HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US FOR ROAD GOING ENTERTAINMENT WRAPPED IN SLICK SHEET METAL, THE AUDI A6... PAT GOSS WITH HOT WEATHER ADVICE ON KEEPING YOU COOL AND COMFY... JOE LIGO UNCOVERS A UNIQUELY AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR MEMORY... AND MORE EV MILES FROM A MORE POWERFUL NISSAN LEAF PLUS...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

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ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

John: OF ALL MIDSIZE LUXURY SPORT SEDANS; THE AUDI A6 HAS ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE THE PERFECT BLEND OF EXHILARATING PERFORMANCE, COMPREHENSIVE TECHNOLOGY, AND COPIOUS COMFORT.

SO, LET'S SEE IF THAT CONTINUES, AS 2019 SEES THE ARRIVAL OF AN ALL-NEW 8TH GENERATION A6.

* AUDI HAS BEEN ON QUITE A ROLL LATELY; PACKING MORE AND MORE PERFORMANCE, LUXURY, AND TECHNOLOGY INTO THEIR VEHICLES.

YET, DOING IT WITH SUCH COHESION, THAT IT ALL BLENDS TOGETHER INTO A VERY ENJOYABLE PACKAGE.

THE 2019 AUDI A6 IS THE LATEST EXHILARATING EXAMPLE.

THESE DAYS, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE USER EXPERIENCE.

AFTER ALL, WE'RE BASICALLY JUST DRIVING TECH-DEVICES BACK AND FORTH TO WORK, WHILE HOPEFULLY, NOT USING OUR ACTUAL HAND HELD TECH DEVICES AT THE SAME TIME.

WE'VE SEEN THIS NEW DUAL-TOUCHSCREEN MULTI-MEDIA INTERFACE IN THE A8 ALREADY, AND DESPITE OUR MISGIVINGS OF YET ANOTHER SCREEN INTRUSION, NO MORE CENTRAL CONTROLLER HERE, THE NEW SYSTEM WORKS FAIRLY WELL.

EVERYTHING IS HIGHLY CONFIGURABLE, WITH DRAG-AND-DROP TABLET-LIKE OPERATION.

IT WILL ALSO RECOGNIZE YOUR HANDWRITING, AND THERE'S ALWAYS VOICE COMMAND, WHICH NOW UNDERSTANDS MORE NATURAL SPEAKING, LIKE "I'M COLD" OR "I'M HUNGRY;" YOU KNOW, TYPICAL ROAD TRIP TALK.

AS FOR MANUAL CONTROLS; THEY'RE MOSTLY ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WITH A LONE VOLUME KNOB ON THE CONSOLE.

JUST ABOUT ALL INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE DISPLAYED IN THE OPTIONAL 12-INCH FULL-DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.

AS MANY AS 24 SENSORS, AND CAMERAS CAN BE FOUND INSIDE, AND OUTSIDE THE CAR; TO BOTH HELP KEEP THE A6 SAFELY IN PLACE IN THE WORLD, AND YOU ALERT IN YOUR DRIVING ENVIRONMENT.

UNDERSTATED LUXURY THROUGHOUT, AND GREAT COMFORT IN ALL SEATING POSITIONS AS EXPECTED, WITH PLENTY OF ROOM IN THE REAR SEATS FOR ADULTS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.

TRUNK AREA IS WELL FINISHED, BUT NOT AS SPACIOUS AS SOME RIVALS, WITH 13.7 CUBIC-FEET OF LUGGAGE CAPACITY.

THERE'S A NEW 3.0 LITER V6 ENGINE AVAILABLE THAT SWAPS OUT THE SUPERCHARGER FOR A TURBO.

IT ALSO, WEIGHS LESS THAN BEFORE, AND GETS HELP FROM A NEW 48 VOLT MILD HYBRID SYSTEM TO CREATE 335 HORSEPOWER, AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT DELIVERS THAT HEALTHY AMOUNT OF POWER WITH A SMOOTH IMMEDIACY THAT QUICKLY BECOMES QUITE INTOXICATING.

A 7-SPEED DUAL-CLUTCH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ENSURES GEARING IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE FOR ANY SITUATION.

A 2.0 LITER I4 TURBO, REMAINS THE BASE ENGINE, AND IS ACTUALLY RATED FOR A FEW LESS HORSEPOWER THAN BEFORE; DOWN FROM 252 TO 248.

