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

JOIN US AS WE CHECK OUT A MORE RUGGED UPDATE TO THE HONDA RIDGELINE MIDSIZE PICKUP... PAT GOSS HELPS YOU MAKE SURE YOUR TRAILER IS SAFE FOR THE ROAD... STEPHANIE HART SHOWS US A COMPANY THAT GETS A CHARGE OUT OF HYBRID BATTERIES... THEN, WE'LL RECHARGE WITH A PAIR OF PLUG-IN PERFORMERS FROM VOLVO...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , 40 YEARS, STEERING YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

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

"I DO."

WE'RE TIRERACK.COM AND WE HAVE ANSWERS.

AND, TOOLS TO HELP.

"LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S, UH, TAKE A LOOK."

"OH!"

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.

John: THE SECOND GEN HONDA RIDGELINE HAS WON ITS SHARE OF AWARDS, INCLUDING OUR OWN RECENT DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST MIDSIZE PICKUP.

YET, DUE TO ITS UNIBODY CONSTRUCTION, IT STILL DOESN'T GET MUCH RESPECT AMONG THE TRUCK CROWD.

SO, LET'S SEE IF AN UPDATED '21 RIDGELINE HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN THEM OVER.

* FOUR YEARS INTO ITS SECOND GENERATION, THE 2021 HONDA RIDGELINE GETS A MORE RUGGED REBOOT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NEWLY AVAILABLE HONDA PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT OR HPD PACKAGE WHICH ADDS BLACK FENDER FLARES, A UNIQUE GRILLE, AND BRONZE-COLORED 18 INCH HPD WHEELS WITH A MORE AGGRESSIVE VERSION OF THE FIRESTONE DESTINATION LE2 TIRES THAT HAVE ADDITIONAL RUT-GRABBING SIDEWALL TREAD.

NOW, OFF-ROAD STYLING PACKAGES CERTAINLY HAVE THEIR APPEAL, BUT HAVE LITTLE CHANCE OF WINNING OVER FOLKS AT THE OFF-ROAD PARK; SO FORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT ALL THAT'S NEW FOR '21 RIDGELINE'S.

ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS NOW STANDARD, SO NO MORE FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE RIDGELINE'S ROLLING AROUND.

AND EVEN WITHOUT THE HPD PACKAGE, IT CONTINUES TO LOOK EVEN MORE TRUCK-LIKE, AS EVERYTHING FORWARD OF THE A-PILLARS IS NEW.

THE FRONT END IS TALLER, WITH A MORE UPRIGHT FACE TO SEPARATE IT FURTHER FROM THE CHASSIS SHARING PILOT CROSSOVER AND ODYSSEY MINIVAN.

AND IN BACK, THE REAR BUMPER GETS REDESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT NEW EXHAUST TIPS.

INSIDE, OUR FAVORITE NEW ADDITION IS FAR MORE FUNCTIONAL THAN STYLISH, IT'S A PHYSICAL VOLUME KNOB ADDED TO THE AUDIO SYSTEM; SOUNDS SILLY, BUT IT'S A BIG DEAL TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, AS IS NEW WIRELESS PHONE CHARGING.

INTERIORS ALSO GET SPRUCED UP WITH CONTRAST STITCHING FOR ALL TRIMS.

ONE CHANGE WE'RE NOT A FAN OF, IS NO MORE PHYSICAL SHIFTER.

THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED LAST YEAR WHEN THE 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC WAS REPLACED WITH HONDA'S 9-SPEED WITH A BUTTON GEAR SELECTOR.

ONE THING THAT HASN'T CHANGED, IS THE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF COMFORT AND SPACE IN THE RIDGELINE; SOMETHING UNIQUE IN THE MIDSIZE TRUCK FIELD.

ALONG WITH THEIR DUAL ACTION TAILGATE, UNDERFLOOR STORAGE BIN, AND IN BED SPEAKERS FOR THE AUDIO SYSTEM.

