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

JOIN US FOR A BIG BRUTE OF A 3-ROW UTILITY, THE KIA TELLURIDE... PAT GOSS HAS THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO KEEP YOU COOL AND COMFORTABLE... JOE LIGO FINDS A MUSCLE CAR WITH A SHORT RUN THAT'S LONG ON MEMORIES... AND THEN, ITS MORE EV MILES AND POWER FOR THE 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.

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 .

John: LOOK AROUND YOU, IT'S THE 1990s ALL OVER AGAIN; GAS PRICES ARE REASONABLE, BIG AMERICAN-BUILT SUVs ARE EVERYWHERE, AND POLITICOS ARE TRYING TO IMPEACH A PRESIDENT.

SO, WHAT BETTER TIME FOR KIA TO INTRODUCE THEIR BIGGEST SUV YET, THE TELLURIDE.

* IF YOU RECALL THE KIA BORREGO, KIA'S LAST BIG UTE, IT ARRIVED AT EXACTLY THE WRONG TIME, 2008.

GAS PRICES WERE PUSHING $4.00 A GALLON, AND PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY TRADING IN THEIR BEHEMOTHS FOR SMALLER, MORE FUEL EFFICIENT RIDES; HYBRIDS EVEN!

WELL...OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE SHORT MEMORIES HERE IN AMERICA, AND WE'RE BACK TO BUYING BIG SUVs.

SO, UNFORESEEN EVENTS ASIDE, THIS 2019 KIA TELLURIDE NOW LOOKS TO BE ARRIVING AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME.

BUILT IN THE TRADITIONAL BIG, BOXY SUV FASHION, MEANS THERE'S NO SLOPING, HATCHBACK-LIKE ROOFLINE TO ROB INTERIOR SPACE, AND PLENTY OF GREENHOUSE TO LOOK OUT OF, NO MATTER WHICH OF ITS 3-ROWS YOU'RE OCCUPYING.

IT'S NOT QUITE TAHOE SIZE, WITH 196.9 INCHES OF OVERALL LENGTH, RIDING ON A 114.2 INCH WHEELBASE, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLOSE.

LOOKING HIGH, WIDE, AND SUBSTANTIAL FROM THE REAR, IT'S HIGHLIGHTED BY INVERTED "L" LED TAIL LIGHTS AND SILVER SKIDPLATE-LIKE BUMPER TRIM.

THERE'S A VERY GOOD LEVEL OF LUXURY INSIDE, AS ALL MATERIALS AND FINISHES, INCLUDING AVAILABLE LEATHER AND SIMULATED WOOD, ARE STELLAR.

AND THERE'S EVEN GRAB HANDLES INTEGRATED INTO THE CENTER CONSOLE, JUST LIKE THE MERCEDES-BENZ GLE.

PLUSH SEATS AND PLENTY OF SPACE FOR PEOPLE AND PROVISIONS, EVEN BEHIND THE 3RD ROW, WITH 21.0 CUBIC-FEET IN 2ND-ROW GUISE, THERE'S 46.0 CUBIC-FEET, AND WITH ALL SEATS FOLDED, 87.0.

STANDARD FOR THE MIDDLE ROW, IS A 3-PASSENGER BENCH, BUT OF COURSE CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS ARE AVAILABLE.

BOTH ALLOW FOR GOOD ACCESS TO THE 3RD ROW, WHERE TRUE ADULT SIZE SPACE AWAITS.

FOR BETTER OR WORSE, CONNECTIVITY IS AT THE TOP OF EVERYONE'S WISH LIST THESE DAYS, AND HIGHLIGHTS HERE, ARE A STANDARD 8.0 INCH AND AVAILABLE 10 INCH TOUCHSCREEN WITH FULL SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION AND UVO TELEMATICS.

SAFETY FEATURES ARE UP THERE TOO, AS THE TELLURIDE IS FULLY COMPETITIVE, WITH KIA DRIVE WISE ADVANCED DRIVER-ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE, AND FORWARD COLLISION-AVOIDANCE ASSIST WITH PEDESTRIAN DETECTION STANDARD.

UNDER-HOOD SPACE IS OCCUPIED BY A SLIGHTLY DETUNED VERSION OF GENESIS' 3.8 LITER V6.

OUTPUT HERE IS 291 HORSEPOWER AND 262 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

WITH UNI-BODY CONSTRUCTION AND A FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE ARCHITECTURE, THE TELLURIDE ROLLS DOWN THE SAME GEORGIAN ASSEMBLY LINE AS THE KIA SORENTO ON WHICH IT IS LOOSELY BASED.

MAX TOW RATING IS AN IDENTICAL 5,000 POUNDS, AND ALL WILL COME WITH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

COMPARED TO V8 RIVALS, IT'S A LITTLE SLUGGISH OFF THE LINE, AND IT NEEDS SOME REVS BEFORE IT REALLY STARTS TO FEEL POWERFUL.

