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

JOIN US AS GENESIS TAKES ON EUROPE'S BEST WITH THE ALL-NEW G70... PAT GOSS HAS TIPS ON TAMING RUST ON YOUR ROCKERS... STEPHANIE HART GOES TO THE FRONT LINES OF BRINGING MORE HANDS-FREE DRIVING TO THE ROAD... AND A SLEEK SEDAN WITH A COUPISH PEDIGREE, THE LATEST MERCEDES-BENZ CLS...

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.

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...

FROM THE COLD OF WINTER, TO THE HEAT OF SUMMER.

RAIN-X SILICONE ADVANTAGE WIPER BLADES ARE ENGINEERED FOR USE ACROSS ALL SEASONS.

MORE INFORMATION AT RAINX.COM.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, CUSTOM FIT, VEHICLE FLOOR PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP THE SIDES.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

John: WE LOVE THE KIA STINGER.

IT'S AN EXTREMELY WELL EXECUTED FIRST EFFORT IN MAKING A EUROPEAN-STYLE SPORT SEDAN FROM KIA.

NO WONDER, IT'S ALSO OUR MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE PICK AS BEST OF THE YEAR.

WELL, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE LUXURY-MINDED FOLKS ACROSS THE HALL AT GENESIS GET THEIR HANDS ON THE STINGER CHASSIS?

WELL, IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT.

* LAUNCHING A NEW BRAND IS NEVER EASY, AND THE SPORT-LUXURY MARKET IS REALLY IN FLUX RIGHT NOW, WITH SUVS RAPIDLY GOBBLING UP SALES FROM SEDANS, AND TRADITIONAL BRANDS SEEING INCREASING COMPETITION FROM UNLIKELY PLACES.

AND THAT'S THE ENVIRONMENT INTO WHICH ENTERS THE REAR AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE 2019 GENESIS G70.

IT HAS MORE ON ITS WELL-SCULPTED SHOULDERS THAN THE TYPICAL LUXURY-SPORT SEDAN AS IT IS NOT ONLY THE EMERGING BRAND'S MOST PERFORMANCE ORIENTED CAR YET, BUT ALSO ITS NEW ENTRY-LEVEL MODEL.

IT'S NO SECRET WHERE THEY'RE AIMING HERE, GERMAN SPORT SEDANS.

GENESIS CLAIMS THE G70 SITS LOWER THAN MOST RIVALS AND IT SURE LOOKS LIKE IT.

IT ALSO APPEARS LONG, BUT NOT NECESSARILY LEAN, AS IT'S ALSO WIDER THAN MOST IN THE SEGMENT.

WHEELBASE IS ALMOST 3.0 INCHES SHORTER THAN THE KIA STINGER, AND OVERALL LENGTH IS 6.0 INCHES LESS.

SO, UNLIKE THE STINGER, WHICH STRADDLES THAT VOID BETWEEN COMPACT AND MIDSIZE, THE G70 IS A TRUE COMPACT.

AND WHILE, PLENTY OF DECISIONS WERE MADE BASED ON PERFORMANCE, THERE'S ALSO A LEXUS LEVEL OF ATTENTION TO NVH DETAIL, AND IT SHOWS IN HOW QUIET AND EFFORTLESSLY THE G70 GLIDES, NOT FLOATS DOWN THE ROAD.

IT ALSO SHARES ENGINES WITH THE STINGER; A 252 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER I4 TURBO, AND A 365 HORSEPOWER TWIN-TURBO V6.

BOTH WORK WITH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AND BOTH OFFER OPTIONAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

ONE THING THE G70 HAS THAT THE STINGER DOESN'T, IS AN AVAILABLE 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION OPTION.

BUT ONLY WITH THE REAR-DRIVE 4-CYLINDER.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] HAVING SPENT TIME WITH THE V6 IN THE STINGER, WE OPTED FOR THE 2.0 LITER FOR THIS G70 TEST.

ITS 260 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE HAS IT PUNCHING WAY ABOVE ITS WEIGHT, FEELING VERY POWERFUL FOR THIS CLASS.

WE ALSO CHOSE REAR-DRIVE ONLY, THOUGH WE DID STICK WITH THE 8-SPEED AUTO.

