A V8 engine is a type of car engine that has eight cylinders arranged in a 'V' shape. It's known for being powerful, but if it fails, the car can have serious problems.
The EV market is all about electric cars, which run on electricity instead of gasoline. Changes in this market can affect how many electric cars are sold and how much they cost.
The Ford Bronco RTR is a special version of the Bronco that is made for off-roading. It's designed to be fun to drive in the desert and other tough places, but it might not be as cheap as some people hope.
The 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is a new electric car that can handle rough terrain, making it a unique version of the Mustang that you can drive off-road.
A turbocharged four-cylinder engine is a type of engine that has four cylinders and uses a turbo to make it more powerful without using a lot of fuel. It's a popular choice for many new cars and trucks.
The GMC Sierra EV is a new electric truck that can carry heavy loads and drive long distances without using gas. It's important because it shows how trucks can be more environmentally friendly while still being useful.
The Acura RDX is a fancy SUV that is comfortable to drive and has a lot of tech features. It's a good choice for people looking for a nice car that can fit their family and gear.
A hybrid electric powertrain is a type of engine that uses both gasoline and electricity to make the car run. This helps save fuel and is better for the environment because it produces fewer harmful emissions.
Toyota is another well-known car brand that makes many different types of vehicles. They are famous for their hybrid cars, which use both gasoline and electricity to run, helping to save fuel.
Off-the-line torque is how much power a car has when it starts moving. Electric cars usually have a lot of this power right away, which helps them speed up quickly.
A travel trailer is a small home on wheels that you can pull behind a car or truck. It has space for sleeping and cooking, making it great for camping.
Mid-sized SUVs are bigger cars that can carry more people and stuff than smaller cars. They are good for families and can handle different types of driving.
A kilowatt hour (kWh) is a way to measure how much electricity a battery can store. The more kWh a battery has, the longer the car can drive before needing to be recharged.
Ground clearance is how high a car sits off the ground. A higher ground clearance means the car can go over bumps and potholes without getting damaged.
A front splitter is a part at the front of a car that helps it stay stable when driving fast. It also helps protect the bottom of the car from hitting things on the road.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a new electric SUV that has a cool design and lots of space inside. It runs on electricity and can charge quickly, making it convenient for drivers.
A digital gauge cluster is a screen that shows important information about the car, like speed and fuel level, instead of using traditional dials. It can be easier to read and can show more information.
The Porsche 917 is a famous race car that was super fast and won a lot of races. It's known for its cool design and is a big part of car racing history.
The Kia Sportage is a small SUV that has plenty of room for passengers and luggage. It's a good option for families because it's practical and not too expensive.
The Kia EV9 is a new electric SUV that will have lots of room for people and their stuff. It's part of Kia's plan to make more electric cars that are good for families.
The Kia EV6 is a new electric car that looks cool and can drive a long way on a single charge. It's part of Kia's effort to make more cars that are good for the environment.
The Chevrolet Biscayne is an old American car from the 1960s and 70s that was known for being simple and not too expensive. It's popular with people who love classic cars.
LIVE
This is America on the Road named Best Radio Show by the International Automotive Media
Conference and now in its 33rd year on the air.
Thanks for being with us as we bring you the latest automotive information from around
the world.
I'm Jack Neerad with me as co-host Chris T. We're glad Chris is back with us after dealing
with a sick dog last week.
Give us the update, would you, Chris?
Well, he seems okay.
He's back at the vet today, but I think he'll pull through.
He's a big, healthy young dog, so we'll see.
Good.
Well, we wish him well.
We wish your family well and I wish your dog well.
Plenty of automotive news to talk about this week.
Beyond dog news, federal safety regulators are reopening a probe into nearly 600,000 GM
trucks and SUVs.
The complaint's about a 2025 recall fix that failed to prevent V8 engine failures.
I mean, massive failures of these V8 engines, so details on that coming up.
The EV market ended 2025 with a December sales rebound, but electric vehicles faced tough
challenges in 2026 amid policy shifts and high prices.
So AMASA has delayed its first dedicated battery electric vehicle, among other delays there.
Stay tuned for more on this never-ending story.
It seems like we report on this every week.
Acura has teased its next-generation RDX, announcing it will have the SUV's first-ever
two-motor hybrid powertrain with efficiency plus performance.
I've always liked the RDX.
How about you, Chris?
Yeah, it's always been one of my favorite Honda Acura SUVs.
Yeah.
Ford has unveiled the 2027 Bronco RTR, a budget-friendly high-speed off-roader developed to bring desert
thrills to everyday enthusiasts without raptor prices.
I don't think it's going to be all that cheap, but that price was conspicuous by its absence.
Honda has just introduced not a new car or SUV, but a travel trailer.
The base station is a modular travel trailer.
Are you a travel trailer kind of guy, Chris?
I like glamping.
Yeah, I can get used to trailers.
Yeah, there you go.
Merrick on the Road is brought to you by drivingtoday.com, emlancy.com, the publisher of my latest
book, Only One Thing Stays the Same, and Mercury Insurance.
If you're looking to save some money, you should switch to Mercury for your auto and
home insurance.
Californians save an average of $670 with Mercury, so imagine how much you could save.
Well, I'll tell you, Chris, you have a cool vehicle.
What is it?
