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

WE'RE TAKING TO THE ROAD IN A BELOVED SPORT COUPE THAT'S NOW EVEN BETTER; THE SUBARU BRZ... PAT GOSS SETS US UP TO DO SOME TOWING, THE RIGHT WAY... THEN, IT'S OVER THE EDGE FOR NEW LIFE IN AN OLD DEFENDER... AND WE'LL WRAP UP WITH AUDI'S HIGH-PERFORMANCE SQ5 SPORT UTE...

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: WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE, SUBARU'S REPUTATION MOSTLY LIES IN BUILDING RALLY-INSPIRED ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES LIKE THE WRX STI.

BUT, A JOINT VENTURE WITH TOYOTA THAT RESULTED IN 2013'S BRZ SHOWED THEY CAN DO AFFORDABLE REAR-DRIVE SPORTY, TOO.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT A ROAD TEST OF A NEW 2ND GENERATION BRZ REVEALS NEXT.

* MANY PEOPLE WERE SKEPTICAL WE'D EVEN SEE A 2ND GENERATION OF THIS CAR, BUT THE 2022 SUBARU BRZ IS HERE AND WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER.

AS NOT ONLY IS THERE A NEW VERSION, BUT THEY KEPT THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL FULLY INTACT, ONLY MAKING SUBTLE CHANGES AND NOTABLE IMPROVEMENTS.

STILL TIDY, NIMBLE, AND LIGHTWEIGHT FEELING, SO IT REMAINS A VERY FUN CAR TO DRIVE.

AND, WHO COULDN'T USE A LITTLE MORE FUN IN THEIR LIVES THESE DAYS?

THIS GLOOM-AND-DOOM FIGHTER SAVES THE DAY WITH MORE POWER, MORE REFINEMENT, AND MORE STYLE.

STARTING WITH THE ENGINE, IT GROWS FROM 2.0 TO 2.4 LITERS; GAINING 15 PERCENT MORE TORQUE.

SLIGHT BUMP IN HORSEPOWER AS WELL; NEW NUMBERS ARE 228 HORSEPOWER AND 184 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

AVAILABLE IN PREMIUM AND LIMITED TRIM, BOTH WITH A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION AS STANDARD; A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC IS AVAILABLE IF YOU MUST.

SAFETY ENTHUSIASTS WILL BE HAPPY TO KNOW SUBARU'S EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSIST TECHNOLOGY IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE BRZ, BUT ONLY WITH THAT AUTOMATIC.

THANKFULLY, SUBARU KEPT IT REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE, RESISTING THE URGE TO ADD AWD, AND FOCUSED THEIR EFFORTS ON STIFFENING UP THE CHASSIS AND SUB-FRAME TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MACPHERSON STRUT FRONT AND DOUBLE WISHBONE REAR SUSPENSION.

THEN, WENT A STEP FURTHER BY APPLYING MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 SUMMER PERFORMANCE TIRES ON LIMITED TRIM BRZs.

OUR USUAL SLALOM COURSE AT MASON DIXON DRAGWAY WAS A PIECE OF CAKE.

QUICK STEERING WITH ADEQUATE FEEL, AND BASICALLY ZERO BODY ROLL.

NO UNDERSTEER EITHER, JUST DART-Y IN A GOOD WAY, WITH A PLAYFUL AMOUNT OF OVERSTEER THAT IS A BIT EASIER TO COAX WITH THE THROTTLE THAN BEFORE.

HOLDING THAT THROTTLE STEADY AT 4,000 RPM, WITH A GRACEFUL DUMP OF THE CLUTCH SEES A GOOD LAUNCH OFF THE LINE AND A QUICK TRIP TO 60 IN 6.0 SECONDS FLAT.

NOT SUPERCAR QUICK, BUT THAT'S ALMOST 2.0 SECONDS QUICKER THAN THE LAST BRZ WE TESTED, THOUGH THAT WAS AN AUTOMATIC.

STILL, SUBARU CLAIMS EVEN THE AUTO IS A SECOND QUICKER THAN BEFORE.

BOTH THE SHIFTER AND THE CLUTCH ARE THE BEST WE'VE TRIED IN A SUBARU; GOOD FEEL IN THE PEDAL, SHORT THROWS AND POSITIVE ENGAGEMENTS THROUGH ALL GEARS.