BUT ALL A6s, REGARDLESS OF ENGINE, NOW COME WITH QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL DRIVE STANDARD.

THE TURBO-6 WAS NATURALLY OUR CHOICE FOR TRACK DUTY.

AND UNLESS YOU'RE JUST REALLY A FAN OF SUPERCHARGER NOISE, YOU WON'T MIND TRADING IT FOR THE 44 POUND-FEET OF ADDITIONAL TORQUE THAT YOU GET WITH THE TURBO.

LAUNCH CONTROL IS NEW AS WELL, AND IT WORKS GREAT; GETTING YOU OFF THE LINE WITH A STRONG JAB OF LOW END PUNCH, AIDED BY SLIP-FREE QUATTRO GRIP.

THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL HEARTY THRUST OF POWER MIDWAY UP THE TACH, AND WE HIT 60 IN JUST 4.7 SECONDS.

THAT'S ALMOST A FULL SECOND QUICKER THAN WITH LAST GEN'S SUPERCHARGED 3.0 LITER.

IF YOU'RE IN A BIGGER HURRY, EXPECT THE SOON-TO-BE-ARRIVING S6 TO SHAVE ANOTHER HALF SECOND OR SO OFF OF THAT.

AUTOMATIC SHIFTS ARE VERY POSITIVE, BUT NEVER VIOLENT; ALL POWERTRAIN ELEMENTS WORKING IN PERFECT HARMONY FOR THE 13.3 SECONDS THAT IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THE QUARTER MILE AT 104 MILES PER HOUR.

DYNAMIC MODE REQUIRES A COMMITMENT TO LIVE WITH A VERY FIRM RIDE WHEN ON THE STREET; BUT HERE AT THE TRACK, IT REWARDS YOU WITH SOME OF THE MOST AGGRESSIVE TURN-INS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN RECENT MEMORY.

STEERING IS BOTH SHARP AND FAST, GIVING THE A6 AN ABILITY TO SEEMINGLY SHED SIZE AND WEIGHT AS SPEEDS INCREASE.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OUR CAR NOT ONLY FEATURED THE UPGRADED SPORT SUSPENSION WHICH COMES WITH 20-INCH WHEELS AND A LOWER RIDE HEIGHT, BUT ALSO SWAPPED THE 20s FOR 21s WITH SUMMER PERFORMANCE TIRES.

WE'RE SURE GLAD THAT AUDI HASN'T FORGOTTEN THAT THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE IS STILL QUITE IMPORTANT TO SOME OF US.

MUCH LIKE BIG BROTHER A8 THAT THE A6s CHASSIS IS DERIVED FROM, THE ENTIRE EXTERIOR OF THE A6 IS NEW; YET, IT'S PROLOGUE-INSPIRED DESIGN LOOKS MUCH THE SAME AS BEFORE.

AND THAT'S HOW THINGS WORK AT AUDI.

MINOR EVOLUTIONS TO POINT OUT ARE A GRILLE THAT'S WIDER AND LOWER THAN BEFORE, NEW LED LIGHTING OF COURSE, AND AN OVERALL INCREASE IN SHARPNESS TO BODY LINES.

ADDITIONALLY, THE REAR END HAS A LITTLE MORE CURVE TO IT, TO ENHANCE AIRFLOW.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 22-CITY, 29-HIGHWAY, AND 25-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A QUITE GOOD 27.1 MILES PER GALLON WITH PREMIUM GRADE.

IT EARNS AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE, BURNING 13.2 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 6.0 TONS.

A6 PRICING STARTS AT $55,095 FOR A 2.0 LITER IN PREMIUM TRIM.

TOP-LINE PRESTIGE COMES ONLY WITH THE 3.0 LITER AND STARTS AT $68,095.

AS BEFORE, THE 2019 AUDI A6 GRACEFULLY OCCUPIES THAT MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN BMW PERFORMANCE AND MERCEDES-BENZ LUXURY.

THE INTERIOR USER EXPERIENCE MAY HAVE TAKEN A STEP BACK AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED, BUT THE EXTERIOR DRIVING EXPERIENCE IS BETTER THAN EVER; KEEPING THE TOTAL PACKAGE ONE THAT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO BEAT.

