New York International Auto Show coverage from MotorWeek spotlights a busy spring lineup of updates and debuts. Kia’s next-gen 2026/27 Celdos gets a tougher “Tele-ride” look plus expanded powertrains (including hybrid) while staying only modestly larger. Nissan brings the 2027 Z and Z Nismo to North America with a long-awaited manual on the Nismo and track-focused hardware. Chrysler refreshes the Pacifica and reshuffles trims, while Dodge marks America’s 250th with a Durango GT “America 250” package. The show’s bigger swings include VW’s second-gen Atlas, Subaru’s EV “Getaway,” Hyundai’s body-on-frame Boulder concept, Mercedes’ updated GLE/GLS with a flat-plane-crank V8, and Subaru’s Forester Wilderness Hybrid. A quick lightning round debates an EPA temporary E15 waiver.
In Podcast #374, John Davis invites Brian and Alex to the table to discuss all the news at and surrounding the 2026 New York International Auto Show. With debuts from Kia, Subaru, Volkswagen, Stellantis and more, and a lightning round regarding a new tactic to lower prices at the pump, it’s sure to be one packed cast!
"Well, it's spring and that means car shows and on this podcast will give you the rundown of what's new at America's largest and they say oldest automotive extravaganza, the New York International Auto Show, 2026 edition."
This is a big car show in New York where companies show off new cars and future updates. The goal is to give the public and press a preview of what’s coming next.
The New York International Auto Show is a major annual event where automakers reveal upcoming vehicles, trims, and technologies. It’s a key place for “what’s new” announcements that later show up in dealerships.
"I bet the hybrid version is going to probably be very popular. Any hints on MPGs on that? Probably mid-thirties."
MPG tells you how far a car can go on one gallon of gas. They’re saying the hybrid should be pretty efficient, but the exact number isn’t confirmed yet.
MPG (miles per gallon) is a fuel-economy measure used in the U.S. The hosts are discussing expected MPG for a hybrid variant, but noting that an exact number hasn’t been released yet.
"So starting with the Nismo edition, and this is actually something we heard last year, they're finally putting a manual transmission in the Nismo version of it."
A manual transmission means you shift gears yourself using a clutch pedal. The big news here is that the performance NISMO version will offer it.
A manual transmission lets the driver select gears using a clutch pedal and gear lever. Enthusiasts often prefer it for more direct control, and this segment highlights that the NISMO version is finally getting one.
"And if you didn't know, prior, you could only get a nine-speed auto. Which was nice, but it was like no cigar."
A nine-speed automatic uses multiple gear ratios to keep the engine in its most efficient or responsive range. The hosts mention that the NISMO previously only came with this nine-speed automatic, which is why the manual addition is notable.
"And they've also optimized the fuel tank, which is supposedly something that I guess customers have noted before, heavy track use."
Optimizing the fuel tank means redesigning it so fuel stays where the engine can reliably pick it up. This helps prevent the car from running out of fuel during hard driving.
Optimizing a fuel tank usually means changing internal baffling or geometry to manage fuel pickup under acceleration, braking, and cornering. The goal is to prevent fuel starvation—especially during track use—so the engine keeps receiving fuel reliably.
"[291.1s] front fascia, it dips more into that, hey, is that a Datsun kind of territory? Back in 20... [302.6s] Not a bad thing. [297.7s] Not a bad thing. Back in 24, they came out with a heritage addition, where the front fascia,"
The front fascia is the front-end bodywork area—typically including the bumper cover, grille, and surrounding trim. It’s a common place automakers refresh styling because changes there can make the car look updated without major mechanical redesigns.
"[297.7s] Not a bad thing. Back in 24, they came out with a heritage addition, where the front fascia, [302.6s] that grille, that wide-open grille kind of got bisected by a body-matched body element,"
The grille is the front opening with the pattern you see on the car’s nose. It helps air get to the engine/radiator, and it’s also a styling feature.
A grille is the opening (often with slats or mesh) at the front of the car that helps with airflow to cooling systems. Styling changes to the grille are also a quick way to signal a refresh or special edition.
"[309.0s] for lack of a better word. They've kind of done the same thing here. They've also changed the [312.5s] badging. They've added a couple small things here and there to tune the chassis and whatnot."
Badging is the lettering and logos on the car, like model/trim name stickers or badges. When it changes, it usually means the trim or edition changed too.
Badging refers to the labels and emblems on a car—model names, trim names, and brand identifiers. Automakers often change badging during refreshes to distinguish trims and editions.
"[312.5s] badging. They've added a couple small things here and there to tune the chassis and whatnot. [317.8s] it takes this sport coupe and just kind of kicks it up a notch."
The chassis is the car’s underlying structure and the components that support the suspension and drivetrain. When a host says they “tune the chassis,” they usually mean changes to suspension geometry, mounting points, or related handling components.
"[344.2s] Chrysler showed up with their... It's the only Chrysler you can still buy with a refreshed [349.5s] Pacifica minivan. [356.1s] and Chrysler Pacific isn't a leader anymore, but they're still in there with several hundred thousand of them sold a year."
The Chrysler Pacifica is a minivan. The discussion here is about a refreshed version and how Chrysler changed the starting trim level.
The Chrysler Pacifica is a minivan model from Chrysler. In the segment, the host focuses on a refreshed version and how Chrysler is reshaping the lineup by changing which trim is the entry point.
