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

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: LIKE, STORM CHASERS IN THE MIDWEST, WE'LL GO TO JUST ABOUT ANY LENGTH TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH A HURACAN, A LAMBORGHINI HURACAN THAT IS.

AND LIKE ANY WEATHER SYSTEM, THEY'RE ALL UNIQUE AND CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE.

BUT THAT'S WHAT KEEPS US IN THE HUNT.

SO, LET'S FIND OUT HOW THE WINDS OF CHANGE HAVE EVOLVED THE HURACAN!

* WE ALL KNOW THAT LAMBORGHINI'S TEND TO EVOLVE MORE THAN THE TYPICAL SUPERCAR; OR AT LEAST IT SEEMS THAT WAY, AS JUST ABOUT EVERY YEAR THERE'S A NEW VERSION OF THE HURACAN.

2020 IS NO EXCEPTION, WITH A LAMBORGHINI HURACAN EVO.

THE HURACAN IS NO LONGER THE ENTRY-LEVEL LAMBO, THAT WOULD BE THE URUS SUV.

BUT RATHER THAN A NEW VERSION OF THE HURACAN, THIS EVO IS ESSENTIALLY A MID-CYCLE REFRESH THAT COLLECTS ALL OF THE UPGRADES THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO VARIOUS HURACAN'S SINCE IT DEBUTED FOR 2015.

FOR STARTERS, THE 5.2 LITER V10 COMES FROM THE PERFORMANTE, RATED AT 631 HORSEPOWER AND 443 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

SO, 0-60 ARRIVES IN THE SAME 2.9 SECONDS AS IN THE PERFORMANTE.

TRANSMISSION REMAINS A 7-SPEED DUAL CLUTCH, WITH UNIQUE PROGRAMMING FOR EACH DRIVE MODE.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE CAME STANDARD WITH THE ORIGINAL HURACAN, BUT NOW THERE'S ALL-WHEEL STEERING AS WELL; ALL INTEGRATED INTO LAMBORGHINI'S NEW COMPREHENSIVE LDVI VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL SYSTEM.

NOW, A COMPLETE INTEGRATION OF ALL PREVIOUS SYSTEMS, MANAGING POWER DELIVERY, REAL TIME DAMPING, AND STEERING SCHEMES; AS WELL AS A NEW BRAKE TORQUE VECTORING SYSTEM, WHICH ONLY ADDS TO THE TENACIOUS GRIP ALREADY AVAILABLE.

BASICALLY, EVERY INPUT YOU MAKE, AND EVERY PIECE OF FEEDBACK THE CPU IS RECEIVING FROM THE CAR, GETS ANALYZED AT A RATE OF 50 TIMES-PER-SECOND.

AND THEN, THE PROCESSOR SPITS OUT PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES FOR VARIOUS PIECES OF HARDWARE.

WHICH OF COURSE, INCLUDES THE FRONT AND REAR DOUBLE WISHBONE SUSPENSION WITH MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL.

NOT ONLY DOING IT MORE PROFICIENTLY THAN BEFORE, BUT SMOOTHER AS WELL.

IT ALL SOUNDS INCREDIBLY HIGH-TECH AND PERHAPS A BIT PRETENTIOUS, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IT WORKS, AND DOES SO MOSTLY UNPERCEPTIVELY, SO YOU'RE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT'S YOUR INCREDIBLE DRIVING SKILLS THAT ARE MAKING THIS MAGIC HAPPEN.

YOU DO HAVE CONTROL OF WHICH DRIVE MODE YOU WANT; STRADA, SPORT, AND CORSA FOR THE TRACK OF COURSE.

NOW, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST HURACAN, WE'VE FLOWN AROUND ROEBLING ROAD, BUT IT IS THE BEST ONE.

PLAIN AND SIMPLE, THERE'S JUST MORE PERFORMANCE HERE, WITHOUT LOSING THE EASY-TO-DRIVE NATURE THE HURACAN ARRIVED WITH.

AND ONE SUPERCAR YOU COULD LIVE WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.

