2024 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Photo Gallery.
The Nissan Frontier comes from a long line of rugged, utility-focused pickup trucks and this generation doesn’t disappoint.
RPM News Weekly Photos by Peter Ciani
The 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country Wagon presents a captivating fusion of rugged elegance and practicality, setting itself apart from the crowd of SUVs and Crossovers.
There’s an adage kicking around the internet that says, “If automotive journalists ran things, everyone would be driving brown station wagons.” Why? Because station wagons are cool. That’s right, I said it. And if you know your station wagon history, you know that Volvo wagons occupy a top spot alongside classics like the Buick Roadmaster, Chevy Caprice, and Ford Country Squire.
The Volvo V60 Cross Country (even the name sounds old-school wagon-y) proves that not only can a wagon look good and feel modern, but they still have a place in the era of “electrified” vehicles.
RPM Photo by Rich Taber
The 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country Wagon presents a captivating fusion of rugged elegance and practicality, setting itself apart from the crowd of SUVs and crossovers with its distinctive exterior styling. Emerging from its 2019 redesign, the V60 boasts sharply tailored sheet metal, accentuated by subtle tweaks to the grille, rear bumper, and wheel designs for the ’23 model.
Sorry automotive writers, but you can’t get it in brown. However, you can order it in Platinum Grey (seen below), which renders “A sophisticated gray metallic with undertones of brown for a velvet finish,” according to the Volvo.com build page… so, it’s almost brown.
With its lifted stance, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and black wheel arches, the V60 Cross Country appeals to the adventurous demographic. Despite the dwindling popularity of wagons, Volvo’s commitment to this segment shines through in the model’s sleek, modern presence.
Speaking of commitment, not only is Volvo one of the last manufacturers that’ll even mention the “w” word on their website, but they’re selling three wagon models at this time. In addition to the V60 Cross Country, they also offer a V60 PHEV variant called the V60 Polestar Engineered T8 eAWD Plug-in Hybrid (phew! That’s a mouthful), and the larger V90 Cross Country.
Our test car for the week was a 2023 V60 Cross Country with the standard B5 all-wheel-drive powertrain. While the B5 AWD is not a full hybrid but a mild hybrid with a 48-volt system, it still delivers a respectable 247 horsepower while achieving an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon on the highway.
RPM Photos by Rich Taber
If you’re looking for gas savings, the V60 Polestar Engineered Plug-in Hybrid is the way to go. Not only do you get slightly better mileage when using gas only, but the V60 PHEV can travel up to 41 gas-free miles on a full charge and thanks to its more powerful powertrain, the vehicle delivers an astonishing 455 system net horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. Of course, with the PHEV, you don’t get the adventure-ready looks that people want these days.
The 2023 model year didn’t introduce just fresh styling for the V60 Cross Country; it also provided a tech upgrade that saw the wagon join the growing list of vehicles on the market that have shifted to Google Built-in software to power their infotainment systems.
RPM Photo by Rich Taber
Features include Google Assistant for voice control, Google Maps as the native navigation system, and the Google Play store for additional apps. If you’re a diehard Apple fanatic, there’s no need to fret. Apple CarPlay is also built in. A 9-inch center display comes standard.
Taking a cue from Tesla, Volvo now offers over-the-air updates for the model, stating that the infotainment system can be improved over time.
Given Volvo’s history of safety, it’s no surprise that the V60 Cross Country comes with a long list of standard safety and driver’s support features including:
Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist, and large animal detection
Adaptive cruise control
Lane-keeping aid
BLIS blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert
360-degree camera
Park assist sensors
Road sign information
Oncoming lane mitigation
Slippery road alert
Rain sensor
The V60 Cross Country seats five and includes Volvo Comfort adjustable front seats and standard leather seating with heated front seats. For 2024, the Volvo V60 Cross Country is offered in two trim levels: Plus and Ultimate. The Plus trim offers three different interior colors, while the Ultimate trim offers five. With a starting price of $51,695, the base Plus trim comes well-equipped and competes favorably at its price point.
The Ultimate trim, starting at $56,795, doesn’t offer any difference in performance or safety features, but it does add a few extra niceties for passengers. These include fancier Nappa leather upholstery, front seat ventilation, 4-zone climate control, driftwood interior trim, and an upgraded premium sound system from Harman Kardon. If the 600-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system isn’t ‘premium’ enough for you, there’s an optional 1,410-watt Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system available on the Ultimate trim. It’s a $3,200 option but it sounds incredible. If you’re an audiophile, it’s worth a look.