"I think we already knew the powertrain, it's still the 3.6 liter, the Pentastar V6, that's back"
“3.6 liters” is the engine size. Bigger displacement usually means the engine can make more power, though it depends on the design.
The speaker is referring to engine displacement, measured in liters. Displacement is a key factor in how much air/fuel an engine can move, which strongly influences power and torque potential.
A wing badge is the brand’s emblem on the front of the car. It’s mainly a styling/branding detail that can indicate a newer update.
A “wing badge” is a distinctive front grille/emblem design element shaped like wings. It’s often used as a brand identity marker and can signal a refresh or updated trim.
"...you've got to have eight cylinders. Get that 5.7 liters of American displacement."
“5.7 liters” is the size of that V8 engine. Larger displacement engines often make more torque, which helps with acceleration and towing.
The speaker is calling out the engine displacement for the Hemi V8 option. Displacement is a simple way to communicate engine size, which often correlates with torque and overall power potential.
"some decals, American flag stickers and some different wheels, unique badges."
Decals are applied graphics—often vinyl or similar materials—used to add branding or styling accents. In this segment, decals (including American-flag style graphics) are part of the special-edition look.
"they've uncoupled a couple of different packages. Like before, if you wanted this, you'd have to get, you know, XYZ, they've kind of decoupled some of that."
This means options that used to be bundled together can now be bought separately. So you don’t have to pay for features you don’t want—you can pick what you actually want.
“Uncoupled packages” means splitting previously bundled options into separate packages so customers can choose only what they want. The segment describes this as a way to “cherry pick,” increasing flexibility compared to older package structures.
"The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a temporary waiver for the nationwide sale of E 15. That's a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline."
E15 is a type of fuel mix—mostly regular gasoline, but with 15% ethanol added. The government sometimes allows it temporarily to help with fuel prices.
E15 is a gasoline blend containing 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. It’s regulated by the EPA and is typically restricted in certain seasons because ethanol blends can affect emissions and smog formation under warmer conditions.
"because usually E 85 is a little bit cheaper 10, 15 cents."
E85 is a fuel with a lot more ethanol than regular gas. Only certain cars can use it safely, and it may not go as far because it has less energy per gallon.
E85 is a higher-ethanol fuel blend (commonly 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) that’s usually only intended for flex-fuel vehicles. The segment notes it’s often cheaper per gallon, but it can come with tradeoffs like energy content and compatibility.
"still a two liter turbo four. So that's still the, again, EA888, 282 horsepower, 258 pound feet of torque."
This means a 2.0-liter engine with four cylinders, plus a turbocharger. The turbo helps the engine make more power without needing a bigger engine.
A “two liter turbo four” is a 2.0-liter displacement inline-four engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging helps produce more power from a smaller engine by forcing more air into the cylinders.
"Well, it's got these light bars now, these dual horizontal light bars up front. I think that and the illuminated badge, they're on all the grades except for the base model."
Light bars are LED strips that make the car’s front or back lights look connected and more modern. They help the car stand out at night and make it easier to recognize.
Light bars are continuous or multi-segment LED lighting strips, often used to create a distinctive front or rear signature. Here, the host points out dual horizontal light bars and an illuminated badge that appear on most grades.
"They've kind of gone with this like pixelated light feature kind of thing in the back there, which reminds me a little bit of like the Hyundai IONIQ 5. If you're at all familiar with how that is..."
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 is an electric SUV/crossover with a very recognizable lighting design. The host is saying the Atlas’s rear lights remind them of that same kind of blocky style.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 is a battery-electric crossover known for its distinctive, segmented lighting and retro-futuristic design. The host uses it as a reference point for the Atlas’s new rear “blocky/pixelated” light look.
"Well, one way they've done it and I think successfully with both Atlas and even more so with the Tiguan is price."
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a smaller SUV than the Atlas. The host is saying Volkswagen has used aggressive pricing and deals on the Tiguan too, not just the Atlas.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact SUV that the host mentions as another example of Volkswagen using pricing and incentives to drive sales. The point is that Volkswagen’s strategy isn’t limited to the Atlas—it’s part of their broader lineup approach.
"So it's again, like to me, like I looked at it and I'm like, yep, that's a Volkswagen Atlas. And I don't think that's a bad thing, but I wasn't sure it was going to be a second gen."
The Volkswagen Atlas is a big family SUV with three rows of seats. They’re talking about the newer version having a bigger screen and more safety/driver help features.
The Volkswagen Atlas is a midsize three-row SUV known for family-friendly packaging and roomy interior space. In this segment, they’re discussing a new generation with updated underpinnings, a larger infotainment screen, and more driver-assistance features.
"I think there are more driver assistance features and whatnot, you know, that's keeping up with the times."
Driver assistance features are safety tech that helps you drive—things like keeping in your lane or braking if it senses a crash risk. They’re saying the new model adds more of this.
Driver assistance features are semi-automated safety and convenience systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane centering, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. The speakers say the new Atlas adds more of these capabilities to keep up with the market.
"And then you can get second row captain's chairs if you want."
Captain’s chairs mean the second row has two separate seats instead of one big bench. It usually feels more comfortable and upscale.
Captain’s chairs are individual seats in the second row instead of a single bench. They’re often paired with easier access to the third row (when present) and a more “premium” feel for passengers.