SELECTING SPORT TRIM ALSO ADDS 19-INCH ALLOYS WITH SUMMER TIRES, COPPER HEADLIGHT TRIM, DARK-TINTED TAIL LIGHTS, AND SOME ADDED CHROME FOR THE OUTSIDE; ALLOY PEDALS, AND QUILTED NAPPA LEATHER INSIDE.

NATURALLY, THIS IS THE FASTEST GENESIS YET, WITH THE V6 HITTING 60 IN 4.5 SECONDS.

THAT'S GETTIN' IT, NO MATTER WHERE IT'S BUILT OR WHAT BADGE IT'S WEARING.

AS FOR THE 2.0 LITER, IT'S PRETTY DARN QUICK TOO, THOUGH ITS MID-RANGE TORQUE DELIVERY FEELS MORE ADEQUATE FOR ROAD COURSE WORK, THAN IMPRESSING IN THE QUARTER MILE.

STILL, WITH EASY TO ACTIVATE LAUNCH CONTROL, WE WERE ABLE TO HIT 60 IN 6.2 SECONDS.

NO TURBO SOUNDS TO SPEAK OF, AS THIS 4-BANGER DELIVERS POWER SMOOTHLY, QUIETLY, AND ALMOST EV-LIKE IN RESPONSIVENESS.

AS IN THE STINGER, THE TRANSMISSION WORKS AMAZINGLY WELL, WITH CLEAN AND DIRECT SHIFTS THROUGHOUT THE 14.9 SECOND QUARTER MILE, WHICH WE COMPLETED AT 94 MILES PER HOUR.

HITTING THE CONE COURSE, THE G70 FEELS SOFT INITIALLY, BUT KEEP PUSHING, AND IT DELIVERS.

IT FEELS VERY SOLID, YET, NOT HEFTY; SORT OF LIKE AN AUDI.

GREAT STEERING FEEL AS WELL, WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNTS OF RESPONSE AND HEFT.

YOU FEEL VERY CONNECTED TO THIS CAR, AND THE MICHELIN PILOT SPORT TIRES OFFERED A BRUTAL AMOUNT OF TRACTION.

THEY WERE AIMING FOR A VERY LUXURIOUS, YET, TRUE SPORT SEDAN, AND THEY NAILED IT!

THERE ARE COMPREHENSIVE DRIVE MODES OF COURSE, AS WELL PROVISIONS FOR CUSTOM SETUPS.

THERE'S PLENTY OF LUXURY FEATURES; THOUGH JUST TO REINFORCE THE PERFORMANCE ASPECT, NO WOOD, ONLY ALUMINUM HERE IN THE SPORT.

ALL SWITCHGEAR HAS A HIGH-QUALITY FEEL, AND JUST LIKE THE DRIVING ASPECTS, CLOSER TO AUDI THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE ASSIST WITH PEDESTRIAN DETECTION IS STANDARD, AND WORKED EVERY TIME IN OUR BARRIER TEST; BRINGING US TO A COMPLETE STOP FROM SPEEDS UP TO 25 MILES PER HOUR.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR OUR REAR-DRIVE 2.0 LITER ARE 22-CITY, 30-HIGHWAY, AND 25-COMBINED.

OUR AVERAGE WAS FAIRLY GOOD AT 27.2 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

PRICING STARTS AT JUST $35,895 FOR THE TURBO-4; IT'S QUITE A STEP UP FOR THE TWIN-TURBO V6, STARTING AT $44,745.

SO, WITH THE 2019 G70, GENESIS NOW HAS A FULL SEDAN LINEUP.

AND WHILE, THAT'S GREAT PROGRESS FOR THEM, THEY'LL HAVE TO GET SOME SUVS ON THE MARKET SOON TO BE TRULY RELEVANT IN THIS CURRENT ENVIRONMENT.

ESTABLISHING A NEW BRAND ALWAYS HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS, THIS G70 IS ONE FANTASTIC STEP UP, SO ENJOY DRIVING IT WHILE YOU CAN.

* WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE AUTOMOBILE IS FASCINATING, BUT AT TIMES BAFFLING.

SCORES OF AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ARE WORKING HARD TO TRY AND BRIDGE THAT GAP BETWEEN CARS WE KNOW AND LOVE TODAY, AND THE AUTOMATED, AND DRIVERLESS CARS PLANNED FOR TOMORROW.

