Latest news with #crossover
Auto Car
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
New Kia Sportage offers 236bhp hybrid for £34,425
The updated Kia Sportage will arrive in UK showrooms this summer, priced from £30,885. One of the UK's best-selling cars, the crossover has been reworked to bring its styling into line with its newer stablemates, such as the Picanto, Sorento and electric EV3. The new treatment comprises column-like headlights and a blockier grille up front, plus new lights and a more prominent bumper at the rear. The changes mean it's now slightly longer than previously (at 4540mm compared with 4515mm), but it remains the same height and width and the wheelbase is unchanged (at 1650mm, 1865mm and 2680mm). Two powertrain options are available. The entry level comprises a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that sends 148bhp to the front wheels through a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The range-topping hybrid uses the same petrol engine, but here an electric motor is sandwiched between the powerplant and a six-speed automatic gearbox. The set-up combines to send 236bhp through the front wheels, although four-wheel drive (with the same output) can be had too. The entry-level hybrid is priced from £34,425 – £1790 cheaper than previously – but four-wheel-drive requires a significant step up, to £43,725. The Sportage's 261bhp plug-in hybrid will not be available initially but it has been confirmed to return to the line-up in due course. Inside the revised Sportage is a new 12.3in curved infotainment touchscreen running an updated version of Kia's ccNC operating system. There's also a new two-spoke steering wheel, while the centrally mounted touch panel (for functions such as the climate control) is retained.
Auto Blog
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Ford Should Be Concerned About the Kia EV6's Charging Speed
One of the best EVs in the business The Kia EV6 broke onto the electrified crossover scene for the 2022 model year, and even then, it was one of the top models when it came to range and charging speeds. Since then, Kia's electric crossover has only gotten better, with varying powertrains that can offer extensive ranges or thrilling performance. While competitors, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E, offer more contention these days, few EVs can match the Kia EV6 when it comes to long-range road trips. 2025 Kia EV6 — Source: Kia The 2025 Kia EV6's charging speed makes it a top pick At its peak, the 2025 Kia EV6 boasts a maximum range of 319 miles, which isn't exactly out of the norm these days. In its most range-competitive variation, for example, the Ford Mustang Mach-E offers a 320-mile range. By range alone, both electric crossovers are excellent picks for family road trips, at least until you take charging speed into consideration. Note that both models have access to Tesla's Supercharger network, eliminating accessibility as a deciding factor for some drivers. 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E — Source: Ford The Ford Mustang Mach-E features a maximum charging speed of 150 kW, which isn't bad at all. With those speeds, you could charge a Mustang Mach-E with a standard 73 kWh battery from 10% to 80% in around 32 minutes at a DC fast charger. Upgrading to the larger battery pushes that charging speed out to around 36 minutes. The Kia EV6 offers one of the highest charging speeds in the industry, with an 800-volt electrical architecture that can take advantage of a DC fast charger better than nearly every other EV. When connected to a DC fast charger, the Kia EV6 can charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes, regardless of whether it comes equipped with the standard or larger battery. As though 20 minutes isn't crazy enough, the top-spec GT trim can see that time reduced to as little as 18 minutes. 2025 Kia EV6 — Source: Kia While DC fast charging speeds are great for road trips, most drivers will charge their electric crossovers at home or at Level 2 chargers. Thanks to its faster charging speeds, the Kia EV6 with an extended-range battery excels there as well, reaching a full charge in around seven hours. Comparatively, a Ford Mustang Mach-E connected to a level 2 charger can achieve a full charge in around nine hours. Kia and Ford's EVs are great rivals Rivalry promotes innovation, of which Kia and Ford are living proof. Both the EV6 and Mustang Mach-E offer a variety of powertrain and battery setups that allow consumers to create a car that fits their needs. As similar as they are, however, there are some differences when it comes to performance. 