"But yeah, it's a Subaru version of Toyota Highlander. It looks exactly like a Highlander. There's some trim differences and some badging differences..."
The Toyota Highlander is a popular family SUV with three rows. They’re saying the new Subaru model is very similar in shape and layout.
The Toyota Highlander is a midsize three-row SUV that’s a common benchmark in the family-SUV segment. The speakers say the Subaru “getaway” looks exactly like a Highlander, with trim and badging differences.
"next Highlander is EV. Yeah, this is an EV. This is a battery lighter. This is their third EV in their lineup."
EV just means an electric car that uses a battery to power the motor. Instead of gasoline, it charges from electricity.
EV means battery-electric vehicle—powered by one or more electric motors and a high-voltage battery pack. In this segment, the speakers contrast EVs with traditional drivetrains and focus on range and charging.
"there is going to be a slightly smaller pack, 77 kilowatt hours. So you'll have like a standard range option as well"
A smaller battery option (77 kWh) typically trades off range for cost and weight. The segment frames it as a “standard range” option alongside a larger-pack version.
"I think they're definitely going to do it. I mean, they have this goal by 2030 to have a body on frame truck of some kind."
Hyundai has said it wants to build a truck with a body-on-frame design by 2030. The concept is likely a preview of that plan.
This references Hyundai’s stated goal to build a body-on-frame truck by 2030. It’s relevant because it explains why the Boulder concept exists in the first place—showing a direction the brand intends to pursue.
"It had a trick, instead of one big screen, they had four small individual screens. I thought that looked pretty cool."
Instead of one big screen, they’re using multiple smaller screens. That can make different info easier to find, but it might also be distracting or annoying to use in real driving.
Using “four small individual screens” instead of one large display is a UI/UX design choice that can separate functions (navigation, off-road data, media, vehicle settings) into dedicated areas. The tradeoff is that it may increase visual clutter and make the system harder to use quickly—especially off-road when vibrations and glare are factors.
"And what's kind of interesting about that is they said that's for future emission standards."
Emission standards are government regulations that limit pollutants from vehicles, such as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. The hosts connect the flat-plane crank’s design choice to meeting future emission requirements rather than chasing performance alone.
"...magma performance subsection as well. They're getting into endurance racing and things like that."
Endurance racing is long races where the car has to keep working for hours. It tests things like cooling, brakes, and how well the car holds up.
Endurance racing focuses on long-duration events where reliability, efficiency, and consistent performance matter as much as outright speed. It’s a common proving ground for hybrid systems, cooling, brakes, tires, and durability.
"...I miss the Outback now that's moved up to the true SUV class."
They’re saying a lot of wagon buyers ended up buying SUVs instead. Even though some cars still feel wagon-like, companies market them as SUVs now.
This describes the market shift where traditional wagon buyers migrated toward SUVs and crossovers. Automakers often repackage wagon-like practicality into higher-riding SUV formats, changing how customers perceive “wagon” versus “SUV.”
"...the extra ground clearance, the X-Mode, the all-terrain tires..."
Ground clearance is how high the car sits off the ground. More clearance helps you avoid hitting the bottom when the road gets bumpy or uneven.
Ground clearance is the distance between the road surface and the lowest part of the vehicle. More clearance helps reduce the chance of scraping the underbody on rocks, ruts, or uneven trails.
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Welcome to the podcast of Motor Week, television's original automotive magazine.
Motor Week is made possible by AutoValue and bumper to bumper and TireRack.com.
Here's your Motor Week podcast host, John Davis.
Welcome to Motor Week podcast number 374.
I am indeed your host John Davis and we are glad to have you with us.
Well, it's spring and that means car shows and on this podcast will give you the rundown of what's
new at America's largest and they say oldest automotive extravaganza, the New York International
Auto Show, 2026 edition. And once again this year, the Big Apple put on a show with more
product news than than any other auto show this season that ranged from a reworked family work
horse to a bold new body on frame effort truck and SUV series. Joining me to go through it all
is writer, producer, Brian Robinson. I'm also the oldest extravaganza in the automotive industry.
No, you can't beat me. And staff writer, Alex Kellum. Back by either popular or unpopular demand.
You were available. No. Just kidding.
Okay guys, let's get on to New York International Auto Show 2026. I guess you could easily say
the most new news, although it came from the Hyundai Kia Group. Let's start with Kia, the Kia
Celtos. What's happening there? Who wants to start? Basically, you know, next gen Celtos,
giving it a tele-ride style macho makeover. It's bigger than before, which makes sense,
because that's generally how things go. Tons of features. Same kind of, I think they upgraded
the power chain lineup to be more like the Sportage with your naturally aspirated four cylinder,
then a smaller turbo, and then a hybrid as well. Where does that fit in their lineup? Is that now
their smallest SUV or is that one up? I would say that's their smallest, right? The Nero,
they stopped. Right. Yeah, the Nero's gone. The SUV, anyway, they stopped making that.
Yeah, this is definitely below the Sportage, so that would be their smallest.
So even their smallest is getting a larger. Anything to add?
Not a ton, but just to kind of expand upon that. Yeah, the Celtos is larger. It's not
dramatically larger. It's just over two inches longer in the wheelbase, at least. We do get a
little bit of extra legroom in the back about an inch or so, and the cargo capacity has expanded
a little bit. So this isn't like, like you look at it, you see some of this like tele-ride styling,
but don't be fooled into thinking that it's grown massively. It's still very much the same,
for all intents and purposes, the same proportions. But blocky and more adventuresome looking.
