Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We'll settle into a benchmark EV, the Mercedes EQS SUV... Then, bring the past back to life with the help of a very special young man... We'll head across the pond to a speed lover's paradise... And wrap up with the sporty Mazda3 hatchback!

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: Mercedes-Benz continues to expand their EQ sub-brand all-electric portfolio, now turning their attention to the all-important large SUV market.

So, let's find out, if this Alabama-built battery electric-powered beauty will inspire more suburban families to make the switch to the EV lifestyle.

♪ ♪ All the luxury and comfort you expect in a traditional Mercedes flagship SUV.

Now combined with the brand's EQ modern era all-electric drivetrain, to create the 2023 Mercedes-EQS SUV.

The EQS SUV comes as 5-passenger standard, but a 2-place 3rd row is available, though it's not the first 3-row Mercedes electric utility, as that would be last year's much smaller EQB.

This one is of course, much bigger, sliding between mid and full-size; so more practical for hauling a bigger family, not to mention heavier handed when it comes to outright pampering.

Three models are available; standard is the 450+ with a single 265 kilowatt rear motor outputting 355 horsepower.

The 450 4MATIC adds a small motor up front and detunes the rear unit to maintain the same 355 horsepower output, but boost total torque from 419 to 590 pound-feet.

And the 580 4MATIC cranks total motor output to 400 kilowatt producing 536 horsepower and 633 pound-feet of torque.

All use the same 108.4 kilowatt hour battery, which is slightly higher capacity than the EQS sedan.

But, more weight and less aero SUV styling means much fewer miles on a charge, though our results were quite interesting.

Our EQS 4MATIC tester is rated at just 285 miles, which is 55 less than the sedan, but we saw as many as 374 miles available on the gauge display, and in our driving loop, we were on pace for 328 miles.

So, we did another loop to confirm, and were on a 327 mile pace for that loop.

Max charge rate is 200 kilowatt, which gets you to 80 percent charge in 31 minutes.

The SUV is built on the exact same platform as the EQS sedan and even shares its 126.4 inch wheelbase, basic one-bow shape, and aero-intensive face with Black Panel star patterned grille and Digital Light headlights with 1.3 million micro mirrors.

We did not count them to verify.

But it is obviously taller and has more ground clearance, plus, gains an additional off-road driving mode.

When driving on any surface, the standard Airmatic suspension, with continuous active damping, provides a smooth ride that's big on comfort without being floaty or leaving you feeling disconnected.

Automatic Torque Shift shuffles energy flow front or rear based on calculations made 10,000 times per minute, and rear axle steering helped this 6,200 pounds sleigh ride turn in much quicker than anticipated at our Mason Dixon test track.

Here, seemingly minor inputs on the steering wheel initiated big results that took a little getting used to.

But, once we got a feel for its sensitivity, the EQS was smooth and steady through the cones with only moderate body roll.

Not much moderation when it comes to acceleration, as our 450 4MATIC gripped and ripped off the line, pushing us deeply into its plush front seats on the way to a 5.3 second race to 60 miles per hour.

Things smoothed from there as it steadily progressed through the quarter-mile in 14.0 seconds flat at 99 miles per hour.

Power tapered off even more towards the end of the track.

In braking runs, we found the pedal to have a lot of travel, but once the calipers decided to clamp down, they clamped down hard, bringing his 3-ton luxury Ute to a full stop in just 111 feet.

Impressive!

Now, this midlevel 450 doesn't have Benz's ginormous 56 inch curved glass display, but it was a good chance for us to experience what most buyers will get with the standard, separate 12.8 inch central touchscreen, and 12.3 inch tablet-style display for driver info.

The perforated leather front seats offer incredible comfort, and even have nice little pillows on the headrests with plenty of adjustments.

Second row legroom was more than plentiful in our 5-passenger test vehicle, with a good 22.7 cubic-feet of cargo space in back, maxing out at 74.2 cubic-feet with 2nd row seatbacks folded.

Rated at 43 kilowatt hours per 100 miles, the EQS 450 earns a fair efficiency rating, and there are plenty of standard safety features including active lane keeping.

Pricing starts at $105,550 with all three powertrains available in Premium, Exclusive, or Pinnacle trim.

2023 marks a major shift in the long and storied history of Mercedes-Benz, as years from now, it will be seen as the year the brand went all in on EVs.

The 2023 Mercedes-EQS SUV is sure to be a pivot point going forward, as 3-row SUVs are truly the heart of both the mainstream and luxury vehicle markets today.

For our money, Mercedes has now shown rivals how it should be done.

♪ ♪ JOHN: Held annually in West Sussex, in the South of England, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is best known for its iconic hill climb track, and as a celebration of the world's most alluring and exotic cars.

So, Bentley Motors invited our Stephanie Hart to experience this year's Goodwood first hand.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: I'm here in England at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Sixty-thousand people a day over three days flock here to see modern and historic racing vehicles.

Eye candy on four wheels, one after another.

Despite the soggy weather, car enthusiasts from around the world soaked in all of the sights-- hundreds of cars, everything from dream machines to daily drivers.

I am really excited to be here!

There's so much history here at Goodwood?

WAYNE BRUCE: Essentially, we're in the back garden of the Duke of Richmond's house.

Many global manufacturers are here, not just Bentley, making their global debuts.

You've got luxury lifestyle brands here as well entertaining customers.

All walks of society are coming here to Goodwood.

STEPHANIE: One of the truly unique things about Goodwood is that people can experience the cars at speed, driving up their famous hill climb.

There's nothing else like this in the world.

I'm going to be a passenger in the Batur.

It's a one of two prototype.

I'm going to be headed up the hill.

It has 740 horsepower.

This is gonna be quite an experience.

And a huge honor!

This is the most powerful Bentley ever made.

PAUL WILLIAMS: And these are very unique cars which are a coach-built body and a unique powertrain on top of a standard Continental GT.

STEPHANIE: Built by Bentley's bespoke division, 18 were produced and each sold for about $1.8 million dollars.

Behind the wheel of our Batur, is Andy Marson, Functional Manager, Vehicle Dynamics for Bentley Motors.

ANDY MARSON: So, he wants to see your wristband again.

STEPHANIE: Sure.

ANDY: Here you go.

SECURITY: Okay, thank you.

ANDY: Thank you.

STEPHANIE: In order to make good time up the Goodwood hill, we would have to hit 125 miles per hour.

I have never done a hill climb before at racing speeds and I could feel the fear of the unknown creeping in.

ANDY: If on the run you're not comfortable with how fast I'm going then just put your hands up, so I can see it.

STEPHANIE: Oh, okay.

Our Goodwood hill climb in the Batur is part of Bentley's celebration commemorating 20 years of its mighty W12 engine, which has been the performance backbone of the brand since the launch of the Continental GT in 2003.

(engine revving) Sounds like that tell me we're getting close to launching.

Then, this happened... SECURITY: Sorry, you've got to have trousers on.

STEPHANIE: Oh...I do, miss.

ANDY: She has, she has.

SECURITY: Oh, that's right.

Okay, have a good day.

STEPHANIE: Thank you.

Alright, we're now crossing the starting line now... (beeping sound) (engine revs/tires screech) (engine revving) ANDY: Top of the hill.. STEPHANIE: That was so much fun!

*Laughing* ANDY: Was that good?

STEPHANIE: That was a blast.

ANDY: You weren't too scared?

STEPHANIE: No, that was great!

That was great!

(clapping) ANDY: And we were on the live stream as well, so we will watch it back.

STEPHANIE: Yes, that was awesome!

You are an amazing driver!

I'm so glad I did it.

What a fantastic way for the Bentley Batur to officially debut in the UK!

Plus, it did it on renewable fuel.

What that means is there's an 85 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to ordinary gasoline.

The 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed was incredible!

An unforgettable experience celebrating the speed and glamour of the automobile- past, present, and future.

JOHN: We're told that the number of classic car enthusiasts is dwindling with each new generation, but we know there are still plenty of youth eager to keep that aged metal on the road.

Well, the newest member of our car care team, Giuseppe Iatarola, is one of them, and he puts that passion to work on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ GIUSEPPE IATAROLA: When I was here last year, I saw this Renault Dauphine in the back, so I asked the producer: "Can I get this running at my shop?"

So he said, "sure, we'll give it a shot."

So, when it came to my shop, here's what I did.

So, here's what we found out so far.

The engine is completely seized.

As you can see right here... doesn't turn.

The first thing I'm gonna do is take the valve cover off, and see if anything is seized on top.

If not, we take the oil pan out and see if the crankshaft is seized or...

I turned the engine by hand with a ratchet, and I noticed that the bottom end was turning but the top end wasn't.

So, after a little bit of time of heating it up, all the rocker arms, turning them, a little bit of that, I got everything all loose.

I'm taking the last bolt out for the timing cover and see what's under here.

It's just what I thought, the idler gear is plastic for a breaking point.

That's exactly what happened.

It's all smashed.

The crankshaft gear chewed it all up, so... so we're waiting for this, a new one to come in.

So, while we're waiting for that, I'm taking the carburetor off, because the linkage is seized... because there's dirt, it's all rotted, it's all jammed up...

The book I was reading, I think it said Solex... who makes the carburetor.

Uh, yes!

It is, Solex!

Right there... You have to put a rag in here.

If you get a washer or something in here and you go to start the car, you're going to break something and you're going to blow an engine.

So, you don't want that.

We pulled off the top of the carburetor, and look what we found inside.

I have a lot of cleaning to do!

This is one of your most important parts on a carburetor.

In here is the accelerator pump diaphragm.

If this doesn't work, your car doesn't accelerate.

So, we found out that the starter is no good.

We don't even know where we're going to find one, so we're going to be doing it with a drill just temporarily to see if it runs.

On this project, it took about two weeks to get running.

It's not something that you go over the weekend and you try to get running.

It's something that takes a lot of time to do.

In my case, waiting on parts from France, rusted bolts, stuff like that.

So now, the moment that we have all been waiting for.

Let's crank it up!

(engine starts up) It's Alive!

(engine shuts off) Don't give up on your old car...

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us here, at MotorWeek .

JOHN: We've got the key FOB, so buckle up for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: Kia made big strides with their 2-row all-electric SUV, the EV6.

And they're taking it one row further with the 2024 EV9.

But really, the most apt comparison is between the EV9 and the Telluride, Kia's successful internal-combustion 3-row utility.

They're roughly the same length at about 197 inches, but the EV9's 122 inch wheelbase is actually 7.0 inches longer.

The biggest difference is, of course, the powertrain.

The base EV9 uses a single-motor and a 76.1 kilowatt-hour battery for 215 horsepower and about 220 miles of range.

300 miles can be achieved by the Long-Range single-motor model, using a 99.8 kilowatt hour battery.

All dual-motor variants use the larger pack, with max power going to the GT-Line's 379 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.

The extra power reminds you that the EV9 is not just an electric Telluride, but truly a step forward, as does the ride quality.

JOHN: I do think that, in that comparison between the Kia EV9 and the Kia Telluride, there are some differences in ride and handling.

For one thing, I think the EV9 actually rides better.

Maybe it's the weight of the batteries, maybe it's the five-link rear suspension, but it soaks up bumps better than the Kia Telluride.

The Kia EV9 handles a little bit better than your typical electric vehicle.

It feels more normal, and the steering feels just about right.

Not as much feel as you would like, but a vast improvement over a lot of EVs that we test these days.

GREG: And like other EVs we've been in, the cabin features some 30 inches of screens and a mix of physical and haptic controls.

The sustainable materials and digital enhancements further define the EV9's place as a future ride, here now.

Kia could've done a half-effort to quickly fill the 3-row EV segment, but the 2024 EV9 is far from that.

If Kia prices it competitively, and we assume they will, the EV9 will be another home run.

The first examples hit the US market this fall.

We'll have a full-fledged Road Test and plenty more QuickSpins...soon!

JOHN: When the 4th gen Mazda3 arrived for 2019, it grew a little more stylish, a lot more upscale; and loads more practical too, adding all-wheel-drive into the mix for the first time.

How does it get better than that?

Well, for '23 the 3 adds an engine update that promises to deliver more power and better efficiency.

Time to speak truth to this power.

♪ ♪ The Mazda3 has always been a great compact car, big on both fun and value, and has earned numerous MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Awards over the years.

This current-gen has been on the road for 4-years now, and it gets even better for 2023.

Starting with the powertrain, the base 2.0 liter I4 has been eliminated leaving just two versions of the 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, turbo and non-turbo.

Base versions get a 5-horsepower bump to 191 horsepower, along with updates for its cylinder deactivation system.

The 2.5 Turbo fits standard all-wheel-drive and outputs the same 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque as last year; provided you use Premium gas.

Max ratings drop to 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet with Regular.

A 6-speed manual transmission remains available in front-wheel-drive 3s, but AWDs come exclusively with a sport-tuned 6-speed automatic.

We found it well-sorted and seemingly always on the same page as us whether we were shuffling through back roads or sitting in traffic.

There is a softer overall feel compared to Mazda3s of old, which you'll appreciate when encountering harsh pavement, but it still feels plenty agile when called upon.

That softer feel certainly carries over inside, where it has gotten much quieter, and quite nicely finished, consistent with Mazda's Audi-like premium intentions.

All 3s get an 8.8 inch center display, and all of the fingerprints on our test car's screen signifies most people assume it's a touchscreen.

It's not, however, as inputs are made with a rotary controller on the console.

It's not the most intuitive system, but once you're past the learning curve, it's tolerable.

The rear seat room doesn't have the roomy feel of the Subaru Impreza, but space is certainly more than adequate compared to the rest of the compact set.

Rear cargo space for this hatchback rates a good 20.1 cubic-feet with trunk space in the sedan coming in at 13.2 cubic-feet.

So yes, the Mazda3 remains available in both sedan and hatchback, but we still prefer the 5-door hatch both for its practicality and for its sporty looks.

Top Turbo Premium Plus gets gloss black aero treatments including a roof spoiler and front air dam.

At the test track, power from the 2.5 turbo felt more than adequate off the line, using all-wheel-drive grip to bite into the pavement and get up and go to 60 in 6.0 seconds flat.

There was virtually no turbo lag, and the engine felt nicely refined with its power delivery.

Transmission operation was equally as smooth and kept the power flowing quite effectively throughout the quarter-mile, which ended in 14.5 seconds at 95 miles per hour.

We really appreciate a well-tuned 6-speed in this world of overactive 8 and 10 speed automatics.

While, there was definitely some understeer to manage in our handling course, the 3 turned in quickly and provided real, sporting feedback through our cone course.

I-Activ AWD features G-Vectoring Control Plus, which uses both engine torque vectoring as well as selective braking to minimize body roll, and preserve the lively feel we've come to expect from Mazda.

In panic braking runs, the pedal was soft, but that kept ABS pulsing to a minimum; and the results were great, as we averaged a very short 106 feet from 60, with minimal nose dive and stable, straight stops.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for an all-wheel-drive Turbo are 23-City, 31-Highway, and 26-Combined; we averaged a good 28.4 miles per gallon of Regular.

Obviously, by eliminating the previous base engine, prices have taken a jump for '23, but so has everything else.

Still, they remain more than reasonable.

The base S now starts at $26,855, with the top Turbo Premium Plus at $37,815, with many options in between.

And sedan prices are even more sensible, starting at $23,715.

Like most brands, Mazda seems to be going all-in on SUVs; as the 3 is the last family sedan and hatchback in their lineup.

And it would be a real shame if that were to change.

As the 2023 Mazda3, the hatchback in particular, is just about the perfect car, offering utility vehicles levels of practicality along with better than average luxury, plus, handling performance that few crossovers can match.

So, long live the Mazda3!

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 for a test of an adrenaline-pumping sport wagon, the Audi RS6 Avant.

Then, we'll see if the new Toyota Crown is worthy of its throne.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

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(engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.