NEVERTHELESS, IT BEHAVES SOLID AND PURPOSEFUL FOR A RESPECTABLE 7.3 SECONDS THAT IT TAKES TO HIT 60.

SHIFTS FROM THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC ARE VERY SMOOTH, AND THE FULL QUARTER MILE IS RELATIVELY DRAMA AND STRESS-FREE.

OUR BEST TIME, 15.5 SECONDS AT 93 MILES PER HOUR.

STEERING IS EXACT WITH GOOD FEEL, AND THE TELLURIDE FELT CAPABLE AND CONFIDENT THROUGH OUR CONE COURSE, IF NOT OVERLY SPORTY.

IT'S BIG AND HEAVY, BUT THERE'S SURPRISINGLY LITTLE BODY ROLL; AND IT STILL HAS THE BENEFIT OF CROSSOVER BONES WITH A 4-WHEEL INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION AIDED BY TORQUE VECTORING, VERSUS THE CLUNKY FEEL OF MANY FULL-FRAMED COMPETITORS.

WHILE, NOT INTENDED AS A SERIOUS OFF-ROADER, THE TELLURIDE DOES HAVE SOME LEGIT CREDENTIALS FOR BACKROADS EXPLORING.

NO SPECIFIC OFF-PAVEMENT MODE FOR THE OPTIONAL ON-DEMAND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM, BUT YOU CAN LOCK IT INTO DISTRIBUTING THE POWER EVENLY BETWEEN ALL FOUR WHEELS FOR MUD AND INCLINES, WHILE DOWN HILL BRAKE CONTROL HELPS MODULATE STEEP DESCENTS.

PLUS, THERE'S UP TO 8.0 INCHES OF GROUND CLEARANCE WITH A SELF-LEVELLING SUSPENSION.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 19-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED FOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE; 20-CITY, 26-HIGHWAY, AND 23-COMBINED FOR FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE.

WE AVERAGED 25.2 MILES PER GALLON IN OUR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE TESTER.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS ONLY ABOUT AVERAGE, AT 14.3 BARRELS OF ANNUAL PETROLEUM CONSUMPTION, WITH 6.5 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

SO, WITH THE 2020 KIA TELLURIDE, KIA HAS NOT ONLY CREATED THEIR BIGGEST AND MOST APPEALING UTILITY YET, BUT THEY'VE AIMED IT SQUARELY AT THE HEART OF THE AMERICAN 3-ROW SUV MARKET.

IT MAY NOT BE A TRUE GAME CHANGER, BUT THE KIA TELLURIDE IS SURELY A NEW FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH IN MAKING A SMART CHOICE FOR A BIG FAMILY SUV.

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

WELL, OUR JOE LIGO HAS 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 BRICKLINS 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 BRICKLINS 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.

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

* Greg Carloss: IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE 11 MONTHS HAVE GONE BY IN OUR 2018 MAZDA6.

THE NEARLY 19,500 MILES THAT HAVE PASSED UNDER THE WHEELS IS PROOF THIS SPORTY SEDAN IS A HIT AROUND HERE.

THE TURBOCHARGED SKYACTIV-G I4 IS ALWAYS READY TO PRODUCE THE 227 HORSEPOWER THAT'S EFFORTLESSLY CONTROLLED BY THE 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

THE COMBINATION MAKES EVERY TIME BEHIND THE WHEEL SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, NO MATTER WHERE WE'RE GOING.

THE COMFORTABLE SEATS AND SPORTY SUSPENSION OFFER UP THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE YOU'D EXPECT FROM SOMETHING WITH TWO DOORS INSTEAD OF FOUR.

WE'VE PRAISED THE MAZDA 6s POWERTRAIN SEVERAL TIMES NOW BECAUSE IT REALLY IS JUST SO GOOD, BUT WE EXPECT THAT FROM MAZDA AT THIS POINT.

NOW THIS UPSCALE, NEAR-LUXURY INTERIOR ON THE OTHER HAND IS SOMETHING THEY'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON MORE RECENTLY.

IT'S COMFORTABLE, EASY TO NAVIGATE AND I THINK IT ADDS A LOT MORE TO THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE THAN WE GIVE IT CREDIT FOR.

WE'RE NOW AVERAGING 27.9 MILES PER GALLON ON REGULAR...

WHICH IS STILL BETTER THAN THE GOVERNMENT'S COMBINED RATING.

NOW THAT THE WEATHER IS IMPROVING, WE FORESEE A LOT OF WEEKEND ROAD TRIPS IN THE MAZDA6.

IT'S TIME TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO THE 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK.