The amber daytime running lights that Kia is very well known for now, they're still here.
I bet the hybrid version is going to probably be very popular. Any hints on MPGs on that? Probably
mid-thirties. I don't think they gave an exact number or even an estimate yet. So we're still
kind of waiting for that. And because we have three different power drains, a hybrid, the 1.6
Turbo and the 2-liter naturally aspirated, there will be some fluctuation there for all those.
All right, let's kick things up for performance notch. 2027 Nissan Z and Z Nismo. Obviously,
these are updates on the current car, but Alex? Notable? Yeah, I would say notable.
So we actually caught wind of this earlier this year out of Japan proper, and then now it's here
at making its North American debut. So starting with the Nismo edition, and this is actually
something we heard last year, they're finally putting a manual transmission in the Nismo version
of it. And if you didn't know, prior, you could only get a nine-speed auto. Which was nice,
but it was like no cigar. Yeah, it's one of those things where it kind of left us confused,
like, hey, this is cool, but the standard one has a six-speed. So why not just put it in here?
Well, this six-speed is actually, they've upgraded a little bit compared to those base models. So
it's going to be a little bit different, a little bit upgraded. But then they've also made a few
changes to the chassis. They've added the front brakes from the now defunct GTR. And they've also
optimized the fuel tank, which is supposedly something that I guess customers have noted
before, heavy track use. They've said that at times there were issues with fuel starvation,
like very temporary things. This optimized fuel tank should alleviate that. That actually trickles
down to the lower grades. When you look at a Nismo, it's going to look the same other than the
manual. But if you look at the standard grade, they've kind of refreshed it a little bit. The
front fascia, it dips more into that, hey, is that a Datsun kind of territory? Back in 20...
Not a bad thing.
Not a bad thing. Back in 24, they came out with a heritage addition, where the front fascia,
that grille, that wide-open grille kind of got bisected by a body-matched body element,
for lack of a better word. They've kind of done the same thing here. They've also changed the
badging. They've added a couple small things here and there to tune the chassis and whatnot. So
it takes this sport coupe and just kind of kicks it up a notch. And I think we can all
reasonably priced sport coupe slash sport cars. Brian, anything to add with that?
No, I think the styling tweaks are minor, but I think they're well done. The Nismo gets a little
more serious for track work and you got the manual. I think that's something everyone was asking for.
So good to see they got around to delivering.
Chrysler showed up with their... It's the only Chrysler you can still buy with a refreshed
Pacifica minivan. The minivan market actually has been coming back the last couple years,
and Chrysler Pacific isn't a leader anymore, but they're still in there with several hundred
thousand of them sold a year. So what else was new about it besides a little refresh on the grille?
Anything? Well, something interesting that they've done, I should say, is previously you could get
the Voyager and that was more at fleets, but that was like the entry level of this. And then
you would go up and get the Pacifica proper. They've now axed the Voyager and in its place,
there's the Pacifica LX. So that's the new entry level grade. And it's only $100 more than the
outgoing Voyager, assuming the destination charge stays the same. I don't know if they've
confirmed what the destination is at this time, but it should not be much more.
The reason Alex is bringing that up is that these days, the automakers are sneaking in price hikes
by upping the delivery charge. Anyway, go ahead. Right. Yeah, but outside of that,
I mean, we kind of got some of the press materials here at New York just to confirm some things.
I think we already knew the powertrain, it's still the 3.6 liter, the Pentastar V6, that's back
287 horsepower, so not really anything changing there, nine-speed automatic, that kind of stuff.
Styling-wise, you kind of already touched on it a little bit. It's got the new Chrysler
wing badge up front. And I believe that's on, I may have this wrong, but I do believe that
pretty much every trim gets this updated fascia except for that lower LX grade. That's basically
going to keep the old looking for a little bit of differentiation. Brian? Yeah, I think the biggest
news here is a lot of people are like, wow, they still make the Pacifica. It's the same generation
that's been out since 2017. Yeah, it's getting a little long in the tooth. They generally,
it looks like they just put a Camry front clip on it, oddly enough. You can still get all-wheel
drive, that's worth mentioning. And fold in the floor seats, but not together. And you cannot
get the PHEV anymore, which I think is a big disappointment. That was actually ahead of its
time as far as that goes with the amount of range that it had and the way it worked. I thought
it was great, but they moved on from that. But I guess it looks a little better. Question, Mark?
One of the reasons that, yeah, I think it looks better. One of the reasons though that they pulled
the Voyager is the Voyager only existed because they had dropped their small delivery van from
Ram. Well, that is now coming back. They're going to bring a small delivery van in, I think from
Europe and sort of took the reason for the Voyager out of the picture because a lot of people took
that base Voyager and used it as a delivery van. The commercial van is coming back. It's
more mid-sized though versus the small one that they had before. Okay, staying with the
Salantis folks, Dodge Durango GT America 250 edition. Tell me about it. Yeah, I mean, of all
the brands that you would think would do something to commemorate America's 250th birthday, Dodge is
certainly chief among them. This is very on brand from them. So this is a special edition package
that you can get on the Durango. You can get that with either a V6 or with a Hemi V8. And I would
argue that if you're going to get the American 250 edition, you've got to have eight cylinders.
