00:07
Hello and welcome to another episode of the AutoGuide show.
00:11
This week we talk about nothing less than one of the biggest new car launches of the
00:15
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00:23
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01:07
Okay, everyone, welcome back.
01:09
This week, Greg is subbing in for Mike, who is out on the road because that's happening
01:14
a lot in this final quarter of the year.
01:17
And to that point, we're going to kick things off by talking about a vehicle I drove three
01:23
times in the last two weeks.
01:24
I am talking about the 2026 Toyota RAV4, which is now all hybrid.
01:32
The plug-in hybrid is back and it has a new GR Sport model.
01:37
And I drove this in both Canada, where it is built, and in the US, which is where it's
01:43
also built, although I didn't drive by the factory there.
01:47
I mean, it's a hugely important crossover.
01:51
It is among the best-selling vehicles in North America.
01:54
By some counts, it was the best-selling vehicle last year.
01:57
If you take out certain things and slice the dice, the F-series different ways than perhaps
02:02
Ford and automotive news and others do it.
02:05
But hugely important vehicle, I'm really curious to hear what you think.
02:10
I mean, does it measure up?
02:15
So I'm going to damn it with a little bit of faint praise here.
02:19
As all auto journalists do, right?
02:22
It is better than the vehicle that it replaced in nearly every way.
02:27
If listeners or viewers head to AutoGuide.com, you can see a bunch of coverage pieces from us on this.
02:35
I did talk about two ways that it maybe isn't better than the outgoing model.
02:40
But yeah, mostly better, although it's very frustrating that no one is talking price yet
02:45
because we need to know exactly where it lands to really get an idea of it.
02:50
I don't think it's the best vehicle in the segment, though.
02:53
I didn't think that of the existing model either.
02:56
But I make the comparison to McDonald's.
03:01
I'm sure you have a favorite burger in your neighborhood, and so do I.
03:06
And I'm willing to bet it's probably not McDonald's.
03:10
And yet I don't think McDonald's cares.
03:11
I don't think McDonald's is like, oh, darn, we're not the best hamburger.
03:15
They're the best selling hamburger far and away.
03:17
And I think that's kind of where this is, where it is good in so many ways.
03:22
And it's never the worst in the segment at anything.
03:24
And so that's why it's so appealing to so many people, right?
03:27
It does everything good or better.
03:31
Yeah, so almost like maybe like a Culver's or a Shake Shack.
03:35
Like, you know, maybe a little better than McDonald's or Wendy's,
03:39
but not quite the neighborhood pub or something.
03:41
You know, and I'm curious, too, what are your top one or two in the segment?
03:47
Since we've opened this can of worms, let's go down it.
03:50
I so I drove one of my favorites to the Canadian event.
03:55
I drove the Hyundai Tucson hybrid.
03:58
OK, I love how it looks.
04:00
I think the Kia Sportage hybrid, which is very similar.
04:05
I think that's slightly nicer inside than the Tucson and it drives a little bit better.
04:09
But the styling is, you know, up to everyone's personal taste.
04:13
I prefer the Hyundai look. Interesting.
04:16
OK, OK, but still up there kind of mid the top of class then.
04:20
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
04:22
And I think what's interesting with the RAV4, especially with going all hybrid,
04:26
you're losing out on the more off road oriented trims of before, like the TRD models.
04:32
They're gone. There is this woodland, which is pictured here.
04:34
And it's it drives very similarly to the outgoing model
04:39
in the sense that it's like just a little squiggier.
04:44
But I think that will appeal to most folks.
04:46
But if you're looking to take it properly off roading, it's not going to be the choice.
04:51
It doesn't have any additional under body cladding.
04:53
Something like a forest or wilderness is probably still my pick if I was staying in this segment.
04:59
And one of the things that I found most interesting about the RAV4, the new one,
05:03
and I will admit, all of these were pre prod models, right?
05:06
They're pre productions.
05:07
Some things may change very slightly for production models,
05:10
but the interior just doesn't feel special enough for me, especially in the limited lower trims.
05:16
I'm fine with it, but the limited is still pretty plasticky inside,
05:20
whereas especially the Koreans and then Mazda do a really good job of making a swanky interior, right?
05:28
And that just doesn't feel like the case for me here.
05:31
And maybe that's, I mean, not maybe.
05:33
That's definitely intentional.
05:34
I feel like Toyota is targeting more of a forester kind of buyer, right?
05:39
Someone who doesn't want the fanciest interior because they don't want to risk damaging it.
05:43
This is a family vehicle.
05:45
You don't want to muck it up.
05:47
Yeah. I mean, I think they are really playing the hits here.
05:50
They're going for volume.
05:52
It does seem like the off road and outdoorsy theme is,
05:56
it's very top of mind for a lot of consumers, maybe not for this market though.
06:00
So just doing all hybrid, bringing in the plug-in,
06:04
which I think is a really interesting play.
06:06
And then the GR Sport or whatever they're calling it, the GR model, that's cool too.
06:12
I think it's a different take on the segment than what you're seeing where like Honda, Subaru,
06:18
everybody's trying to make their baby off-roader type thing.
06:23
And whether it actually ever goes off-road or even has any additional capability,
06:27
that seems academic.
06:28
So Toyota is like, we're not going to play that game with this segment,
06:32
even though they legitimately could.
06:35
TRD Pro, hello, they could do that.
06:38
But would that really fit?
06:40
I think at that point we'd be looking at when Chevy was slapping SSs on Malibus and things like that.
06:47
So I kind of like what they're doing, the way they sort of fine-tune the lineup here.
06:51
But I guess that's a good segue to the GR Sport.
06:56
So I also want to add for all of the 26 RAV4s,
07:01
they are running the fifth gen hybrid powertrain.
07:04
Sorry, sixth gen for the plug-in if I'm not mistaken.
07:09
And so it is just quieter.
07:10
I think the move to all hybrid makes a lot of sense.
07:13
And the impact this will have on fleet economy and fleet pollution is massive, right?
07:19
I mean, they sell a half million of these things across the U.S. and Canada every year.
07:22
So going all hybrid is incredible.
07:26
And the sheer logistics challenge of doing that is impressive.
07:31
So talking about the GR Sport, it is the new trim for this year.
07:36
And it is only available with the plug-in hybrid powertrain.
07:39
This also gets a power boost.
07:41
So you're looking at 324 horsepower in a RAV4.
07:45
That's like a hot hatch.
07:47
Yeah, it's kind of wild.
07:49
And it's a front-biased, it's a very front-biased system.
07:53
But nonetheless, I mean, it's quick.
07:56
And it isn't just a badge job because I don't know about you,
07:59
but that was one of my concerns, right?
08:01
It's like, are we diluting a brand that has done a lot for enthusiasts
08:06
and fairly affordable levels of performance too?
08:12
This actually does have some unique stuff,
08:14
some stuff that has been optimized by GR engineers
08:18
to make it just a little sharper.
08:21
And sure enough, against something like an XSE,
08:24
this is just a little more engaging.
08:27
I don't know if it's necessarily the most engaging vehicle in this segment,
08:32
but like I was saying earlier, I don't think that matters.
08:34
I think it's the most engaging RAV4.
08:37
And it initially kind of stumped me as to who it was for.
08:41
And by the end, no, it made sense.
08:45
It's for dads who miss the TRD Camry and now want an SUV.
08:50
And they want one that looks fun and also provides a little bit of fun
08:55
when you aren't shuttling the kids all over the place.
08:59
Yeah, this reminds me a little bit of the different segment
09:02
and different price points, but the Chevy Tahoe thing
09:07
with the police brakes and the up-level 6.2 liter,
09:13
they're just like they're going for it.
