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Driving a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle, and the 2021 Kia K5 arrives | Autoblog Podcast #634

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer and News Editor Joel Stocksdale. They start with what they've been driving this week, including the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 diesel, 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle. They move on to the news, covering the 2021 Kia K5, Geneva Motor Show (canceled again), Maserati's new engine and a new extended reality experience here at Autoblog. Finally, the guys spend some money for a listener who just had twins. Autoblog Podcast #634 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 Cars we're driving 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 diesel 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 1964 Volkswagen Beetle 2021 Kia K5 Geneva Motor Show cancelled Maserati engine Extended Reality with the Mustang Mach-E Spend your money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Ford Mustang outsold Audi TT and Porsche 911 in Germany

Despite being the antithesis of the cars Germany is known for, the new Ford Mustang was the best selling sports car in the land of schnitzel and beer last month by a whisker. The Mustang beat out the Audi TT by 780 units to 708, and it beat Germany's best known performance car, the Porsche 911, 780 to 752. That makes some sense, right? The Mustang has to be cheaper than those competitors, right? Not really. Both the EcoBoost and V8-powered Mustang have higher starting prices than the equivalent TT. The 2.3-liter, EcoBoost-powered Mustang starts at 38,000 euros (around $43,300 at today's rates), while the front-drive Audi TT starts at 35,950 euros (about $41,000). The V8-powered Mustang GT, meanwhile, starts at 43,000 euros (about $49,000), which is just 2,550 euros more than the Quattro-equipped TT. When 310 horsepower or 435 hp can be had for just a couple thousand more than 220 hp, it's easy to understand the Mustang's success. The 911, of course, is a lot more expensive than the Mustang. You can buy two Mustang GTs for the price of a single Carrera. But Ford also managed to beat out the Porsche's smaller siblings, the Boxster and Cayman twins, which sold a combined 642 vehicles. Again, the pony car is significantly cheaper, but that doesn't do much to lessen the impact of the Mustang's victory. If you're in Germany and are concerned about this American invasion, you shouldn't be (yet). The TT is Germany's best-selling sports car from January through March, with 2,299 to the Ford's 1,823. Porsche is breathing down the pony car's neck, too, with 1,811 units in 2016. It'll be interesting to see if Ford's successful March carries on into the rest of 2016. Related Video:

Ford Fiesta ST orders off to strong start

We at Autoblog love the new little Ford Fiesta ST, and apparently, folks in Europe are pretty impressed with it, as well. According to Ford, the automaker's European arm has already logged 3,000 orders for the new hot hatch since it hit dealerships this March. The US-spec car, which will only be available as a five-door, will go on sale in the United States this summer.
What's perhaps most interesting about the Fiesta ST ordering is that the majority of customers appear to be ordering high-spec cars. According to Ford data, 60 percent of customers have opted for the leather interior with Recaro buckets, and 90 percent have selected the upgraded 17-inch wheels (seen on our test car, above). Spirit Blue has been the most popular color, commanding 27 percent of all orders. As for the technology upgrades, 19 percent of customers have ponied up for the Sony stereo with navigation.
To recap, the Fiesta ST is offered with Ford's 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, putting out 179 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. We had an absolute blast flinging the hot Fiesta through the French Alps, and we can't wait for this sharp little hatch to make its way over to the States.