Get that 5.7 liters of American displacement. Just do yourself a favor. But what it kind of
does here is, obviously, you get this kind of cool striped livery that's paying homage to America,
but they also take some options that were previously reserved for higher trims like
black Laguna leather and stuff like that and bring it down into this grade or into the GT
grade specifically, I should say. But this is kind of in line with something we've been seeing
Dodge specifically, but also other groups or other manufacturers within the Salantis group
doing, which is sort of opening up customization to customers. I mean, I forget what the exact
number is. I think it's in the millions of different combinations that you can make of a
Durango with all the different options that you can get in the colors and the stripes. And you
take everything into account. And then with the charger, they're adding more options and stuff,
which isn't really part of this whole New York thing. But my point is, is that Dodge is really
trying to push this whole, hey, make it your own sort of thing, which, hey, freedom, right?
Yeah. Brian. Yeah, I think a lot of the Salantis stuff is getting the A250 editions,
which, yeah, Alex mentioned, some decals, American flag stickers and some different wheels,
unique badges. Red seat belts. Makes you go faster. Yeah. Because of America.
You know, I don't think hardly a week goes by, and maybe even twice a week, that we don't get
some kind of press release from specifically Dodge or Ram, one of the two of them.
And Jeep. And Jeep with some kind of a new trim package or special edition. And this is kind of
definitely a reverse from the way the industry has been going for the last 10 years of
whittling down the number of choices. And I had not thought about the customize angle,
but I think that's exactly what they're doing. Yeah. I mean, yeah, they made a big deal about
that last year with jailbreak or whatever. Yeah, broken down, you can get whatever you want on any
vehicle you want, essentially at this point. Yeah. And even real quick, just going back,
even the Pacifica, part of that whole, what they've done now with this refresh is they've
uncoupled a couple of different packages. Like before, if you wanted this, you'd have to get,
you know, XYZ, they've kind of decoupled some of that. So now you can kind of cherry pick,
which packages that you want. So even the Pacifica, maybe we'll get a Pacifica jailbreak. Who knows.
But Durango now really is the king of affordable high output or high performance SUVs, right?
Would you agree with that? Yeah. Is there any, is there anybody that's that's really competitor
with them? Can't think of it. And in that, in that price bracket, certainly not with an eight.
Right. Yeah. Okay, well, we will get back to much more from the 2026 New York International Auto
Show. But first, I definitely want to say thanks to our sponsors of this podcast and to everything
Motor Week. And that is auto value and bumper to bumper. And the folks over at tire rack.com.
We know our viewers and listeners appreciate your dedication to Motor Week.
Now, before we get back, we're going to do a little lightning round. It's a normal feature
of our podcast, where we're going to give all our panelists, all two of them 30 seconds to give
their take on an important topic. And we probably won't end up ringing the bell, but I thought I'd
do it just for charm. Okay, guys, here we go. Due to the rising cost of oil globally, and it took
big tick up this morning. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a temporary
waiver for the nationwide sale of E 15. That's a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. And it
will last for the month of May. Typically, this fuel blend is not allowed to be sold in warmer
months as it can worsen smog. But the goal is to help lower fuel prices at the pump because
usually E 85 is a little bit cheaper 10, 15 cents. How much do we think this will help consumers
coming up in the month of May? And the clock is ticking. Who wants to be first? Brian Robinson
is up to up with the plate. Let's go like way overboard with marketing. I don't see it really
making much of a difference. Most people don't even understand E 85, E 15, whatever the ease are,
whether their car can take it or not, with the damage that it can do if it can. And most people
are just going to keep plugging into E 87. Would be my opinion. Yeah, I mean, it doesn't matter
how they change the blend. It's still going to taste awful all the same. So whatever. But yeah,
I mean, I don't know. It's a temporary solution. Yeah, it is a temporary solution. The problem
with E 15 is, Hey, it's a little cheaper 15, 20 cents, whatever it is. But you get less energy,
you know, so your MPGs, your miles per gallon are going to go down. So in a way, you're kind of,
you know, you're, you're getting what you pay for, I guess you're going to save some money,
but you might be fuel filling up faster. Yeah, I mean, I was seeing posts on the internet from
people who I don't think they fully understood what was going on. But some people are like,
feels like my gas isn't going as far these days. What are they doing? And it's like, well, you
know, that's the reason. Now, I think normal 87 octane in most places is 10% ethanol,
something like that. I don't know. Yeah. Well, anyway, there's already ethanol in most of your,
unless you see ethanol free gas and you're out in the country side somewhere,
you've already got ethanol in it. This is just more of it. Okay. Well, I don't think we even
needed to hit the clock on that. Go ahead, Alex. Okay. Let's bring that to a close.
