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

JOIN US FOR SOME HEALTHY COMPETITION, BMW X3 M-STYLE... PAT GOSS SHELTERS IN PLACE WITH GREAT CARE ADVICE... WE'LL GO ON A ONCE IN A LIFETIME ADVENTURE IN THE WORLD'S MOST ICONIC SPORTS CAR... AND IT'S YOUR CHOICE, SOMETHING OLD OR SOMETHING NEW FROM RAM...

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...

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.

John: NOT TOO LONG AGO, IF YOU WANTED TO ADD A PERFORMANCE VEHICLE INTO YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR CHOICES WERE BASICALLY COUPE OR SEDAN.

WELL, NOW OF COURSE, THERE ARE SUVs TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE MIX AS WELL.

AND ONE THAT WE THINK SHOULD BE NEAR THE TOP OF YOUR LIST IS THE BMW X3 M COMPETITION.

* IN BMW'S NEVER ENDING EFFORT TO ADD MORE VEHICLE VARIATIONS INTO THEIR LINEUP, AS WELL AS ADD MORE WORDS INTO THEIR NAMES, WE HAVE THE 2020 BMW X3 M COMPETITION.

WELL, BECAUSE FOR SOME BMW FANS, AN X3 M IS JUST NOT ENOUGH; AND YES, IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IN LIFE THESE DAYS IS A COMPETITION.

IT ALL STARTS WITH A 3.0 LITER TURBO UNDER THE HOOD, AS SO MANY BMW PERFORMANCE STORIES DO.

THIS PARTICULAR EPISTLE IS A PAGE TURNER FOR SURE, AT 503 HORSEPOWER AND 442 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THE INLINE-6 INTERNALS HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY BEEFED UP TO HANDLE THE ADDED PRESSURE FROM A REVISED TURBO.

BMW CLAIMS A 0-60 TIME OF 4.0 SECONDS, WHICH WE CONFIRMED AT OUR TEST TRACK.

STANDARD XDRIVE BITES DOWN HARD AND AIDS IN GETTING YOU OFF THE LINE, BUT IT ALSO SEEMS TO BOG THE CAR DOWN A BIT AT FIRST, ONLY RELEASING FULL POWER WHEN YOU BUILD UP A LITTLE MOMENTUM.

FROM THERE, THE MUSCLE POURS ON FAST AND FURIOUS, AS SHIFTS FROM THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC CLICK OFF WITH SPORTY PRECISION.

ALL WITH A TERRIFICALLY AGGRESSIVE EXHAUST GROWL.

WE CLEARED THE QUARTER IN 12.3 SECONDS AT 116 MILES PER HOUR.

TOP SPEED IS 177, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.

COMPETITION SPEC MEANS ADAPTIVE M SUSPENSION AND MORE RUBBER ON THE ROAD.

THE DOUBLE-JOINT STRUT FRONT SUSPENSION, AND 5-LINK REAR GET PLENTY OF TWEAKING AS WELL.

ALL Ms GET STRUCTURAL BRACING TOO, BUT COMPETITION MODELS TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER WITH LARGER ANTI-ROLL BARS.

PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED M XDRIVE WITH ACTIVE DIFFERENTIALS CAN SHUFFLE POWER AROUND QUICKLY TO WHICHEVER WHEELS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE AT PUSHING YOU TOWARDS THAT NEXT GATE.

THERE'S UNDOUBTEDLY A LOT OF MICRO-PROCESSING GOING ON, BUT IT ALL TRANSLATES TO AN SUV THAT HUGS THE GROUND, AND CORNERS PRECISELY AND CLEANLY.

THERE'S VERY LITTLE BODY ROLL, RESPONSIVE STEERING, AND AN OVERALL "RIGHT THERE" FEELING THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO KEEP SEARCHING FOR ITS LIMITS.

