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Hey Good Lookin’ — 2026 Genesis G90 3.5T Prestige Black Matches Luxury with Flash

Hey Good Lookin’ — 2026 Genesis G90 3.5T Prestige Black Matches Luxury with Flash

America on the Road Mar 28, 2026 43 min
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About this episode

A wide-ranging roundtable covers MLB’s 20-year Chevy partnership ending for Ford, Amazon’s Zoox driverless robo-taxis expanding to Austin and Miami (with big questions about safety, breakdowns, and infrastructure), and Sony/Honda killing their Affila EV project just months before launch—raising doubts about EV strategy and timing. IIHS safety awards also spark debate, notably the absence of minivans. Road tests highlight the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy value and comfort, the traffic-stopping 2026 Genesis G90 3.5T Prestige Black luxury, and a deep Jeep Grand Cherokee 2026 update with a new 2.0L turbo “Hurricane” engine, plus a listener question on best seats for bad backs.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Brand

Chevy

"Ending a 20 year Chevy partnership. It's going to bring in some new programs to ballparks nationwide but what brand is taking over for Chevy?"

“Chevy” is short for Chevrolet. They’re talking about a long-running deal with baseball that’s ending, and that affects which car brand shows up in stadiums.

Company

Amazon's Zoox

"Amazon's Zoox is taking its driverless robo taxis to two major cities. Big hurdles still stand between testing and paid rides however."

Zoox is a company owned by Amazon that builds self-driving taxi vehicles. They’re trying to bring those robotaxis to real cities, but there are still big obstacles before people can pay to ride them.

Concept

IIHS crash test results

"New crash test results are out from the IIHS. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and there's one key family vehicle type that isn't represented at all."

IIHS is a safety organization that tests cars in crash scenarios. Their results can help you see which vehicles are safer in crashes.

Concept

range-topping model

"It's the range-topping model of the redesigned SUV. It can't wait to tell you all about it."

“Range-topping” means it’s the most fully loaded version of that vehicle. It usually has the most features and upgrades.

Car

Jeep Grand

"He's director of the Jeep Grand Cherokee name plate so we're going to talk with him about that and so we've got a ton of show for you."

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a popular Jeep SUV. It’s the kind of vehicle people buy for a mix of comfort and the ability to handle rough roads. The guest’s job title suggests they’ll talk about what makes this SUV special.

Brand

Chevrolet

"But I love it and you know baseball, apple pie and well Chevrolet used to be the thing but it's not anymore and it's changing to Ford."

Chevrolet is a big U.S. car brand. Here they’re just talking about how brands like Chevrolet have been connected to popular American sports.

Brand

Ford

"but it's not anymore and it's changing to Ford. What's your quick take on that?"

Ford is another big U.S. car company. In this conversation, they’re saying Ford is becoming the more prominent automaker in baseball-related branding.

Car

Chevrolet Corvette

"Yeah I mean I watch a lot of baseball of course and I guess a Chevrolet fan I've got an old Corvette that I've had for years and we kind of have Chevy's in the family"

A Chevrolet Corvette is a famous American sports car. The speaker is saying they’ve owned one for years, so they feel a strong connection to the brand.

Concept

no steering wheel or pedals

"that don't have steering wheels or pedals at all I mean they're not kind of like a repurposed car as you see with the Waymo cars"

If there’s no steering wheel or gas/brake pedals, it means the car is meant to be fully self-driving. Passengers can’t grab control like they would in a normal car.

Company

Waymo

"...San Francisco is where there's been some hoodoo things going on with self-driving cars Waymo's and others so I'm wondering what happens when these cars break down..."

Waymo is a major autonomous-driving company known for deploying driverless vehicles in select cities. The transcript references “hoodoo things” around self-driving operations, highlighting that real-world deployment can face setbacks and public scrutiny.

Concept

electric vehicle (EV)

"the Sony Honda Mobility Initiative they were developing an electric vehicle and basically ... people were excited about EVs they felt like the future they felt like you know that was where we were going"

An electric vehicle (EV) runs on electricity stored in a battery. Instead of burning gas, it uses an electric motor, and companies bet that more people would want them soon.

Concept

write down

"this is not a cheap decision this could cost them a write down of about $15.7 billion"

A write-down is basically a financial “we were wrong about the value” adjustment. If a project gets canceled, companies may have to admit that the money they put in won’t pay off.

Car

Acura RSX

"...d that they were canceling the was it the Accura RSX and a couple of other EVs that they had planned I..."

The Acura RSX is a compact sports car, usually a two-door coupe. It was made to feel more fun to drive than a regular compact car. The podcast mentions it because it’s part of Acura’s history of sporty models.

Concept

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

"Well the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released its 2026 top safety pick and top safety pick plus awards they've named 63 vehicles have made the list for those two categories."

The IIHS is a group that tests cars for crash safety. If a vehicle earns a “Top Safety Pick” or “Top Safety Pick+,” it means it did really well in their evaluations.

Concept

safety standards from the IIHS

"...but it's interesting to see that they missed these increasingly tightening safety standards from the IIHS and the organization has done this for the past few years now they've been tightening and tightening and tightening knocking some vehicles out that have been there for years so I think you know many vans will"

IIHS keeps changing what it requires for awards. That means a car that was considered safe a few years ago might not qualify anymore unless it’s updated to meet newer rules.

Car

Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy

"[739.9s] Well remind us of your test vehicle for this week Chris. [744.5s] I had the 2026 Hyundai Palisade calligraphy."

The Hyundai Palisade is a family SUV with three rows of seats. “Calligraphy” is the nicer, more loaded trim level, and it’s the SUV Chris is testing this week.

Concept

ride quality

"but the ride quality is good it's got a very comfort oriented ride quality but the trade-off there is that handling"

Ride quality is how comfortable the SUV feels over rough roads. They’re saying it’s tuned for comfort, not for sporty driving.

Concept

body lean in the corners

"but you do notice some body lean in the corners and things like that it's also not as maneuverable in parking lots as the Telluride"

Body lean is when the SUV tilts to the side while turning. They’re saying you can feel it in corners, which is normal for a comfort-focused family SUV.

Term

head-up display

"this vehicle also has a head up display so you're not looking around to figure out your speed and things like that"

A head-up display shows important info in front of you, usually on the windshield. That way you don’t have to look down as much.

Concept

cross shop

"I think it's a terrific value and I would cross shop it against the telluride these days because that's coming out interesting stuff"

To “cross shop” means you compare this car with other similar cars before buying. You’re looking for the best deal and the best features.

Car

Genesis G90

"looking before pricing for the g90 starts at just under $95,000 so this is not inexpensive ... the vehicle I was driving is the brand's most refined expression of its flagship"

The Genesis G90 is Genesis’s top luxury sedan. It’s meant to feel extra smooth and upscale, with strong power and lots of comfort features.

Term

heated ventilated and massage seats

"there are the premium materials inside it has heated ventilated and massage seats so something very appreciated when you're driving two or three hours at a time"

These seats do more than just warm up. They can also cool you down and even massage you to help you feel less tired on long drives.

Term

infotainment system

"plenty of tech in the cabin it has frankly an infotainment system very similar to the one you were talking about in the Hyundai Palisade but easy to operate"

The infotainment system is the car’s main screen and controls for things like music, navigation, and phone features. The host says it’s easy to use.

Term

air suspension

"plenty of passing power and all of that it has air suspension plenty of driver assistance systems"

Air suspension uses air springs instead of conventional steel springs, allowing the car to adjust ride height and damping characteristics. It’s often used to improve ride comfort and can help keep the car composed over uneven roads.

Term

zero to sixty

"in the ESC model zero to sixty and five point one second so certainly quick enough fun to drive"

“Zero to sixty” is how fast a car can go from standing still to 60 mph. It’s a quick way to judge how punchy the car feels when you accelerate.

Concept

Stellantis

"[1673.3s] so there's a lot of history with this vehicle and a lot riding on it this is a very important [1679.1s] vehicle for Jeep for the you know Stellantis tell us about that a little bit yeah"

Stellantis is the big company that owns multiple car brands, including Jeep. The speaker is saying the Grand Cherokee is a major seller for Stellantis.

Concept

three-row seating

"the three row right for the bigger families and that's a big thing when we introduced the three row in 21 model year"

Three-row seating is a layout that adds a third row behind the second row, increasing passenger capacity for families. It typically requires more overall length and packaging, which can also improve cargo flexibility depending on how the seats fold.

Term

turbo

"the new two-liter hurricane four turbo 324 horsepower 332 pound-feet of torque"

A turbo is a device that helps the engine make more power by pushing extra air into it. It helps a smaller engine feel stronger.

Concept

towing capacity

"...we need a package that delivers better performance in terms of horsepower better performance in terms of torque but it doesn't lose its capability in terms of towing capacity yeah right..."

Towing capacity is how much weight the vehicle can safely pull. If you plan to tow a trailer, you want this number to be high enough for your load.

Concept

fuel economy

"...and it doesn't give up any of the capability yeah yeah good fuel economy at the same time a lot of power and torque right..."

Fuel economy is how far the vehicle can go on a tank of gas. They’re saying you get strong performance without sacrificing efficiency.

Term

lumbar support

"most of them come with lumbar support adjustable lumbar support so you can really settle in especially on longer drives are very comfortable"

Lumbar support is adjustable support in the lower back area of a seat to help maintain posture and reduce strain. In this segment, the host highlights that many comfortable seats for back pain include adjustable lumbar support, which can be especially helpful on long drives.

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