* FORD V8 ENGINES HAVE POWERED TENS OF MILLIONS OF VEHICLES THROUGH THE YEARS, FROM THE MUNDANE TO THE INSANE.

WELL, OUR JOE LIGO FOUND ONE IN A VERY UNUSUAL PLACE.

BUT WHILE THE ENGINE MAY BE SOMEWHAT COMMON, THE REST OF THE CAR AROUND IT DEFINITELY IS NOT!

* Joe Ligo: THIS IS A FORD 351 WINDSOR V8.

BUT IT'S NOT IN A FORD.

IT'S NOT IN A LINCOLN OR MERCURY, EITHER...

IT'S UNDER THE HOOD OF THIS 1975 BRICKLIN SV-1.

IN MANY WAYS, THE BRICKLIN DEFIES CLASSIFICATION.

THE ENGINE CAME FROM FORD, THE SUSPENSION IS BASED ON THE AMC JAVELIN, AND IT HAS A BODY OF ACRYLIC PLASTIC OVER FIBERGLASS.

PLUS, GULLWING DOORS AND MASSIVE BUMPERS.

IS IT A MUSCLE CAR?

A SPORTS CAR?

WELL...I WENT TO THE SOURCE, CREATOR, MALCOLM BRICKLIN, Malcolm Bricklin: IT IS A SPORTS CAR BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE ONE AND BECAUSE LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY, SO IT'S FUN TO DRIVE, BUT THE IDEA BEHIND IT WAS, SAFETY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE UGLY, THAT'S WHAT SV-1 STANDS FOR: SAFETY VEHICLE ONE.

Joe: THE SV-1 BEGAN AS HIS PROJECT TO BUILD THE WORLD'S SAFEST CAR, BUT ALSO MAKE IT GORGEOUS.

WHILE, OTHER AUTOMAKERS COMPLAINED ABOUT SAFETY REGULATIONS RUINING THEIR STYLING, BRICKLIN'S TEAM FOUND WAYS AROUND THIS, INTEGRATING SAFETY INTO THE DESIGN.

Malcolm: SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BRICKLIN, THERE'S AN AIRSPACE ALL THE WAY AROUND BOTH THE FRONT AND BACK BUMPER, AND AT 10 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS, IT GOES IN AND GOES OUT, NO DAMAGE.

Joe: PRODUCTION STARTED IN 1974, WITH EARLY BRICKLIN'S USING A 360 CUBIC INCH V8 FROM AMERICAN MOTORS.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] FOR 1975, THEY SWITCHED TO THE FORD 351 WINDSOR.

HORSEPOWER FELL SLIGHTLY, TO 175, WITH 286 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

AMC-POWERED BRICKLIN'S OFFERED MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, BUT THE FORD POWERTRAIN CAME WITH A 3-SPEED AUTO, ONLY.

IT MAY BE A "SAFETY VEHICLE," BUT DRIVING THIS SUPERBLY MAINTAINED EXAMPLE, IT SURE FELT LIKE A SPORTS CAR.

THIS IS THE KIND OF CAR THAT JUST BEGS YOU TO DRIVE FASTER.

YOU KNOW, YOU SEE A TWIST UP AHEAD BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO SLOW DOWN, BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH FUN TO PUSH IT THROUGH THE CURVES.

AND THEN, YOU REMEMBER IT'S AGE, IT'S ALL THE MORE IMPRESSIVE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE THERE WERE A LOT OF AMERICAN CARS YOU COULD DO THIS IN, BACK IN 1975.

THE ONLY REAL AMERICAN COMPETITOR WAS THE CHEVY CORVETTE, AND IT DIDN'T HAVE THE WOW FACTOR OF GULLWING DOORS.

IN FACT, THE ENTIRE BRICKLIN BODY LOOKS FUTURISTIC AND AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

THE ACRYLIC PANELS AREN'T PAINTED, THEY'RE SOLID COLOR, SO SCRATCHES EASILY BUFF OR SAND OUT.

THE INTERIOR FEATURES ALL THE AMENITIES YOU'D EXPECT FOR THE ERA, EXCEPT A CIGARETTE LIGHTER AS MR. BRICKLIN THOUGHT SMOKING AND DRIVING WAS DANGEROUS.

UNFORTUNATELY, BRICKLIN HAD TROUBLE WITH MONEY, POLITICS, AND ALL THE OTHER CHALLENGES ANY NEW CAR COMPANY FACES.

