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

JOIN US...ITS BACK AND READY TO RIDE, THE FORD RANGER... PAT GOSS ADDS A VIEW WHERE IT WASN'T BEFORE... ZACH MASKELL GOES OVER THE EDGE WHILE CHASING HIS PASSION... AND A REAL KICK FROM NISSAN'S NEWEST CUTE UTE... AND COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

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Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

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

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

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 .

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

LASER MEASURED, THEY OFFER PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP THE SIDES.

MADE IN AMERICA.

John: IT WAS A SAD DAY IN DECEMBER 2011, WHEN THE LAST RANGER PICKUP TRUCK ROLLED OFF OF FORD'S TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY LINE.

IT MEANT NO MORE RANGER FOR US.

EVEN THOUGH, THE REST OF THE WORLD CONTINUED SELLING A NEW RANGER.

NOW FINALLY, THAT 8-YEAR DROUGHT IS OVER.

RANGER IS BACK IN NORTH AMERICA.

BOOMING SMALL TRUCK SALES ARE THE REASON WHY IT'S NOW ROLLING OFF THE LINE IN MICHIGAN.

SO, IT'S HI HO SILVER, AWAY!

* YES, THE FORD RANGER IS BACK FOR 2019.

AND, ITS RETURN IS GREAT NEWS TO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE QUITE A FEW RANGER FANS AROUND THE OFFICE HERE.

THE NOW MIDSIZE RANGER, RIDES ON A NEW HIGH STRENGTH STEEL FRAME, AND IT IS INDEED MUCH BIGGER, AS WELL AS MORE CAPABLE THAN THE PREVIOUS COMPACT RANGER.

ONLY ONE ENGINE IS AVAILABLE FOR NOW, BUT IT'S A GOOD ONE; UNDER THE RANGER'S DOUBLE-DOME HOOD IS THE MUSTANG'S 2.3 LITER TURBO I4.

UPDATED FOR TRUCK DUTY, IT'S RATED AT 270 HORSEPOWER AND 310 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE; ENOUGH TO PULL A BEST-IN-CLASS 7,500 POUNDS OF TRAILER THROUGH A 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

WHICH, IS CONTROLLED BY A BEEFY CONSOLE SHIFTER WITH A MANUAL GEAR CHANGE TOGGLE SWITCH.

EVEN WITH MORE TORQUE THAN ANY OTHER GAS ENGINE IN THE SEGMENT, IT HAS THE ADDED BENEFIT OF CLASS BEST FUEL ECONOMY TOO.

REAR OR 4-WHEEL DRIVE OF COURSE; THREE TRIM LEVELS INCLUDE XL, XLT, AND LARIAT.

BOTH SUPER CREW AND SUPERCABS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT WITH THE SAME OVERALL LENGTH, SO CHOOSE WISELY.

SUPERCABS GET A 72.8 INCH BED, WHILE SUPERCREW BED-LENGTH IS 61.0 INCHES; OR ROUNDED DOWN TO 6 AND 5-FOOT IN TRUCK PARLANCE.

AS TO STYLING, IT LOOKS NOTHING AT ALL LIKE THE COMPACT RANGER; NOR THANKFULLY, IS IT A SCALED-DOWN F150 CLONE.

IT IS ITS OWN UNIQUE AND RATHER RUGGED-LOOKING ANIMAL.

LIKELY, A RESULT OF THE SAME BASIC TRUCK BEING SOLD INTERNATIONALLY, SINCE 2010.

THE STEEPLY RAKED WINDSHIELD AND HIGH BELT LINE ADD A TOUCH OF ATHLETICISM.

IN ADDITION, BOTH SPORT AND CHROME APPEARANCE PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE SPORTINESS OR BLING FACTOR.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF THE DRIVER ASSISTANCE FEATURES, AS WELL AS TERRAIN MANAGEMENT AND TRAIL CONTROL, IF YOU ADD THE FX4 OFF-ROAD PACKAGE.

YOU'LL ALSO GET UNIQUE SUSPENSION TUNING, SKID PLATES, A LOCKING REAR DIFF., AND ALL-TERRAINS ON EITHER 17 OR 18 INCH ALLOYS.

INSIDE, YOU WON'T FIND A BENCH SEAT UP FRONT ANYMORE, BUT YOU WILL FIND MORE ROOM AND CONVENIENCES THAN EVER.