IT'S STILL NO LIGHTWEIGHT, DESPITE THE HYBRID CARBON-FIBER AND ALUMINUM CHASSIS, SO THE STANDARD CARBON-CERAMIC BRAKES DEFINITELY WORK OVERTIME DECREASING SPEEDS PRIOR TO CORNERS, BUT THEY SEEMED TO HOLD UP JUST FINE.

AND JUST LISTENING TO THIS EVO, AS IT STREAKS AROUND THE TRACK IN ALL OF ITS NATURALLY-ASPIRATED GLORY, MAKES YOU HOPE THAT THE TRAVELLING TURBO SALESMAN NEVER FINDS HIS WAY TO SANT'AGATA BOLOGNESE.

YOU MIGHT EVEN FIND YOURSELF TRIGGERING SHIFTS WHEN YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO, JUST TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN.

NOW, IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT YOU'RE DRIVING LAMBORGHINI'S FINEST AND GREATEST.

SO, THOUGHTFUL EXTERIOR UPDATES HAVE BEEN APPLIED AS WELL.

BASICALLY, THAT MEANS NEW BOOKENDS, AS BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR GET SOME STYLING CHANGES.

THIS ENTAILS A REVISED SPLITTER AND LARGER AIR INTAKES UP FRONT; NEW TWIN OUTLETS FOR THE SPORT EXHAUST SYSTEM, AS WELL AS AERO TWEAKS, INCLUDING A NEW ACTIVE REAR WING.

ADDITIONAL SUBTLE ALTERATIONS, LIKE THE AREA AROUND THE SIDE SCOOPS, KEEPS THE TRADITIONAL FLYING WEDGE FORM INTACT; YET WORK TOGETHER TO INCREASE DOWNFORCE AND AERODYNAMIC EFFICIENCY FIVE TIMES OVER THE ORIGINAL HURACAN.

TWENTY INCH WHEELS ARE ALSO NEW; WEARING PIRELLI P ZERO RUBBER NATURALLY, 245/30s IN THE FRONT, 305/30s IN THE REAR.

MUCH ABOUT THE INTERIOR IS THE SAME, BUT IT WAS ALREADY A VERY SPECIAL, AND QUITE LUXURIOUS PLACE.

THERE IS A NEW 8.4 INCH TOUCHSCREEN ON THE RISING CENTER CONSOLE THAT IS SO WELL INTEGRATED, WE ALMOST MISSED THE FACT THAT IT WAS NEW.

AND SOME UPDATED TRIM AS WELL.

WHILE, WE'RE GENERALLY NOT A FAN OF REPLACING MANUAL CONTROLS WITH TOUCH PANELS; IT ACTUALLY WORKS PRETTY WELL HERE, AND NOT ONLY ADDS A MODERN TOUCH, BUT SOME UNIQUENESS AS WELL, ELIMINATING A FEW OF THE ALL-TO-OBVIOUS AUDI CONTROLS.

THE FULL-DIGITAL GAUGE DISPLAY REMAINS AS COOL AS EVER.

IF YOU'RE THE FUEL CONSCIOUS TYPE, GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 13-CITY, 18-HIGHWAY, AND 15-COMBINED.

PRICING STARTS AT $261,274, WHICH IS ABOUT 25-GRAND OVER WHERE THE HURACAN STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO.

AND WITH THE MID-CYCLE REFRESH, THE REAR-WHEEL DRIVE VERSION, AS WELL AS THE SPYDER DROP TOP WILL BE AVAILABLE RIGHT FROM THE GET GO.

WHEN THAT ORIGINAL HURACAN ARRIVED, IT USHERED IN A WHOLE NEW ERA OF LAMBORGHINI.

NO LONGER WERE THEY JUST TEMPERAMENTAL EYE CANDY, BUT ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMING EXOTICS THAT TRADED IN THEIR NASTY STREAK FOR DAILY DRIVER COMFORT.

THIS 2020 LAMBORGHINI HURACAN EVO IS SIMPLY AN EVOLUTION ON THAT THEME.

