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

JOIN US AS THE RAM 1500 UPS THE BIG PICKUP ANTE WITH SO MUCH MORE OF WHAT BUYERS WANT... PAT GOSS WITH TIPS ON ADDING LIFE TO YOUR GEARS... STEPHANIE HART, WITH AN EASY WAY TO GIVE YOUR CAR'S INTERIOR A WHOLE NEW LOOK... AND BRITISH BREEDING MIXED WITH WAGON PRACTICALITY, THE JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE...

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: TIRE RACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

Woman: OH, COME ON.

HOT, HOT, HOT.

Announcer: THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE.

Woman: JUST A BOTTLE OF WATER.

Announcer: TIRERACK.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.

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.

AUTOTEMPEST.COM, WHERE YOU CAN COMPARE USED CAR LISTINGS FROM SITES ACROSS THE WEB.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

LASER MEASURED THEY OFFER PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP THE SIDES.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

John: THINGS HAVE SELDOM BEEN EASY FOR RAM.

YOU KNOW, DETROIT'S OTHER TRUCK BRAND THAT'S NOT FORD OR CHEVY.

BUT THINGS HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN LOOKING UP LATELY, AS RAM'S FULL-SIZE PICKUP SALES HAVE BEEN STEADILY INCREASING, EVEN OUTSELLING THE CHEVROLET SILVERADO, A FEW MONTHS ALONG THE WAY.

SO, LET'S SEE IF AN ALL-NEW 1500 IS "RAM TOUGH" ENOUGH TO MUSCLE ITS WAY PERMANENTLY UP THE RANKS.

* IT WAS THE 3RD GEN DODGE RAM THAT REALLY GOT THE BALL ROLLING FOR THE BRAND WHEN IT ARRIVED FOR 2002.

USHERING IN FIRSTS LIKE MEGA CAB AND THE RETURN OF HEMI POWER.

2009 SAW A 4TH GEN.

DEBUT WITH ALL-COIL SPRING SUSPENSION AND SIDE-SADDLE RAM BOX STORAGE.

NOW, 2019 SEES THE MOST ALL-NEW RAM 1500 IN DECADES, ONE THAT FCA HOPES WILL USHER IN A WHOLE NEW ERA OF POWER, COMFORT, AND UTILITY FOR TODAY'S TRUCK BUYERS.

MUCH LIKE FORD, THE 1500 WENT ON A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN, THOUGH NOT AS DRASTIC, SHAVING ONLY ABOUT 225 POUNDS; MOSTLY DUE TO MORE HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL IN THE FRAME, WITH ALUMINUM FOR THE TAILGATE AND SOME SUSPENSION PARTS.

THE FRAME IS STILL STRONGER, HOWEVER, BOOSTING PAYLOAD TO 2,300 POUNDS, AND MAX TOWING CAPACITY TO 12,750.

THE EXTERIOR LOOK IS SMOOTHER, YET, STILL HAS A HINT OF THE BIG RIG LOOK OF THE '90s.

NO MORE CROSSHAIRS, JUST LOTS OF BIG RAM LETTERS AND A NEW SEEMINGLY TRANSFORMERS-INSPIRED RAM HEAD LOGO.

NOW, WE MUCH PREFER THE REBEL'S, BLACKED-OUT MALICE.

AND SPENT SOME TIME DOING SOME NASTINESS OF OUR OWN IN THE ARIZONA DESERT.

THE REBEL'S OFF-ROAD CAPABILITIES TAKE A SMALL STEP UP; ITS 1-INCH OF LIFT, NOW COMES FROM HARDWARE, NOT SIMPLY PUMPING UP THE AIR SPRING SUSPENSION AS BEFORE.

YOU ALSO GET A LOCKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL, UNIQUE BILSTEIN SHOCKS, SKID PLATES, AND UPDATED ELECTRONICS.

IT'S STILL NOT ON THE SAME FLIGHT PLAN AS FORD'S RAPTOR, BUT NOW AT LEAST ON THE RADAR SCREEN.

THE RAM 1500 WAS ALREADY THE BEST RIDING RIG IN THE FULL-SIZE PICKUP RANKS DUE TO THE ONLY 4-CORNER AIR SUSPENSION OUT THERE; NEW FREQUENCY RESPONSE DAMPING FOR THIS YEAR, TAKES IT UP ONE STEP FURTHER.