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E — Source: Ford As the name implies, the Mustang Mach-E offers high performance from the base level, with 264 horsepower and 387 lb-ft of torque serving as the floor. That's a good deal more than the base EV6's 167 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The gap narrows once the dual-motor all-wheel drivetrain comes into play, with the Mustang Mach-E offering 325 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque with a standard range battery. The Kia EV6 sees its performance boosted to 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque with AWD. The gap between the EVs nearly closes at the top of the range, with the Mustang Mach-E Rally's performance topping out at 480 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. That kind of power launches the electric crossover to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. The Kia EV6 GT is close behind in terms of torque, topping out at 641 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque with launch mode, matching its American competitor's 3.4-second 60 mph time. Without launch mode, the EV6 GT taps 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. 2025 Kia EV6 — Source: Kia Final thoughts There's no denying the Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-E are rival EVs that offer an excellent combination of range, performance, and standard equipment. With 319- and 320-mile maximum ranges respectively, they're evenly matched in the road trip category. Once you factor in charging speeds, however, the Kia EV6 has a significant advantage. The capability to charge to 80% in 20 minutes or less at a fast charger simply can't be understated. If Ford manages to narrow that gap, the competition between these two EVs would only get more intense. About the Author Joseph Pudlewski View Profile
The Drive
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport First Drive Review: It Just Doesn't Go Hard Enough
The latest car news, reviews, and features. As far as normal cars go, the 2025 Honda CR-V is a pretty good one. It's comfortable, it's spacious, it's got a high-quality, sensible interior, it's fuel efficient, and it's surprisingly enjoyable to drive. So what would happen if Honda took its bread-and-butter crossover and seriously gave it some off-road capability? Could a rugged CR-V hold its own? Would it spoil what the car already does well? I'm asking—I don't know, because that's not what the 2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport really is. The new trim adds a light, adventurous flair, a woodsy paint color, orange interior accents, and new wheels with all-terrain tires. The rubber is the only performance differentiator between the TrailSport and any other CR-V equipped with Honda's two-motor hybrid powertrain. It doesn't even have a lifted suspension. This CR-V is still a very good car, like they all are. But if you hoped this version would be something more akin to the Trailsport Passport and Pilot, it's best to leave those expectations behind now. Sure, these outdoorsy crossovers tend to trade on vibes rather than off-pavement prowess, but even compared to your Wildernesses and Woodlands, the CR-V TrailSport simply feels too ordinary. Adam Ismail The TrailSport hovers around the middle of CR-V trims, above Sport, even with Sport-L, and below Sport Touring. It only comes in hybrid and all-wheel-drive form, and the execution here is identical to that of other hybrid CR-Vs: a traction motor and a power generator, joined by a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, for a combined 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. The EPA rates it for a very strong 40 mpg city, 34 highway, and 37 combined, and it starts at $40,045 including shipping. The TrailSport's exterior is distinguished by silver 'skid garnish' on its front and rear bumpers, which are the same shape as those on other trims. (That's a very deliberate word choice on Honda's part—don't mistake them for actual skid plates, like you get on the Passport TrailSport.) This CR-V also gets special badges front and rear, black trim and door handles, 18-inch Shark Gray wheels, and an available Ash Green Metallic exterior color carried over from the Passport. It looks nice, but I think it's time the industry moved on from the weak pastel sage trend. We need some vivid greens on cars again. Adam Ismail Inside, the seats are all black and gray heather cloth with orange TrailSport logos embroidered into the headrests, plus orange stitching on the upholstery and steering wheel. What little ambient lighting there is in the CR-V interior—I only noticed it in the door handle slots and above the wireless phone charger—is also a matching amber. And you get rubber floor mats, again with the appropriate branding. That's basically it in terms of stylistic changes here. Those slate wheels are now shod in 235/60R18 Continental CrossContact ATR all-terrain tires, and if you've sported a few trails before, you probably already know that you can score a set of those for $1,000 on TireRack right now. Out in SoCal, Honda set up a small off-road obstacle course with steep ditches and hills that, at times, perched our humble soft-roaders on three tires. Frankly, it was nothing that an ordinary CR-V couldn't have surmounted on its normal tires. Adam Ismail Fortunately, the all-terrain rubber hasn't seemed to adversely impact the