Jaguar’s rumored electric crossover will reportedly borrow a few bold styling cues from the C-X75 concept (pictured).

The company’s first crossover, the F-Pace, closely resembles its lower-slung siblings and the CX-17 concept that first appeared two years ago. The production model is designed to “draw your eye from 200 meters away,” according to design director Ian Callum, however an Autocar report suggests the upcoming EV, potentially labeled the E-Pace, will be even more bold.

With a launch target of 2017, Jaguar’s battery-powered crossover will likely enter the market alongside a handful of rivals. Tesla plans to ramp up Model X production next year, ahead of rumored or confirmed competitors from Audi, BMW, Volvo and other premium marques.

To help the E-Pace rise above the crowd, Jaguar designers are said to have penciled in “the most flamboyant” styling elements from the C-X75. The plans allegedly explain why Jaguar used the C-X75 in the latest James Bond film, Spectre, despite having no immediate production plans for the supercar.

Engineers are reportedly considering in-wheel electric motors for a direct all-wheel-drive configuration, using technology developed by parent Tata, though the production model could use traditional driveshafts if the next-generation system isn’t quite ready to roll off the assembly line.

The crossover is believed to be built upon the same aluminum architecture that underpins the XE and F-Pace, with a range of approximately 300 miles and a UK price around £60,000 (~$91,000 USD).

Ford has launched an incentive program for the 2016 C-Max Energi, offering free charging for new buyers or lessees.

Partnering with NRG Energy, the automaker promises three years of gratis charging at EVgo stations — but only in California and Maryland. A charge card will provide drivers with unlimited four-hour sessions at more than 500 locations.

When connected to a 240-volt power source, the C-Max Energi’s 7.6-kWh battery can be fully charged in approximately 2.5 hours. In contrast, a standard 110-volt home outlet requires seven hours to refill a depleted battery.

As average gasoline prices continue to hover above the five-year low, many automakers are struggling to maintain sales of fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and electric vehicles.

The C-Max is one of Ford’s worst-performing nameplates this year, with sales down by 18 percent in October and more than 20 percent for the first ten months of the year. The numbers suggest both the C-Max Hybrid and Energi are facing trouble, though the company does not break down sales figures for the separate variants.

Confirming recent rumors, Lamborghini has previewed a rear-wheel-drive Huracán to be formally unveiled this week in Los Angeles.

Known as the LP 580-2, the two-wheel-drive coupe serves as a new entry-level model for the company. Its naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 has been slightly restrained, dropping output to 580PS (571 horsepower) and 398 lb-ft of torque — approximately 30 ponies below the standard LP 610-4 edition.

Power is delivered via the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox found in the AWD model. Losing the extra driveshaft and other front-wheel drive components sheds nearly 73 pounds, trimming the total curb weight down to 3,062 pounds. Weight distribution also shifts slightly to the rear, biased 40 percent at the front and 60 percent at the rear.

Drivers can expect to hit 62 mph from a standstill in just 4.3 seconds, just 0.2 seconds behind the LP 610-4, while top speed has been reduced slightly to 199 mph.

The coupe boasts a new power-management setup, with stiffer suspension and a revised steering system. The driving modes have been recalibrated, enabling drivers to opt for oversteer and fully enjoy the RWD characteristics.

Aside from the mechanical revisions, the LP 580-2 is also visually distinguished from the 610-4. Designers have reformed the front air intakes to increase down pressure on the front axle, while the rear spoiler lip improves airflow around the tail end. New 19-inch Kari rims, wrapped in Pirelli PZero rubber, complete the unique look.

The LP 580-2 will be available soon at Lamborghini dealerships in Europe for 150,000 euros (~$160,000 USD). The company has not yet announced pricing or launch details for the US market.

General Motors has given its new GMC Canyon the full Denali treatment, upgrading the pickup with a slew of luxury- and style-focused enhancements.

Previewed ahead of a global debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Canyon Denali is billed as the segment’s first and only ‘premium’ midsize truck. It is instantly recognizable, thanks to a bold chrome grille that matches GMC’s Denali-badged Sierra and SUVs.