IT'S ACTUALLY, THE GAS PEDAL THAT FEELS A LITTLE SOFT AND UNRESPONSIVE INITIALLY, BUT ONCE YOU'RE MOVING AND THE ENGINE IS SPINNING FASTER, IT'S A LOT MORE REACTIVE.

PLENTY OF INTAKE AND EXHAUST NOISES, BOTH OF WHICH SOUND SURPRISINGLY PLEASANT FOR A FLAT-4.

BEST QUARTER-MILE TIME WAS 14.3 SECONDS AT 99 MILES PER HOUR.

SPORTY CARS NEED CONFIDENCE INSPIRING BRAKES, AND THE BRZ'S FELT TERRIFIC, STOPPING US FROM 60 IN JUST 104 FEET; WITH A NICE FIRM PEDAL AND GREAT STABILITY OVERALL.

THE NEW BRZ HAS THE SAME BASIC SHAPE AS BEFORE, BUT WEARS A MORE AGGRESSIVE FACE, HAS A SMOOTHER TAKE ON THE DOUBLE BUBBLE ROOF CONCEPT, AND THERE'S A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION TO DETAIL WHEN IT COMES TO AERO; WITH COMPREHENSIVE UNDERBODY PANELS, AIR EXTRACTORS IN THE FRONT FENDERS, AND EXTENDED ROCKERS.

IN BACK, AN INTEGRATED DECK-LID SPOILER REPLACES THE TACKED-ON WING OF THE PREVIOUS GEN, AND LOOKS MUCH BETTER.

THE BRZ SITS ABOUT AS LOW AS ANYTHING ON THE ROAD, SO IT'S NOT THE EASIEST OF CARS TO GET IN AND OUT OF, IF YOU'VE LOST YOUR YOUTHFUL LIMBERNESS.

BUT PLENTY OF ROOM FOR ALL SHAPES AND SIZES ONCE YOU'RE IN THE COMFORTABLE AND SUPPORTIVE FRONT SEATS; MUCH LESS ROOM IN BACK, OF COURSE.

A 7.0 INCH DIGITAL DRIVER DISPLAY IS NEW, AS IS AN 8.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN FOR SUBARU'S STARLINK INFOTAINMENT; ALL A LITTLE MORE ORIENTED TO THE DRIVER.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH THE MANUAL ARE 20-CITY, 27-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED.

WE SHORT-SHIFTED OUR WAY TO A GREAT 27.1 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

THAT'S AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE, WITH YEARLY CONSUMPTION OF 13.5 BARRELS OF OIL, AND EMISSION OF 6.6 TONS OF CO2.

THE KEY TO THE BRZ'S CONTINUED SUCCESS IS OF COURSE, ATTAINABLE PRICING, NOW STARTING AT JUST $28,995; THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ADDS $1,600 MORE.

IT'S GREAT WHEN CARS LIVE UP TO OUR LOFTY EXPECTATIONS.

THE HARD DECISION IS NOT WHETHER WE'D WANT TO OWN A BRZ OR NOT; THAT'S A NO-BRAINER.

THE TOUGH CHOICE IS WHETHER OR NOT WE'D PREFER THE BRZ OVER ITS PLATFORM MATE TOYOTA'S GR86.

THE 2022 SUBARU BRZ IS A THROWBACK THRILL TO DRIVE, NO MATTER THE SPEED OR THE ROAD YOU'RE ON; DRIVE EITHER ONE, AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WERE OUR DRIVERS' CHOICE PICK FOR BEST SPORT COUPE OF THE YEAR.

* IN 2020, THE LAND ROVER DEFENDER RETURNED TO AMERICA WITH A THOROUGHLY MODERN MAKEOVER; WE CALLED IT A "NEW DEFENDER FOR A NEW AGE."

BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT AN OLD DEFENDER FOR A NEW AGE.

SO, THIS WEEK GREG CARLOSS REVISITS OUR FRIENDS AT ECD AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN WHERE THEIR QUEST IS TO MEET THAT DEMAND.