CR-V's behavior on the street. Behind the wheel, the TrailSport may as well be any other CR-V Hybrid, blessed with a responsive chassis and a supremely fuel-efficient, albeit slightly interstate-challenged, powertrain. You'll definitely have some foot-to-the-floor passing moments in this car. And, when those happen, you'll absolutely hear the pokey two-liter giving its all to meet the demand, bypassing the generator to send its power directly through to the wheels. Electric torque ensures there's enough shove to get going from a stoplight, but at higher speeds, another 30 horsepower or so would certainly be appreciated. As with every all-wheel-drive CR-V for 2026, the TrailSport receives improved traction control logic, so that it now works at very low speeds, below 9 mph. Hill descent control also comes on all trims and limits your pace when coasting down a sharp grade. Honda has made the 9-inch center touchscreen that used to be an upgrade standard across the range, and with it comes Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There's also a new available 10.2-inch digital instrument panel, which the TrailSport includes. Conceptually, the CR-V's interior is pretty unassailable. All the plastics feel solid to the touch, you get elegant, functional knobs and buttons to control heating and cooling, the infotainment display isn't overwhelmingly huge, and the software behind the instrument cluster looks clean and is easy to follow. Adam Ismail I still love that long, wide grate motif spanning the climate vents, which Honda first debuted on the Civic. In this era of cynical minimalism at one end of the spectrum and aggressive, overwrought design on the other, it strikes a great balance, and it still draws the eye. Spacious and sensible as this cabin is, my only complaint is that I'd expect the TrailSport to be a little better equipped for $40K. The truth is that it's not far off the range-topping Sport Touring trim. That one throws in leather seats with memory power adjustability for the passenger, a better audio system, and a hands-free tailgate, among other nice-to-haves. The Pilot TrailSport's 360-degree TrailWatch camera would be useful on a vehicle built for roads less traveled, but no CR-V offers such tech. Many of the CR-V's competitors—the Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, and Kia Sportage, just to name a bunch—offer aspirational and adventurous trim levels not unlike TrailSport. On some level, I can understand why they're popular: Plenty of people want the outdoorsy look, but they don't actually need the gear. That's fair enough, and if it keeps someone who doesn't really need a Jeep Wrangler from buying one, that alone is a great thing. The TrailSport's problem, though, is that even by those low standards, it's still not special enough compared to any other CR-V. Forget about performance changes—it barely has visual ones. The Subaru Wilderness trio rides taller with aggressive bumpers and spill-resistant seats inside. The Nissan Rogue Rock Creek has a beefy roof rack. The new Toyota RAV4 Woodland has aftermarket-looking LED fog light strips, the kind that blind you. The Hyundai Tucson XRT doesn't have a whole lot of unique touches, but it does give you a leather interior for around $4,000 less. The Forester Wilderness is a couple grand cheaper, too. And that's before you look at where Honda's already taken the TrailSport name. On the Passport and Pilot, it actually means something—skid plates, special suspension tuning, optimized torque vectoring systems with an abundance of drive modes for different surface types, and so on. Plus, they just look good and offer far more exterior differentiation from the 'normal' trims of those SUVs. The Passport TrailSport's white steel-looking wheels just make me swoon. The CR-V Hybrid was already an excellent and well-rounded crossover worth its price tag. We've even called it 'The Final Boss of Family SUVs.' Fortunately, the TrailSport doesn't compromise that. Unfortunately, it also doesn't add anything to that recipe. 2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Specs Base Price $40,045 Powertrain 2.0-liter four-cylinder | permanent-magnet electric motor | all-wheel drive Horsepower 204 (total)145 @ 6,100 rpm (gas) 181 @ 5,000-8,000 rpm (electric) Torque 138 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm (gas) 247 lb-ft @ 0-2,000 rpm (electric) Seating Capacity 5 Cargo Volume 36.3 cubic feet behind second row | 76.5 cubic feet behind first row Curb Weight 3,900 pounds Ground Clearance 8.2 inches Max Towing 1,000 pounds EPA Fuel Economy 40 mpg city | 34 highway | 37 combined Score 8/10 The Honda CR-V TrailSport amounts to an underwhelming cosmetic package for an otherwise great SUV, that doesn't reflect the style or capability of Honda's other TrailSport products. Adam Ismail Car Reviews Honda CR-V Honda Reviews
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
ITV in soap shake up as they release Emmerdale and Coronation Street episodes on YouTube BEFORE they hit TV screens
A MAJOR ITV shake-up sees Emmerdale and Coronation Street episodes released on YouTube before hitting TV screens. Traditionally, viewers waited until weekday evenings for brand new episodes. 4 4 4 Both shows already drop episodes early - on the streaming service ITVX. However, from today (June 30), new instalments are also available on YouTube. Full episodes are to be shown on YouTube at 7am - on the same day as transmission. This is not the only exciting news for ITV soap fans in recent memory. Last month, it was confirmed the two soaps would be joining forces for the first time in an epic crossover episode. Set to be broadcast in January 2026, teasers suggest characters from both shows will depart and exciting new faces will join as the cast from each of the long-running ITV programmes come face-to-face for the first time. The hour-long episode is to mark the start of the new 'soap power hour' - a schedule change taking hold from early next year. Emmerdale and Corrie will each broadcast a 30-minute episode every-day back-to-back as part of the new programming changes with the huge stunt set to kickstart it all. ITV teased that the one-off mash-up will have "everlasting consequences for everyone involved" and will rock Weatherfield and the Dales forever. But before the crossover hits screens, fans will still have major drama in store. Emmerdale star makes shock return after five years for explosive scenes Upcoming Emmerdale scenes see fan favourite Paddy Kirk rushed to hospital after a horror dog attack. The vet - played by Dominic Brunt - is faced with an aggressive dog after freeing a trapped sheep from a fence. Left seriously injured and rushed to hospital, harsh words from a loved one add insult to injury. How will the beloved character move on in the aftermath? History of the Coronation Street set By Jake Penkethman, TV Reporter 1960-1968 - Whilst the Coronation Street set remained on Quay Street for 53 years, it actually had three separate studio sites. The first was an entirely indoor wooden set which was used for the first eight years of filming. This encompassed a replica of the Street built entirely indoors. The set was known to be awkward for actors to use and the houses brought to three quarter scale. 1968-1982 - In 1968, the addition of an outdoor set was created to adjoin the existing indoor set which was still used for filming right up until 1982. The set was used only when required with many of the show's cast reportedly hating it and describing it as 'the coldest place on Earth'. 1982-2013 - A brand new set was officially constructed in 1982 and was almost built fully to scale but still only permitted for one car to drive down the cobbled street. The house were purpose-built using reclaimed Salford brick in order to give it the most authentic feel possible. During these years, some of the show's buildings were adapted to allow for both interior and exterior filming at the same time. These locations included Elliott's Butchers, Barlow's Buys, Prima Doner and Webster's Autos. The final scenes to be recorded on this site occurred in December 2013. By early 2014, it began operating as a tourist attraction for around two years before ultimately being demolished and re-purposed in 2017. 2014-present - In early 2014, the show's set moved to the TV hub of the North - MediaCityUK in nearby Salford Quays. It is now located a stone's throw from major TV studio Dock 10 as well as the BBC's base in the North - home to Blue Peter, Newsround, BBC Breakfast and BBC Sport. The new set was even bigger and built to 9/10 the scale of a real street and allowed for two card to be travelling down the road at opposite sides for the very first time. The site has even undergone major expansions during its 10 years. Just four years after opening in 2018, a brand new set extension was unveiled which introduced viewers to Victoria Gardens for the first time in its history. The Weatherfield North tram stop also became visible as did a series of shops which became used as part of product placement advertising deals. Brands to have been seen on the Street so far include a Co-Op, a Costa Coffee and a branch of Hay's Travel. Four years later in 2022, another brand new set was unveiled, this time being the heavily mentioned Weatherfield Precinct. It became the first time in 62 years that the area had ever been seen on screens. It fearued a variety of shop fronts, a playground and a number of small flats which have begun to house more and more residents on the street in recent months. Over in Coronation Street, viewers were shocked when Gary Windass was revealed to be fighting for his life in hospital. Having been brutally attacked, the builder was shown to be in a coma. But just who is responsible for the crime? Coronation Street and Emmerdale air on ITV1 and ITVX.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘F1' Sequel Should Reunite Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in a ‘Days of Thunder' Crossover, Says Joseph Kosinski: ‘Who Wouldn't Pay to See Those Two on the Track?'