MORE OF EVERYTHING WE LOVED BEFORE; NOW, IT'S AN EVEN EASIER NATURAL SELECTION.

* THE HIGH PERFORMANCE ELECTRIC CAR WARS ARE OFFICIALLY ON.

NOW, SOME AUTOMAKERS ARE SETTING BENCHMARKS FOR EV RANGE, WHILE OTHERS ARE AFTER LAP TIMES AND CHECKERED FLAGS.

WELL, OUR GREG CARLOS CAUGHT UP WITH A COMPANY NAMED GENOVATION, THAT SET ITS SIGHTS ON PURE SPEED, AND THEY'RE DOING IT WITH AN AMERICAN ICON.

* Greg Carlos: THE CHEVROLET CORVETTE HAS GONE THROUGH JUST EIGHT ITERATIONS SINCE 1953.

AND IF YOU THINK, THE NEW GEN'S MID-ENGINE LAYOUT IS THE MOST INNOVATIVE POWERTRAIN EVER IN A CORVETTE, THINK AGAIN.

MEET THE GENOVATION GXE.

THE WORLD'S FASTEST STREET LEGAL ALL-ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

Andrew Saul: WE STARTED THE GXE PROGRAM BECAUSE WE WANTED TO REINVENT AN AMERICAN ICON, WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T INTEND TO BREAK WORLD RECORDS, BUT IN THE COURSE OF TESTING, WE ENDED UP BREAKING A RECORD, WE HAD A STANDING MILE WORLD RECORD AND ALSO A TOP SPEED WORLD RECORD.

Greg: THE GXE STARTS LIFE AS A C7 GRAND SPORT.

ONCE, AT GENOVATION'S HEADQUARTERS IN MARYLAND, ITS ELECTRO-MUTATION BEGINS.

Steven Rogers: UNDER THE HOOD HERE YOU SEE THE FRONT BATTERY PACK IS THE MOST PROMINENT ON TOP.

ON EACH SIDE OF THE BATTERY PACK THERE'S MOUNTED AN INVERTER, SO, WE HAVE TWO INVERTERS BECAUSE BURIED UNDERNEATH, WE HAVE TWO ELECTRIC MOTORS, EACH INVERTER IS CAPABLE OF 300 KILOWATTS OF POWER AND THEREFORE, WE HAVE 600 KILOWATTS OF POWER IN THIS CAR WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT OF 800 HORSEPOWER.

Greg: WITH FIVE BATTERY PACKS, THE GXE OFFERS 200 MILES OF DRIVING RANGE AND WITH LEVEL-TWO CHARGING TAKES ABOUT SIX HOURS TO FILL UP.

SO THIS IS THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC BUT YOU ALSO OFFER A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION.

Steven: WE OFFER A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THAT CAR WE CALL THE BLUE CAR, THAT'S IN OUR ROCKVILLE FACILITY, WE RETAINED THE STANDARD GM, WELL IT'S A BEEFED UP CLUTCH, BUT WE RETAINED THE STANDARD CLUTCH CONFIGURATION THAT DRIVE THE REAR WHEELS.

Greg: TAKING A CORVETTE AND SWAPPING IN A BATTERY-ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE FOR GENOVATION.

THEN, COMES THE METICULOUS TESTING AND TWEAKING TO MAKE THE GXE A RECORD-BREAKING SUPERCAR.

THAT'S WHAT TOOK US TO MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA AND THE JOHNNY BOHMER PROVING GROUNDS INSIDE THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, WHERE GENOVATION CONDUCTS ITS STRAIGHT LINE AERODYNAMIC TESTING.

BEHIND ME IS A WELL SURVEILLED THREE-MILE-LONG RUNWAY, THE PERFECT SETTING FOR THE GXE TO FULLY STRETCH ITS LEGS.

Johnny Bohmer: IT'S THE FLATTEST PIECE OF CONCRETE OF THIS SIZE IN THE PLANET EARTH, THE RUNWAY HAS LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH OF HEIGHT VARIATION FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.

SO BASICALLY, IT'S FLATTER THAN YOUR KITCHEN TABLE.