BLUE CALIPERS, BEHIND 21 INCH WHEELS, INDICATE M COMPOUND BRAKES; WHICH TRANSLATED TO AN AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE OF JUST 91 FEET FROM 60.

THE TIRES LIKE TO CLING TO EVERY PAVEMENT IMPERFECTION THOUGH, SO KEEP A FIRM GRIP ON THE WHEEL.

NOW, ALL X3 M'S ALSO GET AN AERO OPTIMIZED FRONT FASCIA, DOUBLED-UP SLATS ON THE SIGNATURE KIDNEY GRILL, REAR DIFFUSER, AND TWIN EXHAUST OUTLETS AT BOTH CORNERS.

UPGRADES INSIDE INCLUDE SPORT SEATS NATURALLY, 12.0 INCH DYNAMIC DIGITAL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, CARBON FIBER TRIM, HEAD-UP DISPLAY WITH UNIQUE M FEATURES, AND OF COURSE, LOTS OF M LOGOS AROUND THE CABIN.

A PAIR OF M BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, ALLOW YOU TO HAVE TWO SEPARATE CUSTOM DRIVE MODES FOR INSTANT RECALL WHEN YOU GET TO THE TRACK, OR YOUR FAVORITE BACK ROAD.

AS FOR THE ACTUAL UTILITY PORTION OF THIS UTE, A STANDARD POWER LIFTGATE OPENS TO REVEAL A VERY GOOD 28.7 CUBIC-FEET OF CARGO CAPACITY; 62.7 AFTER FOLDING THE STANDARD 40/20/40 SPLIT SEATBACKS.

REAR SEAT ROOM IS GOOD, AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF ADJUSTMENTS TO HELP YOU FIND A COMFORTABLE SEATING POSITION.

AND AS FAR AS COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE GOES, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOUR BODY CONTACTS CAN BE HEATED, SEATS COOL AS WELL, THERE'S WIRELESS CHARGING FOR YOUR PHONE, A BIG PANORAMIC MOONROOF; AND YOU CAN GESTURE CONTROL YOUR WAY THROUGH THE IDRIVE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS ALSO A TOUCHSCREEN NOW, AS WELL AS HAVING THE TRADITIONAL CONTROLLER.

LOTS OF OPTIONS FOR INTERACTING WITH THE VEHICLE, SO YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR PREFERRED METHOD.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 14-CITY, 19-HIGHWAY, AND 16-COMBINED; SO OUR HIGHWAY-HEAVY LOOP'S AVERAGE OF 18.5 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM FUEL WAS ABOUT RIGHT ON.

BUT THAT MAKES FOR A MUCH WORSE THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE, WITH 20.3 BARRELS OF OIL BURNED, AND 9.0 TONS OF CO2 EMITTED ANNUALLY.

SO, IF YOUR IDEA OF UTILITY IS HAULING AROUND A RACE TRACK MORE THAN CARPOOL DUTY, A BASE PRICE OF $77,895 WILL NOT TURN YOU AWAY; THAT IS SEVEN GRAND OVER THE STANDARD X3M.

BUT BY THE WAY, A WELL DONE BASE X3 CAN BE HAD FOR AS LITTLE AS $42,945.

SO NOW, YOU CAN BUY A 500 HORSEPOWER SMALL SUV, WHICH SOUNDS WEIRD TO SAY, BUT SHOULDN'T REALLY COME AS A SURPRISE, AS HIGH PERFORMANCE UTILITIES ARE TAKING UP MORE AND MORE SPACE ON DEALERSHIP LOTS.

AND, THE 2020 BMW X3 M COMPETITION IS THE KIND OF THING, WE'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM BMW; AFTER ALL, THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE MACHINE NOW COMES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.

* WE DO DRIVE SOME PRETTY LOFTY CARS AROUND HERE.

AND WHILE WE GENERALLY HAVE A RULE ABOUT KEEPING OUR FEET AND THE TIRES ON THE GROUND, THERE'S ALWAYS AN EXCEPTION.