* [CAR DOOR CLOSES] Greg Carloss: WHEN WE FIRST MET THE ECD TEAM A FEW YEARS AGO, THEY WERE A RELATIVELY SMALL COMPANY BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO DERELICT DEFENDERS.

WELL, SINCE THEN THEY'VE GROWN AND THEY'VE GOT A FEW NEW TRICKS UNDER THE HOOD.

BACK IN 2013, SCOTT WALLACE AND HIS ECD CO-FOUNDERS STARTED BUILDING DREAM DEFENDERS IN A SMALL KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA GARAGE.

Scott Wallace: WE WENT FROM 1,800 SQUARE FOOT AND ONE GUY TO 37,000 SQUARE FOOT AND 64 GUYS TODAY IN THE U.S. AND SEVEN IN THE U.K. AND WE'RE MOVING TO A 100,000 SQUARE FOOT ON APRIL THE 11TH THIS YEAR WITH A TEAM OF 100 GUYS BY 2025.

Greg: A QUICK TOUR OF THEIR CURRENT DIGS REVEALS A FLURRY OF ACTIVITY FROM A DYNAMIC CREW OF HIGHLY-SKILLED CRAFTSMEN.

Scott: WE RUN 20 DEPARTMENTS AND EACH VEHICLE IS IN EACH DEPARTMENT FOR FOUR DAYS.

FIRST OF ALL, WE ADDED A DRIVETRAIN DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THAT WAS CRITICAL.

THEN, WE ADDED THE PAINT SHOP, WHICH WAS CRITICAL, AND THEN WE ADDED UPHOLSTERY.

Greg: IT TAKES AROUND 110 DAYS FOR THESE DEFENDER MENDERS TO TURN THIS INTO THIS.

BUT THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE 8-MONTH DESIGN PROCESS, WHERE CLIENTS CHOOSE EVERY SINGLE DETAIL OF THEIR TRUCK A LA CARTE.

THIS EGGSHELL-FINISHED KESWICK GREEN DEFENDER 110 IS MY OWN CREATION.

ASSUMING I HAD A FEW HUNDRED GRAND TO BURN IN MY FANTASY WORLD, I WENT ALL OUT WITH A MIXTURE OF MODERN AND OLD SCHOOL TOUCHES.

AS FAR AS THE POWERTRAIN, WELL, REMEMBER THOSE NEW TRICKS I MENTIONED EARLIER?

Ryan Leaverton: WE HAVE A TESLA MODEL S DRIVE UNIT OUT OF THE REAR OF A TESLA MODEL S TURNED 90 DEGREES AND RE-GEARED TO RUN THE DRIVESHAFTS DIRECTLY SO WE STILL HAVE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

Greg: SURE, I COULD HAVE GONE WITH ONE OF THE MANY V8 ENGINES ECD OFFERS.

BUT EVEN IN MY FANTASY WORLD, GAS IS EXPENSIVE.

HI, I'M ELLIOT HUMBLE, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS AT ECD, AND THIS IS PROJECT MORPHEUS.

SO, THIS IS A GIANT BATTERY BOX, AS YOU CAN SEE.

ENGINE'S GONE, TRANSMISSION'S GONE.

SO, WE'VE GOT A BIG OLD BATTERY UP HERE.

A BIG ONE AT THE BACK AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH OUR DRIVETRAIN.

Greg: THE RESULT IS 450 HORSEPOWER AND 220 MILES OF DRIVING RANGE.

THE STEERING ALMOST HAS LIKE A MECHANICAL FEEL TO IT HONESTLY.

LIKE, THAT OLD SCHOOL, LIKE, A LITTLE LOOSE OFF CENTER KIND OF FEEL.

John Price: EXACTLY RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THE MAIN THING IS THAT WE'RE NOT TURNING A DEFENDER INTO A TESLA.

ALL WE'RE DOING IS KEEPING THE CHARACTER AND YOU KNOW, THE FEEL OF THE OLD SCHOOL TRUCKS, BUT WITH A POWERTRAIN THAT'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE EFFICIENCY, AND PERFORMANCE OF COURSE THAT COMES WITH A TESLA SETUP.

Greg: DO YOU EVER JUST LIKE SIT THERE ON SOME DOWN TIME AND MAKE SOME DREAM DEFENDER FOR YOURSELF?

J.