FOR NOW, ONLY THE TWO GAS ENGINE OPTIONS RETURN AND THEIR OUTPUT STAYS THE SAME, WHICH MEANS 305 HORSEPOWER AND 269 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE FOR THE 3.6 LITER PENTASTAR V6, AND 395 HORSEPOWER AND 410 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE FROM THE 5.7 LITER HEMI V8.

BOTH GET AN ETORQUE MILD HYBRID SYSTEM WITH A 48 VOLT BATTERY PACK THAT ENABLES AUTO STOP/START, BOOSTS OVERALL EFFICIENCY, AND EVEN PROVIDES A LITTLE EXTRA TORQUE.

IT'S STANDARD WITH THE V6, OPTIONAL ON THE HEMI.

NO WORD YET, IF OR WHEN A DIESEL WILL RETURN.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR A HEMI 4X4 ARE 15-CITY, 21-HIGHWAY, AND 17-COMBINED.

NO OFFICIAL RATINGS FOR THE 3.6 LITER JUST YET.

SO THE HEMI'S ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS SLIGHTLY WORSE THAN AVERAGE AT 19.4 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 8.6 TONS.

WE SPENT MOST OF OUR ARIZONA-BASED EARLY DRIVE TIME WITH THE HEMI, AND IT FELT JUST AS POWERFUL AS ALWAYS, THOUGH, WE DON'T REMEMBER THE GAS PEDAL BEING THIS SENSITIVE, WHICH SEEMS A LITTLE OUT OF PLACE IN A BIG TRUCK.

TRANSMISSION REMAINS AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC, AND EVERYTHING IS STILL PUT IN MOTION WITH A DASH-MOUNTED ROTARY SHIFTER, BUT OPERATION HAS GOTTEN MUCH QUICKER, MAKING 3-POINT TURNS LESS STRESSFUL.

ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING SEEMED TO KEEP ROAD NOISE TO A MINIMUM, THOUGH, WE DID HEAR SOME WIND NOISE IN OUR PRE-PRODUCTION TEST VEHICLE.

THE UPGRADED INTERIOR OF THE 1500 IS OTHERWISE, MOST IMPRESSIVE.

WE LOVED THE AVAILABLE 4TH GENERATION OF FCA'S UCONNECT TOUCHSCREEN, NOW 12-INCHES IN SIZE.

IT REMAINS LOGICAL AND RESPONSIVE AS ALWAYS.

FRONT SEATS ARE VERY COMFORTABLE AND TOP-LINE LIMITED TRIM IS SIMPLY EXQUISITE.

BOTH CREW AND QUAD CABS ARE AVAILABLE, WITH THE MOST INTERIOR SPACE IN THE SEGMENT.

BASE PRICING IS $33,340 FOR A 2-WHEEL DRIVE TRADESMAN, WHICH YOU PROBABLY WON'T BUY UNLESS YOU ARE INDEED A TRADESMAN.

MOST WILL FIND A RAM 1500 THAT SLOTS BETWEEN THERE AND THE LIMITED 4X4s $59,035.

WELL, JUST WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE SET TO REALLY TAKE OFF FOR THE 2019 RAM 1500, THERE'S AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, THAT AN ALL-NEW CHEVROLET SILVERADO IS ARRIVING AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME.

SO, FCA HAD BETTER MAKE SOME HAY WHILE THE SUN'S SHINING.

IT'S STILL THE BEST CRUISER WITH A BED OUT THERE, BUT IT WILL TAKE A LOT MORE THAN THAT TO PERMANENTLY TAKE SILVER HOME.

* AN AUTOMOBILE THAT MATCHES YOUR UNIQUE PERSONALITY IS A MUST.

AND THAT SENTIMENT HELPS FUEL THE GLOBAL CAR ACCESSORIES MARKET.

A 360 BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY!

CUSTOM AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS ARE A BIG CHUNK OF THAT.

MILLIONS WHICH ARE CRAFTED BY A COMPANY YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF, KATZKIN AUTOMOTIVE LEATHERS.

AS FYI REPORTER, STEPHANIE HART SHOWS US MAKING THEIR ONE-OF-A-KIND SEAT COVERS AND INSTALLING THEM IS A THOROUGH PROCESS THAT'S PRETTY COOL TO WATCH.