MOTORWEEK'S GARICK ZIKAN TAKES US ON A JOURNEY THAT LITERALLY TOOK FLIGHT... * Garick Zikan: FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES DRIVING ENTHUSIASTS HAVE BEEN THRILLED BY THE THROTTLE OF THE PORSCHE 911.

THEIR ENDURING FORMULA FOR SPEED AND HANDLING HAS NATURALLY EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS...

WHILE MAINTAINING THE DRIVING DYNAMICS THAT TRULY ARE UNIQUELY PORSCHE.

ALL THAT ADRENALINE INDUCING ENGINEERING BEGAN 55 YEARS AGO IN THAT BUILDING RIGHT THERE.

SO, WE CAME HERE TO STUTTGART TO DRIVE THIS ICONIC CAR ON TWO CONTINENTS.

LET'S GO... AND WITH THAT WE WERE OFF AND RUNNING... DETOURING THROUGH THE GERMAN COUNTRY SIDE.

THE RAZOR-SHARP STEERING SLICES THROUGH THE CURVES...

WHILE, THE ACTIVE SUSPENSION EFFORTLESSLY SMOOTHS OUT THE UNPREDICTABLE SURFACES THAT MAKE DRIVING ON THESE BACKROADS SO ENGAGING.

BY NOW, WE'VE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME IN THIS ALL-NEW PORSCHE 911... WE WERE AT THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS LAUNCH, AND WE RECENTLY PUT IT THROUGH ITS PACES IN A FULL ROAD TEST.

SO, WE KNOW IT'S POWERFUL, POISED, AND PRECISE... AND SO DO YOU.

SO, AT THIS POINT, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DO IS SETTLE INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND GO FOR A DRIVE, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IN GERMANY.

THEN, IT WAS ON TO THE FAST LANES OF THE AUTOBAHN.

WITH AN 8-SPEED PDK HARMONIZING THE HOOFBEATS OF THE 443 HORSES CHARGING OUT OF THE TWIN-TURBO 3.0 LITER FLAT-SIX, THE SPEEDOMETER SPRINTED TO TRIPLE DIGITS ON UNLIMITED SPEED SECTIONS, WHERE TRAFFIC ALLOWED.

AND THEN, WE ARRIVED IN LEIPZIG.

SO, HERE'S WHERE THE TRANSATLANTIC PORTION OF OUR TRIP BEGINS.

THEY'RE LOADING THOSE CARS, ONTO THAT CARGO PLANE HERE IN LEIPZIG, GERMANY.

AND HERE'S THE REALLY COOL PART, WE GET TO FLY WITH THE CARS ON THAT PLANE.

WE'LL HEAD OUT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND LAND IN CINCINNATI, OHIO.

THERE'S A PROCESS OF SAFETY CHECKS, PLACING THE CARS ONTO PALLETS AND TYING THEM DOWN.

LOADING THIS RE-PURPOSED 747 IS A CAREFULLY CALCULATED EXERCISE.

WITH THE CARS SECURELY IN PLACE.

WE SETTLED IN FOR MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS IN THE AIR.

IN CINCINNATI, THE CARS WERE UNLOADED, AND THE TREADS HIT THE ROAD ONCE AGAIN ON AMERICAN SOIL.

ENTICED BY THE SCENIC ROUTE, THE GERMAN ENGINEERING FELT JUST AS AT HOME ZIPPING PAST KUDZU COVERED HILLS IN KENTUCKY, AND SWEEPING THROUGH THE BENDS WEAVING THROUGH APPALACHIA.

CROSSING INTO TENNESSEE, WE SET OUR SIGHTS ON THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON.

THIS 11-MILE STRETCH OF ASPHALT WITH 318 TWISTS AND TURNS, DIPS, AND CLIMBS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS INTO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

WE'VE DRIVEN MANY DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF THE 911... AND WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW FLAT AND IN CONTROL IT IS GOING THROUGH THE CURVES.

