MotorTrend February 2021

@markrechtin Life is awash in sports metaphors. A struggling automaker might be behind the eight ball and throw a Hail Mary with a desperate product launch—which can result in a home run or getting put down for the count. (And yes, I know I’m mixing billiards, football, baseball, and boxing metaphors here.) These clichés are thrown about with such abandon that people may not even realize that sport is being referenced anymore. But there is one sports reference that never loses its impact: three-peat. Only true dynasties can declare such a trio of title triumphs: The Shaq and Kobe L.A. Lakers, the Lombardi-era Green Bay Packers, and the Air Jordan Chicago Bulls (who did it twice). Not even the Ruth and Gehrig New York Yankees took three in a row. To win the title…

In a time when the future of the sedan is in doubt, the 2022 Honda Civic doubles down with a more mature design, a promise of additional features, and all the sporty charm enthusiasts love. For the uninitiated, Honda typically produces prototypes such as this rather than concept cars. Rather than an unrestrained vision of the future, they’re essentially the final production cars with a few flourishes that’ll get toned down a bit by the time you can actually buy one. This new Civic prototype is no different. What you see here is basically what’ll be at the dealer this spring, though Honda says it incorporates exclusive styling cues from both the sedan and hatchback body styles. At first look, it strikes you as a more mature and fully realized evolution of…

General Motors has pulled the wraps off the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, an electric full-size pickup with crazy power, a removable top, moonscape-themed details, and a price of $112,595 for the high-end Edition 1 trim that’s set to go on sale before the end of 2021. Although GMC will offer the Hummer EV in a number of trims, the brand will initially sell the vehicle solely in Edition 1 guise. As such, all 2022 Hummer EVs are painted white with a black-painted upper. As the highest performing variant of the Hummer EV, the Edition 1 comes standard with three electric motors, two of which power the rear axle; the third provides grunt to the front. As such, the truck features standard four-wheel drive and a torque-vectoring rear end—a setup GMC dubs…

There is no diesel-powered Defender in the U.S. lineup, so the Land Rover Defender 110 D240 is forbidden fruit for Americans. It’s also a rare beast: You can’t order one anymore, even in its home market. After less than a year on the market, the Defender’s 2.0-liter turbodiesel I-4 powertrain—available in both 197-hp and 237-hp tune—has been replaced by a new 3.0-liter twin-turbodiesel mild hybrid inline-six tuned to deliver 197 hp, 247 hp, or 296 hp, depending on how much you want to spend. Until it hits the market, though, the Defender 110 D240 is all we have to answer the question: Does a diesel engine make the new Defender even more desirable? Torque and fuel efficiency are a diesel engine’s strong points, and both are desirable characteristics in an off-road-capable SUV…

Two hours into wheeling the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport up a reasonably tough trail and already seriously impressed with what the little rig could do, I still wouldn’t have bothered attempting that stair-step obstacle. Eyeballing it, I figured I’d run the bumper into the hillside before I got the tires up to the edge. I was wrong. Oh, and did I mention this was the only vehicle in the entire group on the standard Pirelli Scorpion ATR tires? Everything else had the optional Falken Wildpeak A/Ts with a much more aggressive tread pattern. It was, however, still a Badlands trim like the rest, and that matters. The Badlands (and the First Edition, which is a limited run based on the Badlands) is endowed with serious off-roading hardware. Right up front, it’s the only…

MASER MONEY FCA is investing heavily in Maserati, funding a swarm of new models over the next five years. It’s spending on replacements for the current-generation Ghibli sedan, GranTurismo coupe, GranCabrio convertible, and Levante SUV. Additions to the lineup include the just-announced MC20 supercar and the forthcoming midsize Grecale SUV. All will be available with full battery-electric powertrains. And, insiders say, that investment is baked into the merger with French automaker PSA, which is expected to close within months. But what’s the endgame? Intriguingly, sources in Modena say the success of the Ferrari IPO on FCA’s watch might encourage the merged company, named Stellantis and headed by PSA chief Carlos Tavares, to eventually consider spinning off Maserati, as well. MID-ENGINE MAYHEM Does Ferrari need two mid-engine supercars? The answer is…