* Stephanie Hart: WE ARE BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE KATZKIN AUTOMOTIVE LEATHER FACTORY IN MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA.

THE COMPANY HAS TRANSFORMED MORE THAN TWO MILLION VEHICLES OVER THE LAST 35 YEARS.

HERE, OLD WORLD TECHNIQUES MEET THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY.

CRAFTING CUSTOMER LEATHER INTERIORS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE.

SO, WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF CUSTOM LEATHER INTERIOR?

Miles Hubbard: WE FIND 80% OF CUSTOMERS OUT THERE PREFER LEATHER, IF THEY CAN GET LEATHER, THEY WILL GET IT.

IT CLEANS EASILY, IT'S EASY TO MAINTAIN, IT SMELLS GOOD, AS EVERYONE KNOWS.

THERE'S A FEELING OF SITTING IN LEATHER THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM SITTING IN CLOTH.

Stephanie: ON THE FLIP SIDE, LEATHER UPHOLSTERY CAN STAIN EASILY.

AND IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO FIX THAN FABRIC.

OVER TIME, LEATHER CAN ALSO FADE AND CRACK.

STILL, NOTHING GIVES A CAR INTERIOR A PREMIUM LOOK LIKE LEATHER.

THE TYPE OF LEATHER KATZKIN USES COMES FROM BRAZIL.

WORKERS INSPECT EACH HYDE FOR ANY IMPERFECTION BECAUSE NOTHING CAN REPLACE THE HUMAN EYE, THEY TAKE A PEN, LIKE THIS, AND LOOK FOR FLAWS... AND, HERE'S ONE RIGHT HERE...

THEY MARK IT.

NEXT, THEY HEAD OVER HERE, THEY PUT THE HYDE'S ON THESE HORSES.

AND THIS ACTUALLY, STRETCHES OUT THE LEATHER AND GETS RID OF ANY WRINKLES.

FINALLY, THE HIDES ARE PUT HERE ON THIS HIGH TECH SOPHISTICATED CUTTING MACHINE FROM FRANCE.

ITS WORKS LIKE A SCANNER, CUTTING OUT THOSE FLAWS, WE CIRCLED, SO THE SEATS COME OUT FLAWLESS.

THE FINISHED PRODUCTS ARE BOXED AND SHIPPED READY TO BE INSTALLED.

FROM CALIFORNIA TO MARYLAND... WE ARE BEHIND THE SCENES IN THIS GARAGE AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW THE KATZKIN LEATHER INTERIORS ARE INSTALLED IN THIS SUBARU.

THAT'S FRANKIE THOMAS.

HE'S DOING THE INSTALL.

WHEN THE SEATS HIT HIS WORKBENCH, IT'S GO TIME, REWARDING WORK?

Frankie Thomas: YES, THIS IS REWARDING WORK, IT'S VERY REWARDING WORK.

Stephanie: THIS TIME AROUND, FRANKIE IS INSTALLING TWO TONE SEAT COVERS.

WITH LEATHER PANELS AND VINYL SIDES.

A REALLY POPULAR LOOK RIGHT NOW!

WE TURN UP THE HEAT.

Frankie: MAKES YOUR STITCHES LINE UP PERFECT.

Stephanie: AND A LITTLE T-L-C, GOES A LONG WAY.

Frankie: IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN GIVE IT A TRY... Stephanie: MUSCLE COMES IN HANDY TOO.

Frankie: THE SEAT REST ITSELF WILL GO INTO THE HOLE.

AND THEN, YOU KIND OF JUST FEEL WHERE IT IS, THE OUTSIDE EDGE.

YOU KNOW, WITH CARS CHANGING EVERY YEAR, IT'S LIKE, A NEW PROCESS EVERY TIME YOU DO IT.

Stephanie: ALL INSTALLATIONS GO THROUGH A SERIES OF SAFETY TESTS.

Peter Daly: THEY GO THROUGH CRASH TESTING, AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT TESTING, AND SO ON...

SO THAT IT IS AS SAFE AS THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT LEATHER INTERIORS.

Stephanie: AND IT'S TIME TO PUT THE PEDAL TO THE METAL, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE JUST YET.