09:14
And it's sort of like for the dad who wishes he still had a Chevy SS or a Camaro,
09:20
but it's like, hey, you need something that you could put the dog and the kids in.
09:26
You know, hey, it makes sense.
09:27
And I mean, more horsepower than the Mazda Speed 3 back in 10, 15 years ago.
09:32
So, hey, that's a lot of power.
09:35
I just saw that figure.
09:37
I was like, they're really going for it here.
09:39
And while there are a few other plug-in hybrids in this segment,
09:42
none of them have that much power or this much range.
09:45
This will do, I mean, the GR will do 50 miles.
09:49
You can get a little bit more with different trims and a little bit less with others.
09:52
That's a lot of range to go on just EV power.
09:55
And it has 200 horsepower from the electric motor at the front.
09:59
So you can easily do just about everything without needing to wake up the gas engine.
10:04
So it's a very well-rounded package.
10:07
Again, I'm concerned about price.
10:10
But yeah, it's fascinating.
10:12
And like you said, it's such a major event this year
10:17
that that's why we needed to drive it multiple times.
10:19
I went to both launches and then I also drove it at Ajax Test Fest very briefly.
10:24
Before we move on, Greg, I know we're kind of spending a lot of time on the RAV4,
10:29
but I just want to point out one of the other aspects of the vehicle that I really enjoy
10:32
is the updated infotainment.
10:34
It is a whole new one.
10:40
Yeah, I want to say it's arena.
10:41
It's how it's pronounced is Toyota's new infotainment.
10:44
It takes the basis of the old one and it adds more of a tile main menu,
10:49
which is a lot easier to deal with.
10:51
It's also bigger screen.
10:52
It has more computing power, so it's faster.
10:54
The voice assistant is quicker to respond.
10:57
If you have a plug-in and you use the native navigation,
11:01
it can root you based on where chargers are, which is a nice touch.
11:06
Overall, I found it a solid update over a system that is solid,
11:10
but maybe a little two bare bones, the existing one.
11:14
So this is good and easily my favorite feature is the built-in dash cam.
11:20
I love that brands are doing this,
11:21
Hyundai did with the Palisade earlier this year,
11:23
and you can access everything directly in the infotainment.
11:26
It can be set to auto record if it senses any incidents
11:30
like traction control issues.
11:32
And because it's native, you are getting turn signal indicators.
11:38
You're getting your speed, your current location,
11:40
and these are all 30-second clips or minute clips
11:42
that you can then download, but they're stored only on the car,
11:46
which I think is a nice important security note too.
11:49
They're not beamed up to the cloud.
11:51
So yeah, I love that feature and it is standard on every Rev4.
11:57
I'm very modern, very of the times.
12:02
So moving on to this week's news,
12:06
and we're going to start with something that Mike caught
12:07
at the beginning of the week.
12:09
Infinity is teasing a R spec version of, well, they only have SUVs,
12:14
but it's their biggest SUV, the QX80.
12:17
I mean, I drove the QX80 this summer and it makes a statement.
12:22
It's, I think, back to what Infinity should be,
12:26
especially when they were really rolling with Shiro Nakamura
12:30
and some of their sedans with the V8.
12:35
But hey, this is giving them a little more guts, I guess.
12:39
It's certainly not necessary in their lineup,
12:41
but I mean, this is kind of...
12:43
We mentioned how Toyota is slicing and dicing their Rev4.
12:46
If Infinity is going to mainly be SUVs right now
12:49
and they got to kind of add some extra things.
12:52
So I think this makes sense.
12:54
So this is what buyers in this price point, more is more.
12:57
When you have a huge SUV and you just more is more.
13:01
It helps them better compete with Mercedes and BMW.
13:06
I think the QX80, it's not in my cup of tea,
13:10
but it does what it's meant to do very well.
13:13
And it makes a statement.
13:14
It's also, I mean, if we've learned anything
13:16
from the American brands,
13:17
big body on frame luxury SUVs print money.
13:21
So why not offer buyers a more exclusive option?
13:26
And knowing that the Armada Nismo is coming,
13:29
you can't have Infinity not have a performance model.
13:32
It would seem unfair.
13:33
So yeah, tons of sense.
13:37
We'll just leave it at that.
13:40
Moving on, sticking to performance SUVs.
13:43
So I actually paired off two stories here.
13:46
I'm just going to swap back and forth for viewers here.
13:51
So it is the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach E California Special
13:56
and then also the 2026 Porsche Macan GTS.
14:01
Both of these are just more enthusiast oriented versions
14:07
of existing EV SUVs.
14:09
Yeah, I mean, if I'm picking one,
14:11
I really like the California Special Treatment for the Mach E.
14:14
I've always over the years liked the California Special versions
14:20
Generally, you know, you see them more like the coupes
14:22
and the convertibles.
14:24
But this is, this I think dresses the Mach E up.
14:26
It gives it a little bit of a different vibe.
14:28
I like some of the graphics, the color scheme.
14:32
It reminds me a little bit of, I don't know, a few years ago,
14:35
they showed one in Wimbledon White
14:37
and that was like an anniversary edition.
14:39
And I think Ford sometimes does a nice,
14:42
they do a really good job of playing to their heritage.
14:45
And I think it's good that they're doing that
14:47
with the Mach E a little bit.
14:48
I think at times you get in the Mach E and it's,
14:52
it is a crossover and it doesn't really feel like a Mustang.
14:55
And I think they could do some things like this
14:58
to make it feel a little more of that Mustang vibe.
15:01
Sort of like what they do, I think actually quite better
15:05
with the Bronco Sport.
15:06
I think the Bronco Sport feels way more like a Bronco.
15:09
Than the Mach E does for a Mustang, for obvious reasons.
15:13
But, and I like all of the vehicles I just mentioned,
15:16
but I like that one.
15:17
I think it's a good, nice treatment.
15:19
Yeah, I'm with you.
15:20
I really enjoy the Mach E.
15:22
I realize that now it's starting to seem a little old
15:25
and yet every time I get into one, it still drives really nicely.
15:31
There is, it doesn't drive like a Mustang, fair,
15:34
but against a lot of the other EV SUVs,
15:36
it does have a distinctly more eager vibe that I enjoy.
15:41
And yeah, the California specials
15:43
have looked good on Mustang GTs.
15:45
Now it'll work on this GT pack.
15:48
And then similarly, I mean, it's right there in the headline,
15:54
GTS models have been the sweet spot for Porsche brands
15:56
or Porsche models for, geez, decades at this point.
16:02
It's just below the turbo in price and performance,
16:06
but you get all the things that everyone
16:08
puts on their options list anyway.
16:12
I think that's a good way to kind of make this car
16:15
just a crossover, a little more interesting and gauging.
16:19
I think the GTS nomenclature has a fair amount of,
16:22
you know, brand cachet with Porsche loyalists especially,
16:25
but like as enthusiasts, we know what it means.
16:28
So I think it's a logical step.
16:30
And the last few times I've been in the Macan,
16:32
I've generally liked it.
16:34
So I think this is a, it's a little bit of a sleeper
16:37
in the Porsche lineup for obvious reasons
16:39
because it's, you know, it's not the 911.
16:42
It's not even the Cayenne,
16:43
but I think it's a very solid product.
16:46
So another good move for Porsche.
16:48
Yeah, yeah, I'm with you.
16:50
And Mike and I drove the Macan 4
16:53
and the Macan Turbo earlier this year.
16:55
The Turbo, I mean, it was very quick, right?
16:59
But it was so expensive that it was hard to justify.
17:01
And this feels a little like I get everything I want.
17:05
I get the sharper responses,
17:07
but I don't need 630 horsepower.
17:11
Fair enough, fair enough.
17:14
So other reveal this week,
17:17
which I think a lot of us really enjoy,
17:19
except then we know that it's not coming here.
17:23
Toyota has brought back the FJ,
17:26
or I guess to give it its full name, the Land Cruiser FJ,
17:28
but it is a smaller, cuter version of the Land Cruiser.
17:33
That's really all I can say.
17:37
Yeah, so I think they should, frankly, bring the FJ back.
17:41
I think there's still a bit of a cult of, you know, enthusiasts who like that.
17:46
I think there's other brands that are doing stuff like Scope,
17:51
Rivian's got a bit of an off-road, outdoorsy theme.
17:54
I mean, I think there's room.
17:56
And at one point in the Toyota lineup,
17:58
they did have the 4Runner, the Land Cruiser, and the FJ Cruiser all at once.
18:04
Well, yeah, it probably was,
18:05
and that's why the FJ was the first one to go overboard.
18:09
But I mean, that's sort of my hot takes.
18:11
I actually think they do have room to build.
18:14
It was like a three-door, technically, kind of coupe, bring it back.
18:20
It can't be the small, obviously.
18:22
The way they've positioned the current Land Cruiser would be problematic,
18:26
just because when they had all three of them,
18:29
the Land Cruiser was more or less like a grand wagon here or something,
18:33
competitor, you know, bigger, you know, much bigger vehicle.
18:38
So they would have some,
18:39
like their product planners and marketers would have their work cut out for them.
18:42
But I always really like the FJ Cruiser.
18:45
I see a bunch of them around town.
18:47
You see a ton of them on the AutoGuide listings.
18:49
They'll give a plug for that.
18:51
And they really hold their value well.
18:53
They were something unique.
18:54
And if you actually look at the lineup of what Toyota has,
18:57
like, do they have like a real two-door Wrangler competitor right now?
19:03
You know, when you look at like all the four-door versions that they have,
19:07
these are like bigger SUVs.
19:13
I'd say it's not my money.
19:18
I think where you're going with this,
19:20
I agree because I was just saying with the RAV4,
19:23
there isn't the TRD models are gone, right?
19:26
And it's like, that does leave a bit of a gap.
19:28
Because if you want something from Toyota
19:30
and you want to actually go do real off-roading things,
19:34
your choice is a four-runner now.
19:36
Like you don't have anything smaller than that.
19:38
And so maybe, maybe Toyota is just kind of making space now.
19:44
This is based off the Hilux platform.
19:46
So I don't know if maybe that's the limiting factor
19:49
is maybe it can't come to the US or Canada
19:53
because it's not federalized.
19:55
I think it looks great.
19:58
It takes the Land Cruiser styling.
19:59
It's very narrow, which I appreciate because
20:03
as anyone who has done a decent amount of off-roading will tell you,
20:08
it's sometimes the width that is more of a problem than anything.
20:11
So this looks nice and narrow, funky.
20:14
It has a really cool backend treatment
20:17
that kind of looks like a big porthole.
20:20
And it has a little electric scooter
20:22
that they're concepting to go along with it.
20:27
I just think this is the sort of fun thing that we really need.
20:31
And I understand that it's going to more developing markets.
20:38
But maybe, maybe we can get something along this flavor
20:41
in a few years, because as you pointed out,
20:45
used FJs aren't getting any cheaper.
20:47
Yeah. Don't you love when they do the throwing like scooters
20:51
For a while it was drones and scooters and bikes.
20:55
So I always like random things.
20:57
It's sometimes when Jeep will do like a reveal.
20:59
Maybe the Jeep concept is obviously just a concept.
21:03
They're like, oh no, we're going to sell this bike at like REI or somewhere.
21:07
And so pretty intrigued about the scooters too.
21:11
So one other thing about this,
21:13
it will be at the Japan Mobility Show, which we will be at.
21:19
So I am very excited to poke around it and see what it's all about.
21:23
Hands on, get some pictures.
21:25
Let's all want to hear more about this thing.
21:27
Yeah, so look forward to it in a future episode and article.
21:33
All right, moving on to nice light subject matter.
21:37
We are talking tariff relief.
21:42
Greg, you want to take it away?
21:45
Well, again, it's just sort of like the latest news hit beats in the Trump
21:52
administration's seemingly daily tariff changes.
21:58
It's interesting because it's like 25% tariffs on medium and heavy duty trucks
22:02
and then 10% on buses.
22:04
But then this is where it gets a little nuanced.
22:07
They're going to serve up almost 4%, 3.75 rebate and US vehicles.
22:13
And this is through 2030.
22:16
So Ford and GM have basically said they seem to like this move,
22:21
but it also I think sort of complicates the whole tariff situation.
22:26
It's pretty confusing.
22:28
So we'll just we'll see how it plays out.
22:31
Heavy duty trucks are sort of they're like a highly profitable part of the market.
22:37
Sales are usually very consistent because like OEMs and like generally their customers,
22:44
like there's like established cycles, like you know these trucks last almost forever.
22:49
And then there's like a sort of expected replacement period.
22:55
So interesting to see how it plays out.
22:57
It's another kind of interesting segment that I will say this.
23:00
It doesn't seem like you really need to throw tariffs on here,
23:04
but I mean that's really going down the rabbit hole.
23:10
Yeah, it's it's very odd to me to introduce a rebate on top of a tariff instead of maybe
23:17
just lowering the tariff.
23:19
I also find it really optimistic that they think this is going to run through 2030.
23:27
But anyway, I'm sure we'll have more updated tariff news.
23:33
Well, pretty much daily, like you said.
23:35
Moving on to other industry news, not reveals.
23:39
And I think this is going to be met with about as much joy as the last piece.
23:44
GM is doubling down on its move to remove Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its infotainment.
23:53
Currently, it is limited to just the EVs and the Lyric actually still has it.
23:59
But moving forward, nothing will have either of the popular smartphone pairings.
24:08
Like, I mean, I've used Android Auto.
24:10
Some of the best applications of Android Auto have been at GM vehicles.
24:14
You know, it just works.
24:15
You pair your phone.
24:17
I had a Google Pixel for a while until in fact, I think I still have it.
24:21
My wife uses it as like her backup kind of like phone workout thing.
24:27
And just it works great.
24:29
You know, to me, this is like introducing a problem to a question that nobody asked.
24:36
You know, like everybody likes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
24:39
And it seems like they're trying to do the thing where they're like, well, no,
24:42
we have a better solution for you.
24:45
And people don't like that.
24:46
You know, people don't like when you sort of tell them like, hey,
24:51
we have this better solution when you don't want that solution.
24:56
It seems over complicated, which again, this feels like they're stubbing their toe here
25:01
because their integrations between phones and their vehicles using Android Auto specifically,
25:08
because GM always seems to be more Android than Apple, have been very good.
25:12
And I actually think their infotainment systems have made some strides in recent years.
25:17
Like the navigations are good, the turn-by-turn directions work.
25:22
It's they're not the best, but they're not the worst as far as using the buttons and the touch
25:27
But like it's a competitive thing.
25:29
It's not like when we were talking before about previous generations of Toyota infotainment
25:33
systems that were like, yeah.
25:35
So GM, I think, is in a good place.
25:37
And this is just kind of like unnecessary.
25:40
I've seen a lot of comments about this.
25:45
I reached out or rather colleagues reached out to me on social media.
25:50
We were chatting about this when the news dropped.
25:52
And I agree that GM's infotainment is its native system is one of the better ones.
25:59
And I understand from an OEM's perspective, especially with EVs where you would want to
26:06
guide people to use your native navigation as opposed to say Google Maps off your phone.
26:11
Because the native system can read the car's battery health, its current temperature,
26:17
And it can give you routes based on optimal charging or what have you.
