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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This week both Robbie and Nicole are on vacation so Craig Cole is back along with Chad Kirchner. Sam had the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring.

Ahead of the LA Auto Show, Lucid also announced the more affordable Touring trim that starts just under $80,000. Jeep has revealed all the details of its first electric off-roader and lets just say we're not sure who is going to buy it. Hyundai showed the production version of the Ioniq 6 N and the new Crater off-road concept that could challenge the Wrangler and Bronco. We have pricing on the new Honda Prelude and details of the new Porsche Cayenne Electric. Genesis has revealed the GV60 Magma performance EV, the G90 Wingback wagon and Magma GT concept. Bollinger has stopped paying its bills.

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

2026 Jeep Recon Review: Electric and Ready for the Wild | GreenCars

Lucid Launches Lower Priced Gravity Touring For $79,900

First Look: 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N Brings Track-Ready Performance | GreenCars

Hyundai CRATER Concept Makes Global Debut at AutoMobility LA 2025

2026 Honda Prelude Deliveries Start—$43,195 And 44 MPG

Bollinger Motors Has Stopped Paying Its Bills

The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric Is a $111,000 EV That Can Charge Wirelessly

genesis unveils magma gt concept, signaling the future of its performance heritage

Genesis G90 Wingback previews wild M5 Touring rival | Autocar

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Nicole is in Mexico this week for the Baja 1000 so Craig Cole from AutoEsoterica stepped in. Robbie went to Poland this week to drive a simulator and Sam had the refreshed 2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line.

We discuss the new 2027 Kia Telluride that will be revealed in full at the LA Auto Show this week and speculate about whether it will have the same powertrains as the Hyundai Palisade including the next-generation HMG hybrid system that was in the Palisade that both Nicole and Sam drove. Nicole also drove the new Dodge Charger Six-Pack on the tail of the dragon. Toyota has initiated its first North American battery plant in North Carolina. Nissan is launching a plug-in hybrid version of the Rogue that is just a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Tesla is reportedly testing CarPlay to add to its infotainment system and Jeep launches the first of 12 monthly special edition Wranglers. Finally, we've discussed EVs being too quick for most drivers and now the Chinese government is doing something about it.

Links

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid: Bigger, Tougher, Family-Ready

2027 Kia Telluride First Look | GreenCars

Toyota Opens Its First North American Lithium Ion Battery Plant

The 2026 Dodge Charger Lets You Have Your Cake And Eat It Too

2026 Nissan Rogue PHEV

Is Tesla about to finally surrender to Apple CarPlay? | The Verge

Jeep® Brand Airdrops First of 12 Monthly Wrangler Special Editions in Yearlong Celebration to Mark 85 Years of Off-road Domination

China proposes 5-second 0-100 km/h acceleration limit on vehicles to enhance road safety

AutoEsoterica

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Nicole's been driving the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally but this isn't one for serious off-roading. Sam takes his own stint in the 2026 Ram 1500 Big Horn Hemi.

Nicole and Sam both recently got some seat time in the new 2026 Honda Prelude one in Michigan, one in Japan and like it's ancestors, it's not at the tip of the spear performance-wise but it is a lot of fun. Sam and Nicole also finally get to discuss their impressions of the Polestar 4. Ford is considering ditching the F-150 Lightning. While he was in Japan, Sam also to drive the Honda Super-One which sadly probably won't get to America until 2050 and he saw the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ which looked better than it did in photos. At SEMA 2025, Toyota showed a fuel-cell powered Tacoma overlander that won't be very useful. Nicole also had a conversation with Michelin's Omer Waysman.

It's November and with the government shut down and the administration refusing to pay out SNAP benefits, there are millions across America, many elderly or children that don't have enough to eat. You can help 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

Sam's Honda Prelude first drive

Nicole's Honda Prelude first drive

Honda Next-generation hybrid

Sam on the Polestar 4

Nicole on the Polestar 4

toyota builds overlanding Tacoma that can't go anywhere

Toyota Fuel Cell Tacoma H2-Overlander

Ford considering cancelling F-150 Lightning

Operation Frodo

Feeding America

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This week Sam is in a Tokyo hotel room after attending the Japan Mobility Show. Before leaving he drove the 2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro. Robbie spent some time in the dunes of California with the next Mercedes-Benz GLC and Nicole drove the revived Hemi Ram 1500 and the latest Subaru Forester.

Others are finally taking notice of inflated delivery charges, NHTSA is investigating Tesla's Mad Max Mode and we have lots of interesting stuff from the Japan Mobility Show. That includes the Honda 0 Alpha, new Subaru STi concepts, a rotary plug-in hybrid from Mazda and lots from Toyota including a Corolla concept, ideas for a next-generation Lexus LS and a stand-alone Century brand. Sam also visits the home of Ryan O'Gorman to check out the Ford Home Energy Management system.

Links

Everyone is noticing skyrocketing destination fees

NHTSA Looks Into Tesla Mad Max Mode

Honda 0 alpha

Subaru Performance-E STi concept

Mazda Tokyo Concepts

Toyota Corolla Concept

Lexus Tokyo Concepts

Ford Home Energy Management

Century

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This week Sam drove the 2026 BMW iX xDrive45. Sam and Robbie both went to New York for a tech focused GM event and Sam spoke with new chief product officer Sterling Anderson. There's a refreshed Jeep Grand Cherokee with a new more powerful engine for 2026 and we drive the new 2026 Toyota Rav4 in hybrid and PHEV form. Toyota is launching a new baby Land Cruiser FJ and Rivian has laid off 4% of its staff. Infiniti is launching one new model every year for the next four years and the Nissan Sakura gets an extendable solar panel.

Links

2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Scout may delay EV for EREV

Prague lamp post charging

2026 Toyota Rav4 first drive

GM Forward

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ

Rivian lays off 4%, RJ takes over marketing

Infiniti to launch 4 vehicles in 4 years, sedan in 2028

Nissan Sakura solar extender

EV Theft rates

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We've got another delayed episode because of embargo timing on some news so the new episode will be up on Tuesday morning

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Nicole has been driving a bunch of stuff including the Ford F-150 Lightning and Expedition Tremor and went off-roading in the Honda Passport. Sam enjoyed some time with the BMW 228 xDrive Gran Coupe.

Toyota is realigning its sporty branding for future models. Stellantis is investing $13 billion in shifting production to US factories and refreshing the Alfa Romeo Tonale for 2026. The Kia Tasman hasn't exactly been a hit in Australia. Lamborghini is cutting its EV plan and sticking with plug-in hybrids for now. Volvo may ditch key cards for fobs and Porsche is keeping buttons and fobs. A Faraday Future FF91 failed to hit reserve at auction and Cadillac is killing the current CT4 and CT5 after 2026 but promising a new CT5. Sam bought another Kia EV6 and we discuss how far people can actually drive without a pit stop.

Links

TRD for Trucks, GR for Cars/CUVs

Stellantis to invest $13B in US production

Kia Tasman Struggling in Australia

Lamborghini to focus on PHEV not EV

Volvo May Go Back to Key Fobs

Porsche Keeping Keys and Buttons

Faraday FF91 fails to sell at auction

Features People don't want

Cadillac CT4/CT5 dead after 2026

2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale

Diesel license plate

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Summary

In this episode, Robbie and Sam discuss various automotive topics, including a review of the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SE, the luxurious Genesis G80, and the unfortunate discontinuation of the Kia Soul. They also touch on Rivian's upcoming R2 SUV, Audi's future design concepts, and Stellantis's innovative approach to infotainment systems. There are significant updates to the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, including its rebranding and pricing strategy aimed at competing in the mainstream SUV market. They also delve into the Chevrolet Bolt's return, highlighting its improved features and competitive pricing. The conversation shifts to the growing EV market, with insights on sales trends and the importance of charging infrastructure. Additionally, the hosts address the decline of fuel cell technology in favor of electric vehicles, and they respond to listener questions regarding automotive safety and reliability.

Links

Kia Drops Soul

Rivian R2 Launching in 1H 2026

2026 Audi A4 Gets new Look

2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

Stellantis CUV Without Infotainment

2027 Chevrolet Bolt

Audi Considering Premium Off-roader

Ford and GM drop EV Incentive plan

GM Cancels Fuel Cell Program

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

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