OUR STEPHANIE HART HAD A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE GROUNDS OF THEIR MCITY TESTING FACILITY FOR A LOOK AT HOW THE NEXT GENERATION WILL RIDE.

* Stephanie Hart: MCITY IS UNIQUE.

IT'S DESIGNED TO TEST CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED VEHICLES.

IT'S THE ONLY FACILITY OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A SCENE OUT OF A MOVIE AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO REPLICATE A REAL CITY, COMPLETE WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND STREET SIGNS.

IT'S TUCKED AWAY ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CAMPUS IN ANN ARBOR.

BEHIND IT'S CHARMING LOOK, SERIOUS TESTING AND RESEARCH.

CARRIE MORTON IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MCITY.

Carrie Morton: LOOKING AT LEGAL LIABILITY AND INSURANCE QUESTIONS, PRIVACY, CYBER SECURITY, UNDERSTANDING HOW TO TEST AND MAKE SURE TECHNOLOGIES ARE SAFE.

Stephanie: NOT MANY PEOPLE GET TO VISIT THIS FACILITY, SO WE'RE GLAD WE HAD THE CHANCE!

THE FUTURE OF LEVEL 4 AUTONOMOUS DRIVING IS PRETTY AMAZING.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH MCITY AND SHOW YOU A TEST SCENARIO.

OUR VEHICLE SHOWS UP AS THIS GREEN SQUARE ON THIS IPAD.

THE YELLOW SQUARES ALL AROUND US ARE VIRTUAL VEHICLES.

ESSENTIALLY, THE CARS ARE CONNECTED AND ACTUALLY TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER, ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THEM.

Stephanie: AND YOU MENTIONED THERE'S $300,000 WORTH OF SENSORS ON THIS CAR?

Greg McGuire: THAT'S RIGHT.

YEAH, THESE SENSORS AREN'T CHEAP.

BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY STATE OF THE ART, AND NOT MADE IN HIGH VOLUME YET, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE DVD PLAYERS USED TO COST 1,000, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET THEM FOR 10 BUCKS.

Stephanie: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES HAVE CERTAINLY COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEY FIRST BURST ONTO THE SCENE IN 2013.

Greg: SO, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LEFT AND GO DOWN TO OUR RAIL CROSSING, AND WE SHOULD HAVE A COMMUTER TRAIN THAT'S SCHEDULED TO COME THROUGH RIGHT ABOUT NOW, HERE IT COMES.

WE'RE GONNA STOP FOR THAT AND YOU NOTICE, WE'RE STOPPED BACK A LITTLE BIT THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US, A VIRTUAL VEHICLE.

Stephanie: IN REALITY, TRANSPORTATION THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS STILL A LONG WAY OFF.

HOWEVER, SELF-DRIVING SHUTTLES, LIKE THIS ONE, COULD BE ON OUR STREETS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

THIS ONE, AND OTHERS, ARE ALREADY MOVING STUDENTS AROUND CAMPUS.

WE STEPPED ON TO TRY IT OUT.

IT OPERATES SIMILAR TO THE LEVEL 4 AUTONOMOUS CAR, WE TESTED OUT EARLIER.

Carrie: WHEN WE FIRST SEE THESE SHARED LEVEL 4 VEHICLES, LIKELY, THEY MAY BE OPERATING IN A SMALL, URBAN ENVIRONMENT, OR EVEN AS WHAT WE CALL "FIRST MILE LAST MILE TRANSPORTATION."

SO, MOVING ME FROM A COMMUTER LOT TO MY HOME, AT THE END OF MY BUS RIDE HOME FROM WORK FOR EXAMPLE OR A TRAIN RIDE...

SO PROVIDING A CONNECTION INTO A MORE ESTABLISHED TRANSIT SYSTEM.

Stephanie: THE BIG QUESTION?

WILL WE EVER BE ABLE TO TRUST THESE SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES.

RECENT STUDIES SHOW 70% OF AMERICANS ARE SCARED TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE.

AND ONLY 21% SAY, "THEY'D RIDE IN ONE."

NOT SURPRISING, CONSIDERING THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST FOUR DEATHS BLAMED ON DRIVERLESS VEHICLES.

THAT'S WHY TESTING AND RESEARCH GOING ON AT MCITY IS VITAL.

AS ENGINEERS, ALL OVER THE WORLD, CONTINUE TO TWEAK TECHNOLOGY.