And get back to really what we wanted to talk about, which is the 2026 New York International
Auto Show. And this year, as last year, really, New York was one of the few auto shows in the
world that had a lot of really notable introductions. And we're going to basically go back and start
with the second most popular Volkswagen that's sold in this country. And that's the new
27 Volkswagen Atlas. The Tiguan is their best seller. But the Atlas is really what put their
US production on the mark this generation. And it's been a big winner for them. And here we go
again, Alex. Yeah. So actually leading up to this, I was not sure if it was going to be a
next gen Atlas or if it was just going to be a refresh. But what we've gotten the details here,
we've got a second gen Atlas here. And just to kind of run through some of the quick facts here,
starting with the engine, really. So it's built on the Volkswagen's MQB Evo platform. And now
with the engine, it's the EA888. Once again, we've seen this engine used in so many different
applications for them. Specifically here, it's the Evo 5. So their latest rendition of it,
still a two liter turbo four. So that's still the, again, EA888, 282 horsepower,
258 pound feet of torque. So that's a little bit more than the outgoing Atlas. It's not a ton,
it's like 13 extra horsepower. Yeah, but I think where people were starting to complain that it was,
that's a heavy vehicle for a two liter, but anyway. Right. And they have said they didn't give
numbers. So I can't, you know, don't quote me on how efficient, but they do say it's going to be
more efficient than the last one as well. So there's that as well. Getting into the styling,
it's still, I mean, when I look at it to me, it's still very much an Atlas.
Can you tell the difference?
Well, it's got these light bars now, these dual horizontal light bars up front. I think that
and the illuminated badge, they're on all the grades except for the base model. I think the rear
is what looks more, you know, it stands out more to me. They've kind of gone with this like pixelated
light feature kind of thing in the back there, which reminds me a little bit of like the Hyundai
IONIQ 5. If you're at all familiar with how that is, this isn't quite the same, but just that idea
of little blockiness back there. And then the interior, I mean, just when I saw the pictures,
I was like, yep, that's Volkswagen. It's like very sanitary. The way it's laid out with the
screen, like a larger 15 inch display on most of the grades and all that, it's, yeah, it's Volkswagen.
And I'm not just saying that because there's a VW on the steering wheel.
I would say it looks a lot different, especially down the side, you know, the profile side,
it's almost smooth now where it used to have all those lines running through. So I would say it
looks a lot different. I mean, the first time Atlas was a great vehicle. I don't think sales have
ever been as great as what Volkswagen would like. It's done well though. Now it just looks like a
BMW. That's a bad thing. No, poor cylinder only is a bad thing. I think for me, I think the problem
they have is similar to Subaru buyers, which we'll probably get into later. Most of their buyers
just don't want a big vehicle. So it's, how do you get people that do want a big vehicle
to look at your vehicle? I think that's part of their point. Well, one way they've done it and
I think successfully with both Atlas and even more so with the Tiguan is price.
They've been extremely competitive on price and offered incentives to buyers that, frankly,
no one else does. I mean, they've made that zero sign and drive thing, you know, pretty
ubiquitous throughout their lineup. And I don't think we've seen it yet, but the cross sport version
of it, well, as far as I'm aware of the swoopy roof, right? Yeah, I think that eliminates the
third row. So it turns into a two row, but it makes it more coopish. So I believe that'll be
returning. I wonder when they're going to get serious though about hybrids, because I mean,
they had everything in the EV basket and that's kind of upended. They really, you know, adding a
hybrid to something like the Atlas, I think would be a big draw. We might see that with this generation
of it. I mean, all new underpinnings and everything. It might be the time to do it.
Any idea of new features on the inside? They give a lot of details.
The big thing is like they've operated the screen. It's that 15 inch display that we've seen on a
few other Volkswagen. On the base model, you still get the smaller one, but here it's like the
larger screen. I think there are more driver assistance features and whatnot, you know,
that's keeping up with the times. And then you can get second row captain's chairs if you want.
So it's again, like to me, like I looked at it and I'm like, yep, that's a Volkswagen Atlas.
And I don't think that's a bad thing, but I wasn't sure it was going to be a second gen.
They've never, I mean, they've always tried to keep most of their vehicles when you go from
one generation to the next, looking familiar so that whoever owns the previous gen doesn't feel
like they've been disenfranchised. And I think that's more of a European thing. But I find the
Atlas very appealing because I'm a big guy. And if you're a big guy, it's got plenty of room in it.
Anything else? Another main event at New York was the unveiling of the 2027. And we didn't even
know the name until the unveiling, the Subaru getaway, which seems a little bit like a departure
and naming for them, but at least this one we can spell. Brian, what is the getaway? Give us the
getaway to get away. I'd say that's on brand. They're all about outbacking. That's true. And
trail seeking. There you go. Now they're just getting away. But yeah, it's a Subaru version
of Toyota Highlander. It looks exactly like a Highlander. There's some trim differences and
some badging differences and chime in, Alex. I was just going to say we should mention that the
next Highlander is EV. Yeah, this is an EV. This is a battery lighter. This is their third EV in
their lineup. Right. This will be the fourth. Yeah, one, two, three, four. Uncharted. Uncharted.
Trailseeker. Yep. Okay. Four. But that makes them, they've got to have really the, I guess they
in Toyota, one of the largest lineups of EVs left. Anyway, I got you off topic. I got you off topic.
I have a lot of options, but even the interior looks the same as the Highlander. But there is,
the biggest difference is just packaging. You can get like different packaging,
and then you can get over at Toyota. About 300 miles, which I think that's where it needs to
be range wise. It should be pretty good. Drive train wise. Is it, it's all electric. All electric,
but is it all wheel drive standards? Subaru's symmetrical wheel drive, though this is obviously
not mechanical. This is electric. So it's basically the Toyota system. Right. Yeah,
420 horsepower, a zero to 60 time under five seconds in case anyone wants to throw the kids back
into their seats. Yeah. It has a very large pack or a pretty large pack of almost 100 kilowatt
hours for this thing. So, but there will be, I think next year or the following year there is
going to be a slightly smaller pack, 77 kilowatt hours. So you'll have like a standard range
option as well and standard knacks for this as well for plugging in.