USUALLY, WE'RE ON A TRACK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT.

BUT ALL THAT ENGINEERING THAT MAKES THE 911 PERFORM SO WELL ON THE TRACK, IS ALSO AT WORK HERE AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE CURVES ALONG THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON.

SO NATURALLY, OUT HERE ON THE ROAD IT'S VERY BALANCED, AND AGILE, AND I THINK EVEN MORE ENGAGING.

MORE BACKROADS BECKONED AS WE CROSSED INTO GEORGIA REACHING OUR FINAL DESTINATION, PORSCHE'S NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS IN ATLANTA.

FROM START TO FINISH, OUR JOURNEY WAS MORE THAN 5,000 MILES, MOST OF THEM IN THE AIR, BUT THE BEST ONES WERE ON THE GROUND.

AS THIS GENERATION OF THE PORSCHE 911 ADDS A NEW DIMENSION OF SPORTY EUROPEAN FLARE, TO THE VERY AMERICAN TRADITION OF GOING ON A ROAD TRIP.

John: NOW, LET'S HEAD TO THE MOTORNEWS DESK AND SEE WHAT LAUREN MORRISON HAS FOR US THIS WEEK.

Lauren Morrison: WE'VE SEEN THE PRICE AT THE PUMP SLOWLY START TO CREEP BACK UP, BUT WITH MANY OF US STARTING TO PLAN SUMMER TRAVEL, WE'RE STILL SEEING THE LOWEST NUMBERS IN YEARS.

TRIPLE "A" PUTS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AT ABOUT A $1.87 PER GALLON.

THE LAST TIME, WE SAW PRICES BELOW $2.00 A GALLON LEADING INTO SUMMER WAS BACK IN 2003.

MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, AND OKLAHOMA HAVE SOME OF THE CHEAPEST GAS IN THE NATION...WHILE HAWAII, CALIFORNIA, AND WASHINGTON STATE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE.

TRIPLE A SAYS, AS MORE PEOPLE GET BACK ON THE ROADS, WE'LL START TO SEE DEMAND INCREASE AND PRICES WILL LIKELY HIT $2.00 A GALLON IN THE COMING WEEKS.

A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN TWO AUTO MAKERS COULD LEAD TO A GREENER FUTURE.

VOLVO AND DAIMLER TRUCK HAVE TEAMED UP TO DEVELOP, PRODUCE, AND COMMERCIALIZE HYDROGEN FUEL CELL SYSTEMS FOR HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES, LIKE LONG-HAUL TRUCKS AND BUSES.

THE COMPANIES WILL REMAIN COMPETITORS IN ALL OTHER AREAS OF BUSINESS, BUT SAY BY JOINING FORCES, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO CUT DOWN ON DEVELOPMENT COSTS AND WILL BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY QUICKER.

AND AUTOMAKERS ACROSS THE BOARD MAY HAVE VISIONS OF SELF-DRIVING AND BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE CONSUMERS AREN'T SO SURE.

THE J-D POWER MOBILITY CONFIDENCE INDEX STUDY WAS JUST RELEASED.

IT SURVEYED MORE THAN 8500 PEOPLE IN THE U.S. AND CANADA, AND FOUND THAT 67% OF AMERICANS SURVEYED DON'T BELIEVE THAT TECHNOLOGY, OR SOCIETY, IS READY FOR SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES.

WHEN IT COMES TO BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, 70% OF THE AMERICANS WHO RESPONDED SAID, "THEY HAVE *NEVER# BEEN IN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE," AND 30% SAY, "THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM."

CHARGING STATION AVAILABILITY, RANGE, AND PRICE, ARE THE TOP THREE CONCERNS FOR BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, AND THOSE WERE THE SAME TOP THREE CONCERNS WHEN J-D POWER STUDIED CONSUMER INTEREST IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES BACK IN 1997.

STILL, A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE ON CONSUMER'S PERCEPTIONS, AND THAT DOES IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: WITH MANY AMERICANS HEADING BACK TO WORK THEY'RE REALIZING THAT NEGLECTING THEIR CARS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS WAS NOT A GOOD DECISION.

SO, HERE'S OUR PAT GOSS WITH TIPS ON HOW TO CURE YOUR CAR'S PANDEMIC BLUES.

* Pat Goss: DURING THE PANDEMIC, MANY OF US HAVE CARS THAT ARE SITTING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

AND THAT CAN LEAD TO A LOT OF PROBLEMS; THINGS LIKE DEAD BATTERIES AND LOW TIRE PRESSURE, AND ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

NOW, HOW CAN YOU PREVENT A LOT OF THESE?

WELL, NUMBER ONE IS GOING TO BE THE BATTERY.

SEE, MODERN CARS ARE LOADED WITH ELECTRONICS.

AND THOSE ELECTRONICS SOMETIMES DRAW ELECTRICAL ENERGY AWAY FROM THE BATTERY, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR ISN'T RUNNING.

SO, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO IS TO CHARGE THE BATTERY USING A BATTERY MAINTAINER, NOT A TRICKLE CHARGER.

TRICKLE CHARGERS WILL OVER CHARGE THE BATTERY AND CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE DAMAGE.

THE MAINTAINER WILL BRING THE BATTERY UP TO PROPER LEVEL AND MAINTAIN IT.

NOW, ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO AS FAR AS MAINTAINING ALL OF THIS, MANY OF YOU WILL HAVE ONE OF THESE BOOSTER PACKS.

NOW, THE BOOSTER PACK CAN BE USED INSTEAD OF BOOSTER CABLES, IF YOU HAVE TO JUMP START THE CAR.

NOW, ANOTHER THING THAT IT'S GOOD FOR IF YOURS HAPPENS TO HAVE ONE OF THESE CONNECTORS THAT INTERFACES THE COMPUTER ON THE CAR, YOU CAN USE IT TO MAINTAIN ALL OF THE COMPUTER MEMORY.

YOU JUST PLUG IT IN AND THIS WILL SUPPLY POWER TO THOSE THINGS.

ALRIGHT...NOW, TIRES AS THEY SIT, THEY ARE GOING TO LOSE AIR.

SO, BEFORE YOU DRIVE THE CAR, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHECK AND ADJUST THE AIR PRESSURE, SO GET YOUR TIRE GAUGE OUT THERE AND TAKE CARE OF THAT.

NOW, HERE'S THE BIG THING THOUGH.

YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THESE THINGS HERE BUT THE BEST THING IS TO DRIVE THE CAR.

DRIVE IT FOR 20-30 MINUTES, GET IT TO HIGHWAY SPEED, PUT SOME MILES ON IT, GET IT WARMED UP.

YOU'LL WARM UP ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE CAR BY DRIVING IT.

THESE THINGS DON'T DO ANY OF THAT.

AND DISUSE IS BAD FOR CARS, SO IF YOU GET IT OUT ONCE A WEEK, DRIVE IT FOR 20 OR 30 MINUTES, YOU WILL KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGE, YOU'LL KEEP THE MEMORIES ALIVE, YOU'LL WARM UP ALL OF THE FLUIDS AND EVERYTHING, AND THE CAR WILL THANK YOU FOR IT IN THE END.

NOW, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY DOG FOOD OR BIRD SEED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR CAR.

ANY FOOD SOURCE BECAUSE RODENTS LOVE THAT STUFF.

THEY WILL GO TO THE NEAREST COMFORTABLE SPOT.

THEY PICK UP THE FOOD, THEY TAKE IT INTO YOUR CAR, AND THEY NEST.

AND YOU WIND UP WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN YOUR CABIN AIR FILTER OR OTHER PARTS OF THE CAR.