BY LATE 1975, THE OPERATION WAS FORCED INTO RECEIVERSHIP.

WITH ONLY 2,906 SV-1s BUILT, "RARE" IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

ONLY 5% HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, SO EXPECT TO PAY MORE FOR ONE OF THOSE.

WHETHER, YOU CALL IT A SPORTS CAR, MUSCLE CAR, OR "SAFETY VEHICLE," THE BRICKLIN SV-1 IS REMARKABLY FUN TO DRIVE, AND EVEN MORE FUN TO LOOK AT.

AND ALTHOUGH, THE COMPANY IS LONG GONE, AFTER DRIVING ONE, I'D SAY, THIS CAR'S LEGACY IS VERY, SAFE.

John: CARS ARE MORE COMPLICATED THAN EVER, AND THAT PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON CAR OWNERS TO REALLY KNOW THEIR STUFF.

JUST LIKE PAT, DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

Pat Goss: EVERY YEAR WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS WARM, MY SHOPS ARE INUNDATED WITH AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEMS, AND MANY OF THOSE PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY DO IT YOURSELFERS.

SO, IF YOU'RE A DO IT YOURSELFER, THE VERY FIRST THING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT TYPE OF REFRIGERANT YOUR CAR HAS.

NOW, YEARS AGO IT WAS A STANDARD R12, WELL, THAT WAS PHASED OUT IN THE '90s FOR R134A.

AND NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF THE NEW CARS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY HAVE R 1,2,3,4, YF.

YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT GOES IN IT, SO YOU DON'T PUT THE WRONG PRODUCT IN YOUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM.

I KNOW, THE FITTINGS ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE, BUT SOMEHOW YOU FOLKS FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DO THAT.

DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT YOU DO.

ANYWAY, IF AN AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, YOU SEEM TO THINK, THE ONLY THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE WRONG IS THAT ITS LOW ON REFRIGERANT, SO YOU GO OUT AND BUY ONE OF THESE HANDY DANDY KITS, AND YOU START PUMPING MORE REFRIGERANT INTO IT.

WELL, IF IT WASN'T LOW IN THE FIRST PLACE, SAY IT MAY HAVE HAD A CORRODED WIRE CONNECTOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU PUT MORE REFRIGERANT IN IT, NOW IT'S OVERCHARGED.

NOW, YOU GOT A WHOLE SET OF NEW PROBLEMS, AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A SHOP.

ALRIGHT...NUMBER ONE, REMEMBER UNLESS YOU KNOW ITS LOW ON REFRIGERANT, DON'T ADD REFRIGERANT TO THE SYSTEM.

THEN, IF YOU TAKE IT TO THE SHOP, MAKE SURE YOU ASK THE SHOP IF THEY HAVE ONE OF THESE...

THIS IS THE REFRIGERANT IDENTIFIER.

IT TELLS THE TECHNICIAN EXACTLY WHAT'S IN YOUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AS A REFRIGERANT.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT, WELL BECAUSE THERE'S ALL KINDS OF COUNTERFEIT REFRIGERANTS OUT THERE.

NOW, A LOT OF THE REFRIGERANTS ARE CUT WITH PRODUCTS LIKE PROPANE, WHICH IS A GREAT REFRIGERANT, EXCEPT IT BURNS AND IT'S EXPLOSIVE.

YOU CERTAINLY, DON'T WANT A BONFIRE UNDER YOUR DASH.

SO, YOU WANT THE SHOP TO USE THE REFRIGERANT IDENTIFIER ON EVERY CAR THAT COMES IN SO THAT YOUR CAR DOESN'T GET CROSS CONTAMINATED.

PLUS, YOU WANT THEM TO USE IT ON EVERY CONTAINER OF REFRIGERANT THAT THEY BUY, SO THAT THEY DON'T SOMEHOW HAVE A CONTAINER OF BOGUS REFRIGERANT...SLIP THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND THEN GET INSTALLED IN YOUR CAR.

SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ASK THAT QUESTION.

IF THEY HAVE A REFRIGERANT IDENTIFIER, AND DO THEY USE IT ON EVERY CAR, AND EVERY NEW BOTTLE OF REFRIGERANT.

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

* Greg Carloss: IT'S TIME TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO OUR 2018 MAZDA6.

