The $61,000 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is an improvement on the original that made driving this Italian SUV sheer bliss

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/582ca3fdba6eb620008b4a98-1200/ar018_024stgp2ap27co3om5av291pnl3fofv.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Stelvio" data-mce-source="Alfa Romeo" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p><p class="caption">2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Alfa Rome is in dire need of a car that can pay the bills in the US market.</p><p>While the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/alfa-romeo-4c-spider-review-mini-ferrari-2016-7" target="_blank">4C sports car</a> and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/italys-alfa-romeo-bmw-america-2016-3" target="_blank">Giulia sedan</a> are interesting and evocative cars, neither model is capable of sustaining a brand financially.</p><p>On Wednesday, that all changed with the introduction of the 2018 Stelvio SUV. </p><p>In a marketplace craving SUVs, the arrival of the Stelvio is exactly what the Italian performance brand needs if it wants to succeed in its return to America after two decades away.</p><p>Named after one of the most famous driving roads in the world - the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps - the Alfa SUV is designed to be more road-going speed demon than rock-crawling beast.</p><p><span>"Stelvio is uniquely engineered to challenge two-door sports cars on the track, without sacrificing any of the characteristics you would expect from a premium SUV, resulting in the perfect mix of high performance, capability and Italian design," Alfa Romeo boss <span>Reid Bigland said in a statement.</span></span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/582ca2e4e02ba71c008b4a86-2000/ar018_023stt5tquvf5lhogelvf3ikintto60.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Stelvio" data-mce-source="Alfa Romeo" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>And the Stelvio certainly has the muscle to back up its sporting image. </p><p>The top-of-the-line Stelvio Quadrifoglio is powered by a Ferrari-derived 505 horsepower, 2.9 liter, bi-turbo V6 engine shared with the Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan. According to Alfa, the top spec Stelvio can hit 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 177 mph. </p><p>But there's more. </p><p>Even the run-of-the-mill models get plenty of Italian horsepower under the hood.  The base Stelvio and mid-grade Stelvio Ti models come standard with a 280 horsepower, turbocharged, inline-four cylinder engine. </p><p>All Stelvios come standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/582ca46dba6eb61b008b4a74-1778/ar018_029st53977md661qf144c6207mikd1h.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Stelvio" data-mce-source="Alfa Romeo" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The Italian-built SUV is also available with a slew of other performance goodies including, torque vectoring, active suspension, limited-slip differential, Chassis Domain Control, and four select-able driving modes.</p><p>Inside, the top spec Stelvio Quadrifoglio is decked out in hand-stitched leather, carbon fiber, and Alcantara. In front of the driver is a 7-inch TFT instrument display flanked by two analog gauges. While the main infotainment system runs through a larger 8.8 inch screen with 3D graphic navigation capabilities.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/582ca3d3ba6eb6b1018b4a43-1200/ar018_002stqi0ucr848lcj6vd7a2vqn5j0qg.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Stelvio" data-mce-source="Alfa Romeo" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The Stelvio is also available with adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and autonomous braking. </p><p>The 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is expected to arrived in US showrooms some time in 2017 with the intention of taking on the Porsche Macan, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Audi Q5, and BMW X3. </p><p>Alfa has not released official pricing data for the Stelvio. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mercedes-unveils-first-all-electric-suv-concept-generation-eq-paris-motor-show-2016-9">Mercedes unveils its first all-electric SUV concept at Paris Motor Show</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="9rdGY2NjE6uIVsvyaLN9SdXOf5t-tEf2" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '9rdGY2NjE6uIVsvyaLN9SdXOf5t-tEf2',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Porsche and Mercedes beware, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV has arrived

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a79e98ccdab5f33008b4649-1800/alfa romeo stelvia-7.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Stelvia" data-mce-source="Hollis Johnson/Business Insider" data-link="https://www.hollisjohnson.com/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.hollisjohnson.com/">Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The Stelvio is Alfa Romeo's first crack at an SUV since returning to the US market.</strong></li><li><strong>Luxury SUVs are a mission-critical segment for the Italian brand.</strong></li><li><strong>We enjoyed the crossover's styling and driving dynamics, but it fell short on infotainment and interior quality.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>Alfa Romeo exited the US market back in the mid-1990s, and if you had told me prior to the financial crisis that the legendary Italian brand would be back, I'd have scoffed.</p><p>By the bailout and bankruptcy of Chrysler in 2009 set the stage for an unlikely return, as Fiat - Alfa's owner - acquired Chrysler and formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. CEO Sergio Marchionne was keen to restore Alfa in the lucrative US luxury market. So first we got the offbeat 4C sports car, followed by the marvelous Giulia sedan.</p><p>Now the most unlikely Alfa of all has arrived, the Stelvio SUV. Luxury SUVs are a big segment in SUV-mad American, with pretty much every major brand supporting a lineup. Alfa had to be in on the action.</p><p>The Stelvio landed in 2017, and we recently got our hands on a $53,000 Sport-trim example (the base model is $42,000). The car was mega-sharp, with its quintessentially Italian styling. A Range Rover this definitely isn't. But what was it like to live with?</p><p><em>Photos by Hollis Johnson.</em></p>

We drove a $53,000 Alfa Romeo Stelvio - and the new luxury SUV is far from perfect

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/558afc7becad04080657802a-5000-3200/hp 1.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Giulia" data-mce-source="Alfa Romeo" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p><p class="caption">The new Alfa Romeo Giulia.</p></div><p></p></div></div>British motoring website Auto Express <a href="http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/alfa-romeo/86302/alfa-romeo-suv-2016">is reporting</a> that production of the new, highly-anticipated Gulia sedan will begin on March 14. </p><p><span>Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly told workers at one of the conglomerate's Italian factories that work would finally commence.</span></p><p>Already, Alfa Romeo has delayed production six months.</p><p>The first version of the Guilia to become available in the United States will be a 505-horsepower version sure to challenge the best German offerings from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.</p><p>It certainly has its looks going for it.</p><p>The Giulia will join the 4C and 4C Spider in Alfa's North American lineup. Marchionne apparently also confirmed the name of their new SUV: the Stelvio.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56c6269c2e5265b8008b80ce-8883-4442/hp2.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Giulia" data-mce-source="Alfa Romeo" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hersheys-carrot-cake-kisses-video-2016-2">Hershey's Kisses just released a bizarre new flavor and people don't know how to feel</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="J5NmgyMTE6fy9epV4MeCwXI91Aju0olN" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'J5NmgyMTE6fy9epV4MeCwXI91Aju0olN',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Alfa Romeo's Giulia sedan is finally going into production