AN 8-INCH TOUCHSCREEN IS AVAILABLE FOR SYNC3, AND JUST BELOW, ARE PLENTY OF DECENT-SIZED MANUAL CONTROLS.

WHILE, OVER IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER IS YOUR CHOICE OF TWO DIFFERENT GAUGE DISPLAYS WITH EITHER SINGLE OR DUAL LCD PRODUCTIVITY SCREENS.

REAR SEATS, EVEN IN THE SUPERCREW, ARE TIGHT FOR ADULTS AS IS TYPICAL FOR THE SEGMENT, BUT MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR THE KIDS.

FLIP UP THE ONE-PIECE SEAT BOTTOM FOR A PAIR OF STORAGE BINS.

COMPARED TO THE SMOOTH RUNNING CHEVROLET COLORADO AND ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE TOYOTA TACOMA AND NISSAN FRONTIER, RANGER RIDE QUALITY FINDS SOMEWHERE ON MIDDLE GROUND.

NOT UNLIKE THE F150; IT'S SOLID, BUT COMFORTABLE, WITH A VERY COMPLIANT SUSPENSION IN BOTH 2 AND 4-WHEEL DRIVE.

POWERTRAIN OPERATION IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

PLENTY OF POWER ON TAP WHENEVER NEEDED, AND THIS IS THE BEST APPLICATION WE'VE SAMPLED YET, OF A 10-SPEED TRANSMISSION.

SHIFTING IS ALMOST SEAMLESS, AND BOOST FROM THE TURBO KEEPS IT FROM HAVING TO DROP A BUNCH OF GEARS EVERY TIME YOU CALL FOR MORE OOMPH.

WE GOT SOME QUALITY OFF ROAD TIME AS WELL, DURING OUR FIRST DRIVE IN AND AROUND SAN DIEGO.

THE RANGER CAN BE QUITE A BEAST.

OFF-ROAD AIDS TRICKLE DOWN FROM FORD'S RAPTOR, AND THE RANGER'S STEEL FRONT BUMPER MEANS THERE'S LESS PLASTIC TO BREAK WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH.

THROTTLE ACTION IS VERY AGGRESSIVE, WITH THE RANGER LURCHING FORWARD AS SOON AS YOU LEAN ON THE GAS.

LEAN ON IT SPARINGLY, AND YOU CAN EXPECT GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS OF 20-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED FOR THE 4X4; AND 21-CITY, 26-HIGHWAY, AND 23-COMBINED FOR 2-WHEEL DRIVE.

PRICING STARTS VERY REASONABLY AT JUST $25,395 FOR AN XL SUPERCAB, WITH AN ADDITIONAL $4,160 FOR 4-WHEEL DRIVE; RANGING THROUGH ALL OF THE TRIM AND CAB STYLES TO TOP OUT AT THE LARIAT CREW CAB 4X4, WHICH STARTS AT $39,480.

SO, YES THERE'S SOME PRICE OVERLAP WITH THE F150, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE THAN ENOUGH PICKUP TRUCK SALES TO GO AROUND THESE DAYS.

AND WITHOUT A DOUBT, THIS 2019 FORD RANGER RAISES THE BAR FOR THE MIDSIZE PICKUP SEGMENT.

ADD IN THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING ALMOST A DECADE FOR A NEW RANGER, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE RANGER IS ONCE AGAIN, THE RIGHT TRUCK AT THE RIGHT TIME.

* RESEARCHERS SAY, "THAT WE DO A LOT OF OUR BEST THINKING WHEN WE'RE ASLEEP."

BUT IF YOU DON'T TAKE ANY ACTION WHEN YOU WAKE UP, WELL...YOU'RE NOT REALLY CHASING YOUR DREAMS.

OUR ZACH MASKELL TENDS TO GO OVER THE EDGE WHEN HE'S CATCHING HIS Zs...LIKE DRIVING AN OPEN WHEELED RACE CAR?

WELL, ITS TIME TO WITNESS THAT DREAM COME TRUE.

* Zach Maskell: IN THE USA, MANY KNOW RACING AS NASCAR, OR THE INDIANAPOLIS 500.

FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD, IT'S MAINLY ONE LETTER.

ONE NUMBER... F1... NO FENDERS... NO WINDSHIELD... ONE SEAT... TO DRIVE AN OPEN-WHEELED F1 CAR COMPETITIVELY IS THE CROWN JEWEL OF RACING, THE WINNERS SEEN AS ROYALTY.

