This phrase points to how automakers are competing in both traditional gasoline SUVs and battery-electric SUVs. It highlights the market shift toward electrification while still serving buyers who want gas-powered options.
The Kia EV3 is an electric car that runs on a battery. The podcast says it’s meant to be more affordable and mentions a claimed range of up to about 320 miles. It’s discussed as a new option in Kia’s electric lineup.
Volkswagen is the automaker behind the Atlas SUV mentioned in the segment. The host highlights the brand’s official unveiling, which signals a significant product update for the family-SUV market.
The Chrysler Pacifica is a minivan made for families. It’s designed to carry people comfortably and handle everyday errands. The podcast mentions it because Chrysler is showing an updated version for the 2027 model year.
Honda is the car company mentioned here. They’re talking about making a small electric vehicle for city deliveries, not just regular cars. It’s focused on tight, busy streets.
Last-mile delivery is the final part of shipping—getting packages from a nearby depot to homes and businesses. It usually happens in busy city streets with lots of short trips, which is why small electric vehicles can make sense.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a midsize SUV. It’s meant for families and everyday driving, with room for passengers and cargo. The podcast brings it up as part of the SUV models being discussed.
Motor Trend is a well-known car magazine. “Car of the Year” awards like this are a way of saying a car was one of the best from that year, especially among imported brands.
Lexus is Toyota’s luxury brand. The speaker is saying Lexus became a major player in luxury and took a lot of business from older American luxury options.
The New York International Auto Show is a major North American event where automakers unveil new vehicles and technologies. The transcript uses it as the context for discussing upcoming or newly introduced models.
If you have more battery range, you usually have more battery to fill back up. That means charging can take longer, especially when you start from low charge.
A “crossover-based truck” is a pickup-like vehicle built on a unibody crossover platform rather than a traditional body-on-frame truck. This usually improves ride comfort and handling, but can limit maximum towing/off-road durability compared with classic trucks.
The rear seats don’t recline because a wall (bulkhead) is built between the back seats and the cargo area. It’s a design trade-off to make room for the bed.
It’s a 2.5-liter engine with four cylinders, and it uses a turbo to make more power. The turbo helps the engine feel stronger without needing a bigger engine.
The Ferrari 512 is a famous Ferrari race car from the endurance-racing era. The speaker is comparing it to other legendary cars to show how fast and competitive the racing was.
Mercedes-Benz is the car company being talked about. The story is about how Mercedes went from being cautious about racing and modifying cars to building its own performance division.
AMG is Mercedes’ performance brand. In this episode, they explain how AMG started with racing and tuning, then Mercedes eventually bought the company and made it an official performance division.
An internal combustion engine is the traditional gas engine. The speaker is saying companies are still relying on gas engines because pure EVs aren’t selling as strongly as expected.
Solid-state batteries are a newer type of EV battery that uses a solid material inside instead of a liquid. The goal is safer operation and faster charging, but it’s not widely available yet.
LIVE
This is America On The Road, the 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 guest co-host Matt DiLorenzo.
Chris Teague is predisposed or indisposed, or some kind of disposed this week, so Matt
is joining us.
We love having Matt with us, and you guys who are regulars to the show know that Matt's
with us a lot.
Matt, do you have any special Easter plans?
We're actually going to go to Chicago and see our daughter and her husband, so looking
forward to that.
Nice.
Well, there's plenty of automotive news to talk about this week.
A landmark brand is celebrating 40 years in America, marking a legacy that helped redefine
the luxury car market.
Matt and I were there at the beginning, and we'll tell you more about that coming up.
Keah is shaking up both gas and electric SUV segments, with a bigger, more capable
Celtos and a new affordable battery electric EV3 that promises up to 320 miles of range.
We'll have details on that coming up.
And hey, family guys, Chrysler has just unmasked its 2027 Pacifica minivan, while Volkswagen
has officially unveiled the all-new 2027 Atlas III row SUV, more on both of those family
haulers a little later.
Hyundai is gearing up for the future with plans to launch 36 newer updated models across
North America by 2030.
Oh my gosh.
They're busy.
And in one of the weirdest New York Auto Show introductions I've ever seen, Honda is stepping
into last-mile delivery with a new electric micromobility vehicle designed for crowded
city streets.
I'm curious as to your reaction to that, Matt, what do you think about it?
It's kind of retro.
I mean, it reminds me of the little three-wheel Tuck Tucks that you've seen in the Philippines
or India, if you're familiar with those.
Yeah, I think Mazda might have started building those too.
Yeah, very, very interesting vehicle.
And it's, you know, pedal power in addition to electric.