I drove the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E rally, the electric sort of off-roader, and I can't
wait to tell you all about it.
I look forward to hearing about that.
My test vehicle this week is the 2026 Hyundai Kona Limited with all-wheel drive, so we'll
tell you all about that in our road test segment.
I especially guess this week is key marketing vice president, Russell Wager, so stay with
us for all that, and we'll be right back right here on America on the Road.
Welcome back to America on the Road with Chris T.
Jack, we're back with you, and it is news time.
We're so glad to have Chris back with us after a week's absence.
I had to do the show alone last week, it was so lonely.
Great to have Chris back with us.
Here's a little bit of news, maybe a big bit of news from the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration.
They're looking at General Motors' big V8 engines.
They have reopened a probe into more than half a million GM trucks and SUVs.
These engine failures are pretty catastrophic, and they're talking about connecting rods
breaking and that kind of stuff.
This is the vehicles equipped with the 6.2-liter V8 engine.
36 owner complaints about sudden loss of propulsion.
This is a massive kind of deal when this happens, isn't it, Chris?
Yeah, General Motors' trucks is the house that the V8 built, and this is their flagship
V8, and it's one of the things that the competition and the truck market is so fierce, this is
not going to help them in any way, and I'll just note that I saw many advertisements
over the weekend for the new Silverado, and all of them featured the turbocharged four-cylinder
engine, not the V8.
It's kind of amazing to me.
They've been building these big V8 engines for decades, probably 50 or 60 years, maybe
longer than that.
Not this particular design, but they certainly have been building i-compression V8 engines
forever, practically as long as I've been alive, which is a long time.
And to have connecting rods and crankshafts be a problem, it's kind of funny.
They talk about unusual noises and hesitations.
I'm telling you, if you're connecting rods or crankshafts are breaking, you got a catastrophic
shutdown.
You just got something really bad happening.
Yeah, and a lot of these trucks are tolling, work trucks, and you've got to count on your
pickup to get you where you need it to go, and I can see this being a challenge for them.
Yeah.
These are the vehicles you've got to look out for, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 from
21 to 2024, the Chevy Tahoe, the Chevy Suburban, the GMC Sierra and Yukon, the Cadillac Escalade.
I'm telling you, this is a sweet spot for general motors.
This is where tons of profits are, so this is a big, big deal.
Yeah.
Well, I hope they get it figured out.
I do like GM trucks and SUVs.
Yeah, I do.
As do you.
I think you're an owner.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, we've got a 25-year-old Chevy Tahoe that has been a stalwart with the slightly
smaller 5.3-liter V8 engine.
EVs rebounded in terms of sales in December.
I guess you could almost have to rebound after what November looked like, but 2025 certainly
had mixed signals at best for EVs.
Ongoing headwinds in terms of policy and low gas prices of a million different reasons
has prompted Mazda to delay its first dedicated battery electric vehicle for the American
market.
EV sales were down 38% year over year in December, but up from November.
So I guess it's half empty or half full.
How do you look at all this, Chris?
What do you think's going on here?
I'm not that surprised by Mazda's decision.
They don't have Toyotas deep pockets in the market reach that the larger brands have,
and their first EV was a shortfall, I guess, in range and functionality for a lot of people
and didn't end up coming here, or it did, but in very limited quantities.
So I can see them wanting to sit it out in hybrids.
They've got some hybrids and a plug-in hybrid, so it's not that surprising to me.
Yeah, I guess in the half full area, 1.3 million EVs were sold in 2025.
That's the second best year ever, so that's interesting.
But again, changes have come in fuel economy regulations and regulations that essentially
have favored EVs up till now, so things are way different than we'll just have to see
how that develops.
I think we're going to see a natural level for EV take as opposed to something where
the taxpayers are contributing to that, which probably isn't a bad thing.
No, not at all.
Let's talk about the new RDX.
Acura has teased the new RDX, and they've teased the fact that it's going to have a
two-motor hybrid electric powertrain for the first time.
I think that's cool, and I think one of the unsung heroes of 2025 were hybrids.
Certainly we're seeing more hybrids, especially from Honda and from Toyota, and I think this
is just another example of that.
I think this should be pretty cool.
Yeah, I talk a lot about Toyota's hybrids and how good they are, but Honda spent a
lot of time tuning the throttle response and the braking response on their hybrids in
the past year.
I wrote about it with the Honda inside a few years ago, and I think that they can bring
that to the RDX and maintain the solid all-wheel drive performance and the handling.
I'm all for it.
The RDX has always been fun to drive.
I have loved the RDX.
Honda has had an on-again-off-again relationship with hybrids.
They did some hybrids early on, and then they backed away.
I think they thought in some ways they're not all that efficient because there's multiple
powertrains in hybrids, less so than in a plug-in hybrid, of course.
But now they have embraced it again, and I think that will be pretty cool.
You have this vehicle with probably plenty of horsepower.
They didn't announce the horsepower number, but probably well north of 200 horsepower.
I think it'll be a fun to drive vehicle.
I really look forward to the new RDX.
I do, too.
I think the off-the-line torque of the electric motors is going to make it feel that much
quicker and more engaging.
Right.
Here's another new vehicle.
It should be a lot of fun for us to drive, and that is the Ford Bronco, the 2027 Ford
Bronco RTR.
This apparently is a motorsport-inspired collaboration with RTR vehicles, which is
very cool.
They, of course, develop some very cool off-road vehicles with great pedigree of the people
who work with them.
This is pitched as something for enthusiasts who want that kind of enthusiasm and that
kind of fun to drive without raptor-level budgets, which is many of us.
I'm kind of curious as to see what this is going to cost, but it certainly has a lot
of cool stuff, doesn't it, Chris?
It does.
The Raptor is a very fun off-road SUV, but that's what, $90,000 in some cases, maybe more
if you pay a little bit for accessories.
I don't think this one's going to be all that cheap, but if you save $20,000, $30,000,
$40,000 off of the price and still get some of the performance, then, yeah, RTR is a great
company.
They've worked with Ford vehicles for a while, so I'm excited to see it.
Yeah, it should have a good suspension, I mean, made for off-road and probably for desert
running.
So a lot of wheel travel, or more wheel travel, I would imagine, 33-inch tires are standard
on this thing.
What's interesting to me too, Chris, is the use of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine as opposed
to other engines that could have been in this thing.
I think several reasons for that, one is cost, certainly, but another, at least they claim,
is the lighter weight and lighter front end.
Talk about that a little bit.
What are your thoughts on that?
I can see that.
The EcoBoost, I still think, makes, what, 300 horsepower?
It's a turbocharged engine, so, I mean, I don't think it's going to be lacking on power.
The thing that I found is, you know, the only thing you really miss there is the sound,
and even then, the V6 doesn't sound all that fantastic.
So, I think it's an okay choice.
I mean, I guess it depends on how big the wheels are and how heavy everything else is,
as to how the performance goes.
Yeah, in terms of suspension, if you get the Sasquatch package, you get the Haas 3.0 suspension
with Fox dampers, so that's cool.
I think there's a lot to like about this.
I'm curious as to the price.
It won't be $90,000, but it's probably going to be well north of $50,000, I would think,
which isn't exactly cheap, but priced excessively, I guess that's cool.
I'm sure that Ford will still sell most of everything they can make in this category.
The Bronco doesn't seem to be phased by high prices.
Right.
Let's talk about this Honda travel trailer, or what they call the base station prototype.
This is a lightweight travel trailer designed for being towed by smaller vehicles, which
I think is one of the reasons for the lightweight, which I think is cool.
Some of these big travel trailers, you see, are not towable by even smaller mid-sized
SUVs these days, so I think this makes a lot of sense.
This is certainly a high-tech travel trailer, isn't it?
It is.
You made an interesting point.
People look at the price of the trailer and think, well, I spend $30,000 or $40,000 on
this trailer, only to realize that they have to buy a $70,000 full-size truck to pull it.
This is a great move.
The smaller trailers, there are some models out there, but these high-tech trailers are
becoming really interesting to me.
Yeah.
This has cool stuff.
It has a queen-size futon, an optional bunk it'll sleep for.
One of the things that I found interesting about this was that a lot of the stuff is
external, including the shower and the cooktop and that kind of stuff.
That's great, I guess, if you have nice weather, not so great if you don't.
Yeah.
If I was camping in your part of the country, I would probably be okay with cooking and
showering in the outdoors, but it was eight degrees here this morning and not that that
many people are camping in winter in Maine, but it just shows you that that would be an
uncomfortable situation.
Absolutely.
Remind us of the vehicle you will test this week, Chris.
I drove the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E rally.
And I'm in the Hyundai Kona, so stay with us for that and we'll be right back right
here on America on the Road.
I received a letter from a reader this week and I thought I'd share it with you.
Here's what he wrote.
I just got around to reading Dance in the Dark and wanted to say how much I enjoyed
it.
I'm a compulsive reader and this one was right up my alley.
An unlikely hero.
A lot of twists and turns, some adult content and humor that rose naturally from the action.
Keep on writing and I'll keep on reading.
Of course, that's just the kind of letter any author would love to get.
I hope that others get the same enjoyment from reading Dance in the Dark and my newest
crime novel, Only One Thing Stays the Same.
Both are available exclusively at Amazon.com.
That's Dance in the Dark and Only One Thing Stays the Same, both written by me, Jack
Arneerat.
Thanks for looking for them today.
Welcome back to America on the Road with Chris Teak, Jack DRad back with you for Road
Test Time.
And Chris, you have a fascinating vehicle to test this week, especially in light of,
you know, current circumstances, right?
I think I'm really curious as to hear your overall road test of this vehicle.
So tell us about it.
Yeah, I spent the week behind the wheel of the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach E rally.
It's one of the newer additions to the Mach E line that slots in above the GT in terms
of price, but it shares a powertrain with the GT.
I really enjoyed the week and I'll get into that in just a minute.
But Jack, have you driven the GT or the rally?
I probably have driven some versions there of a while ago.
It's been a long time since I've been in a Mach E to tell you the truth.
I, you know, I was on the launch and I was on and in some ways, I guess that acorn has
not dropped too far from the oak tree there, but do acorns come from oak trees?
They don't come from maple trees, right?
They come from oak trees.
In any case, the quick answer is I've driven it before, but I have not much to add right
now.
All right.
Well, you can get into this vehicle.
The regular Mustang Mach E, the select rear wheel drive trim is around $38,000.