A TRIP TO SUMMIT POINT MOTORSPORTS PARK IN WEST VIRGINIA IS WHERE WE FOUND ONE DRIVER PRACTICING, DETERMINED TO STAND IN THE NUMBER ONE SPOT.

IN 2016 THE PILOT OF THIS CAR WON THE FIRST EVER F4 CHAMPIONSHIP HELD IN THE U.S. TODAY, WE'RE HANGING OUT WITH 18 YEAR OLD CAMERON DAS.

THE ROAD TO F1 IS LONG, EXPENSIVE, AND CONTAINS PLENTY OF OBSTACLES ALONG THE WAY, WITH NO GUARANTEE OF EVER SECURING A SEAT.

A TYPICAL ROUTE STARTS WITH KARTING, MOVING TO F4, FOLLOWED BY F3, THEN 2 AND FINALLY F1, WITH EACH PROGRESSION ADDING RACE INTENSITY.

AND FRESH OFF A FLIGHT FROM THE U.K., CAMERON WHERE ARE YOU RACING NOW?

Cameron Das: I'M RACING IN EURO FORMULA OPEN F3 IN EUROPE.

IT'S BEEN AN EXCITING SEASON AND I'M GLAD TO BE A PART OF IT.

Zach: MANY YOUNG RACERS GET THEIR START IN KARTS AROUND AGE 8.

CAMERON DIDN'T START UNTIL 15.

TWO YEARS LATER HE FINISHED TOP 5 IN BRITISH F3.

STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, PLANNING TO ATTEND A UNIVERSITY AFTER GRADUATION... CAMERON SAYS, "PROFESSIONAL RACE DRIVERS NEED TO DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS."

ON THE SIDE, HE'S ALSO DEVELOPING A WEB SERIES WHERE HE PREDICTS FUTURE CLASSIC CARS.

Zach: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TAKE THIS THING AROUND TURNS?

Cameron: WELL, THIS CAR'S OBVIOUSLY, A LOT LIGHTER THAN A STREET CAR.

AND WE'RE RUNNING ON SLICK TIRES, SO EVERYTHING HAPPENS, SO MUCH FASTER.

WHEN THE CAR BREAKS LOOSE, IT BREAKS LOOSE ALL AT ONCE.

AND VERY QUICKLY.

REACTION TIMES HAVE TO BE SO MUCH HIGHER.

PHYSICAL ABILITY HAS TO BE HIGHER.

Zach: POWERED BY HONDA, 2018 IS THE FIRST F3 AMERICAS SERIES.

THESE CIVIC TYPE R ENGINES ARE SHELLING OUT 270 HORSEPOWER, THE CAR WEIGHING 1400 POUNDS.

NO POWER STEERING, NO ABS, NO TRACTION CONTROL.

THE MOOD WAS TENSE.

AN OUTSIDER, HOPPING INTO A FULL-FLEDGED RACE TEAM'S BABY.

MY EXTREMITIES...SHAKING, BRAIN...ON OVERDRIVE.

ALRIGHT, I'VE GOT USE THE CLUTCH HERE TO GET ME OUT OF FIRST GEAR, FROM THEN ON, I'M ONLY USING THE PADDLE SHIFTERS.

AND, [LAUGHS] LET'S GO BABY!!!

I DID NOT STALL IT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE... WE'RE OFF TO A GOOD START!!

THIS CAR COSTS OVER 120,000 AND IT'S ONE OF ONLY A FEW OF F3 AMERICAS PRACTICE CARS...

IF I WRECK THIS THING TODAY, I'M GOING INTO HIDING AND WILL I NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN.

IT IS JUST WARP SPEED INSTANTLY.

OH, I'M GOING TO GET USED TO THIS QUICKLY.

I MEAN, I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS REAL LIFE.

I FEEL LIKE, I AM IN A DRIVING SIMULATOR.

I NOTICED VERY QUICKLY ON TURN ONE, I'M USING MY WRISTS TO STEER HERE, I'M NOT USING MY WHOLE ARMS, BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR THAT TO HAPPEN ANYWAY.

AAAHHH...HA...HA, ABSOLUTELY BONKERS.

UNBELIEVABLE.

BY FAR THE CRAZIEST THING I'VE EVER DRIVEN.

PROBABLY, THE CRAZIEST THING, I EVER WILL DRIVE.

IT'S RAW, IT'S WILD, AND IT'S CONFUSING, BECAUSE IT DOES EVERYTHING YOU WANT IT TO DO.