Right.
Merk are on the road.
It's brought to you by drivingtoday.com, emlancy.com, the publisher of my latest book.
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If you're looking to save some money, you should switch to Mercury for your auto and
home insurance.
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Get a quote at drivingtoday.com slash auto insurance.
Well, Matt, what is your test vehicle for this week?
I had the opportunity to drive a 2027 Chevrolet Bolt.
It's back on the market, all electric, and a very interesting vehicle.
Can't wait to talk about that.
My test vehicle this week is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT, and our special guest is Matt
DiLorenzo talking about his latest book.
Tell us the name of that real quick, Matt.
It's called Mercedes AMG Race Bread Performance, the history of the AMG performance brand
at Mercedes-Benz.
So look for that.
We'll be right back right after this, talking about all these things.
Stay with us.
We'll be right back.
Welcome back to America on the Road with guest host Matt DiLorenzo, Jackie Redd, back with
you, and we're so glad you're with us.
We're so glad Matt is with us, too.
Apropos that, Acura is the brand we were talking about before the break that is marking its
40th anniversary.
How can that be the case, Matt?
We were around when this happened.
This was the first Japanese luxury car brand in the US.
What were you doing 40 years ago?
I was working for Automotive News, and it was a big deal because the legend was the first
Japanese car to cost more than $20,000, and it was a big deal.
I remember going on to preview for the car.
We were very impressed with the quality and the quiet, and it was a momentous occasion.
Yeah, it was a momentous occasion, absolutely.
I was running Motor Trend Magazine at that time.
The editor of Motor Trend Magazine, or at least leading the editorial, I don't know
whether I was officially editor at that point or not, but we did name the legend Import
Car of the Year, Motor Trend Import Car of the Year for that year, 1986.
They also had the Integra, which is kind of still around.
Maybe they shouldn't have the legend still around.
Maybe that would help them out a little bit.
It's been kind of spotty since then, right?
Yeah, they came out strong.
I think that they were eclipsed by Lexus, really, because Lexus really upped the luxury
game and took away the domestic, traditional domestic luxury car market from the big three.
And Acura was always trying to be a little bit more sporty, a little bit more performance,
and they had some wonderful cars like the TL, the NSX, a great legendary vehicle in its own
right, but it never expanded beyond a certain footprint, and it's still there.
SUVs have come to help them out a lot with the MDX and RDX, but I don't think they're
mentioned in the same breath as Lexus, which is kind of a shame.
It seems like the other Japanese luxuries, Infinity, kind of in the same boat,
Infinity and Lexus, launched virtually at the same time, very close to the same time.
And I was kind of close to that because I was the PR director for a secret project by then
that was going to be Mazda's version of Lexus, but never launched.
The rest is history or not history in any case.
Well, let's talk about some of the stuff that was introduced at the New York auto show,
which is ongoing. Kia is expanding its lineup with the 2027 Celtos.
It's not the highest-profile vehicle they have, and I want your comment on both that and the
all-electric 2027 EV3.
Well, the Celtos is one of these families of small SUVs that have really taken off,
and I think for two reasons. One, they're stylish, they're useful, there's a good interior room,
and they're not that expensive. So they're filling a need that's down in the entry level that,
you know, mid-sized sedans, compact sedans, used to occupy in big numbers. So the new
compact mid-sized sedan, there are these small SUVs, and the Celtos is certainly there with
great looks, affordability, really a nice package.
On the other side, the EV3 is much needed. You know, there aren't that many, everybody's been
talking about affordability with EVs. Other than the leaf and the bolt, which I'll talk about later,
there aren't many EVs priced below $35,000 that are accessible to people who want to try it out,
and then also have decent range. And I think the EV3 is promising somewhere around 300 miles
of range, which is quite good for that. Yeah, it's around 20 miles of range,
fast charging from 10 to 80% in about 30 minutes. I guess, you know, if you're interested in an
affordable EV, and certainly you've literally written the book on that, Matt. I mean, this is
certainly one of them. I'm not sure that there are very many people in that boat, but maybe so.
Yeah, you know, the shift in the market has been unbelievable since they've taken away the incentives
and then also have taken away the punishing cafe regulations for manufacturers to try to force
them to stop building gas cars and start building EVs. So I welcome affordable EVs like this. I
even Kia's recognizing, you know, the limitations, and they had an EV4 that was slotted between EV3
and EV6, and that's not coming to the States now. So I think they're going to take kind of a wait and
see attitudes, see how the EV3 goes, and then we'll see what their electric vehicle profile
or portfolio looks like. Yeah, I'm fascinated to see what that looks like. In the meantime,
also in New York, Volkswagen is showing the 2027 Atlas, their three-row family SUV, a new
version of that, completely redesigned cabin. It's more upscale. I think Volkswagen has been
going upscale with, you know, wood inside, napple leather, that kind of stuff. I mean,
we saw that in the Tiguan that you and I drove at North American Car of the Year, and I think
they're going in that same general direction, a 10 and a quarter inch digital gauge cluster and
15 inch infotainment screen that's available. So they're going full tech in this thing.
What do you think the prospects are for Volkswagen with this? And it's kind of interesting that they'd
gone all EV for a while or almost. Well, you know, between the Tiguan and the Atlas, it's been
saving their bacon. True. You know, and the Atlas is a wonderful three-row SUV. It's in the heart
of the market. They're doing a great job with really good build quality. I looked at the specs
in this one, and I think they're getting away from six cylinders. So it's going to be a four
cylinder turbo, you know, to help with fuel economy, but I'll still have like 5,000
pound towing capacity and decent performance. You know, big three-row SUVs are the station wagons,
the, you know, Ford Country Squire station wagons that you and I grew up with. And for families,
they're certainly looking for vehicles of this size. Yeah. Turbocharged four, as you mentioned,
282 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque, not a ton of torque really. Eight-speed automatic
transmission is standard. You can get front drive or all-wheel drive. I like the towing capacity
and the safety systems and all that kind of stuff. Well, you know, I've always liked the Atlas,
and I think this new one is good looking. You know, Volkswagen has evolutionary styling changes,
as opposed to revolutionary styling changes. And I like the looks of the new one as well.
So that's cool. Chrysler Pacifica, a new minivan, or kind of at least a renewed minivan.
2027 Chrysler Pacifica, we wondered, some of us I think wondered if that would happen. It's a three-row
multi-purpose vehicle, of course. Talk about old school. It's got a 3.6-liter V6 under the hood.
No mention of a hybrid anymore or a plug-in hybrid in this iteration of this vehicle. I think there's
a lot to like about minivans as family vehicles. Your take. Yeah, you know, minivans have a real
personality problem. It's like nobody really wants one, but they need one. And once they have one,
they're very useful. So, you know, I think if they up the styling game a little bit with this
vehicle, the people, the minivan loyalists will be pleased. You know, as you noted, I think they
dropped the hybrid version because it was very expensive, but the people who own them love them.
You know, they were getting close to 40 miles of all electric range and, you know, it really helped
the fuel economy with what, you know, is a relatively big vehicle. One of the features, though, you
get by not having the hybrid are those wonderful stow and go seats in the second row that fold
into the floor, which is a terrific idea that allows you to quickly convert it from a passenger
van to a cargo van. So, you know, I think they have enough of a unique selling proposition with
the Pacifica that they should do okay. Yeah, I think it'll go well. And they're also,
and reducing our dodge, I guess, is has the Durango GT, the America 250 edition, of course,
honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States. I actually drove across most of the Midwest
in a Durango last year. So kind of near and dear to my heart. What do you think about this one?
You know, it's great because for a while there, the Durango was dead and they're bringing it back
and they put it in a new plant. And it's very old school, you know, in two-wheel drive, it's rear
drive. So it's kind of like a truck based SUV. And it's really great for towing and a lot of
heavier duty work that a lot of these front drive oriented SUVs just can't handle. So,
I think there's a place for it in the market. And, you know, the 250 anniversary of the US,
that's kind of a neat little marketing. And I think we're going to see more vehicles like that
as the year rolls out. Absolutely true. Well, when we come back, we will have two road test vehicles
that are equally cool, or maybe. So stay with us and we'll be right back right here on America on the road.
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As the story unfolds, an unemployed aeronautics worker named Bill McCurdy becomes disillusioned
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Before long, he begins to think of doing the unthinkable. And before the rollercoaster ride
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Only one thing stays the same is available in Kindle e-book and paperback form,
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So, welcome back, everybody, to America on the Road with Matthew Lorenzo,
Jack Neyred with you for road test time. And, Matt, you were testing a vehicle that's kind
of been revived just kind of out of the blue, really. And I'm wondering about the timing for it.
But the Chevrolet Bolt is back. Tell us about it.
Chevrolet killed the Bolt in 2023. And as they walked away from it, just affordable EVs became
a big deal. And they took a lot of heat for killing this entry-level EV that they had.
So they decided to bring it back, and they brought it back as a 2027 model.
They had two body styles back then. There was like a base hatchback, and then they had a slightly
larger SUV-inspired model called the EUV. And that's the body style that they stuck with.
But they made a lot of changes. They got away from the Altium Lithium Ion battery pack,
and they have a new Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack that supposedly is less expensive
and also has faster direct charging capabilities. And like I said, they retained the slightly larger
EUV package, but they did a total rework of the interior, which was a big complaint. The previous
interior looked a little cheap, a lot of hard plastics. So they came back and they
put in some soft touch materials, and then they upped the infotainment screens a little bit,
so they're a little bit larger. So it's really a nice package. I enjoyed driving it. We drove it
out to Palm Springs. Our trip was 200 miles round trip. We made it no sweat without having to recharge.
We had about 50, 55 miles worth of range left. They say the range is 267 miles, which is pretty
good. And with this battery pack, they have the new NACS North American Charging Standard Tesla
compatible charger. And at 150 kilowatts, it'll charge from 10% to 80% in 25 minutes. So it's
really kind of a nice package and it's priced. You can get the base model for around $29,000.
I had the Gussied Up RS, which starts at about 34. And actually the RS is kind of worth the money
because you get kind of a fake leather interior. You get some other appearance like black wheels.
You get, we had a glass panoramic roof. And if you take a bunch of these things and package them
together on the base model, it'll be a lot more than the $4,000 bump over in base price. So
the RS is a nice package for under $35,000. Good range, good performance.
The problem is they're only going to build them for 18 months. At the end of the 2027
calendar year, they're done. And they haven't announced if they're going to have a replacement
or not, which I think now that they finally have fixed it, the previous Altium battery had some
fire problems and all sorts of stuff, it's just going to be here for a while and then it's going
to be gone. I wonder if they're just building them out to build out the parts they've already ordered
and can't put back with their supplier or that kind of thing.
Well, it'll be a great test bed for this lithium iron phosphate technology and see how well it
works. I think the thermal management is a lot easier with these materials. And if the cost is
lower, it certainly helps the affordability package, especially at a time when you can't get any
major incentives from either the federal government or most states.
Yeah. I'm wondering about charging too. I mean, you're a veteran EV driver. When you get down to
about 55 miles of range or something like that, I think that's what you mentioned you had at the
end. Are you panicked then? Or what's your state of mind at that point?
Yeah, it was still, I think it was showing about 15%. I don't really start getting nervous until it
drops below 10. And the fact that it had the NAACS charging and the Tesla, there's a lot of Tesla
supercharging. There's one on the corner near my house. And then the other thing is they had this
cool little adapter that came with it that plugged in and it lets you use the J1772 SAE plug for
either direct charging or AC level two charging, which I have at my home. And I used the adapter
and I plugged it in. I charged that home once I got home. So at my lower rate, I was getting about
24 miles of range per hour. So I figured if I ran it down about 10%, it would be a good
nine, 10 hour recharge session, which is a lot more than my leaf, but the battery is
half again as big as it's 65 kilowatt hours. It's a lot bigger than the 40 kilowatt hour
battery of mine. Yeah. I mean, more range translates into more charging time, right?
Yeah. So I think they've done a good job. I think they'll find a market. There was a neighbor of
mine who was looking at it and I had a EX30 Volvo and we went through the interior of the Volvo
with all the touchscreen and stuff. She hated it. The bolt has a really nice blend of traditional
switches, touchscreen, very easy, very intuitive to use. The one thing that a lot of people are
bitching about is the fact that there is no wireless car player, Android auto connectivity.
What they do is they have some native apps in there. There's like Google maps that are used
for navigation and then they have a bunch of streaming services and they're talking about
Angry Birds games that you can play and all this other stuff. So if you're used to having
Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, go somewhere else. You're going to be cranky. You're going to be
cranky and I can't imagine why they're doing it, but I just think it's a big mistake.
Well, you have probably got into a vehicle mat that just feels right the second you get into it
and oddly, maybe oddly, the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT is just such a vehicle for me.
You know, I got into this thing. I've been in the Santa Fe before and I have to admit,
for some reason, I like the Santa Fe. It is a weird duck. I admit that. It is kind of a pickup
truck. It has a pickup truck bed. It also has a nice cover for that pickup truck bed that allows
it to be locked up and out of sight. So I like that. Very SUV like comfort because it's basically
Hyundai Tucson underneath. And then this one has a little bit of off-road attitude just enough to
maybe give it a little lilt or something like that. It is a crossover based truck, which is a
pretty rare thing in the first place. I think Honda Ridgeline and Ford Maverick. I think there was a
Volkswagen pickup truck in the deep dark past that was also a crossover. But what did you kind
of take on this genre of vehicle? You know, it's an interesting vehicle. The Santa Cruz is good
looking. I like the looks of it. I think the functionality, it falls down a little bit because
the bed is pretty small. It's more of an active lifestyle vehicle. And like you said, it has
really good bones underneath the fact that it's the Tucson, which is really a terrific compact SUV.
So from a driving perspective and overall looks, it's pretty cool. Back seats tight. And one of
the reasons that because those rear seats can't recline because of the bulkhead for the cargo
bed. But it's a cool concept. It's not cheap. I mean, I think they know, you know, you can load
it up and it'll be over $40,000. But it's a nice vehicle. I like it. The vehicle I had, the XRT,
of course, is the off-road version has a two and a half liter turbocharged inline four cylinder
engine, 281 horsepower, 311 pound feet of torque, eight speed automatic. It had all wheel drive,
you know, kind of bows to being off-roady. It's kind of semi off-roady. I think I drove something
similar to this off-road fairly recently and found it to be just fine for that, depending on how
much you want to get into it. What I liked about it is it basically feels handles like a crossover
or almost like a sports sedan. It's got plenty of power, very torquey. The transmission works well.
Steering is direct enough that you feel like you're driving something that's, you know, fairly fun to
drive. And at the same time, you've got this off-road kind of look to it, has good brake control,
downhill brake control, brake assist, all that kind of hill start assist. It's a versatile vehicle.
I mean, we put a ton of stuff in the truck bed. When we drove out to the desert, I think you drove
out to the desert in the bolt. We drove out to the desert in this Santa Cruz and, you know,
suitcases and a ton of stuff can go back there. And it's all lockable, which is nice.
Five passenger seating, although as you mentioned, the rear seat is a little bit tight.
Certainly be tight for three adults, I would think. And then it has all the good stuff of the Tucson,
the 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster. It's got an equally big infotainment screen, all that
kind of stuff, good dimensions overall. It's going to like this vehicle a lot.
So what was the sticker on the one that you drove?
It was over $40,000. Here, let me get to exact pricing on this thing. As you mentioned, it's
not cheap. But it's getting to be where we think a compact utility that costs $43,350,
which is what the as-tested price of this vehicle was, is considered pretty okay.
And so, you know, I think this is certainly a vehicle to take a look at. I think they do a
lot of good things in this. And of course, then you also have the Hyundai very lengthy powertrain
warranty. So if you're a little bit iffy on turbocharged engines, well, you've got 10 years
to figure that out. You know, like I said, it really appeals to me as kind of a lifestyle
vehicle. And if you're an outdoor type person who likes to bike or paddleboard or whatever,
having that bed makes a big difference. If you like to do more work work, I go with the Maverick
because it's got a bigger box. But both of them have that utility that you just not going to get
from a regular SUV. Yeah, yeah. The fact that you have that open bed just opens things up a
little bit for you. Well, when we come back, we will have a special guest named Matt DeLorenzo.
He's going to be talking about his new book, Mercedes-AMG Race Bread Performance and a bunch
of other things. So stay with us and we'll be right back.
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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 to America on the Road with Matt DiLorenzo as guest host. This is Jack
Nierad with you. And not only is Matt DiLorenzo our guest host, but he's also our guest.
Matt, a veteran automotive journalist, has been everywhere, done pretty much everything.
Worked for automotive news, auto week, Rodentrack, tons of automotive publications through the
years. And we worked together at Kelly Blue Book for the better part of 10 years, I think, Matt.
A highlight of my career working with Matt DiLorenzo. I enjoyed that very, very much.
And now here we are. Tell us about your most recent book. I mean, you're a prolific author
these days. You've written on affordable EVs as well. But tell us about the most recent one.
Well, the latest one I did was sort of the history of AMG. It's called Mercedes AMG,
Race Bread Performance. And it traces the beginning of this high performance division of
Mercedes-Benz back to a couple of young engineers in the 60s who wanted to go racing at a time that
the factory was kind of backing away from any motorsports involvement. So they started building
race cars on the sly, sticking big engines in luxury at the time, the 300 SC, which was
a luxury mid-size Mercedes. And at the time, the opinion was Mercedes were perfect cars,
so why are you messing with them? There were no tuners. At least that was Mercedes' opinion
about them, right? Right, right. And even in the aftermarket, there weren't very many tuners
doing Mercedes. So they did these cars and they were pretty successful on the track.
They figured out they weren't going anywhere inside Mercedes, so they left and they started
tuning cars on their own afterwards. Now, the factory looked down on them as like
shade tree mechanics, as we'd call them. But in 1971, they race prepped the 300 SEL,
which was the equivalent of an S class, with a big V8 engine and went to Spa
and finished second in a 24-hour race in first-in-class, and it put them on the map.
So they started doing a lot of tuning, a lot of modification of Mercedes cars throughout the
70s and 80s, and the factory was slowly warming up to them. And then in the mid-80s, AMG built
a car called the Hammer, which was an E class with, again, another big V8 engine in it and got
tremendous press in the United States and put AMG on the map here in America. So Mercedes was paying
close attention and also had them get involved with building race cars for their German touring car
series, and they won. So they decided to let AMG sell their cars through the Mercedes dealer network,
and then after a number of years, they said, well, we've got to buy these guys. So 1999,
they bought 51% of the company, and then in 2005, they bought the rest of it and converted it into
Mercedes AMG, which is their performance division today. Yeah, and I mean, kind of at that point,
Matt, you know, you wonder if corporate-esque is going to take over, right? And you're just
going to neuter everything that they'd done up till then, but it doesn't seem like it happened
that way. Tell us about that. No, it was kind of an interesting culture because the two guys who
founded the company were Mercedes engineers. It was Hans Warner-Aufrecht. He was the A and
Erhard Melker, who was the M, and G was this town of Gross-Ospach, where Aufrecht was from.
They had a culture of engineering all along, and they eventually ended up in the town of
Alfalterbach and built this massive complex and kept hiring engineers, and so they still have
sort of this small company attitude, and engineers want, you know, like if I'm, if I have any
performance bones in my body and I'm an engineer at Mercedes, I want to end up at AMG, and that
culture survives to this day. So they actually, they build a couple of models that are specific
to AMG. They build other models of Mercedes where AMG builds the engines. They built a
four point liter twin turbo engine by hand, one guy, one man, one engine, and also a four cylinder,
high, very high output turbo four built by one person, and put those in cars across the Mercedes
range. And then they also do suspension tuning and those types of things for the other AMG
branded products. So last year, I think they sold on the order of 140,000 cars that carry the AMG
lettering on them. Yeah, which is pretty amazing for a specialty kind of brand, especially at those
high prices, right? I mean, that's kind of incredible, really. Yeah, yeah. And it's kind
of interesting because it's analogous to what BMW has with M. But actually, they've taken it a step
further and they've been looking at their crosstown neighbor in Stuttgart, Porsche, which has expanded
their range to go beyond the 911 to have SUVs and sedan in the Panamera. So Mercedes built the AMG GT,
which is a front engine, or mid and front mid engine competitor for the 911. And they race
against the 911 in a lot of different series around the world and have beaten the 911. And then
they also like one of their most popular models is the G wagon full on AMG. So they have something to
counter the Cayenne. So it's kind of interesting that they not only look down the road to Munich
at BMW M is that they also have their closer neighbors in Stuttgart and Porsche and their
sites as well. Well, Porsche has done at least some embracement. Embracement, is that even a word?
They have embraced electric power, at least a little bit, maybe. Yeah. Maybe kicking and
screaming, or maybe not, depending on how you look at it. Does AMG give a heck about EVs?
They do. They are just introducing, they had a four door sedan called the
AMG GT4. And it's like a four door coupe kind of car. It was a sister car to the CLS in the
Mercedes lineup. They had their own four door sedan that's going to be all electric. And that's
just coming out right now. They were pretty aggressive. They do offer hybrids, performance
hybrids. They're not, you know, gas saving or anything like that. The reason they have a hybrid
power plant, much like in F1 racing is for pure performance purposes. So they had planned to
bring out a few more electric models, but I think they're kind of softening that view.
They're rededicating themselves. They're going to actually get rid of the four cylinder power plant
and build two different V8s now. So I think that the pendulum has swung back the other way. And
even Porsche, you know, they were going to go all electric with the 718 Boxster and Cayman.
And now they've backed away from that idea. And they're scrambling to do internal combustion
engine for both those models. Yeah. Yeah. And they need to sell those in North America,
among other places, right? Where an all EV, a battery electric powertrain, is probably not
going to be a hot seller right now. I'm kind of curious, you know, tell us a little bit.
Well, first, repeat the name of your book so people can think about it. And then
it's called Mercedes AMG Race Bread Performance. And it talks about all the different cars that
they built over the years. They did the SLS, which was kind of a modern Gullwing. They have a
hypercar called the AMG-1, which actually transplanted the Formula One engine from their race team into
a road goring car, which was a massive undertaking of their own. And it talks a little bit about
the future and what they were planning to do and other things that they offer,
you know, driving schools and tours and all that. So they've gone beyond just selling products.
They are a lifestyle brand that they have many opportunities for their customer base to drive
and enjoy the cars and go to Formula One races and really live an AMG lifestyle.
Yeah, something that's way beyond me, but you know, I guess we can all dream, right?
Let's talk about what's going on in the American market now. I mean, certainly we've seen a
revolution. I don't know that most people grasp how revolutionary the change in the EPA fuel
economy requirements and all that. I guess most visible maybe is the absence of EV incentives,
but it's much more far-reaching than that. Talk about your thoughts about that a little bit.
Well, you know, one of the things that was going to drive people into electric cars are ever
increasing fuel economy standards, not just from pollution, but from carbon dioxide emissions,
which related directly to fuel economy. And the cafe was set so high that the manufacturers had
no alternative but to go down the electric road either with pure electrics or hybrids.
Now that they've gotten relief from that, and this isn't to say that cars are going to get dirty
or all of a sudden, and that's a big misnomer that's out there. They're at the current levels.
They are going to get a cleaner. They will get more efficient. It's just that they're not facing
these draconian ramp-up in standards that was pushing a lot of this change.
Well, really trying to force people into electric vehicles, right? I mean, they were
making internal combustion vehicles so difficult to build and so expensive to build that they had
to have people get EVs. Exactly. And it's given the manufacturer some breathing space. I mean,
if they weren't, you know, and the public hasn't embraced electrics with both arms. So, and it's
doubly shown that since things have changed and there's a greater range of gas vehicles that will
be coming out to meet market demand. So the manufacturers, I think they've been thrown a
lifeline. And I think a lot of them were in danger of real financial hardship. And they're
going through enough financial hardship as it is taking these huge losses on plants and facilities
for cars that people aren't going to buy. So I'm cautiously optimistic. I think there needs to be
a balance in the market. There's room. People should be able to pick anything from a pure gas
or diesel vehicle up through hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electrics. It's all of the above.
Right. And one of the things that I think, and scout, I think really shows a lot of these
pure EV startups are going to seriously have to look at offering some sort of internal combustion
variant, either in a plug-in hybrid or an extended range electric vehicle, where they're not going
to survive either. If you look at the scout business model, it was going to be all electric.
80% of the vehicles that they plan to build will be extended range EVs with gas engines in them.
I think scout can do this. It's going to be an all of the above market. Yeah. I think scout can do
that because they don't have a presence here. But I don't know that Rivian or Lucid or Tesla,
heaven knows, could put out an internal combustion engine vehicle. I just, or even a range,
range extended vehicle, but one that has an internal combustion engine in it,
I just don't think that's going to fly. Yeah. And it's, well, it's kind of interesting,
especially in the case of Tesla, you have the Model S and the Model X going away,
and they're pivoting and they're going to use that production capacity to build humanoid robots.
They want to build a million robots. So, you know, it just kind of reinforces that,
yeah, the EV market will be around, but it's not going to be as robust as a lot of people
were predicting. Yeah. Well, it's an amazing time and an interesting time to be in this,
and absolutely a great time to be a reporter in this industry. As it kind of always is,
it's a pretty cool industry to be in. When we come back, we're going to answer a listener question.
So stay with us for that, and we'll be right back right here on America on the Road.
Welcome back to America on the Road with Matt DiLorenzo, Jack Nehrad with you. Chris Teague
is off this week. Matt has joined us as guest host, and it is listener question time. We love
to answer your listener questions based on our long experience and with this crew, with this duo,
plenty long experience, providing car advice. Send your questions to editoratdrivingtoday.com,
it's editordrivingtoday.com. Matt, I want to hear your answer to this question. It's a great
question from Osgood in Salem, Oregon. He asked this, how long before solid state batteries actually
mean something for buyers? They're going to be here in two years. That was my answer two years ago,
and that's going to be my answer two years from now. Supposedly they were supposed to be out by
now. And that's one of the things is everybody's holding out hope for this technology, and it does
show hope in terms of getting away from a liquid or semi-liquid electrolyte that can heat up and
cause fires or has a lot of thermal management issues. Solid state doesn't have those issues and
can be faster recharging and longer range and all that. The other big question is at what cost?
And I think that that's the thing is that when you see these first solid state battery cars come
out, they're going to be at the top end of the range. They're not going to be at the bottom end,
they're not affordable. Yeah, I mean, no matter what you do with a battery-powered car, you're
going to have an expensive battery versus what a gas tank costs, right? I mean, kind of that's
that's largely the bottom line, right? And gasoline is a lot of things, but one of the
things that is really great at is storing a lot of energy in a fairly small space. A
remind us of the name of your most recent book and where to get it, Matt. It's Mercedes AMG,
RaceBred Performance, and you can find it on amazon.com or my website too,
tightwadgarage.com. If you like our show, please pass it on. Listen on this radio station each
week. Let your friends know where you hear America on the Road. And America on the Road is available
as a podcast on all the top podcast outlets. We have a YouTube channel. You look for America,
our America on the Road videos road test. You're going to see a lot of this stuff. Our thanks to
Mercury Insurance for sponsoring the show to our sports byline network stations for carrying it.
And mainly our thanks to Matt for guest hosting this week. We do appreciate it, Matt. Thanks so
much for being with us. Thanks for having me on, Jack. Thanks to you for listening and 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 Arnie Redd. Thanks for
looking for them today.
About this episode
Kia, Volkswagen, Chrysler, and Honda all get New York Auto Show airtime, but the centerpiece is a road test of the revived 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The hosts dig into why the Bolt is back with a cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate battery, Tesla-compatible NACS charging, improved interior, and pricing around $29k—while noting production ends after about 18 months. Matt DiLorenzo also discusses his new book on AMG’s racing roots, plus a debate on whether solid-state batteries will ever be affordable for buyers.
This week on America on the Road, host Jack Nerad welcomes guest co-host Matt DeLorenzo for road tests of two very different vehicles: the value-packed returning 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV and the rugged-yet-comfortable 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT compact pickup. They also offer personal reminiscences on Acura’s 40th anniversary, break down Kia’s aggressive new Seltos and EV3, check out fresh family haulers from Volkswagen and Chrysler, and discuss Hyundai’s big expansion plans plus Honda’s surprising urban delivery vehicle.
🚗Matt DeLorenzo’s Road Test: 2027 Chevrolet Bolt
Matt DeLorenzo tests the all-new 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, a budget-friendly electric hatchback starting near $29,990 with an EPA-estimated 262 miles of range. It features GM’s efficient X76 drive unit, fast 150+ kW DC charging, an 11.3-inch infotainment screen with Google built-in, available Super Cruise hands-free driving, bidirectional vehicle-to-home charging, and over 20 standard safety features—making it one of the most accessible long-range EVs on the market.
🚙Jack Nerad’s Road Test: 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT
Jack reviews the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT, a crossover-based compact pickup that delivers SUV comfort with added off-road attitude. Powered by a 281-hp turbo 2.5-liter four-cylinder and HTRAC all-wheel drive, it offers strong performance, a fun unibody chassis, practical bed features including a tonneau cover and under-bed storage, 3,500-pound towing capacity, and a well-equipped interior with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and advanced safety systems at a tested price of $43,350.
🎙️Special Guest Interview
Matt DeLorenzo, veteran auto journalist and author of the new book Mercedes-AMG: Race-Bred Performance, joins Jack as guest co-host and shares insights from his latest work on AMG’s high-performance heritage.
📰This Week’s Headlines
Acura Celebrates 40 Years in America
The first Japanese luxury brand in the U.S. marks four decades with the debut of a special Integra 40 Racer tribute car at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Kia Launches 2027 Seltos & All-Electric EV3
The larger, upscale 2027 Seltos brings best-in-class rear legroom and three powertrains including hybrid, while the compact EV3 promises up to 320 miles of range on the E-GMP platform with fast charging.
Volkswagen Unveils All-New 2027 Atlas Three-Row SUV
The family hauler gets a premium cabin refresh with Nappa leather, massaging seats, a massive 15-inch touchscreen, and an updated 282-hp turbo engine while retaining 5,000-pound towing capacity.
2027 Chrysler Pacifica Returns with Family Upgrades
The versatile minivan adds premium tech like Amazon Fire TV rear entertainment and Harman Kardon audio while keeping its signature Stow ’n Go seating and huge cargo space.
Hyundai Plans 36 New or Updated Models by 2030
Hyundai will roll out a mix of gas, hybrid, and electric vehicles while increasing North American production to over 80% backed by a $26 billion investment.
Honda Enters Last-Mile Delivery with Fastport eQuad
Honda’s new electric micromobility vehicle is a pedal-assist delivery quad designed for bike lanes, complete with swappable batteries and a Fleet-as-a-Service model for urban logistics.
❓Listener Question
Osgood from Salem, Oregon, asks: “How long before solid-state batteries actually mean something for buyers?” Jack and Matt weigh in with their expert take.
📚 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 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.
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