Ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned that traffic deaths are up in the first half of 2015.

The raw number of deaths logged in the agency’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System remained relatively flat last year, dropping by 0.1 percent to 32,675 lives lost, while the rate of deaths, measured per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, dropped to a record low of 1.07.

The numbers are not continuing to trend downward for 2015, however. The fatality tally in the first half of the year is up by 8.1 percent from the same period last year, while the rate rose by 4.4 percent.

Under new leadership of administrator Mark Rosekind, an expert in fatigue management, the agency is taking a more comprehensive approach to death reductions, rather than focusing solely on single issues that contribute to accidents.

The agency will launch a cross-country program of regional meetings, culminating in a national gathering in Washington, DC, to gather ideas and engage new partners to address the many human behavioral issues that contribute to road deaths.

“Behavioral safety programs are the heart of NHTSA’s safety mission,” Rosekind said in a statement. “While great public attention is focused on safety defects and recalls, and rightfully so, it is time as a nation to reinvigorate the fight against drunk and drugged driving, distraction and other risks that kill thousands every year, and time for State and local governments to reassess whether they are making the right policy choices to improve highway safety.”

Data suggests some trends are remaining “stubbornly constant” from year to year. A third of fatalities are still associated with drunk driving, while half of all occupants killed were not wearing seat belts. Unsurprisingly, deaths of motorcyclists without helmets continued to remain far higher in states without strong helmet laws.

Despite the fear-inducing warnings, the NHTSA admits that the 2015 numbers have not been corrected for several statistical factors including gasoline prices, increased job growth, more driving by young people and increased leisure driving.

Volkswagen has detailed its proposed fix for non-compliant 1.6- and 2.0-liter EA189 engines in European markets.

The 2.0-liter TDI mills will simply require a software update to reduce NOX exhaust emissions. The new engine-management programming is claimed to have no adverse effect on fuel consumption or performance.

The 1.6-liter oil burner requires a hardware refit along with a software update to better optimize diesel combustion. Service technicians will install a mesh “flow transformer” in front of the air mass sensor, calming the swirled air flow to significantly improve measuring accuracy.

“Thanks to advances in engine development and improved simulation of currents inside complex air intake systems, in combination with software optimisation geared towards this, it has been possible to produce a relatively simple and customer-friendly measure,” the company said in a statement.

The company is working to implement technical resolutions that bring emissions back into compliance without any adverse effects on engine output, fuel consumption or performance.

“However, as all model variants first have to be measured, the achievement of these targets cannot yet be finally confirmed,” the statement added.

The company has not yet finalized a fix for the 1.2-liter Euro-spec engines. A proposed fix for the US-market 2.0-liter mills has not yet been made public, pending approval from the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board.

Previous reports suggest VW will be forced to implement more complex and costly hardware modifications for the US-spec 2.0-liter TDI engines. EPA regulations place much tighter restrictions on nitrogen-oxide output, requiring a fleet average below 0.04g/km. In contrast, Euro5 emissions regulations cap output at 0.18g/km for individual vehicles.

Most of VW’s offending 2.0L vehicles were put onto the US market without urea-injection selective catalyst reduction (SCR) technology. SCR systems significantly reduce NOx output, however such a retrofit is much more complicated than the air-intake mod chosen for the Euro-spec cars. VW presumably would have to install new exhaust components, a liquid tank to hold the AdBlue urea fluid, and extensive plumbing to make it work.

VW is expected to announce details of its US-market fix plan in the coming weeks.

Kia has introduced a new entry-level K900 sedan in the US market, introducing a new engine option and reducing the base price for the 2016 model year.

The package centers around an all-new 3.8-liter V6 engine with 311 horsepower on tap. The sedan had been introduced in the US with a V8 as the only available powerplant, delivering 420 horsepower.

The ‘V6 Premium’ trim features a navigation system, leather seating, a panoramic sunroof and 18-inch wheels, all for $49,950 (excluding freight). The MSRP represents a savings of nearly $10,000 compared to the initial loaded V8 model.

All 2016 K900s have received a few minor exterior tweaks, including a revised front grille and a new rear-end design with tweaks to the chrome trim, exhaust pipes, taillight design and bumper. Other new features range from a Smart Power Trunk to available automatic emergency braking.

The interior brings an improved nav system presented on a 9.2-inch HD touchscreen, while Kia’s remote apps support start/stop, climate control and lock/unlock. Parents can also set curfew, speed alerts and geofence settings to track their young drivers.

Takata has admitted to falsifying validation test reports, used to certify parts for production.

The supplier’s US employees reportedly spotted discrepancies in data from the test reports that were performed in Japan, leading some to believe that the components may not meet automakers’ requirements, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

“There have been instances in the past when Takata provided inflater validation testing reports to automotive customers that contained selective, incomplete or inaccurate data,” a Takata spokesperson admitted. “These lapses were and are totally incompatible with Takata’s engineering standards and protocols, and we sincerely apologize to our customers, our regulators and the driving public.”

The falsified reporting has been blamed on pressure to meet production deadlines, echoing the conditions that were associated with the General Motors ignition-switch defect. Takata claims the discrepancies in its validation reports are unrelated to the exploding airbag inflators, though one document sent to Honda is said to have cited a “pressure vessel failure” that was improperly categorized as normal deployment.

In its consent agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Takata agreed to phase out ammonium nitrate inflators. The chemical is believed to degrade over time when exposed to humidity, eventually igniting with too much force and potentially rupturing the inflator capsule.

Highlighting the extent of the misreporting, US Takata engineer Bob Schuber in 2005 voiced frustration with his Japanese peers over falsified data. The practice was said to be “the way we do business in Japan,” however it eventually went “beyond all reasonable bounds and most likely constitutes fraud.”

Honda, Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Mazda have all vowed to stop using Takata’s controversial airbag inflators in future vehicles. The supplier recently admitted that the departing customers represent a risk to the company’s survival.

If you buy Toyota’s version of history, it was 21 years ago that it created the compact SUV segment with the introduction of the original RAV4. Whether it was a genuinely new idea or just a soft approximation of the wildly successful Wrangler and the Suzuki Samurai is a judgment we’ll leave up to you, but there’s no arguing with the impact this class of vehicle has had on the modern automotive industry.

For 2016, Toyota decided it’s high time the RAV4 got higher mileage, and with the mid-cycle overhaul of the O.G. cute-’ute, the lineup now incorporates its first-ever hybrid offering. While this formula may not be anything new or unique for the segment ( Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute, anybody?), it’s a first for Toyota, and if Toyota has proven anything over the past two decades, it’s the company’s acumen when it comes to building and selling hybrids.

By the numbers
The 2016 model represents the mid-cycle refresh of the fourth-generation RAV4. The hybrid model is the 8^th to join Toyota’s lineup, and it’s available in two of the four available trim levels.

Yes, four trim levels. While the all-new hybrid may be the star of this particular show, it’s not the whole story. Toyota is also testing the waters at the other end of the spectrum (the fun end, if that’s not clear from context) with an all-new, sport-oriented trim: the SE.

What else is new?
Since this is a mid-cycle refresh, the RAV4 gets some exterior and interior updates up and down the line. In what may seem to run contrary to the styling goals of most small crossovers, Toyota decided to emphasize the RAV4′s SUV-like roots.

Aiming for a higher, wider stance, Toyota took some of the rake out of the RAV4′s front end, making it more upright and abrupt rather than swept and car-like. The front and rear bumpers got new treatments to emphasize this, including body-coded paint in the rear and a skid plate “finish” in the front that has become standard, which Toyota believes will emphasize the RAV4′s ruggedness. Unrelated to any image needs, the 2016 also gets shark-fin style antennae across the board.

Inside, little has changed. Materials have been upgraded, especially in common contact points (upper doors, etc.), but the layout is essentially identical. Toyota’s Entune infotainment suite has been made standard as well, though there are tiers to it. Mid-tier models get Entune + connected apps; top-tier models round that out with full-blown navigation.

S.porting E.lements
As we mentioned before, Toyota has decided to take a stab at adding a little pizzazz to its otherwise fairly middle-of-the-road offering. The result is the SE model, which is more than a simple trim package.

The SE gets unique wheels, a beefed-up sport suspension, paddle shifters and some unique exterior dress-up (blacked-out mesh grille, etc.). Like the other non-hybrid trims, the SE is available in either front- or all-wheel-drive. What you won’t find in the SE model is the most powerful engine. That honor goes to the hybrid, which Toyota claims is also the quickest to 60 mph.