WE SPENT A YEAR IN THIS SLEEK AND SPORTY MIDSIZE SEDAN, SO WE'VE REALLY GOTTEN A FEEL FOR ITS DELIGHTFUL DRIVING MANNERS.

THE ENERGETIC 227 HORSEPOWER TURBO 4 AND THE QUICK 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC ARE A GREAT TEAM.

AFTER 23,500 MILES, WE'VE AVERAGED 28.4 MILES PER GALLON, WHICH IS A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE EPA'S COMBINED RATING.

AND ALL IT REQUIRED WAS ROUTINE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE DURING OUR TIME BEHIND THE WHEEL.

THE MAZDA6 KEPT US COMFORTABLE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ENTERTAINED MILE AFTER MILE...

WHETHER, DURING THE DAILY COMMUTE, OR LONG ROAD TRIPS.

A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE SPORTY SUSPENSION AND NEWLY REDESIGNED SEATS.

OUR SIGNATURE TRIM IS THE MOST LUXURIOUS, SO THIS WAS ALSO A GOOD PLACE TO SPEND QUALITY TIME.

THE INTERIOR LAYOUT IS UNCLUTTERED AND THE INFOTAINMENT EASY TO USE.

THIS SEDAN IS OBVIOUSLY, CAPABLE OF MUNDANE FAMILY DUTIES, BUT WITH A UNIQUE FUN FACTOR AS A BIG PART OF THE MIX, AND WE'LL REALLY MISS IT.

* WE'RE NOW CLOSING IN ON 11,000 MILES OF EFFICIENT DRIVING IN THE 2019 HONDA INSIGHT.

THE TWO-MOTOR HYBRID SYSTEM WITH 1.5 LITER I4 GENERATES 151 HORSEPOWER.

PAIRED UP WITH A CVT, AND YOU CAN REALLY HEAR THEM WORKING DURING HARD ACCELERATION, BUT NO COMPLAINTS ON ACCELERATION OR FUEL ECONOMY.

WE'RE NOW AVERAGING A STELLAR 47.4 MILES PER GALLON.

SITTING IN THIS INSIGHT, YOU FEEL REALLY CLOSE TO THE ROAD.

WHICH IS PART OF WHY, WE THINK IT'S SO ENTERTAINING TO DRIVE AND WHILE, YOU CAN FEEL REALLY SMALL CRUISING THE INTERSTATE NEXT TO THOSE LIFTED PICKUP TRUCKS.

THE LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY HELPS KEEP HANDLING SHARP AND BODY ROLL IN CHECK WHEN IT COMES TIME TO TAKE THOSE TWISTY BACK ROADS INTO THE OFFICE.

SLOTTED BETWEEN THE CIVIC AND ACCORD, HONDA GAVE THE COMPACT INSIGHT AN UPSCALE LOOK, AND VERY SOLID FEEL.

THAT'S EVEN MORE EVIDENT IN OUR TOURING TRIM, WHERE THE RE-TUNED SUSPENSION CREATES A SMOOTHER RIDE.

AND WE EXPECT MANY MORE ECONOMICAL MILES AHEAD.

THE VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN IS COMING UP ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: THEY SAY CHANGE IS CONSTANT, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES HEADLINES IN THE AUTO WORLD.

HERE'S LAUREN MORRISON WITH THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Lauren Morrison: AUTOMAKERS WORKING TOGETHER TO SAVE MONEY IS NOTHING NEW, BUT THE PUSH FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING, IS STEPPING UP THE PACE OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS.

FORD AND VOLKSWAGEN ARE ACCELERATING THEIR PLAN TO CO-DEVELOP FUTURE VEHICLES.

THE TWO COMPANIES ANNOUNCED THEY ARE NOW INVESTING IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE PLATFORM COMPANY ARGO AI.

BOTH FORD AND VW WILL USE ARGO AI'S SELF-DRIVING TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN VEHICLES.

THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN FORD AND VOLKSWAGEN ALSO COVERS ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

FORD WILL BE THE FIRST COMPETITOR TO USE VOLKSWAGEN'S MODULAR ELECTRIC TOOLKIT DEDICATED ELECTRIC VEHICLE ARCHITECTURE.

FOR VOLKSWAGEN, THE DEAL HELPS COVER SOME OF THE $7 BILLION THEY'VE SPENT DEVELOPING THEIR ELECTRIC CHASSIS AND NEW I.D.

