Passport gets new lease on life
The Passport nameplate was retired back in the mid-1990s, but Honda apparently believes in second chances. The five-passenger 2020 Passport resembles the seven-seat Honda Pilot, but the new model is about 15 centimetres shorter. Surprisingly — at least to the Sleuth — the Passport gets the Pilot’s 280-horsepower V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmission and not the turbocharged 2.0litre four-cylinder from the Acura RDX. The Passport will be available in front- and all-wheel-drive and in trim levels ranging from somewhat basic to full-on luxury. A Sport model with blacked-out wheels, grille and trim will also be offered. With identical tow ratings, it will be interesting if the Passport’s estimated $4,000-$5,000 lower base price (it arrives next spring) will cannibalize Pilot sales. However, the Passport is perhaps more likely to attract buyers in need of more room than the smaller Honda CR-V provides. Kia renews its Soul for 2020: The automaker’s updated wagon was recently revealed and the Sleuth is delighted to see that it retains its unique character. Although the nose is stubbier than before, the opposite end is quite stunning. The new Soul is about five centimetres longer than before and the distance between the front and rear wheels increases by close to three centimetres. There’s also a better than 25 per cent gain in cargo room behind the rear seat. Both non-turbo and turbocharged four-cylinder engines return, but there’s still no all-wheel-drive option. The Soul EV returns with an electric motor that makes 201 horsepower. The output is identical to the Kia Niro hatchback’s output. Range is also expected to mirror the Niro’s 385 kilometres. Land Rover launches a more Evoque-ative Range Rover: The second-generation 2020 Evoque is expected to reach our shores in the spring. Although its signature sloping roofline is retained, the rest of the body appears more substantial, not unlike the larger and pricier Range Rover Velar that arrived for 2018. Both look more like boulevard cruisers than all-out off-roaders, but don’t let that fool you. The Evoque comes with the latest Land Rover four-wheel-drive system that will allow it to go far afield, especially with 21 centimetres of ground clearance. Engine choices essentially carry over, but with a bit more power. Pricing is expected to start in low-$50,000 territory. Genesis retools the G90: The top model in Hyundai’s luxury division undergoes significant updating for the 2020 model year with mostly allnew body panels as well as a large V-shaped grille. The big rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan still rides on the same platform as before (when it was a Hyundai Equus). Engine choices continue with a twin-turbocharged 3.3-litre V-6 and an optional nonturbo 5.0-litre V-8. All-wheel drive is also optional. A starting price in Canada of $85,000 seems likely. General Motors to lose a half-dozen sedans: The announcement of GM plant closures in Canada and the United States also means that several of its four-door cars will cease production. Along with the Chevrolet Impala and Cruze, the Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac XTS and CT6, Chevrolet will reportedly drop the Volt plug-in hybrid. On the surface, the Volt’s cancellation seems at odds with GM’s stated intention of electrifying much of its lineup in the coming decade. Aside from the Volt being an expensive-to-build low-volume model, the Sleuth hears that it doesn’t mesh with GM’s intent of shunning hybrids and going fully electric. The loss of the CT6, which was launched for the 2017 model year, leaves Cadillac without a legitimate flagship sedan to compete with the Mercedes-Benz E- and S-Class and the BMW 7 series. We’ll have to see how this one plays out in the coming months. A 1,900-horsepower hypercar: Design-studioturned-automaker Pininfarina of Italy claims the upcoming PFO will make at least that amount of horsepower along with about 1,700 pound-feet of torque. The two-seat sports car will come with an electric motor for each wheel and will have a top speed greater than 450 km/h. Rivian Electric pickup and utility vehicle: The Illinois-based startup recently revealed its 2020-model-year all-electric lineup consisting of a pickup and a utility vehicle, each claimed to give up to 640 kilometres of range. Base price is estimated at $70,000 in the United States.