'F1' director Joseph Kosinski spoke to GQ Magazine UK and said his dream for a sequel to his Brad Pitt-racing drama is to actually bring in Tom Cruise for a 'Days of Thunder' crossover. Kosinski previously directed Cruise in 'Top Gun: Maverick,' which earned $1.4 billion at the box office, and the duo are currently developing a third 'Top Gun' movie together. 'Well, right now, it'd be Cole Trickle, who was [Cruise's] 'Days of Thunder' character, we find out that he and [Brad Pitt's] Sonny Hayes have a past,' Kosinski said about his dream pitch. 'They were rivals at some point, maybe crossed paths… I heard about this epic go-kart battle on 'Interview With a Vampire' that Brad and Tom had, and who wouldn't pay to see those two go head-to-head on the track?' More from Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Micheal Cera Says Tom Cruise Called Him Out on Set for 'Talking During a F‑‑‑ing Take,' Trolled Him While in Character as Les Grossman From 'Tropic Thunder' Brad Pitt's 'F1' to Top the Box Office but Projections for Apple's Big-Budget Racing Drama Are All Over the Place Kosinski originally planned to bring Pitt and Cruise together on the big screen in his own version of 'Ford v Ferrari.' The actors were going to do all of their own racing in the movie, but the studio would not approve Kosinski's desired budget. James Mangold ended up directing 'Ford v Ferrari' with Christian Bale and Matt Damon instead. 'Yeah, I got close with that,' Kosinski told GQ UK. 'But yeah, you know, everything worked out for the best. I got to do 'F1.' But anything's possible.' Pitt and Cruise haven't starred together in a movie since 1994's horror classic 'Interview With the Vampire,' although they have remained friends. Pitt recently showed up at the 'F1' London premiere and posed for photos with Pitt, who told E! News earlier this month that he's interested in acting with Cruise again on one condition: 'I'm not gonna hang my ass off airplanes and shit like that.' Cruise said on Today Show Australia in May while promoting 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' that he's 'thinking and talking about what could we do and what's possible' when it comes to a proper 'Days of Thunder' sequel. News broke last November that Cruise was developing a follow-up to his 1990 NASCAR drama. As for the 'Top Gun: Maverick' sequel, Kosinski told GQ: 'I think we've found a way to do it, not only in the scale of what we're proposing, but the idea itself of the story we're telling. We're thinking much bigger than… It's a really existential crisis that Maverick has in this, and it's much bigger than himself. It's an existential question that Maverick has to deal with, that would make Maverick feel small, I think, as a movie, compared to what we're talking about.' 'Yeah, there's still more story to tell for him,' he added. 'There's one last ride. So we're working on it now… we'll only do it if we feel like we've got a strong enough story.' Kosinski's 'F1' opens in theaters June 27. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