AND REMEMBER ALSO, IF IT'S HUMID OR IT RAINS DURING THE SITTING PERIOD, THE ROTORS, THE BRAKE ROTORS ON YOUR CAR MAY RUST.

AND WHEN YOU START THE CAR AND THE FIRST TIME YOU MOVE IT, YOU MIGHT GET A GRINDING OR SQUEALING SENSATION, DON'T BE ALARMED AT IT.

USE THE BRAKES THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, IT'LL GO AWAY, THAT'S THE END OF THE ISSUE AND THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO DRIVE THE CAR CAUSE IT KEEPS THE BRAKE ROTORS CLEAN.

NOW, IF YOU DO THESE THINGS, WHEN THE TIME COMES TO USE YOUR CAR ON A REGULAR BASIS, YOU'LL BE READY TO GO.

DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: LET'S GO FOR ANOTHER DRIVE!

SO, LET'S GRAB A KEY FOB THAT FITS THE LATEST ON THE ROADS.

DESPITE THE CURRENT WILD POPULARITY OF SUBCOMPACT SUVs; TO THIS POINT, KIA HAS NOT HAD AN ALL-WHEEL DRIVE ENTRY BELOW THE COMPACT SPORTAGE, AS BOTH THE SOUL AND NIRO ARE FRONT DRIVE ONLY.

WELL, THAT ALL CHANGES WITH THE 2021 KIA SELTOS.

WE'RE JUST BACK FROM A QUICK SPIN NEAR SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS; AND THE RUGGED LOOKS OF THIS MINI-UTE GOT OUR ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY.

Kyle Scanlon: I REALLY LIKE THE STYLE OF THIS CAR; IT LOOKS LIKE IT WANTS TO TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE FUN.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT WANTS TO HAVE FUN.

AND ITS KIND OF REALLY INSPIRING WHEN YOU'RE WALKING UP TO IT TO GET IN AND TAKE IT FOR A DRIVE, THINKING THAT I NEED TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THIS CAR WANTS TO TAKE ME.

John: POWERING THOSE ADVENTURES WILL BE EITHER A NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 146 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER I4 WITH CVT, OR A 175 HORSEPOWER 1.6 LITER TURBO-4 WITH A 7-SPEED DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION.

THE BASE S 2.0 LITER IS YOUR ONLY OPTION FOR FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE, AS ALL OTHER TRIMS COME WITH AWD STANDARD.

SHARING ITS PLATFORM WITH THE EXCELLENT HYUNDAI KONA, THERE IS IMPRESSIVELY GOOD COMFORT INSIDE THE SELTOS, AND LOTS OF TECH FOR YOUR LONG JOURNEYS TOO.

PRICING STARTS AT AROUND $22,000, AND THEY'RE IN DEALERSHIPS NOW.

Greg Carlos: WITH MOST NEW CAR REVEALS PUT ON HOLD DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, WE LEAPED AT THE CHANCE TO LOOK CLOSER AND ONE OF THE FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE GLOBAL REVEAL OF THE 2021 GENESIS G80.

WHILE, WE HAVE NOT ACTUALLY DRIVEN IT, THIS FOOTAGE FROM GENESIS CONFIRMS MUCH OF WHAT WE EXPECTED ON THE CAR.

IT IS THE THIRD GENERATION OF THE BRAND'S MID-SIZE SEDAN AND IT LOOKS SHARP.

ALONG WITH THE BOLD CREST GRILLE ALREADY SEEN ON THE REVAMPED G90 AND UPCOMING GV80 SUV, THE G80 ADOPTS THE USE OF ANOTHER NEW SIGNATURE STYLING TRAIT, DOUBLE LINE QUAD-LIGHTING.

BUT, ON THE G80, THAT THEME IS EXTENDED AROUND THE CAR IN A MORE DEFINED SPLIT LAMP PATTERN.

