in-depth examination of the Honda CR-V TrailSport. In addition, they conduct a timely interview on Kia’s newest compact car and take a clear-eyed look at where the auto market is heading in 2026.
🚙 Chris Teague Drives the Land Rover Defender Octa
Chris tests the most extreme Defender ever built. The 2026 Defender Octa combines a 626-horsepower twin-turbo V8 with advanced 6D Dynamics suspension and real off-road hardware. It delivers supercar-level acceleration, serious trail capability, and a six-figure price that reflects its flagship status.
🚗 Jack Nerad Drives the Honda CR-V TrailSport
Jack reviews Honda’s most adventure-focused CR-V yet. Offered exclusively as a hybrid with standard all-wheel drive, the 2026 CR-V TrailSport adds traction, torque, and rugged style without sacrificing efficiency or everyday comfort. Jack explains what Honda changed and who this TrailSport is really for.
🎙️ Special Guest: Inside the New Kia K4 Hatchback
Jack talks with Yung Kim, Senior Product Manager at Kia America, about the all-new Kia K4 Hatchback. They discuss why compact cars still matter, how the K4 fits today’s market, and what buyers can expect in design, technology, and value.
📰 This Week’s Automotive News
• Americans Shift Toward Used and CPO Vehicles
With new-car prices still high, more buyers are choosing used and certified pre-owned vehicles for lower payments and reduced risk.
• EV Market Recalibrates for 2026
Several electric vehicles are being discontinued as automakers refocus on hybrids and models with stronger mainstream demand.
• Canada Drops National EV Sales Mandate
Canada replaces its EV quota with stricter emissions standards, signaling a move away from forced timelines. Kind of.
• Analysts More Optimistic About Auto Sales
Easing rates, better inventories, and tax-refund season are improving expectations for a steadier 2026.
📩 Listener Question of the Week
Leonardo from Davis, California, asks: “With cars as expensive as they are now, what maintenance items do people forget until it’s too late?”
Jack and Chris share practical advice that can save drivers money over the long haul.
🎧 America on the Road is named Best Radio Show by the International Automotive Media Conference and is now in its 33rd year on the air.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.
📚 Jack Nerad’s New Book
Jack’s crime novel, Only One Thing Stays the Same, is available now in paperback and eBook on Amazon — currently at a post-Christmas sale price.
🎧 Where to Listen
Catch America on the Road on this station each week, or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Follow for newcar reviews, guest interviews, auto news, and road tests.
Sponsored by Mercury Insurance and DrivingToday.com
📺 Watch & Subscribe
Find America on the Road on YouTube and Rumble. Subscribe for road test videos, shorts, and extended reviews.