Carrie: THE INDUSTRY IS MOVING ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHICH IS PROVIDING A FAIL SAFE PATH, WHETHER, IT'S PULLING THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR PUTTING THE HAZARDS ON FOR EXAMPLE, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS IN A SITUATION THAT IT CAN'T CONTROL, IF THERE WERE NO HUMAN TO TAKE IT OVER, THAT IT MOVES INTO A FAIL SAFE POSITION AUTOMATICALLY.

SO WHEN THE VEHICLES ARE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER, AND ALSO WITH THE TRAFFIC INFRASTRUCTURE...THEY CAN ACT AS A COLLABORATIVE ECOSYSTEM, AND OPERATE ON THE WHOLE MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY, REDUCING EMISSIONS, FUEL CONSUMPTION, AS WELL AS CONGESTION.

John: WEATHER SURE TAKES A TOLL ON YOUR CAR.

PAT GOSS HAS ADVICE NOW ON HOW TO BUST RUST.

Pat Goss: ALTHOUGH, VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS HAVE MADE HUGE IMPROVEMENTS IN PREVENTING BODY RUST ON VEHICLES, WE STILL HAVE SOME OUT THERE THAT ARE LIKE THIS.

AND THAT IS RUST.

ALRIGHT.

WHAT CAUSES RUST IS WHERE DIRT AND MOISTURE CAN COMBINE INSIDE OR BETWEEN TWO PIECES OF METAL, DIRT HOLDS THE MOISTURE, IT EATS ITSELF FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

NOW, IN THIS CASE YOU MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THIS BECAUSE OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR BECAUSE LOCAL LAWS AND INSPECTIONS AND SO ON REQUIRE THAT YOU DO THAT.

BUT NOW, IS THIS A DO IT YOURSELF JOB?

WELL...MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.

SEE NOW...DOWN HERE, WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE TYPES OF ROCKER PANELS.

THIS IS A COMPLETE ONE HERE, AND OVER HERE, WE HAVE A SLIP ON.

OR ONE THAT LAYS OVER THE EXISTING ONE.

ALRIGHT...THE SLIP ON, PRETTY EASY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, IF YOU HAVE MODERATE SKILLS WITH BODY WORK AND SO ON.

THE OTHER ONE NOT SO MUCH.

BECAUSE THE COMPLETE ROCKER, WELL, YOU MAY HAVE TO TAKE BOTH DOORS OFF, YOU HAVE TO STRIP THE INSIDE, TAKE THE CARPETING UP, AND TAKE THE SEATS OUT, POSSIBLY THE FRONT FENDERS.

ALL KINDS OF STUFF THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO.

SO, YOU HAVE TO EVALUATE YOUR SKILL LEVEL, YOU TOOL SET, AND SO ON, AND MAKE THE DECISION BASED ON THAT.

Zach Maskell: WELL PAT, THIS WHITE BEAUTY IS MY WORKHORSE.

YOU WOULD THINK, I PARK IT IN THE OCEAN OR SOMETHING.

WELL, THE ROCKER RUST DIDN'T REALLY BOTHER ME AT FIRST BUT THEN IT STARTED RAINING, RUST WOULD DRIP DOWN ONTO MY DRIVEWAY, LEAVING RUST STAINS.

I GOT UNDERNEATH TO TAKE A LOOK, TO SEE IF I COULD TACKLE THIS ISSUE MYSELF BUT QUICKLY REALIZED, I NEED SOME HELP.

RON'S RODS WAS MY GO TO SHOP WHERE ANYBODY TOOL IMAGINABLE CAN BE FOUND.

ONCE WE REMOVED THE TRIM, WE LOCATED THE SPOT WELDS AND PRIED THEM OFF.

WE THEN CUT OFF THE EXISTING ROCKER, THIS REVEALED THE INNER ROCKER.

RON HAD TO CUSTOM MAKE HIS OWN INNER SINCE WE NEEDED SOMETHING TO ATTACH THE OUTER ONE TO.

WHILE, THE RUST WAS TERRIBLE, WE DIDN'T NEED FULL ROCKERS AND WERE ABLE TO LEAVE THE DOORS ATTACHED DURING THIS WHOLE PROCESS.

WE ALSO TOOK A SHORT CUT AND INSTALLED THE CAB CORNERS WITHOUT TAKING THE BED OFF.