Greg: AND WITH THAT EXTREMELY FLAT TABLE SET, THE GXE WAS GO FOR LAUNCH.

AT AN OFFICIAL SPEED OF 211.8 MPH, THE GXE ONCE AGAIN BROKE ITS OWN WORLD RECORD.

AFTER A QUICK DATA DOWNLOAD, IT WAS MY TURN BEHIND THE WHEEL.

AND WHY WASTE TIME?

LET'S JUST GET INTO IT.

Andrew: DO IT!

Greg: OH, MY GOD THAT'S GOOD!

I DON'T EVEN CARE IF THERE'S NO ENGINE NOISE.

THAT'S EFFORTLESS 145 MILES PER HOUR.

I MEAN I'M NOT EVEN TRYING.

THAT IS JUST GOOD STUFF RIGHT THERE...

OKAY, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT WEIRD FOR ME.

MAYBE YOU CAN COACH ME WITH THE SHIFT PATTERNS WHEN I'M USING MY PADDLES HERE, IS THE REDLINE ROUGHLY THE SAME AS WHAT IT WOULD BE IN THAT 6.2 V8.

Andrew: YEAH, WE USUALLY SHIFT AROUND 6,500 TO 7,000 RPMS Greg: OKAY, SO LET'S GIVE THAT A TRY.

Andrew: YOU'LL FEEL THE TORQUE STARTS TO DROP OFF RIGHT AT AROUND SEVEN.

Greg: IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE A MISSILE COMING AT YOU.

Andrew: ABSOLUTELY, I LOVE THE SOUND IT MAKES.

PEOPLE THINK ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE ALWAYS SILENT, BUT THIS ONE IS DEFINITELY NOT.

Greg: CHEAP IS ALSO WHAT IT IS NOT.

EACH OF THE 75 GXES GENOVATION PLANS TO BUILD WILL COST $750,000.

Andrew: WE GET ASKED A LOT ABOUT WHY THAT PRICE, IT'S REALLY AS STATE OF THE ART AS YOU CAN FIND AND IT'S BY FAR THE FUNNEST ELECTRIC VEHICLE ON THE PLANET, I THINK.

Greg: THAT TITLE MAY BE UP FOR DEBATE, BUT FOR NOW, THE FASTEST ELECTRIC VEHICLE ON THE PLANET WILL HAVE TO DO.

John: IF YOU THINK TRAILER TOWING IS AS SIMPLE AS HITCH AND GO...WELL, DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE PAT HAS ADVICE THAT WILL SET YOU STRAIGHT.

* Pat Goss: WHAT COULD BE SIMPLER THAN A TRAILER?

THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH TO THEM.

AND IF YOU DON'T MAINTAIN THEM WELL WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD GO WRONG?

WELL, HERE'S SOMETHING.

THIS ONE, IT WAS PARKED OVER GRASS FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND THE AXLE ACTUALLY RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT FROM THE MOISTURE.

AND GOING DOWN THE ROAD, IT BROKE AND THE WHEEL CAME OFF.

SO, ALWAYS CHECK THE AXLE ON YOUR TRAILER.

MAKE SURE IT ISN'T RUSTY.

CHECK THE WHEELS, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A BOAT TRAILER AND YOU BACK IT INTO SALT WATER.

THE WHEELS TEND TO RUST ON THE INSIDE AND THEY SEPARATE ON THE HIGHWAY.

CHECK THE TIRES.

THE TIRES DO A LOT OF WORK ON A TRAILER, HEAVY LOADS, HIGH SPEEDS, YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TIRES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, THEY AREN'T STALE DATED...

SO, YOU HAVE TO CHECK THE PRODUCTION DATE ON THEM, AND THAT THEY HAVE THE PROPER PRESSURE.

ALRIGHT...NEXT THING, THE WHEELS TURN ON BEARINGS.

THE BEARINGS SHOULD BE CHECKED EVERY 12,000 MILES OR ONCE A YEAR UNLESS IT'S A BOAT TRAILER THAT GETS BACKED INTO THE WATER AND THEN THEY MAY HAVE TO BE CHECKED A LOT MORE FREQUENTLY.