Cargo Capacity tops out at 60.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. That’s not far off from luxury SUVs like the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLB and reason enough to take a closer look at this wagon.
2024 Toyota Sequoia Capstone Features Vehicle Photo Gallery.
Snow, Tow or Go, the Toyota Sequoia is a truly versatile full-size 3-row SUV!
RPM News Weekly Photos by Peter Ciani
It’s not just because the exterior paint on our 2024 Mazda CX-30 Premium Plus test car is called Soul Red Crystal Metallic that we sing the praises of this spirited little charmer of a crossover. This is the kind of vehicle that you get in and drive without needing to refer to an illustrated manual. Basically, the way everything is laid out makes accessing the technology intuitive and easy. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. There’s a lot more here than you might think.
The fun really begins as soon as you start the car. The zesty 2.5-liter turbocharged engine makes 227 horsepower when fueled with regular grade gasoline or 250 horsepower with premium fuel. It seems a bit of a throwback to pair this engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission but the electronically controlled mapping that Mazda engineers devised is well matched to the vehicle’s dynamic capability and weight.
With its crisp handling, the 3,527-pound crossover maneuvers like a tiny dancer making the drive a delight. Wall to wall turning diameter is just 37.3 feet.
Having all-wheel drive is a bonus that drivers here in New England will totally appreciate year-round but especially during winter months when on any given day the weather can turn from spring-like fun in the sun in the morning to dreary freezing rain and snow for the evening commute.
Advanced Safety features include:
In addition to all its performance attributes and safety technologies, the CX-30 comes loaded with a bounty of convenience features including:
So when it comes to having soul, the CX_30 has plenty, and it won’t cost you a devil’s bargain to own. The price tag for our CX-30 Premium Plus test vehicle came to $38,905 including options and destination charge.
RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber
Nothing speaks the language of summer like a convertible. But that doesn’t mean it has to be summer to enjoy the open air experience of a drop top. Case in point, the beautiful October day that we had with the 2023 BMW Z4 sDrive30i.
Ordinarily, with a car like this, the performance would be the first thing to rave about. After all, with 255 horsepower coming from its direct-injected 2-liter TwinPower Turbo, and 295 lb-ft of torque working its way through the rear drive powertrain, this two seater has no trouble impressing you and a companion into its plush red seat backs. Then there’s the variable sport steering bolstered by an optional M Sport Dynamic Handling Package with adaptive suspension, sport differential and blue caliper attired sport brakes turning every bend and bump in the road into a driver’s delight.
That being said, we would prefer to immerse you in the sensuous allure and relaxed gracefulness of the Z4. Here are a few photos of this beauty. We encourage you to plan a test drive.
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RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber
Sublime confidence takes no seductive shortcuts in the 2023 Dodge Charger Swinger Special Edition. It’s all right there in your hands and in everything you feel behind the wheel as this magnificent 485 horsepower quintessential work of modern industrial art envelops mind and body in the low, rumbling murmur of its 6.4-liter HEMI V8 heart.
Only 1000 of these will ever make transport out of the Brampton Ontario Canada factory where they are being assembled. After that, they are gone. The commemorative badge under the hood tells you that this is indeed the “Last Call” for Chargers. In this, the final year of production for both the Charger and its Challenger sibling, Dodge is unleashing a collectors treasure chest of seven limited edition series variants of which the Charger Swinger is number four.
How fitting for the automaker to take a page from its muscle car history book and revive the Swinger moniker for this special edition. As one might expect, Dodge didn’t stop there. While reaching back for the name, they also brought forth retro exterior and interior design elements including the classic F8 Green exterior color (as shown) and other retro colors, as well as green interior accent stitching and a Swinger dashboard badge.
It’s not just retro, though. There are more ways to gauge performance in this car than ever were offered in the original Swinger’s heyday, and with the Scat Pack Widebody Package components, (such as a flat bottom steering wheel, competition suspension, Brembo 6-piston fixed front caliper brakes, and body color fender flares, which beef up the vehicle’s width by 3.5 inches) capability and appearance coalesce.
Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer at Stellantis summed it up with this, “Dodge Swinger models have always held a unique spot in the Dodge muscle-car pantheon, and these modern-day models bring that fun back to life.”
RPM News Weekly had the opportunity to enjoy some of that fun during a week-long test drive of the Charger Scat Pack Swinger. Here are a few photos we took along the way.
RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber
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