SAME ENGINE AS BEFORE TOO; THE 3.5 LITER V6s 280 HORSEPOWER AND 262 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO HAUL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S CARGO AROUND, OR 5,000 POUNDS OF TRAILER WITH THE STANDARD CLASS-3 TOW HITCH.

SO, IT'S OFF TO MASON DIXON DRAGWAY TO SEE HOW QUICKLY IT GETS THE RIDGELINE UP TO SPEED.

PLENTY OF GRIP OFF THE LINE; NO WHEEL SPIN, WITH ONLY A SLIGHT HESITATION FOR FULL POWER TO ARRIVE AND WE WERE OFF TO 60 IN 7.1 SECONDS.

TYPICAL FOR HONDA'S 9-SPEED, SHIFTS WERE QUICK AND FAIRLY SMOOTH; KEEPING THE POWER FLOWING THROUGHOUT THE 15.6 SECOND QUARTER-MILE WHICH ENDED WITH THE RIDGELINE AT 90 MILES PER HOUR.

FAIRLY CONSISTENT STOPS FROM 60 OF 121 FEET MEAN THE RIDGELINE STOPS AS GOOD AS IT GOES.

STILL, THERE'S MORE FORWARD PITCH THAN WE'D PREFER, AND A VERY SOFT PEDAL WITH LOTS OF TRAVEL.

AS EXPECTED, THE RIDGELINE FELT VERY SOLID THROUGH OUR HANDLING COURSE.

NO STABILITY SYSTEM INTERVENTION, AND THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF ROAD FEEL THROUGH THE WHEEL.

BODY ROLL IS EXTREMELY MANAGEABLE COMPARED TO OTHER PICKUPS, AND IT DIDN'T GET OUT OF SORTS WHEN WE PICKED UP THE PACE.

THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO ITS UNIBODY ARCHITECTURE; BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF ITS, NON-TYPICAL FOR THE TRUCK SEGMENT, MACPHERSON STRUT FRONT AND MULTI-LINK REAR SUSPENSION.

THAT COMBO PAYS EVEN BIGGER DIVIDENDS OFF THE TRACK, WITH A RIDE THAT'S CLOSER TO A MIDSIZE SEDAN THAN ANYTHING ELSE WITH AN OPEN BED ON IT.

THE ORIGINAL RIDGELINE MADE QUITE AN IMPRESSION WHEN IT BURST ONTO THE SCENE IN 2006.

IMPORT BUYERS IMMEDIATELY EMBRACED ITS MIX OF CAPABILITY AND DRIVABILITY; BUT FOR MANY IT WAS JUST TOO ODD LOOKING.

AFTER TAKING A GAP YEAR, DURING WHICH TIME MANY PREDICTED THE RIDGELINE'S DEMISE; IT RETURNED FOR 2017 WITH A NEW LOOK THAT WAS MORE FAMILIAR TO TRUCK BUYERS, AND EVEN MORE CAPABILITY; A ROAD THE '21 CONTINUES TO TRAVEL DOWN.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 18-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED; WE AVERAGED A FINE 20.3 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

FOR AN ENERGY IMPACT SCORE THAT'S ONLY SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE FOR ALL VEHICLES AT 15.7 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE AND 7.3 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

THE RIDGELINE IS OF COURSE, ONLY AVAILABLE AS A 4-DOOR CREW CAB, WITH PRICES STARTING AT $37,715.

THE HPD PACKAGE CAN BE ADDED TO ANY OF THE FOUR AVAILABLE TRIMS FOR $2,800; AND AS MENTIONED EARLIER, ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS NOW STANDARD.

RUGGED REBOOT OR NOT, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO WILL NEVER ACCEPT THE 2021 HONDA RIDGELINE AS A TRUE TRUCK.

AND THAT'S JUST FINE, FOR IN TRUTH IT DOES MOST TRUCK-LIKE THINGS JUST AS GOOD AS ANY MIDSIZE PICKUP AND DELIVERS CAR-LIKE COMFORT AND MANEUVERABILITY THAT NO OTHER TRUCK CAN MATCH.