BIG THING IS YOU CHECK TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE THIS.

THIS ONE IS RIGHT ON THE VERGE OF FAILURE BECAUSE THE GREASE IS COMPLETELY SHOT IN IT.

NOW, IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE BEARINGS BUY THEM AS A KIT, THEY COME WITH THE RACE, THE BEARING, THE SEAL, COTTER PIN, EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED EXCEPT GREASE.

YOU HAVE TO PACK THE GREASE INTO THE NEW BEARING.

AND MAKE SURE AND YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THAT, YOU DO IT PROPERLY, AND YOU USE THE PROPER HIGH TEMP, HIGH PRESSURE WHEEL BEARING GREASE.

SOME TRAILERS WILL HAVE SURGE BRAKES.

THAT MEANS THAT THE COUPLING THERE WILL BE A MOVEABLE PART OF THE COUPLING AND A MASTER CYLINDER ABOVE IT.

AND WHEN THE TRAILER SURGES FORWARD AS YOU BRAKE THE TOW VEHICLE, IT WILL APPLY THE BRAKES BY MOVING THE MASTER CYLINDER, PUMPING FLUID TO THE TRAILER WHEELS AND THAT BRAKE FLUID NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EVERY TWO YEARS, NEVER LONGER THAN THAT.

CHECK THE LIGHTS.

MANY TIMES TRAILER LIGHTS WILL BE CRACKED OR BROKEN.

SOMETIMES...THEY DISCOLOR, THEY LOSE THEIR RED COLOR.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM, REPLACE THEM...

THEY ARE READY AVAILABLE AND EASY TO INSTALL.

ALSO, MAKE SURE THAT THE LIGHTS WORK.

YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WALK AROUND WHILE YOU APPLY THE BRAKES, THE TURN SIGNALS, AND SO ON.

NOW ANOTHER THING, A LOT OF THE LIGHT ADAPTERS OR THE TRAILER ADAPTERS, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT CONNECTOR ON THE CAR WITH THE TOW VEHICLE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE TRAILER.

SO, YOU BUY THESE ADAPTERS.

MANY OF THE ADAPTERS WILL HAVE BUILT IN TESTERS.

LIKE, THIS ONE WILL GLOW RED IF THERE'S A PROBLEM.

THIS ONE HAS LIGHTS ON IT, AND SO ON.

IT HELPS YOU TEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TOW VEHICLE IS SUPPLYING THE PROPER VOLTAGE TO THE TRAILER, TO MAKE THE LIGHTS WORK.

SO, TAKE CARE OF THE TRAILER THEN YOU WON'T HAVE PROBLEMS.

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

John: TIME NOW TO HIT THE START BUTTON ON ANOTHER QUICKSPIN.

IN THE HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK WARS, FORD MAY BE THE LAST ONE TO THE LATEST SKIRMISH WITH ITS REFRESHED 2020 F-SERIES SUPER DUTY TRUCK LINEUP, BUT IT ARRIVES WITH A FULL ARSENAL OF WEAPONS TO WORK HARDER AND SMARTER.

WE GOT OUR FIRST TASTES ON AND OFF-ROAD IN ARIZONA.

A VERY LONG LIST OF OWNER CHOICES INCLUDES ENGINES.

THE 385 HORSEPOWER 6.2 LITER V8 REMAINS BASE, MATCHED WITH A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

THIS POWERTRAIN IN AN F-350 IS CAPABLE OF THE LINE-UPS MAXIMUM PAYLOAD CAPACITY OF 7,850 POUNDS.

AN ALL-NEW 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION QUICKLY AND EFFORTLESSLY BACKS UP THE NEXT TWO ENGINE OPTIONS.

THE ALL-NEW 7.3 LITER V8 IS RATED AT 430 HORSEPOWER AND 475 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE...

ENOUGH TO HAUL A 7,660 POUND PAYLOAD.

