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Reveling in the reveals: BRZ, Civic, Wrangler, QX55

It’s almost like there should have been an auto show this week. If youÂ’re an enthusiast, you know the week before Thanksgiving is when the Los Angeles Auto Show kicks off. This year, thereÂ’s no L.A. show, at least until next May. But Subaru, Honda, Jeep and Infiniti rolled out significant new products this week, making us almost nostalgic for auto shows. Serendipity, or more likely previously allocated marketing budgets, gave us a familiar feel of new products, even though we couldnÂ’t feel or touch them under the bright lights of the Los Angeles Convention Center. LetÂ’s break them down: 2022 Subaru BRZ 2022 Subaru BRZ View 62 Photos Subaru stuck to basic formula here: The 2022 BRZ remains a rear-wheel drive sports coupe thatÂ’s supremely lightweight, adequately powered and attractive. Subaru debuts its new boxer four-cylinder in the BRZ. ItÂ’s rated at 223 hp and you need to rev all the way to 7,000 rpm to achieve that output. I'd prefer a bit more than the 184 lb-ft of torque the powerplant offers (reasonably low in the band at 3,700 rpm), for some more off-the-line grunt. Say 200 lb-ft, though itÂ’s almost a cliche to argue the BRZ is underpowered.  The outgoing BRZ is one of the purest cars IÂ’ve driven, so rather than harp on the power, which will ultimately be fine, give Subaru props for focusing on chassis improvements to improve rigidity by 60 percent and aid turn-in. Admirably, the curb weight is less than 2,900 pounds, and the manual in Premium trim checks in at the lowest, just 2,815 pounds.  Aesthetically, I like it. ItÂ’s busier than before, and thereÂ’s a lot more going on with the front fascia, wheel arches and fenders. ThereÂ’s a bit of a Porsche vibe up front, which is good, and a bit of a Honda Civic vibe in back (think 2010) thatÂ’s not.  ItÂ’s impressive that Subaru resisted the urge to gratuitously power up the BRZ and remained focused on the essence of its goodness and appeal to enthusiasts. 2021 Jeep Wrangler 392 2021 Jeep? Wrangler Rubicon 392 View 75 Photos What effect will the 2021 Ford Bronco have on the Jeep Wrangler? One school of thought is that it will actually make the Jeep better, and the 2021 Wrangler 392 is proof positive that will be the case. With the Bronco attracting spectacular levels of attention, Jeep could not sit idly by and remain focused on incremental changes. It needed to make a splash.

Watch the 2022 Infiniti QX55 reveal livestream at 8:55 p.m. EST right here

The car reveals are coming in quick succession today, and last up is the 2022 Infiniti QX55. Infiniti will be hosting a stream at 8:55 p.m. ET tonight to reveal the crossover coupe version of its popular QX50. Artist Aloe Blacc will be hosting the event and hyping the car up from the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Additionally, Infiniti will have designers and executives on hand to speak about the car and its development and background. If this reveal is anything like the Nissan Z Proto reveal, expect a number of folks on hand and a detailed look at the crossover. You can watch it all in the video stream at the top of this post via YouTube. We already know what to expect coming into this reveal, thanks to a recent teaser from Infiniti and spy shots (see the gallery below) captured at the beginning of the year. It’s going to look like a chopped and coupe-ified QX50. The VC-Turbo engine should be under the front hood, and “shifting” will likely be handled via a CVT. Check back with this post just before 9:00 p.m. ET to see the video reveal, then head on over to our full reveal post on our home page where you can get a more detailed breakdown of whatÂ’s new and different in the QX55.

Infiniti names former BMW man Kruger to fill de Nysschen role

Today is turning into a big one for senior leadership changes in the automotive industry. Hot on the heels of Ferrari announcing the replacement of its chairman, Infiniti has announced the appointment of its new chief executive in Roland Krüger.
Serving until now as a senior vice president at BMW, Krüger joins Infiniti as its president as well as senior VP at parent company Nissan, reporting directly to Carlos Ghosn. Krüger had been with BMW since 1998, primarily as a regional director, having previously started his career as a designer for Mitsubishi and the Smart division at Daimler.
Krüger's appointment comes just over a week after the announcement that Infiniti's chairman Andy Palmer would be leaving for Aston Martin, and two months after the departure of outgoing Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen for Cadillac. The Japanese luxury automaker, headquartered in Hong Kong, has been in the meantime essentially operating by committee in the absence of a chief executive. The nomination of Krüger will surely bring a large measure of stability and direction as the company seeks to take a larger slice of the pie, in particular from German automakers like the one for which Krüger worked until now.