The GT is standard with all wheel drive and it starts at around $55,000.
And then the Mach E rally, which I tested, starts at $58,000, and then there were some
options that brought it up to around $61,000.
So not the most expensive EV you can buy, but the most expensive Mach E that you can
buy.
This vehicle, as I mentioned, shares its powertrain with the GT.
So that means it gets two electric motors and a 91 kilowatt hour battery.
You get 480 combined horsepower and 700 pound feet of torque in this vehicle and a range
of 265 miles.
So one of the things you lose here is range because the Mach E rally has larger all-terrain
tires.
It has a little bit of lifted suspension and then you have that heavy-duty powertrain that
kind of drains the range a little bit from the more efficient models.
On the flip side of that, what you get is monstrous acceleration, the kind that makes
the vehicle kick back almost like an old bass boat when you're taking off the line.
And I think it looks fantastic.
The all-terrain tires and the white rally inspired wheels give this kind of the old
look of the old, like the Escort RS and things from Group B rally in the 80s and things.
So it does have a good retro look to it.
And again, you get more ground clearance too, so especially here in Maine, where our plows
are digging up potholes and everything else, you don't have to worry about dragging your
front splitter on a sidewalk or something and everything else.
So overall, I think that you get a more comfortable ride here than the GT because of the larger
tires and the ground clearance and the handling remains decent, even though this is kind of
a heavier EV.
Jack, what do you think about the sort of the comfort of the Mach-E?
I know it's been a while since you've driven it, but compared to like the Hyundai Ionic
5, what do you think?
How do you think it compares?
It strikes me as a more substantial vehicle, probably more comfortable than the Ionic 5,
although it's been a while since I've driven the Mach-E, like I say.
So what is kind of interesting to me, Chris, is I see so few Mach-Es out here.
I live in an area with a lot of electric cars.
I mean, I'm in, you know, a big, maybe the biggest electric car market around and you
would think from Ford Motor Company with a lot of dealer representation and, you know,
a lot of desire to have EVs out here.
I would see many of them, but I just don't.
I mean, they don't seem to be out here at all.
I agree.
I see maybe two a day compared with 10 Ionic 5s and, you know, other vehicles.
So I don't know why that is.
I mean, it's relatively comparable to the other vehicles, especially when the tax
credits were active.
So I don't know what that is.
But moving inside of this vehicle, the thing I want to mention is that getting
inside of this vehicle is a little bit more complicated than a lot of people would probably
like. The front doors have a small capacitive button and a handle that I'm making of hand
motion, which is bad for radio, but about a two inch wide handle to pull on this door.
So two fingers is all you get to open the front door and the rear doors are actuated.
So you push that button and it pops open automatically.
And then you have to grab the corner of the door to open it.
So a little bit different.
My kids didn't enjoy it.
My wife hated it, but you get used to it over the week that you use it.
You kind of get acclimated to pushing that button.
But inside of the Maki rally, you get synthetic suede upholstery, which is kind of like Alcantara.
It helps grip your clothes, which combined with the front sports seats and their heavy
bolsters really hold you in.
If you're driving this vehicle aggressively, you're not going to be flying around.
And at the same time, you have good space in the front.
There's a lot of there's a good width to the seats, good amount of adjustability.
And there's good visibility to what you can't say for a lot of modern vehicles.
I think that, you know, you can see out of the sides and the front and rear without any issue.
The back seats are reasonably comfortable.
My children are no longer in car seats, but the one who is still in bucket and a booster seat
had no trouble sliding it behind me at six feet.
So I think you could probably carry adults back there with with no problem.
And you get twenty nine point seven cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up
and up to fifty nine point seven with the seats folded down.
The only thing I'll say here is this vehicle has a heavily sloped roof to the back.
So you do lose some vertical space, so larger boxes, big dogs, things like that
are going to be a little bit of a hassle.
You do get a fifteen point five inch touchscreen and a ten point two inch
digital gauge cluster. Ford's sync for infotainment system is excellent.
You get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which you don't get in a lot of
General Motors EVs these days, Bluetooth and the whole deal there.
Also, Ford co-pilot three sixty is standard.
And this vehicle adds blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic traffic alerts.
Excuse me. So you get a lot of features for your sixty one thousand dollars
with some options here.
But I think if you don't need the performance and you want a little bit
more range, you could go down to the premium trim, spend about forty five
thousand dollars and get most of the good stuff without the speed.
So I enjoyed my week with this jack.
I think unless you need the performance, I wouldn't spend the money, though.
I am curious how this compares to the Honda Prologue
that you've had in your household for the better part of a year.
What's your take?
Much more engaging to drive than the Honda Prologue.
It's a little bit shy on range, a little bit shy on space.
I think the Prologue is a better family EV for sure.
Yeah, interesting.
And maybe that's why we see so few of them, right?
I mean, for an SUV, I think those traits rather than the performance
traits are more important.
Absolutely. There you go.
Yeah. Well, I was driving a vehicle that was distinctly not electric.
It is the Hyundai Kona Limited all wheel drive version thereof.
And, you know, Chris, there are some vehicles that are not the fastest,
they're not the best handling, they're not the best looking,
but you can't help but like them anyway.
And that's how it is with the Kona.
I don't know. I kind of just like the Kona.