THE THIRD-GEN 6.7 LITER POWERSTROKE DIESEL V8 BECOMES EVEN MORE STOUT, HITTING 475 HORSEPOWER AND CROSSING THE THOUSAND-POUND TORQUE THRESHOLD, AT 1,050 POUND-FEET.

DIESEL TOW RATINGS ARE 24,200 POUNDS WITH A CONVENTIONAL HITCH, 32,500 WITH A 5TH WHEEL, AND MAX GOOSENECK TOWING OF UP TO 37,000 POUNDS.

HIGHWAY RIDE IS SMOOTH AND QUIET NO MATTER WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD, AND THE CABIN IS ALL-DAY COMFORTABLE.

BUT WORK HAPPENS EVERYWHERE, SO SUPER DUTY TRUCKS NOW GET A TRUE OFF-ROADING OPTION.

Dave Scrivener: FOR SERIOUS OFF-ROADING, FORD'S TREMOR PACKAGE IS TOUGH TO BEAT.

IT'S AVAILABLE WITH BOTH GAS OR DIESEL POWER IN FOUR DIFFERENT TRIM LEVELS.

IT HAS 35.0 INCH TIRES, 33.0 INCH WATER FORDING, HILL DESCENT CONTROL, ALL THE HARDWARE AND THE SOFTWARE, TO GO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.

John: ON THE SMART SIDE, AN EMBEDDED MODEM WITH WI-FI ACCESS IS STANDARD, ALONG WITH WIRELESS PHONE CHARGING AND BOTH USB A AND C PORTS FOR POWERING THAT OFFICE ON THE ROAD.

PRO-TRAILER BACKUP ASSIST, COMBINED WITH TRAILER REVERSE GUIDANCE TECHNOLOGY, WORKS WITH ALL TRAILER AND HITCH TYPES.

AUTO EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE-KEEPING ALERT AND BLIND SPOT MONITORING WITH TRAILER COVERAGE KEEPS YOU GOING AND SLOWING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO, THE 2020 FORD F-SERIES SUPER DUTY LINEUP SETS THE BAR EVEN HIGHER AMONG HEAVY HAULERS.

DEALERS HAVE THEM STARTING AT JUST UNDER $34,000.

Greg: THE CUTE-UTE CRAZE HAS ONCE AGAIN HIT THE MOTORWEEK LONG TERM TEST FLEET, THIS TIME IN THE FORM OF THE 2020 FIAT 500X.

IT COMES TO US IN "TREKKING PLUS" TRIM WITH STANDARD ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND SPORTS A PLAYFUL ITALIA BLUE EXTERIOR PAINT JOB.

EQUALLY PLAYFUL IS THE POWERPLANT.

A 1.3 LITER 4-CYLINDER TURBO CHURNS UP 177 HORSEPOWER AND CONNECTS TO A 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

THIS 500X'S ENGINE MAY BE SMALL, BUT IT'S TORQUEY, WHICH CAN BE A LOT OF FUN.

IT MAKES A LITTLE NOISE UNDER HARD ACCELERATION, BUT IT QUIETS DOWN NICELY ONCE UP TO SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY.

AND THEN AROUND TOWN, THE AUTOMATIC STOP-START SYSTEM HAS BEEN RELATIVELY SMOOTH.

SO FAR, WE'VE RACKED UP ABOUT ONLY ABOUT 800 URBAN MILES, BUT FUEL ECONOMY HAS BEEN SOLID, AVERAGING 26.6 MILES PER GALLON ON REGULAR GRADE.

RIGHT ON WITH THE EPA'S COMBINED RATING.

INSIDE ARE LEATHER-TRIMMED BUCKET SEATS, WHICH ARE A BIT FIRM, BUT ALSO NICELY BOLSTERED.

AND, WE'RE ENJOYING THE STANDARD UCONNECT INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM.

AS IT IS ONE OF THE BEST.

WE'RE STILL IN THE "GETTING TO KNOW YOU" PHASE WITH THIS 500X, BUT SO FAR, SO GOOD.