THIS IS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED "THE HEADSHRINKER MACHINE."

AND RIGHTFULLY SO!

Frankie: WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO A GOOD POINT, YOU PUT THIS ON TOP OF IT AND SLIDE IT RIGHT DOWN.

Stephanie: AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!

ONE SEAT DOWN, THREE MORE TO GO.

WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M LOVING THIS NEW CAR SMELL.

I'M IMPRESSED.

A JOB WELL DONE!

FROM THE FACTORY IN CALIFORNIA, TO THE INSTALL IN MARYLAND, TO THE FINISHED PRODUCT.

FROM START TO FINISH THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK 24 HOURS.

A KATZKIN LEATHER INTERIOR, INCLUDING INSTALLATION, STARTS AT $1,500.

THE RESULT MADE THIS CAR, AND ITS OWNER, FOREVER UNIQUE.

John: WHEN IT COMES TO CAR REPAIRS, THERE'S A RIGHT WAY, AND THERE'S A WRONG WAY.

FOR THE RIGHT WAY, LET'S CHECK IN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

Pat Goss: BY NOW, YOU ALL KNOW THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ANY FLUID ON AN AUTOMOBILE THAT LASTS FOREVER.

ALSO, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SEALED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

NOW WHAT AM I GETTING AT HERE?

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID DOESN'T LAST FOREVER.

TRANSMISSIONS NEED TO BE FLUSHED AND THAT SHOULD BE DONE EVERY 2-3 YEARS OR 24-36,000 MILES.

BUT HERE IS WHERE YOU CAN GET INTO TROUBLE, BECAUSE SOME SHOPS SELL YOU A FLUSH BUT WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO IS A FLUID EXCHANGE AND THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

NOW, A FLUID EXCHANGE IS FOR CARS THAT HAVE A DIPSTICK SUCH AS THIS ONE DOES.

AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY HAVE A MACHINE THAT IS ATTACHED TO TUBES LIKE THIS.

THESE TUBES GO DOWN INTO THE DIPSTICK TUBE AND THE LONGER ONE PULLS FLUID FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN.

THE SHORTER ONE PUTS FRESH FLUID IN.

IT'S JUST EXCHANGING FLUID.

IT'S NOT CLEANING ANYTHING, IT'S NOT REALLY DOING MUCH OF ANYTHING, AND IT MAY ACTUALLY BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE TRANSMISSION.

NOW, LET'S RAISE THIS CAR UP AND TAKE A PEEK AT WHAT A REAL TRANSMISSION FLUSH LOOKS LIKE.

FIRST THING, UP HERE WE HAVE COOLING LINES THAT COME FROM THE TRANSMISSION TO A COOLER THAT IS IN A RADIATOR OR AHEAD OF THE RADIATOR.

NOW, WHAT WE DO IS DISCONNECT ONE OF THOSE COOLING LINES AND WE TAKE THESE TWO LINES FROM THE FLUSH MACHINE, ONE OF THEM GETS HOOKED ONTO THE LINE THAT WE JUST DISCONNECTED, THE OTHER GETS HOOKED INTO THE RADIATOR.

NOW, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS, WE ARE DIVERGING THE FLUID THAT NORMALLY CIRCULATES THROUGH, THOSE LINES IN THE COOLER, WE'VE DIVERTED IT THROUGH OUR FLUSH MACHINE.

NOW, THERE IS NO PUMPS, OR PRESSURE, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT ALL RELIES ON THIS NORMAL CIRCULATION INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION.

ALRIGHT...NOW, WE PUT CHEMICALS IN IT.

WE RUN THE ENGINE.

THE CHEMICALS CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION, INCLUDING THE TORQUE CONVERTER, WHICH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

THOSE ARE THINGS YOU DON'T GET WITH THE FLUID EXCHANGE.

NOW, WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING, WE CONTROL WHERE THE FLUID GOES IN THE MACHINE AND SO ON, AND WE CAN WATCH THE COLOR OF IT TO SEE IT GET CLEAN.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WE TRAP ALL OF THE DIRT THAT COMES OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION, INSIDE OF THE FLUSH MACHINE AND WE ADD BRAND NEW FLUID.

AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT SHOP DOING THIS JOB FOR YOU THAT THEY USE A FLUID THAT IS APPROVED FOR YOUR CAR.