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578fae384321f171088b97ae-2250/alfa romeo 4c spider-26.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo 4C Spider 26" /><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson</span></p>After two decades away from the US market, Alfa Romeo returned in 2014 with the 4C sports car. A year later, the company followed up with the 4C Spider, and in 2017, it's selling the Giulia sedan and launching the Stelvio SUV. The return of Alfa Romeo is a key component in Fiat Chrysler's strategy to incorporate its European holdings in its US offerings.<p>Although Alfa Romeo is a brand steeped in history with a reputation for building stylish sports cars, it's probably best known for its appearance in the 1967 film "The Graduate." The decision to pair Dustin Hoffman's character up with an Alfa Spider instantly propelled the car and the company into pop-culture-icon status.</p><p>The car sits in an odd place in the market. It's a small, stripped down, turbocharged, carbon-fiber two-seater priced below $100,000. About the only thing you can compare it to is a Ferrari - except that a mid-engine 488 GTB will set you back $300,000. Coincidentally, the Alfa 4C is built in Ferrari's hometown of Modena, Italy. </p><p>A little while back, Alfa dropped off a red 4C Spider for Business Insider to check out. The open-top 4C starts at $64,000, but our option-laden test car left the showroom with a $74,000 price tag.</p><p><em>Photos by Hollis Johnson.</em></p>

The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is one of the oddest and most memorable cars we've ever driven

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/579245c388e4a70f018ba1a4-1945/alfa romeo 4c spider thumb-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Thumb 1" data-mce-source="Hollis Johnson" /><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson</span></p><p class="caption">The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/porsche" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Porsche</a> 718 Boxster S and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/alfa-romeo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alfa Romeo</a> 4C Spider are two of the best <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/sports-cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sports cars</a> to ever emerge from Europe.</strong></li><li><strong>Both the Porsche and the Alfa are powered by turbocharged, inline-four-cylinder engines located behind the driver.</strong></li><li><strong>The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider costs about $74,000 while our Porsche 718 Boxster S carried a price tag of just under $90,000.</strong></li><li><strong>The Alfa Romeo delivered a more raw and evocative driving experience than the Porsche. </strong></li><li><strong>But, we found the Porsche to be an all-around better car. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p>There are few things as evocative in western society as the convertible sports car. With the top down, it's the automotive embodiment of fun, freedom, and the open road. Pretty much all the good parts of driving. Cliche? Absolutely. But get behind the wheel of a great sports car and you'll find out very quickly that there is a whole lot truth to the cliche. </p><p>Two of the best to come out of Europe is the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/porsche-718-boxster-s-review-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Porsche 718 Boxster</a> and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/alfa-romeo-4c-spider-review-mini-ferrari-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alfa Romeo 4C Spider</a>. </p><p>The Porsche 718 is the latest in the company's highly successful Boxster line of mid-engine sports cars. For years, it was seen as the 911's adorable little brother. But lately, Porsche has loosened the reigns on its entry-level sports car with the addition of turbocharging and a host of performance goodies. </p><p>The Alfa Romeo 4C paved the way for the brand's return to the US market back in 2014. Now, Alfa Romeo is powering forward with a lineup led by its stunning Guilia sports sedan and Stelvio crossover SUV. The 4C is a bit of an odd-duck. There's really nothing else like it in the world. It's part pint-sized Ferrari, part Italian Lotus. And it's 100% fun.</p><p>So the question must be asked? Which one is better? The raucous Italian or Stuttgart's finest? </p>

We drove a $90,000 Porsche 718 Boxster S and a $74,000 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider to see which is the better sports car - here's the verdict

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Fiat Chrysler published its annual US sales report on Tuesday.</li><li>The automaker sold four <keyword id="1562335" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dodge-Viper">Dodge Viper</keyword>s in 2020, according to the report. The <keyword id="5002152" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="dodge">Dodge</keyword> Viper was discontinued in 2017.</li><li>The automaker also sold three Jeep Patriots, despite the car being discontinued at the end of 2016.</li></ul><p>As automakers roll out their end-of-year sales reports, it's always entertaining to keep an eye out for fun oddities. Here's one from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/fiat-chrysler">Fiat Chrysler</a>, which managed to sell four (4) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/dodge-viper">Dodge Vipers</a> in 2020 - a car that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dodge-viper-production-end-2016-6">had been discontinued three years prior</a>.</p><p><keyword id="295132" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="FCA">FCA</keyword> released its <a href="https://media.fcanorthamerica.com/newsrelease.do?id=22426&amp;mid=1id=1">fourth-quarter and full-year sales results</a> on Tuesday. Only the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeep-gladiator-review-car-reviews-specs-price-truck-pickup-wrangler-2020-6">Jeep Gladiator pickup truck</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alfa-romeo-stelvio-suv-review-photos-features-verdict-2020-4">Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV</a> managed to post positive sales in 2020 over 2019, but the most interesting tidbit of information present, by far, was the fact that the automaker managed to sell four Vipers.</p><div type="image" title="FCA 2020 sales results" height="1113" width="1068" msid="80200206" hostid="261"></div><p>It's not totally unheard of for dealers to keep selling cars after they've been discontinued. Sometimes, dealers will buy cars from the manufacturers but they won't sell them immediately, holding onto them as centerpieces or demo vehicles. This very thing <a href="https://jalopnik.com/we-found-12-of-the-last-new-lexus-lfas-for-sale-in-amer-1797718447">happened</a> with a handful of 2012 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/listen-to-the-lexus-lfa-supercars-engine-2013-1">Lexus LFA</a>s showing up as unsold at dealerships in 2017. </p><p>It's unclear which dealers sold the Vipers, but it's heartening - yet not surprising - to know there are still new ones out there that people want to buy. This is because the Dodge Viper was one of the most iconic American muscle cars ever made. </p><p>It started life in the early 1990s with an 8.0-liter V10 engine, a six-speed manual transmission, a canvas roof, no outside door handles, no air conditioning, no airbags, no traction control, and no ABS. In other words, a perfect vehicle.</p><div type="image" title="2016 Dodge Viper" height="1667" width="2500" msid="80200209" hostid="261"></div>Famously, most Viper models had side-exit exhaust pipes located just beneath their doors. As exhaust pipes do, these tended to get hot after extended periods of driving and owners could burn their ankles and calves on them upon exiting the vehicle if they weren't careful. Again, this was a feature and not a bug.<p>By the time <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-this-is-the-2013-srt-viper-2012-4">the fifth-generation Viper</a> rolled around in 2013 - the final generation - the car was actually quite refined. True, the engine had been enlarged to 8.4 liters and was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2014-srt-viper-ta-is-built-for-the-track-2013-3">making a claimed 640 horsepower</a>, but it had just as much technology on it as other modern sports cars: electronic stability control, ABS, and traction control.</p><div type="image" title="2016 Dodge Viper" height="1667" width="2500" msid="80200210" hostid="261"></div>In 2017, the Viper officially ended production because it could not meet new safety standards that took effect in September of that year. The Viper's low sales numbers probably didn't do it any favors, either. <a href="https://www.motortrend.com/news/dodge-viper-plant-shuts-august-31/">Motor Trend</a> reported in 2017 that just 630 Vipers were sold the year before.<p>Not long after production ceased, the Viper's factory was <a href="https://jalopnik.com/the-dodge-viper-factory-will-be-turned-into-a-fiat-chry-1823996268">turned into</a> an FCA historic car storage facility. The very last Dodge Viper built was auctioned off along with the last Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and the pair <a href="https://jalopnik.com/the-very-last-dodge-demon-and-dodge-viper-just-went-for-1827112584">fetched $1 million</a>.</p><p>At least the Viper wasn't FCA's worst seller of 2020. That award goes to the Ram Cargo Van (one sold) and the Jeep Patriot (three sold). The latter was discontinued at the end of 2016 and considerably less cool than the Viper. </p>