EVEN AS WINTER'S CHILL SUBSIDES, WE'RE IN NO RUSH TO LEAVE THE PLUSH CABIN OF OUR HYUNDAI PALISADE.

WE ARE OVERALL QUITE HAPPY WITH THE FRONT SEAT COMFORT, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A POSITION MEMORY FUNCTION.

BACKSEAT PASSENGERS ARE ENJOYING THE VIEWS THROUGH THE LARGE PANORAMIC SUNROOF AND THE POWER-FOLDING THIRD ROW IS ONE OF THOSE FEATURES YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU WANT UNTIL YOU HAVE IT.

A MORE DISPUTED AMENITY IS LANE FOLLOWING ASSIST, WHICH TENDS TO HUG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LANE, BUT THAT'S SAFER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE.

AFTER ANOTHER 2000 MILES, THE 3.8 LITER V6s FUEL ECONOMY HAS IMPROVED TO A COMBINED 22.2 MPG.

WE'LL SEE IF THE WARMING TEMPERATURES PROVIDE ANOTHER BOOST OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

AND IN THAT TIME, WE'LL ALSO START OUR TEST ON THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE FLEET, THIS SLEEK 2020 VOLKSWAGEN ARTEON SEDAN.

BUT FIRST, IT'S THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

John: WE CAN DEBATE ALL DAY LONG ABOUT THE PRACTICAL MERITS, OR DEMERITS OF 4-DOOR COUPE SUVs.

BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THESE SLICK UTEs LOOK SUPER COOL, AND PEOPLE CAN'T SEEM GET ENOUGH OF THEM.

SO, LUXURY BRANDS KEEP TROTTING OUT MORE AND MORE NEW, AND FRESHENED DESIGNS.

THE LATEST OF WHICH IS FROM MERCEDES-BENZ, THEIR COMPACT GLC.

* LIKE A RAINBOW AFTER A SUMMER RAIN SHOWER, THIS 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300 4MATIC COUPE IS A SPLASH OF HOPE ON THE OFTEN BORING SUV LANDSCAPE.

OR, IS THIS MATT-COLORED JELLY BEAN ACTUALLY HARSHING THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD'S MELLOW?

WELL, AS THEY SAY, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.

SO, YOU DECIDE AS WE GO ALONG, BUT FIRST A QUICK RECAP ON HOW WE GOT HERE.

THE GLC, IS THE C-CLASS BASED COMPACT CROSSOVER IN THE MERCEDES-BENZ LINEUP, AND WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS "THE GLK."

GLC NOMENCLATURE ARRIVED FOR 2016, THIS STYLISH COUPE VERSION ONE YEAR LATER.

AND WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE COUPE'S MID-CYCLE REFRESH, MOST OF WHICH IT SHARES WITH THE REGULAR GLC SUV.

STILL WITH US?

GOOD.

NOW, BACK TO THE GLC COUPE'S CONTROVERSIAL SHAPE.

MANY OF THE SPACE-COMPROMISED COUPE-STYLE SUVs TEND TO LOOK MORE AWKWARD THAN BEAUTIFUL, BUT THE SMALLER THEY ARE, THE BETTER THE THEME SEEMS TO WORK, AS THEY JUST MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLE A SLICK HATCHBACK.

UPDATES FOR '20 INCLUDE NEW BUMPERS FRONT AND REAR, AS WELL AS A REDESIGNED GRILLE.

THE PREVIOUSLY OPTIONAL LED HIGH PERFORMANCE HEADLIGHTS ARE NOW STANDARD, AS ARE FULL LED TAIL LIGHTS.

AND, IF AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT, IT TAKES A DIVERSION TO THE AMG LINE; 20-INCH WHEELS, UPGRADED BRAKES, AND UNIQUE EXTERIOR TRIM ARE ADDED.

BUT LESS SPACE IN AN ALREADY SMALL VEHICLE TENDS TO LIMIT THE APPEAL, AND THE TIGHT ACCESS INTO THE REAR SEATS, MAKES THIS A PERFECT VEHICLE FOR EMPTY NESTERS, OR COUPLES WHO JUST LIKE TO MEET EVERYONE ELSE THERE, RATHER THAN CARPOOL.

IN BACK, JUST 17.7 CUBIC-FEET OF CARGO SPACE, COMPARED TO THE REGULAR GLC'S 19.4.

FOLDING THE SEATBACKS WILL GIVE YOU A MAX OF 49.4 CUBIC-FEET.

SO, YOU MAY SACRIFICE A LITTLE PRACTICALITY, BUT NOTHING ELSE ABOUT THIS GLC COUPE SAYS COMPROMISE.

DELUXE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR TWO WITHOUT A DOUBT, SO COMFORT ABOUNDS.

THE LOOK INSIDE HAS IMPROVED A LITTLE, THANKS TO A REVISED CENTER STACK AND CONSOLE WITH A LARGER 10-INCH TOUCHSCREEN.

THERE'S ALSO, A NEW STEERING WHEEL, AND FRESH COLORS, AND TRIM OPTIONS.

DIGITAL HELP HAS INCREASED, WITH THE OPTIONAL DRIVER ASSISTANCE PACKAGE TAKING THE GLC EVER-CLOSER TO FULLY-AUTONOMOUS.

AS FOR THE ACTUAL DRIVING, WHICH WE STILL PREFER TO DO AS MUCH ON OUR OWN AS POSSIBLE, THIS GLC 300 OFFERS A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN COMPETENT HANDLING AND BORDERLINE PHENOMENAL RIDE QUALITY.

IT ALSO, FEELS VERY FAST.

THAT'S BECAUSE OF A NEW 2.0 LITER I4 TURBOCHARGED ENGINE WITH 14 MORE HORSEPOWER THAN BEFORE, AT 255, WITH 273 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IF YOU NEED MORE, THERE ARE TWO AMG VERSIONS.

TRANSMISSION IS A 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC, AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN ONLY GET YOUR GLC COUPE WITH 4MATIC ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

A VERY RESPONSIVE THROTTLE PEDAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THINGS GOING IN A HURRY, AND THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE PROVIDES THE GRIP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

WE HIT 60 IN JUST 5.9 SECONDS, WHICH IS ABOUT WHAT THE ORIGINAL GLK MANAGED WITH A 6-CYLINDER.

THE 4-POT'S POWER TAPERS OFF A BIT AS YOU GET ROLLING, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH THE GEARS QUITE SMOOTHLY.

NOT MUCH ENGINE NOISE SEEPS ITS WAY INTO THE CABIN, AND IT'S A RELATIVELY SERENE 14.5 SECOND TRIP THROUGH THE QUARTER, ENDING AT 93 MILES PER HOUR.

THE GLC IS VERY MANEUVERABLE AT SLOW SPEEDS, AND MORE THAN CAPABLE AT HIGHER ONES.

GOOD OVERALL BALANCE, AS BOTH OVER AND UNDERSTEER CAN BE FOUND DEPENDING ON YOUR AMOUNT OF THROTTLE OR STEERING INPUTS.

ONLY MODERATE BODY ROLL TO SPEAK OF.

DESPITE THEIR RECENT FOCUS ON ENTRY-LEVEL MODELS HERE IN THE U.S., MERCEDES-BENZ IS STILL A PREMIUM LUXURY PRODUCT, AND THIS COUPE VERSION OF THE GLC IS PRICED ACCORDINGLY, STARTING AT $50,995.

SO, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU STAND ON THE WHOLE COUPE SUV THING, MERCEDES-BENZ MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT, AS THE GLC COUPE HAS HELPED BENZ TO INCREASE SALES OF THE GLC LINE EVERY YEAR SINCE IT DEBUTED.

THAT ALONE MAKES THIS 2020 GLC 300 4MATIC COUPE, AT LEAST TO MERCEDES-BENZ AND ITS GROWING LIST OF FANS, A TRUE THING OF BEAUTY.

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

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

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME FOR A REBIRTH OF AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL, THE ALL-NEW MID-ENGINE CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, 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] *