DO THIS, YOU CAN DOUBLE, TRIPLE, QUADRUPLE THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF YOUR TRANSMISSION.

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

* John: WE'VE PUT JUST OVER 6,000 MILES ON THIS 2018 HONDA ODYSSEY SINCE IT ARRIVED IN DECEMBER.

AND IT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING WHEN THE ONLY COMPLAINT IN OUR LOG BOOK OVER THAT TIME, IS IN REGARDS TO THE CUP HOLDERS.

IT SEEMS ONE OF OUR CONSTANTLY HYDRATING STAFF MEMBERS CAN'T SEEM TO FIND A SUBSTANTIAL WATER BOTTLE OR COFFEE MUG THAT PROPERLY FITS THEM; FIRST WORLD PROBLEM INDEED.

OTHERWISE, IT'S BEEN SMOOTH SAILING, WHETHER...WE'RE DAILY COMMUTING OR WEEKEND GETAWAYING; THE 280 HORSEPOWER 3.5 LITER V6 HAS PROVIDED SMOOTH AND SEAMLESS POWER.

AIDED BY AN EQUALLY GOOD-NATURED 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, WE'RE AVERAGING 22.4 MILES PER GALLON.

AND WE STILL LOVE THE NUMEROUS STORAGE OPTIONS SEEMINGLY, EVERYWHERE IN THE CABIN, AS WELL AS SPACE GALORE FOR HAULING JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

WITH WARM WEATHER ARRIVING, VACATION SEASON IS ABOUT TO KICK IN FULL, AND THE ODYSSEY WILL NO DOUBT BE A BIG PART OF THAT.

THERE'S NOT QUITE MINIVAN-LIKE ROOM IN THIS 2017 KIA NIRO, BUT IT HAS BEEN JUST AS BUSY HAULING OUR CREWS AROUND, AS OUR MID-ATLANTIC WINTER HAS SLOWLY TURNED TO SPRING.

THIS 139 HORSEPOWER 1.6 LITER I4-BASED HYBRID HAS PERFORMED ADMIRABLY THESE LAST SEVEN MONTHS.

BUT, AT 13,500 MILES, THERE ARE A FEW COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE NIRO'S BRAKING.

IN OUR ORIGINAL NIRO TEST, WE PRAISED THE NATURAL FEEL OF THE BRAKE PEDAL.

BUT, AS THE MILES HAVE RACKED UP, DRIVERS ARE NOTING THAT THE PEDAL HAS NOW GOTTEN SO SOFT, THAT IT FEELS LIKE, THE NIRO LACKS STOPPING POWER.

IT'S MOST NOTICEABLE IN STOP-AND-GO SITUATIONS.

OTHERWISE, THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF COMFORT AND UTILITY TO BE FOUND IN THIS PSEUDO-CROSSOVER; AND WITH WARMER WEATHER, OUR MILEAGE IS BACK ON AN UPWARD TREND, NOW AT 42.7 MILES PER GALLON.

WE THINK, KIA HAS HIT ON THE RIGHT HYBRID FORMULA WITH THE NIRO.

WE'LL CHECK IN ON THE BMW X1, ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

THESE DAYS, THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS ALWAYS IN THE NEWS.

AND OUR YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS THE LATEST.

Yolanda Vazquez: IN THEIR LATEST ROUND OF CRASH TESTS, THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY, FOCUSED ON HOW WELL, SMALL SUVS PROTECT NOT ONLY THE DRIVER...BUT THE FRONT PASSENGER AS WELL.

SINCE, THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF A VEHICLE ARE EACH UNIQUE IN DESIGN, IIHS WANTED TO SEE IF SMALL SUVS, THAT RATE "ACCEPTABLE" OR "GOOD" IN DRIVER-SIDE OVERLAP FRONT CRASH TESTS, ARE JUST AS SAFE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.

IN THE SEVEN NEW TESTS, THE BMW X1, CHEVROLET EQUINOX, GMC TERRAIN, JEEP COMPASS, AND MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER ALL EARNED A "GOOD" RATING.

THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT EARNED A MARGINAL SCORE, WHILE, THE FORD ESCAPE EARNED A POOR RATING.

THE ESCAPE HAD EARLIER RATED ACCEPTABLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE TEST.