As we move forward and into the other big event at New York, and they sent out a teaser and this
teaser showed a rock hanging in the air and said something big is coming. I'm talking about Hyundai
and what they called the boulder. All right, Hyundai boulder, body on frame, SUV concept.
Here comes the body on frame pickup truck that they've been talking about.
What do you think of the boulder? What do we know about it? And what do you think about
the future of a body on frame Hyundai vehicle? I think they're definitely going to do it. I mean,
they have this goal by 2030 to have a body on frame truck of some kind. They've made that known.
So I think this is potentially previewing something we might see. Hyundai previously had the crater
concept, which was like, this is more like you look at it and it's like a Bronco Wrangler fusion
kind of thing, not a Ford fusion, just literally. I thought it really reminded me of the Bronco.
Yeah, when I looked at it, I thought lots of Bronco inspiration there. Outside of that,
I mean, it's a concept. So we don't know anything about like powertrain or anything like that,
but we can see this big hulking mass 37-inch mud terrain tires. I mean, as far as it goes,
it's very much a solid effort of showing what could be. And it's got weird, quirky things.
They say like the rear doors are like rear hinged those coach doors so that it's easier to load
gear into that. I don't know how that makes it easier to load gear into the back. I'll be completely
honest, but yeah, I guess, yeah, you know, I wonder if that will actually make production.
And that's the thing is like with a concept, you know, what's like if you go back and look at the
crater concept and even you look at this one, though this one's I think a little bit more
subdued in this regard, like the interior of the crater was wild, like with like different like
rotary switch gear and like stuff like that. Stuff like that probably wouldn't make it into
production, but the general idea of what we have here, I could see that, you know, eventually
coming into form. Brian? It looks cool, but I mean, it's definitely a concept. There's almost
nothing about it that you would see making its way into production vehicle. I did like,
I couldn't tell I wasn't at New York, but could you see the interior or do they just show
pictures of the interior? I don't know about at New York proper, but there was a photo,
like a rendering or whatever. Yeah, but I don't know if you could actually see it in person.
I don't know about in New York proper. Yeah, it did look pretty cool inside there. It had a trick,
instead of one big screen, they had four small individual screens. I thought that looked pretty
cool. And they were all set up with like off-road type displays. I'm sure it's a nightmare to
probably actually use, but it did look cool. We don't have a timing for this. I hear
2027, they're talking about the pickup truck. They don't think they made any more.
By 2030 is what I heard. Yeah, I mean, it's going to probably,
the question is whether they're going to retool one of their existing plants or build
something entirely new here in the U.S. for it, because body on frame takes a little bit different
assembly technology than anything else. But Hyundai Boulder, definitely one of the
stars in the Big Apple at the 26 New York International Auto Show. On the eve of the show,
there was some news from Mercedes-Benz, and I guess they figured it wasn't big enough to
pay the freight in New York. But let's hit that, a redone GLE and GLS. Comments?
I think they both share a lot of the updates. They just get a new grille and some exterior
tweekings. And I didn't make it all the way through the powertrain. It looked like a lot of them were
really updated, if not all new in the GLE. I know you can get the V8, I4, I6, I6 plug-in,
and then the GLS thing, you still get the I6 or the V8. I think you probably have more info.
Yeah, a little bit more. The thing with that V8, what's interesting is now it's assembled with a
flat plane crank. And what's kind of interesting about that is they said that's for future emission
standards. Huh. Yeah, it wasn't for performance necessarily. To my understanding, and I could
be totally wrong, I'm a Shade Tree mechanic at best, but to my understanding with a flat plane,
you have a more even firing order. Well, you have an even firing order, so it has something to do
with the, I don't know if it's the, it has the exhaust. I don't know if it's the scavenging or what.
But they sound cooler. They do sound cooler, and that's really what matters. It's a 4-liter V8,
and it sounds cooler. It's twin-turbocharged, 530 horsepower. I mean, I got a smile on my face
already. We're used to hearing the flat plane term with something like a Mustang V8. Yeah,
the last GT350, the 350 had a flat plane crank, 5.2-liter, and that thing was nasty. I love that car.
But it was nice to see Mercedes wanted to make sure they didn't get left out of the
market, and they had came with a little something new, something else from a luxury brand that I
have to admit in the run-up to the show caught my attention. I know it's only a North American
debut, and there's no word that they're even going to make it, but it's the Genesis G90
wingback concept. And it easily was one of the most striking exhibitions at New York.
Somebody wanted to elaborate on what it really is.
Oh, I didn't think that was new. I didn't really look into that much.
It's a fancy wagon. I know that Genesis wants to hugely expand that profile in the next five to
ten years. Yeah, and Genesis has been making a lot of interesting moves because they have this
magma performance subsection as well. They're getting into endurance racing and things like that.
So it's really interesting to see Genesis do things like this. The wingback, it's a really cool
wagon. That's the best way you can describe it. It's got the Genesis vibes up front with their
headlights, the wide open grille and all of that. And then from there, it's just a very slick wagon.