YOU ARE SO CONNECTED TO THE GROUND.

NO TRACTION CONTROL.

YOU FEEL THE AIR COMING ACROSS THE HILLS, AND MOVING YOU LEFT AND RIGHT.

NUTS.

BUT, I'M JUST STARTING.

SO PLEASE, DON'T EVER WAKE ME UP.

John: TIME TO CHECK IN WITH PAT GOSS.

HE SHOWS US HOW TO GET A CLEAR VIEW, IN A TOUGH SPOT.

Pat Goss: NEW CARS HAVE AN AMAZING ARRAY OF HIGH TECH FEATURES.

BUT WHAT IF YOUR CAR DOESN'T HAVE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT?

WELL, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND IT IN THE AFTERMARKET.

NOW, ONE OF THOSE THINGS OF COURSE, IS THAT NEW CARS COME WITH BACKUP CAMERAS.

WELL, WE HAVE MARK MILLER FROM WESTMINSTER SPEED AND SOUND TO GIVE US SOME POINTERS.

MARK, WELCOME TO GOSS' GARAGE.

Mark Miller: THANKS PAT.

Pat: ALRIGHT, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?

Mark: SO, WE'VE GOT SOME DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF PRODUCTS.

SO, THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A LICENSE PLATE FRAME CAMERA THAT MOUNTS AT THE TOP OF THE LICENSE PLATE AND THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEE THE CAMERA.

OVER THE ON THE GOLF, IS AN EXAMPLE OF A COMPLETE LICENSE PLATE FRAME STYLE SYSTEM.

Pat: ALRIGHT, AND HERE?

Mark: THAT IS A MODULE MADE BY NAV-TV THAT ACTUALLY TALKS ON THE VEHICLES CAN BUS NETWORK AND ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE A BACKUP CAMERA IMAGE DISPLAYED IN A COLOR SCREEN JUST LIKE WE DID IN THIS MERCEDES.

Pat: ALRIGHT, AND THIS ONE?

Mark: THAT IS A LIP MOUNT STYLE CAMERA THAT'S DESIGNED TO VERY MUCH MIMIC THE COSMETICS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF A FACTORY CAMERA.

Pat: ALRIGHT...NOW, NOT ALL CARS HAVE THE CENTER SCREEN OR ANY TYPE OF SCREEN, WHAT DO YOU DO THEN?

Mark: SO THEN, YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING ALTERNATE.

SO, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A REPLACEMENT REAR VIEW MIRROR THAT HAS AN EMBEDDED LCD MONITOR IN IT THAT COMES TO LIFE WHENEVER YOU PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND SHOWS THE BACKUP CAMERA IMAGE.

Pat: OKAY AND THE BIG CAMERA?

Mark: THAT IS A COMMERCIAL CAMERA.

SO THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

IT'S GOT TO TAKE A LOT MORE USE BEING IN A COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT.

IT HAS TO WORK REALLY WELL AT NIGHT.

THERE'S EVEN A MICROPHONE IN IT, SO THE DRIVER CAN ACTUALLY HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND HIM WHEN HE'S BACKING UP.

Pat: ALRIGHT...NOW, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD FRONT MOUNT CAMERAS.

DO YOU DO THOSE?

Mark: WE DO.

NORMALLY, WE'LL INSTALL A LITTLE MICROSWITCH AND WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO A CURB, YOU JUST TAP THAT BUTTON AND NOW YOU CAN SEE THAT TWO FEET RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA.

Pat: AH, PRETTY NEAT.

NOW, OTHER THINGS THAT YOU HAVE HERE IN THE TOYOTA.

Mark: YES, SO THIS IS A 2010 MODEL.

SO, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF CARPLAY OR ANDROID AUTO WHEN IT WAS NEW.

SO WE RETROFITTED AN ALPINE 9.0 INCH SYSTEM TO GIVE THAT FEATURE SET AND THEN THAT BIG BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY NOW ALSO HAS A BACKUP CAMERA.

Pat: UH-HUH...NOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF CLIENTS WHO ARE REALLY SERIOUSLY INTERESTED IN BLIND SPOT MONITORING.

DO YOU DO THOSE?

Mark: WE DO, AND IT'S TYPICALLY DONE ONE OF TWO WAYS.

IT'S EITHER A CAMERA SYSTEM THAT'S MOUNTS ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND DISPLAYS IN YOUR COLOR SCREEN, IN THE DASH OR IT'S A MONITORING SYSTEM THAT USES LITTLE LED'S AND AN AUDIBLE ALERT TO LET YOU KNOW IF THERE'S SOMEBODY IN YOUR BLIND SPOT.

Pat: MARK THANK YOU.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

Greg Carloss: IT'S HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF OUR 2018 MAZDA6 AS IT SELDOM SITS STILL.

ALMOST 15,000 MILES HAVE QUICKLY ZOOMED BY IN THIS SPORTY MIDSIZE SEDAN.

WINTER'S CHILL HAS SET IN, BUT WITH A 227 HORSEPOWER TURBO CHARGED I4, QUICK SHIFTS, AND SPORTY SUSPENSION, TRIPS BOTH LONG AND SHORT REMAIN SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

EVEN AFTER 7-MONTHS, THE ONLY COMPLAINT HAS BEEN SNUG HEADROOM FOR DRIVERS OVER 6-FEET TALL, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE POWER MOON ROOF.

BUT EVERYONE FINDS THE COMFORTABLE AND NICELY SUPPORTIVE FRONT SEATS PERFECT FOR EVERY OUTING.

EVEN THOUGH, COLDER TEMPS IMPACT FUEL ECONOMY, WE'RE STILL AVERAGING A FINE 27.5 MILES PER GALLON, SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN THE GOVERNMENT'S COMBINED RATING.

WITH FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE WINTER TRACTION IS ALSO BETTER THAN EXPECTED, SO WE SEE MANY MORE COOL MILES AHEAD FOR THIS MAZDA6.

IT'S A NEW ERA AROUND HERE, WHEN WE GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT A HYBRID.

WE HAVEN'T HAD A PLUG-IN AMONG OUR LONG-TERM FLEET IN QUITE SOME TIME, AND HAVING JUST SPENT A YEAR WITH A NON-PLUG-IN KIA NIRO HYBRID, WE'RE NOW ABLE TO BETTER GRASP THE ADVANTAGES OF ITS PLUG-IN VARIANT, THIS 2019 KIA NIRO PHEV.

DESPITE SHARING THE NIRO NAME, THE PLUG-IN VERSION DOES DIFFER IN DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS, ALBEIT SLIGHTLY.

IT FEELS LIKE, IT JUMPS OFF THE LINE QUICKER AND THAT'S EVEN THOUGH IT HAS THE SAME ON-PAPER OUTPUT.

WE'RE GLAD, IT HAS AN ACTUAL GEARED TRANSMISSION LIKE THE TRADITIONAL HYBRID VERSION, BUT WE'RE JUST AS HAPPY TO DRIVE ON BATTERY POWER ALONE.

RATED FOR 26 MILES OF EV DRIVING, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE BENEFITS, OFF TO A GOOD 61.7 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE OVER OUR FIRST 1,300 MILES.

QUITE AN IMPROVEMENT OVER THE 43.7 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE OF OUR NIRO HYBRID.

WE'LL CHECK OUT THE TOYOTA CAMRY AND SUBARU CROSSTREK ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

John: THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS CONSTANTLY INNOVATING AND RENEWING.

AND OUR YOLANDA VAZQUEZ KEEPS US UP TO DATE WITH THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Yolanda Vazquez: THE ANNUAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW ALWAYS HIGHLIGHTS THE LATEST "GEE-WIZ" TECHNOLOGY...

BUT LATELY, IT'S BECOME A PREVIEW STAGE FOR AUTOMAKERS TO LOOKING, TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THEIR LATEST INNOVATIONS.

AT CES 2019, BMW INTRODUCED THEIR INTELLIGENT PERSONAL ASSISTANT.

IT ENABLES OCCUPANTS TO SPEAK WITH THE VEHICLE IN A MORE CONVERSATIONAL WAY TO CONTROL KEY FUNCTIONS.

IT LAUNCHES IN BMW VEHICLES IN MARCH.

MEANWHILE, VIRTUAL REALITY GOGGLES PROVIDE A LIFE-LIKE GLIMPSE OF WHAT THE DRIVE WILL BE LIKE IN THE BMW VISION INEXT WHEN IT GOES INTO PRODUCTION.

MERCEDES-BENZ REVEALED THEIR PERSONAL ASSISTANT AT LAST YEAR'S CES.

THIS YEAR THEY'RE UPDATING WHAT THEY CALL THE MERCEDES-BENZ USER EXPERIENCE.

