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Nissan Z Proto, next-gen Hyundai Tucson and a hi-po mystery Bronco | Autoblog Podcast #645

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and News Editor Joel Stocksdale. In the news this week, Ford has teased some sort of high-performance Bronco, Nissan unveiled the Z Proto, Hyundai revealed the next-gen Tucson and GMC teased the Hummer EV's "Crab Mode." Our editors break that all down for you, and share some insights and opinions before they turn to the cars in their own driveways. This week, they've been spending time with the 2020 Mercedes-AMG G 63, as well as the 2020 BMW Alpina B7. Autoblog Podcast #645 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Ford's beefed-up Bronco prototype stars in new teaser photo Nissan Z Proto previews the retro, rear-drive, turbo, manual future of the Z All the Nissan Z cars that got us to the Z Proto 2022 Hyundai Tucson debuts with striking styling inside and out GMC Hummer teases crab mode, reveal set for Oct. 20 Cars we're driving: 2020 Mercedes-AMG G 63 2020 BMW Alpina B7 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Nissan's Ultimate Smart BBQ e-NV200 is crowd-funded fun in Japan

When the weather starts warming up, expect the grills to start heating up. A Japanese company is trying to get a jump on the higher temperatures with a crowdfunding campaign for a Nissan e-NV200 with a full kitchenette and many more bizarre features hidden inside. The company calls it the Ultimate Smart BBQ Vehicle. More than just a rather bizarre video, a crowdfunding site is hosting a project to actually hold parties around Japan with this Nissan. The goal is to raise 1 million yen (about $8,500 at current rates), and it has about 180,000 yen ($1,500), as of this writing. A pledge of at least 30,000 yen ($250) gets you and a friend invited to one of these events. However, if you really need the Ultimate Smart BBQ Vehicle, then 25 million yen ($208,500) buys it outright. This van is designed to be an emissions-free party machine. Sliding out of the rear is a 1,500-watt electric grill complete with a rotisserie, and there's even a sink for washing dishes. A full disposal system even helps with cleanup afterwards. Beyond just a place to do some outdoor cooking, this e-NV200 is outfitted with practically everything necessary to host some festivities. An ultrasonic mosquito barrier should keep the bugs away, and a water mister also helps keep guests cool. When it starts getting dark, there's a smartphone-linked screen on the side to display pictures or movies, and the setup even doubles as a karaoke machine. Likely the weirdest feature, though, is a deployable drone that can take pictures of your shindig. Our Japanese language skills are limited to counting from one to ten and asking what time it is in Tokyo right now, so it's hard to really suss out all the details. But from a Q&A at the bottom of the page (translated by our friends at Google Translate), it appears you have to be a Japanese resident to donate. And the site doesn't take American Express. If anyone knows how to read Japanese and wants to tell us more, please comment below. Because now we're hungry and want some yakitori.

Chevy Volt 'acceptable,' Nissan Leaf 'poor' in new IIHS safety tests

Ford C-Max Hybrid also scored "acceptable" rating. With US Nissan Leaf sales up almost 30 percent during the first half of the year, the only thing that might be able to stop the battery-electric vehicle is a good, stiff barrier. Unfortunately, thing's aren't always pretty when that happens in the real world, according to new tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Things with the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in are a little bit rosier, though. The two plug-in vehicles were part of a batch of a dozen vehicles that just went through the IIHS's "small overlap" test, in which the driver's side front corner of the vehicle is crashed into a rigid barrier at 40 miles per hour. Out of the dozen, only the Mini Cooper Countryman was given a "good" rating. Five vehicles, including the Volt and the Ford C-Max Hybrid, were rated "acceptable," two were "marginal" and two, including the Leaf, were "poor." Plug-in vehicles are unique in the crash-test context because of their relatively large battery sizes. In the Volt's case, the driver had a "low risk" of injury, said the IIHS. But the Leaf's crash substantially pushed back the instrument panel and steering column, creating a scenario where the driver was "likely" to sustain leg injuries. The batteries in both the Leaf and the Volt passed safety tests specifically targeted at things like thermo and electrical properties and overall integrity. "Nissan is proud of the Leaf's 'Good' rating in all other IIHS tests, a 4-star NCAP rating from NHTSA and its IIHS Top Safety Pick rating in all previous years since the car's release," the company said in an e-mail sent to AutoblogGreen. "As for the performance of the 2014 Leaf in the 'small overlap frontal test,' Nissan will continue to review these and other results from the IIHS 'small overlap frontal test' as we seek opportunities for improvement." Check out the IIHS's press release and small car crash-test video footage below. Range of ratings: Small car ratings run the gamut in challenging small overlap front test The Mini Cooper Countryman is the only small car to earn a good rating among the latest group of 12 cars subjected to the Institute's small overlap front crash test. Two electric models and a hybrid also are in the mix, with varied results. The electric-powered Chevrolet Volt (with a gasoline engine "range extender") earns an acceptable rating, while its battery-electric rival, the Nissan Leaf, earns a poor rating.