Price: [LAUGHS] EVERY NOW AND THEN.

YOU KNOW, IT'S UH-- Greg: WELL, YOU GOTTA DEDICATE YOURSELF TO THE PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, DO SOME RESEARCH.

J.

Price: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ABSOLUTELY.

Greg: WOULD YOU MIND, IF I STOPPED AND WENT FROM A STOP?

J.

Price: NOT AT ALL, NOT AT ALL.

Greg: ALRIGHT, FROM A DEAD STANDSTILL, LET'S SEE HOW IT DOES-- OOP-- [J.

PRICE LAUGHS] ALRIGHT, TWO HANDS MIGHT BE BETTER.

[LAUGHTER] I DON'T HAVE...I DON'T HAVE A TIMER ON ME, BUT I THINK, I CAN ATTEST TO THE 0-60 IN ABOUT 5.0 SECONDS... J.

Price: FIVE SECONDS, YEAH.

Greg: WHICH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS THING ON THE OUTSIDE, IS RIDICULOUS.

J.

Price: YEAH, EXACTLY RIGHT, EXACTLY RIGHT!

Scott: I DON'T THINK, WE JUST SELL A VEHICLE.

I TRULY BELIEVE OUR CLIENTS COME ON BOARD BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING AN EXPERIENCE.

REALLY, THEY'RE JUST COMMISSIONING US TO BUILD THEIR DREAM VEHICLE.

SO, IT'S PRETTY COOL.

IT'S BEEN A PRETTY REMARKABLE THING WE'VE BUILT, I THINK.

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

NOW OUT OF RESPECT, WE WILL SOON BE RETIRING THE GOSS' GARAGE FEATURE, BUT PAT LEFT US WITH A FEW REMAINING UNAIRED SEGMENTS, AND WE KNOW HE WOULD WANT TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU.

SO HERE HE IS, PAT GOSS, WITH SOME ADVICE FOR HITCHING UP YOUR WAGON THE RIGHT WAY.

* Pat Goss: IF YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR A NEW VEHICLE AND YOU PLAN ON TOWING WITH THAT VEHICLE, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU MAKE SURE TO FIND OUT IF THAT VEHICLE, NUMBER ONE, IS CAPABLE OF TOWING WHAT YOU NEED TO TOW, AND NUMBER TWO, IF THERE'S A FACTORY TOWING PACKAGE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR IT.

YOU SEE, FACTORY TOWING PACKAGES, NUMBER ONE, MATCH THE HITCH TO THE TOWING CAPACITY OF THE VEHICLE.

SO, YOU BUY THE HITCH, YOU BUY THE WHOLE THING ALL TOGETHER, AND WHAT YOU MIGHT GET, IS DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING FOR THE TRANSMISSION, YOU MAY GET A DIFFERENT ALTERNATOR, BECAUSE TRAILER BRAKES AND SO ON REQUIRE MORE ELECTRICAL ENERGY.

YOU MAY GET A BIGGER BATTERY, YOU MAY GET A BIGGER RADIATOR, A BIGGER COOLING FAN.

ALL OF THESE THINGS COULD BE PART OF A TOWING PACKAGE.

THE BEAUTY OF THAT IS, THAT EVERYTHING IS SET UP TO WORK TOGETHER, AND THAT YOU DON'T PAY AS MUCH MONEY FOR IT.

YOU SEE, YOU'RE NOT BUYING ANOTHER BATTERY, YOU'RE ONLY EXCHANGING ONE BATTERY FOR ANOTHER THAT'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER, AND SO ON WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.

BUT SUPPOSE YOU'RE BUYING A USED VEHICLE, AND IT DOES NOT HAVE A TOWING PACKAGE.

WELL, YOU CAN BUY A HITCH YOURSELF, NO PROBLEM THERE.

MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU GET THE HITCH, THAT YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER.

NOW, IF IT TELLS YOU, "YOU NEED A TORQUE WRENCH," YOU NEED A TORQUE WRENCH.

BIG THING IS THAT THESE ATTACH TO THE FRAME, AND YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE BOLTS THAT GO UP INSIDE THE FRAME, OR NUTS THAT HAVE SPECIAL ADAPTERS FOR YOU TO INSTALL THEM IN THE FRAME.