Dodge sold 4 Vipers last year despite the iconic American muscle car being discontinued in 2017

<p><div type="image" title="New York Coronavirus" height="1333" width="2000" msid="75325445" hostid="261"></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic and the shutdowns of entire states and cities has eliminated traffic from highways and congestion from streets.</li><li>I had heard stories of swift runs through New York and New Jersey territory formerly jammed with traffic 24/7.</li><li><p>After a few weeks of legends and rumors, I decided to see for myself what was happening out there.</p></li><li>What was out there was <keyword id="13197" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Speed">speed</keyword> and lots of it.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Since the middle of March, I'd been staying close to my home in New Jersey as the <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> pandemic intensified and governments began shutting down states — including mine — and cities, notably the center of the outbreak in the US: New York.</p><p>But last week, I ended up <keyword id="30692" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="driving">driving</keyword> about 200 miles, roundtrip, twice: from the New Jersey suburbs to the east end of Long Island.</p><p>The journey involves, basically, two highways, two rivers, and two tunnels, with the island of Manhattan traditionally representing the most challenging obstacle.</p><p>I'm an expert at driving in NYC, my skills honed over several decades of battling it out with all comers on the vehicular mean streets. I'm talking about sharking yellow cabs, darting cyclists, the odd motorbiker, fleets of luxury SUVs, pelotons of delivery trucks, no shortage of flatbeds and Earth movers, and of course thousands of pedestrians who, it being New York, walk wherever they want, whenever they want.</p><p><div type="image" title="2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio" height="1503" width="2000" msid="75325449" hostid="261"></div></p><p>One must have a mind open to chaos when driving in the Big Apple. And one's soul must be tempered with patience, for there are always delays, delays, and still more delays to contend with. Congestion has breached a surreal barrier over the past decade, complicated by Uber and Lyft. Frequent have been the hours when I've poked along a tenth of a block at a time while piloting a $100,000-plus car that has a top speed of 200 miles per hour. Thank heavens for satellite radio. And even then, merely one stalled bus in the Lincoln tunnel can mean the difference between dinner at eight and leftovers at midnight.</p><p>The pandemic has radically altered this landscape, however. I had heard the rumors. Out in Los Angeles, where I lived and died — figuratively — in traffic for 10 years, the air had been restored to an alpine flavor and the freeways were vacant. Nearer to home, Manhattan was now a legit 15-minute jaunt from my house, and Manhattan, ever-clogged and gridlocked Gotham, was no longer a barrier but rather a blink-and-you'll miss it whistle-stop.</p><p>I saddled up my <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alfa-romeo-stelvio-suv-review-photos-features-verdict-2020-4">Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV</a> to see for myself.</p><p><div type="image" title="LA traffic coronavirus highway" height="1333" width="2000" msid="75325451" hostid="261"></div></p><p>A swift merge onto my main artery to NYC, New Jersey Route 3, sent me flying through the Meadowlands and past MetLife Stadium before plunging into the dark conduit of the Lincoln Tunnel, for an underground transit of the Hudson River in ... five minutes?!?!</p><p>I emerged to a massive construction project that I know like one of my children, so long has it slowed my right turn onto Ninth Avenue (since 2014). Whoosh! Nothing. Across 34th Street and through Midtown in ... 10 minutes?!?! Then into the Midtown Tunnel, even emptier than the Lincoln, and up the rise to the Queens feeder to the Long Island Expressway.</p><p>Ah, the LIE! Site of numerous, previous existential crises, if not wholesale meltdowns of my leathery motorist's psyche. I have cursed my creator far too often to enumerate on this godless thoroughfare. My final reward will require some sort of explanation for my unholy declarations as I slogged over the searing asphalt, waiting, waiting, waiting for things to "open up."</p><p>But last week ... a blissful, uninterrupted cruise. Even when I gamed this roadway, making my run at one, two, three in the morning, never did I encounter such a profound lack of agonized vehicular camaraderie. </p><p><div type="image" title="autobahn germany" height="683" width="1024" msid="75325452" hostid="261"></div></p><p>In fact, I saw firsthand what an American <em><keyword id="683959" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Autobahn">autobahn</keyword></em> might be like. The famous German highways have a recommended speed limit of 80 mph — stress on "recommended." Out on the LIE, that recommendation appeared to have crossed the Atlantic. Myself, I'm professionally obliged to observe the posted speed limit, so I keep the Stelvio on the lawful side of the equation.</p><p>But all around me, velocity.</p><p>Even a fairly inexpensive modern car can support 80 mph, and often more. Drivers were savoring their power and freedom all over the place. New York State highway patrollers had a few of them parked on the shoulder, bathed in flashing lights. But the defiant ones were steadfastly defiant. At one point, I heard a BMW M3 coming up from behind before I observed it blast by my port flank. Speed was north of 100, maybe north of 110. It was both flagrant and impressive, libertine in its boldness.</p><p>I lack confidence in motorists who rarely top 50 mph in my traffic-choked tri-state to manage a newfound need for speed, but I didn't witness any wreckage on my trips. I've often wondered if the LIE could take the best that Detroit, Japan, Germany, Italy, and South Korea have to throw at it. And I'm here to report that the LIE doesn't mind a little pedal to the metal. The LIE might sort of want it, dream about it, nurture it when it arrives.</p><p><div type="image" title="FILE - This Dec. 12, 2018, file photo shows traffic on the Hollywood Freeway in Los Angeles. President Donald Trump's is expected to mark a win in his two-year fight to gut one of the United States' single-biggest efforts against climate change, relaxing ambitious Obama-era vehicle mileage standards and raising the ceiling on damaging fossil fuel emissions for years to come. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)" height="1478" width="2314" msid="75325455" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Did I find any of this eerie, weird, troubling, post-apocalyptic, Omega Mannish? Nope, I simply took it for what it was: the American character, forged on the romance of the open road, now finally, actually, getting one. I recalled some lingo from Jack Kerouac's chronicle of a less congested USA, <em>On the Road: </em>"No sooner were we out of town than Eddie started to ball that jack ninety miles an hour out of sheer exuberance."</p><p>Ninety. How quaintly 1950s.</p><p>I'm not sure if the pandemic will change America in ways we can't foresee. But one thing's for sure: the temporary elimination of traffic proves something — that although our highways were ostensibly built for comfort, given the right condition, they're certainly capable of embracing speed.</p><p>I made it out and back in one piece. The Stelvio was magnificent. People shouldn't drive this fast for too long or its liable to warp their brains. Believe me, I've seen it. I've been out there. I'm here to tell the dangerous tale.</p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/driving-with-no-traffic-new-york-new-jersey-coronavirus-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

What it's like to drive on empty highways and through a seemingly deserted New York City during the coronavirus pandemic

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55e0ca54bd86ef19008b6bff-2400/rtr3elfb.jpg" alt="Sergio Marchionne Ferrari" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Denis Balibouse" /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Denis Balibouse</span></p><p class="caption">Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne has gotten more serious about an SUV.</strong></li><li><strong>The challenges for the brand to create one are immense.</strong></li><li><strong>It would have to be an SUV that is reinvented to align with Ferrari's reputation for exclusivity.</strong></li></ul><p>Back in February, <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/Ferrari-Quote">Ferrari</a> CEO Sergio Marchionne (he also runs former Ferrari parent, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) effectively said that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ferrari-not-making-an-suv-2017-2">Ferrari would never build an SUV</a>.</p><p>His adamant made sense at the time because Ferrari had just launched an IPO and had placed the brand's aura of exclusivity under moderate threat. Prior to 2015, Ferrari answered to no one. After the IPO, investors would have a direct say.</p><p>But now Marchionne appears to be changing his tune, even though in August he said that a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ferraris-ceo-suv-rumors-2017-8">Ferrari SUV that wasn't up to the brand's standards gave him "hallucinations."</a></p><p>He landed at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday and, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-09/marchionne-stokes-ferrari-suv-interest-rules-out-jeep-spinoff">according to Bloomberg</a>, said that the Ferrari SUV would get serious consideration. But he isn't calling it an "SUV" - the term is "FUV," for Ferrari Utility Vehicle.</p><p>Marchionne has set a 30-month timetable, a good indication of two things. First, that any Ferrari SUV would be a clean-slate, all-Ferrari design, not a rebadged or re-engineered vehicle from another FCA brand (and besides, Maserati and Alfa Romeo have both seen SUV launches in the past year). </p><p>Second, that Marchionne might stay on as Ferrari CEO after he steps down as FCA CEO, at least for a while. He's slated to retire at FCA in 2019.</p><h2>How serious is Sergio?</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/582dd5f4ba6eb620008b4e22-2400/alfalaapdsc1633s7aiog6sjdf13stkaj9j340t0j.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Stelvio LA Auto Show" data-mce-source="Alfa Romeo" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p><p class="caption">The Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Three years is sort of a long time to spend on developing an SUV, given that these are the hottest vehicles in the market at the moment. By 2020 or thereabouts, an SUV-driven sales boom in the US should have subsided, and it's anybody's guess what gas prices will look like. So a Ferrari SUV could be late to the game.</p><p>Ferrari's IPO has turned out to be wildly successful: the carmaker's stock is up 113% over the last 12 months. The run-up has had nothing to do with Ferrari building an SUV, and Marchionne knows very well that it would be a major challenge for Ferrari - basically, a race-car company that builds road cars on the side - to execute on even a very special "FUV" reimagining of such a vehicle.</p><p>The biggest impediment is Ferrari's factory in Maranello, Italy, which is relatively new and designed to build two-door sports cars and GT or Grand Touring cars - two doors with back seats. Ferrari would need a new SUV plant, or assembly line. Slapping a Ferrari badge on any other FCA product would not go over well.</p><p>The big question now for Wall Street is: "How serious is Sergio?" The timetable suggests that Ferrari is no longer treating the SUV idea as heresy. But Marchionne - who has the soul of a banker and has always understood what Wall Street wants better than he peers, going back to Fiat's takeover of Chrysler from the US government in 2009 - is clearly pulling some strings here, as the Ferrari story needs new chapters to support the stock price. </p><p>That said, the unthinkable now sounds as if it's being thought about.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/only-10-people-able-buy-ferraris-brand-new-supercar-japan-j50-2016-12">Only 10 people will be able to buy Ferrari's brand new supercar</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/WtP52dWv-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Ferrari's CEO says he is 'dead serious' about making an SUV - but he may be toying with Wall Street

