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8 excellent minivans you can't buy in the United States

Americans have fallen out of love with minivans. For some reason, a super-practical, multi-seat vehicle that can haul almost anyone and anything is less popular than giant SUVs that make it difficult to access the third row. The rest of the world hasn’t forgotten the minivanÂ’s virtues, and many well-known automakers offer a whole rainbow of family carriers, some of which offer clever camping and luxury features. Here are some forbidden-fruit vans we canÂ’t buy in the United States. Toyota Noah/Voxy The Toyota Noah and Voxy have been around since the early 2000s and sit below the Alphard (more on that below) in the automakerÂ’s van line. ToyotaÂ’s sales model in Japan seems complicated from the outside, as the company sells different vehicles at different types of dealerships. The Noah was originally sold at ToyotaÂ’s Corolla Stores before the automaker shifted its model to the van in all locations in 2020. Now in their fourth generation, the van twins offer unique family-friendly features like a step system and use ToyotaÂ’s latest hybrid system. Toyota Alphard The Toyota Alphard is a stately minivan sold in several countries and regions, including Bangladesh, China and the Middle East. ItÂ’s now in its third generation and features Lexus-like styling with a massive cabin. The Alphard is available with several powertrain options, including some it shares with Lexus and other Toyota models, including the ES 350 and Highlander. Toyota equips the Alphard with several advanced safety features, and the van can comfortably carry up to eight people. That said, the Alphard is more expensive than many of its rivals in the markets where itÂ’s sold, so people may consider other options. Mitsubishi Delica If youÂ’ve spent any time in the automotive corners of social media, youÂ’ve seen a Delica. TheyÂ’re everywhere now, as Americans figure out that a small, light van with real ground clearance and four-wheel drive is a great thing. Mitsubishi has made different vehicles under the Delica name, including a truck and a kei car, but the minivan is the one most of us recognize. The Delica entered its fifth generation way back in 2007 and got a facelift in 2019. ItÂ’s still available with four-wheel drive, though Mitsubishi also sells a front-drive version. TodayÂ’s van is light years away from the classic models we can import here and features a massive grille with unique front lighting fixtures.

Spongebob Squarepants Toyota Highlander gets Tanked in Vegas

In 2006, I bought a Scion xB (the super upright, first-generation one), and I always had this wild dream of turning the xBox into an aquarium after it had run its course in my personal test fleet. Long story short, that never happened. But apparently the folks at Toyota got wind of my idea - only, well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind.
Let's just start at the beginning here. This is a 2014 Toyota Highlander - you know, the redesigned one that bowed in New York earlier this year. I haven't driven it yet, but I'm sure it's plenty nice and will appeal to all sorts of families. Families with kids. Kids who like cartoons. Cartoons like Spongebob Squarepants.
Which brings me to our next talking point: the collaboration between Toyota and Nickelodeon for the Spongebob-themed wrap that covers every inch of this Highlander. This isn't the first time we've seen the yellow cartoon sponge on a Highlander - Toyota unveiled a differently wrapped version earlier this year - but this one features more of an aquatic, under-the-sea sort of theme. Perfect, considering the main point of this crossover's reason for being at SEMA.

Recharge Wrap-up: Q50 Hybrid video, Iran's biodiesel weed

A new video from Infiniti showcases the Q50 Hybrid's kinetic energy recovery technology, borrowed from Formula One. The video details what is going on inside both the Q50 Hybrid and the racecar when it gathers energy to store for later use, offering better performance than an internal combustion engine alone. In the Q50 Hybrid, that electric energy helps the car accelerate from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. The video also serves to highlight the relationship between racing innovation and performance and efficiency improvements in production vehicles. See the video above. The 2015 Toyota Prius C has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The compact hybrid, updated for the 2015 model year, has been upgraded from a "poor" to "acceptable" rating in the small overlap crash test, placing it on the Top Safety Pick list. Beginning in the 2016 model year, cars will have to score a "good" rating on the test to make the list, which means further improvements will be necessary if Toyota wants the Prius C to maintain its safety status with the IIHS. Read more at Green Car Reports. A couple in Tennessee have been found guilty of scamming the state in a fake biodiesel scheme. John and Lisa Brichetto's Northington Energy LLC received a state loan to produce biodiesel in 2011, but the facility never started production and was later foreclosed upon. In addition to the $142,215 the Brichettos defrauded from Tennessee, the state also invested in utilities and roads, while the US Department of Agriculture also paid for site improvements. Read more from the Times Free Press. Researchers in Iran have developed a way to make biodiesel from a weed. Scientists at the Islamic Azad University have created two liters of biomass for biofuel from flixweed. Flixweed, also called herb-Sophia and tansy mustard, is a non-edible weed that grows in various climates with little to no effort. It was found to contain 22 percent oil and fatty acids, and the biomass contains oxygenated chemical components. "This issue is important because the atomic oxygen in the fuel of a car directly cuts exhaust and the dangerous carbon monoxide and cancerous particles suspended in air," says Mehdi Alami, a chemistry graduate working on the project. Read more at Press TV.