At CES 2026 Sam and friend of the show John Voelker sat down for a conversation with Giovanni Lanfranchi, CEO of Zeekr Technology Europe to learn more about the Geely Group's approach to product development

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Unfortunately, Robbie had a migraine this morning so it's just Nicole and Sam. Nicole has been driving the latest Toyota Prius with AWD in New Hampshire snow and Sam had the Cadillac Lyriq Signature Sport AWD in Michigan winter weather.

Volvo finally dropped all the details on its new EX60 midsize electric crossover including the missing door handles and touchscreen vents. Tesla has moved the safety monitors from some of its "robotaxis" to a following vehicle. Tesla also killed off Autopilot and moved lane centering to its subscription only full self-driving. GM is moving production of the next-gen Buick Envision to Kansas and the current administration in Washington will no longer seek criminal penalties against businesses that remove diesel emissions devices. Chinese automakers now have 1/5 of the Mexican market and may soon do the same to Canada. Subaru is launching a lower priced base model of the WRX that keeps the 271-hp turbo boxer. Rivian is driving its manufacturing validation R2s across Route 66 and might, maybe, hopefully put some switches and knobs in future models. Finally, a dealer in Michigan is asking nearly $70K for a 35 year old Toyota pickup.

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Links

The car that changes the game – meet the new, all-electric Volvo EX60 | Volvo Cars Media Intl

The Tesla Robotaxis Roaming Austin 'Without Safety Monitors' Are Accompanied by Cars Full of Safety Monitors

Tesla finally kills Autopilot in a bid to boost FSD subscriptions | The Verge

GM to move production of China-built Buick SUV to U.S. plant

Rolling-Coal And Emissions Cheating Devices Are No Longer A Criminal Offenses In Donald Trump's America - Jalopnik

Don’t Hate — eCVTs Are Genius Transmissions!

Led by BYD, China’s cheap EVs, cars take over Mexico’s streets as tariffs take hold

2026 SUBARU WRX BRINGS BACK THE AFFORDABLE RALLY-INSPIRED SPORTS SEDAN STARTING AT $32,495 MSRP

Route 66 roadtrip in R2 - Rivian Stories | Electric Vehicle Adventures

If You're Willing to Pay $70K for a 35-Year-Old Toyota Pickup, Get Some Help

Rivian May Be Giving the R1S a Smarter Tailgate—and Bringing Back Buttons - Autoblog

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We're back and this week all voices were recorded all the way through the show. Sorry again about last week. Nicole lucked out and had the Land Rover Defender Octa during some serious New Hampshire winter weather and Sam had a Porsche Macan 4S Electric with winter tires during a Michigan snow storm.

Ahead of the Detroit Auto Show this week, Ford previewed the new Mustang Dark Horse SC taking the place of the former Shelby GT500 and the Bronco RTR that's been breathed on by Vaughn Gittin Jr. Sam spokee with Mustang color and materials manager Sarah Watson and Dark Horse SC chief engineer Arie Groeneveld. Chevrolet dropped some details on the acceleration capabilities of the Corvette ZR1X and it is insanely quick off the line. Honda is ending production of the current Acura RDX while it prepares a new hybrid replacement and it has also developed a lightweight camper that can be pulled by a CR-V.

Alfa Romeo brings the refreshed Tonale to America sans the plug-in hybrid and drops the Hornet. Nicole and Sam talked with Stellantis head of North American brands Tim Kuniskis and the Jeep Gladiator will live on for another generation. Canada has signed a trade deal with China will lower tariffs on Chinese EVs north of the border and imported vehicles have become significantly more expensive in the past year.

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Links

Ford’s GT500 Successor Arrives As The 2027 Mustang Dark Horse SC – Wheel Bearings

Born in the Desert, the Bronco RTR Is the Fun High-Speed Racer That Won’t Break the Bank

What's New for 2026: Alfa Romeo Tonale

America's Quickest Production Car: Corvette ZR1X Does 8.675-Second ¼-Mile, Sub 2 Second 0-60

Next-Generation Acura RDX Will Go Hybrid

Honda Unveils Base Station Prototype: A Lightweight Towable Travel Trailer with Modular Design, Smart Technology & Clever Packaging to Democratize Camping

Canada wants to be 1st in North America to build EV with Chinese knowledge: senior official | CBC News

That Dodge Charger Got a Hemi In It? Only If It’s a Hellcat.