SO, TO US THE RIDGELINE IS STILL A WINNER.

* John: MODERN HYBRID GASOLINE-ELECTRIC CARS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW, AND THE EXCELLENT LONGEVITY OF THEIR BATTERIES IS WELL DOCUMENTED.

STILL, HERE AT MOTORWEEK , WE ARE CONSTANTLY ASKED, "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BATTERY FAILS?"

WELL, FYI REPORTER STEPHANIE HART HAS FOUND A GREEN MOBILITY FIRM THAT'S READY WITH ANSWERS.

* Stephanie Hart: IN 1999, THE HONDA INSIGHT BECAME THE FIRST MODERN GASOLINE-ELECTRIC HYBRID CAR TO BE SOLD IN AMERICA.

BUT IT WAS THE TOYOTA PRIUS THAT MADE HYBRID DRIVING POPULAR HERE.

LIKE, ANY NEW AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS TO POP UP THAT SPECIALIZE IN ROUTINE REPAIRS ON HYBRIDS.

WE VISITED ONE, THE LUSCIOUS GARAGE IN SAN FRANCISCO, BACK IN 2013.

BUT NOW THAT HYBRIDS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR TWO DECADES, MAJOR PARTS IN THESE CARS ARE STARTING TO WEAR OUT, AND THAT INCLUDES THE HYBRID'S BATTERY.

WE NOW KNOW IT CAN TAKE 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES BEFORE A HYBRID BATTERY LOSES SERIOUS MUSCLE.

FOR MOST HYBRID VEHICLES, AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT BATTERY PACKS CAN BE ORDERED ONLINE OR THROUGH YOUR LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE.

BUT, MORE THAN A FEW OWNERS OF HYBRID CARS HAVE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT A UNEXPECTED BATTERY FAILURE CAN LEAVE YOU STRANDED.

THAT'S WHERE GREENTEC AUTO ENTERS THE PICTURE.

THEY'RE A SERVICE COMPANY THAT NOT ONLY SELLS NEW AND REFURBISHED HYBRID BATTERY PACKS, BUT WILL INSTALL THEM FOR YOU AS WELL, AND THEY EVEN MAKE HOUSE CALLS!

I'M HERE IN BOWIE, MARYLAND AT ONE OF THOSE SHOPS AND LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND WATCH AS THEY INSTALL THOSE EV BATTERIES.

Paul Razumovsky: WE RE-MANUFACTURE AND MANUFACTURE HYBRID BATTERIES ANY EV FOR CARS THAT ARE LOSING THEIR RANGE AND MILES PER GALLON.

Stephanie: PAUL RAZUMOVSKY AND HIS FAMILY BUILT GREEN TEC AUTO FROM THE GROUND UP, KEEPING PACE WITH THE NOW AGING FLEET OF FIRST, AND SECOND-GENERATION HYBRID CARS.

Paul: SO, WE STARTED ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO IN THE BACK OF OUR DAD'S REPAIR SHOP.

WE GREW UP WORKING ON HYBRID CARS... ALL KINDS OF CARS ACTUALLY CHANGING OIL, CHANGING TIRES, BRAKES, AND OUR SISTER HAD A PRIUS AND HER BATTERY WENT BAD.

AND WE LOOKED ONLINE AND WE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO REPAIR SHOPS TO SEE WHO COULD FIX HER BATTERY AND THERE WAS NO ONE OUT THERE.

SO WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIX THEM, FIGURED OUT A WAY TO MAKE THEM WORK AND LAST AND EVENTUALLY STUMBLED UPON THE BUSINESS.

Stephanie: AT THE TIME, THERE WERE FEW AFTERMARKET AND INDEPENDENT SERVICE OPTIONS.

DRIVERS WERE FORCED TO REPLACE DEAD BATTERIES AT THE DEALERSHIP, PAYING TOP DOLLAR.

GREEN TEC AUTO'S GOAL IS TO OFFER A MORE AFFORDABLE SOLUTION.

THEIR MAIN BATTERY PACK DISTRIBUTION FACILITY IS IN KANSAS CITY, WHERE THEY SHIP BATTERY PACKS TO THEIR 21 SHOPS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

IF THAT DREADED RED TRIANGLE OF DEATH COMES ON, TECHNICIANS HERE CAN SAVE THE DAY.

THEY CAN COME TO YOU AND INSTALL A NEW BATTERY AT YOUR HOME, YOUR WORK, OR EVEN IF YOU'RE STRANDED BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

Paul: WE DO HAVE A PROPRIETARY METHOD THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS ON TESTING THESE BATTERIES.

WHEN WE RECEIVE A CORE FROM A CUSTOMER, WE GO COMPLETELY THROUGH IT, REFURBISH-REPLACE THE PARTS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED- TEST THE BATTERIES AND WHATEVER WE CAN USE, WE USE AND WHAT WE CAN'T USE, WE RECYCLE THE RIGHT WAY.

Stephanie: NOTHING ENDS UP IN A LANDFILL.

AND IF IT'S A HIGHER CAPACITY BATTERY THAT WON'T WORK IN A CAR, THEY FIND A SECOND LIFE FOR IT; SOME END UP BEING USED AS BACKUP POWER FOR GOLF CARTS.

PAYING IT FORWARD, WHILE PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT.

Paul: IT'S NOT THE BATTERY, A LOT OF TIMES THESE CARS HAVE INVERTER ISSUES OR TRANSMISSION ISSUES.

WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO FIX THE CAR.

WE'RE NOT HERE TO JUST CHANGE THE BATTERY.

Stephanie: AMERICA IS MOVING TOWARDS AN ELECTRIFIED DRIVING FUTURE WITH PLUG-IN CARS THAT HAVE BATTERIES MANY TIMES THE SIZE OF AN EARLY HYBRID.

AS THEY BECOME COMMON, IT IS CLEAR THAT MORE ENTREPRENEURS LIKE GREENTEC AUTO WILL EMERGE TO MAKE SURE OUR CLEAN DRIVING FUTURE STAYS IN ITS LANE, AND NOT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

John: THERE'S A LOT MORE TO KNOW ABOUT TRAILERING THAN JUST HITCHING UP AND HITTING THE ROAD.

AS ALWAYS PAT GOSS HAS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE!

* Pat Goss: WHEN IT COMES TO TRAILERS IT SEEMS TO BE TWO ETERNAL PROBLEMS, AND THAT'S TIRES AND WIRES.

LET'S START WITH TIRES.

TRAILER TIRES ARE DIFFERENT THAN CAR TIRES.

AND THEY NORMALLY REQUIRE MORE PRESSURE.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALWAYS CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE AND THE CONDITION OF THE TIRES BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD.

ALSO, IF YOU HAVE TO BUY REPLACEMENT TIRES, WELL, TRAILER TIRES NORMALLY ARE STRONGER AND BUILT DIFFERENTLY THAN CAR TIRES.

SO ALWAYS BUY TRAILER TIRES.

AND YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THAT'LL RUIN YOUR WHOLE MORNING AND HAS NOTHING BUT LOW TIRE PRESSURE.

ALRIGHT, SECOND THING IS WIRES, LIGHTS THAT DON'T WORK, AND BRAKES THAT DON'T WORK AND SO ON.

WELL, LOTS OF TIMES THAT'LL BE THE RESULT OF THESE OLD-FASHIONED CRIMP-ON WIRE CONNECTORS, AND ENDS...AND SO ON.

THEY WORK, THEY HOLD THE WIRE TOGETHER BUT OVER TIME WHAT HAPPENS IS MOISTURE GETS IN THERE, IT CORRODES, THAT CAUSES HIGH RESISTANCE AND THE HIGH RESISTANCE CAUSES THE LIGHT NOT TO WORK.