26:22
I understand that reasoning for the EVs.
26:25
And if you have a really good infotainment system,
26:28
people aren't going to miss something like CarPlay or Android Auto.
26:32
But to your point, you're removing a choice.
26:35
And I feel like that is the tough pill that GM is swallowing here is you're forcing people
26:44
into something that maybe they don't want to do.
26:47
And I realize as journalists, we complain like, oh, there's no CarPlay,
26:50
but we get into new cars on a regular basis.
26:52
If you own this, it's far more likely that you're going to get in, get the apps that you want,
26:58
like your music streaming or podcast or audio novel apps.
27:04
You're going to log in on the car once and you'll never think about it again.
27:07
So you get most of the functionality of your phone.
27:10
But it's just, we all, our lives are on our mobile devices, all of us.
27:15
So I think it's just a matter of wanting that separation, right?
27:19
I don't want my car to have all my login info.
27:21
I want it on my phone in one spot and I want to then beam it onto my screen in the car.
27:26
No, that's, that's very true.
27:28
And I would also even say to like, if you have like, you know, multiple people driving cars
27:34
in your household, maybe you don't, I mean, yes, you own the car, you set it up.
27:38
It's different than us journalists who maybe want to get in and kind of grab and go.
27:43
But like, I'll drive my wife's car and it's like, do I, would I rather just plug in my phone or
27:49
have it just pair with Apple CarPlay?
27:53
Versus messing up like, you know, whatever setting she has, you know,
27:56
it's like, this is maybe the one time this week I'm driving this thing.
27:59
I'll just do Apple CarPlay.
28:03
Versus messing with the whole native infotainment system.
28:06
So again, it's just sort of like, you know, you mentioned McDonald's earlier in the show.
28:11
Like, don't tell people they can't have their burger and fries every now and then.
28:16
You know, this is, you know, a pretty simple system that almost everybody uses.
28:20
So, and I think it's kind of telling that nobody else is like, hey,
28:24
we're going to kill off Apple CarPlay and Android Auto because we think we have something better,
28:30
Yeah, that's, that's a great point is this is unique.
28:34
But, you know, we'll see how it plays out.
28:38
Moving on, we're sticking with GM.
28:43
I managed to get a very fun comparison in this year against two,
28:49
or with two hybrid sports cars, the world we live in in 2025.
28:54
So I had the Corvette E-Ray and the Porsche 911 GTS,
28:59
both of which have electrified powertrains in very different ways.
29:03
And yeah, it was nearly 1200 horsepower combined.
29:07
It was definitely a fun week and it illustrated some very different facets of these vehicles.
29:16
I did not expect to like the Corvette as much as I did, but it is now a very pricey vehicle.
29:25
It's easily the biggest jump from a regular version of a vehicle to a hybrid.
29:30
The price gap is huge.
29:33
And when you're playing in this category, some of the shortcomings of the E-Ray start
29:39
to become a lot more noticeable.
29:42
I mean, this is, this sounds like a real tough week here.
29:44
Corvette versus 911.
29:46
What a week you had.
29:48
I love how the color is actually lined up too.
29:51
That's spectacular.
29:53
I lucked out there.
29:54
So the E-Ray is in some ways the more advanced vehicle, right?
29:59
I can, you can drive very short distances on electric power alone,
30:04
because the electric motor works on the front axle,
30:07
which means when you're doing that, you're driving a front drive Corvette.
30:13
We expect Corvettes to have more power than 911s, right?
30:16
That's, that's just a fact.
30:20
It is the smoother one to drive in the city.
30:23
And that's for two reasons.
30:26
One, the Porsche did not have a nose lift option, and it is the only 911 I have driven
30:31
in my entire time at AutoGuide that didn't.
30:34
So that was strange to me because living in the city, there are speed bumps,
30:38
and I have to try and maneuver around them.
30:40
The Corvette does have one.
30:43
And it also has the, I can never say the whole word because it's 20-some odd letters.
30:49
The magnet dampers, the magnetic dampers, it has those.
30:54
And I don't even try to like pronounce that properly.
30:58
I actually just was looking at a CTS-V listing here,
31:01
which also probably had versions of those earlier versions.
31:05
And it gives it a pretty wide range of ride comfort.
31:11
They're both pretty stiff, but it was the 911
31:13
that I actually had a harder time living with day to day.
31:17
Whereas the Corvette, you can do it pretty well.
31:21
And the interior, which has been a Corvette shortcoming for so long, is fantastic.
31:26
It's, this one had two-tone blue leather, which was a lot,
31:30
but it really does feel like a quality item.
31:33
And I love that the dashboard is pretty dramatic.
31:37
It has these little fold-ups by the A-pillar that look kind of like the back of a BMW i8.
31:43
And I mean that in the best way possible.
31:46
I still don't like the big wall in the middle in the center console.
31:50
I'm glad that's disappearing for next year,
31:52
because it just makes passengers feel like an afterthought, right?
31:57
They're just glorified ballast at that point.
31:59
They can't access the touchscreen.
32:02
They can't touch anything.
32:03
They're just off in their little corner.
32:06
There were a lot of creaks and moans though.
32:09
That was something that I found to be a bit of a problem when you're spending,
32:13
you know, over $150,000 on a sports car.
32:18
But largely, day to day, Corvette, fantastic.
32:23
When you get into this territory,
32:25
I feel like you're almost entering like professional athlete territory.
32:28
Because you can for like half the price easily, even less than that,
32:34
for both these get like as much Corvette or 911 as you will ever want or need.
32:39
And you don't even have to approach this territory.
32:42
But if you do want like the hybrid performance, which is what it is,
32:47
you know, this is certainly here for you.
32:48
If you're, you know, like Otani or somebody like that who wants to like,
32:53
who has the money and, you know, wants to spend money,
32:56
or Justin Verlander is another guy who used to buy like a new sports car every year.
33:00
It seemed like, but I digress.
33:03
And we're not even going to mention the Blue Jays despite the colors of these cars.
33:07
I know I was teeing it up for you.
33:09
If you wanted to go there, I was teeing it up for you.
33:11
That was my thought.
33:12
But they'll probably they'll get one of these eventually, I'm sure.
33:17
Yeah. So really quickly on the 911, I should point out the hybrid system is a little different here.
33:23
It has a electric turbocharger, which means that it has almost no turbo lag.
33:30
It does have a small battery that is integrated into the transmission.
33:34
So you get a little boost there.
33:36
And basically it just feels like this engine is just a large displacement version of an existing 911 engine.
33:42
That's the thing is it doesn't necessarily feel like a turbo.
33:45
It just feels huge and capable and always ready to go.
33:50
It's a very impressive package overall.
33:53
But kind of like a lot of the 911s that I've driven the last few years, it almost feels too good.
33:59
It's too polished except for the ride, which is really stiff.
34:04
But it is an excellent everyday vehicle, right?
34:06
Because I have a useful front trunk.
34:09
The visibility is fantastic, whereas it's terrible in the Corvette.
34:14
And it's also weirdly good on gas.
34:16
I know that that's not really a concern for people who are spending this level of money,
34:20
but it's good to know.
34:21
And this one had the larger fuel tank.
34:22
So it has a range approaching 450 miles, 500 miles.
34:28
You can do big distances in this thing.
34:31
It handles sharper than the Corvette.
34:36
And in a weird twist, this was actually a rear-drive 911 too.
34:39
So it has that added agility of not having a powered front axle.
34:43
I think if money were no object, I would still go with the 911.
34:47
But I find that the suspension just pushes it closer to GT3 category than I really expected.
34:53
I wanted more of a blended everyday vehicle, like we were saying earlier,
34:57
which is a hallmark of GTS models.
35:01
I think they do walk the fine line with this one as far as making it,
35:06
dare I say, a little too aggressive as far as the setup.
35:09
But I guess the market will determine if this is the way to go or not.
35:16
And it's been a lot this week, I know.
35:19
But we're on the last story here, which is another hybrid sports car.
35:24
Real tough, tough summer.
35:25
It's been for you, Kyle.
35:27
I shouldn't even call it a sports car.
35:29
That feels insulting.
35:34
Supercar, for sure.
35:35
The 2025 Lamborghini Rebel Alto.
35:39
Greg, I was a little intimidated knowing that I would get to drive this.
35:44
It was my first, oh man, I hope I don't offend at the PR people,
35:49
my first real Lamborghini.
35:51
I drove the Urus last year and it was really impressive to drive around LA
35:55
because it does things that no SUV does.
35:58
But I mean, you say Lamborghini, this is what people picture.
36:02
They picture a brightly colored wedge.
36:04
And to find out that it's going to be the first plug-in Lamborghini,
36:09
it's a thousand and one horsepower.
36:11
It still has the V12.
36:13
It ticked all the boxes.
36:16
And yeah, it's like the 911.
36:20
You have to be very careful where you drive this
36:23
because the nose is impressively low.
36:26
You know how Ford has the navigation system that tells you
36:29
if your trailer will fit on certain roads?
36:32
But for ground clearance, for the Lamborghini,
36:35
it's something like four inches.
36:38
I was in a McLaren this summer.
36:40
We'll just really bouge up this segment here.
36:43
It has a really good nose lifting feature.
36:49
And also it's very easy because obviously this is a problem
36:52
if you're driving a car like this,
36:53
unless you're literally on a track and even some tracks can get a little bumpy.
36:58
You need this feature.
36:59
One of the ironies, aside from it's an expensive fix,
37:03
the motor's in the back.
37:05
So it's not like if you curb it,
37:07
you're going to crack an oil pan.
37:09
You're just going to look like a fool.
37:10
So there's a little bit of irony to that feature,
37:14
but we don't want to break noses, human or cars.
37:18
So you've got to be able to raise the front end.
37:21
So this one has a memory setting as well,
37:24
which is really nice.
37:25
And it can activate up to 70 kilometers an hour.
37:28
Which is impressive too, because that just meant
37:32
I drove around the city with the nose lift active all the time,
37:35
because I don't know if there's going to be a bump or not coming.
37:38
So that was one aspect of the vehicle.
37:42
You can't go anywhere in something like this in a brat green,
37:47
without people asking you questions, taking photos.
37:50
My wife and I were heading for coffee the one morning,
37:53
and we watched a group of teenagers literally
37:56
just drop, point at the car and track it as we went by.
38:01
And she laughed about how if she saw a group of kids do that in a movie,
38:05
she'd say it was overacted.
38:07
And yet here we are in the real world.
38:10
You are everyone's jester.
38:12
You have to be the nicest person, which is fine.
38:15
And I think one of the important things that I did with this vehicle
38:18
is I shared it with as many people as I could.
38:20
I went and visited nieces and nephews,
38:22
and gave them a short little ride around the block.
38:24
That's what you have to do with these cars,
38:27
because let's be honest, that's why you're getting it.
38:30
If you're spending this level of money,
38:32
which is full-on condo or house amounts of money,
38:37
you are trying to make a statement.
38:39
And while it does, I also just want to point out
38:43
it is incredibly comfortable and easy to drive.
38:47
Way easier than I expected.
38:49
Visibility out the back is basically non-existent.
38:52
You just have engine and intakes.
38:54
But beyond that, this thing is comfortable on the highway.
38:58
The plug-in will do 10 miles of range or 10 kilometers,
39:01
but I beat the official quote.
39:04
When the engine wakes up, it scares everyone in a half block radius.
39:08
I can't believe how friendly this vehicle was to drive.
39:13
The Revuelto is really, I guess,
39:18
kind of the ultimate evolution of the original NSX concept
39:21
of this idea of you can have an exotic vehicle,
39:24
but it doesn't mean you have to suffer for it.
39:27
And that's what I witnessed,
39:29
although I never got used to turn signals being on the steering wheel front.
39:33
That was always something that was awkward for me.
39:36
Yeah. Lambo has some weird takes on some very basic driver mechanics.
39:46
I mean, this is one I'd be interested to drive.
39:48
The last couple of Lambo's I've driven
39:50
have been kind of outliers.
39:51
I drove the Urus and that I really liked it,
39:54
but it was so much like just an Audi and Lambo clothing.
39:58
And I drove the Strato, which is you don't have to worry
40:02
about bumping the nose with that thing.
40:04
You're it's a lifted, you're well off the ground.
40:06
I was very confident.
40:08
Like all the things that like actually make you nervous
40:10
about driving like a supercar,
40:12
like usually it's the visibility or the like,
40:15
just how hard it is necessarily.
40:17
You really have to be on your toes.
40:19
It's kind of a race in the Strato.
40:21
So we'll have to do maybe a list of like,
40:25
that could be a fun end of year list or something.
40:27
Our experiences of the different Lambo's or something.
40:29
I drove a I drove a Countach once too.
40:32
And that was that was also very challenging and intimidating to drive.
40:36
I can only imagine.
40:38
Yeah. So overall, I mean, I'm just this is one of those pinch me moments, right?
40:42
Where it's like, I've been doing this for many years
40:44
and to be able to get into V12 Lamborghini is a thing.
40:49
And it lived up to the hype.
40:52
Unsurprisingly, I guess, given the sheer cost of the thing.
40:59
So I'm going to end it on that note.
41:01
I know this has been a long news and reviews segment
41:06
here on the AutoGuide show brought to you by eBay Motors.
41:10
But Greg and I are going to take a short break.
41:13
And then when we come back, we are going to talk to Ryan from Scout Motors.
41:20
And yeah, so we'll be right back.
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And here we go, it's good.
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All right, joining us now on the AutoGuide podcast is Ryan Decker.
43:32
He is the Scout Motors Vice President of Strategy and Brand.
43:36
Welcome to the show, Ryan.
43:38
Glad to be here, guys.
43:40
All right, I figured, you know, there's so much going on in the world,
43:43
especially as it relates to EVs and what's going on with Scout.
43:47
I figured you'd probably want to talk for half an hour about Virginia Tech football, right?
43:51
So that's where you're from.
43:54
That's a sad and gloomy conversation at the moment.
43:57
I'd rather not talk about that, Craig.
43:59
Well, you're talking to a guy who went to Michigan State,
44:02
so worried about the same boat as far as college football this fall.
44:05
I can empathize then.
44:08
So why don't we start off by telling us a little bit about what got you into cars
44:12
in the first place?
44:13
What kind of just give us a little bit of your mini origin story?
44:16
You know, did you play with Hot Wheels?
44:19
Just how did you get into this kind of crazy business?
44:22
You know, I definitely grew up with a dad who loved the tinker.
44:26
Usually it was on big bore American muscle car type stuff,
44:31
but almost everything happened in my parents' driveway,
44:34
much to my mom's chagrin because I think he spilled oil like four or five times,
44:39
and it was impossible to get it out of the driveway.
44:42
But we had a lot of fun over a lot of years replacing brakes,
44:45
replacing carburetors, everything from dots in 240s to several generations of Mustangs
44:51
all took place in that driveway.
44:53
That was the early years?
44:54
That definitely transitioned into Virginia Tech.
44:57
You brought that up, Greg.
44:58
I did study mechanical engineering there,
45:00
and a lot of that undergraduate engineering coursework
45:03
was focused on automotive at the time.
45:06
And that was a really exciting time
45:08
because that's when autonomy was starting to sort of become a thing.
45:11
That's when Formula One, Formula E was starting to pick up
45:15
and bring some excitement to it.
45:18
So just a really exciting time in automotive.
45:21
My first careers, my first job, they didn't pursue automotive,
45:25
so I had a bit of a homecoming when in 2015,
45:28
I finally got back into the automotive game, so to speak,
45:31
and that's ultimately what led me towards Scout Motors.
45:37
Nice. Very cool, very cool.
45:39
I'm curious, Scout Motors, it's obviously a relatively new company
45:44
backed by Volkswagen.
45:46
Our readers are very interested in it because,
45:49
I think obviously part of it is because of the history.
45:51
Going back to the, I think we could call them iconic vehicles
45:55
from the 60s right up into the early 1980s.
45:59
I'm curious, what attracted you about moving over
46:02
to kind of a newer venture like Scout?
46:06
On the personal note, it was definitely the chance
46:08
to build something from a complete clean sheet of paper.
46:11
I viewed that as just a generational opportunity
46:14
to build something.
46:15
And like you said, Greg, to build something
46:18
that has existing heritage, that has existing authenticity,
46:22
and to build something that has the backing,
46:25
the expertise and the scale of the Volkswagen group behind it,
46:29
I did view it just as absolutely once in a lifetime.
46:32
And the more you got into the details,
46:35
the more you understood what Scout was.
46:38
It was kind of the OG in the segment.
46:40
It was a great vehicle, but beyond the vehicle,
46:43
it was definitely this really inspiring community,
46:44
this great brand, it stood for optimism,
46:46
it stood for adventure, right?
46:48
The chance to reimagine that was really special alone,
46:53
but then the chance to sort of reimagine
46:55
what those Scout products were.
46:57
And they did some really cool things.
47:00
Iconic design, sort of the OG of the SUV category,
47:04
really rugged characteristics, really tactile characteristics.
47:07
The opportunity to imagine that in a way
47:09
that feels cool, exciting, modern, innovative
47:12
was just something that you couldn't pass up on.
47:16
Yeah, I was going to ask,
47:18
and it feels like you already kind of nailed it there, Ryan,
47:21
but you're pretty unique in the EV space,
47:25
or actually, I mean, in the broader automotive space,
47:28
for being a brand that is new,
47:30
but also balancing that with decades of history, right?
47:35
And history from a brand that some people
47:38
may not even remember ever seeing on the road.
47:41
I've seen a handful, right?
47:44
In terms of when they stopped being sold.
47:46
So how do you balance those two very different worlds?
47:50
It's a great question.
47:52
And the first thing I want to address is just,
47:54
I want to make sure we don't put Scout motors
47:56
in too much in this EV space box,
47:59
because although we do have an electrified powertrain,
48:02
we're also quite excited by our Harvester range-extended powertrain.
48:06
We love what that delivers from a customer perspective.
48:08
We think it's a game changer in terms of technology,
48:11
but we're also not shying away from the fact that
48:14
the wheels, the drive units, are always powered by battery.
48:17
So it's just super exciting, great torque, great acceleration,
48:21
but at the same time, having a total combined range
48:24
that can do over 500 miles.
48:26
We think that checks a lot of really,
48:28
really interesting boxes from a customer perspective.
48:32
Going back to the broader company question,
48:36
I think the two words that I would anchor that conversation on
48:39
are trust and enthusiasm.
48:41
There have been a lot of new entrants,
48:44
typically EV entrants, that have brought a lot of enthusiasm.
48:47
They've been cool, they've been fast, they've been innovative,
48:49
they've been entrepreneurial,
48:50
but some of them have lacked a little bit of trust, so to speak.
48:53
Some of them have had questions whether they'll be around next year
48:56
or whether they're going to go bankrupt.
48:58
Some of them have had questions,
49:00
can they service my car or am I going to have to wait six months
49:02
to get an appointment?
49:03
You can imagine, there's been some questions
49:05
on whether these new entrants will deliver.
49:08
On the other hand, you have a lot of really strong incumbents
49:11
who have been around literally for decades, hundreds of years.
49:14
And they have some challenges, I would say,
49:16
in just being perceived as sort of new and cool and exciting.
49:19
And that's what Scott Motors has the opportunity to do,
49:22
to really throw a dart right between those two,
49:24
to be new, cool, exciting, innovative, modern,
49:28
to sort of have a little bit of that scrappy American startup spirit,
49:32
but to do it in a way that has the trust of having a large OEM behind us,
49:36
which means we have money.
49:40
But beyond money, we have expertise.
49:42
We know how to build a factory.
49:43
We know how to get good terms of trade and good pricing from suppliers.
49:46
We know what we're doing here.
49:48
And I think that's a very unique combination in automotive
49:50
that hasn't really been seen before.
49:55
You talk about, you mentioned the eRef,
49:57
and I know originally you launched the company in 2022.
50:01
It looked like it was going to be all electric.
50:04
And then you offer this sort of new opportunity.
50:07
The market has certainly shifted in the last few years, too.
50:10
Things have changed for a variety of reasons.
50:14
Can you kind of tell us about that decision?
50:15
And do you think it'll be a different customer for Scout,
50:18
or just talk about this extended range type of vehicle?
50:24
Yeah, Greg, I would say considerably might be a bit of an understatement on that.
50:29
I'll answer this through two dimensions.
50:32
The first way is through the regulatory environment,
50:35
and the second way will be coming back to the customer perspective.
50:39
And from a regulatory perspective,
50:40
when Scout Motors was being conjured up in 2022,
50:44
it was a very different environment.
50:46
There was a federal regulatory landscape,
50:49
and then there was the state regulatory landscape
50:51
being driven by California and many other states.
50:53
That had very ambitious, very comprehensive emissions
50:57
in electric vehicle targets that were out there.
51:00
And so for us a new company that would be selling products
51:02
well into the 2030s,
51:04
the decision was made to succeed in that regulatory environment.
51:08
We had to go all electric.
51:10
Now, obviously the regulatory environment significantly shifted.
51:14
We'll come back to what that means for Scout.
51:16
From a customer perspective,
51:17
we're also paying very close attention to what's going on in the marketplace.
51:21
The first thing I'll say is that the last time I checked,
51:25
EV to EV loyalty is still a very high number.
51:28
It's still over 80%,
51:30
meaning people who get behind the wheel of an electric car,
51:32
they typically don't say, I hated this.
51:36
I'm never going to buy one again.
51:37
In fact, they do the opposite.
51:39
And it's quite clear why, right?
51:41
They get comfortable with range.
51:42
They get comfortable with charging.
51:44
They quite like the torque.
51:45
They quite like the performance.
51:47
They like the cost of ownership, on and on and on.
51:50
But we're not naive.
51:51
And we recognize that from a customer perspective,
51:53
going all electric, not quite right for everyone during the stage.
51:57
There is still some charging anxiety out there.
51:59
There is still range anxiety out there.
52:02
And so we thought that our range extender harvester solution
52:05
was very interesting from that point of view.
52:08
Now, what we like about it is it's still an electric vehicle first,
52:12
meaning the battery is always driving the wheels.
52:14
You can still do around 150 miles of all electric range.
52:18
A lot of day-to-day driving will still be in all electric mode,
52:23
It's efficient, slow cost, all of the reasons that you guys know.
52:27
But for those road trips, for those long drive scenarios,
52:30
introducing the gas engine, being able to do over 500 miles,
52:33
it's a game changer.
52:34
We listen to our customers, recognize that in a lot of off-road applications
52:38
and a lot of long distance application,
52:41
just having to stop the charge is not really ideal.
52:44
And so we think that this is a game-changing breakthrough for the customer.
52:49
Now, how we did it, we also really think is interesting, right?
52:52
So the engine is packaged in the rear,
52:54
so we still always have the front trunk.
52:56
We still have always the good parts of being an EV, so to speak.
53:01
But it comes with the additional confidence of just, again,
53:04
over 500 miles of range.
53:05
We think it's quite compelling.
53:08
Very cool, very cool.
53:09
I'm curious too, have you had a chance to connect
53:11
with maybe some of the older Scout owners or people who own older Scout vehicles?
53:18
Perhaps that's a better way to say it.
53:20
What's been your experience with the Scout community like so far?
53:25
This is a really important part of the broader company,
53:29
is that community orientation.
53:31
And when we looked at what Scout was,
53:34
and we paid attention to it from 1960 to 1980,
53:37
and then I would say more specifically from 1980 to 2022,
53:40
it was a community that kept the flame burning.
53:44
And there's several layers to it, right?
53:46
There's sort of the OG, RestoMod, Barn Find, like hardcore crew.
53:52
And we love them, we respect them, we've gotten to know them,
53:55
we really value their feedback.
53:57
And then there's a whole other bigger slice,
54:00
which is, for lack of better words,
54:01
call it like the nostalgic connection crew, right?
54:04
It's people who didn't own one.
54:06
It's people who aren't looking for carburetors and junkyards,
54:09
but they recall their grandpa having one,
54:11
or they learned how to drive on one, or they rode the prom in one.
54:15
And we love that, we love that as a place to be building from.
54:20
We think that's just like a really special, authentic place
54:23
to build a brand from.
54:26
Now, so okay, great, we recognize that it's out there.
54:29
What have we done about it?
54:30
One of the first things we did as a company,
54:32
and it was in November 2022,
54:35
we invited 10 of those Scout OGs to a warehouse
54:38
in Dallas, if any of them are listening,
54:41
they'll know who they are.
54:43
And we showed them a lot of what we're up to.
54:45
We kind of gave them a peek behind the curtain
54:47
of the entire company,
54:49
including showing them what we're at the time,
54:51
our earliest full-size design models.
54:55
And we leaned in, we listened,
54:57
we sincerely wanted their feedback,
54:58
they gave us a lot of feedback,
55:00
some of it a little bit more critical than the others.
55:02
But we listened, and in many cases,
55:03
we actually did adapt some things.
55:05
And so that was in 2022.
55:07
And then in actually exactly one year ago, in 2024,
55:12
when we showed our show cars off to the world
55:15
for the first time,
55:15
we had a lot of those community members there as well.
55:18
And I think based on their reaction
55:20
to hear them kind of hoot win and holler,
55:21
and to hear their applause when we showed the vehicles,
55:24
and then to hear their little appreciation
55:27
for all of the Scout DNA we weaved into the products,
55:30
that was a really nice affirmation,
55:32
a nice vote of compliments.
55:34
And I think we're doing right by the community so far,
55:36
and the company should be proud of that.
55:38
It's interesting how Scout is
55:40
sort of like almost below the radar cultural touchstone.
55:45
Like I've noticed Scouts have been turning up
55:48
in like sort of novels I've been reading
55:50
by indie publishers, things like that.
55:52
I've seen a few of them on the road recently,
55:54
which is kind of trippy.
55:56
It almost feels like the resurrection of the company
55:58
has maybe brought some of these people out of like,
56:02
wherever they've had their vehicles,
56:04
maybe just were noticing it more.
56:07
Can you talk about, I guess, the challenges
56:09
of bringing back a brand that was very well known,
56:13
but then did go away for like 40 years,
56:15
and there's some companies like Abercrombie,
56:18
like Indian Motorcycles,
56:20
a lot of ones that have done this before
56:22
with sort of a mixed record of success.
56:25
What are the challenges you think you're going to face here,
56:27
and how do you get people who are just interested
56:31
in a new off-road type thing,
56:33
and they're shopping it or cross-shopping it
56:35
with like Rivian, a Honda Passport,
56:38
Trail Sport, like a Jeep Wrangler, you name it.
56:41
How do you connect with those types of folks, I guess?
56:44
Yeah. Greg, first I'll adjust it
56:47
just from the kind of 30,000-foot trend perspective.
56:51
And I do think that there's a moment here,
56:54
and whether it's, I won't name the brands,
56:56
you can imagine who I'm getting at,
56:57
whether it's Workwear, whether it's sneakers,
57:00
whether it's record players,
57:02
there is kind of this push back towards a little bit of authenticity,
57:07
and that spans across generations.
57:09
And I do think that there is a certain appreciation
57:12
and value in knowing that you're buying a product
57:16
or a brand that's been here before,
57:18
and that they've kind of earned it before.
57:20
And so I do think Scout can check that box
57:23
and kind of ride that little bit of cultural zeitgeist
57:26
that we're in at the moment, that craving for authenticity
57:30
that we're in at the moment.
57:32
Now, on the other hand, you do need to be careful
57:34
that you don't overindex, because we're definitely
57:36
not like a retro vintage throwback machine.
57:39
We are innovative as heck, we're cool, modern, safe.
57:44
So it's finding that balance.
57:47
And from a strategic perspective,
57:50
right now we're still telling a little bit of a comeback story.
57:53
If you watch some of our brand assets,
57:55
if you watch some of our creative campaigns,
57:57
we lean into that heritage, but we embrace that.
58:01
We're building something new on top of it.
58:03
As we look forward and we get closer to actual
58:06
building and selling cars to customers,
58:08
I think that we start to look more and more modern,
58:10
cool, useful, safe, exciting, just really a vehicle
58:14
that's fit for the 21st century,
58:16
but always anchoring on that authenticity and DNA.
58:20
And Greg, then since you brought up some competitive products,
58:23
I think our right to win will be that very sincere connection
58:29
to combine the best of Old World and New World.
58:32
And our product does have some really interesting
58:34
Old World DNA to it.
58:36
So it's built on a body on frame, increasingly rare.
58:39
It has this wild, rowdy, solid rear axle that we love,
58:43
still disconnecting sway bars, optional mechanical
58:46
four by four lockers, real tactile switches on the interior,
58:50
real door handles, which are becoming quite rare, right?
58:53
So we're doing some of these kind of Old World product choices,
58:55
which I think the market's actually going to really love
58:58
and enjoy and has missed over the last few years.
59:02
But again, at the same time, it's not a retro machine
59:04
because then it's going to have really great UX.
59:06
We're going to have really great software.
59:08
We're going to have these really impressive drive units
59:09
that can do over right around 1,000 pound feet of torque.
59:13
So it's that combination of Old and New
59:15
that I think is really going to uniquely position Scout
59:17
in the market and allow us to go head to head and win.
59:23
I just want to add really quickly,
59:25
talking about seeing Scout around the older models.
59:29
I just want to point out that Forza Horizon,
59:31
which is probably the biggest racing game,
59:33
has had an international Scout knit for the last few editions.
59:36
And I remember just being like, oh, well, this is interesting.
59:40
But I really appreciate, Ryan, you talking about this combination
59:44
of authenticity and modern.
59:46
And talking about body on frame, that, like you said,
59:50
is an increasingly rare thing.
59:52
And we've seen more capability from unibody vehicles recently.
59:56
But still, I mean, when you're properly off-roading,
00:00
you need that proper foundation.
00:04
Do you find, you're talking about the moment of authenticity.
00:08
Do you also find that the last few years,
00:11
seeing people shift to wanting more of an outdoorsy life,
00:14
we've seen that since 2020, for reasons we won't get into.
00:19
Do you think that has also really aligned well
00:21
with this plan on bringing Scout back?
00:24
Well, that is definitely one of those other strategic trends
00:28
that we have been paying very close attention to.
00:30
And I'm really glad you asked, because I agree.
00:32
So if trend one is this yearning for authenticity,
00:36
trend two is that Americans are more active outdoors
00:39
in building things more than ever before.
00:42
And you're right, those events in 2020 accelerated that trend.
00:47
But that was a trend that has been ongoing for decades.
00:50
And we see it everywhere we can measure it, right?
00:53
If you look at, for example, national park visitors
00:56
or the amount of people on hiking trails
00:57
or the amount of people going to fishing holes
00:59
or pick your own orchards, or you name it outside,
01:04
If you look at sort of where population trends people
01:07
are moving to and from, America is one of the only countries
01:10
in the world that is de-urbanizing.
01:12
Americans are moving out of our mega cities
01:14
and moving into more mid-sized cities and even small towns,
01:19
which is quite rare, quite unique.
01:21
And then the third element is this idea of sort of DIY culture.
01:26
And whether it's DIY a house or a trailer or furniture,
01:30
Americans are simply more hands-on than they've ever been before.
01:34
And when they do those three things,
01:36
we are very confident that they need the tool to enable them.
01:40
We're very confident that they need a more versatile vehicle.
01:43
And so that is what is really defining
01:44
a lot of the requirements of Scout,
01:46
is we want it to be a vehicle for people
01:48
who are exploring, doing, and making things, full stop.
01:53
We haven't driven any of the Scouts yet.
01:57
I don't think really anybody has outside
01:59
of maybe some of your in-house testers, things like that.
02:02
Can you kind of preview what that driving experience
02:04
will be for people who might be interested in getting
02:08
on the reservation list or what's it going to be like?
02:12
We have a really unique potential here.
02:15
And in some ways, we have what I would call
02:19
a little bit of American off-road rowdiness.
02:23
Body on frame, solid or axle, up to 35-inch tires from the factory,
02:27
all the stuff I already said, which in theory gives you
02:30
that really rowdy off-road.
02:32
But then when you pair that with a battery,
02:35
with really capable drive units, with the range extender,
02:39
you get this very precise technical performance orientation
02:44
to the vehicle as well.
02:46
So it's really unique.
02:48
And in some ways, when you look at it,
02:50
you're like a vehicle that size and with that capability
02:53
shouldn't drive that good, that exciting.
02:57
I had, actually, I drove it for the first time,
03:00
one of our first test mules last week,
03:01
and I was like geeking out because it's just,
03:03
it's very unique in how it combines capability
03:07
with precision and technicality.
03:09
It's just a very impressive vehicle.
03:12
Obviously, I might be a little bit biased,
03:14
but I'm looking forward to more people getting behind the wheel of it as well.
03:19
All right, sounds good.
03:20
Well, you've been very generous with your time.
03:22
Kyle, did you want to ask something?
03:24
I mean, actually, so this might be an interesting one,
03:27
because usually if we talk to people who work for an OEM,
03:30
we can guess what's in their garage.
03:31
But, Ryan, what's in your garage?
03:34
Yeah, great question.
03:37
Well, right now, I'm driving an Audi Q7.
03:42
That's what's in there.
03:43
Still a little bit of Volkswagen group love
03:45
and plenty of space for my family.
03:48
So it works quite well for me at the time.
03:50
All right, sounds pretty good.
03:52
Daily driver, pretty comfy.
03:55
All right, well, it looks like we're right kind of up against it
03:58
as far as your allotted time.
04:00
We really appreciate it.
04:01
You've been very generous with it.
04:03
I guess final thoughts, anything we haven't asked you
04:05
that you would like to throw in here?
04:08
I have to do it every time.
04:10
I always have to shout out to Scout community.
04:12
You know, we value them.
04:14
I know they're probably going to be listening.
04:16
We want their feedback.
04:18
We want to continue to engage with them.
04:19
And frankly, I just want to thank them for keeping the flame burning.
04:22
We're going to make it even brighter moving forward.
04:24
So got to shout out to community and the OGs out there.
04:31
Well, thanks for joining us, Ryan.
04:32
It's been a really great conversation.
04:34
We can't wait to see what's going on next with Scout.
04:44
That was a pretty informative interview.
04:47
I think Greg and I are on the same page there.
04:50
Here on the AutoGuide show brought to you by eBay Motors.
04:54
Now we're at the end of the show.
04:57
And so Greg, I feel like we haven't caught up in a little bit,
05:00
even though we've been recording this whole thing.
05:02
So what have you been in or have driven or are driving soon?
05:07
So I just got back from North America in car of the year testing.
05:12
I've been out there for the most, the better part of this week.
05:15
Drove a lot of cool things.
05:17
I'm actually quite tired.
05:18
It's just I feel a little foggy just being in my laptop this morning.
05:22
Coming up soon, we will have a prelude first drive.
05:26
So that's under a bar go.
05:27
I can't tell you right now how it was like, but that will be coming up.
05:34
And I also just, I think you drove this car recently.
05:37
Mercedes AMG E53, the plug-in hybrid, just left my driveway.
05:43
I'm about probably two thirds of the way through some like a short piece on that.
05:48
So those will probably be the next two things you have coming from me.
05:53
I look forward to it.
05:54
I'm also going to point out that the wagon version of the E53 is coming.
05:59
And I feel like that will be the new ultimate journalist.
06:04
We have to arm wrestle over that one or do some sort of beaten Windsor and trade it or something.
06:09
That is, I'm super fired up to get in that one.
06:13
So I'm also very jealous of prelude.
06:16
That's exciting because I'm still quite a ways away from driving that one.
06:21
So similarly, I know we talked about this before the show, but we never really got around to it.
06:26
I was also doing some car of the year judging.
06:29
I was at the automobile journalist association of Canada's annual test fest,
06:34
where we collect dozens of cars from across brands.
06:37
We get journalists from all across the country to fly in and we spend two days
06:42
driving them and scoring them.
06:43
I am very fortunate because being where I am,
06:47
I've driven most of the vehicles already before test fest,
06:50
but there were still some big surprises.
06:52
When this goes live, you will be able to head to Autogad.com and see my first drive review of the
07:01
The BMW M2 CS was also there, which was a big shock to all of us because,
07:07
yeah, that thing was just announced pretty recently, like this summer.
07:10
So those were exciting.
07:11
The Lucid Gravity was there.
07:12
People really wanted to get their hands on it.
07:14
It was a good time.
07:15
I drove the Mercedes CLE 450 Cabriolet up there, which was excellent.
07:23
We had a lot of rain at the event, but it was pretty good weather there and back.
07:27
So I got to drive at the top down, use those air scarves.
07:31
It is kind of a unique vehicle in the market in terms of being a proper four seat convertible.
07:38
And then currently I am in the Jeep Wagoneer S or the Swagoneer, as we like to call it.
07:46
It's been interesting.
07:48
I drove it at the beginning of the year and driving it here on my roads has revealed some
07:53
good and not so good aspects of the vehicle, but I'll save that for a proper review.
07:57
And then next week, I'm not driving anything because as of Sunday, I, or well, when this airs,
08:03
I will be in Japan at the Japan Mobility Show with Toyota and Lexus.
08:10
I'm going to be there for almost two weeks because while the show takes up a good chunk
08:14
of the time, I'm also staying there for a little while because I've never been to Japan.
08:19
So the next episode of the AutoGAD show will not feature me unless I jump in on a call,
08:26
13 hours ahead of you guys.
08:29
I guess we'll have to figure that one out.
08:31
We'll either do early recordings or time travel, one of the two.
08:35
Yeah, we've got options here.
08:38
Some more realistic than others.
08:41
But yeah, that's been this episode of the AutoGAD show.
08:46
And yeah, until next time, everyone, have a good week.
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