That New Car Is About $6,400 More Expensive Than Before, Here’s Why

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Unfortunately, the audio is a bit weird this week, Robbie's audio stopped recording after 26 minutes so there are some gaps, but most of it is there.

Nicole is back and she drove the new 2026 Subaru Outback Premium. It doesn't look much a like a wagon anymore, but its still a Subie through and through. Sam had the Honda HR-V AWD EX-L and Lexus UX300h, two very different compact crossovers.

Lots of news this week with both Sam and Nicole attending CES. Nicole spoke with BMW about the new iX3 and learned about the Tensor robocar. Sam went to the Nvidia keynote to learn about their new world driving model Alpamayo that debuts in the Mercedes-Benz CLA this quarter and is coming to Lucid later in the year. Lucid plans to have eyes-off driving in 2028 and brain-off in 2029. Ford is also bringing eyes-off driving to the new universal EV platform in 2028. If Afeela ever actually starts selling cars they may have brain off around then along with a second model that that they showed at CES. Aptiv's new Pulse sensor could make auto parking a lot faster. Volvo is teasing out its new EX60 and Stellantis is killing off all of its North American plug-in hybrids. Sam went for a ride in a Zoox robotaxi while he was in Vegas. We've got more listener suggestions for Nicole's car buying journey and Sam has a conversation with Glen de Vos, CEO of Microvision.

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Links

NVIDIA Announces Alpamayo Family of Open-Source AI Models and Tools to Accelerate Safe, Reasoning-Based Autonomous Vehicle Development

Lucid Gets Nvidia Driving Model, L3 in 2028

All Jeep and Chrysler Plug-In Hybrid Models Are Officially Dead: Exclusive

AFEELA Prototype 2026

Kodiak AI and Bosch Partner to Scale Autonomous Trucking Hardware

Ford's Simple Vision for Smart Tech: Make It for Everyone

Aptiv PULSE™ Sensor

Walk-Around of the Pre-Production Afeela 1 at CES 2026

The new Volvo EX60: best-in-class 810km range and charging as fast as a stop for fuel and coffee

250000-Mile Champions: Commuter Cars That Last The Longest

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Nicole had a last minute family emergency and couldn't make it, but Sam drove the Subaru WRX tS and Robbie provides an update on the Verge electric motorcycle he recently rode.

In the news the least surprising announcement of the week came from Ram with the return of the TRX plus a diesel version of the heavy duty Power Wagon. Over on the Rich Rebuilds Youtube channel, Sam stumbled across his merger of a Honda Beat and an Arcimoto electric trike. We've been talking for a while about what a terrible idea electronic door releases are and now some Rivian owners are coming up with DIY mechanical solutions. Some college students in Japan are transforming a Daihatsu Copen Kei Roadster into a cool mini GR Supra for the Tokyo Auto Salon. We discuss some cool pickup truck bed features and a nearly 20 year old Ford sedan concept. Is the Fisker Karma the cockroach of the automotive world? VW shows the interior of the ID Polo and hurray! it's got physical controls.

We also answer some listener messages.

Links

The Ram TRX Is Back For 2027, One-Trick Pony?

You Asked, Ram Delivered: Ram Power Wagon With 6.7-Liter Cummins HO Turbo Diesel and Best-in-Class 1,075 lb.-ft. of Torque

Building a Budget Tesla Roadster

Honda e-Beat

Honda Beat-offRivian Owners Are Adding DIY Emergency Door Releases for Their Kids - Autoblog

Japanese Students Turn a Kei Car Into a Mini Toyota GR Supra - Autoblog

These 9 Trucks Have Super Cool Bed Features - Jalopnik

This Ford Concept Could’ve Been a Modern Crown Victoria - Autoblog

Live from Dearborn: Driving the Ford Interceptor Concept

It Feels Like The Fisker Karma Will Never Actually, Truly Die - The Autopian

Volkswagen unveils a new cockpit generation – debuting with the all-new ID. Polo 02

Verge TS Pro electric motorcycle with solid state battery

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This week, Nicole continues her stint with the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and her family was wondering if it was ok when they heard the sound it makes. Sam had the opposite end of the scale with the Lexus TX 550h+, a 3-row plug-in hybrid crossover.

The team discusses the EVs that InsideEVs is looking forward to in 2026 and what they are expecting and then devolves into the biggest surprises and disappointments of 2025 (at least in the automotive space). Buying a car used is generally a better financial decision than buying new, but there are segments you should stay away from. Consumer Reports suggests the best all-season tires for winter driving. It turns out that just because a car costs millions of dollars, not all of the parts are bespoke. VW launches a very cool new electric crossover in China. Car buyers looking for a cheap ride with a warranty no longer have a choice under $20,000. There are some fascinating options that used to be available on cars and TFL puts their 1927 Model T on the dyno. Finally, we discuss some more suggestions about what car Nicole should buy next and why Ford is making the Mach-E frunk optional.

Links

The cars InsideEVs is looking forward to in 2026

7 Cheap Used Cars That Aren't Worth The Trouble - Jalopnik

Best All-Season Tires for Winter Driving - Consumer Reports

These Supercars Save Money Using Parts From Boring Everyday Cars - Jalopnik

Volkswagen Unveils a 450-Mile China-Only Electric SUV With 800V Fast Charging - Autoblog

America Loses Its Last Subcompact Sedan as Nissan Kills the Versa in 2026

Options to Remember, or Maybe Not

Putting Our 100-Year-Old Ford Model T On The Dyno!

The Order of Time

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This week we're joined by special guest Harvey Briggs. Harvey and Sam review the vehicles they drove last week while transporting 20 dogs nearly 2,000 miles as part of Operation Frodo. Nicole had the Ford Maverick Lobo and Robbie rode the Verge TS electric motorcycle.

GM has struck a deal with Apple to get the Apple Music app on its vehicle's infotainment. Ford is scrapping major parts of its EV plans including cancelling the current Lightning and replacing it with a next-generation EREV. For 2026, the frunk is becoming an extra cost option on the Mach-E. Tim Kuniskis has confirmed that Ram's new midsize pickup will be called Dakota and volume trims will be around $40,000. Some Arizona highways could soon lose their speed limits and more people are recognizing how dumb modern door handles are. Waymo's robotaxis got frozen when San Francisco had a major power outage and we review some of the suggestions from readers about what car Nicole should buy next.

Links

Operation Frodo' helping shelter dogs find new life in PNW

Apple Music now available natively in GM vehicles with standard streaming; Cadillac debuts studio-grade Spatial Audio in Dolby Atmos

Ford Now Charges Mustang Mach-E Buyers for a Frunk

Ford takes $20B Hit, Cancels Lightning

The Dakota Mid-Size Truck Is Finally Coming Back But It's Going To Cost As Much As A Ram 1500 - The Autopian

This State Wants to Get Rid of Its Speed Limits

More People Are Realizing This Type Of Car Door Is Too Dangerous - The Autopian

Frozen Waymos backed up San Francisco traffic during a widespread power outage | The Verge

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Nicole is finally back and while she was away she drove a Mercedes-Benz E-Class diesel wagon and since she returned she's been driving the Acura Integra A-Spec. Robbie shares his thoughts on the new Mercedes-Benz CLA hybrid. Sam had the Honda Accord Touring Hybrid and the Land Rover Defender X.

In the news, Kia has revealed the redesigned second generation Seltos, and Mazda has revealed some of the tech in the 2026 CX-5. Nissan has decided to partner with Wayve to bring hands-off/eyes-off driving to its future versions of ProPilot while Rivian is doing it all in-house. Meanwhile in Texas, Aurora has joined Kodiak in hauling fracking sand with driverless trucks. Ford's ADHD approach to electric vehicles brings it to partner with Renault of affordable EVs and splitting up its battery joint-venture with SK On. Subaru brings an affordable price point to its new Uncharted EV and Sam talks with James Philbin, Rivian's VP of ADAS and Autonomy.

Make sure you send us an e-mail or drop comments in the discord to explain what car Nicole should get to replace the Wagoneer S and why!

You can help out the many people that are food insecure this holiday season by donating to Feeding America and Robbie will write and record a song for you or at your local food bank. There are also dogs in need of assistance and Sam will be joining a crew of volunteers helping to transport them to forever homes in December and you can help by donating to Operation Frodo. Links are below.

Links

Operation Frodo

Feeding America

Kia Unveils the all-new Seltos: a Bold SUV with a Strong Presence and Maximized User Experience

2026 Mazda CX-5 Tech

Nissan and Wayve Sign Definitive Agreements to Deliver Next-Generation Driver Assistance Technology

Detmar Selects Aurora to Deploy Expanded Fleet of Autonomous Trucks for Major Energy Producer

Ford and Renault Group form a strategic partnership for passenger and commercial vehicles, starting with two affordable electric cars in Europe

ALL-NEW 2026 SUBARU UNCHARTED EV ARRIVES WITH MORE THAN 300 MILES OF RANGE, STARTING AT $34,995 MSRP

Rivian Goes All-in on Autonomy and AI

Fewer EVs need fewer batteries: Ford and SK On end their joint venture - Ars Technica

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Friend of the show Perry Stern is back to talk about the Honda Prologue and some Nissans. Sam drove the Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss.