TO DO IT CORRECTLY THAT WOULD NEED TO COME OFF, SO YOU CAN SMOOTH YOUR WELDS DOWN.

Zach: SORRY, I'M STEALING YOUR LINE PAT, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS.

IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP US A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

Greg Carloss: THE SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON IS NOW WELL-PASSED, BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED OUR 2018 HONDA ODYSSEY FROM RACKING UP THE MILES.

IN 11-MONTHS' TIME, THE ODOMETER SITS AT JUST OVER 25,000 MILES.

IF THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS.

FACTOR IN THE...SHALL WE SAY, HEAVY-HANDED OR FOOTED NATURE OF SOME OF THE DRIVERS AROUND HERE, AND IT'S AMAZING HOW WELL THIS ODYSSEY IS HOLDING UP.

OUR 26.0 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE IS PERHAPS EVEN MORE NOTEWORTHY, AS POWER FROM THE 3.5 LITER V6 CONTINUES TO BE STRONG, NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE OR HOW MUCH CARGO WE'RE HAULING.

MOST FOLKS REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT, BUT THE HUMBLE MINIVAN IS A MUCH BETTER CHOICE FOR MOST FAMILIES THAN THE SUV THEY'RE CURRENTLY DRIVING.

WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE WEEKS TO KEEP DRIVING AND ENJOYING THIS ONE.

AS FOR ANOTHER ONE OF OUR FAMILY TRANSPORTERS, THE 2018 TOYOTA CAMRY MAY NOT HAVE THE SPACE OF A MINIVAN, BUT LONG DISTANCE COMFORT FOR FOUR, AND FIVE IN A PINCH, IS IN AMPLE SUPPLY.

Greg: WE TEST SO MANY CROSSOVERS THESE DAYS, IT'S EASY TO FORGET HOW USEFUL SEDANS CAN BE.

THIS CAMRY HAS REALLY REMINDED US WHY TOYOTA HAS SOLD SO MANY OF THESE THINGS OVER THE YEARS.

IT HAS COMFORT, IT HAS SPACE, GREAT FUEL ECONOMY.

NOW, SOME ON OUR STAFF HAVE ADMITTED TO MISSING THE MORE COMMANDING RIDE HEIGHT OF A CROSSOVER, BUT THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF PREFERENCE.

YES, DESPITE WHAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, THERE ARE STILL PLENTY OF FAMILIES THAT MAKE DO WITH A 4-DOOR SEDAN; AT LEAST FOR ONE OF THE CARS IN THEIR DRIVEWAY.

WE'RE JUST OVER 9,000 MILES, FROM THESE LAST FOUR MONTHS OF DRIVING THIS 2.5 LITER 4-CYLINDER XSE, AND THE 34.7 MILES PER GALLON FUEL MILEAGE CONTINUES TO IMPRESS, AS DOES THE OVERALL DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

WE'LL TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE MAZDA6 AND VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS, ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: WE HEAR A LOT OF HYPE THESE DAYS, SO WHAT'S THE REAL STORY?

WELL, YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS IT ON THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Yolanda Vazquez: TEEN DRIVERS MAY BE ANXIOUS TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL, BUT THE CHOICES THEIR PARENTS MAKE CAN GREATLY IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES FOR SURVIVAL IF THEY GET INTO A CAR ACCIDENT.

THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY SUGGESTS LARGER USED CARS OVER SMALLER LESS EXPENSIVE MODELS FOR YOUNG TEENAGERS.

THEIR STUDIES FIND SIZE AND WEIGHT ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN IT COMES TO OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.

THIS HELPS MITIGATE ANOTHER TEENAGE DRIVING TRAIT, THEIR LACK OF EXPERIENCE.

FOR THESE REASONS THE IIHS HAS COMPILED A LIST OF 115 VEHICLES RATED AS EITHER GOOD OR BEST CHOICES.

ALL OF WHICH COME IN UNDER $20,000.

ALL OF THE OPTIONS ALSO SCORED WELL ON THE INSTITUTES SAFETY TEST'S.

VOLKSWAGENS VIEW OF THE FUTURE NOW INCLUDES ANOTHER PICK-UP TRUCK.

BUT WITHOUT THEIR MOST ICONIC CAR.

VW UNVEILED THE TAROK CONCEPT AT THE SAO PAULO INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW.

