Lexus plugs in its electric car offensive with an innovative concept
"We feel our future could resemble this design," Lexus design boss Koichi Suga told Digital Trends after giving us a preview of the 2019 LS-30 Electrified concept. It's a design-led, tech-savvy city car with a futuristic infotainment system and a luggage-carrying drone. It uses in-wheel electric motors.
Toyota is about to unveil a race car-like Supra concept inspired by the 1990s
Toyota's next concept will be a tribute to a limited-edition variant of the fourth-generation Supra introduced in 1994. The 3000GT -- no relation to the eponymous Mitsubishi -- is expected to receive a full body kit, and we're hoping Toyota dialed more power into the straight-six. It debuts November 5.
Nissan turns the Titan XD pickup truck into a smarter, better-behaved brute
Nissan added more tech features to the interior of the Titan XD, including a 9-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system on most models. It also pared down the lineup to one body style, one cargo box size, and a single engine option. Titan XD sales will begin during the 2020 model year.
The best cars for Uber
Driving for a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft is a great way to make extra money, but you won't earn much if you spend all of your profits on fuel and maintenance. Here, we've rounded up the best options for those looking for a car that expertly balances safety, fuel economy, and comfort.
Bosch will test its A.I.-powered, sound-seeing technology in space
SoundSee will ride around the International Space Station on a floating robot called AstroBee. It will perform sound checks, and monitor some of the onboard equipment using a microphone and artificial intelligence. "Sound has a lot of stories to tell, and we are not extracting them enough," Bosch told Digital Trends.
Hyundai turns the Veloster into an off-roader for America’s biggest tuning show
The funky Veloster has taken on many wild, unexpected forms since its introduction, but it has never gone off-road before. It will morph into a desert racer during the annual SEMA show opening its doors on November 5. The build includes a long list of modifications, but there's no indication it's headed to production.
Winterize your car with these cold weather tips
Driving in the winter is rarely easy. Luckily, we've put together a rundown of a few things you should do to winterize your car. Our tips range from performing basic maintenance tasks (like changing your oil) to the tried-and-true solution of putting sandbags in the back of a rear-wheel drive truck.
BMW’s entry-level 2 Series Gran Coupe packs big tech in a small package
The 3 Series has grown in size and price, so BMW filled the void by releasing a new entry-level model named 2 Series Gran Coupe. It's a front-wheel drive-based model, which is unusual for the firm, but it's packed with tech borrowed from its bigger sibling, and as quick as its specifications sheet suggests.
Ford and Holoride have a VR message you need to deliver to Frankenstein
You can experience Holoride technology for the first time by visiting Universal Pictures in California. Riders hop in the back of a 2020 Ford Explorer, put on VR goggles, and defeat virtual monsters to deliver an important message to Frankenstein. Holoride tech will be available for purchase sooner or later.
Porsche shaves nearly $80,000 from the Taycan EV’s price with new 4S variant
Scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2020, the 4S variant of the electric Porsche Taycan looks just like the existing Turbo and Turbo S models, but it's cheaper, slower, and it presumably has less driving range. It's on sale now with a base price of $103,800 before destination and incentives get factored in.
Volkswagen’s dapper 2020 Cross Sport may make its big brother jealous
New for 2020, the Atlas Cross Sport is not just a shrunken Atlas. The two models share a lot under the sheet metal, but the Cross Sport inaugurates several tech features and wears its own design. The five-seater model will be built in Tennessee, and it's scheduled to arrive in showrooms in early 2020.
Jeep celebrates being emoji-free after Apple boots impostor from iOS
The blue, hatchback-like emoji that popped up when iPhone users wrote the word "Jeep" wasn't trail-rated, according to the makers of the real thing. Apple booted it from the latest version of iOS, and Jeep started a lighthearted social media campaign to celebrate. We're hoping for a real Jeep emoji eventually.
Porsche links arms with Boeing in race to fill the skies with flying taxis
The two firms have already started developing a concept. They envision an electric, luxurious vertical takeoff and landing vehicle that silently and smoothly transports passengers through the skies. Porsche's research suggested the flying taxi market will pick up a tremendous amount of speed after 2025.
Clever technology helps keep EVs juiced up during widespread California blackout
Pacific Gas and Electric Company cut power to over 800,000 people in 34 California counties to reduce the risk of wildfires. Tesla leveraged its over-the-air software updating system to make sure its customers don't end up with a bricked car. It's also taking measures to ensure future outages are less problematic.
BMW recalls 257,000 cars to ensure owners can’t turn off the rearview camera
You'll know what BMW owners are experiencing if you've ever turned your phone's brightness all the way down before stepping out in broad daylight. Motorists are reducing the rearview camera screen's brightness and can't turn it back up. Numerous BMWs, two Rolls-Royces, and a Toyota are included in the recall.
Hundreds of Oktoberfest-goers lose license after drunken e-scooter rides
Locals and tourists gathered in Munich learned the hard way that riding an e-scooter is not an acceptable alternative to driving a car while drunk. Police checkpoints set up around the city's 16-day-long Oktoberfest celebrations caught hundreds of intoxicated motorists squiggling their way down a street or a sidewalk.
Waymo’s self-driving prototypes begin exploring LA’s latticework of streets
Three prototypes decked out with a full suite of autonomous technology have started exploring Los Angeles to gather data about the city's streets, though they're being driven by engineers. The company hasn't announced when it will take humans out of the equation and let its prototypes prowl La's streets on their own.
Over 800 motorists said their Nissan slammed on its brakes for no reason
Fourteen accidents and five injuries are being blamed on the malfunction, which comes from the automatic emergency braking technology. Disgruntled motorists claim their car gets confused by bridges, railroad tracks, and parking garages, though some slammed on their brakes while traveling at freeway speeds.
49,000 UAW workers are striking against GM. Here’s what you need to know
Nearly 50,000 union-represented workers in the United States are on strike against General Motors. They're asking for better wages, job security, and more benefits. Here's everything you need to know about the strike, including how it started and why, and what it could mean for you and your next car.
Tesla will show its creative side to comply with looming EV noise regulations
EVs will need to emit an artificial noise under 19 mph starting in September 2020, and Tesla is using the law as an excuse to get creative. The California-based company announced customizable horn and movement sounds are coming to its cars soon. Coconuts, goat bleats, and farts were floated as possible sounds.
2020 Subaru Impreza gets new look and more tech without the inflated price tag
The sedan and hatchback variants of the Subaru Impreza are safer than before thanks to standard EyeSight across the board. Stylists also gave both variants a new-look front end, though the changes are minor. There are no mechanical modifications to report. The 2020 Impreza will arrive in showrooms by late 2019.
Tesla’s Smart Summon catches the attention of safety regulators
Several Twitter users posted videos of their Tesla hitting another car, or nearly cutting off oncoming traffic. One complained his Model 3 hit a garage wall. The federal government is gathering information from Tesla about the feature. Elon Musk said owners used Summon over half a million times.
Leaked documents claim the Honda Ridgeline is about to go hybrid
The second-generation Ridgeline is due for a mid-cycle update, and a dealership claims Honda has big changes in store for its only truck. In addition to a redesigned front end, the Ridgeline will allegedly offer a hybrid powertrain made up of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and two electric motors.
Behind the scenes of Audi’s secret arsenal of EV tech
The first cars built on the PPE platform being co-developed by Audi and Porsche will break cover in the 2020s. The architecture is being designed from a blank slate to underpin fast, luxurious electric cars. Digital Trends saw a mock-up that previews one of the first PPE-based cars, and learned what's under the skin.
2020 Audi Q5 TFSI E first drive review
Audi will roll out a range of plug-in hybrid models for the 2020 model year. The Q5, the A7, and the A8 are all getting electrified. Digital Trends took a gasoline-electric Q5 for a spin in the German countryside to find out whether it lives up to the Audi emblem on its nose, and how it performs as a hybrid.
Land Rover searches for ways to keep customers and regulators satisfied
Motorists want big, heavy SUVs they ride tall in, but regulators demand cleaner cars, and these two boxes are difficult to tick simultaneously. The company is looking at alternative ways to turn its biggest, heaviest models into zero-emissions cruisers. Hydrogen technology could help the British firm solve this puzzle.
Semi trailer carrying five Teslas and one Subaru mysteriously goes up in flames
An equal amount of facts and assumptions gravitate around the enigmatic fire. What we know is that a hauler being towed across Nevada caught fire, and the six cars on it -- five Tesla EVs and one Subaru -- were a total loss. Tesla quickly blamed the fire on the trailer, but the cause isn't known yet.
BMW M bundles supercar-like performance into the X5 and the X6
Buyers who want 600 horsepower under their right foot no longer have to compromise space or comfort. BMW's M division released high-performance variants of the third-generation X5 and X6 both powered by a mighty, twin-turbocharged V8. Both will arrive in American showrooms in early 2020 with a six-digit price tag.
Smarter and sharper-looking, the Toyota C-HR now plays nice with Android phones
Toyota resisted Android Auto for years due to privacy and safety concerns, but it settled its differences with Google. The 2020 C-HR comes standard with Android Auto. It also offers Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Minor visual changes round out the list of updates for the 2020 model year.
Bosch is detonating mini-explosions in electric cars to make them safer
An electric car's powertrain becomes a rescue team's worst enemy during a crash. Bosch developed a semiconductor-based technology that detonates mini-explosions when it detects the car has been involved in a crash to prevent electrical shocks. When this technology will reach the market depends on EV manufacturers.
Tesla software version 10.0: Everything you need to know
Tesla's V10.0 software adds the ability to plug an Xbox controller into their center console to play games. It also adds Smart Summon, which lets the car drive itself to where its owner is waiting, and Tesla Theater, which allows motorists to watch videos on Netflix and YouTube while parked.
EVs, hybrids, and sports cars dot Maserati’s 2020s product road map
Maserati is turning to its Italian roots to future-proof its range of luxury and performance models. It announced plans to release an array of new or comprehensively updated cars in the coming years, and all of them will be made in Italy. Electrification plays a significant role in its future lineup of cars.