We discuss driving the third generation of Nissan's e-Power series hybrid in the Qashqai as a preview of the next Rogue as well as the interim Nissan Rogue plug-in hybrid. Nissan has also implemented the first Qi2 wireless charger in the 2026 Pathfinder and Murano. Toyota went high performance this week the debut of the GR GT sports car, the GR GT3 racer and Lexus LFA electric concept. Donald Trump wants to give Americans access to kei cars and 1970s station wagons, but it's doubtful most Americans actually want them. Jaguar Land Rover has ditched long-time design chief Gerry McGovern. Encor has created a magnificent Lotus Esprit S1 restomod and Jason Fenske is disappointed with his Lucid Air. Finally Sam has a conversation with Marc-Andre Forget, the CEO of DCBEL Energy.

You can help out the many people that are food insecure this holiday season by donating to Feeding America and Robbie will write and record a song for you or at your local food bank. There are also dogs in need of assistance and Sam will be joining a crew of volunteers helping to transport them to forever homes in December and you can help by donating to Operation Frodo. Links are below.



Links

Operation Frodo

Feeding America

Let The Rage Flow Through You: Mercedes Wants To Charge Owners $200 For These Built-In Features - The Autopian

Nissan Qashqai | e-POWER or Mild Hybrid SUV

The New 2026 Nissan Rogue PHEV Is the Most CONTROVERSIAL Car of the Year!

2026 Nissan Pathfinder Press Kit

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Premieres GR GT & GR GT3 | Toyota | Global Newsroom

Lexus World Premieres Lexus LFA Concept BEV Sports Car | Lexus | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website

Trump invites ‘cute’ Japanese kei trucks to come to America | The Verge

Remember the Crazy Jaguar 00 Concept? The Man Behind It Just Got Fired.

Reimagining the Lotus Esprit S1

Jason Fenske Is Disapointed by his Lucid

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This week Stephanie Brinley is again sitting in for Nicole and she drove the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. Robbie and his wife rented a Chrysler Pacifica and Sam has the Mercedes-AMG G63.

In the news, someone has rendered a Dodge Magnum revival based on the new Charge Daytona, and a New York State Senator wants to sort of ban in-vehicle subscriptions, but not really and Stellantis is still annoying customers with in-dash ads. Dealers are at it again with stupid markups on the new Honda Prelude. Jason Torchinsky has thoughts on how much acceleration is enough. Used EVs are selling faster than gas cars. Kia has an off-road concept of the EV5 in China. EuroNCAP is updating its scoring standards for 5 stars including physical buttons. Despite the best efforts of the Trump administration to kill EVs and infrastructure, Georgia is disbursing $24M for EV charging while Waymo is no longer able charge its robotaxis overnight in Santa Monica.

You can help out the many people that are food insecure this holiday season by donating to Feeding America and Robbie will write and record a song for you or at your local food bank. There are also dogs in need of assistance and Sam will be joining a crew of volunteers helping to transport them to forever homes in December and you can help by donating to Operation Frodo. Links are below.

Links

This Dodge Magnum Revival Shows How America Could Bring Back the Muscle Wagon - Autoblog

New York Wants To Make Annoying Car Subscriptions A Thing Of The Past - Jalopnik

Are You Willing to Pay $63,000 For a Honda Prelude? Some Dealers Think So - Autoblog

The New 2026 Fiat 500 Takes 16 Seconds To Accelerate To 60 MPH And That's Just Fine. Yeah I Said It - The Autopian

Chinese automakers double share in EU

Used Cars Are Lingering on Lots as Prices Climb, But EVs Are Moving Fast

Kia’s EV5 Weekender Looks Too Good To Stay A Concept | Carscoops

Pop-Up Ads Are Appearing On Stellantis Infotainment Screens Again - Jalopnik

New NCAP crash tests target "annoying" ADAS, reward buttons | Autocar

GDOT awards $24M for 26 new electric vehicle charging stations across Georgia – WABE

Santa Monica blocks overnight charging at Waymo lots

Operation Frodo

Feeding America

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