ALONG WITH CASUAL VOICE RECOGNITION, THE SYSTEM IS EVOLVING, SO IT CAN IDENTIFY REQUESTS BASED ON "MOVEMENT."

LAS VEGAS WAS ALSO, THE SITE OF THE WORLD PREMI�RE OF THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ CLA... AND THE U.S.

PREMIERE OF THEIR FIRST BATTERY-ELECTRIC PRODUCTION MODEL, THE MERCEDES-BENZ EQC.

KIA KEPT THE "HI-TECH" MOTION THEME GOING.

THEY'RE CREATING A SYSTEM THAT CAN "READ" THE EMOTIONS OF A DRIVER, AND THEN AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE CABIN TO IMPROVE THEIR EXPERIENCE.

CORPORATE COUSIN HYUNDAI IS COMBINING ROBOTICS AND ELECTRIC DRIVING IN THEIR "ELEVATE" WALKING CAR CONCEPT.

GIVING THE CAR LEGS ALLOWS IT TO GO WHERE WHEELS ALONE WON'T WORK.

LINCOLN IS CELEBRATING A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE.

IT'S BEEN 80 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST CONTINENTAL WAS CUSTOM BUILT FOR EDSEL FORD.

IN HONOR OF THE ANNIVERSARY, THE COMPANY IS BRINGING BACK WHAT THEY CALL "COACH DOORS" THAT ONCE GRACED LINCOLN'S MOSTLY DURING THE 1960s.

YOU MAY ALSO KNOW THEM AS "SUICIDE DOORS."

THEY ONLY PLAN TO OFFER 80 OF THESE LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 80TH ANNIVERSARY COACH DOOR EDITIONS, FOR THE 2019 MODEL YEAR.

YOU'LL START SEEING THEM ON THE ROAD COME THIS SUMMER.

ANOTHER PIECE OF GOOD NEWS, LINCOLN SAYS, "THEY'LL OFFER THE COACH DOORS FOR THE 2020 MODEL YEAR AS WELL."

AND THAT DOES IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: OVER THE YEARS NISSAN'S UTILITY LINEUP HAS STEADILY GROWN, TO BECOME QUITE COMPREHENSIVE.

RANGING FROM THE FULL SIZE AND RUGGED ARMADA TO THE TINY AND QUARKY JUKE AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE IN BETWEEN.

BUT THEY'VE ALSO, BECOME MORE AND MORE MAINSTREAM.

SO NOW, IT'S OUT WITH THAT FUNKY JUKE AND IN WITH A WHOLE NEW KICKS.

* WE'VE DRIVEN ALL MANNER OF NISSAN UTILITIES OVER THE YEARS, FROM RUGGED TO REFINED.

AND TRUTH BE TOLD, WE WERE NEVER HUGE FANS OF THE FUNKY JUKE.

BUT, IT CERTAINLY HAD PRESENCE, AND WAS PRETTY FUN TO DRIVE TO BOOT.

SO, WHAT DO WE GET WITH ITS TAMER LOOKING REPLACEMENT, THIS 2018 NISSAN KICKS?

CLEARLY, ITS STYLING IS MORE SEDATE THAN THE JUKE'S BUG-EYED PERSONA, BUT IT'S STILL MORE ADVENTUROUS LOOKING THAN MOST RIVAL SUBCOMPACT UTILITIES.

AT ITS ESSENCE, THE KICKS IS A JACKED UP, RESKINNED VERSA NOTE.

BUT, EXAGGERATED FENDERS AND LOWER-BODY CLADDING ADD A RUGGED ELEMENT; WHILE UP SWEEPING BODY LINES AND BLACKED-OUT GREENHOUSE SET AN AGGRESSIVE AND SPORTY TONE.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] POWERING THIS TINY RUNABOUT, IS A NATURALLY ASPIRATED 1.6 LITER I4, RATED AT ONLY 125 HORSEPOWER AND 115 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

TRANSMISSION IS A CVT.

LIKE, THE TOYOTA CH-R AND KIA SOUL, IT'S PART OF THE URBAN CROSSOVER BREED THAT IS FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE ONLY.

INSIDE, THE LEVEL OF STANDARD FEATURES IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE; 6-SPEAKER STEREO, 7.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN, AND THREE USB PORTS.

SV TRIM RATCHETS IT UP WITH APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO, AUTO CLIMATE CONTROL, AND A 7.0 INCH DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.