I don't know that the limited trim is the one I would pick
because I think the lower trims are higher value.
But there's something very likable about the Kona, I think,
is just an all around vehicle.
It's a handy size.
It's not super expensive.
And so it's certainly one to look at if you're looking at a subcompact SUV.
The limited might be the sweet spot if you're looking for luxury features
in your subcompact SUV.
And I don't know whether a ton of people are doing that.
It is certainly quicker than the base Kona
because it has a two liter turbocharged engine or has a turbocharged engine.
It's not a two liter turbocharged engine,
but a turbocharged engine of 190 horsepower.
So I will get to that.
But this had an MSRP of 34,000 over $34,000,
including this yellow paint that my wife just absolutely abhorred
could not stand.
I think it's kind of cool in its own way, but that's different.
This had a total as tested price of $36,000,
which to me is a heck of a lot of money for a subcompact SUV.
Albeit it has all wheel drive and it has all this stuff.
Like I say, I just think the sweet spot in terms of value
is lower in the Kona range.
I think there's a ton of range there.
I'm talking a lot.
Maybe you should tell us your thoughts on this a little bit, Chris.
I agree with you, Jack.
The extra features are OK and the turbocharged engine is nice.
But the name of the game with the Kona is value.
And so the lower trims bring the value.
And you don't really need a fun to drive SUV when you're when you're looking for that.
Yeah, I mean, the styling is certainly distinctive.
It has black trim.
It has this what they call neoteric yellow paint was on this car.
And, you know, I don't typically talk about paint
because you can order a car in various paint colors.
But, you know, this is kind of their featured color.
And it's just I think it's a lover love it or hated color.
This is a vehicle that competes with vehicles like the CX 30
that I think I reviewed last week and the Chevrolet tracks.
It's actually significantly shorter in terms of overall length
in the tracks, which I found interesting.
Let's get the powertrain here.
One point six liter turbocharged inline four.
Not going to find too many V fours these days, Chris.
A hundred ninety horsepower, one hundred ninety five pound feet of torque.
Feels quite good.
It's driving through an eight speed automatic
and it has on demand all wheel drive.
So I like that it also has drive modes, including a snow mode.
Fuel economy is decent at twenty twenty six miles per gallon.
But that's certainly not stellar.
Three hundred miles of range on its thirteen point two gallon tank.
And overall, it's fun to drive vehicle.
Maybe it's, you know, too cool for the room in a lot of ways.
I don't I don't know that this vehicle needs to be this fun or this quick.
A zero to sixty and seven point five seconds.
That's not super fast, but it's certainly quicker than the nine seconds
of the of the base two liter.
Overall, I think again, am I am I wrong?
Is this kind of more more engine and more power than you need in this vehicle?
No, I don't think you're wrong.
You know, the Kona, as we said, is a value forward vehicle.
People look to save money.
Thirty six thousand dollars for a Kona is pretty stout.
But, you know, it's still I like the Kona either way,
but I think it's better at the lower price. Right.
Nice interior. It had leather red interior ambient lighting and metal accents.
So those are on the upscale side.
It also had power adjustable driver and passenger seats,
which my wife absolutely applause.
She hates manual operated passenger seats.
Plenty of cargo space, 25.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats.
So again, I think price is the issue here.
And if you go down in in price range, you're certainly in pretty good shape.
It has a great infotainment system as well.
Twelve point three inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
So overall, I think the the value is here.
I would just be very careful about what I spend it on here.
Yeah, they do a good job with standard safety equipment
and their infotainment is one of the easier ones to use in the business.
So yeah, you could get away spending a lot less.
Yeah. And of course, they do have the great warranty coverage,
which is very, very good. So that's something to look for as well.
So certainly the Hyundai Kona is a vehicle to look at.
If you want all the luxury features, look at the limited otherwise.
Go down, go down market a little bit and you probably save yourself some money
and also have a very, very useful car for a long time.
When we come back, we will have Kia Marketing Vice President
what Russell Wager as our guest.
So stay with us for that and we'll be right back right here on America on the road.
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That's Closing Speed by Ted West.
Look for it.
Welcome back, everybody to America on the road.
Checking your head back with you.
We're in Southern California driving a very interesting vehicle
with an interesting story behind it.
Interesting interview subject that we have with us.
Russell Wager is vice president of marketing for Kia here in America.
Thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.
Thank you very much for having me. I really appreciate it.
Kia K4 hatchback for one thing.
Fairly recently, you were brave enough to introduce a sedan into a market
that doesn't seem to to really love sedans and and be really successful
with the K4 sedan. Now you're coming with a hatchback.
Tell us all about that.
Sure. So you mentioned the K4 sedan and and you're right,
where we saw the K4 sedan and we also have the K5.
So we still believe that there is an audience out there and a need
for people that want or not ready, don't want SUVs.
So sedans, we make that offering.
And what we saw with the success of the K4 over the last two years,
people love the car.
But there was a few people that were saying, geez, it would be great
if it came in a hatchback form because we like just a little extra
cargo space or et cetera.
So we've been working on that and we're bringing that and we've done some clinics
and and customers really like it.
And we can talk a little bit about that.
Yeah. Well, let's talk about what they like about it,
because you shared a lot of that stuff when you were talking to us
about the car a little earlier today.
Pretty interesting stuff that they told you.