WE SPENT A YEAR IN THIS RUGGED-UTE AFTER TESTING THE PREVIOUS GENERATION FOR THE PRIOR 12 MONTHS, SO WE'VE REALLY GOTTEN A FEEL FOR HOW VERSATILE THIS RAISED HATCHBACK CAN BE...

WHETHER, TOOLING AROUND TOWN DOING CHORES, OR TAKING LONG ROAD TRIPS.

THE NEW GLOBAL PLATFORM STEPPED UP THE REFINEMENT, WHILE SUBARU'S SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE NEVER LET US DOWN.

THE 152 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER 4-CYLINDER AND CVT POWERTRAIN WERE WELL MATCHED ALL ALONG THE WAY.

19,748 MILES WAS OUR FINAL TALLY, WITH AN AVERAGE 29.6 MILES PER GALLON... JUST A HAIR BETTER THAN THE EPA'S COMBINED CALCULATIONS.

SO, THE SUBARU CROSSTREK PROVED TO BE UP TO THE TASK OF WHATEVER WE ASKED, NO MATTER HOW THE FORECAST TURNED OUT.

IT'S THE KIA NIRO PHEV AND HONDA INSIGHT 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: PICK-UP TRUCKS OFFER A BIG RIDE...

BUT SOME PROTECT THEIR PASSENGERS BETTER THAN OTHERS.

THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY TESTED 11 SMALL AND LARGE PICK-UPS IN THE PASSENGER-SIDE SMALL OVERLAP FRONT TEST AT 40 MPH.

THIS SIMULATES WHEN THE FRONT CORNER OF THE TRUCK HITS ANOTHER VEHICLE OR A STATIONARY OBJECT LIKE A TREE OR UTILITY POLE.

THREE LARGE CREW-CAB PICKUPS...

THE 2019 FORD F-150, RAM 1500, AND NISSAN TITAN, EARNED "GOOD" OVERALL RATINGS.

BUT THE INSTITUTE'S TOP SAFETY PICK AWARD GOES TO THE HONDA RIDGELINE.

WHILE, IT ONLY EARNED "ACCEPTABLE" PASSENGER-SIDE CRASH TEST RATINGS...

IT STOOD OUT FOR "GOOD" HEADLIGHT RATINGS AND "SUPERIOR" RATED FRONT CRASH PREVENTION.

RESEARCHERS POINT OUT MOST PICK-UPS EARN A GOOD RATING IN THE DRIVER-SIDE TEST.

THE IIHS IS ALSO, KEEPING AN EYE ON THE PEOPLE "OUTSIDE" OF VEHICLES.

ELEVEN SMALL UTILITIES WERE RANKED ON THEIR ABILITY TO AUTOMATICALLY AVOID OR REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF A CRASH WITH PEDESTRIAN DUMMIES.

THE HONDA CR-V, SUBARU FORESTER, TOYOTA RAV4, AND VOLVO XC40 EARN A SUPERIOR RATING.

IN 2017, ALMOST 6000 PEDESTRIANS DIED IN CRASHES IN THE U.S.

THE POPULARITY OF UTILITIES IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON SEDANS... AND IT'S TAKEN A FINAL TOLL ON ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN NAMEPLATES IN THE INDUSTRY.

THE LAST FORD TAURUS HAS ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE IN CHICAGO.

WHEN IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1985 IT REPRESENTED A SHIFT FROM BOXY SEDAN STYLING.

FORD DISCONTINUED THE CAR IN 2006, BUT THE TAURUS NAME RETURNED IN 2008 ON A TRANSFORMED FORD 500.

FORD MADE MORE THAN 8-MILLION CARS WITH THE TAURUS NAME.

THE NEW FORD EXPLORER AND LINCOLN AVIATOR WILL BE ASSEMBLED AT THAT PLANT.

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

* John: NO MATTER WHICH RACING SERIES YOU FOLLOW TODAY, IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE FACT THAT ALL OF THE CARS RACING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, ARE MORE ALIKE THAN THEY ARE DIFFERENT.

BUT THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THAT WASN'T THE CASE.

GEORGE LEVY CELEBRATES THOSE TIMES IN CAN-AM 50TH ANNIVERSARY: FLAT OUT WITH NORTH AMERICA'S GREATEST RACE SERIES 1966-1974.

CAN-AM WAS ONE RACING SERIES WHERE "RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG" WAS TRULY TAKEN TO HEART, AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MANY ADVANCES IN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED TODAY, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF AERODYNAMICS.

IT WAS A TIME WHEN BACKYARD ENGINEERS TRULY COULD KEEP UP WITH THE BIG BOYS AND THEIR LIMITLESS RESOURCES.

IT'S ONE FUN AND INFORMATIVE MUST READ.

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 THE HONDA PASSPORT TREKS INTO THE MID-SIZE UTE JUNGLE, AND A MODERN MAKE-OVER FOR THE TOO-CUTE KIA SOUL.

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] *