The pickup is further distinguished by unique 21-inch ultra-bright aluminum wheels with painted accents. Additional chromed components include the fog lamp bezels, chrome assist steps and polished exhaust tip.

Buyers are also treated to an upgraded interior, centered around Mulan-leather seats with heating and cooling. Other standard features include a unique instrument panel and console trim, Denali-logo sill plates and floor mats, and a heated steering wheel.

The package delivers GM’s latest technology, starting with an eight-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Its OnStar system provides 4G LTE connectivity as a subscription-based option, delivered to mobile devices via a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The Canyon Denali provides the same powertrain choices as the standard model, including a 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engine and a 2.8-liter Duramax turbo-diesel. The latter powerplant brings its trailer rating up to 7,700 pounds, while achieving an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 31 mpg in 2WD configuration.

The company has not yet announced pricing details for the Denali package. Full information will likely be confirmed ahead of its late-2016 market arrival.

Like jumbo shrimp, exact estimates and known unknowns, the latest Nissan Altima is a contradiction in terms: For 2016, it’s undergone a major minor model change. As the mid-size sedan wars wage into their umpteenth year, it is no longer sufficient to whip out some new taillight lenses for a mid-generational refresh and call it a day. Like the Toyota Camry before it, the Altima has gained significant design changes, new technologies and even a trim level.

What is it?

The Altima has been Nissan’s go-to guy since 2002, when the athletic and powerful third generation came out of nowhere to challenge years of Accord-Camry rule. Until then, Toyota and Honda had defined and straddled the mid-size sedan segment with models built for four- and six-cylinder engine options. Nissan had a different strategy, with a dedicated four-cylinder model, the Stanza and the first two generations of Altima, while providing a dedicated V6 model in the Maxima.

The 2002 Altima took a page from the Toyota-Honda playbook, offering four- and six-cylinder engines, but infusing it with extra sportiness from the Maxima DNA. The Altima has been steadily climbing the sales charts since. Today, after five years of consecutive growth, it’s nipping at the heels of Accord in yearly sales, which topped 338,000 over the last 12 months (though the Camry still outsells both by a significant margin).

For 2016, Nissan aims to close that gap with its major minor model change. The more-than-a-facelift includes a new skin on all surfaces fore of the cowl and aft of the quarter panels. Typically, automakers leave what’s under the sheetmetal unperturbed during a MMC, but Nissan engineers added a host of improvements to give four-cylinder versions a stellar, class-leading, 27 city and 39 highway mpg rating.

Here’s just some of what engineers had to endure just to improve fuel economy by one mpg. Under the hood, the 2.5-liter has a higher compression ratio, new piston head coatings, and is fed by a new variable flow oil pump. New sheet metal, a reworked underbody cover, and active grille shutters reduce the drag coefficient from 0.29 to 0.26 Cd, a figure that Nissan engineers are proud to tell you are identical to a GT-R’s.

With 2016 also comes a new SR trim level, a sports appearance package available with both 2.5-liter inline-four and 3.5-liter V6 engines. With no additional power from either mill, it’s also somewhat of a contradiction in terms. Things we like about the SR are its specially tuned suspension, 18-inch wheels, and pricing that makes it the most affordable V6 and slots between a 2.5 S and 2.5 SV for the four. Things we should feel indifferent about but childishly dig include the fog lamps, dark chrome headlights, and leather wrapped steering wheel.

Things that we absolutely don’t like are the rear lip spoiler that helps bring drag back up to 0.28 Cd and its “manual” mode paddle shifters. They’re useless in a sporty offering, but they do sound like things it should have. In other words, in this age of projected imagery being more important than the actual, it’ll sell like hotcakes.

Inside and out

The Altima’s new clothes puts the “Energetic Flow” corporate face on the best selling car in Nissan’s portfolio. The design language was introduced on the Murano, then on the Maxima, and starts with the V-motion grille. Its chrome arms flow into ridges on the hood for a muscular look, flanked by “boomerang” headlights with C-shaped DRLs. New four-piece taillights bring up the rear, though designers had to keep their overall shapes largely unaltered due to constraints from the quarter panels.

The hood, trunk, fenders, and fascias front and rear were all re-sculpted in this effort toward brand consistency. We applaud the effort to define a unifying Nissan identity, rather than the product line mish-mash that shows up on some of its competitors. The result is a fresh look that instantly makes the outgoing car appear outdated. While the big bro Maxima takes Energetic Flow to a new extreme, we prefer the fact that it’s actually a bit toned down on the Altima.

Cabin-wise, the interior design remains largely unchanged. However, the dashboard is now disconnected from the center console, resulting in a marginally more spacious feel. We tested a 2.5 SR, and while we enjoyed thoughtful touches like the blue stitching that complemented its beautiful Deep Blue Pearl paint, overall the touchable surfaces felt slightly more budget than those of a Camry SE.

The biggest improvement over the car it replaces, however, was the sound, or lack of it. A new acoustic windshield, denser behind-the-dash insulation, engine mount dampers and a larger center muffler combine to quiet the cabin to tomb-like levels. At one point we were surprised to look down at the speedometer and find we were cruising at (let’s just say brisk) California freeway speeds when we thought we were going at least 20 mph slower.

The 2016 Altima also adds a suite of whiz-bang tech features that are proliferating across the segment like dandelions. The new NissanConnect app is part of a technology package that is optional on S trims and up (excluding SR). With it, you can start your car or activate the locks remotely, set speed and boundary notifications to keep an eye on your teen or your valet, or activate a trip planner that sends destinations to the car’s GPS.

On 2.5 SV and up models (excluding SR), radar-based blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic detection is available. On 2.5 SL and up models (again, excluding the SR), Nissan offers radar tricks like speed-matching cruise control, forward emergency braking and a forward collision alert that monitors two cars ahead.

Most of these driving aids are probably more necessary for the spec sheet than actual driving. Cross-shoppers would definitely notice their absence so Nissan needs them to keep up with the competition, but we’d probably opt for the 3.5 SR that has none of these bells and whistles.

Does it go?

On paper, the tweaked 182-horsepower 2.5-liter four is par for the course in the mid-size market. In practice, however, the throttle feels less responsive than a Camry SE’s due to the Altima’s continuously variable transmission. With 2016 comes a new algorithm for the CVT. Rather than hanging out at high rpms during a full-on mashed-pedal highway merge, it now steps down to mimic the shift of traditional automatic.

However, the “shift” lacks the hard transition that is expected, and instead it’s as if the entire action is happening in super slow-mo. Nissan says the change was made because customers didn’t like the high-rpm drone (and to be honest, we journalists complained ad nauseam about it as well). This solution is no better though and in fact slows the 0-60 time, though probably a negligible amount, because the engine isn’t operating in its powerband sweet spot. We never thought we’d say this, but change it back, please.

Aside from this quibble, the Altima does indeed go. The SR’s stiffer sway bars, a newly tuned suspension across the line, and higher grip tires hold the road with poise that would’ve made a sports car jealous a generation ago. A beefier rear sway bar in the SR helps the body stay as flat as Kansas during quick cornering. In particular, newly-spec’ed rear bushings. shocks and springs prevent the rear from feeling like its floating around like many front-drivers do. This also helps the nose feel deceptively less heavy, and paired with a new steering controller, overall handling confidence dramatically over the 2015 model.

Nissan says the brakes and grippier tires contribute to a stopping distance reduced by 10 percent. Our preview drive through Malibu didn’t have the opportunity to test that out, but what we can tell you is that it handled the twisty roads of the Santa Monica Mountains with nothing but the utmost composure.

Leftlane‘s bottom line

The Altima gets a host of changes for 2016, all of them good save for the CVT shifting algorithm. It is perfectly capable for any task you could throw at a mid-size sedan, and the styling is fresh. There is one last contradiction in terms here, and it’s a good one. Automakers equate V6 mid-sizers to being fully loaded. With the Altima 3.5 SR, you can finally buy an energetic V6 sedan that doesn’t force you to check off every box on the options list.

Photos by Ben Hsu.

Kia has outlined a five-year plan to expand its lineup with more “environmentally friendly” vehicles, including more hybrids and a hydrogen-powered model.

The company promises its green-car range will nearly triple from four current models to 11 by 2020, starting with an Optima plug-in hybrid and the Niro hybrid crossover.

