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The Audi A4 ranks near the top of its class thanks to its advanced cabin technology, excellent build quality, quick acceleration, and solid ride. For 2020, Audi improves on this formula with new features. Read on to learn what’s new on the 2020 Audi A4.

The hexagonal grille has become wider and flatter. Also notice that the cut line of the hood no longer touches the upper edge of the grille.

LED headlights come standard on the new A4, although buyers can opt for Matrix LED-style lights like we’ve seen on other models including the A7 and Q8. You’ll find these fancy new lights up front and in the back. Although Audi has only detailed the Euro-spec version as of this writing, expect the U.S. model to feature similar design updates. Full details on the U.S. model are coming later this year, says Audi.

Audi lists the new European-spec A4 as having a length of 187.5 inches. If the U.S. model follows suit, that would mean a 1.4-inch increase in length from the previous model. Unsurprisingly, the wheelbase remains unchanged at 111.0 inches

On the old A4, the largest center infotainment screen you could get measured 8.3 inches. Now, the new A4 gets a 10.1-inch display. While the previous screen was controlled by a rotary knob, the new screen responds to touch. Thus, the old control knob has been removed from the center console. Audi says the updated MMI system features natural-language voice control so it can better understand phrases used in everyday speech.

Audi is offering six turbocharged engines in Europe. Engines will range in output from 148 hp to 342 hp, and some of the variants will be four-cylinder diesel, four-cylinder TFSI, and V-6 diesel engines. But the most interesting news might be that three of them will feature a new 12-volt mild hybrid system to lower fuel consumption. We don’t know yet if one of those is our U.S.-spec turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but it’s a possibility. We’re fairly sure the turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 in the S4 isn’t included in that group, however, as it’s not offered in Europe.

The post 2020 Audi A4 First Look: 5 New Features to Look for on the Refreshed Sedan appeared first on Motortrend.

Volvo wants to make sure the Volvo and Polestar brands are major players in the electric vehicle space and took some major steps today to make sure that plan never runs out of juice.

The Swedish brand owned by Chinese company Geely announced today it has signed long-term agreements with two major lithium-ion battery makers: CATL of China and LG Chem of South Korea. Unlike Tesla which makes its own batteries at the Gigafactory, Volvo has cemented a steady supply for the next decade as the automotive world races toward electrification.

Volvo has ambitious plans. It raised eyebrows when it announced in 2017 that all new Volvo models launched from 2019 on would have some degree of electrification, mostly hybrids initially. Leadership upped the ante when it announced the goal of fully electric cars making up half its global sales by 2025. Polestar was created as an electric brand. It started with a hybrid but all subsequent models will be electric only.

“The future of Volvo Cars is electric and we are firmly committed to moving beyond the internal combustion engine,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. “Today’s agreements with CATL and LG Chem demonstrate how we will reach our ambitious electrification targets.”

All Volvos ride on one of two platforms: the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) for the smaller 40 series and the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) for everything else. The new battery deal will cover the current CMA platform including the first electric Volvo, the XC40, which currently has a plug-in hybrid option. The electric XC40 will be built in Ghent, Belgium, where Volvo is building its first battery assembly line. Construction will be done by the end of the year. Also on CMA is the electric Polestar 2 and some models sold by Lynk & Co, also owned by Geely, all of which will be built at a plant in Luqiao, China.

The next generation SPA2 will use the new battery source. That means next-gen 90 and 60 Series vehicles. First up will be the next XC90. Volvo will add XC90 production to its new plant near Charleston, South Carolina, in 2021. The plant currently makes the S60, including plug-in hybrids, and a pure EV is expected  in the future from Volvo’s only North American plant.

Currently, the U.S. only gets the T8 plug-in hybrid, but in the future we will also receive the T6 Twin Engine that is offered in other markets as part of a mandate to offer a plug-in on every model Volvo produces.

The post How Volvo Plans to Fight Tesla in the EV Game appeared first on Motortrend.

Last year, Aston Martin announced plans to build 25 new DB5s in partnership with EON Productions, the company that produces the James Bond films. The continuation cars would be built as a tribute to the DB5’s role in the classic Bond flick Goldfinger, and most importantly, would have several functional spy gadgets, just like the original car had in the film. The cars won’t be road-legal, but we can easily see why any car geek and/or movie lover would want one. And even though the Goldfinger DB5s are still being built today, Aston Martin gave us a closer look at the spy gadgets it’s building into each car. Here are seven of the coolest ones currently in development.

Not all spy gadgets need to be lethal. Some simply help you escape unseen. On the DB5, that means having a smoke screen system installed in the rear of the car. We’re not sure how effective it would actually be, but by 1960s movie logic, it was genius.

Again, we’re not sure this particular gadget would be very helpful in 2019. Tires are grippier than they were 50 years ago, and spraying oil on the ground is less likely to cause someone to spin out. But if you’re in a car chase, it can’t hurt to give this taillight-mounted oil slick delivery system a shot.

Unlike the first two gadgets, the passage of time hasn’t made this one any less useful. But instead of using it to fool the bad guys, a revolving license plate would make dodging tolls a breeze. It would be very illegal, and you definitely shouldn’t try it, but we can dream, can’t we?

It doesn’t get much cooler than a pair of machine guns hidden in the front lights of a DB5. And the continuation cars will still have them. Sadly, the twin front machine guns won’t be functional, but seeing them pop out from behind the light housing will probably never get old.

If you need to drive through a wall or push a bad guy’s car off the road, the DB5’s retractable front and rear battering rams should prove useful. And when you’re a spy, those kinds of things apparently happen all the time. Gotta be prepared, right?

Sadly, there’s no actual ejector seat. Apparently, that would have been one step too far for Aston Martin. Even though that’s disappointing, considering how litigious people are these days, we understand. But you can at least pretend an ejector seat was included with the button hidden in the DB5’s shifter.

If you’re a movie spy, you have to be ready for any car chase to involve the bad guys shooting at your car. So obviously, you need a bullet shield that can pop up and protect your rear window. Sure, it may negatively impact rear visibility, but on a car that isn’t street-legal, it’s not like you’ll have to parallel park with the bullet shield still up.

The post The 7 Coolest Spy Gadgets on the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Tribute Car appeared first on Motortrend.

Another “quick” video of two C8 Corvette Prototypes was shared last night by undercover agent Corvette_Nut. One of the cars has the silver wheels and no rear spoiler.

Seriously, who takes and shares a 4-sec video! (Probably the same kind of guy who would post one on a blog!)

Source:
Corvette Nut / YouTube

Related:
[SPIED] Lone C8 Corvette Prototype Spotted in Fenton, Michigan
[SPIED] Corvette Insider Offers a Scoop on the C8’s Scoop and More
[SPIED] Stray Mule Sightings of the C8 Mid-Engine Corvette in the Wild

Continue reading [VIDEO] Don’t Blink or You’ll Miss the C8 Corvettes Driving By! at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

I want this car so bad I’m reluctant to share this link, but since I just added a teenager and his new car to my insurance plan, we’ll have to put off any impulse purchases for now.

While browsing the Facebook Marketplace, I came across this 1997 Corvette Coupe in Fairway Green.

Continue reading Found on Facebook: 1997 Corvette Coupe in Rare Fairway Green at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

Photo Credit: RoadAmerica / Twitter

Road America has been linked to the Corvette for decades.

Last week, that relationship continued when Chevrolet delivered the last three of five 2019 Elkhart Lake Blue Corvettes to the track, where they will be used as official pace cars during the 2019 season at the legendary Wisconsin track.

Continue reading Road America Takes Delivery of its Elkhart Lake Blue 2019 Corvette Pace Cars at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

Photo Courtesy: National Corvette Museum

Despite all the knowledge available through technology surrounding us, young people today don’t always know as much as they really need to know about the vehicles they’re driving.

Thanks to State Farm Insurance and the National Corvette Museum, however, that problem is being remedied for some drivers.

Continue reading State Farm Awards Grant to the National Corvette Museum for Driver Education Programs at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

For those of us driving older vehicles, we sometimes have to make compromises in our choice of music when on the road. But now you can take your music with you when you’re on the go with the Manfiter Bluetooth FM Transmitter Wireless Radio Adapter Car Kit now priced at $9.59 when you use the Promo Code 40QY5LD7.

Continue reading [AMAZON] Listen to Your Music with this Bluetooth FM Transmitter Now Just $9.59 at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

There’s no getting around the fact that pickup trucks can have very high sticker prices. But how do they fare against one other when it comes to overall value? We teamed up with IntelliChoice to find out.

IntelliChoice analyzes the total ownership costs of vehicles over a five-year period. To determine the best values, it looks at a vehicle’s actual ownership cost and compares that to the expected ownership cost based on its invoice price in its particular class. Vehicles perform better when they have a lower actual cost of ownership compared to expected cost of ownership. Ownership costs take into account depreciation, maintenance, repairs, fees, financing, fuel, and insurance.

Read on to learn which midsize pickups and full-size pickups have the Best Overall Values as defined by IntelliChoice.

The best-selling midsize pickup in the U.S. is also the one with the best value. The Toyota Tacoma’s five-year ownership cost is $36,149, significantly below its expected cost of $40,486 (calculated by averages for the midsize truck segment). And it retains an impressive 65.85 percent of its value after five years, compared to 59.90 percent for the second-place finisher, the Honda Ridgeline. This truck costs $40,095 to own and operate over five years. The Ford Ranger SuperCrew came in third place, followed by the GMC Canyon Crew Cab and Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab.

Although the Tacoma may have the best value, it didn’t perform very well in our recent midsize truck comparison. Its narrow bed, sensitive brakes, and disappointing engine and transmission integration relegated it to last place behind the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, and the unanimous winner, the Chevrolet Colorado.

The Toyota Tundra hasn’t received a full redesign since the 2007 model year. Despite its age, it boasts excellent reliability like its smaller Tacoma sibling. The Tundra CrewMax also offers the best value of all full-size trucks on the market.

The truck has a total ownership cost of $43,908, considerably lower than its expected cost of $49,422. It retains a whopping 69.05 percent of its value after five years.

In second place is the GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab with an ownership cost of $47,365 and a retained value of 59.74 percent. Rounding out the top five are the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, Toyota Tundra Double Cab, and GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab.

Good things are on the way for the Tundra. The next generation is rumored to sit on a platform shared with the Tacoma, and we anticipate it will receive an updated cabin design and better fuel economy.

The post Toyota, Honda, or GMC: Which Trucks Are the Best Values? appeared first on Motortrend.