ALRIGHT...NOW, THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD CHECK THAT IS REAL SIMPLE.

YOU WOULD USE A DIGITAL VOLTMETER JUST AS WE SEE HERE.

AND YOU WOULD GO ON EACH SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR AND YOU WOULD MEASURE THE RESISTANCE.

THE RESISTANCE MUST BE ZERO JUST LIKE WE'RE SEEING HERE.

IF THERE'S ANY RESISTANCE AT ALL, THAT CONNECTOR IS BAD.

ALRIGHT...BUT NOW, DON'T REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME OLD THING.

OVER HERE, WE HAVE A NEW STYLE OF CONNECTOR.

THESE HAVE EITHER A CEMENT OR A LOW TEMPERATURE SOLDER INSIDE THEM AND THE ENDS OF THEM ARE HEAT SHRINK TUBING.

SO, YOU HEAT THEM USING A HEAT GUN AND WHAT YOU WIND UP WITH IS SOMETHING THAT HOLDS THE WIRE TOGETHER, ELECTRICALLY SOUND, AND THE ENDS OF IT ARE SEALED WITH THE HEAT SHRINK IN ORDER TO KEEP MOISTURE OUT.

THEY DO A FAR, FAR BETTER JOB.

ALSO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE GAUGE OF THE WIRE, THE THICKNESS OF IT, IT MUST MATCH FROM THE TOW VEHICLE ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE PART OR WHATEVER THE LIGHT OR THE BRAKES OR WHATEVER IT'S WORKING.

GOTTA BE THE SAME.

AND ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL, DO NOT USE HOUSEHOLD TWIST-ON WIRE CONNECTORS.

THEY DO NOT WORK AROUND AUTOMOBILES, YET, WE SEE THEM ALL THE TIME.

DO IT RIGHT, AND YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH YOUR TRAILER.

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

John: OUR MOTORWEEK 40TH ANNIVERSARY CAR OF THE WEEK IS THIS 1978 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO.

THE PROUD OWNER OF THIS BRIGHTLY RESTORED COUPE UTILITY VEHICLE IS STEVE GILL FROM SEASIDE, CALIFORNIA.

STEVE SAYS, THE EL CAMINO DOES INDEED DRIVE MUCH MORE LIKE A CAR THAN A TRUCK.

IT WORKS TOO, HAULING EVERYTHING FROM PLANTS TO FURNITURE.

STEVE DOES ALL THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HIMSELF BECAUSE IT'S A SNAP TO WORK ON.

[CAR DOOR CLOSES] TIME NOW FOR A MOTORNEWS UPDATE FROM LAUREN MORRISON.

* Lauren Morrison: LAMBORGHINI HAS REVEALED THE REBOOT OF ONE OF THE CAR WORLD'S MOST ICONIC SUPERCARS, AND THIS TIME, IT'S PACKING SOME ELECTRIFICATION.

LAMBORGHINI STOLE THE NEW INTRODUCTION SHOW AT THE ANNUAL PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS WITH THE UNVEILING AND REBIRTH OF THEIR LEGENDARY COUNTACH SUPERCAR.

THE ALL-NEW LPI 800-4 EMBRACES BOTH THE PAST AND PRESENT BY COMBINING THE BRANDS LEGENDARY NATURALLY ASPIRATED V-12 POWER WITH HYBRID MOTOR ELECTRIC ASSIST.

THIS BLAST FROM THE PAST SPORTS 802 HORSEPOWER.

THE NEW 6.5 LITER HYBRID LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE 1970s ORIGINAL, INCLUDING THOSE SCISSOR DOORS.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE BUYERS HAVE ALREADY PLEDGED THE SPECULATED TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR EACH OF THE LIMITED RUN SUPERCAR, WHICH SHOULD START ARRIVING BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

LAMBORGHINI NOT THE ONLY ONE MAKING A SPLASH AT PEBBLE BEACH, AUDI MAKING SOME WAVES OF ITS OWN.

AUDI DEBUTING THEIR SKYSPHERE CONCEPT VEHICLE, WHICH IS A WHOLE LOT LIKE A TRANSFORMER.

IT CAN GO FROM A COMFY GRAND TOURER TO A SPORTY ROADSTER AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON.

ELECTRIC MOTORS AND TELESCOPING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS EXTEND OR RETRACT THE SKYSPHERE'S ENTIRE FRONT END, ACTUALLY ALTERING THE WHEELBASE OF THE CAR.

WHILE IN THE AUTONOMOUS "GRAND TOURING" MODE, THE STEERING WHEEL AND PEDDLES GO UNDER THE DASHBOARD.

BUT IN SPORT MODE, THEY POP OUT, GIVING DRIVER'S THE OPTION TO, WELL, ACTUALLY DRIVE.

WHILE, WE'RE GETTING A PEEK AT SOME NEW MODELS ON THE HORIZON, SOME OLD FAVORITES ARE FADING AWAY.

AFTER 26 YEARS, THE TOYOTA AVALON SEDAN WILL BE DRIVING OFF INTO THE SUNSET IN 2022.

DECLINING SALES AND BUYERS LOVE OF S-U-Vs, LIKELY PLAYED A PART IN THE AVALON'S DEMISE.

AND ACURA SENDING THE N-S-X OFF WITH A BANG, RETIRING THE SUPER CAR WITH A HIGHER PERFORMANCE TYPE S VARIANT.

ACURA WILL ONLY OFFER A LIMITED RUN OF 350 UNITS OF THE SUPERCAR GLOBALLY.

WHAT A WAY TO SAY GOODBYE!

AND THAT DOES IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS!

* Greg Carloss: WITH ALL OF THE UNCERTAINTIES WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST YEAR, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN RELY ON.

OUR 2021 KIA SELTOS SUBCOMPACT UTILITY HAS BEEN AS DEPENDABLE AS THEY COME THROUGH 10 MONTHS AND 11,000 MILES.

THE INTERIOR HAS HELD UP INCREDIBLY WELL; AND CONTINUES TO BE COMFORTABLE AND ROOMY FOR THE CLASS.

ONE QUIRK WE'VE NOTICED, IS THE LIGHT SENSOR THAT ADJUSTS INTERIOR SCREENS FOR NIGHTTIME USE IS INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE, GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN DAY AND NIGHT MODES BASICALLY EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE THROUGH A SHADY SPOT IN THE ROAD.

FUEL ECONOMY WITH OUR SELTOS' IS 175 HORSEPOWER 1.6 LITER I4 TURBO HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT THE ENTIRE TIME, WITH OUR CURRENT AVERAGE AT 28.4 MILES PER GALLON.

WHILE, THE SELTOS' FUEL ECONOMY IS TECHNICALLY BELOW THAT NICE, EVEN 30 MPG BENCHMARK, IT'S STILL PRETTY GOOD AND ITS 7-SPEED DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION MAKES THAT POSSIBLE.

GRANTED, AS WE'VE MENTIONED A FEW TIMES BEFORE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE SMOOTHEST OPERATOR, BUT IF YOU ASK ME, IT'S STILL MORE ENJOYABLE THAN A CVT.

THE VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLI ATTEMPTS TO PUT THE SOUL OF THE LEGENDARY GTI HOT HATCHBACK INTO SEDAN FORM; AND OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE'LL HAVE THE CHANCE TO SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL VOLKSWAGEN IS IN DOING THAT.

A BIG UPGRADE OVER THE STANDARD JETTA, IS THE GLI'S 2.0 LITER I4 TURBO ENGINE WITH 228 HORSEPOWER AND 258 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT COMES WITH A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION, AND IS OFF TO A GOOD 31 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE.

OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE UP THE GLI ARE ITS SPORT SUSPENSION, AND STYLING TWEAKS THAT INCLUDE 18 INCH WHEELS.

TWO TRIMS AVAILABLE, S AND AUTOBAHN; OUR S LONG-TERMER IS THE LESSER OF THE TWO BUT STILL GETS RED STITCHING, 6.5 INCH TOUCHSCREEN, AND AUTOMATIC CLIMATE FOR AROUND $27,000.

BACK TO CROSSOVERS WITH AN UPDATE ON OUR SUBARU CROSSTREK SPORT ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: FEW EUROPEAN BRANDS HAVE EMBRACED ELECTRIFICATION MORE THAN VOLVO.

THEY ARE COMMITTED TO PHASING OUT DIESEL ENGINES ENTIRELY.

WHILE, REFOCUSING THEIR EFFORTS TO DELIVER PLUG-IN VERSIONS OF EVERY VEHICLE IN THEIR LINEUP, WITH THE GOAL OF BEING FULLY ELECTRIFIED BY 2025.

BUT, DON'T THINK LATEST XC90 AND S90 RECHARGE MODELS ARE MERELY PLACEHOLDERS.

* IN ORDER TO BETTER MARKET THEIR GOAL OF ELECTRIFICATION, VOLVO NOW USES THE RECHARGE NAME TO IDENTIFY ALL OF THEIR PLUG-INS.

BUT, DON'T GET CONFUSED, AS SOME RECHARGES ARE FULLY-ELECTRIC, LIKE THE XC40 RECHARGE; WHILE OTHERS ARE PLUG-IN HYBRIDS, LIKE THE VOLVO S90 RECHARGE SEDAN AND XC90 RECHARGE 3-ROW UTILITY, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN UPDATED FOR 2021.

SHARING THE SPA PLATFORM, THIS PHEV PAIR ALSO WORK WITH THE SAME T8 4-CYLINDER BASED POWERTRAIN.

THE 2.0 LITER TURBO AND SUPERCHARGED GAS ENGINE IS ASSISTED BY A 34 KILOWATT ELECTRIC MOTOR, CRANKING OUT 313 HORSEPOWER AND 295 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE ON ITS OWN.

COMBINED WITH AN ADDITIONAL REAR-MOUNTED 65 KILOWATT ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT PROVIDES STANDARD ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, TOTAL OUTPUT IS 400 HORSEPOWER AND 472 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

AN 11.6 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY SITS WHERE A DRIVE SHAFT WOULD BE, PROVIDING ENERGY FOR UP TO 21 MILES OF FULLY-ELECTRIC DRIVING IN THE S90, 18 IN THE XC90.

UPDATES FOR THE S90 START WITH THE USUAL MID-CYCLE REFRESH STUFF UP FRONT, NEW FASCIA AND GRILLE; BUT A LITTLE MORE COMPREHENSIVE IN BACK, WITH NOT ONLY A FRESH BUMPER, BUT TRUNK LID, AND TAIL LIGHTS AS WELL.

INSIDE THE LAYOUT AND FEATURES ARE FAMILIAR, BUT SURFACES AND MATERIALS LOOK AND FEEL BETTER.

THE S90 HAS A WAY OF FEELING VERY LUXURIOUS WHILE ALSO BEING INVITING AND COMFORTING, NOT COLD OR STODGY.

TWO THEMES ARE AVAILABLE, THE INSCRIPTION'S LUXURY, OR THE R-DESIGN'S SPORTY; BOTH FOR THE SAME PRICE.

STRADDLING THE MIDSIZE/FULL-SIZE BORDER MEANS THERE'S A WEALTH OF SPACE FOR REAR SEAT PASSENGERS, WITH PLENTY OF AMENITIES FOR THEM TO ENJOY, AS WELL AS AN AIRY FEEL THANKS TO THE PANORAMIC MOONROOF.

AT THE TRACK, WE COULD REALLY FEEL THE ELECTRIC ASSISTANCE; AND THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SETUP MAKES SURE ALL POWER TRANSLATES THROUGH THE WHEELS TO THE PAVEMENT FOR QUICK 0-60 SPRINTS OF JUST 4.9 SECONDS.

THE STANDARD 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SMOOTHLY AND QUICKLY, WITH THE WHOLE QUARTER-MILE FEELING VERY MUCH LIKE A TYPICAL VOLVO EXPERIENCE, MEANING SMOOTH AND STEADY, ON ITS WAY TO A TIME OF 13.5 SECONDS AND 105 MILES PER HOUR.

SUSPENSION DESIGN IS A CAPABLE DOUBLE WISHBONE FRONT AND INTEGRAL LINK REAR, WITH AIR SUSPENSION UPGRADE OPTIONAL.

IN THE S90, THAT EQUATES TO A STIFF FEEL AND VERY LITTLE BODY ROLL THROUGH THE CORNERS.

THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME UNDERSTEER TO ACCOUNT FOR, BUT IT'S QUITE ATHLETIC FOR A LUXURY CAR THIS SIZE.

THINGS IN THE XC90 WERE NOT ALL THAT DIFFERENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NOTICEABLY MORE BODY ROLL, ATTRIBUTED TO THE HIGHER GROUND CLEARANCE.

BUT THAT HAD US BACKING OFF THE SPEEDS A LITTLE BIT, SO UNDERSTEER SEEMED TO BE LESS OF AN ISSUE.

AS FOR ACCELERATION, SAME POWERTRAIN IN A LESS AERO EFFICIENT PACKAGE THAT IS ABOUT 400 POUNDS HEAVIER, MEANS A SLOWER 5.8 SECOND TRIP TO 60 AND A 14.3 SECOND QUARTER-MILE AT 98 MILES PER HOUR.

IT WAS OF COURSE, THE XC90 THAT BROUGHT PLUG-IN PERFORMANCE TO VOLVO WHEN THIS GEN DEBUTED FOR 2015.

BUT, YOU COULD CERTAINLY SAY, THE ORIGINAL 2003 XC90 WAS A MUCH BIGGER GAME CHANGER AS THE BRAND'S FIRST SUV.

AS FOR THE 2021 XC90, MOSTLY THE SAME UPDATES FOR THE EXTERIOR, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ADDITIONAL CHROME DETAILING, AND NEW WHEEL DESIGNS ADDED TO THE XC90'S SLEEK AND SMOOTH SHAPE; STILL LOOKING MODERN AFTER 6-YEARS.

BUT INSIDE THE XC90'S SIX OR 7-PASSENGER INTERIOR, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED AT ALL, EXCEPT FOR ADDED STANDARD EQUIPMENT.

BATTERY PLACEMENT RESULTS IN NO COMPROMISE TO INTERIOR PASSENGER, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, LUGGAGE SPACE.

S90 RECHARGE PRICING STARTS AT $61,095, $8,500 OVER THE STANDARD T6 4-CYLINDER S90; WHILE THE XC90 RECHARGE STARTS AT $64,545.

VOLVO IS CERTAINLY NOT ALONE WITH THEIR PLANS TO GO ALL ELECTRIC IN THE FUTURE, BUT THEIR TIME FRAME IS DEFINITELY MORE AMBITIOUS THAN MOST.

PLACEHOLDERS OR NOT, THE 2021 XC90 RECHARGE UTILITY AND S90 RECHARGE SEDAN ARE PROOF THAT VOLVO HAS A FIRM GRIP ON BATTERY TECHNOLOGY AND CAN PUT IT IN PLACE WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE VOLVO EXPERIENCE IN ANY WAY.

SO, ENJOY THEM WHILE YOU CAN.

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 WE CHARGE WHEELS FIRST INTO OUR 41ST SEASON WITH A TEST OF THE JEEP WRANGLER 4XE.

AND A TRACK TEST OF THE LATEST PORSCHE 911 GT3.

TIL' 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... YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

"I DO."

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

"LIKE, OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S, UH, TAKE A LOOK."

"OH!"

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.

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