This week, we introduced you to Stellantis, provided details about a slew of new electric vehicles, and showed you how you can own the very first Ram 1500 TRX ever built. We also published an explainer of Jeep Active Driving Assist and shared instructions for how to turn off your car's alarm when it is blaring in the middle of the night. Finally, we've compared the Nissan Rogue vs. the Toyota RAV4 and reviewed the all-new 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid.
But that's not everything that was happening in the automotive space.
Buick announced this week that the redesigned 2021 Envision is on sale now. Boasting a much more appealing design and numerous safety and infotainment features, it lands with stylish flair in the crowded compact premium crossover SUV segment.
Motivated by a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine good for 228 horsepower, and equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission delivering power to the front or all four wheels, the Chinese-built Buick Envision competes with the likes of the Acura RDX and Infiniti QX50.
Also looking very sharp, the 2022 Buick Enclave gets a facelift (shown above). While Buick hasn't released details yet, the company released a couple of photos of the midsize three-row SUV, which features appealingly chiseled character lines and an upscale glow-up all around. Compare its new looks to the previous model.
Vehicle subscription services allow you to drive off in a new car with an all-inclusive monthly payment that includes scheduled maintenance, insurance, and should you get bored with your choice, the ability to swap it out for a different vehicle occasionally.
However, subscriptions are not catching on across all brands, and both BMW and Audi have announced that they are shuttering their programs. Ford and Mercedes-Benz halted their subscription programs last year.
If you're interested in subscribing to a car rather than buying or leasing, Lexus, Nissan, Porsche and Volvo still offer them. Cadillac, one of the first brands to offer subscriptions, is rumored to be planning a Book by Cadillac reboot sometime soon. And you can still subscribe to used cars through companies like Fair.
If the whispers around the automotive water cooler hold true, the deep, dank rumble of the Ford Mustang's 5.0-liter Coyote V8 may soon exist solely in your memories. Rumors are flying that the next-generation Mustang coupe and convertible will be all-electric, just like the new Mustang Mach-E SUV.
As of yet, no one has figured out how to produce quiet tire squealing, so we expect that electrified burnouts and donuts will continue to disturb the slumber of decent citizens.
The Tesla Model Y, an electric SUV with a starting price of under $42,000, is selling like hotcakes, especially in California. It accounted for a large portion of the 63% increase in Tesla registrations in the nation's most populous state.
While what's happening in California doesn't necessarily reflect nationwide trends, the state does serve as a bellwether for the future. And it has already announced a ban on new internal-combustion-engine cars starting in 2035.
Will the Model Y's growing popularity in the Golden State translate to sales in other regions of the country? You can look to the Tesla Model 3 for the answer. Last year, according to Car and Driver, the Model 3 became the fourth best-selling car in all of America, slotting in beneath the perennial favorites: Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and Toyota Corolla.
Wow.
At times plain and homely, and others stylish and well-equipped, the Volkswagen Golf (and its Rabbit predecessor) has been on sale continuously in the U.S. market since 1975. Therefore, with a little bit of sadness, we share news of the Golf's demise, which ended production for the States last week.
VW will continue to send the performance variants to America. Redesigned 2022 Golf GTI and 2022 Golf R models will arrive soon enough – and with higher price tags because Volkswagen is returning production to Germany from Mexico.
But for those who love affordable hatchbacks with German design, engineering, and driving dynamics, the Golf's (Rabbit's) end after more than 45 years of delivering cheap and fun transportation is a bummer – especially following the Beetle's cancelation last year.
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