A TOTAL OF 16 SMALL SUVS HAVE BEEN TESTED SO FAR.

THE VEHICLE TRAVELS 40 MPH TOWARD A BARRIER WITH 25% OF THE RIGHT FRONT OVERLAPPING THE BARRIER.

IT SIMULATES CONTACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, TREE, OR UTILITY POLE.

FOR IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK PLUS STATUS, A VEHICLE MUST HAVE A GOOD OR ACCEPTABLE PASSENGER-SIDE CRASH RATING.

THE TREND TOWARD EVS IS UNDENIABLE.

AND FEDERAL REGULATORS ARE BREAKING A "LONG-HELD SILENCE" IN THE NAME OF SAFETY.

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR HOW MUCH NOISE HYBRIDS AND EVS MUST MAKE AT LOW SPEEDS.

THIS ADDRESSES CONCERNS THAT ELECTRIFIED CARS ARE SO QUIET THAT PEDESTRIANS, THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED, AND BICYCLISTS, MAY NOT HEAR THEM COMING.

THE CARS WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE OPERATING ACOUSTICS UP TO 18.6 MILES PER HOUR.

HALF OF A CARMAKER'S ELECTRIC FLEETS MUST COMPLY BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2019, WITH ALL, QUALIFYING A YEAR LATER.

IN FACT, SOME BRANDS HAVE ALREADY STARTED MAKING THEIR EVS AND HYBRIDS "MORE AUDIBLE," WELL AHEAD OF THE DEADLINES.

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

John: WE SUSPECT THAT AMONG THE REASONS THAT STATION WAGONS DON'T SELL THAT WELL IN THE U.S. IS BECAUSE THEY ARE USUALLY, SO BORING!

NOW...WE KNOW VOLVO, BMW, AND OTHERS HAVE MADE ATTEMPTS TO COUNTER THAT IN THE PAST.

AND NOW, THERE IS ANOTHER MARQUE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT PERCEPTION.

IT'S JAGUAR WITH THEIR ANYTHING BUT BORING XF SPORTBRAKE!

IT'S CROSSOVER-LIKE UTILITY IN A GORGEOUS PACKAGE.

NOW LET'S SEE HOW IT PERFORMS.

* TO FIND OUT HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS 2018 JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE, WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE MID-20TH CENTURY.

AT THAT TIME, STATION WAGONS WERE THE FAMILY VEHICLE OF CHOICE.

BUT, IN THE 1980s, WAGONS GAVE WAY TO MINIVANS, WHICH GAVE WAY TO SUVS IN THE 1990s, FOLLOWED BY CROSSOVERS IN THIS CENTURY.

WHILE, ALL OF THIS WAS HAPPENING HERE IN THE U.S., EUROPEAN FAMILIES WERE MAKING DUE WITH WAGONS AND HATCHBACKS THE WHOLE TIME.

BUT, THE JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST "MAKE DUE."

JAGUAR THINKS THERE ARE NOW ENOUGH HIGH ROLLERS HERE WHO WANT THE SPACE OF A FOUR-SEASON CROSSOVER WITHOUT THE UTILITY "BAGGAGE" AS IT WERE.

SO ACCORDINGLY, IT COMES IN S TRIM ONLY, WHICH MEANS A SUPERCHARGED V6 ENGINE WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, SPORT BODY KIT, SELF-LEVELING AIR SUSPENSION, AND 20-INCH WHEELS, THEY'RE ALL STANDARD, NO PENNY-PINCHERS NEED APPLY.

* MOST MEASUREMENTS ARE THE SAME AS THE XF SEDAN, BUT JAG HAS DONE FAIRLY EXTENSIVE WORK; TAKING WEIGHT OUT WHERE IT CAN TO MINIMIZE ANY GAINS FROM THE FULL-LENGTH ROOF, COMPLETE WITH STANDARD ROOF RAILS AND A LARGE GLASS PANEL.

THE STORAGE AREA IS, OF COURSE, DIFFERENT, 31.7 CUBIC-FEET, OVER 50% LARGER THAN THE SEDAN'S TRUNK SPACE, AND JUST A COUPLE OF CUBIC-FEET SHY OF THEIR F-PACE MIDSIZE CROSSOVER; MAX CARGO WITH SEATS FOLDED IS 69.7 CUBIC-FEET.