Here, we get the RAV4′s standard 176-horsepower, 2.5L four-cylinder. It produces 172lb-ft of peak torque at 4,100 RPM–somewhat lofty for a small SUV, but certainly manageable. This combo is rated for 24 mpg city, 31 highway and 26 combined.

Toyota gave us a handful of Southern California routes to choose from in testing the various RAV4 models they brought along, and we elected to take the dynamically oriented Ortega Highway loop to see if the SE made for a worthwhile drive. We came away pleasantly surprised.

We mentioned several of the RAV4′s updates for 2016 above, but we haven’t yet talked about the chassis improvements. Toyota went through the RAV4 from front to rear with an eye on improving dynamics. As a result, the rear subframe was stiffened up, new digressive-valve shocks were fitted, and the steering rack was revised to provide more direct feedback.

Combined with the SE’s more aggressive wheel/tire package and sport-tuned suspension, these upgrades make for a very competent, confidence-inspiring package. Later on, we drove out to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, where Toyota had a SE model available for runs through a dynamic handling course, and what we felt on fast roads showed through there too.

This may not be the fastest RAV4 money can buy, but it’s certainly the most entertaining to drive. We’d consider it a worthy competitor to the Mazda CX-5 when equipped like this, but keep in mind that Mazda doesn’t have an SE equivalent. Any CX-5 you buy is the sporty one.

The party piece
While the SE may have won us over, nobody shows up to a wedding for the hors d’oeuvres, right? The 2016 RAV4 hybrid is the main event, and all were eager to see what it could do.

If you’re familiar with Toyota’s Highlander hybrid or the Lexus NX of the same stripe, the RAV4′s configuration will ring some bells. The gas engine sits in the front. There are two electric motors–one in the front and one in the rear. While the gas engine charges the battery which powers both electric units (as is the case with any parallel hybrid), there’s no physical connection between the axles.

Instead, the rear electric motor is activated when traction, acceleration or stability demands it. This is Toyota’s AWD-i, or all-wheel-drive with “intelligence.” Our primary concern was how the battery’s state of charge would impact all-wheel-drive operation if it is dependent on an all-electric component, but Toyota insists the gasoline engine will keep it juiced sufficiently to prevent any degradation in performance. “No impact.” Their words.

As we mentioned before, the hybrid is endowed with the highest power output of any 2016 RAV4–194 total system horsepower. It’s also rated at 206lb-ft of torque, giving it the most grunt, and as we also mentioned before, supposedly the quickest acceleration of the bunch. Naturally, it also boasts the highest EPA mileage ratings at 34 city, 31 highway and 33 combined. The eagle-eyed among you may note that the highway rating matches that of the regular gas models. A diesel, this is not.

It is also not the SE, which means you get no sport suspension or “performance” wheel/tire package. The hybrid is here to be comfortable and efficient. Indeed, it soaks up bumps far more agreeably than the SE, making long hauls more pleasant. Our drive to El Toro in the hybrid was far more relaxed than our trip up and down Highway 74.

When we reached the runway and took the hybrid out on course, the differences between it and the SE became even more clear. The hybrid doesn’t roll that much more, but it certainly feels like it does. Add to that, the hybrid’s torque and horsepower advantages don’t really seem like advantages when things get tight. After all, the hybrid system adds weight. The snappy torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive in the SE makes for some entertaining corner-exit shenanigans, even in this heavy machine, but the hybrid has no such aspirations. And after some spirited driving, the hybrid system starts to fell, well, gassed. No surprise, really.

But that’s the way the game is played. The hybrid isn’t completely hopeless, and the extra thrust is certainly welcome, but remember what duty the previously mentioned Ford Escape hybrid did so well. When was the last time you sat in one that wasn’t yellow and blaring Conan O’Brien clips at you worked your way toward (or out of) a hangover?

Leftlane’s bottom line
The 2016 RAV4 offers a little something for everyone, whether you’re looking to carve canyons or curtail your carbon contribution. The hybrid is a rather unique proposition in this segment for the time being, and from what we can tell, a worthwhile purchase. The SE? It may be the enthusiast’s RAV4, but nimbler (Mazda), faster (Kia, Ford) and more comfortable (Nissan) options exist. Toyota may want a piece of that pie, but it remains to be seen whether Toyota can lure buyers away from brands that have been doing this for a while.

2016 Toyota RAV4, from $24,350.

As-tested:
RAV4 SE AWD: $30,665
RAV4 XLE Hybrid: $28,370