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/582dd5f4ba6eb620008b4e22-2400/alfalaapdsc1633s7aiog6sjdf13stkaj9j340t0j.jpg" alt="Alfa Romeo Stelvio LA Auto Show" /><p class="source"><span>Alfa Romeo</span></p><p class="caption">The Alfa Romeo Stelvio.</p>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-auto-show-preview-2017-4/#even-though-new-york-wont-be-an-over-the-top-supercar-palooza-there-will-be-plenty-automotive-eye-candy-on-show-the-most-anticipated-unveiling-this-year-is-the-dodge-challenger-srt-demon-a-car-that-promises-to-be-lighter-faster-and-more-powerful-than-the-707-hp-challenger-hellcat-1">New York Auto Show opens to public this week</a> and will bring a wide range of vehicles to the NY area - a surprisingly important market for carmakers, even though no one in Manhattan likes to drive and many residents of the Big Apple don't own cars.<p>Everyday folks tend to really enjoy this show, but for the auto industry, New York represents the end of a long car-show circuit that kicked off in Los Angeles last year, wound through Detroit and CES in Las Vegas, headed over to Europe, made stops in Chicago and Washington, DC, and wraps up in Gotham.</p><p>The truth is that the NY show finds the industry ready for a break. That said, there will be cars and trucks, and the ones that appear on the show floor this year summarize the major trends in the US market.</p><h2>SUVs will rule</h2><p>Everybody is showing crossovers and SUVs, which makes sense as these vehicles are selling like crazy and enabling carmakers to print money. A few sports cars and redesigned sedans are slated to appear, but the Northeast is SUV country, so it makes sense that these vehicles are what manufacturers are rolling out.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58b6ef7101fe581e378b558c-2000/rrvelar18my387glhdpr010317.jpg" alt="Range Rover Velar" /><p class="source"><span>Jaguar Land Rover</span></p><p class="caption">Range Rover's stunning Velar SUV .</p><h2>Luxury matters</h2><p>The Northeast is also a big luxury market - in fact, a big luxury SUV market - so we'll be seeing luxe trucks from the likes of Mercedes, Range Rover, Volvo, and Alfa Romeo. But we'll also get a Jaguar F-Type with a more fuel-efficient 4-cylinder motor and not one, but two wagons from Buick and Porsche.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58cc0a8ed349f949008b4eff-2400" alt="Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo" /><p class="source"><span>Newspress</span></p><p class="caption">Panamera Sport Turismo wagon.</p><h2>Tech is still less important than functionality</h2><p>The high-tech car story has usually been told by the time the New York event arrives, in LA and at CES. As a result, New York tends to be more about the present than the future. And although consumers are enthusiastic about new vehicles technologies, when it comes to SUVs and crossovers, other factors hold sway: comfort, fuel economy, cargo capacity, and safety.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57068b3452bcd022008bb617-2250" alt="Jaguar F Type 28" /><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson</span></p><p class="caption">The Jaguar F-Type.</p><p>In many respects, the New York Auto Show is ironically the most consumer-focused of them all. LA has been about green vehicles in the past and has more recently become a tech show. CES is of course all about high-tech. Detroit is where we get to see the Big Three undertake some major reveals, and European shows such as Geneva present dazzling and sexy supercars. </p><p>New York is also positioned right ahead of the summer buying season on the schedule. A good thing, as there are signs that the US sales market is weakening a bit. So if New York stokes some consumers enthusiasm, automakers will be glad they came.</p><p>The show opens on April 14 and runs through April 23.</p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/look-at-lucid-motors-air-electric-car-vehicle-developed-former-tesla-executives-price-interior-2017-3">We took a ride in the futuristic electric car created by former Tesla execs</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

The New York Auto Show is symbolic of everything dominating the car business right now

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Macan and Cayenne <keyword id="60427" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="SUVs">SUVs</keyword> were <keyword id="45673" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Porsche">Porsche</keyword>'s best-selling vehicles in 2020, with the Macan winning out.</li><li>The Macan GTS drives and handles like something much smaller and way more fun.</li><li>My 2020 loaner model started at $71,300. After options, it came to $84,090.</li></ul><p>Given the plethora of available compact luxury SUVs these days, you'd almost think the <keyword id="2188881" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Porsche-Macan">Porsche Macan</keyword> would vanish into a sea of jelly bean-shaped anonymity. You'd be wrong. You'd be <em>so</em> wrong.</p><p><a href="https://jalopnik.com/the-2019-porsche-macan-handles-better-than-a-crossover-1830850009base">Even in base-trim, the Macan is a riot to drive</a>. But today, we're here to talk about the Macan GTS. In the Macan's four-trim lineup, the GTS ranks second from the top below the range-topping Macan Turbo. And while you might be quick to dismiss the GTS model because it isn't the most powerful or most expensive Macan there is, slow down. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_22" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81604971" hostid="261"></div>For too long, buyers had to choose between either buying a sports car or an SUV. There was no compromise.<p>Now there is. </p><h2><strong>The 2020 Macan GTS: Voted most popular</strong></h2><p>Launched in 2014 as a smaller and sportier step down from the Cayenne, the Macan was refreshed for 2019 most significantly to get a <a href="https://jalopnik.com/this-thing-has-an-actual-name-1826419841">heckblende rear taillight</a>. Pre-refresh Macans have two separate taillights instead of one long one; this is the easiest way to tell them apart.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_29" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81604974" hostid="261"></div>Currently, the Macan is Porsche's best-selling vehicle. <a href="https://newsroom.porsche.com/en_US/2021/company/porsche-cars-north-america-retail-sales-fourth-quarter-year-end-2020-23328.html">With 18,631 sold in 2020</a>, it beat the Cayenne by 539 units. <p>Now, it's plain as day that SUVs are the Porsche moneymakers. But the fact that the newer, smaller - and cheaper - Macan has stolen the top spot from the Cayenne in today's SUV-obsessed market speaks volumes to the car's popularity with buyers, which is well-earned.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_3" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81604979" hostid="261"></div>The differences between the 2020 Macan GTS, which was what my loaner was, and the 2021 Macan GTS are minimal. Save for a few changes to the Premium Package Plus and the addition of Apple CarPlay, the two are essentially the same.<h2><strong>Details and safety ratings: A quick SUV</strong></h2><p>Powered by a 2.9-liter, twin-turbocharged V6, the Macan GTS produces a claimed 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. It has all-wheel drive as standard and Porsche's seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission.</p><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM11" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81604982" hostid="261"></div>Porsche estimates the Macan GTS's top speed to be 162 mph, and its 0-to-60 acceleration time to be 4.7 seconds. That drops to 4.5 seconds with the addition of the Sport Chrono option.<p>Length comes to 15.4 feet and width comes to 6.4 feet. Curb weight is 4,370 pounds and total towing capacity comes to 4,409 pounds.</p><p>At 17.6 cubic feet with the rear seats upright, the Macan GTS doesn't have the roomiest trunk out there, but it'll fit a week's worth of groceries or a few weekend bags in a pinch. With a fuel tank capacity of 19.8 gallons, the Macan GTS returns 17 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_45" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81604984" hostid="261"></div>The <keyword id="10964137" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="2020-porsche-macan-gts">2020 Porsche Macan GTS</keyword> has not been rated for crashworthiness by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Though, despite the lack of publicly available crash test ratings, the car still earned a <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/some-cars-will-never-be-crash-tested-crash-test-ratings/">Consumer Reports</a> recommendation.<h2><strong>What stands out: Tactile heaven</strong></h2><p>Porsche appears to be one of the last automakers to offer button-friendly interiors. There's an infotainment screen, obviously, but there are still buttons and dials for the various radio and climate controls. The speedometer and tachometer are still analog dials.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_40" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81604988" hostid="261"></div>The most immediately delightful part of the Macan is its steering wheel. Petite and thin in your hands, the wheel is tidily minimalist, lacking in extraneous buttons. Instead, it has computer mouse-like scroll wheels for the volume on one side and for a few driver information menus on the other. That's it.<p>The selectable driver modes are located on a dial down by your right thumb that you can easily toggle by feel without taking your eyes off the road.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-kristen  (@KristenLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1372940634143723522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote><p>The rest of the Macan GTS's interior has some pretty great tactile feedback. The left-handed ignition clunks heavily when you turn it, kicking the car to life or putting it to sleep. The gear selector thunks resolutely into place. The paddle shifters feel like milled metal and clink if you tap on them. The scroll wheels on the steering wheel buzz cheerfully in their cradles. </p><p>When cars all inevitably switch to touchscreen setups, swipe functions, and engine start/stop buttons, this is the stuff I'll miss the most.</p><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM7" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81604994" hostid="261"></div>Combine the tight and responsive steering with a lightning-fast transmission and a torquey engine and you've got something cracking exciting on your hands. With an SUV's ground clearance, you still sit high, yet somehow the chassis doesn't lean terribly much in the corners. Bafflingly, the car feels like it shrinks around you instead.<p>Though quiet when the sport exhaust isn't activated, the Macan GTS burbles and pops with V6 rasp encouragingly in Sport and Sport Plus modes. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_33" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81604998" hostid="261"></div>All of these things urge you to drive with a bit more pep than you normally would. A bit more daringly. It rewards a heavier foot with punchy acceleration. A flick of the steering wheel with the nose-down eagerness of a dog in pursuit. And you finally feel it - that small smile tug at the corner of your mouth. Because the Macan GTS is <em>fun</em>, man. <h2><strong>What falls short: Too much of a good thing</strong></h2><p>There are two very minor grievances I had with the Macan GTS. The first is with the buttons.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_39" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81605001" hostid="261"></div>I know! I just got done praising those very buttons. And as much as I love that they're there, the arrangement is a bit chaotic. A ridge of buttons adorns either side of the center console. Overhead, another fleet of them dances around the cabin light. <p>I'm sure once you get used to the placement you'll remember where everything is, but it's overwhelming at first. I appreciated the grouping - all the traction and suspension control buttons are presented together, as are all the climate and seat heating/cooling buttons - but the buttons were still all in one concentrated spot: the center console. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_37" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605002" hostid="261"></div>If I had it my way, I'd put a bigger physical break between the groups, perhaps even separating them away from each other for ease of muscle memory. But let me be clear: I will take a dizzying array of buttons any day over a purely touchscreen interface.<p>Secondly, legroom in the back seat wasn't stellar. For those shorter in the leg or for shorter trips, it's fine. For taller folks on longer trips, stretching out might be a problem.</p><h2><strong>How the Macan GTS compares to its competitors: Power per dollar</strong></h2><p>The base price for the 2020 Macan GTS, which is what I had as a loaner, starts at $71,300. The 2021 Macan GTS <a href="https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/macan/macan-models/macan-gts/">sees a very slight price bump</a> up to $72,100.</p><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM4" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605005" hostid="261"></div>After options such as Mamba Green metallic paint ($700), the torque-vectoring plus package ($1,500), the heated multifunction GT sport steering wheel ($590), Sport Chrono package ($1,360), and Premium Package Plus ($5,020 with a Bose audio system, ventilated front seats, auto-dimming mirrors, and a panoramic sunroof) - plus the non-negotiable $1,350 destination and delivery fee - the final price of my loaner came to $84,090.<p>Yes. It's a lot of money.</p><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM2" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605006" hostid="261"></div>The Macan GTS can count the BMW X3 M40i (<a href="https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/x-models/x3/sports-activity-vehicle/bmw-m.html">$56,600</a>), Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 (<a href="https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/model/glc/suv/glc43w4">$59,900</a>), Jaguar F-Pace R-Dynamic S (<a href="https://www.jaguarusa.com/all-models/f-pace/models/index.html">$65,200</a>), Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (<a href="https://www.alfaromeousa.com/bmo.stelvio.2021#/models/2021/stelvio?app=bmo&amp;vehicle=stelvio&amp;year=2021ear=2021">$80,800</a>), Land Rover Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic (<a href="https://buildyour.landroverusa.com/lr2/r/model/_/en_us/l560_k20/48guw">$58,500</a>) and Audi SQ5 (<a href="https://www.audiusa.com/us/web/en/models/q5/sq5/2021/overview/engine-trim.html">$52,900</a>) as competitors. <p>It is nearly the most expensive option in that luxury compact SUV segment, even though its power is pretty evenly matched with the rest of the competition. But hey! You get a Porsche badge, if you're into that.</p><h2><strong>Our impressions: Sports car disguised as an SUV</strong></h2><p>After seeing just how many other options there are to choose from, it's easy to dismiss the Macan GTS as just another luxury SUV. But my advice would be to drive one first. Although the car's dimensions suggest something far larger, it drives more like a hot hatchback.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_18" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605009" hostid="261"></div>Due to its smaller size and lighter weight, the Macan GTS doesn't need busloads of horsepower to make a point. Porsche pulled that off by pairing an athletic chassis and suspension setup with a turbocharged engine tuned for hauling ass. There's a deftness to the way the SUV handles that's not unlike what you'd find in a sports car.<p>Unfortunately, $72,100 is the starting price for that fun. I'm not here to tell you how to spend your money, but if there's some disagreement between the Macan you want and how much cash you've got - well, there's always the used market after a couple of years.</p><p style="text-align: center;">♦♦♦</p><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM6" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605012" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM5" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605014" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM9" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605015" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Porsche Macan GTS._OEM1" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605016" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_35" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605019" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_44" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605020" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_19" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81605023" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_27" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81605024" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_32" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605026" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_34" height="1666" width="2500" msid="81605027" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_16" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81605030" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_4" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81605033" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_28" height="1667" width="2500" msid="81605035" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_17" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81605041" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Porsche Macan GTS._KL_14" height="3750" width="2500" msid="81605048" hostid="261"></div>

Review: The $84,090 Porsche Macan GTS is the practical combination of a sports car and a luxury SUV

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/cadillac">Cadillac</a> loaned me a $112,000 Escalade Platinum ESV, the all-new version of the brand's full-size luxury SUV.</li><li>The new Escalade has been hotly anticipated, as Lincoln's revamped Navigator captivated customers when it came to market a few years back.</li><li>My four-wheel-drive Escalade came with a 6.2-liter, 420-horsepower V8 engine under the hood and a new suspension for the rear wheels.</li><li>But the real showstopper is a 38-inch, three-screen instrument-cluster-and-infotainment system.</li><li>My first-drive impression is that <keyword id="128115" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cadillac">Cadillac</keyword> has done what it needed to do with its flagship, even as the brand takes the electric lead for General Motors.</li></ul><p>Cadillac has been on its heels for a few years.</p><p>The 2018 launch of a completely redesigned Lincoln Navigator was a smash for Cadillac's rival in the luxury full-size SUV market. At one point, Lincoln was struggling to meet dealer demand, the reviews were rapturous, and it was clear that Cadillac needed to up its game with the hotly anticipated Escalade, which hadn't been revamped since 2015.</p><p>The moment has arrived, and Cadillac has rolled out the all-new, fifth-generation Escalade. It remains large and in charge, a great hulking hunk of a machine, but the new Navigator represented a significant rethink of the overall user experience, so the big question around the new Caddy wasn't whether it would be good at what it always has been but rather, "Would it be good at charting a path to a future very different from the world of 1999, when the Escalade first hit the streets?"</p><h2>More of the same, but with new twists</h2><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2304" msid="78985000" hostid="261"></div><p>The bottom line is that the new Escalade is indeed more of the same — immense of scale, mighty of power, indifferent to the judgment of anyone who has ever hugged or even appreciated a tree — but it's also a clear indication of where Cadillac wants to be over the next decade.</p><p>With the Escalade, as with the Navigator, conversion to fandom relies on an extended test drive. I've sampled the Escalade in various guises over the years, but with the launch of the new SUV during COVID times, Caddy flipped me the keys to a staggeringly well-appointed $112,340 Escalade ESV Platinum with two thumb drives plugged into the USB ports and gave me a few days to drive around while listening to Caddy folks talk about the vehicle. (The Escalade started at $105,995, and the base price is about $76,000.)</p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985001" hostid="261"></div><p>This worked out very well, as I tooled through the New Jersey suburbs listening to Caddy's best and brightest explain various features. The showstopper is a 38-inch, curved OLED display, consisting of three groupings: a small screen to the left of the instrument cluster, the cluster itself, and the infotainment screen in the center of the dashboard.</p><p>The visual effect is dramatic, and the resolution is stunning. But how does it work? </p><p>Normally, I leave infotainment bells and whistles to last when it comes to reviews, and that's because there's been a convergence around standards in the industry. Some systems outperform others, but only marginally, and much of what makes a system great or merely good boils down to the interface.</p><h2>Three screens good</h2><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2304" msid="78985003" hostid="261"></div><p>The Escalade's setup stands apart because of how comprehensive and integrated it is. Parent General Motors has already outfitted its entire lineup of vehicles with industry-leading infotainment and 4G LTE wifi connectivity, as well as the OnStar suite of services. So what you got on the old Escalade was already better than most of the competition, with the exception of Audi and its MMI "Virtual Cockpit" system.</p><p>With the trio of screens in the new Escalade, Cadillac has made excellent use of the SUV's internal dimensions to give owners something remarkable. Of particular interest is the augmented-reality navigation feature, which uses front cameras to generate a view of the path ahead of the vehicle, overlaid with directions that adjust as the system closes in on, say, a left turn. </p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985006" hostid="261"></div><p>It's cool, and it works like a charm. Admittedly, if you have this feature running, with regular GPS navigation churning away on the central touchscreen and the rear-view mirror in optional camera mode, you're processing a lot of screens.</p><p>But I didn't find the "max" configuration too distracting, although I did eventually flip the rear-view back to normal mirror mode.</p><p>Otherwise, the system builds on excellence. Bluetooth device pairing is a breeze, there are multiple USB ports, wireless charging, and in my tester, a 36-speaker AKG Studio Reference audio system that sounds gorgeous and is actually standard for this upmarket trim level. Backing up the touchscreen interface is a rotary controller and buttons rig between the seats.</p><p>The costliest tech extra is night vision, a $2,000 add-on, and one that I wasn't able to savor in the short time I had the Escalade. But I've tested it on other Caddys, and it's a market leader, with its main competition coming from BMW.</p><h2>Cadillac is now an infotainment and connectivity leader</h2><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985008" hostid="261"></div><p>Screens are the new Escalade's marquee feature, and that illuminates an interesting development for luxury automakers. Four big brands have made infotainment tech a selling point: Tesla, with the large central touchscreen in the Model S sedan and Model X SUV; Mercedes, with a dash-filling, cluster-infotainment layout similar to Cadillac's; Audi, with its aforementioned MMI/Virtual Cockpit setup; and now Caddy.</p><p>It's a commitment to add such as ambitious configuration — Acura, Lexus, BMW, and others haven't taken the plunge — and the sprawling interior dimension of the Escalade's cabin make in an ideal platform. But does it do that much more than a less dramatic system? </p><p>Not really. On the other hand, it's not a staggeringly expensive thing to add: all luxury vehicles have infotainment screens, the Cadillac now simply has, if you'll forgive me, the Cadillac of screens. </p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985010" hostid="261"></div><p>As far as the exterior design goes, the Escalade has been updated but not reinvented. Remember, we're essentially talking about a giant box here, so we're not going to be threatening smaller, lovelier <keyword id="60427" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="SUVs">SUVs</keyword>, such as the Jaguar F-PACE, the Maserati Levante, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, or the Range Rover Velar.</p><p>That said, the tweaks are meaningful, although they're concentrated on the fascia, with a reworked headlight and running-light presentation. The Escalade has always offered a slab-like face to the world, with a huge-y big, Mondrian-ish interpretation of the classic shield badge (the wreath was sadly retired years ago) hovering amid a titanic grille.</p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985013" hostid="261"></div><p>The lights mitigate the massiveness about as well as possible, lending some elegance to the look.</p><p>Once you get past the front-end, of course, the Escalade in profile is all about wheels, and those wheels must be large for the SUV to come off as properly bling-y. My tester sported 22-inch, 10-spoke alloy specials that were included in the Platinum trim package.</p><p>And as any student of Escalade-ology knows, one could go bigger. Personally, I'd go with 24s, to better fill the wheel arches.</p><h2>Fantastic on the inside</h2><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1018" width="1357" msid="78985016" hostid="261"></div><p>My Black Raven tester came with a Jet Black interior, but the black-on-black aspect was leavened by some elegant texturing and snazzy white piping for the seats (heated and cooled up front).</p><p>The cabin was both capacious and sumptuously appointed, with beautiful wood trim framing the dash and scattered throughout the insides. </p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985019" hostid="261"></div><p>The twin second row was a pair of captains chairs, providing easy pass-through access to the quite roomy third row. This makes for a 2+2+3 seating configuration, but a three-person bench is available on lower trim levels for the second row. </p><p>My Escalade also featured a second-row entertainment system, with a pair of screens, but in the limited time I had with the vehicle, I was able to make just a quick run-through of the feature, supported by a pair of wireless headphones. </p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985023" hostid="261"></div><p>The upshot is an SUV that can easily transport seven or eight adults in comfort and style.</p><p>This what a proper full-size SUV such as the Escalade (as well as its siblings, the Chevy Suburban and GMC Tahoe) brings to the party: a no-compromise hauler. Smaller three-row SUVs and crossovers invariably have space in the final row for only kids and pint-size adults, and their cargo capacity is often so compromised by the third-row that you end up dropping one of the seats to accommodate the luggage or gear that the people actually being transported by the SUV require.</p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985027" hostid="261"></div><p>Cargo capacity for the 2021 Escalade is, as expected, magnificent. It starts at a generous 26 cubic feet, but my tester was the extended-wheelbase ESV, so I got 42 cubic feet. Drop all the seats and you're looking at 143 cubic feet — the cargo hold effectively becomes a covered pickup truck. </p><p>Controls in the cargo bay enable users to raise and lower the seats, and my test Caddy has a powered liftgate with a rear window that could be opened on is own.</p><h2>A very large engine for a very large SUV</h2><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985029" hostid="261"></div><p>The motivation for the 2021 <keyword id="78446" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cadillac-Escalade">Cadillac Escalade</keyword> is provided by a 6.2-liter V8 engine, making 420 horsepower with 420 pound-feet of torque. The power is sent to the wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission.</p><p>A diesel option will also be available — a six-cylinder mill, making 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.</p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985032" hostid="261"></div><p>The shifter is an annoying joystick that takes some practice to get the hang of, but that doesn't take up a lot of real estate on the center console. </p><p>Cadillac's hang-free highway semi-self-driving system, Super Cruise, will be offered on the new Escalade, but my test truck didn't come with the feature. However, I did have a host of driver-assist technologies, ranging from emergency braking to lane-keep-assist to adaptive cruise control.</p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985037" hostid="261"></div><p>The all-new Escalade is most impressive for what it intended to be most impressive at: wowing passengers with its vast, luxurious, high-tech interior.</p><p>Otherwise, it's easier to handle the previous-generation SUV, thanks to a new independent rear suspension that both creates additional interior space and gives the big ol' truck a more car-like demeanor from behind the wheel. </p><p>Obviously, you get V8 power and beefy road presence with this monster of a vehicle, but with each iteration, the Escalade seems to get easier to drive, smoother on the road, and tidier around corners — a more premium execution, one that suits a luxe mega-SUV.</p><p>There's some irony in this, as Cadillac is now supposed to <keyword id="6372405" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="gm">GM</keyword>'s lead electric brand. Electrification should eventually come to the Escalade — given the low fuel economy of 6,000-pound beasts such as this, a welcome development — but for now, we can wallow in the Caddy's defiant old-school-ness.</p><h2>Escalade fans should rejoice</h2><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985041" hostid="261"></div><p>The use case for Very Large SUVs is to move families, friends, gear, and pets. Sure, you could do this in the new Suburban for substantially less coin, but for your $112,000 and change, the Escalade certainly does not disappoint.</p><p>The technology approach is different from the Navigator's — the Lincoln goes for unobtrusive infotainment and a mellower vibe. But the massive 38-inch setup is consistent with the Caddy's go-big-or-go-home mojo. The Escalade might have followed the Navigator to market back in the day, but it's always been a showier ride, and the fifth-generation extends that legacy.</p><p>No Escalade fans should be disappointed by the new SUV, and I suspect that by the time the big guy hits the road in force next year, the Navigator could find that it's in for some extremely intense competition. </p><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985042" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1012" width="1349" msid="78985044" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985050" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985052" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985054" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="703" width="938" msid="78985055" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985059" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="962" width="1283" msid="78985060" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1147" width="1530" msid="78985063" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985065" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985068" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1728" width="2592" msid="78985070" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Cadillac Escalade First Drive" height="1339" width="1785" msid="78985075" hostid="261"></div>

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