MUCH LIKE THE SEDAN, THE SPORTBRAKE COULD USE A NICER INTERIOR.

THINGS APPEAR FAIRLY PLAIN FOR A LUXURY CAR, AND WHILE, WE'VE FINALLY GOTTEN JAG'S TOUCH PRO MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM, MOSTLY FIGURED OUT, IT'S FAR FROM OUR FAVORITE SYSTEM.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] BY NOW, WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE 3.0 LITER SUPERCHARGED V6 THAT POWERS THE SPORTBRAKE.

AND IT FEELS LIKE A MONSTER AS ALWAYS, [ENGINE REVVING] WHIPPING UP THE SAME 380 HORSEPOWER AND 332 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE HERE, AS IT DOES IN THE F-PACE.

IT'S A GREAT ENGINE INDEED, WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH A ZF 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

BOTH BROUGHT THE GOODS HOME AT OUR TEST TRACK, AS THERE WAS A STRONG LAUNCH WITH GREAT TRACTION OFF THE LINE.

WE HIT 60 IN 5.3 SECONDS.

POWER BUILDS QUICKLY AND STEADILY AS THE RPM'S CLIMB, BUT IT SEEMS TO SAVE A LITTLE BIT EXTRA, FOR WHEN YOU GET TO THE UPPER REGISTERS.

SHIFTS ARE FIRM AND DIRECT WITHOUT BEING JARRING.

THE QUARTER MILE WAS COMPLETED IN 13.8 SECONDS AT 100 MILES PER HOUR.

WHEN IT COMES TO HANDLING, THE SPORTBRAKE IS SOLID, CAPABLE, AND WILLING THE WAY THAT FEW CROSSOVERS CAN BE.

IT'S NOT THAT IT'S A LIGHTWEIGHT, COMING IN RIGHT AROUND 2-TONS, BUT IT SURE DOESN'T FEEL THAT HEAVY, WEAVING IN AND OUT OF THE CONES WITH VERY MINOR UNDERSTEER.

IT'S JUST A PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE THAT'S MORE AKIN TO A SPORT SEDAN, WITH A LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY, ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE GRIP, AND GREAT RESPONSIVENESS TO YOUR INPUTS.

WE EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO DRIVE OUR SPORTBRAKE THROUGH SOME SUBSTANTIAL WINTER WEATHER, AND FOUND IT RIDICULOUSLY GOOD IN SNOW, AS WE WERE DRIVING NEAR POSTED SPEED LIMITS ON SNOW-COVERED ROADS WITHOUT ANY ISSUES.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 18-CITY, 25-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED, SO WE WERE QUITE PLEASED WITH A 24.0 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE ON PREMIUM.

JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE FOR THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE, AT 15.7 BARRELS OF OIL BURNED AND 7.1 TONS OF CO2 EMITTED ANNUALLY.

BASE PRICING OF $71,445, FIRMLY PUTS IT INTO THE PREMIUM CATEGORY, VERSUS THE MAINSTREAM FAMILY UTILITY.

AND WHILE, JAGUAR DOESN'T EXACTLY SELL A WHOLE LOT OF XF SEDANS, A WAGON VERSION IS NOT LIKELY TO SET ANY SALES RECORDS EITHER.

HOWEVER, A HIGHLY SATISFYING, RIGHT-SIZED, PREMIUM, CARGO-HAULING PIECE OF LUXURY, THAT HELPS YOU REMEMBER THE JOY OF DRIVING, AND TRULY FEELS LIKE SOMETHING SPECIAL; WELL NOW, THEY MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING THERE.

AND THAT SOMETHING IS THE 2018 JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE.

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 SLIP INSIDE A LITTLE AUDI THAT'S BIG ON SPEED, AND THE LUXURIOUS LEXUS LS CATCHES OUR EYE.

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: TIRE RACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

Woman: OH, COME ON.

HOT, HOT, HOT.

Announcer: THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE.

Woman: JUST A BOTTLE OF WATER.

Announcer: TIRERACK.COM.

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

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

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.

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.

AUTOTEMPEST.COM, WHERE YOU CAN COMPARE USED CAR LISTINGS FROM SITES ACROSS THE WEB.

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] *