And now that you as a marketer can go back into the marketplace and say,
hey, look what we got here. This does this, this and this.
Tell us about that.
Yes. So one of the big things we found before we put the car on sale,
we always take it to to some focus groups and some clinics and have
customers give us their reactions.
And and the first thing they said is like, wow, the design very sporty.
So they really like that.
You know, not everyone is looking for a sedan, sedan looking car.
They want a little extra sportiness.
So they saw that.
The second thing they loved was the the cargo capacity of the hatch, right?
You know, they don't want an SUV.
They still like riding a little lower.
They still like the handling of what a sedan does.
But they love the fact that they could put stuff in,
go for an outdoor camping adventure and have the place to do that.
And and the one trick that I love that the the R&D team did was
that the car is 11 inches shorter than the sedan.
Yeah, overall length, not taller, but length. Yeah.
However, it has more cargo capacity and more headroom than the sedan.
And it's only marginally taller, which is interesting that it gets, you know,
it is somewhat taller, but it's still really good looking and still obviously
a car, not an SUV.
Tell us about that.
I mean, certainly you've been very successful.
You being Kia and you being you have been successful marketing SUVs
to the American public.
But tell us about hatchback and some of the advantages there
and how you go about telling that tale.
Yeah. So so we've got a full lineup of SUVs, right?
We've got Celtos, Sportage, Sorrento, Telluride.
So up and down, you can choose two row, three row.
You may go off the road, you may not.
But there are still a lot of people that just don't want to drive an SUV.
They still like the handling, the maneuverability, the parking capability
of a smaller vehicle.
And that's where the K4 hatchback comes in.
It lets them when they want to get out of the city of the urban area
to go out for their venture with their stuff they can.
But for their normal commutes to work or what have you,
it allows them to have that space, but still have the sedan.
Great fuel economy.
I mean, getting into the K4 hatchback today, kind of a revelation in a way.
I drive so many SUVs, so many crossovers these days.
You know, big tires, big wheels, all that kind of stuff, more ground clearance.
They're higher up, all that kind of stuff.
Then you get into a vehicle like this and it just kind of feels right.
I mean, there's there's just a Christmas about it, about its handling.
It's just about the way it goes about its business that you don't see in an SUV.
And I would say in terms of overall utility,
you kind of don't give up anything or very little to have this hatchback
versus an SUV, a crossover of about the same length and size
that will cost you more, by the way.
And I think that's one of the key things is, you know, the car starts around
twenty five thousand dollars and it, you know, less expensive than SUVs.
So for people that are looking for some sort of cargo capacity,
but don't want to spend the money, this is a great solution for them.
And and that's what the clinic people told me, because we talked to people
that were either sedan intenders or SUV intenders.
And several of the SUV intenders said, hmm, this is an option I hadn't thought about.
Right. And the sedan tenders were great.
This is perfect because now I don't have to go into an SUV.
Maybe a little bit, you know, significantly better fuel economy.
Also, this fun to drive aspect to this that you just don't get on an SUV.
There's a lot of reasonably fun to drive SUVs.
But again, they don't have the Christmas.
They don't have the precision steering
braking feel that this vehicle doesn't.
Kind of bringing back the hot hatchback in an affordable form
in at least in the turbo trim, which is still pretty darn accessible
at under 30 30,000 bucks.
Yes. So the the drive route up here, I mean, you drove it.
We drove it together.
You know, I switched it over to using the paddle shifters and it's fun.
And it's 190 horsepower and it does what it needs to do.
It's it's not meant to be a performance car,
but it'll get the job done and make the ride a little bit more, as you said,
enjoyable. But at the same time, it is a vehicle that can handle
whether you're going on the highway and we did a couple of freeway here,
you know, at very high speeds and it feels very firm to the ground.
And then when you get on some of the curvy twisty roads that we did here,
it handled those just as well. Yeah.
As a marketer, what do you look as the key things about this
and how do you divide this vehicle from the K four, which had a very successful launch?
Yeah, I think the biggest thing that we have to do is show
people how the K four hatchback can be used in their lives.
Right. You know, most people know it, but it's it's for us to say
the K four hatch can do these things to enable you in your daily activities.
And the sedan, we did a great job of positioning that as a vehicle
to drive great design and some of the technologies.
And now we just got to build on that to show there's a couple of other uses
you can do with the catch.
And I think that'll make it so that people realize they have two different choices
depending on what they're looking and these are good looking vehicles.
I mean, I I don't want to underestimate that or undersell that, right?
And you probably don't either.
I mean, certainly looks was a big part of your campaign on on K four sedan.
But, you know, this is the vehicle, the hatchback is a good looking vehicle,
kind of stopping in your driveway and look back at it kind of vehicle.
And again, that's the number one thing that most people save right off the bat.
When we say, what did you look at the vehicle?
You walked around it, you got in it, what talk to us about the vehicle?
They're like, oh, we love the design.
That's the first thing they say.
They love the the front headlight trim effects.
They love the rear headlights.
They like the lines.
Again, all part of our overall design theme of Opposites United.
It's on this car as well.
There's a lot of really nice angles that intersect,
that's given a definition and a really good stance.
How do you reach this customer?
I mean, certainly, I don't have to tell you the media market is way different.
And, you know, what people are consuming, the media people consume
is way different than it was five years ago, maybe even two years ago.