THE COMPACT 4-DOOR CAB SEATS FIVE AND COMES WITH A 147 HORSEPOWER 4-CYLINDER TSI ENGINE.

THE MOST INTERESTING FEATURE IS A VARIABLE LENGTH BED.

A HATCH TO THE CABIN FOLDS DOWN FOR LOADING LONG ITEMS.

A PRODUCTION VERSION TAROK LAUNCHES SOON IN THE BRAZILIAN MARKET BUT IT'S UNLIKELY TO COME TO THE U.S.

THE VW ATLAS TANOAK CONCEPT TRUCK SHOWN THIS PAST SPRING AT THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IS MUCH LARGER THAN THE BRAZILIAN TAROK.

HOWEVER, VW HAS NOT SAID, WHEN OR IF AN ATLAS BASED TRUCK WILL BE MADE HERE.

MEANTIME, VOLKSWAGEN WILL STOP PRODUCING THE ICONIC BEETLE.

AT LEAST FOR NOW.

THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE'S CAR DESIGNED BY FERDINAND PORSCHE WENT INTO PRODUCTION IN GERMANY, IN 1938.

SALES IN THE U.S. BEGAN IN 1950, ENDING IN 1979.

THEN, THE NEW BEETLE ARRIVED IN 1998 AND WAS REDESIGNED AGAIN FOR 2012.

VOLKSWAGENW SAYS, "THE BEETLES FATE IS PART OF THEIR FOCUS ON FAMILY ORIENTED VEHICLES AND ELECTRIFICATION."

TWO NEW FINAL EDITION MODELS WILL MARK THIS BUGS LAST CHAPTER.

PRODUCTION ENDS IN MEXICO, JULY OF NEXT YEAR.

AND THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: THE 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS WAS THE FIRST CAR TO OFFICIALLY BE DESCRIBED AS A 4-DOOR COUPE.

TODAY, SUCH SLICK FORM OVER FUNCTION ENGULFS MOST OF THE SEDAN FIELD, REGARDLESS OF SIZE OR STATURE, AND HAS EVEN FOUND ITS WAY ONTO UTILITIES.

WELL NOW, THERE'S AN ALL-NEW 2019 CLS ON THE ROAD.

SO LET'S SEE IF IT'S STILL FIRST AMONG MANY.

* TRUTH IS, MOST MANUFACTURERS ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN THESE DAYS TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY 4-DOOR SEDANS.

BUT THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLS HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT SALES NUMBERS.

THIS 3RD GENERATION, 2019 VERSION STAYS VERY CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL 4-DOOR COUPE FORMULA; YET, CONTINUES TO LOOK EVEN BETTER, AND ALSO COMES WITH A FEW NEW TWISTS THIS TIME AROUND.

THE DESIGN OF THIS 4-DOOR TAKES MORE ELEMENTS FROM MERCEDES COUPES THAN SEDANS.

THAT MEANS A FORWARD-SLANTING NOSE, DIAMOND GRILLE WITH CUES FROM THE AMG GT, AND A HIGH WAIST PROFILE WITH FRAMELESS WINDOWS.

BUT, IT'S ALL GOTTEN MORE AGGRESSIVE THIS GEN.

STILL, AS BEFORE, DESPITE THE C IN THE NAME, IT RIDES ON THE MIDSIZE E-CLASS CHASSIS, GETTING A WHEELBASE STRETCH OVER THE PREVIOUS CLS OF ALMOST 2.5 INCHES.

BEHIND THAT AGGRESSIVE FACE, SITS A NEW INLINE-6 ENGINE, THE FIRST FROM BENZ IN DECADES.

BUT, IT'S NOT DONE WITH NOSTALGIA IN MIND, AS THIS 3.0 LITER IS A TOTALLY MODERN ENGINE; EVEN PACKING A STARTER/ALTERNATOR ON THE BACK END, THAT WORKS WITH A NEW 48-VOLT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO DELIVER A 21 HORSEPOWER BOOST, ON TOP OF THE ENGINE'S OUTPUT OF 362 HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

A 9G-TRONIC 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC IS IN PLACE TOO, ALONG WITH 5 DRIVING MODES, AND 4MATIC ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IS AVAILABLE TO REPLACE THE STANDARD REAR-WHEEL DRIVE.

