If 720 horsepower isn’t over the top for a pickup truck, then Tech Talk RickDeMeis stands corrected. Chances are we can all come to an agreement that the Ford Raptor R is not your average F-150. Even when compared with the regular Raptor, this vehicle is extraordinary. Listen in as Rick tells us why. There’s more, too, in this week’s episode, including news of Honda’s plug-in hybrid fuel cell variant of the popular CR-V SUV and a report from iseecars.com about the most (and least) friendly places in the U.S. to own an EV.
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Enjoy listening to your favorite episodes while you drive.
Ford F-150 Raptor-R
RPM News Weekly photos by Rich Taber
“F-150® Raptor R™ truck’s dominant appearance is highlighted by its wide, power stance and muscular body that sits atop huge 37-inch tires.” ~ Ford.com
If there’s one thing the Genesis GV60 is not, it’s boring. Sure, the interior may seem a bit stark to some, but we would advise a closer look at its neat and studied mindfulness. Likewise, the exterior – it’s sleek and slender, but not malnourished. The design is so tastefully executed that we couldn’t help but imagine the vehicle slipping through the breeze at top speed with little noise or resistance.
This leaves us with the conclusion that owning an automobile of this caliber, not withstanding its contributions to a sustainable future as an all-electric vehicle, is totally transformative. Let your mind, body and soul feel that experience. If you have regrets put them in the comments.
Meanwhile, enjoy our 2024 Genesis GV60 Performance curated slideshow below, and the overview that follows.
RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber
No one buys a car strictly by the numbers. It has to appeal to something more abstract than simply the amount of horsepower or the size of its cargo area. It might be the way the color makes one feel or the prestige the nameplate implies, or some other indefinable attribute either sensed or perceived. Nevertheless, we all typically have some sort of hit list of features that we want met in a vehicle we intend to purchase. With the Genesis GV60 Performance few features are left at the curb, but there is a whole new vocabulary with which buyers will want to familiarize themselves.
Most of us have some understanding of a vehicle’s horsepower figure and what is meant by a 12-volt battery. But how about items such as 160kW front and rear electric motors, or a 774 kWh battery, such as listed on the GV60 fact sheet? Likewise miles/kWh instead of mpg? What do they mean and how does it relate to what we already know about performance and costs?
Well the power in kiloWatts is easy enough to convert. One kiloWatt is equivalent to 1.341 horsepower. So each of those electric motors produces about 215 horsepower. Calculating the comparative cost of fuel takes a few more steps.
The EPA uses MPGe as a way to see relative efficiency of an electrified vehicle (EV, PHEV) compared with gasoline-powered ones. Here the GV60 Performance scores 90 MPGe (select trims score as high as 112 MPGe). But this does little to plainly see what the cost advantages might be. Why? Because electric rates around the country vary considerably more from region to region than gasoline prices do.
So, let’s bring it home by dissecting the cost of our electricity consumption with the GV60 and how that compares with a similar gasoline-powered SUV. (cont. below)
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If you looked closely at the image that depicts the gauge cluster in the above slideshow, you might have noticed that the GV60 was garnering 2.7miles per kWh. Recently, the cost of electricity here in Eastern Massachusetts went up to around 30 cents per kWh (total figure incl. distribution and fees), so that’s about 9 miles per dollar. Meanwhile the cost of gasoline averages around $3.25 per gallon, meaning that for the same amount of money, the GV60 will travel around 29.25 miles where a similar sized gasoline-powered luxury SUV such as the Lexus RX350 manages 24 miles. It gets even better for the GV60 in places where electricity costs around 15 cents per kWh essentially doubling the number of miles for the same amount of money. Then again, if you have solar panels on the roof of your house you may not be paying anything to charge up.
Enough said.
Still, there’s more to owning the GV60 Performance model than a few extra dollars in your pocket. It’s really about the luxurious experience. In this, Genesis does not disappoint. The vehicle looks, feels and behaves like a proper premium-level vehicle. You might expect this when scanning through the features on the Monroney sticker (see below) or better yet easily discern it by taking the GV60 for a rainy day afternoon drive across town, onto the Interstate highway and down a few rural roads. The turns are smooth and firm, the bumps are muted and neutered, and the acceleration is quick and invigorating even with the wet pavement.
Everything else delivers at similar exemplary levels – a no-fuss climate control with heated seats front and rear and a heated steering wheel, a premium Bang & Olufsen audio system, mobile phone app integration, wireless phone charging, a super-easy-to-use console controller for the 12.3-inch infotainment system display, and a splendid bit of eye-candy in the way the spherical shifter rolls into play.
Though beyond such novelties as the flipping shifter, and even the prolific and wonderful driver convenience, crash avoidance and powertrain technologies listed below, there’s a peculiar cathartic potential here. More than it being a superbly refined means of transportation, the Genesis GV60 has the capacity to shift perceptions. Yes, transformative.
For 2023, RAM brought the off-road-ready Rebel trim from the RAM 1500 to the 2500 HD.
It’s hard to believe that someone at RAM looked around the table and said, “You know what? The RAM Heavy Duty pickup line needs another trim configuration.”
RAM trucks already offer a dizzying array of trims, special editions, and configurations, ranging from the no-frills, work-focused Tradesmen – a classic Dodge RAM trim name revived in 2019 – to the luxurious Limited edition. When we say luxurious, we mean it. While Ford and GMC trucks have stepped up their game with impressive interiors, the top-tier RAM trims reign supreme as the king of the ‘cowboy Cadillacs.’
For 2023, RAM brought the off-road-ready Rebel trim from the RAM 1500 to the 2500 HD. Not that the HD series was lacking an off-road trim, the RAM 2500 HD Power Wagon has been available for almost a decade and a half.
Although there are similarities, the Power Wagon continues to add a few more off-road goodies including Tru-Lok locking differentials, an Articulink articulating suspension, a front disconnecting stabilizer bar, and a standard 12,000-lb winch integrated into the front bumper.
Of course, the Rebel is no slouch when it comes to off-road capability, boasting aggressive off-road tires, skid plates, and a rear limited-slip differential. Plus, the Rebel offers one thing that the Power Wagon doesn’t: a 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, delivering 420 horsepower and an astounding 1,075 pound-feet of torque.
While it might sound cliché, the RAM 2500 Rebel truly stands out as a well-balanced pickup truck capable of seamlessly transitioning from the job site to the campsite in comfort.
2023 RAM 2500 HD Rebel2023 RAM 2500 HD Rebel2023 RAM 2500 HD Rebel2023 RAM 2500 HD Rebel2023 RAM 2500 HD Rebel
The Rebel also offers two Rebel Equipment Groups;
Rebel Level 1:
Leather-trimmed 40/20/40 Bench Seat
Automatic Adjust-in-Reverse Exterior Mirrors
Power Adjustable Convex Aux Mirrors
Power Heat/Fold/Telescoping Memory Mirrors
Power Telescoping Mirrors
Premium Overhead Console
Rain-Sensitive Windshield Wipers
Selectable Tire-Fill Alert
Trailer Tow Pages
Uconnect 5 Nav with 12.0-inch Touch Screen Display
Rebel Level 2:
Front Door Passive Entry and Lock
Off-Road Info Pages
Rear Power-Sliding Window
17 Speaker Harman Kardon Premium Sound
Bi-Function LED Projector Headlamps
Electronic Shift-On-The-Fly Transfer Case
Front and Rear Floor Mats
Aluminum Litho w/Black Trim Instrument Panel Bezels
Leather-Trimmed Bucket Seats
Leather-Wrapped Grab Handle
Luxury Door Trim Panel
Black Rotary Shifter with Silver Stripe
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2-21-24 Photo Feature 2024 Mercedes Benz AMG GLS63
The thrill of full-throttle performance to be found in the 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLS63 can be quite enticing; intoxicating even, if that weren’t such a careless use of a metaphor. Hopefully though, it’s enough to make up for some of this vehicle’s shortcomings, or should we say picadillos since everything opulent is writ large with this model.
Our week with this uber muscular premium SUV was defined less by its overt power and luxury than by its needless excesses and oddities. One could start with its $155,200 price tag – a mere trifle to some buyers, we suppose.
RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber
Granted, all that glitters about this vehicle may only be half the story, knowing that the reasons for its uncommon interior quietness and stellar on-road dynamics are hidden from view, and contribute substantially to its six-figure MSRP. Nevertheless, we could name three vehicles that collectively barely exceed that dollar figure and would match many features while making their owners perfectly happy, too.
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In any case, the foremost questions we found ourselves asking were these:
Are the power and prestige that a handcrafted hybrid assisted AMG 4.0-liter biturbo engine offers worth the EPA estimated annual fuel cost of $4,050? Our guess is that the expense is actually going to be higher in real world driving. Why? Well, for us, on a 9-mile drive, mostly Interstate highway, we achieved a paltry 13.9 mpg. (see photo). This is well below the EPA combined rating of 16 mpg. Even so, the EPA figure equates to using 6.2 gallons of gasoline for every 100 miles. How does one justify that in these times when it’s critical for all of us to lower our CO2 footprints? Or, when Mercedes-Benz has a much more enviro-friendly alternative in the EQS SUV?
Next, how is it that a $155K model with nearly every winter-ready feature one could ask for not have a heated steering wheel? Yes, the website says that feature is standard, but it was not to be found in the test vehicle we drove. After much research, we concluded that the $600 credit listed on the Monroney sticker was likely for this omission and that there possibly was a supply chain issue getting some part for the feature. Regardless, the blank spot on the steering column where the switch should be led us to wonder whether the steering wheel itself was still equipped with the necessary heating element and that it was just the switchgear that was missing, or perhaps an entirely different steering wheel was installed.
Speaking of the steering wheel, to what extent did the design engineers examine the level of distracted driving involved in managing the umpteen functions laid out across and around the steering wheel? In a nutshell, we think it’s excessive. Just look at the photo. Then read the manual. There are even more than meets the eye! Should we suppose that if we’ve managed to set up all the amazing safety technology correctly, we won’t need to worry about being distracted?
One more thing, redundancy is a good idea and certainly to be appreciated in the multiple ways there are to lower the rear seats in the GLS63, both electronically and manually. But the use of blazing red straps instead of integrated color coordinated latches is puzzling. Is this, too, a safety feature for emergencies? Have we answered our own question? Is this all part of the intricate layers of detail that go into making a $155,200 vehicle?
Those seeking outstanding on-road / off-road capability in a small sport utility vehicle will want to listen in as Tech Talk host Rick DeMeis unlocks the treasure chest of features in the Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition. Sitting at the top of the model’s 2023 lineup, the Heritage Limited capped production at 1,966 vehicles as a numerical tribute to the original 1966 Bronco. Press play to hear all the details in addition to a roundup of the latest tech news stories.
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RPM News Weekly Takes The 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition Through The Snowy Landscape of Hill, New Hampshire
RPM News Weekly Takes The 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition Through The Snowy Landscape of Hill, New Hampshire
Part Of A Week-Long Test Drive Of The Well-Equipped 4×4 Model
by Rich Taber
The Bronco Sport came onto the scene for the 2021 model year during a wave of retro reintroductions in the automotive industry. Riding on the same unibody platform as the Ford Escape and the Maverick pickup, this 4×4 SUV presents itself as a sporty, lighter weight version of the heavy-duty, body-on-frame Bronco .
Featured in our video is the top-of-the-line 2023 Heritage Limited trim. Production of this special edition was capped at 1,966 vehicles as a numerical tribute to the original 1966 Bronco. It’s essentially a Badlands trim with nearly all available options and packages.
The contrasting white roof and black roof-rack side rails complement the unique robin’s egg blue exterior. Standard 235/65R17 Falken Wildpeak all-terrain off-road tires mounted on 17-inch Oxford white wheels complete the look.
Those seeking superior off-road capability in a Bronco Sport will want to seek out the Heritage Limited trim. Its all-wheel drive system with G.O.A.T. mode selection dial performs admirably on a variety of terrains such as the snowy roads of Hill, New Hampshire as seen in the video. By the way, G.O.A.T. is a Ford acronym for “Goes Over Any Terrain” – very appropriate.
To that end, the Heritage Limited edition features a twin-clutch rear differential which allowed us to lock the differential to better navigate the more difficult snow covered trails. In addition, the vehicle provides trail control to automatically manage a set speed when driving off-road – especially useful on steep snowy hills.
As equipped, the Heritage Limited can clear 8.8-inch obstacles in its path. Standard metal bash plates provide an added layer of protection to the underbody.
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The 5-passenger interior supports the retro vibe, but still manages to incorporate plenty of today’s desirable winter-ready vehicle amenities including heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Additional niceties include a power moonroof, wireless charging, USB A and C outlets and a display-audio system with 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound and navigation. The seating is comfortable, but with the vehicle’s off-road suspension, the ride can be a bit jouncy.
For performance, the Heritage Limited trim comes standard with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, garnering 250 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. This is the same engine found in the Badlands trim. It’s important not to confuse the Heritage Limited with the Heritage trim. All trims lower than the Badlands (including the Base, Big Bend, Heritage and Outer Banks) offer a 1.5-liter EcoBoost as standard.
The 2.0-liter EcoBoost powerplant delivers a solid 277 pound-feet of torque that won’t leave you feeling left behind at a stop light even when towing up to the 2,200-pound rating for the vehicle. A Class II trailer Tow Package comes standard in the Heritage Limited. The EPA rates combined city/highway fuel economy to come in at 23 miles per gallon, which is right on target with what we managed over a week with the vehicle.
What we found very handy is the Cargo Management System. At first glance, it looks like just a removable shelf, but underneath there are two legs folded into the unit that can be used to prop up the shelf, allowing it to extend out over the lip of the tailgate opening and making a useful workspace as you can see in the video. Priced out as a $150 option, it’s the only extra that added to the base price of $44,655. Tuck the shelf away and drop the rear seats to expand the cargo area to 60.1 cubic feet.
Total MSRP for this 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition comes to $46,400 once you add in the Destination & Delivery charge.
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