AND BY THE WAY, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO CUT THE VALANCE UNDERNEATH THE BUMPER, SO THAT THE HITCH WILL FIT OUT THROUGH IT.

BUT FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS, DO EVERYTHING THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE, AND YOU'LL HAVE A SAFE TOW VEHICLE.

Jessica Ray: THE KIA BRAND IS NO STRANGER TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, HAVING PRODUCED ALL-ELECTRIC VERSIONS OF THE NIRO AND SOUL SINCE THE LATE 2010s.

BUT THE BRAND IS READY TO LAUNCH THEIR FIRST FULLY DEDICATED EV, THE 2022 KIA EV6, AND WE RECENTLY VENTURED OUT TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO GET SOME TIME BEHIND THE WHEEL FOR A FIRST DRIVE.

THE EV6 IS BUILT ON THE GLOBAL E-GMP PLATFORM, SHARED WITH THE NEW HYUNDAI IONIQ5.

BUT THE EV6 TAKES A MUCH MORE SPORTIER APPROACH THAN ITS PLATFORM-MATE.

THREE TRIM MODELS ARE AVAILABLE TO START: LIGHT, WIND, AND GT-LINE.

BASE REAR-WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT MODELS HAVE A 58 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY WITH A 168 KILOWATT MOTOR FOR 167 HORSEPOWER AND 232 MILES OF RANGE.

WIND AND GT-LINE MODELS HAVE AN UPGRADED 77.4 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY FOR LONGER RANGE AND MORE POWER.

THE "LONG RANGE" REAR DRIVE VERSIONS HAVE 225 HORSEPOWER WITH 310 MILES OF RANGE WHILE THE DUAL MOTOR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE VERSIONS YIELD 320 HORSEPOWER AND A DECENT 274 MILES OF RANGE.

THE 800 VOLT ARCHITECTURE CAN RECOUP A 10 TO 80 PERCENT CHARGE IN ABOUT 18 MINUTES.

PLUS, A 576 HORSEPOWER GT MODEL IS ON THE WAY.

SO, I'M IN THE DUAL MOTOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE VERSION OF THE EV6 AND THERE IS PLENTY OF POWER ON TAP AND THIS ISN'T A SMALL VEHICLE, I MEAN...IT DOES HAVE A VERY SIMILAR WHEELBASE TO THE TELLURIDE, BUT IT FEELS INCREDIBLY LIGHT ON THE ROAD.

SOMETIMES, YOU CAN FEEL THE BATTERY PACK OF AN EV SORT OF WEIGHING YOU DOWN, BUT I WAS JUST IN THE TWISTIES AND [LAUGHS] I DID NOT FEEL LIKE THAT AT ALL.

AND IF THIS IS ANY INDICATION OF HOW THE EV6 GT IS GOING TO DRIVE, I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THAT.

THE INTERIOR IS A GREAT MIX OF WHAT WE EXPECT FROM KIA BUT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE ADDITIONAL SPACE IN THE FRONT FOR MORE STORAGE.

THERE'S ALSO A VEHICLE-TO-LOAD FUNCTION THAT LETS YOU EASILY USE YOUR EV6 AS A PERSONAL GENERATOR.

THE EV6 IS ON SALE NOW AND THE BASE REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE LIGHT MODEL STARTS AROUND $42,000 BEFORE ANY TAX INCENTIVES.

UPGRADING TO THE DUAL MOTOR WILL COST YOU ABOUT 10-GRAND.

WE'LL HAVE MORE ON KIA'S LATEST ALL-ELECTRIC COMING UP SOON ON MOTORWEEK !

* Greg: WE'VE SPENT ABOUT FOUR MONTHS WITH OUR 2022 NISSAN PATHFINDER AND THE ODOMETER HAS HAD QUITE A WORKOUT SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE AS WE ADDED 5800, MOSTLY INTERSTATE MILES, BRINGING OUR TOTAL UP TO 7000.

THE PATHFINDER IS A GREAT CRUISER, BUT WITH PLENTY OF COMMUTER CAPABILITIES.