SUBBRAND.

FORD HOPES TO USE VWs PLATFORM TO PRODUCE MORE THAN 600,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR EUROPE DURING THE NEXT SIX YEARS.

THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE 15 MILLION CARS VOLKSWAGEN GROUP HAS PLANNED IN THE NEXT DECADE.

AS VOLKSWAGEN IS CHARGED UP FOR A FUTURE FULL OF EVs, IT'S THE END OF THE LINE FOR ONE CAR THAT WAS THE GLOBAL SYMBOL OF THE GERMAN BRAND.

THE LAST BEETLE HAS ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE IN MEXICO.

A BLUE COUPE IS THE LAST OF THE THIRD GENERATION BUG.

THE ORIGINAL BEETLE WAS DESIGNED IN 1938, BUT IT WAS AFTER WORLD WAR II ENDED WHEN THE "PEOPLE'S CAR" WENT INTO SERIOUS PRODUCTION.

OVER THE COURSE OF 8-DECADES, MORE THAN 21-MILLION BEETLES WERE SOLD IN 91-MARKETS AROUND THE WORLD.

A VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WERE THE FIRST GENERATION MODEL BETWEEN THE MID-1940s AND 2003.

VW HAS STOPPED BEETLE PRODUCTION BEFORE, SO THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE IT COULD BE REINVENTED AS AN ELECTRIC CAR.

THE LAST BEETLE IS HEADING TO A MUSEUM.

THAT PLANT IN MEXICO WILL START PRODUCING A COMPACT CROSSOVER BOUND FOR THE U.S. AND THAT DOES IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: IT'S HARD TO GO A DAY WITHOUT SEEING SOME TYPE OF NEW PLUG-IN VEHICLE ON THE ROAD.

BUT THAT WASN'T THE CASE WHEN THE NISSAN LEAF ARRIVED FOR 2011.

SINCE THEN, THEY'VE SOLD CLOSE TO 400,000 OF THEM, AND HELPED USHER IN A WHOLE NEW WAVE OF ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES FROM JUST ABOUT EVERY BRAND.

BUT STAYING ON TOP WILL TAKE A PLUS EFFORT.

* YES, THE NISSAN LEAF WAS THE FIRST, BUT AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, THOSE THAT FOLLOWED, BUILT ON WHAT NISSAN STARTED, AND IMPROVED UPON IT, TO THE POINT THAT THE LEAF'S 150 MILE RANGE WAS NO LONGER COMPETITIVE.

ENTER THE 2019 NISSAN LEAF PLUS.

THERE'S MORE CAPACITY IN THE BATTERY, JUMPING FROM 40KWH TO 62, FOR A 40-50% INCREASE IN RANGE.

AND THEY ACCOMPLISHED THIS BY MAKING IT DENSER, NOT PHYSICALLY BIGGER, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP PACKAGING MOSTLY THE SAME AS BEFORE.

AND IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT RANGE, EITHER.

NISSAN DEDICATED SOME OF THAT CAPACITY TO DELIVERING MORE GO POWER AS WELL, THE PLUS MOTOR IS UP 50KW TO 160, COMPARED TO THE BASE LEAF.

THAT EQUATES TO 214 HORSEPOWER AND 250 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AND TOP SPEED GOES FROM 89 TO 98 MILES PER HOUR.

AND WHILE...WE THINK, INCREASING RANGE WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ADDING POWER, IT'S HARD TO ARGUE WITH THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS WHEN YOU NAIL THE THROTTLE AND TAKE OFF FROM A STOP LIGHT, OR EASILY MERGE INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT.

IN REGARDS TO THAT RANGE, THE LEAF PLUS IS RATED AT 226 MILES, UNLESS YOU GET SL OR SV TRIM IN WHICH CASE YOU ONLY GET 215.

BUT THAT WAS STILL MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR US TO GET TO OUR TEST TRACK, HAMMER IT AROUND FOR MOST OF A DAY, AND MAKE IT BACK TO THE OFFICE.

WE FOUND IT A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE OFF THE LINE.

IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE SMOKING TIRE EXPERIENCE OF SOME PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED EVs; DELIVERING MAX POWER GRADUALLY AS YOU GET ROLLING.