AT LAUNCH, THIS 4MATIC FEELS MEGA-POWERFUL, WITH BIG TORQUE DELIVERY, RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO, AS WELL AS PLENTY OF GRIP FOR EXPLOITING IT.

WE HIT 60 IN JUST 4.6 SECONDS.

CALM AND STEADY IS THE THEME FOR THE QUARTER MILE, AS THE CLS STREAKS TO THE FINISH IN 13.1 SECONDS AT 106 MILES PER HOUR, WITH THE EXPERIENCE BEING WAY MORE TRANQUIL AND SERENE THAN YOU'D EXPECT AT THAT SPEED.

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE ADEQUATELY QUICK, AND EQUALLY SMOOTH.

IT'S NOT THAT WE HATE TURBO-4s, HAVING DRIVEN PLENTY OF THEM RECENTLY, BUT IT'S A REAL JOY TO DRIVE THIS TURBO-6.

IT DELIVERS SEEMINGLY LIMITLESS GOBS OF SMOOTH POWER AT ALL TIMES, AND IS EASILY THE TRUE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS CAR.

BASE SUSPENSION IS INDEPENDENT MULTI-LINK AT BOTH ENDS, BUT YOU CAN UPGRADE TO BENZ'S ABC AIR BODY CONTROL AIR SUSPENSION FOR THE ULTIMATE SETUP.

IT MAGICALLY, TURNS THIS 4,200 POUNDS PLUS 4-DOOR INTO A NIMBLE, WELL-BALANCED, HANDLING MACHINE.

THOUGH, IT DOES PREFER A GENTLER PACE OVER ALL-OUT AGGRESSION.

IN A SURPRISING PRACTICLE SHIFT, THE CLS' REAR SEAT, NOW HAS BELTS FOR THREE, INSTEAD OF TWO AS BEFORE, AND MORE ROOM THANKS TO REDESIGNED FRONT SEATS AND THE AFOREMENTIONED WHEELBASE STRETCH; THOUGH IT'S STILL NOT AN EASY PLACE TO GET INTO AND OUT OF.

NO SUCH PROBLEMS UP FRONT, WHERE EVERYTHING IS FIRST CLASS, AND EASILY OUTSHINING ANYTHING ELSE IN THE SEGMENT.

THE WIDE DIGITAL GAUGE DISPLAY FROM THE E-CLASS, BLENDS INTO THE CENTER SCREEN FOR A SMOOTH, SEAMLESS, HIGH-TECH LOOKING SPACE.

EVEN CONSIDERING THIS IS A PREMIUM MODEL FROM A LUXURY BRAND, THE LIST OF STANDARD EQUIPMENT IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH FEATURES LIKE HEAD UP DISPLAY AND BURMESTER 3D SURROUND SOUND.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THIS CLS450 4MATIC ARE 23-CITY, 30-HIGHWAY, AND 26-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A MEDIOCRE 23.4 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM FUEL.

PRICING FOR THIS 4MATIC STARTS AT $72,695; BUT STICK WITH REAR-DRIVE AND YOU CAN GET AWAY A LITTLE CHEAPER AT $70,195.

TRUTH BE TOLD, AFTER ALMOST SINGLE HANDEDLY CREATING THE 4-DOOR COUPE GENRE AND INFLUENCING A WEALTH OF AUTOMOTIVE EXTERIOR DESIGNS, THE CLS HAD DROPPED BEHIND THE MANY IMITATORS IT INSPIRED.

THE 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS IS OUT TO RECLAIM ITS LEADING ROLE, WITH THE HELP OF SOME POWERTRAIN ELECTRIFIED TRICKERY, ROOM FOR AN ADDITIONAL PASSENGER, AND OF COURSE, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS STYLE.

AND BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS, WE BET IT SUCCEEDS.

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

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

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN NISSAN RAISES THE STAKES FOR MID SIZE FAMILY SEDANS WITH THE REDESIGNED ALTIMA.

AND HYBRID TECHNOLOGY GETS A MAJOR FACELIFT IN THE NEW HONDA INSIGHT.

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...

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

FROM THE COLD OF WINTER, TO THE HEAT OF SUMMER.

RAIN-X SILICONE ADVANTAGE WIPER BLADES ARE ENGINEERED FOR USE ACROSS ALL SEASONS.

MORE INFORMATION AT RAINX.COM.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

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] *