2013 Hyundai Elantra Gls on 2040-cars

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2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vs Big Three-Row Crossovers | Spec comparison

The three-row 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is here, entering an ever-growing segment of big crossovers that Jeep has ignored since the Commander of the late 2000s. Of course, the Dodge Durango has basically been a three-row version of the current Grand Cherokee with Dodge styling and a different interior, so it's not like The Corporate Entity Formerly Known as Chrysler has been without a contender in the segment. Jeep is a stronger brand than Dodge, however, and the three-row midsize segment is stronger than those with two rows (there's a vast sales difference between the Chevrolet Traverse and Blazer, as well as the Honda Pilot and Passport). In other words, the Grand Cherokee L could be a very big deal. It is also, quite literally, a very big deal. As you're about to see, it is now the largest three-row crossover, besting the length, wheelbase and height of even the gargantuan Traverse. There's more to the story than that, however, so we put together the below comparison chart to show you how the new Grand Cherokee L lines up on paper versus the biggest three-row crossovers. That includes the 2021 Ford Explorer, 2021 Kia Telluride, 2021 Hyundai Palisade and 2022 Chevrolet Traverse. This group also represents some of the strongest entries in the segment as well as those we feel are most likely to be considered alongside the big Jeep. To that end, we also included the 2021 Lincoln Aviator in the chart since its base price is actually less than what we anticipate the luxurious, range-topping Grand Cherokee L Overland and Summit trim levels to start.  Engines and drivetrains Note the differences in curb weight here. The Grand Cherokee L has the highest base curb weight of the group apart from the high-lux Aviator, yet its 3.6-liter V6 has the least amount of power and torque. Therefore, it'll be surprising if it's not the slowest in the group. There's of course the Hemi V8 available on the top Overland and Summit trim levels, but again, a hefty curb weight works against it. At 5,330 pounds, the lightest V8-powered JGCL weighs 600 pounds more than V6-power Explorer Platinum and ST models. On the other hand, nothing can touch the Hemi Jeep's towing capacity, and only the 400-hp Aviator betters the Jeep's base V6. Its 6,200-pound towing capacity greatly outdoes the 5,000-pound limits of not only the Telluride, Palisade and Traverse, but most others in the segment as well.

Hyundai may be working on Theta III power for a mid-engine car

Hyundai's been showing off mid-engine concepts and flogging mid-engine prototypes for at least four years. The fanciful 2014 Passo Corto gave way to a Veloster Midship concept just a few months later, the following years bringing the RM15 N and RM16 N. The "RM" stands for Racing Midship, and spy photographers caught the RM16 N painting a new racing line at the Nurburgring. Korean outlet Motorgraph reports that Hyundai is currently developing its Theta III engine for release late this year or in 2019 in the next-generation Genesis G80, but the four-cylinder will be engineered to suit front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and mid-engine applications. In the interests of more power, displacement in the Theta III will increase to 2.5 liters from the 2.0- and 2.4-liter displacements of the Theta II. Naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions are in development, both maintaining Hyundai's GDi direct injection. Front-wheel drive, turbocharged applications are predicted to output 280 horsepower, rear-wheel-drive turbo vehicles would get 300 horsepower. The turbocharged 2.0-liter Theta II in the current Sonata tops out at 245 hp, the same engine previously offered in the Santa Fe took that up to 264 hp. The mid-engine turbo Theta III would shrink to 2.3 liters, but rock a max output of 350 horsepower. That would put a mid-engine Veloster at the award-winning end of the competitive set, alongside the 350-hp Ford Focus RS and well in front of the 292-hp Volkswagen Golf R. Admittedly, it's early days for such talk, but with a motor in the middle and ex- BMW M boss Albert Biermann helming the chassis department, Hyundai might even aim for dynamic comparisons to the 350-hp Porsche 718 Cayman S. A potential super sporty offering from the N division needn't be a Veloster, either; that hatch might merely be an engine testbed. The Korean carmaker didn't poach two ex- Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini designers so that it could think small. Related Video:

2016: The year we talked about autonomy a bunch | Autoblog Podcast #497

This week on the Autoblog Podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman take a look back at one of the biggest topics of 2016: autonomous driving. The thing is, there was a lot of news about autonomous driving, but not much in the way of autonomous cars you can buy. They also talk about what they've been driving lately - there was a good turbocharged compact car and a not-so-good turbocharged compact car. And then we round out the year with a quick Spend My Money. The podcast will take a break next week, but we'll be back in the new year with reports from CES and the 2017 Detroit Auto Show. And we're lining up some fun guests for future recordings. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And please send trivia questions! You'll get the honor of stumping your fellow listeners, and we'll thank you too. Autoblog Podcast #497 Topics and stories we mention 2017 Hyundai Elantra Sport 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo 2016 Honda Accord V6 (The sedan, but here's our Quick Spin of the coupe for reference) Autonomous Driving Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 02:40 Rants (metal trim on steering wheels, learn how your car works) - 14:25 Looking back at autonomous driving in 2016 - 21:10 Spend My Money - 31:20 Total Duration: 37:46 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 Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Honda Hyundai Nissan Car Buying Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles nissan sentra