It's really slick. And from the side, it almost kind of has Tycon cross-terismo
vibes like that silhouette, the fender cutouts. But a little more squarish in the back.
A little bit squarish in the back. More like some of the old European wagons and the last thing we
saw from Dodge. And again, in the back, you've got the Genesis, the parallel lights. I mean,
this is all, it's like keeping within their design language, but then taking it in a new
direction. This is something that I would absolutely love to see on the road at some point.
Do we have any wagons left? Do we have any wagons as far as, what do you mean?
Yeah, new ones. Is Mercedes or nothing for me?
I think Red Rider is still in business. Or wait, Radio Flyer?
Radio Flyer. I'm thinking of Red Rider VV going.
You got me. You got me. You can still get a E-Class wagon, right?
Yeah. And of course, the Subaru Outback, although they call it...
Oh, I don't think the Subaru Outback classifies as a wagon anymore.
But anyway, there's this, I wonder if there's not a niche...
A6 wagon.
A niche market for a luxury wagon. It appealed to me because there are a lot of people that
kind of miss. I miss the Outback now that's moved up to the true SUV class.
Yeah, I think wagons in general, there's a lot of discourse. People miss having a fun or cool
or luxury wagon of some kind. Yeah, well, maybe it's a niche enough for them to get into.
Well, thanks, guys, very much. Did I miss one?
I think we may have missed one. Another one from Subaru, the Forester Wilderness Hybrid.
Oh, we did. We did.
So we, and by we, I mean...
And this is a Forester Wilderness Hybrid.
Right.
Yeah, and it's real short to get into. It's...
Combine the two things. It's a Forester Wilderness with the hybrid powertrain.
With the hybrid powertrain.
Yeah, we saw it right before the show. Jess went out to California to preview it,
not drive it, did a first look on it.
But yeah, so just take a Forester Wilderness, so the extra ground clearance, the X-Mode,
the all-terrain tires, the suspension, all of that, and then give it the hybrid powertrain,
so the 2.5-liter boxer, 194 horsepower, and they say it's going to be 25% more efficient
than just the regular...
Well, do you remember what the Forester Hybrid did for us? It was like 32 or 33?
I think it was better than that. I don't remember, but...
But it was a significant boost up over the non-hybrid.
Yeah, we tested the Forester Hybrid last year, and you couldn't get it in the wilderness.
Right.
And now you can, so that's pretty...
It'll probably be about the same, but that vehicle has been like a runaway hit
for Subaru dealers, so there's no reason to think this one won't either, right?
Which the Forester...
The Forester Hybrid, yeah. The Forester Hybrid's highly in demand.
And on the Forester Wilderness, the EPA rates that at a 26 combined.
So we're somewhere in the 30s, 32s, 30s, mid-30s maybe.
I think that's actually a big deal, because everybody wants hybrids these days,
because of, especially with fuel prices going up.
Yeah, it's a smart move. I can't wait for them to hopefully...
Like, their hybrid system's really good. I like to see it in everything.
They do a wilderness trim on everything, and now I'm just begging them,
please bring back the Baja or the brat.
Well, can a wilderness outback be far behind?
I mean, at this rate, like, why wouldn't they?
I feel like it's a no-brainer at that point.
Did I miss anything else?
I think that covers it.
Okay, Mr. Producer, thanks very much, everybody.
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Rant and rave time.
Anything sticking in anyone's claw?
No, no, you have nothing.
I'm not sure.
No good thing.
You know, for the winds leading up to this, like, I've been thinking of them,
and now that I'm here, I just...
Just gone blank.
I've just gone blank.
Yeah, I mean, like, I don't know.
I will just make an observation, and I guess it's not really rant or rave.
We've seen fuel prices in our area go up to $4, like most everybody in the U.S.
Some people have actually seen regular gasoline out in the West Coast,
getting well above that to $5.
I have not noticed any change in driving habits.
People driving slower or less, you know, a little easier on takeoff have either of you.
Oh, no, no, it's still...
What does that say?
About us, that gasoline is maybe not as big a hurt on the wallet as a lot of the commentators like
to say?
Maybe, but maybe it's also just in the moment.
Like, yeah, like, filling up, like, you look at the pump.
Oh, it's hot.
You know, wow.
But then, you know, three days later, you're on the beltway or whatever.
You're not thinking about when you filled up.
You're thinking about where you got to go.
I think people are in such a rush, and they...
Or they just drive like they don't care, and, you know, it's...
You put your finger on there.
I don't care or just don't know.
I think most people don't even put that together that accelerating quickly would use more gas than
accelerating slowly.
Plus, with the warmer weather, like, I mean, I've been enjoying it, you know,
not that I'm like hooning around, but, you know, I put it in sport mode and, you know,
have the windows down and I'm just enjoying it, you know?
So...
Kind of off topic, just a little bit.
There is one theory that because everybody pays for their gas with credit cards or debit cards these
days that you don't notice that, you know, going right out of your wallet and say people are just
a little more disconnected from it, say, than back in the fuel crisis days.
That could be part of it.
When's the last time you paid cash for gas?
When's the last time I paid cash for anything?
A lot of places won't even accept good old American dollars anymore.
Yeah, points said.
I want to thank our writer, producer, Brian Robinson, our staff writer, Alex Kellerman.
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