But certainly, this is a market that is not it used to be you do some TV spots.
You throw them up there and, you know, go on about your way.
Maybe have some magazine and some collateral went along with it.
It's not like that anymore.
How do you how do you go about reaching this audience?
Well, we start with you here today, right?
We've got quite a few journalists that will talk to their audiences
and tell them what they see in it.
So we start from that standpoint, then we go into a digital and a social area.
And then sometimes we'll put that halo of television on it.
This vehicle probably is a little bit more targeted.
So we can probably talk to people a little more specific
through social and digital and we'll do some email campaigns.
You know, when we revealed this car almost a year ago at the New York Auto Show
in April, since then, we've been collecting a lot of people's information.
I said, please let me know when this car goes on sale.
So we're already starting to have some one to one dialogues
with people that have expressed interest and we'll continue to do that as well.
I want to tap into your kind of overall knowledge of the market here.
I mean, certainly affordability is a term a lot of people are throwing around
and there's absolutely a dearth of affordable vehicles.
And yet this is right in that sweet spot of being affordable.
Are we going to see more affordable vehicles?
Do you think the way fuel economy things have changed the way regulations have changed?
Is that going to spur more choice out there and some more affordable vehicles?
Or what's your prediction on all of that?
So we're always listening to what the consumers are looking for, right?
And, you know, for over the last five years, consumers have wanted more bigger,
more loaded options, more technology and collectively all OEMs,
including us, have been giving that.
But what it's done is the average transaction price of a vehicle is almost $50,000 now.
So it's creating a little space at the lower end that some people are having
to make decisions of do I buy new or do I buy used?
So one of the things that we've been doing is focusing a little bit more
on our certified pre-owned, you know, a one, two, three-year-old car
that's got a warranty on it.
And it's guaranteed to have everything working operationally through the dealers.
So that's one option.
The second option becomes we're looking at, you know, from our EV strategy.
We've already globally launched some smaller EVs that are much more affordable.
We'll see what the market does here in the US to see if they ever come here.
So we do have a large portfolio globally that we could pick and choose from.
So we're always monitoring to see if there's a desire to bring some lower cost cars.
What's going to happen with the EV market?
You know, what is what is going to go on in 2026 and beyond?
I know it's hard to predict, but, you know, you as a car company have to predict that, right?
I mean, you can't just turn on a dime.
Tell us about what you think is going to happen.
Yes. So let's start with the first thing.
You know, the last six months of 25 was a roller coaster, right?
Federal tax rebate of 7500 ended September 30th.
People rushed to buy cars in August and September that were EVs to get that.
And then that pulled some people out of the market in October, November, December.
So the EV market dropped in half.
We'll see now as we get into the lack of pulling people forward, what the real water level is now
that the 7500s away, but now there's still people that want EVs.
We are committed to it.
We are building the EV9 in West Point, Georgia.
We are building the EV6 in West Point, Georgia.
So we sold over a thousand EV9s last month, almost 500 EV6s.
So there is still people that want EVs.
As I've said before, and the company has said, we are trying to make it
so that the infrastructure is there.
So we have partnered with Tesla so that our customers have access
to the Tesla charging network.
We have been in a joint venture with several other automotives called Iona
that are building charging stations around the country.
So as that continues to grow, I think we'll get back up to the growth of EVs.
Maybe not to the, I'll call it large growth that had happened over the last three years,
but it's going to continue to grow.
What's going to happen with all the used EVs out there?
You know, there are quite a few of them now.
And I, when I think about it, and we've talked about this on the radio show,
I don't think the typical used car buyer matches up well with an EV, right?
I mean, many of them live in multiple family housing or the park.
They're not going to ever install an EV charging station.
They're at the mercy of public charging.
That doesn't strike me as a real good scenario for a lot of folks.
What do you think is going to happen with those?
Yeah.
So again, 65% of people have some sort of capability of putting a charger
in their garage, 35% don't.
They're in that housing, condo, apartment, et cetera.
But there's still a lot that too.
You know, one of the biggest things for the used car EV area, people always
it's like, Oh, batteries, two or three years old.
Oh, I don't know.
And a lot of people don't know our 10 year 100,000 mile warranty is also on our
bare batteries.
So somebody that's buying a two or three year old Kia EV still has seven more
years of warranty on the battery.
So that's one thing that we've tried to put aside in consumers mind when they're
considering a used Kia EV.
I think actually it's going to be a much more viable option because EVs are a
little more expensive than ICE vehicles.
We're collectively trying to bring those costs a little bit more in line.
But, but a used EV is a great solution.
Russell Wager, thanks so much for being with us.
And stay with us, everybody.
We'll be right back right here on America on the Road.
Welcome back to America on the Road with Kristi Jackson right now with you.
For our final segment, boy, it goes so fast, Chris, but great to be with you.
We love to answer questions.
And that's what we're doing here on the question and answer period.
Please send your questions to editoradrivingtoday.com.
That's editoradrivingtoday.com.
Chris, here is a really good question from Ronald.
He lives in Boise, Idaho.
He says, I just moved north after living in the Phoenix area for most of my life.
And I guess I just wasn't ready for driving in the snow.
Can you give me some pointers on that?
Well, I can't think of anybody better to ask than you, Chris.