ON THE SIDE, A PARABOLIC LINE WHICH BEGINS AT THE FRONT QUAD LAMP, GRADUALLY RUNS LOWER TO THE REAR THROUGH THE TOP OF THE DOOR.

GENESIS SAYS, "IT WAS INSPIRED BY THE ELEGANT LOOK OF SEVERAL VENERABLE CLASSIC CARS."

THE SOMEWHAT MINIMALIST INTERIOR DESIGN OF THE G80 RESPONDS TO THE CHANGING TIMES WHERE DOMINANCE OF TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED A LUXURY EXPERIENCE.

THE STEERING WHEEL AND SLEEK, THIN AIR VENTS RUN ACROSS THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT SPLITTING IT INTO THE PANORAMIC AREA ABOVE AND THE CONTROL AREA BELOW.

THE NUMBER OF HARD BUTTONS AND SWITCHES WAS INTENTIONALLY KEPT TO A MINIMUM, BOTH FOR AESTHETIC PURPOSES AND EASE OF USE.

IN THE FRONT COCKPIT, A HEAD-UP DISPLAY, A 12.3 INCH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND A 14.5 INCH INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM DISPLAY NECESSARY INFORMATION WHILE DRIVING.

IT ALSO, WILL COME LOADED WITH THE LATEST IN PASSIVE AND ACTIVE SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDING A SEMI-AUTONOMOUS HIGHWAY DRIVING ASSIST II SYSTEM.

WE CAN EXPECT THE G80s REAR-WHEEL DRIVE CHASSIS WILL INCLUDE BOTH 2.5 LITER AND 3.5 LITER TURBO CHARGED ENGINES WHEN IT ARRIVES HERE LATER THIS YEAR.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THE 2021 GENESIS G80 ON FUTURE EPISODES OF MOTORWEEK .

John: WE ALL KNOW THAT THE LIGHT DUTY RAM 1500 FULL SIZE PICKUP TRUCK HAS COME A LONG WAY IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

GOING FROM BEING THE ALSO RAND OF THE BIG THREE TO PLACING BEHIND THE BEST SELLING FORD F150.

SO, LET'S TAKE A LOOK ABOUT HOW RAM GOT THERE AND WHY PICKING THE BEST EVERYDAY RAM PICKUP FOR YOU, MAY BE HARDER THAN YOU THINK.

IF YOU'RE IN THE MARKET FOR A BRAND-NEW "HALF TON" RAM PICKUP TRUCK, YOU MAY HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN YOU THINK.

SURE, THERE'S THE RALPH GILLES DESIGNED 5TH GENERATION 2020 RAM 1500 THAT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE, HAVING WON OUR MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE BEST PICKUP TRUCK AWARD TWO YEARS RUNNING.

BUT, WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW, IS THAT THERE IS ALSO A SOMEWHAT LESS EXPENSIVE 2020 RAM 1500 CLASSIC.

AND THEY'RE NOT LEFTOVERS, EITHER; TECHNICALLY 4TH GENERATION CONTINUATION MODELS, BUILT CONCURRENTLY WITH THE NEW ONES.

KNOWN AS THE DODGE RAM WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 2008 AS A 2009 MODEL, THIS RAM NOT ONLY BROUGHT COIL SPRING REAR SUSPENSION, RAMBOX IN-BED STORAGE BINS, AND HUGE MEGA CAB PRACTICALITY TO THE FULL-SIZE TRUCK SEGMENT; IT SET UP THE RAM BRAND TO OVERTAKE CHEVROLET AS THE RUNNER UP IN FULL-SIZE PICKUP SALES.

WHEN THE 5TH GENERATION RAM 1500 ARRIVED FOR 2019; IT RAISED THE STAKES FURTHER, WITH A LUXURY CAR-LIKE INTERIOR, INCLUDING DASH-DOMINATING TABLET INTERFACE, TWO-PIECE MULTIFUNCTION TAILGATE, AND FREQUENCY RESPONSE DAMPING TO MAKE THE RIDE EVEN PLUSHER.