By the end of the decade, the Korean automaker aims to begin mass producing an all-new fuel-cell vehicle. The company claims to be working with 300 partner companies to develop next-generation fuel-cell technology that will be sold in global markets.

“Production of the new Kia FCEV is aimed to be around 1,000 units per year, a figure expected to rise as demand for fuel cell vehicles increases,” the company said in a statement.

The mystery FCEV is said to feature a fuel stack similar in size to a 2.0-liter internal-combustion engine. It is expected to be more efficient and produce 10 percent more power than current-generation technology, despite being 15 percent lighter and smaller.

There are still only a handful of hydrogen refueling stations open in the US, mostly in California. Some locations have been been plagued by reliability issues, forcing owners to drive long distances to another station or receive a partial tank fill. Kia has not directly addressed the current refueling limitations, however the company will attempt to mitigate concerns by building its FCEV with a range of nearly 500 miles on a single tank of hydrogen.

The company has been working on fuel-cell technology since 1998, when the limited-production Mohave FCEV arrived on the market with a range of more than 425 miles.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to spend more than $10 billion investing in hybrid, electric and fuel-cell technology to achieve its 2020 goals.

Most automakers focus on chassis designs as success stories in the shift toward modular product architecture. Ford has instead highlighted the many advantages of a common structure for its front seats, which are now shared between the Focus, F-150 and most other models.

The Blue Oval first implemented a global front-seat architecture in the 2013 Escape and Fusion. The company’s North American lineup contained no less than 26 different seat systems at the time, a number that has since been pared down to just four.

Taking inspiration from office furniture and airliners, the modular seat design is based on a common skeleton that can be clad in various ‘top hat’ leather or cloth seat covers. Designers aimed to make the seat snug near the hips, preventing sliding while driving, but with freedom of movement for the arms and legs.

The universal skeleton supports a “plug and play” system with more than 30 different individual configurations. Add-ons include inflatable lumbar, bolster and massage bladders, adjustable lumbar supports, heating and cooling systems, cushion extensions and independent thigh supports, among other components.

“There was skepticism as to whether building a seat structure to fit all vehicle sizes could be done,” said Ford’s seats expert, Johnathan Line. “The trick was to turn our focus away from the vehicles, and concentrate instead on our customers.”

The seat structure is mounted using rails of various heights, accommodating the range of interior volumes from small cars to large SUVs. The steel frame is also said to bring weight benefits, eliminating more than 50 components and consequently reducing heft by approximately 30 percent.

The structure is now used in 90 percent of Ford’s North American vehicles, most recently the 2016 Ford Explorer. It will continue to be expanded gradually to global markets in the coming years.

Kia has outlined its launch targets for self-driving cars, aiming to deliver semi-autonomous vehicles by the end of the decade.

Like other automakers, Kia is first focusing on a system that will handle driving tasks while cruising on highways. Combining existing adaptive cruise control and lane-holding technology, the Highway Driving Assist (HDA) feature will keep a car in its lane and perform overtaking maneuvers while adhering to local speed limits.

Other technologies under development will focus on taking pressure off drivers in congested traffic, or handling parking maneuvers for parallel or perpendicular spaces. Like Tesla, Kia promises the self-parking system will be capable of operating via a key fob while the driver is standing outside the vehicle.

Looking further down the road, Kia expects to bring its first fully-autonomous vehicle to market by 2030. The company cautions that such vehicles require significant work, particularly in areas of vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and “vehicle-to-everything” (V2X) communication.

“Fully-autonomous vehicles are still some way off, and a great deal of research and rigorous product testing will need to be carried out to make the ‘self-driving car’ a reality,” said Hyundai Motor Group’s VP of advanced research, Tae-Won Lim. “Kia is still in the early stages of developing its own technologies, and we are confident that the latest innovations – both partially and fully autonomous – will ultimately make driving safer for everyone.”

Most automakers have voiced similar launch windows for semi- and fully-autonomous vehicles, though some companies, such as Tesla and Nissan, are working toward a more ambitious target.

Image by Brian Williams.

Workers at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly factory have reportedly rejected the tentative agreement between United Auto Work negotiators and the company.

The factory builds the F-150, the best-selling nameplate in the US auto market and one of Ford’s most profitable models. The disagreement comes at a sensitive time, as production of the redesigned aluminum-clad pickup struggles to ramp up to full speed amid frame shortages and other issues.

The first signs of trouble emerged early last month as local union officials threatened to strike at the beginning of contract talks. Ford reportedly made preparations to shift capacity to its Dearborn plant, however the immediate conflict was later resolved and Kansas City averted a strike.

“This agreement does not have everything that members had hoped for but it is a fair agreement with raises for everyone and has the path to full pay for entry level members,” UAW Local 249 officials wrote in a Facebook post ahead of the latest ratification vote. “With Mexico at $10 an hour and the company continuing to invest and expand there you don’t want to negotiate agreements that force jobs out of the country or out of our plants.”

Despite the discontent in Kansas City, the majority of Ford’s 52,900 unionized workers have voted in favor of the agreement, according to The Detroit News.

More than a decade ago, Nissan made its first foray into the half-ton market with the introduction of the original Titan. It’s hard to believe that any full-size pickup, let alone one available in so few configurations, could soldier on for ten years without a major overhaul.

In Nissan’s defense, the original Titan was meant to make a splash, which was seen as a necessity for a new Japanese entry into a market unyieldingly dominated by domestic entries. While the company’s pickup legacy went back decades, a half-ton offering had no precedent in the United States.

So the Titan came big, and only big. There were two cab options: king and crew. The former was available only with a 6.5-foot bed and the latter with a 5.5′. There was only one engine–a 5.6L V8–and only one transmission. Sure, Titan brought a host of then-innovative features to the half-ton segment, but what was new and different a decade ago is dated now, and the Titan’s absence of diverse configuration options is stark in a segment where some trucks can be had in literally hundreds of permutations.

Aiming higher
Nissan chose to launch its new pickup with its range-topper, the Titan XD. In a way, this represents a similar strategy to that employed in the original Titan launch way back in 2004–go big or go home. The XD is not simply a trim level, but an almost entirely different truck, much in the same way domestic 3/4-tons are markedly different from their half-ton siblings.

To be clear, though, the XD is not a 3/4-ton equivalent. Rather, Nissan decided to take aim at the buyer who wants more capability than what is offered by a typical half-ton without giving up much in the way of practicality–3/4-ton trucks typically being large, tall, heavy and tricky to maneuver compared to the half-tons to which they are related.

Nissan, through extensive focus group testing and market research, has concluded that nearly 150,000 buyers each year are looking for a truck like the XD.

So what is it, exactly?
If the Titan XD’s spec sheet reads a lot like à la carte selections from various half- and 3/4-ton truck offerings, that’s clearly by intention. Let’s start with the launch model’s powertrain, which was a bit of a coup in its own right. The XD model will eventually be available in both diesel and gasoline variants, but for now, the only available powertrain is a five-liter, 310-horsepower Cummins V8 mated to a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission.

That’s right. A diesel.

Boasting 555lb-ft of torque, Cummins’ new compact (for this market and segment) powerplant puts out the sort of numbers that you’d have found on the spec sheets of 3/4-ton trucks a decade ago. That’s no accident. The 5.0L is not meant to compete with the larger diesel engines found in the current 3/4-ton market, but is intended to deliver a scaled-down version of the same driving, hauling and towing experience.

That powertrain is bolted to a fully boxed ladder frame, which is to be expected from any truck built to do real work. This frame is unique to the XD (in other words, more substantial than the core Titan model’s) but does integrate some components from Nissan’s heavy-duty NV commercial chassis. The front suspension is a double-wishbone setup, the rear a multi-leaf. The steering is a recirculating ball system (half-tons typically feature rack-and-pinion) and an electronic rear differential lock is offered on PRO-4X models, but part-time 4WD is available on multiple configurations.

XD models also come with an integrated gooseneck hitch and chain retention system. It was Nissan’s goal to make it possible for a truck buyer to purchase a Titan XD and drive it straight off the lot with a fully-loaded trailer without any side-trips to accessory shops (or even the dealer’s parts department) first.

Hitting the road
We hit the roads of suburban Scottsdale, Arizona early in the morning in a PRO-4X model loaded down with an additional nearly 800lbs of payload (of a max rated 2,091). Our route took us all around the Tonto National Forest, where Nissan had set up several demonstration sites where we could put the XD’s capabilities to the test.

We saw a good mix of highway, rural two-lane, dirt and gravel roads just moving between the various locations, and we found ourselves suitably impressed by the Titan XD’s ride comfort and road manners. The 5.0L diesel offers more than enough torque to maintain speed on hills, letting us cruise all day long at (or above) the speed limit on mountainous highways without any real effort.

Our PRO-4X tester likewise made navigating dirt and stone paths effortless. Even tracks with rather intrusive desert vegetation and ruts that would make the drivers of lower-slung, all-wheel-drive vehicles pay close attention to their lines were dispensed with easily.

After unburdening our truck of its additional payload package, we made our way to the Butcher Jones Recreation Site on Saguaro Lake. There, Nissan sent us up into the hills on a skidplate-challenging loop intended to make the PRO-4X’s low-range 4WD and ground clearance shine. Shine it did. Make no mistake, the Titan XD is not a Jeep Wrangler. It’s long. It’s heavy. It’s wide. But it is quite capable. A 22° incline at the start of the course was practically a hands-free affair, and complexes strewn with large rocks and loose gravel were tackled with little drama, even in sections where the passenger could easily reach out and touch the ground.

Impressively, at the end of all of these shenanigans, we looked down to find our trip indicator showing a 17-mile-per-gallon average for the day. Not bad at all.

But if that wasn’t enough, Nissan had another big demo in store for us. They had us meet their engineers at a trailhead along the side of Arizona State Route 87 near Fort McDowell. Here, we left behind our test trucks to hop into some examples already hitched to 9,000-pound trailers, which we were to then drive up into the mountains and back on a several-mile loop.

The Titan XD is rated to tow 12,314 lbs in its most capable configuration. 9,000lbs, then, was a fairly reasonable load. Indeed, despite very gusty winds in some of the higher passes, the Titan handled the loop with little complaint. It held highway speeds up the grade (lane discipline strictly adhered to, don’t worry) and kept the trailer completely in check on the way back down. It would be hyperbole to say that the trailer’s heft couldn’t be felt, but it was entirely manageable even for those among us with no experience pulling heavier trailers.

Tow-ready models incorporate all the modern niceties necessary for such a trek, including an integrated brake controller, trailer sway control, and a rearview camera. Nissan throws in downhill speed control, which allows the driver to prompt a downshift with a tap of the brakes while in tow/haul mode, and an automated trailer light check system which allows the driver to stand behind the trailer and initiate a test sequence to check brake, running and turn signal lights on the connected trailer using only the key fob. A mere nicety, sure, but pretty trick nonetheless.

Amenities abound
While interiors may be secondary to capability, buyers do still tend to care about where they’re going to sit if they’re expecting to haul a trailer full of horses or weekend toys far enough to make purchasing a truck like the Titan XD worthwhile.

We observed earlier that the cabin is quiet the road manners excellent, but we were also struck by the quality and comfort of the XD’s seats. Nissan implemented their “zero-gravity” seat design strategy for the Titan, and the results are excellent.

Elsewhere, the titan received upgraded finishes and new materials. Mechanical upgrades include a switch to a more conventional column shifter (rather than the console-mounted selector which used up valuable real estate in the old Titan) and a new fold-flat rear floor with lockable and modular under-seat storage (where you’ll also find the gooseneck attachment accessories stored when not in use).

Bed accessories, which was an innovation point for Nissan with the original Titan, saw a series of upgrades as well. 360-degree LED lighting has been integrated into the bed sides, allowing for excellent visibility in the rear workspace. The 120-volt outlet remains (there’s a second one in the cabin too) and spray-in bedliner and channel bed rails are still available from the factory, along with the typical bed-side anchor points.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Nissan’s tweener truck is a strong, capable, refined offering. Whether it can attract the buyer Nissan believes is out there remains to be seen.

2016 Nissan Titan XD: Full pricing TBA, starting from $40,000.

Photos by Byron Hurd and Nissan USA.