Well, I have three quick pointers and I learned after moving here from North Carolina.
The first is to give yourself way more space than you think you need between
yourself and the vehicle in front of you and any other obstacles in the road.
Your stopping distance is increasing multiple times over in the snow
and everything takes longer to complete, turning, stopping, all those things.
The second is to be as smooth as possible.
So no like flooring it, no slamming on the brakes.
Try to steer as smoothly as possible, avoid jerky maneuvers and things like that.
And the very last one is if you can't afford it, try to invest in a quality set
of snow tires you can swap them out every time the seasons change.
Put your all seasons back on in like April or whatever.
Snow tires will help make all the difference over four wheel drive and anything else.
It's a great investment to make if you're driving in the snow every day.
Just to reinforce a point you made very early on there is you can go fast in the snow,
but you can't stop fast in the snow.
So keep that in mind.
Probably not good to go fast in the snow either.
But keep in mind that it's going to take you a long time to stop.
That kind of wraps up our show for this week.
I'd like to remind you that my crime novel, only one thing stays the same,
is available in both ebook and paperback form at Amazon.
So check that out.
It's still stupidly cheap out there.
If you like our show, please pass it on.
Listen on this radio station each week and let your friends know
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We would.
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Like us, give us a review, please, and download the show.
All those things help us out and you can take us with you wherever you go.
We'd love to be with you.
We have YouTube, a YouTube channel, so check out our videos there.
We're doing road tests and throwing some of that stuff.
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We love terrestrial radio.
It's very, very cool.
Most of all, thanks to you for listening.
We know you have a lot of choices.
So the fact that you're listening to Chris and myself wax about cars
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So thanks for that.
Join us again next time for another edition of America on the road.
I got this letter from a reader the other day and I thought I'd share it with you.
I'm on vacation on the beach in Key Biscayne and just finished reading
Dance in the Dark.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Great plot and twists I never saw coming.
You're really good at creating visual images.
Congrats.
You made my vacation all that more enjoyable.
This is just the kind of feedback an author loves to hear.
I'm Jack Neerad, host of America on the Road and the author of Dance in the Dark,
a crime novel inspired by True Crime.
Many have told me the Dance in the Dark is all the realism of fatal photographs
by True Crime account of the famous bathing suit model murder case.
That's great to hear because Dance in the Dark is filled with suspense,
plot twists and surprises, but at the same time it's a believable story
in the tradition of writers like James M. Cain, Jim Thompson and Elroy Leonard.
Dance in the Dark is available in paperback and Kindle ebook form from amazon.com
and it's available direct from the publisher emlancy.com as well.
If you have a chance, please look for it.
If it makes your vacation better, we'll both be happy.
That's Dance in the Dark by Jack Arneerad at amazon.com or emlancy.com.
Thanks for giving it a look.
About this episode
The latest episode covers a range of automotive news, including a federal probe into GM's V8 engine failures and a rebound in EV sales. Hosts Jack and Chris discuss their road tests of the 2026 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD and the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, highlighting their performance and features. Notable guest Russell Wager from Kia shares insights on the new K4 hatchback, emphasizing its sporty design and practicality. The episode wraps up with listener questions about driving in snowy conditions.
This week on America on the Road, Jack Nerad and Chris Teague break down a busy week in the auto industry, including a reopened federal investigation into GM V8 engine failures, mixed signals for the EV market heading into 2026, and Acura’s confirmation that the next-generation RDX will add a hybrid powertrain for the first time. We also look at Ford’s newly revealed Bronco RTR performance off-roader and Honda’s unexpected debut of a lightweight, tech-forward travel trailer.
🚗 Jack Nerad Road Tests the 2026 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD
Jack drives the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Kona Limited, evaluating its performance, ride quality, technology, safety features, and overall value in the crowded subcompact SUV segment.
🚙 Chris Teague Road-Tests the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
Chris takes Ford’s rally-inspired Mach-E for an on-road and off-pavement drive, evaluating its dual-motor performance, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, raised suspension, and unique chassis tuning.
🎙️ Special Guest: Russell Wager, Kia Marketing Vice President
Jack speaks with Kia’s Russell Wager at the Kia K4 Hatchback driving event about the new model, changing consumer priorities, and how automakers are navigating affordability, electrification, and product planning in 2026.
📰 This Week’s Headlines
• NHTSA reopens its probe into nearly 600,000 GM trucks and SUVs with 6.2-liter V8 engines
• EV sales rebound in December, but high prices and policy shifts cloud the outlook for 2026
• Acura teases its first-ever hybrid RDX
• Ford unveils the 2027 Bronco RTR performance off-roader
• Honda debuts the Base Station Prototype modular travel trailer
📩 Listener Question
A listener asks for practical advice on driving safely in snow after relocating to a colder climate.
📚 Jack Nerad’s New Book
Jack’s crime novel, Only One Thing Stays the Same, is available now in paperback and eBook on Amazon — currently at a post-Christmas sale price.
🎧 Where to Listen
Catch America on the Road on this station each week, or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Follow for newcar reviews, guest interviews, auto news, and road tests.
Sponsored by Mercury Insurance and DrivingToday.com
📺 Watch & Subscribe
Find America on the Road on YouTube and Rumble. Subscribe for road test videos, shorts, and extended reviews.