SUPER CONSISTENT THOUGH, WITH RUN AFTER RUN OF 7.1 SECOND 0-60s AND 15.7 SECOND QUARTER MILES AT 90 MILES PER HOUR; FEELING SOLID AND STABLE THE WHOLE WAY.

IT WAS FUN AND RESPONSIVE THROUGH THE CONES, TOO.

THE LEAF HAS A VERY LIGHT AND TOSSABLE FEEL TO IT; WITH TORQUE ON DEMAND, AND LIGHT STEERING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO PUSH PRETTY HARD THROUGH HERE WITHOUT UPSETTING ANYTHING, OR EVEN TRIGGERING STABILITY CONTROL.

SOME GENTLE BODY ROLL IS PRESENT, AND THE DENSER BATTERY PACK MAKES THE PLUS ALMOST 300 POUNDS HEAVIER, BUT WITH ALL OF THE WEIGHT SO LOW IN THE CHASSIS, YOU HARDLY NOTICE IT.

IN OUR BRAKING TEST, 120 FEET WAS OUR GOOD AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60; THERE WAS SOME FADE AFTER A FEW RUNS, BUT STABILITY WAS FINE THROUGHOUT.

THE LEAF IS IN JUST THE SECOND YEAR OF ITS 2ND GENERATION, SO NO OTHER BIG CHANGES FOR THE PLUS, AS IT'S TECHNICALLY AN ADDITION TO THE LINEUP, NOT A REPLACEMENT OF THE PREVIOUS LEAF.

SO, THE SAME SHARPER 5-DOOR SHAPE THAT DEBUTED LAST YEAR REMAINS, BUT ALL SOFTWARE GETS UPDATED, INCLUDING PROGRAMMING FOR THE THROTTLE PEDAL, WHICH NOW HAS A MORE NATURAL FEEL.

BUT THERE ARE SOME UNDERSTATED SIGNS TO BETRAY THE PLUS STATUS, A TWEAKED FRONT FASCIA WITH BLUE HIGHLIGHTS, AND SOME UNIQUE LOGOS.

AND INSIDE, YOU GET EVEN MORE EXTRAS WITH THE PLUS, MOST NOTICEABLY, A LARGER 8-INCH TOUCHSCREEN WITH IMPROVED SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION, TO FULFILL YOUR NAVIGATION AND CONNECTIVITY NEEDS.

CARGO SPACE IN UNCHANGED, 23.6 CUBIC-FEET IN THE REAR, EXPANDING TO 30.0 CUBIC-FEET WITH THE REAR SEATBACKS FOLDED.

PLENTY OF SAFETY FEATURES STANDARD, INCLUDING AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, AND NISSAN'S PROPILOT ASSIST IS ALSO AVAILABLE.

MORE BATTERY CAPACITY, MEANS LONGER CHARGE TIMES.

BUT, TO FULLY CHARGE WITH 240 HOME CHARGING STILL ONLY TAKES ABOUT 11.5 HOURS.

AND, THE LEAF PLUS CAN ACCEPT 100KW DC QUICK CHARGES, WHICH CAN BRING IT TO 80% IN JUST 45 MINUTES.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY MPGE RATINGS FOR OUR SL TRIMMED TEST CAR ARE 114-CITY, 94-HIGHWAY, AND 104-COMBINED.

THAT MAKES FOR A NEAR PERFECT ENERGY IMPACT SCORE, JUST 0.2 BARRELS OF OIL CONSUMED YEARLY WITH NO CO2 EMISSIONS.

AND FOR NOW, ALL OF THE USUAL GOVERNMENT TAX INCENTIVES ARE STILL IN PLACE.

A MUCH NEEDED ADDITION TO THE LINEUP, THE 2019 NISSAN LEAF PLUS NOT ONLY KEEPS THE LEAF COMPETITIVE WITH NEWER EVs, BUT GIVES BUYERS AN ADDITIONAL CHOICE.

WHETHER, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COMMUTING FRUGALITY, OR THE ABILITY TO EXPLORE A LITTLE MORE, AND GO FARTHER ON A CHARGE; THE LEAF, JUST AS IT ALWAYS HAS, TRULY DELIVERS ON THE EV DREAM.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...

WHEN WE CHARGE UP AND HIT THE ROAD IN THE HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC.

AND HONDA DRAWS ON A NAME FROM THE PAST FOR A NEW UTE, THE PASSPORT.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *