HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS THE ACURA MDX A-SPEC BRINGS A SPORTY FLAIR TO LUXURY HAULING... PAT GOSS WITH THE LOW DOWN ON REMOVING RUST THE RIGHT WAY... STEPHANIE HART TAKES US TO THE FRONT LINES OF SELF-DRIVING CARS... AND A NEW FACE FOR ELEGANT CRUISING IN THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLS...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

♪ Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

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IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

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Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

John: WITH ALL OF THE LUXURY 3-ROW SUVs OUT THERE, YOU MIGHT NOT REALIZE THAT IT'S THE ACURA MDX THAT IS THE BEST-SELLING ONE OF ALL.

THAT'S BECAUSE SINCE IT DEBUTED FOR 2001, AND IT HAS MOSTLY WENT ABOUT ITS BUSINESS IN THE TYPICAL ACURA KIND OF WAY.

SUBDUED LUXURY, TECHNOLOGY RICH, AND EMINENTLY RELIABLE.

SO, NO FUSS...NO MUSS.

UNTIL NOW, THAT IS.

♪ FOR THE FIRST TIME, MDX BUYERS CAN STEP THINGS UP A NOTCH WITH AN A-SPEC VERSION OF THEIR BELOVED 3-ROW CROSSOVER.

STILL, PART OF THE 3RD GENERATION MDX THAT ARRIVED FOR 2014, THE 2019 ACURA MDX A-SPEC COMES WITH SUPER HANDLING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE STANDARD, AND A HOST OF UPGRADES TO MAKE WHAT IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE FLASHIEST MDX YET.

ITS CUSTOMARY 20-INCH WHEELS ARE HALF AN INCH WIDER THAN ANY PREVIOUS MDX, AND THERE'S MORE PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED TOUCHES ALL AROUND THE BODY.

THAT MEANS A MORE AGGRESSIVE FRONT FASCIA OF COURSE, BODY-COLORED SILL EXTENSIONS DOWN THE SIDES, BIGGER EXHAUST OUTLETS INTEGRATED INTO THE REAR BUMPER, UNIQUE REAR SPOILER, AND LOTS OF SHINY DARK TRIM, NATURALLY.

BUT EVEN ACURA CONSIDERS THIS A "SPORT APPEARANCE PACKAGE," SO DON'T EXPECT ANY EARTH SHAKING INCREASES IN HOW IT GOES AND TURNS.

SAME NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 3.5 LITER V6, OUTPUTTING A RESPECTABLE 290 HORSEPOWER AND 267 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THIS MILL IS IN A LOT OF HONDA PRODUCTS, AND NEVER DISAPPOINTS.

MATCHING 9-SPEED TRANSMISSION TOO, THOUGH IT DOES GET SOME ENHANCEMENTS FOR '19.

IN ORDER TO SMOOTH THINGS OUT FROM A STOP, THE MDX WILL NOW START YOU OFF IN 2ND GEAR.

YOU CAN NEGATE THIS BY SWITCHING TO S-MODE, AND THE MDX ITSELF WILL ENGAGE 1ST IF IT KNOWS YOU'RE TOWING, OR ARE LAUNCHING ON AN INCLINE.

WIDER WHEELS, WITH MORE RUBBER CONTACTING THE ROAD, DOES ADD MORE GRIP TO THE ALREADY COMPETENT HANDLING.

THROUGH THE CONES, THIS A-SPEC FELT AS COMPLIANT AS ALWAYS, YET ALSO SOLID, STAYING PRETTY FLAT AS WELL.

ALSO, AS BEFORE, WITH SH-AWD, THERE IS UNIQUE FEEL THAT TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO.

THE MDX TENDS TO UNDERSTEER INITIALLY THEN QUICKLY REACTS BY DIVERTING SOME POWER TO HELP SHOOT YOU THROUGH THE GATE.

IT FEELS GREAT IN TRANSITIONAL TURNS, BUT HERE IN THE SLALOM, IT SOMETIMES MAKES A "PUSH ME, PULL YOU" EXPERIENCE.

STEERING WEIGHT, AND FEEDBACK THROUGH THE WHEEL, NOTICEABLY CHANGES THROUGHOUT AS WELL.

AFTER A SLIGHT HESITATION OFF THE LINE, THIS MDX TAKES OFF WITH A REAL URGENCY; TAKING US TO 60 IN JUST 5.9 SECONDS.

THE ENGINE SOUNDS STRONG, WITH A NICE AMOUNT OF POWERFUL GROWL SEEPING INTO THE CABIN.

SHIFTS ARE QUICK AND FIRM, AND THE ENGINE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME RIGHT IN THE HEART OF ITS POWER BAND.

ULTIMATELY, THE QUARTER MILE ENDS IN 14.5 SECONDS AT 94 MILES PER HOUR.

FINE PANIC BRAKING STOPS OF JUST 111 FEET FROM 60.

NO FADE TO SPEAK OF, AND A NICE FIRM PEDAL PROVIDES PLENTY OF FEEDBACK, AND CONFIDENCE.

AS FAR AS THE INTERIOR GOES; A-SPEC UPGRADES INCLUDE SPORT SEATS WITH CONTRAST STITCHING, ALCANTARA SURFACES, THICKER STEERING WHEEL WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS, UNIQUE GAUGES, SPORT PEDALS, AND YES...HERE AGAIN, GLOSS BLACK TRIM.

IT'S A NICE LOOKING PACKAGE THAT WHILE SPORTY, DOESN'T DETRACT FROM THE TECHY-LUXURY THEME THAT ACURA PORTRAYS SO WELL.

SPACIOUSNESS AND COMFORT ARE EVIDENT THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR, AND CARGO SPACE APLENTY; 15.0 CUBIC-FEET BEHIND THE 3RD ROW, 38.4 BEHIND THE 2ND, AND 68.4 WITH ALL SEATS FOLDED.

THE TWIN-SCREEN SETUP WAS PERHAPS A BIT AHEAD OF ITS TIME WHEN FIRST DEPLOYED BY ACURA, BUT IT LOOKS DATED COMPARED TO WHAT MOST RIVALS ARE OFFERING THESE DAYS, AND IT WAS NEVER THE MOST USER-FRIENDLY SYSTEM TO BEGIN WITH.

BUT MDX CHANGES FOR '19 ARE NOT ALL ABOUT THE A-SPEC.

IN ADDITION TO THE TRANSMISSION UPGRADE, THE SPORT HYBRID'S ACTIVE DAMPER SYSTEM IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR NON-HYBRID MDXs AS PART OF THE ADVANCE PACKAGE... AND OF COURSE, A FEW NEW COLOR OPTIONS, INCLUDING THIS A-SPEC SPECIFIC APEX BLUE PEARL.

THE LUXURY-ORIENTED INTERIOR TRIMS GET SOME NEW WOOD FINISHES, AND MORE STANDARD CONTENT.

THE AUTO STOP/START SYSTEM HAS BEEN REFINED AS WELL, AND IS NOW STANDARD ON ALL MDXs.

THIS CURRENT GENERATION MDX HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR 5-YEARS NOW, BUT IT BARELY RESEMBLES WHERE IT STARTED, AS ACURA HAS BEEN TWEAKING AWAY AT IT EVER SINCE.

THAT CONSTANT FINE-TUNING IS A BIG REASON WHY THE MDX REMAINS SO POPULAR, AND WHY IT HAS MORE THAN ITS SHARE OF FANS AROUND THE WATER COOLER HERE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 19-CITY, 25-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED.

OUR AVERAGE, A FINE 21.8 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS ABOUT AVERAGE, WITH CONSUMPTION OF 15.7 BARRELS OF OIL ANNUALLY, AND C02 EMISSIONS OF 6.9 TONS.

NOT OUT OF REACH BY ANY MEANS, THE A-SPEC IS PRICED RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE MDX LINEUP, STARTING AT $55,795, AND THAT'S WITH SUPER-HANDLING-ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

A-SPEC MAY NOT YIELD A TRUE PERFORMANCE MODEL, BUT THE ACURA MDX WAS ALREADY MORE CAPABLE THAN MOST RIVALS.

THIS 2019 A-SPEC JUST ADDS A SPORTY, FINISHING TOUCH THAT WAS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE ALREADY IMPRESSIVE MDX PACKAGE.

♪ WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE AUTOMOBILE IS FASCINATING, BUT AT TIMES BAFFLING.

SCORES OF AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ARE WORKING HARD TO TRY AND BRIDGE THAT GAP BETWEEN CARS WE KNOW AND LOVE TODAY, AND THE AUTOMATED, AND DRIVERLESS CARS PLANNED FOR TOMORROW.

OUR STEPHANIE HART HAD A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE GROUNDS OF THEIR MCITY TESTING FACILITY FOR A LOOK AT HOW THE NEXT GENERATION WILL RIDE.

♪ Stephanie Hart: MCITY IS UNIQUE.

IT'S DESIGNED TO TEST CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED VEHICLES.

IT'S THE ONLY FACILITY OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A SCENE OUT OF A MOVIE AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO REPLICATE A REAL CITY, COMPLETE WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND STREET SIGNS.

IT'S TUCKED AWAY ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CAMPUS IN ANN ARBOR.

BEHIND IT'S CHARMING LOOK, SERIOUS TESTING AND RESEARCH.

CARRIE MORTON IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MCITY.

Carrie Morton: LOOKING AT LEGAL LIABILITY AND INSURANCE QUESTIONS, PRIVACY, CYBER SECURITY, UNDERSTANDING HOW TO TEST AND MAKE SURE TECHNOLOGIES ARE SAFE.

Stephanie: NOT MANY PEOPLE GET TO VISIT THIS FACILITY, SO WE'RE GLAD WE HAD THE CHANCE!

THE FUTURE OF LEVEL 4 AUTONOMOUS DRIVING IS PRETTY AMAZING.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH MCITY AND SHOW YOU A TEST SCENARIO.

OUR VEHICLE SHOWS UP AS THIS GREEN SQUARE ON THIS IPAD.

THE YELLOW SQUARES ALL AROUND US ARE VIRTUAL VEHICLES.

ESSENTIALLY, THE CARS ARE CONNECTED AND ACTUALLY TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER, ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THEM.

Stephanie: AND YOU MENTIONED THERE'S $300,000 WORTH OF SENSORS ON THIS CAR?

Greg McGuire: THAT'S RIGHT.

YEAH, THESE SENSORS AREN'T CHEAP.

BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY STATE OF THE ART, AND NOT MADE IN HIGH VOLUME YET, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE DVD PLAYERS USED TO COST 1,000, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET THEM FOR 10 BUCKS.

Stephanie: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES HAVE CERTAINLY COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEY FIRST BURST ONTO THE SCENE IN 2013.

Greg: SO, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LEFT AND GO DOWN TO OUR RAIL CROSSING, AND WE SHOULD HAVE A COMMUTER TRAIN THAT'S SCHEDULED TO COME THROUGH RIGHT ABOUT NOW, HERE IT COMES.

WE'RE GONNA STOP FOR THAT AND YOU NOTICE, WE'RE STOPPED BACK A LITTLE BIT, THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US, A VIRTUAL VEHICLE.

Stephanie: IN REALITY, TRANSPORTATION THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS STILL A LONG WAY OFF.

HOWEVER, SELF-DRIVING SHUTTLES, LIKE THIS ONE, COULD BE ON OUR STREETS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

THIS ONE, AND OTHERS, ARE ALREADY MOVING STUDENTS AROUND CAMPUS.

WE STEPPED ON TO TRY IT OUT.

IT OPERATES SIMILAR TO THE LEVEL 4 AUTONOMOUS CAR, WE TESTED OUT EARLIER.

Carrie: WHEN WE FIRST SEE THESE SHARED LEVEL 4 VEHICLES, LIKELY, THEY MAY BE OPERATING IN A SMALL, URBAN ENVIRONMENT, OR EVEN AS WHAT WE CALL "FIRST MILE LAST MILE TRANSPORTATION."

SO, MOVING ME FROM A COMMUTER LOT TO MY HOME, AT THE END OF MY BUS RIDE HOME FROM WORK FOR EXAMPLE OR A TRAIN RIDE...

SO PROVIDING A CONNECTION INTO A MORE ESTABLISHED TRANSIT SYSTEM.

Stephanie: THE BIG QUESTION?

WILL WE EVER BE ABLE TO TRUST THESE SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES.

RECENT STUDIES SHOW 70% OF AMERICANS ARE SCARED TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE.

AND ONLY 21% SAY, "THEY'D RIDE IN ONE."

NOT SURPRISING, CONSIDERING THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST FOUR DEATHS BLAMED ON DRIVERLESS VEHICLES.

THAT'S WHY TESTING AND RESEARCH GOING ON AT MCITY IS VITAL.

AS ENGINEERS, ALL OVER THE WORLD, CONTINUE TO TWEAK TECHNOLOGY.

Carrie: THE INDUSTRY IS MOVING ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHICH IS PROVIDING A FAIL SAFE PATH, WHETHER, IT'S PULLING THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR PUTTING THE HAZARDS ON FOR EXAMPLE, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS IN A SITUATION THAT IT CAN'T CONTROL, IF THERE WERE NO HUMAN TO TAKE IT OVER, THAT IT MOVES INTO A FAIL SAFE POSITION AUTOMATICALLY.

SO WHEN THE VEHICLES ARE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER, AND ALSO WITH THE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE...THEY CAN ACT AS A COLLABORATIVE ECOSYSTEM, AND OPERATE ON THE WHOLE MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY, REDUCING EMISSIONS, FUEL CONSUMPTION, AS WELL AS CONGESTION.

♪ John: THE NAME PRETTY MUCH SAYS IT ALL FOR THIS MUST READ.

IT'S THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CLASSIC VOLKSWAGENS: BEETLES, MICROBUSES THINGS, KARMANN GHIAS, AND MORE BY JOHN GUNNELL.

IF IT'S AIR-COOLED AND BUILT BY VOLKSWAGEN IN THE '50s, '60s, '70s, OR '80s; YOU'LL READ ABOUT IT HERE.

ACCOMPANYING THE WEALTH OF FACTS AND FIGURES, ARE PLENTY OF TECHNICAL DRAWINGS AND PERIOD ADVERTISING.

IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE FOR THE VW FAITHFUL, AS WELL AS JUST AN ENJOYABLE READ FOR ANY CAR ENTHUSIAST.

WEATHER SURE TAKES A TOLL ON YOUR CAR.

PAT GOSS HAS ADVICE NOW ON HOW TO BUST RUST.

Pat Goss: ALTHOUGH, VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS HAVE MADE HUGE IMPROVEMENTS IN PREVENTING BODY RUST ON VEHICLES, WE STILL HAVE SOME OUT THERE THAT ARE LIKE THIS.

AND THAT IS RUST.

ALRIGHT.

WHAT CAUSES RUST IS WHERE DIRT AND MOISTURE CAN COMBINE INSIDE OR BETWEEN TWO PIECES OF METAL, THE DIRT HOLDS THE MOISTURE, IT EATS ITSELF FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

NOW, IN THIS CASE YOU MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THIS BECAUSE OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR BECAUSE LOCAL LAWS AND INSPECTIONS AND SO ON REQUIRE THAT YOU DO THAT.

BUT NOW, IS THIS A DO IT YOURSELF JOB?

WELL...MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.

SEE NOW...DOWN HERE, WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE TYPES OF ROCKER PANELS.

THIS IS A COMPLETE ONE HERE, AND OVER HERE, WE HAVE A SLIP ON.

OR ONE THAT LAYS OVER THE EXISTING ONE.

ALRIGHT...THE SLIP ON, PRETTY EASY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, IF YOU HAVE MODERATE SKILLS WITH BODY WORK AND SO ON.

THE OTHER ONE NOT SO MUCH.

BECAUSE THE COMPLETE ROCKER, WELL, YOU MAY HAVE TO TAKE BOTH DOORS OFF, YOU HAVE TO STRIP THE INSIDE, TAKE THE CARPETING UP, AND TAKE THE SEATS OUT, POSSIBLY THE FRONT FENDERS.

ALL KINDS OF STUFF THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO.

SO, YOU HAVE TO EVALUATE YOUR SKILL LEVEL, YOU TOOL SET, AND SO ON, AND MAKE THE DECISION BASED ON THAT.

Zach Maskell: WELL PAT, THIS WHITE BEAUTY IS MY WORKHORSE.

YOU WOULD THINK, I PARK IT IN THE OCEAN OR SOMETHING.

WELL, THE ROCKER RUST DIDN'T REALLY BOTHER ME AT FIRST BUT THEN IT STARTED RAINING, RUST WOULD DRIP DOWN ONTO MY DRIVEWAY, LEAVING RUST STAINS.

I GOT UNDERNEATH TO TAKE A LOOK, TO SEE IF I COULD TACKLE THIS ISSUE MYSELF BUT QUICKLY REALIZED, I NEED SOME HELP.

RON'S RODS WAS MY GO TO SHOP WHERE ANYBODY TOOL IMAGINABLE CAN BE FOUND.

ONCE WE REMOVED THE TRIM, WE LOCATED THE SPOT WELDS AND PRIED THEM OFF.

WE THEN CUT OFF THE EXISTING ROCKER, THIS REVEALED THE INNER ROCKER.

RON HAD TO CUSTOM MAKE HIS OWN INNER SINCE WE NEEDED SOMETHING TO ATTACH THE OUTER ONE TO.

WHILE, THE RUST WAS TERRIBLE, WE DIDN'T NEED FULL ROCKERS AND WERE ABLE TO LEAVE THE DOORS ATTACHED DURING THIS WHOLE PROCESS.

WE ALSO TOOK A SHORT CUT AND INSTALLED THE CAB CORNERS WITHOUT TAKING THE BED OFF.

TO DO IT CORRECTLY THAT WOULD NEED TO COME OFF, SO YOU CAN SMOOTH YOUR WELDS DOWN.

Zach: SORRY, I'M STEALING YOUR LINE PAT, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS.

IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP US A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

♪ Greg Carloss: WARMER WEATHER HAS FINALLY REACHED THE MID-ATLANTIC, AND APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH FUEL MILEAGE IN OUR 2019 KIA NIRO PHEV IS BACK ON THE UPSWING, CURRENTLY SITTING AT AN IMPRESSIVE 58.1 MILES PER GALLON.

THE NIRO PLUG-IN HAS REACHED WORKHORSE STATUS HERE AT MOTORWEEK, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A HIGH COMPLIMENT.

THAT MEANS IT'S COMFORTABLE, VERSATILE, AND SPACIOUS ENOUGH FOR OUR CREWS TO USE IT ALMOST DAILY.

NOT TO MENTION, WE AREN'T WASTING AS MUCH TIME FILLING UP THE TANK...

SOME MAY SCOFF AT ITS MEASLY 1.6 LITER HYBRID POWERTRAIN; BUT HEY, IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR F1, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR US.

AND WE'VE GOTTEN NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT POWER DELIVERY OVER THESE FIRST 5-MONTHS AND 8,000 MILES.

ONE RECENT WEEKEND GETAWAY, ONLY REQUIRED 1.6 GALLONS OF GAS; THANKS TO SOME TIMELY CHARGING.

PLAN YOUR TRIPS RIGHT, AND THIS NIRO PHEV CAN BE QUITE A FRUGAL FLIER.

WE'RE NOW, UP TO 4600 MILES IN OUR 2019 HONDA INSIGHT.

THE TWO-MOTOR HYBRID SYSTEM WITH 1.5 LITER I4 IS IMPRESSIVE TECHNOLOGY WITH SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS AND A GOOD AMOUNT OF TORQUE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP.

BUT THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT EFFICIENCY, THERE ARE ACTUALLY FOUR DRIVE MODES, INCLUDING SPORT.

IT DRAWS MORE FROM THE BATTERY, BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN PICK UP.

THE CABIN IS ROOMY, WITH AN UPSCALE DASH AND COMFORTABLE SEATS.

THE SIDE VIEW CAMERA TECHNOLOGY IS HELPFUL...

SHOWING WHAT'S PASSING BY WHEN THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL IS ON.

THE CONTROLS ON THE CENTER CONSOLE ARE PRETTY INTUITIVE.

AND HONDA'S PUSH BUTTON SHIFTER QUICKLY BECOMES ROUTINE, EVEN WHEN SOMEONE TAKES THE WHEEL FOR THE FIRST TIME.

WINTER IS BEHIND US, AND OUR TOURING TRIM'S SUSPENSION HANDLES THE REMAINING POTHOLES WITH EASE.

OVERALL, IT HAS A VERY SOLID FEEL.

THIS TIME AROUND, WE GOT 51 MILES PER GALLON ON REGULAR.

THAT'S HIGHER THAN OUR LAST UPDATE AND RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S CITY NUMBER, AND THERE'S BEEN MORE LOCAL DRIVING, AND LESS HIGHWAY MILES RECENTLY.

OUR OVERALL AVERAGE IS NOW 46.1 MILES PER GALLON.

WARMER WEATHER MEANS MORE ROAD TRIPS AROUND HERE, SO WE'LL SEE HOW THOSE MPGs CHANGE.

IT'S THE VOLKSWAGEN JETTA AND MAZDA6 ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: WE HEAR A LOT OF HYPE THESE DAYS, SO WHAT'S THE REAL STORY?

LAUREN MORRISON HAS IT IN THIS WEEKS MOTORNEWS.

Lauren Morrison: THERE'S A SURGE OF NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THE WAY.

BUT SOME BRANDS ARE EMBRACING EVs FASTER THAN OTHERS.

FORD IS ONE OF THOSE MAKING A BIGGER COMMITMENT TO GOING ELECTRIC.

THEY'RE LATEST MOVE, THE BLUE OVAL IS INVESTING $500 MILLION IN START-UP RIVIAN.

THEY'LL HELP DEVELOP A NEXT-GENERATION BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE FOR FORD.

IT WILL BE BASED ON RIVIAN'S SKATEBOARD PLATFORM CURRENTLY DESIGNED FOR THEIR OWN SUV AND PICK-UP.

THAT'S IN TUNE WITH FORD'S STRATEGY OF MOVING AWAY FROM CARS, AND TOWARD MORE UTILITIES, AND TRUCKS.

RIVIAN PLANS TO LAUNCH THEIR 5-PASSENGER PICK-UP TRUCK, THE R1T, AND A 7-PASSENGER SUV BEARING THE NAME R1S NEXT YEAR.

THE COMPANY SAYS, "THESE EVs WILL COMBINE PERFORMANCE, OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY, AND UTILITY, WITH UP TO 400 PLUS MILES OF RANGE."

THE NEW RIVIAN BASED FORD EV IS JUST PART OF FORD'S PLANS.

THE COMPANY HAS ALREADY ANNOUNCED AN $11 BILLION INVESTMENT TO DEVELOP A PORTFOLIO OF BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

WE DO KNOW TWO OF FORD'S FULLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES WILL BE A MUSTANG-INSPIRED CROSSOVER DUE IN 2020, AND A ZERO-EMISSIONS VERSION OF THE F-150.

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK IS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

IT'S ESPECIALLY NOTEWORTHY IN THE COMPETITIVE CAR BUSINESS.

2019 MARKS 100 YEARS OF ROLLING BRITISH ELEGANCE IN THE FORM OF A BENTLEY.

IN 1919, WALTER OWEN BENTLEY STARTED BUILDING HIS REVERED CARS.

THE OLDEST REMAINING IS THE EXP 2, THE COMPANY'S FIRST RACING MODEL.

THE 1930 8-LITRE WAS THE LAST CAR BENTLEY PERSONALLY DESIGNED.

IN HONOR OF THE CENTENNIAL, BENTLEY WILL PRODUCE 100 OF THE MULSANNE W.O.

EDITION BY MULLINER.

EACH WILL FEATURE A SLICE OF BENTLEY'S OWN 8-LITRE CRANKSHAFT SET INTO THE ARMREST.

EVENTS MARKING THE BENTLEY CENTENNIAL ARE SCHEDULED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO, THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: THE 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS WAS THE FIRST CAR TO OFFICIALLY BE DESCRIBED AS A 4-DOOR COUPE.

TODAY, SUCH SLICK FORM OVER FUNCTION ENGULFS MOST OF THE SEDAN FIELD, REGARDLESS OF SIZE OR STATURE, AND HAS EVEN FOUND ITS WAY ONTO UTILITIES.

WELL NOW, THERE'S AN ALL-NEW 2019 CLS ON THE ROAD.

SO LET'S SEE IF IT'S STILL FIRST AMONG MANY.

♪ TRUTH IS, MOST MANUFACTURERS ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN THESE DAYS TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY 4-DOOR SEDANS.

BUT THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLS HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT SALES NUMBERS.

THIS 3RD GENERATION, 2019 VERSION STAYS VERY CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL 4-DOOR COUPE FORMULA; YET, CONTINUES TO LOOK EVEN BETTER, AND ALSO COMES WITH A FEW NEW TWISTS THIS TIME AROUND.

THE DESIGN OF THIS 4-DOOR TAKES MORE ELEMENTS FROM MERCEDES COUPES THAN SEDANS.

THAT MEANS A FORWARD-SLANTING NOSE, DIAMOND GRILLE WITH CUES FROM THE AMG GT, AND A HIGH WAIST PROFILE WITH FRAMELESS WINDOWS.

BUT, IT'S ALL GOTTEN MORE AGGRESSIVE THIS GEN.

STILL, AS BEFORE, DESPITE THE C IN THE NAME, IT RIDES ON THE MIDSIZE E-CLASS CHASSIS, GETTING A WHEELBASE STRETCH OVER THE PREVIOUS CLS OF ALMOST 2.5 INCHES.

BEHIND THAT AGGRESSIVE FACE, SITS A NEW INLINE-6 ENGINE, THE FIRST FROM BENZ IN DECADES.

BUT, IT'S NOT DONE WITH NOSTALGIA IN MIND, AS THIS 3.0 LITER IS A TOTALLY MODERN ENGINE; EVEN PACKING A STARTER/ALTERNATOR ON THE BACK END, THAT WORKS WITH A NEW 48-VOLT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO DELIVER A 21 HORSEPOWER BOOST, ON TOP OF THE ENGINE'S OUTPUT OF 362 HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

A 9G-TRONIC 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC IS IN PLACE TOO, ALONG WITH 5 DRIVING MODES, AND 4MATIC ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IS AVAILABLE TO REPLACE THE STANDARD REAR-WHEEL DRIVE.

AT LAUNCH, THIS 4MATIC FEELS MEGA-POWERFUL, WITH BIG TORQUE DELIVERY, RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO, AS WELL AS PLENTY OF GRIP FOR EXPLOITING IT.

WE HIT 60 IN JUST 4.6 SECONDS.

CALM AND STEADY IS THE THEME FOR THE QUARTER MILE, AS THE CLS STREAKS TO THE FINISH IN 13.1 SECONDS AT 106 MILES PER HOUR, WITH THE EXPERIENCE BEING WAY MORE TRANQUIL AND SERENE THAN YOU'D EXPECT AT THAT SPEED.

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE ADEQUATELY QUICK, AND EQUALLY SMOOTH.

IT'S NOT THAT WE HATE TURBO-4s, HAVING DRIVEN PLENTY OF THEM RECENTLY, BUT IT'S A REAL JOY TO DRIVE THIS TURBO-6.

IT DELIVERS SEEMINGLY LIMITLESS GOBS OF SMOOTH POWER AT ALL TIMES, AND IS EASILY THE TRUE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS CAR.

BASE SUSPENSION IS INDEPENDENT MULTI-LINK AT BOTH ENDS, BUT YOU CAN UPGRADE TO BENZ'S A-B-C AIR BODY CONTROL AIR SUSPENSION FOR THE ULTIMATE SETUP.

IT MAGICALLY, TURNS THIS 4,200 POUNDS PLUS 4-DOOR INTO A NIMBLE, WELL-BALANCED, HANDLING MACHINE.

THOUGH, IT DOES PREFER A GENTLER PACE OVER ALL-OUT AGGRESSION.

IN A SURPRISINGLY PRACTICAL SHIFT, THE CLS' REAR SEAT, NOW HAS BELTS FOR THREE, INSTEAD OF TWO AS BEFORE, AND MORE ROOM THANKS TO REDESIGNED FRONT SEATS AND THE AFOREMENTIONED WHEELBASE STRETCH; THOUGH IT'S STILL NOT AN EASY PLACE TO GET INTO AND OUT OF.

NO SUCH PROBLEMS UP FRONT, WHERE EVERYTHING IS FIRST CLASS, AND EASILY OUTSHINING ANYTHING ELSE IN THE SEGMENT.

THE WIDE DIGITAL GAUGE DISPLAY FROM THE E-CLASS, BLENDS INTO THE CENTER SCREEN FOR A SMOOTH, SEAMLESS, HIGH-TECH LOOKING SPACE.

EVEN CONSIDERING THIS IS A PREMIUM MODEL FROM A LUXURY BRAND, THE LIST OF STANDARD EQUIPMENT IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH FEATURES LIKE HEAD UP DISPLAY AND BURMESTER 3D SURROUND SOUND.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THIS CLS450 4MATIC ARE 23-CITY, 30-HIGHWAY, AND 26-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A MEDIOCRE 23.4 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM FUEL.

PRICING FOR THIS 4MATIC STARTS AT $72,695; BUT STICK WITH REAR-DRIVE AND YOU CAN GET AWAY A LITTLE CHEAPER AT $70,195.

TRUTH BE TOLD, AFTER ALMOST SINGLE HANDEDLY CREATING THE 4-DOOR COUPE GENRE AND INFLUENCING A WEALTH OF AUTOMOTIVE EXTERIOR DESIGNS, THE CLS HAD DROPPED BEHIND THE MANY IMITATORS IT INSPIRED.

THE 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS IS OUT TO RECLAIM ITS LEADING ROLE, WITH THE HELP OF SOME POWERTRAIN ELECTRIFIED TRICKERY, ROOM FOR AN ADDITIONAL PASSENGER, AND OF COURSE, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS STYLE.

AND BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS, WE BET IT SUCCEEDS.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN NISSAN MAKES ROOM FOR ADVENTURE WITH THE PATHFINDER ROCK CREEK EDITION.

AND WE HEAD TO THE MOTOR CITY FOR THE 2019 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

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