SURE, WE FOUND THE RIDE TO BE A BIT BOUNCY AND THE AUTO STOP-START FUNCTION A LITTLE HARSH, BUT THE PROPERLY BOLSTERED SEATS AND A ROBUST HVAC SYSTEM ARE NEAR THE TOP OF OUR PRAISES.

AND THERE'S PLENTY MORE TO THIS REDESIGNED 3-ROW SUV THAN MEETS THE EYE INCLUDING TOP NOTCH INTERIOR MATERIALS.

INDEED, THIS PLATINUM TRIMMED PATHFINDER IS QUITE LUXURIOUS AND AS USUAL, NISSAN KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH THE SEATS.

THEY'RE VERY COMFORTABLE FOR LONG DISTANCE TRIPS AND OF COURSE, WE'VE GOTTEN GOOD USE OUT OF THE VARIOUS HEAT SETTINGS THIS WINTER.

AND THAT GOES FOR OUR SECOND-ROW PASSENGERS AS WELL.

LAST UPDATE, WE REPORTED FUEL ECONOMY AT 20.2 MILES PER GALLON, A BIT LOWER THAN WE EXPECTED.

WELL, THANKS TO LOTS OF HIGHWAY MILES AND OUR ANNUAL ROEBLING ROAD TRIP, WE'RE SEEING AN IMPROVED AVERAGE OF 22.8 MPGs.

WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF WE CAN SQUEEZE ANY MORE OUT OF IT SOON, BUT FIRST WE'LL CHECK IN WITH OUR 2021 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME IN OUR NEXT LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

John: AUDI'S LINEUP OF SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES IS AS COMPREHENSIVE AS ANY RIVAL WITH NOT ONLY LOTS OF SIZES TO CHOOSE FROM, BUT MULTIPLE VARIATIONS THAT CRANK UP BOTH STYLE AND PERFORMANCE.

SO, LET'S FIND OUT WHERE THIS SQ5 SPORTBACK SPEEDS INTO THAT EQUATION.

* THE AUDI Q5 IS THE BRAND'S COMPACT LUXURY SUV THAT GOES UP AGAINST THE LIKES OF BMW'S X3 AND THE MERCEDES-BENZ GLC.

THIS SQ5 IS THE HIGHER PERFORMANCE VARIANT; WHILE SPORTBACK IS AUDI'S NAME FOR THEIR COUPE-LIKE UTILITY.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, AND YOU HAVE THIS 2022 AUDI SQ5 SPORTBACK.

THE S REPLACES THE Q5s 261 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 WITH A 3.0 LITER V6 TURBO GOOD FOR 349 HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS STANDARD, AS IS AN 8-SPEED TIPTRONIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

THE V6 FEELS STRONG ON THE STREET, BUT IT'S NOT OVERPOWERING IN ANY WAY; AND THE STANDARD 2.0 LITER IS MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR A VEHICLE THIS SIZE.

THE MORE NOTICEABLE SQ5 ADVANTAGE COMES IN THE ACTUAL DRIVING, AS IT GETS ADAPTIVE DAMPERS, WHICH CAN BE FURTHER UPGRADED TO AN ADJUSTABLE AIR SUSPENSION, WITH RIDE HEIGHT AND DAMPER SETTINGS ALL MANAGED THROUGH AUDI'S DRIVE SELECT; A VARIABLE RATIO DYNAMIC STEERING SYSTEM IS ALSO AVAILABLE.

TWENTY INCH WHEELS ARE STANDARD, 21s OPTIONAL.

IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A GREAT RIDE WITHOUT BEING HARSH.

A BIG PART OF AUDI'S STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE IN COUPEIFYING THEIR SUVs IS KEEPING PRACTICALITY FAIRLY HIGH.

THUS, THERE'S NOT NEARLY AS MUCH OF A COMPROMISE AS MOST INSIDE, AND THE CARGO SPACE UNDER THAT STYLISH NEW HATCH REMAINS A GOOD 24.7 CUBIC-FEET, WHICH EXPANDS TO 51.9; AND IT FEELS EQUALLY SPACIOUS THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR.

OUTSIDE, IT LOOKS JUST AS GREAT AS THE Q5, WHICH RECENTLY GOT A REFRESH THAT INCLUDED TWEAKED FRONT AND REAR FASCIAS, AS WELL AS A NEW GRILLE MORE IN LINE WITH THE REST OF THEIR LINEUP.

THE SPORTBACK, OF COURSE, ADDS TO THE DESIGN WITH MORE SLOPE TO THE ROOF, AND A SPORTIER STANCE THANKS TO THOSE 21 INCH WHEELS, AND DELETION OF THE ROOF RAILS.

A PANORAMIC SUNROOF IS STANDARD; PRESTIGE TRIM ADDS MATRIX LED HEADLIGHTS AND UNIQUE OLED TAIL LIGHTS.

STILL, IT LOOKS MORE CLASSY THAN FLASHY, AND BLENDS IN MORE THAN TURNS HEADS.

WE WERE DODGING RAIN DROPS AT OUR TEST TRACK, BUT QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE PROVIDED TYPICALLY GREAT GRIP FOR ACCELERATION RUNS.

EXTRAORDINARY LOW-END PUNCH OFF THE LINE HAD US HITTING 60 IN 5.4 SECONDS; POWER RAMPS UP FORCEFULLY BUT SMOOTHLY, WHICH ALSO DESCRIBES ACTION IN THE TRANSMISSION.

QUARTER-MILE COMPLETED IN 13.9 SECONDS AT 101 MILES PER HOUR; MAKING ALL THE RIGHT NOISES ALONG THE WAY.

PLENTY OF GRIP IN OUR CONE COURSE AS WELL; NIMBLE, GOOD FEEL, MINIMAL BODY ROLL, ALL THE THINGS WE LOOK FOR IN A SPORTY UTILITY, THINGS AUDI DELIVERS BETTER THAN MOST.

THAT BEING SAID, THE S PREFIX SEEMS TO HAVE A LITTLE LESS IMPACT ON AUDI SUVs THAN IT DOES ON THEIR CARS, AS IT'S NOT VASTLY BETTER THAN THE Q5.

BRAKING PERFORMANCE WAS STILL EXCEPTIONAL THOUGH, DESPITE NO UPGRADES OTHER THAN RED PAINTED CALIPERS; BRINGING US TO STEADY HALTS FROM 60 IN JUST 98 FEET.

AS WE'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM AUDI, MATERIALS THROUGHOUT THE SLEEK AND MODERN CABIN, AND THE ASSEMBLY OF THEM, ARE TOP NOTCH; PLENTIFUL STANDARD FEATURES WITH ALL SPORTBACKS INCLUDE COMFORTABLE SPORT SEATS AND WOOD TRIM; CARBON FIBER TREATMENTS OPTIONAL.

AUDI'S MUCH-IMPROVED MIB 3 INFOTAINMENT FEATURES FASTER PROCESSING SPEED, AND A LARGE 10 INCH TOUCHSCREEN.

IT'S INCREDIBLY EASY TO NAVIGATE, AND THE DASH-TOP PLACEMENT HAS IT WELL WITHIN LINE OF SIGHT FOR EASY MONITORING.

AND OF COURSE, AUDI'S FEATURE-PACKED VIRTUAL COCKPIT PUTS ALL OF THE INFO YOU NEED RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER, THE SQ5 GAINING A UNIQUE S PERFORMANCE DISPLAY.

THE AVAILABLE BANG & OLUFSEN 3D SOUND SYSTEM MUST BE HEARD TO BE FULLY APPRECIATED; 705 WATTS THROUGH 19-SPEAKERS.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 19-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED; WE AVERAGED EXACTLY THAT, 21.0 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

Q5 PRICING STARTS AT $45,195, SQ5 RATCHETS THAT UP TO $56,995, AND TACK ON ANOTHER $3,400 FOR THE SQ5 SPORTBACK.

THE 2022 AUDI SQ5 SPORTBACK IS A SMALL SUV THAT DELIVERS EQUAL PARTS STYLE, PERFORMANCE, AND PRACTICALITY.

SO, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE TOTAL PACKAGE, AND HAVE THE MEANS, IT'S THE ONE.

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.

WE'LL SEE HOW HYUNDAI'S ALL-NEW TUCSON STACKS UP TO THE COMPACT COMPETITION.

AND WE'LL TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT OUR 2022 DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARD BEST OF THE YEAR, THE FORD MAVERICK.

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... 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.