LUGGAGE SPACE IS AMONG BEST-IN-CLASS AT 25.3 CUBIC-FEET; EXPANDING TO 53.1 WITH THE SEATBACKS FOLDED.

ROOM FOR PASSENGERS IS GENEROUS TOO, AND FOR AN ENTRY-LEVEL RIDE, IT'S REASONABLY QUIET INSIDE, AND SEAT COMFORT IS QUITE GOOD.

YES, THE BULK OF INTERIOR MATERIALS ARE PLASTIC, BUT THEY ARE NICELY-TEXTURED AND HAVE A GOOD FEEL.

SO, ALL IS GOOD UP UNTIL THIS POINT, BUT 125 HORSEPOWER AND CVT DIDN'T EXACTLY DRUM UP EXCITEMENT ON TRACK DAY.

AND AS EXPECTED, THERE'S NOT MUCH KICK TO THE KICKS OFF THE LINE.

BUT, ONCE IT'S MOVIN', IT'S IMPROVIN'.

AFTER GETTING OVER THE HOLE-SHOT SLUMP, THE ENGINE REVS FREELY AND SOUNDS EAGER.

STILL, EXPECT A LONG 9.7 SECOND TRIP TO 60.

THAT'S ALMOST TWO SECONDS LONGER THAN A TURBO CHARGED JUKE, BUT A HAIR FASTER THAN A COMPARABLE FORD ECOSPORT.

AS FOR THE CVT, IT WAS A LITTLE BETTER THAN EXPECTED; NISSAN'S LATEST XTRONIC DOES HAVE SIMULATED SHIFTS, FEELING ABOUT AS REAL AS IT GETS.

THINGS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY WHEN WE ADDED SOME BACK-AND-FORTH INTO THE MIX.

WE FOUND NICE GENTLE UNDERSTEER; PAIRED WITH QUICK, WELL-WEIGHTED STEERING, GOOD GRIP, AND A COMPLIANT CHASSIS.

THERE WAS SOME BODY ROLL BUT IT WAS GRADUAL AND THE KICKS WAS QUICK TO REGAIN ITS COMPOSURE.

A SHORT 115-FEET WAS OUR AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60.

PEDAL TRAVEL IS ON THE LONG SIDE, BUT STOPS WERE STRAIGHT, TRUE, AND FADE FREE.

EVEN BETTER, AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WITH FORWARD COLLISION WARNING COMES STANDARD.

IN OUR BARRIER TEST IT PERFORMED SIMILAR TO OTHER RECENT NISSANS.

IT WORKED EVERY TIME AT SPEEDS UP TO 10 MILES PER HOUR, BUT STOPS ARE VERY ABRUPT AND JOLTING.

KICKS GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE QUITE GOOD AT 31-CITY, 36-HIGHWAY, AND 33-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A FINE 34.7 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

THERE'S A GREAT ENERGY IMPACT SCORE TOO, CONSIDERING THIS IS NOT A HYBRID OF ANY KIND, USING JUST 10.0 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY WITH 4.5 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

AFTER ALL OF THAT, WE WERE EXPECTING THE MEXICAN ASSEMBLED KICKS TO COST MORE THAN ITS $18,985 BASE PRICE.

TOP TRIM SR IS JUST $2300 MORE AT $21,285.

THAT MAKES IT AMONG THE BETTER BARGAINS IN THIS BARGAIN CLASS.

WHETHER, IT'S THE LOW PRICE, OR JUST BEING OVER SATURATED WITH TINY CROSSOVERS, WE HAD MODEST EXPECTATIONS GOING IN.

BUT WE CAME AWAY QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THE 2018 NISSAN KICKS.

MORE IMPRESSED THAN WE'VE BEEN WITH ANY OTHER ENTRY-LEVEL NISSAN IN QUITE SOME TIME.

IT'S QUIET, FEATURE-PACKED, EFFICIENT, AND GOOD-LOOKING.

AND, ALONG WITH THE SLIGHTLY LARGER ROGUE SPORT, IT APPEARS NISSAN IS FINALLY BACK IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING GREAT SMALL CARS.

ONLY NOW, THEY JUST HAPPEN TO BE CROSSOVERS.

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, AS THE ALL-NEW SUBARU FORESTER MAKES GOOD ON ITS HERITAGE.

AND WHEN LUXURY SEDAN MEETS THRILL RIDE, THE BMW M5.

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

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

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

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

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 .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *