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

WE'RE SLIDING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE RE-UPPED HYUNDAI TUCSON... PAT GOSS GIVES UP THE JUICE ON BATTERY CARE... STEPHANIE HART GOES UNDERCOVER AT THE PETERSEN'S 007 EXHIBIT... AND WE'LL CHECK OUT FORD'S HOT, NEW LITTLE PICKUP THE MAVERICK...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

♪ ♪ Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF TIRERACK.COM.

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

TIRERACK.COM.

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: DEPENDING ON HOW CLOSELY YOU FOLLOW THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IN GENERAL, OR THE HYUNDAI BRAND MORE SPECIFICALLY, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT THE TUCSON UTILITY IS HYUNDAI'S BEST-SELLING MODEL WORLDWIDE.

AND THAT MEANS CHANGES HAVE A BIG IMPACT.

SO, LET'S DIG DEEPER INTO THE ALL-NEW 4TH GENERATION TUCSON.

♪ ♪ FEW VEHICLES SHOWCASE THE RAPID GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION OF THE HYUNDAI BRAND BETTER THAN THIS 2022 HYUNDAI TUCSON.

WHAT STARTED OUT AS A ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES ENTRY INTO THE THEN RAPIDLY GROWING COMPACT UTILITY MARKET IN THE EARLY 2000s, RELEVANT ALMOST ENTIRELY FOR ITS VALUE PROPOSITION; HAS GROWN INTO A TRUE CHALLENGER, OFFERING STYLE, PERFORMANCE, AND COMFORT, TO RIVAL THE SEGMENT'S BEST SELLERS.

EARLIER GENERATIONS OF TUCSON WERE KNOWN TO BE NOISY, AND RIDE A LITTLE HARSH; BUT IT'S PLENTY SMOOTH AND QUIET NOW.

GOOD SEAT COMFORT AND LOTS OF SPACE TOO, MAKING IT A UTILITY YOU WANT TO DRIVE, NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO.

THIS 5-SEATER IS NOTICEABLY MORE SPACIOUS THAN BEFORE IN ALL SEATING POSITIONS, THANKS TO OVER 3.0 INCHES OF ADDED WHEELBASE.

AND WITH 6.0 INCHES ADDED TO OVERALL LENGTH; THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR CARGO TOO; GROWING FROM 31.0 TO 38.7 CUBIC-FEET; MAXING OUT AT 74.8 WITH REAR SEATBACKS DOWN.

OF COURSE, HYUNDAI IS NOW EVEN BETTER KNOWN FOR THE WEALTH OF STANDARD FEATURES THEY PACK IN; AND WHILE THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE, THERE ARE CLEARLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES HERE DEPENDENT ON TRIM LEVEL.

TOP LIMITED BORDERS ON TECH OVERLOAD WITH PUSH-BUTTON SHIFTER ON THE CONSOLE, TOUCH CONTROLS, AND A GAUGE DISPLAY THAT APPEARS TO BE JUST ANOTHER SCREEN DROPPED ON THE DASH.

BOTH MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY ARE A CLEAR STEP ABOVE MOST IN THE SEGMENT.

LESSER TRIMS REPLACE TOUCH-PANEL CONTROLS WITH ACTUAL BUTTONS AND KNOBS; A TRADITIONAL SHIFTER, AND AN 8.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN VERSES THE LIMITED'S 10 INCHER.

TUCSON HAS ALWAYS OFFERED MULTIPLE OPTIONS FOR POWERING THINGS, ONLY NOW YOUR CHOICES COME DOWN TO WHETHER YOU WANT BATTERY ASSISTANCE AND HOW MUCH OF IT YOU WANT.

THE STANDARD GAS ENGINE IS THIS 187 HORSEPOWER 2.5 LITER I4.

CONSIDERING HOW THE TUCSON HAS GROWN ITS 178 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE MADE IT FEEL A LITTLE UNDERPOWERED.

ITS AVAILABLE IN EITHER FRONT OR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

NOW, IF YOU NEED MORE POWER, THE NEW ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE TUCSON HYBRID PACKAGES A 64 KILOWATT ELECTRIC MOTOR WITH A 1.6 LITER TURBO-4 FOR A 226 HORSEPOWER OUTPUT; WHILE A PLUG-IN HYBRID FEATURES A LARGER 88 KILOWATT MOTOR, BUMPING HORSEPOWER TO 261.

AND WITH A 13.8 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY.

ITS RATED AT A GREAT 33 MILES OF PURE EV DRIVING.

WELL, NO HYBRIDS FOR US.

SO, IT WAS OFF TO OUR MASON DIXON TEST TRACK WITH OUR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE 2.5 LITER, WHERE OUR UNDERPOWERED THOUGHTS WERE BACKED UP WITH NUMBERS.

IT WAS REALLY SLUGGISH OFF THE LINE, WITH MAX POWER NOT ARRIVING UNTIL AROUND 4,000 RPM, AND TAKING 8.9 SECONDS TO REACH 60.

ON THE PLUS SIDE, THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS PRETTY POSITIVE AND SPEEDY WITH SHIFTS; HELPING THE TUCSON CLEAR THE QUARTER IN A BETTER 16.9 SECONDS AT 83 MILES PER HOUR.

GOOD STEERING RESPONSE THROUGH THE CONES, BUT THE REST OF THE HANDLING EXPERIENCE IS MORE TYPICAL SMALL CROSSOVER; THOUGH BEING BASED ON HYUNDAI'S SONATA PLATFORM RATHER THAN THE COMPACT ELANTRA'S DOES GIVE IT A MORE SUBSTANTIAL FEEL THAN MANY IN THE COMPACT SUV CLASS.

HYUNDAI HAS DEFINITELY BEEN ATTEMPTING TO STAND OUT WITH STYLE AS OF LATE, AND BY NOW YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN ONE OF THE COOLEST FEATURES IT SHARES WITH THE SANTA CRUZ PICKUP, HEADLIGHTS NESTLED BEHIND THE BLOCKY PARAMETRIC GRILLE.

BUT, THE ORIGAMI-LIKE STYLING FOR THE BODY PANELS DRAWS JUST AS MANY EYES.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ARE 24-CITY, 29-HIGHWAY, 26-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A GOOD 27.3 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

WITH SO MANY CONFIGURATIONS, THERE'S A WIDE RANGE OF PETROL POWERED PRICING, STARTING WITH SE AT $26,745; CLIMBING TO $36,245 FOR A LIMITED.

SO, THERE'S A 2022 HYUNDAI TUCSON FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYONE.

AND WHILE, TUCSON MAY NOT HAVE AS BIG OF A PRICE ADVANTAGE AS IT USED TO, THE VALUE PROPOSITION, WHAT YOU CAN DRIVE HOME FOR YOUR DOLLARS, HAS NEVER BEEN HIGHER.

♪ ♪ THE ORIGINAL VEHICLES DRIVEN BY THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS SECRET AGENT, 007, ARE NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE WORLD-RENOWNED PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM IN LA.

IT'S THE LARGEST OFFICIAL EXHIBIT IN THE U.S.

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF BOND-- JAMES BOND CARS.

OUR FYI REPORTER STEPHANIE HART SHOWS US AROUND.

♪ ♪ Stephanie Hart: A LOT OF YOU PROBABLY RECOGNIZE THIS 1964 ASTON MARTIN DB5.

IT'S BEEN IN THE MOST JAMES BOND FILMS...FIVE OF THEM... AND IT'S IN THE LATEST MOVIE, "NO TIME TO DIE."

IT'S IN THAT OPENING SCENE WITH DANIEL CRAIG.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE DB5 AND 29 OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, FEATURED IN THE 007 FILMS, HAVE BEEN TOGETHER IN ONE EXHIBIT IN THE UNITED STATES.

IT'S A FULL CHRONOLOGY OF BOND!

DOES THIS ONE LOOK FAMILIAR?

IT'S WHAT'S LEFT OF THE ASTON MARTIN DBS FROM CASINO ROYALE.

Michael Bodell: IN THE SCENE WHERE HE'S GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT AND VESPER IS ON THE ROAD AND HE QUICKLY SWERVES OUT OF THE WAY, THE CAR ROLLS SEVEN TIMES.

IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO ROLL THAT MANY TIMES AND THEY UNINTENTIONALLY BROKE A GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORD IN THAT STUNT.

Stephanie: HONESTLY, FOR ROLLING THAT MANY TIMES THE CAR IS IN GREAT CONDITION!

THE FILM "ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE" IS SHOWING RIGHT HERE.

THE 1969 MERCURY COUGAR USED IN THAT FILM IS RIGHT HERE, IN THE EXHIBIT.

IN THE FILM, JAMES BOND'S WIFE DROVE THIS VEHICLE MOST OF THE TIME.

SHE SHOWED OFF HER DRIVING SKILLS, ENDING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A STOCK CAR RACE ON A FROZEN TRACK.

Michael: I THINK, IT WAS A COMPLETELY NEW ATMOSPHERE FOR BOND AND SO IT KIND OF JUST HELPED DEVELOP THAT, THAT CAR WAS SO MUCH MORE CAPABLE.

THE XR7 COUGAR WAS JUST A COOL CAR: 7.0 LITER ENGINE, EXTREMELY POWERFUL AMERICAN CAR FEATURED IN, YOU KNOW, BRITISH FILM.

Stephanie: SOME SAY, "A CAR IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE STORY BEHIND IT," AND THE 007 FILMS CERTAINLY HELP DEVELOP THAT STORY.

Michael: THIS IS THE 1977 LOTUS ESPRIT SERIES ONE FROM "THE SPY WHO LOVED ME."

THIS WAS DRIVEN BY ROGER MOORE, AND IT'S A BOND VEHICLE THAT WAS LAND AND SEA, SO THERE'S A REALLY FAMOUS SCENE WHERE THIS CAR IS BEING CHASED IN SARDINIA AND IT GOES FROM BASICALLY A MOUNTAIN ROAD INTO THE OCEAN AND TURNS INTO A SUBMARINE.

Stephanie: THIS ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH WAS USED IN "DIE ANOTHER DAY."

AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, IT HAS TINY CAMERAS ALL OVER IT THAT MAKES IT NEARLY INVISIBLE.

IT ALSO HAS WEAPONS AND TRACKING DEVICES THAT ARE VERY CRUCIAL DURING THAT VERY SCARY CHASE SCENE ACROSS ICE.

Michael: JAMES BOND'S CHARACTERS ARE REALLY DEVELOPED BY THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE GADGETS THAT HE USES, AND THE CARS ARE TYPICALLY, A LARGE PART OF THAT.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT JUST A CAR, THEY'RE A TOOL OF HIS TO, YOU KNOW, FIGHT THE BAD GUYS.

Stephanie: A COOL CONCEPT THAT HAS CONNECTED AND CAPTIVATED EVERY GENERATION FOR 60 YEARS.

ANYTHING THAT REALLY SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THIS EXHIBIT?

Scott Black: I EXPECTED TO SEE THE VEHICLES.

I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE THE CURATION.

I LOVE THE VIDEOS.

I LOVE THE PHOTOGRAPHY.

THERE'S SOME PHENOMENAL SHOTS HERE.

SEEING A LOT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SEEING SOME OF THE SUBMARINES AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY BROUGHT HOME A LITTLE BIT OF HOLLYWOOD.

Stephanie: SURROUNDED BY ALL THESE INCREDIBLE 007 CARS FOR MOST OF THE DAY, I HAD THE URGE TO GET IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND TAKE THEM OUT FOR A SPIN.

SINCE THAT'S NOT IN THE CARDS FOR ME, BINGE WATCHING ALL THE BOND MOVIES MAY JUST SATISFY MY NEED FOR SPEED...FOR NOW.

John: WITH THE UNEXPECTED PASSING OF PAT GOSS RECENTLY, MOTORWEEK LOST NOT JUST A CONTRIBUTOR, BUT A FRIEND, A MENTOR, AND AN IRREPLACEABLE PILLAR OF OUR PROGRAM.

NOW, OUT OF RESPECT, WE WILL BE RETIRING THE GOSS' GARAGE SEGMENT AFTER OUR NEXT EPISODE.

SO, WITH HIS FINAL WORDS OF CAR CARE WISDOM PAT GOSS SHOWS US HOW TO KEEP YOUR CAR POWERED UP FOR THE ROAD AHEAD.

♪ ♪ Pat Goss: BATTERIES ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF ANY MODERN VEHICLE.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE CARS HAVE BECOME VERY ELECTRIFIED.

THEY HAVE COMPUTERS ALL OVER THE PLACE, EVEN THE STEERING ON MANY MODELS, WELL...IT'S ELECTRIC, IT'S NO LONGER HYDRAULIC.

SO, ALL OF THAT.

ALL OF THAT ELECTRICITY BEGINS AND ENDS RIGHT HERE AT THE BATTERY.

SO, WE WANT TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT.

FIRST THING THAT WE WANT, IS THAT WE WANT A GOOD ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BATTERY POST AND THE BATTERY CABLES.

SEE, THE INSIDE OF THE END OF THIS CABLE WOULD BE CLEAN, THE OUTSIDE OF THE POST NEEDS TO BE CLEAN, SO THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IS GOOD.

ONE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO FOLLOW PROCEDURE, REMOVE THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE FIRST, ALWAYS, AND THEN FOLLOW THE PROPER PROCEDURE FROM THERE.

BUT, THE TOOL YOU WANT?

RIGHT HERE, THIS IS A BATTERY TERMINAL BRUSH.

IT HAS THIS ROUND ONE THAT FITS OVER THE OUTSIDE OF THE BATTERY POST TO SCRUB IT CLEAN, GOT LITTLE WIRES IN THERE.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, WE TAKE THE COVER OFF AND THERE WE HAVE A BRUSH THAT FITS UP INSIDE THE BATTERY CABLE, TO CLEAN IT.

NOW, BEFORE WE PUT ALL OF THIS BACK TOGETHER, WE WANT TO BUY SOME OF THESE TREATED BATTERY PADS.

THEY GO AROUND THE POST AND THEY HELP PREVENT CORROSION.

THEY'RE INEXPENSIVE AND THEY DO A GOOD JOB.

NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, BATTERIES ARE HELD IN PLACE, THEY'RE HELD IN PLACE BY WHAT'S CALLED A "BATTERY HOLD-DOWN."

THEY COME IN DIFFERENT FORMS AND SO ON...THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE TYPICAL ONES - FITS OVER THE TOP OF THE BATTERY, LOCKS THE BATTERY FIRMLY IN PLACE.

NOW, SOME PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU: "OH GEE, YOU DON'T NEED THAT."

THAT IS NOT TRUE.

BATTERIES BOUNCING AROUND UNDER THE HOOD, YEAH, THEY DO BOUNCE AROUND... ALL OF THAT FORCE THAT CAN JOSTLE YOUR CAR UP AND DOWN, CERTAINLY CAN JOSTLE A BATTERY UP AND DOWN.

THAT FREQUENTLY CRACKS THE CASE, THEN YOU HAVE BATTERY ACID, LEAKING OUT UNDER THE HOOD OF YOUR CAR.

OR WORSE YET, THE BATTERY FALLS OUT OF ITS HOLDER, INTO THE MECHANICAL THINGS THAT ARE MOVING AROUND UNDER THERE, IT GETS ALL CHOPPED AND YOU'VE GOT A REAL MESS.

OKAY, SUPPOSE YOU'VE GOT A CAR THAT ISN'T GOING TO BE USED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

WELL, YOU MAY WANT TO PUT A BATTERY DISCONNECT ON IT.

THEY HAVE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES: ONES THAT USE A KNOB TO TURN THEM LIKE THAT, HERE'S ONE THAT'S JUST A SWITCH, ANOTHER SWITCH...

OLD-FASHIONED TYPE, WORKS WELL THOUGH, DOES THE JOB.

OR YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER A BATTERY MAINTAINER.

THAT WILL ACT JUST LIKE THE CHARGING SYSTEM IN YOUR CAR TO KEEP THE BATTERY AT A FULL STATE OF CHARGE ALL THE TIME, WITHOUT OVERCHARGING IT.

TAKE CARE OF THE BATTERY AND YOU'LL SAVE YOURSELF A LOT OF GRIEF AND DOLLARS OVER THE LIFE OF YOUR VEHICLE.

Greg Carloss: WE'VE JUST PASSED THE SEVEN-MONTH MARK WITH OUR 2021 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME PLUG-IN HYBRID.

WITH AN ADDITIONAL 600 MILES SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE, OUR ODOMETER NOW STANDS AT 9,000 MILES.

WE MENTIONED A SLIGHT DECREASE IN MILEAGE LAST TIME, DUE TO WINTER WEATHER MAKING US RUN THE GASOLINE ENGINE MORE; BUT THIS TIME WE'RE HAPPY TO REPORT A SLIGHT INCREASE, NOW 55-AND-A-HALF MILES PER GALLON.

WE'LL CHALK THAT UP TO WARMER DAYS AND MORE JUDICIOUS USE OF THE PEDAL.

WITH GAS PRICES SO HIGH, WE'RE LIKING THE FRUGAL NATURE OF THIS PRIUS PRIME EVEN MORE.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE FUEL ECONOMY OF THE PLUG-IN HYBRID POWERTRAIN, IT'S THE OPERATION.

THE SYSTEM'S JUST AS SMOOTH IN THE CITY AS IT IS ON THE HIGHWAY.

AND THE MUCH IMPROVED SEAT COMFORT JUST ADDS TO ITS RIGHTEOUS ROAD TRIP ABILITIES.

AS FAR AS DAILY DRIVERS GO, OUR 2021 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME CONTINUES TO IMPRESS US.

THIS LITTLE PHEV REMAINS A PRIME CHOICE FOR COMMUTERS EVERYWHERE.

SPRING HAS ARRIVED HERE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SO HAS A NEW LONG TERMER, THE 2022 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT.

MORE ON THAT SOON, BUT FIRST WE'LL SAY GOODBYE TO THE SUBARU CROSSTREK AND NISSAN PATHFINDER IN THE NEXT LONG-TERM UPDATE!

♪ ♪ John: IT WAS JUST TWO YEARS AGO WHEN KIA RE-ENTERED THE LARGE UTILITY SEGMENT, AND THIS 2022 TELLURIDE REMINDS US JUST HOW MUCH A BIG SUCCESS A BIG VEHICLE CAN BE WHEN IT SHOWS UP AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME.

IN THE SPRING OF 2019 AMERICA WAS BACK TO BUYING LARGE SUVs AND THE ALL-NEW 2020 TELLURIDE DELIVERED ON ALL FRONTS; COMFORT, SPACE, PERFORMANCE, AND GOOD LOOKS.

WELL, LITTLE HAS CHANGED AND WHY SHOULD IT?

WITH MORE TELLURIDE'S CROPPING UP ON OUR DAILY COMMUTES, IT'S CLEAR JUST HOW POPULAR IT IS.

EXTERIOR TWEAKS INCLUDE A NEW GRILLE THAT IS STILL UNDENIABLY KIA.

IN FACT, WE THINK THE MAIN THINGS YOU'LL NOTICE ARE THE NEW KIA LOGO BADGES FORE AND AFT, AND THE EAGLE-EYED WILL SPOT THE REVISED TELLURIDE NAMESAKE ON THE LIFT GATE.

BEHIND THAT MODIFIED GRILLE IS THE SAME 3.8 LITER V6 RATED AT 291 HORSEPOWER AND 262 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, ATTACHED TO AN ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, DIVVYING OUT POWER TO THE STANDARD FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM; WHERE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS OPTIONAL.

WE PREVIOUSLY PRAISED KIA FOR OUTFITTING THE TELLURIDE'S CABIN WITH LUXURIOUS MATERIALS AND FINISHES, AND OUR REMARKS STILL HOLD TRUE.

EVERYTHING FROM THE LEATHER TO THE SIMULATED WOOD JUST FEELS RIGHT AT HOME AND DASHINGLY PREMIUM.

THE BIGGEST CHANGES ARE TO THE ONBOARD TECH, LOWER TRIMS NOW RECEIVING A LARGER TEN AND A QUARTER INCH INFOTAINMENT SCREEN AND AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL.

ALL TRIMS GAIN NAVIGATION DATA-BASED SMART CRUISE CONTROL.

Dave Scrivener: AFTER A LONG WEEKEND BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS LATEST KIA TELLURIDE, I THINK IT STRIKES A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN SPACE, SIZE, COMFORT, AND QUALITY.

IT'S LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE ACTUAL ROOM FOR THREE ROWS OF SEATS, BUT HAS A NICE NIMBLE FEEL ON THE ROAD AND A LOW ACCESSIBLE STEP-IN HEIGHT.

I ALSO MANAGED SOME MODERATE-DUTY TOWING WITH STABILITY AND PLENTY OF POWER TO GET THE JOB DONE.

John: AND IF PASSENGERS NEED TO BE SWAPPED FOR CARGO, REAR SEATS FOLD FLAT FOR 87 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE BEHIND THE FRONT ROW AND 46 CUBIC-FEET BEHIND THE SECOND ROW.

EVEN WITHOUT ANY SEATS DOWN, THE TRUNK'S 21 CUBIC-FEET IS PLENTY FOR YOUR DAILY HAULS.

YES, THE TELLURIDE IS STILL A LARGE VEHICLE, AND, FOR SOME, THAT MAY BE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AS GAS PRICES CLIMB.

STILL, AS FAR AS LARGE THREE-ROW SUVs GO, THE 2022 KIA TELLURIDE STILL, HAS LOADS TO OFFER FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD.

AND WITH A STARTING PRICE OF AROUND $35,000, IT'S A SERIOUS CONTENDER FOR ANYONE IN NEED OF EXPANDING THEIR CARRYING HORIZONS.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

WE WERE GLAD TO SEE FORD BRING THE RANGER PICKUP BACK, BUT IN ORDER TO STAY UP WITH THE ESTABLISHED CROP OF MIDSIZE PICKUPS, IT HAD TO BE MUCH BIGGER AND MORE CAPABLE THAN THE COMPACT RANGER, WE KNEW AND LOVED.

FORTUNATELY, FORD STILL SAW AN OPENING FOR A SMALLER PICKUP, ONE MUCH MORE CLOSER IN SIZE TO THAT ORIGINAL RANGER.

BUT THIS TIME THEY'RE CALLING IT, MAVERICK!

♪ ♪ IF YOU'VE HEARD OR READ ANYTHING ABOUT THE 2022 FORD MAVERICK COMPACT PICKUP, YOU KNOW IT'S BASED ON FORD'S ESCAPE CROSSOVER PLATFORM, WHICH MEANS NO FULL-FRAME UNDERNEATH, MUCH LIKE HONDA'S RIDGELINE.

THIS MAY INSTANTLY RUSTLE THE FEATHERS OF THE HARDCORE TRUCK CROWD, BUT WE DECIDED TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND AS WE HEADED TO THE NATIONAL PRESS LAUNCH IN TENNESSEE.

AND, IN ORDER TO START CHECKING THINGS OFF THE TRUCK MUST-DO LIST, WE VENTURED OFF-ROAD TO SOME STEEP RUTTY HILLS, AS WELL AS A FEW HIGH SPEED BUMPY SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL.

THE MAVERICK, WITH OPTIONAL ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, HANDLED BOTH WITH EASE.

AN AVAILABLE FX4 PACKAGE ADDS MONO-TUBE DAMPERS, UNDERBODY PROTECTION, ALL-TERRAIN TIRES, AND ADDITIONAL MUD, RUD, AND SAND DRIVE MODES TO GO ALONG WITH HILL DESCENT CONTROL.

AND WHILE, THE TYPICAL TRUCK IS ANYTHING BUT FUEL STINGY, THE MAVERICK IS SOMETHING OF A GAME CHANGER-- AS THE FIRST PICKUP TRUCK WITH FULL-HYBRID POWER STANDARD.

THAT MEANS ENTRY LEVEL XL TRIM!

IT'S 2.5 LITER I4-BASED, WITH 191 HORSEPOWER AND 42 MPGs IN THE CITY.

IT IS FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE ONLY, HOWEVER.

IF YOU WANT ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, YOU'LL HAVE TO STEP UP TO THE OPTIONAL 2.0 LITER I4 ECOBOOST ENGINE-- AT LEAST FOR NOW.

OUTPUT IS 250 HORSEPOWER AND 277 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE WITH A PERFECTLY MATCHED 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

ALL MAVERICKS ARE ROOMY 4-DOOR CREW CABS, AND ALL HAVE 8.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN INFOTAINMENT WITH PLENTY OF BIG, MANUAL CONTROLS.

FRONT SEATS ARE QUITE COMFORTABLE, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM IN THE UTILITARIAN CABIN FOR FOLKS BOTH LARGE AND SMALL.

ACTIVEX SEATING MATERIALS ARE UNIQUE AND APPEAR HIGHLY DURABLE.

THE REAR SEATING AREA IS COZIER, BUT STILL QUITE COMFY WITH DECENT LEG ROOM, AND THE SEAT BOTTOM FLIPS UP TO REVEAL SIZABLE STORAGE AREAS.

WHILE, HARDLY F-SERIES MENACING, THE MAVERICK DOES HAVE REAL TRUCK STYLE; ESPECIALLY THE BASE XL, WITH ITS STANDARD 17 INCH STEEL WHEELS.

SMOOTH BODY PANELS, WITH A LACK OF ANY SIZABLE GAPS BETWEEN THEM, GIVES IT AN ALMOST INJECTION-MOLDED LOOK.

AS TO OVERALL SIZE OUTSIDE, THE MAVERICK IS 3.2 INCHES SHORTER THAN THE LONGEST CLASSIC RANGER, WHILE 11.1 INCHES SHORTER, AND 4.6 INCHES LOWER THAN THE CURRENT RANGER, BUT THAT REAL BACK SEAT MEANS A CARGO BED THAT IS ONLY 4.5 FEET LONG.

STILL, LOTS OF INTEGRATED FEATURES MAKE IT AS USEFUL AS POSSIBLE.

MAX TOWING OF 4,000 POUNDS IS BY WAY OF THE ECOBOOST WITH AN OPTIONAL 4K TOWING PACKAGE.

THAT'S A LOT OF WEIGHT TO PULL WITH A 4-BANGER, AND IT DEFINITELY WORKS HARD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

WE HAD QUITE A BIT OF TOWING TIME WITH THE STANDARD HYBRID, ALSO.

IT FELT PLENTY-POWERFUL ENOUGH TO TOW ITS MAX OF 2,000 POUNDS, AND ITS E-CVT MEANS NO HARSH GEAR CHANGES, PLUS, SOME AGGRESSIVE REGEN BRAKING IN TOW MODE KEPT THINGS WELL CONTROLLED ON LONG DOWNHILL GRADES.

IT WAS LONG AMOUNTS OF FLAT PAVEMENT THAT WE SEARCHED OUT NEXT, BACK HOME AT MASON DIXON DRAGWAY.

EVEN WITH ECOBOOST POWER, OUR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE MAVERICK LARIAT WAS A LITTLE SLUGGISH OFF THE LINE, BUT WAKENS UP NICELY ONCE THE TACH GETS NORTH OF 4,200 RPM AND SCOOTS TO 60 IN 6.2 SECONDS.

IT'S EXTREMELY QUIET IN THE CABIN AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE VERY SMOOTH, MAKING FOR A PLEASANT 14.8 SECOND TRIP THROUGH THE QUARTER-MILE, ENDING AT 93 MILES PER HOUR.

THE ESCAPE IS QUITE A CAPABLE HANDLER FOR ITS SEGMENT, SO...NO SURPRISE THE MAVERICK EQUATED ITSELF REASONABLY WELL IN OUR HANDLING COURSE, FEELING LIGHT ON ITS FEET AND MORE LIKE A SPORTY SUV THAN A TRUCK.

THE MAJOR REASON MAVERICK EXISTS IS TO GIVE BUYERS A MORE AFFORDABLE OPTION FOR THEIR LIGHT DUTY TRUCK NEEDS, AND FORD HAS DELIVERED.

UNDERCUTTING EVEN THE ECOSPORT CROSSOVER AS THEIR NEW ENTRY-LEVEL MODEL.

A BASE XL HYBRID STARTS AT JUST $21,490; XLT AT $23,775, AND LARIAT AT $26,985.

$1,085 MORE FOR THE 2.0 LITER ECOBOOST; $3,305 IF YOU COMBINE IT WITH ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS THAT WE REALLY NEED SOME SMALLER, MORE AFFORDABLE PICKUP TRUCKS, PERFECT FOR HOMEOWNERS TO GET WEEKEND PROJECTS AND ADVENTURES DONE WHILE BEING FUN, FRUGAL, AND EASY TO PARK FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.

THE 2022 FORD MAVERICK IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE RIGHT TRUCK AT THE RIGHT TIME-- WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'D EXPECT FROM THE BRAND THAT'S BEEN THE PICKUP TRUCK LEADER FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.

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 INSPECT THE RAZOR SHARP REDESIGN OF THE LEXUS NX.

THEN, A COMPACT CRUISE IN MINI'S TWO-DOOR HARD TOP.

'TIL 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... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF TIRERACK.COM.

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

TIRERACK.COM.

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] ♪♪ YOUR WATCHING PBS.