SO, WHAT ARE THE KEY DIFFERENCES THAT MIGHT HELP YOU DECIDE WHICH ONE IS THE BETTER SELECTION?

WELL, ON THE SURFACE, ENGINE OPTIONS MAY SEEM THE SAME, 305 HORSEPOWER 3.6 LITER V6 OR 395 HORSEPOWER 5.7 LITER HEMI V8 WITH BOTH, BUT 5TH GEN 1500s COME WITH A 48 VOLT ETORQUE LIGHT-HYBRID SYSTEM THAT ADDS 90 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE TO THE V6 AND 130 POUND-FEET TO THE V8.

THAT ADDITIONAL TORQUE, NOT TO MENTION THE NEW FRAME THAT ARRIVED WITH THE 2019 REDO, MEANS MAX TOWING IS ABOUT 2,000 POUNDS MORE THAN THE CLASSIC.

AND, THE 5TH GEN ALSO HAS AN AVAILABLE 3.0 LITER ECODIESEL V6 WITH 480 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AND GETS 32 MILES PER GALLON ON THE HIGHWAY.

THAT BRINGS UP ANOTHER ADVANTAGE FOR THE NEW ONE, FUEL ECONOMY.

WITH THE ETORQUE SYSTEM, AND ABOUT 200 POUNDS LESS WEIGHT, THE 5TH GEN'S V6 HAS A COMBINED RATING OF 22, COMPARED TO THE CLASSIC'S 20.

SAME TWO MPG DIFFERENCE WITH THE V8 AS WELL, 19 AND 17.

INTERIOR FEATURES ARE OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER BIG SEPARATOR, WITH THE 5TH GEN MORE AKIN TO A LUXURY SEDAN THAN YOUR GRANDAD'S PICKUP.

THE CLASSIC, STILL BETTER THAN SOME IN THE TRUCK FIELD, BUT CLEARLY MISSING A FEW THINGS LIKE THE GIANT TOUCH SCREEN, AND MANY OTHER THINGS APPEAR VERY DATED.

YOU WOULD THINK, THE BIGGEST DECIDING FACTOR WOULD BE PRICING, BUT BASE PRICING IS ONLY $300 APART FOR A QUAD CAB TRADESMAN; WITH THE 2020 RAM 1500 STARTING AT $33,840, AND THE 2020 RAM 1500 CLASSIC STARTING AT $33,540.

THOUGH, YOU CAN STILL GET A REGULAR CAB WITH THE CLASSIC, BRINGING BASE PRICING DOWN TO $29,640, AND THERE ARE EVEN SOME UNIQUE TRIM OPTIONS FOR THE CLASSIC LIKE THE WARLOCK, JUST TO KEEP IT SPICY.

NOT TO MENTION, DEALERS MAY BE WILLING TO BARGAIN A BIT MORE WITH THE CLASSIC.

MORE REALISTICALLY, THE DECISION LARGELY COMES DOWN TO WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE.

IF ONLY THE LATEST AND GREATEST WILL DO, IT'S 5TH GEN ALL THE WAY FOR YOU.

IF YOU'RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A BARGAIN, AND THE TRIED, AND TRUE IS ALWAYS BETTER; THE 1500 CLASSIC FITS THE BILL, AND EVEN KEEPS A FEW MORE OF THEM IN YOUR WALLET.

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... FOR SPEED WITH PRECISION IN THE OPEN AIR, THE PORSCHE 718 SPYDER.

AND LINCOLN REACHES FOR THE SKY WITH AN ALL NEW AVIATOR.

PAT GOSS HAS A SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN.

WHILE, ZACK MASKELL GOES FOR AN OPEN WHEEL OVER THE EDGE DRIVE.

AND WE'LL HEAD OUT FOR A NEW ROUND OF QUICK SPINS.

PLUS, SOME UPDATES ON THE LONG TERM TEST FLEET.

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.

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

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *