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

JOIN US AS WE SURGE AHEAD IN AN ALL-ELECTRIC SCANDINAVIAN CROSSOVER, THE SLEEK VOLVO C40 RECHARGE...

FOLLOWED BY AN EXPERT STUDY SESSION ON TEEN DRIVER SAFETY... WE'LL GET DOWN THE ROAD WITH A COUPLE OF QUICK SPINS... ENDING WITH A CLOSE-UP OF THE RAZOR-SHARP LEXUS NX...

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 .

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

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: THE VOLVO BRAND HAS VERY AMBITIOUS PLANS OF SELLING ONLY PURELY ELECTRIC VEHICLES BY 2030.

THAT'S ONLY 8-YEARS AWAY!

SO, IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, THEY NEED TO EXPAND THEIR EV OFFERINGS AND QUICKLY.

SO...NOW, JOINING THE XC40 RECHARGE IS THIS ALL-NEW C40 RECHARGE.

LET'S SEE HOW MUCH IT ADDS TO VOLVO'S CHARGE TO GO ALL-ELECTRIC.

♪ THERE'S ONLY ONE LETTER SEPARATING THE 2022 VOLVO C40 RECHARGE FROM THE XC40 RECHARGE, AND FITTINGLY, THESE 40s ARE A LOT MORE ALIKE THAN THEY ARE DIFFERENT.

NOWADAYS, COUPE-LIKE IS THE NEW ACTIVE LIFESTYLE BUZZWORD, AND THIS ATHLETIC-LOOKING HATCHBACK APPEARS LIKE A MASHUP OF THE XC40 UTILITY AND A POLESTAR 2 HATCHBACK; AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS.

SIMILARITIES WITH THE XC40 RECHARGE INCLUDE BOTH ITS STANDARD ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE POWERTRAIN, WITH TWIN 150 KILOWATT MOTORS, OUTPUTTING A TOTAL OF 402 HORSEPOWER AND 486 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AND THE 78 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY PACK; THOUGH THERE'S A BIT LESS CARGO SPACE, AS WELL AS TIGHTER REAR SEAT HEADROOM.

IT'S MUCH MORE AERODYNAMIC, OF COURSE, AND JUST LOOKS COOL, WITH ONE SLOPING ROOFLINE FROM WINDSHIELD HEADER TO TAIL.

BUT UNLIKE THE XC40, THE C40 IS FULLY ELECTRIC AND WILL REMAIN SO, WITH NO PLANS FOR A HYBRID VERSION; AND ITS 226 MILES OF RANGE COMES IN THREE-MORE THAN THE XC40, WITH A GOOD EFFICIENCY RATING OF 39 KILOWATT HOURS PER 100 MILES.

IN OUR TESTING, WE FOUND THAT RANGE ESTIMATE TO BE QUITE CONSERVATIVE AND WERE ON PACE TO GET CLOSER TO 250 MILES OUT OF A FULL CHARGE.

REAR VISIBILITY IS HINDERED SOMEWHAT BY THE TALL TAIL, BUT THE SIDE MIRRORS ARE GREAT, AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF WARNING SYSTEMS IN PLACE; BETTER LIVING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, RIGHT?

THE INTERIOR IS VOLVO'S LATEST REMINDER THAT EVEN WHEN YOU FORGO LEATHER, YOU CAN STILL CREATE A VERY LUXURIOUS FEEL.

NICE TOUCHES INCLUDE BACKLIT TRIM PANELS, UNIQUE TOPOGRAPHICAL DASH MOTIF, AND COLOR COMBOS THAT ARE A DEPARTURE FROM BLAND BEIGE OR BLACK.

JUST 17.3 CUBIC-FEET OF CARGO ROOM BEHIND THE REAR SEATS, STILL EXPANDING NICELY WITH THEM FOLDED, PLUS, A SMALL STORAGE NOOK UNDER THE HOOD ADDS ALMOST ANOTHER CUBIC-FOOT.

FOR AS HIGH TECH AND FORWARD THINKING AS IT IS, VOLVO HAS GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR ACTUAL INTERACTIONS WITH THAT TECH.

PLUS, YOU CAN THEN DIAL THINGS BACK EVEN MORE IN THE INTEREST OF INCREASING EFFICIENCY SHOULD YOU SO CHOOSE.

IT DOES TAKE A WHILE TO GET USED TO NOT HAVING A START BUTTON TO START THINGS UP; BUT THE C40 KNOWS WHY YOU'RE HERE, SO IT'S READY TO ROLL AS SOON AS YOU SIT DOWN; JUST SELECT A GEAR AND GO.

AND, THERE ARE JUST TWO LEVELS OF ADJUSTMENT FOR THE REGEN BRAKING, BASICALLY ONE-PEDAL DRIVING ON OR OFF.

THE ONE-PEDAL SETUP WORKS QUITE WELL, BUT FOR SOME, IT'S STILL A VERY UNNATURAL FEEL FOR SO MUCH BRAKING FORCE AS SOON AS YOU LIFT OFF THE ACCELERATOR.

THE C40 FEELS NIMBLE ENOUGH TO KEEP YOUR DRIVING ENTERTAINING, BUT IT'S CLEARLY NOT AS CAPABLE AS THE OHLINS-EQUIPPED POLESTAR 2; IT ALSO FELT A LITTLE HARSH OVER BUMPS AND PERHAPS A LITTLE LESS REFINED THAN A TYPICAL VOLVO.

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS VERY RESPONSIVE AT SPEED, AND ALSO WAS THE CATALYST TO INSTANTANEOUS POWER DELIVERY AT MASON DIXON DRAGWAY.

LAUNCHING OFF THE LINE WAS AS SIMPLE AS IT CAN BE, WITH THE REAR OF THE CAR SQUATTING DOWN BEFORE POUNCING TO 60 IN JUST 4.4 SECONDS.

FROM THERE, POWER STOPS BUILDING AS FAST, AND SORT OF LEVELS OFF AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY DOWN THE REST OF THE TRACK; FINISHING OUT THE QUARTER-MILE IN 13.1 SECONDS AT 105 MILES PER HOUR.

THE C40s SUSPENSION WAS VERY TIGHT AND STIFF DURING HANDLING RUNS, WITH VERY LITTLE BODY ROLL.

AT ITS LIMITS, SOME MINOR UNDERSTEER SHOWED UP, BUT IT WASN'T A HINDRANCE AT ALL TO MAINTAINING A GOOD PACE.

STEERING IS RATHER VAGUE, LIKE MANY ELECTRIC CARS, BUT POINT IT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND THE C40 CHARGES OR RECHARGES WITH IMMEDIACY.

THERE ARE THREE C40s TO CHOOSE FROM, STARTING WITH A WELL-EQUIPPED CORE MODEL FOR $56,395, JUST $1,550 MORE FOR THE MID-LEVEL PLUS, AND FOR THE ULTIMATE, THERE'S ULTIMATE, STARTING AT $61,195.

THAT'S PRICED COMPETITIVELY, FOR SURE, BUT THEY DO SEEM TO BE COMPETING WITH THEMSELVES A BIT, OFFERING THE MORE UTILITY-LIKE XC40 RECHARGE FOR ABOUT TWO-GRAND CHEAPER, AND SISTER BRAND'S POLESTAR 2 IS AVAILABLE FOR EVEN LESS.

BUT JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER MODERN VOLVO, THE 2022 VOLVO C40 RECHARGE IS STYLISH, FUNCTIONAL, AND FORWARD-LOOKING.

IT'S HARD NOT TO BE IMPRESSED AND EVEN EXCITED ABOUT THE ALL-ELECTRIC FUTURE FROM VOLVO.

♪ A FIVE-TIME CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING PRO RACER AND CORVETTE HALL OF FAMER IS BEHIND A GIVE BACK PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PUT THE BRAKES ON DANGEROUS DRIVING HABITS, AND HE CERTAINTY HAS HIS WORK CUT OUT FOR HIM.

ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA, DISTRACTED DRIVING ALONE CLAIMED MORE THAN 3100 LIVES IN 2019.

AS STEPHANIE HART SHOWS US, LEARNING HOW TO BE A SAFE DRIVER STARTS EARLY AND IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR.

♪ Stephanie Hart: I'M HERE AT THE NCM MOTORSPORTS PARK IN BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY, WHERE RACE CAR DRIVER ANDY PILGRIM IS TEACHING TEENS AND THEIR PARENTS THE MENTAL AND DECISION-BASED SIDE OF DRIVING, PULLING FROM HIS 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON THE TRACK.

TEENAGER FRANCEE TABOR AND HER FATHER GRADY TABOR ARE PERFECTING THEIR DRIVING SKILLS TODAY.

Andy Pilgrim: THE BASIC STUFF JUST TO GET THEM COMFORTABLE AND THE PARENT COMFORTABLE.

PARENTS ARE MORE NERVOUS THAN THE KIDS, TRUST ME.

Stephanie: I BET.

Andy: YEAH.

Stephanie: I BET... ANDY PILGRIM AND RACETRACK WORKERS USE RADIOS TO GIVE TEENS LIKE FRANCEE REAL TIME FEEDBACK WHILE NAVIGATING THIS COURSE.

Andy: AND IF THEY DON'T SEE TURN SIGNALS BEING USED, IF THEY SEE THEY'RE NOT STOPPING AT THE STOP SIGN, IF THEY NEED HELP TO STAY IN THEIR LANE, IF THEY'RE NOT GETTING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL QUICKLY ENOUGH WHEN THEY GET INTO THE EMERGENCY BRAKING AREA-- THESE THINGS WE CAN HELP THEM WITH.

WE WANT THEM TO FEEL ABS BEFORE THEY LEAVE HERE AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT ONCE THEY FEEL THAT PULSING UNDER, SOMETIMES LET OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE.

Stephanie: INSTRUCTION LIKE THIS, IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE.

TODAY, DRIVING COLLISIONS AND CRASHES ARE THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF TEENAGERS IN THE UNITED STATES.

Francee Tabor: ANDY'S PROGRAM HELPED ME IN WAYS, DRIVERS ED COULD NOT AND I WOULD SAY THE BIGGEST POINTS THAT HE MADE THAT HELPED ME IS KEEPING YOUR EYES UP ALL THE TIME AND LOOKING OUT FOR HAZARDS THAT COULD BE ON THE ROAD.

Stephanie: IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR ALL TEEN DRIVERS AND GREAT REMINDERS FOR SEASONED DRIVERS TOO.

Grady Tabor: SOME OF THE PROGRAMS ANDY HAS THAT I'VE GONE THROUGH AS A PARENT TRYING TO YOU KNOW, TEACH HER HOW TO DRIVE HAS ACTUALLY MADE ME A BETTER DRIVER, SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE.

Stephanie: UNFORTUNATELY, STATISTICS SHOW MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF NEW DRIVERS IN THE U.S. WON'T RECEIVE ANY STRUCTURED DRIVING EDUCATION TRAINING.

Andy: THAT'S ABOUT 1.7 MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR-- NO STRUCTURED DRIVER ED... WHO ARE THEY GONNA DRIVE LIKE?

THEIR PARENTS.

ONE OF THE FUNNIEST THINGS THAT I HEAR FROM DRIVER ED TEACHERS IS GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES WITH THE KID AND I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW THE PARENTS DROVE.

Stephanie: PILGRIM STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT ALL TEEN DRIVERS START TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE FROM THEIR PARENTS WHEN THEY'RE JUST A TODDLER RIDING IN A CAR SEAT.

Andy: IT'S A SITUATION YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.

IT'S NOT GOING CHANGE.

IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE.

THE PARENTS JUST NEED TO KNOW EARLY ENOUGH THAT "HEY, I'M THE DRIVER EDUCATION TEACHER AND I CAN DO...

I CAN DO A BETTER JOB.

I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE PHONE ALONE.

I'M NOT GOING TO ROLL THROUGH STOP SIGNS.

I'M NOT GOING TO SPEED UP AT YELLOW LIGHTS.

I'M NOT GOING TO YELL AT OTHER TRAFFIC."

WHEN THE KIDS ARE IN THE CAR PLEASE DON'T DO IT.

Stephanie: IN REALITY, ANY NON-DRIVING ACTIVITY YOU DO IS A POTENTIAL DISTRACTION AND INCREASES YOUR RISK OF CRASHING.

TEXTING WHILE DRIVING IS THE MOST ALARMING DISTRACTION.

SENDING OR READING A TEXT TAKES YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR FIVE SECONDS.

AT 55 MILES PER HOUR THAT'S LIKE DRIVING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED.

Francee: I THINK SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS PUTTING YOUR PHONE ON "DO NOT DISTURB" WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING, SO THAT EVEN IF YOU GET A NOTIFICATION THAT YOU DON'T FEEL OBLIGATED TO CHECK IT 'CAUSE YOU WON'T SEE IT.

Stephanie: HOW DID A WINNING RACE CAR DRIVER BECOME A TRAFFIC SAFETY EXPERT?

Andy: I LIVE A CONFLICTED LIFE, WHAT CAN I TELL YA?

MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAID, "NEVER BE SO BUSY THAT YOU CAN'T LEND AN EAR OR A HAND TO SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT NEED IT" AND I GUESS THAT STUCK.

Stephanie: TODAY, PILGRIM IS FULFILLING HIS SAFER DRIVER PASSION THROUGH HIS TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION FOUNDATION, WHEN HE'S NOT WINNING RACES.

HE HAS PRODUCED HOURS OF FREE DRIVER EDUCATION VIDEOS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON THE TSEF WEBSITE.

IT'S A TERRIFIC RESOURCE FOR ANYONE, OF ANY AGE, WHO WANTS TO IMPROVE THEIR DRIVING SKILLS.

John: ALL IT TAKES IS A CAR, A KEY, AND A ROAD.

ADD 'EM UP AND YOU GET A QUICKSPIN!

♪ THE FULL-SIZE SUV MARKET IS A HYPER-COMPETITIVE ARENA, AND THE TOYOTA SEQUOIA, A THREE-ROW UTILITY NOW BACK FOR A THIRD GENERATION, LOOKS TO REMAIN A POPULAR ENTRY.

THIS IS THE SEQUOIA'S FIRST PROPER REDESIGN SINCE 2008, AND IT ALL STARTS WITH THE CHASSIS.

IT'S THE SAME BODY-ON-FRAME USED FOR THE TUNDRA PICKUP, GLOBAL LAND CRUISER AND LEXUS LX.

FROM THERE, IT'S CONFIGURED AS ONE OF FIVE GRADES, INCLUDING THE ALL-NEW CAPSTONE LEVEL.

NO MATTER WHICH TRIM IS PICKED, BEHIND THE GRILLE IS A STANDARD HYBRID POWERTRAIN: THE I-FORCE MAX 3.5 LITER TWIN-TURBO V6, BACKED UP BY AN ELECTRIC BATTERY AND MOTOR FOR A GRAND-TOTAL OF 437 HORSEPOWER AND 583 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

POWER IS SENT TO THE 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND DIVVIED OUT TO THE TWO, OR FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM.

CRUISING AROUND TEXAS, WE FOUND THE SEQUOIA TO BE PROPERLY RUGGED, YET ALSO PRETTY LUXURIOUS-- EVEN THE ENTRY-LEVEL SR5.

THE CABIN SPORTS A 12.3 INCH DISPLAY, HEATED SEATS, A MOONROOF, AND TOYOTA SAFETY SENSE 2.5.

FOR A LITTLE EXTRA, THE SR5 PREMIUM PACKAGE ADDS A 14 INCH DISPLAY, A POWER THIRD ROW, HANDS-FREE LIFTGATE, AND 120 VOLT OUTLETS.

EACH TRIM AFTER OFFERS EVEN MORE, LIKE THE TRD PRO'S OFF-ROAD UPGRADES AND THE CAPSTONE'S EXTRAVAGANT SURROUNDINGS.

Kyle Scanlon: WITH THIS THIRD GENERATION, THEY PUT ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT INTO IT.

NOW, IT HAS THE SAME WHEELBASE AS THE OUTGOING MODEL, BUT THE BODY IS 3.0 INCHES LONGER, WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS MAINLY FOR STYLING REASONS.

BUT THEY HIT ALL THOSE STYLING POINTS PERFECTLY.

THE CAR LOOKS VERY COMPOSED, VERY-- VERY CLEAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME RUGGED.

YOU COULD LOOK AT IT AND YOU KNOW THAT ON ANY TRIM LEVEL THIS THING WILL PASS THE TEST OF OVERLANDING, A LITTLE BIT OF ROCK CRAWLING, SOME MUD PITS, WHATEVER YOU REALLY WANT TO THROW AT IT... John: PERHAPS OUR ONLY GRIPE WITH THE NEW SEQUOIA IS THE LOSS OF THE POWER REAR WINDOW, NOW A FLIP-UP.

STILL, OVERALL THE 2023 TOYOTA SEQUOIA IS A NICE UPGRADE, STARTING JUST UNDER $60,000 FOR THE ENTRY-LEVEL SR5.

TOP-TRIM CAPSTONE 4-BY-4s START JUST UNDER 80,000.

THE NIRO EV ARRIVED FOR 2019 AS AN ELECTRIFIED VARIANT OF KIA'S SUBCOMPACT CROSSOVER.

AND WITH A SECOND-GEN REFRESHING COMING FOR 2023, WE WANTED TO SEE HOW FAR THE FIRST-GENERATION NIRO EV HAS STRETCHED SO FAR.

THIS 2022 MODEL IS STILL POWERED BY THE SAME FRONT DRIVE 201 HORSEPOWER ELECTRIC MOTOR, DRAWING ENERGY FROM A 64 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY.

THIS LEADS TO AN EPA-ESTIMATED RANGE OF 239 MILES.

AND IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR FOR AN 80 PERCENT CHARGE ON A DC FAST-CHARGER.

SO, WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE '19?

OUTSIDE ITS MOSTLY BRANDING.

THE 2022 NIRO EV ADDS THE LATEST KIA LOGO ACROSS THE GRILLE, TAILGATE, AND WHEEL CAPS.

INSIDE IT'S COMFORTABLE SUBSTANCE.

A TEN AND A QUARTER INCH TOUCHSCREEN IS NOW STANDARD, AS IS A HARMAN KARDON SOUND SYSTEM, NAVIGATION AND WIRELESS SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION.

BUT, OVERALL, IT REMAINS THE SAME QUIRKY LITTLE CROSSOVER WITH SENSIBLE ACCOMMODATIONS AND ENOUGH TECH TO KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY.

ONE MORE CHANGE; THE STARTING PRICE.

UP SLIGHTLY TO JUST OVER $41,000 WITH DESTINATION, BUT BEFORE TAX INCENTIVES.

IT ALSO REMAINS A PRETTY ECONOMICAL WAY TO GO FIRST TIME EV-ING.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

NOW, IT'S TIME FOR SOME BREAKING MOTOR NEWS FROM LAUREN MORRISON.

♪ Lauren Morrison: THE SUMMER IS HEATING UP WITH A SERIES OF REVEALS, INCLUDING FORD'S F-150 RAPTOR R. THE 2023 F-150 RAPTOR R MARKS THE RETURN OF THE V8 FOR THIS OFF-ROAD PICKUP.

BORROWING A TWEAKED VERSION OF THE GT500 MUSTANG'S SUPERCHARGED V8, THE RAPTOR R WILL DISH OUT 700 HORSEPOWER AND 640 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT FEATURES MANY OF THE SAME OFF-ROAD UPGRADES AND PREMIUM AMENITIES AS THE REGULAR RAPTOR.

ORDERS FOR THE 2023 RAPTOR R ARE OPEN NOW.

HYUNDAI'S IONIQ LINEUP IS GETTING A PLUS-ONE.

THE IONIQ 6 IS THE LATEST ENTRY IN HYUNDAI'S ELECTRIC SUB-BRAND, FOLLOWING THE IONIQ 5.

WHILE, IT SHARES THE SAME E-GMP PLATFORM, THE IONIQ 6 TAKES ON THE SHAPE OF AN AERODYNAMIC.

STREAMLINER SEDAN.

THIS HELPS IT ACHIEVE AN ESTIMATED RANGE OF UP TO 379 MILES WITH THE MOST OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION.

FOR US BUYERS, THE IONIQ 6 IS EXPECTED TO LAUNCH EARLY 2023.

TOYOTA IS RETURNING TO ROYALTY WITH THE 2023 CROWN.

THE TOYOTA CROWN IS AN UPSCALE SEDAN POWERED BY TWO AVAILABLE HYBRID POWERTRAINS, INCLUDING THE FIRST HIGH-PERFORMANCE HYBRID MAX TO BE FITTED TO A TOYOTA SEDAN.

ALL MODELS WILL FEATURE AN ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SETUP.

THE CROWN IS EXPECTED TO REACH SHOWROOMS LATER THIS YEAR.

AND CADILLAC SCORED A VICTORY FOR CHARITY WITH THEIR LATEST ENTRY.

THE FIRST PRODUCTION ESCALADE-V SOLD AT AUCTION FOR $500,000, WITH AN ADDITIONAL $25,000 DONATED ON TOP.

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE PENSOLE LEWIS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND DESIGN, MICHIGAN'S ONLY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY.

AND THAT DOES IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTOR NEWS.

♪ Stephanie Hart: IT LOOKS LIKE JEEP HAS A NEW SUBCOMPACT UTILITY IN THE WORKS.

THIS "BABY JEEP" HAS PROPORTIONS SIMILAR TO THE JEEP EV CROSSOVER THAT HAS BEEN TEASED.

IN THESE CAMOUFLAGED PHOTOS, WE CAN SEE AN EXHAUST TIP INDICATING SOME FORM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION, BUT RUMORS SAY IT WILL USE A MODULAR PLATFORM THAT CAN ACCEPT BOTH EV AND ICE POWERTRAINS.

EXPECT IT TO LAUNCH IN 2023 AS A 2024 MODEL.

WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, WE'LL BE SURE TO COVER THIS BABY JEEP SUV RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

John: LIKE MOST LUXURY BRANDS THESE DAYS, LEXUS HAS A FULL LINEUP OF SUVs; BUT, UNLIKE MOST, IT WAS THEIR PARENT COMPANY TOYOTA THAT REALLY KICKED OFF THE CROSSOVER CRAZE HERE WITH THE 1995 RAV4.

YET, IT TOOK THEM UNTIL 2015 TO RELEASE A TRUE LEXUS VERSION OF THE RAV: THE NX, WHICH NOW BEGINS ITS 2ND GENERATION.

♪ JUST WHAT MAKES A LEXUS, ANYWAY?

WELL, ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS YOU NOTICE WHEN STEPPING UP FROM TOYOTA TO THEIR LEXUS LUXURY DIVISION IS THE CALMNESS AND SERENITY OF THE INTERIOR.

THAT'S SOMETHING THIS 2022 NX HAS IN SPADES.

IT MAKES EVEN SITTING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC A MUCH MORE PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.

SITTING STILL IS ALSO A GREAT TIME TO GET TO KNOW THE POSHER INTERIOR.

THE NX'S NEW MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM FEATURE'S UP TO A 14 INCH SCREEN.

THE SCREEN IS NOT ONLY BIG, BUT VERY CLEAR, RESPONSIVE, AND EASY TO NAVIGATE, WHILE ALSO ELIMINATING OUR MEMORIES OF THE BRAND'S INDECISIVE TOUCHPAD.

A LEXUS DEFINER THAT WE CAN'T WAIT TO FORGET.

BIGGER NEWS FOR THE NX, AND FOR THE LEXUS BRAND IN GENERAL, IS THEIR FIRST PLUG-IN HYBRID.

THIS 450H+ COMBINES A NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 2.5 LITER I4 ENGINE WITH THREE ELECTRIC MOTORS, AND AN 18.1 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY FOR A 302 HORSEPOWER TOTAL OUTPUT, AND UP TO A GREAT 37 MILES OF PURE EV DRIVING.

CHARGING TAKES ABOUT 4.5 HOURS, UNLESS YOU UPGRADE TO THE 6.6 KILOWATT ONBOARD CHARGER, WHICH SHAVES THAT DOWN TO 2.5 HOURS.

IF ALL OF THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE TOYOTA RAV4 PRIME.

THE PHEV MAY SIT AT THE TOP OF THE LINEUP, BUT THERE'S ALSO A 239 HORSEPOWER 350H TRADITIONAL HYBRID, AS WELL AS TWO NON-HYBRIDS.

A 275 HORSEPOWER 2.4 LITER TURBO-4 IN THE NX350, AND A NATURALLY-ASPIRATED VERSION OF THE HYBRID'S 2.5 LITER WITH 203 HORSEPOWER IN THE NX250.

WORKING WITH THE RAV4 PRIME POWERTRAIN, WE WERE PRIMED THE FOR QUARTER-MILE WITH THIS 450H+ AT OUR MASON DIXON DRAGWAY TEST TRACK.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT'S THE QUICKEST NX YET; SQUATTING DOWN AND POUNCING OFF THE LINE WITH AUTHORITY, THE ELECTRIC MOTORS DELIVERING THE ADDITIONAL TORQUE NEEDED TO GET TO 60 IN JUST 5.6 SECONDS.

THE ECVT TRANSMISSION IS ALSO THE SAME AS THE RAV4 PRIME, AND LIKEWISE ONE ELECTRIC MOTOR IS INTEGRATED INTO THE REAR AXLE PROVIDING STANDARD ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

SMOOTH, STEADY, AND VERY QUIET THROUGHOUT THE 14.2 SECOND QUARTER-MILE AT 98 MILES PER HOUR.

LIKE, MOST LEXUS', IT WAS CLEAR IN OUR HANDLING COURSE THAT COMFORT AND SAFETY ARE THE PRIORITIES.

BUT THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SETUP IS THERE TO ASSIST WITH HANDLING JUST AS MUCH AS PROVIDE ALL-WEATHER GRIP.

LEXUS ALSO MADE A POINT OF LOWERING THE NX'S CENTER OF GRAVITY, AND THE 450H+'S BATTERY WEIGHT CERTAINLY HELPS.

AN AVAILABLE F SPORT HANDLING PACKAGE WILL HELP EVEN MORE, ADDING ACTIVE VARIABLE SUSPENSION AND UPGRADED PERFORMANCE DAMPERS; THOUGH MOST LEXUS BUYERS WILL PROBABLY NOT BE ON BOARD WITH THE FIRMER RIDE THAT IT BRINGS.

STEERING IS VERY RESPONSIVE AND SEEMS TO HIT THAT "JUST RIGHT" MIDDLE GROUND OF BEING NOT TOO LIGHT OR TOO HEAVY.

BRAKES ARE A LITTLE TOUCHY IN EVERYDAY TRAFFIC, AND THE ABS PULSING BRINGS A LOT OF NOISE WITH IT; BUT THEY PERFORMED GREAT HERE AT THE TRACK, STOPPING US FROM 60 IN 112 FEET.

LEXUS IS ALSO KNOWN FOR ITS EXPRESSIVE YET ELEGANT STYLING.

THE LOOK OF THE NEW NX DOESN'T CHANGE DRASTICALLY, YET THE REVISED SPINDLE GRILLE IS IN YOUR FACE MORE THAN EVER.

THE 2022 NX IS BOTH LONGER AND WIDER, BUT NOT LOWER, AS IT'S ACTUALLY AN INCH TALLER; THAT MEANS A LITTLE MORE ROOM INSIDE, WHICH SEEMS TO GO TO STORAGE SPACE RATHER THAN PEOPLE SPACE.

THE HATCH COVERING THAT CARGO SPACE NOW SPORTS BIG LEXUS LETTERING AS WELL AS NEW FULL-WIDTH TAIL LAMPS.

BEHIND IT, CAPACITY IS UP A GREAT 5 CUBIC-FEET TO 22.7; A TAD LESS THAN BEFORE WITH SEATS FOLDED AT 46.9 CUBIC-FEET.

BOTH SAME AS ALL OTHER NX'S, AS LEXUS WAS ABLE TO PACKAGE THE LARGER PHEV BATTERY BENEATH THE FLOOR WITHOUT ROBBING STORAGE SPACE.

PHEV GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 36-COMBINED WITH THE GAS ENGINE ALONE, AND 84-COMBINED MPGE USING ELECTRIC ALONE.

OUR MILEAGE LOOP, WITH A MINIMUM OF PLUG-IN TIME, WAS 36.1 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM.

ULTRA-EFFICIENCY DOESN'T COME CHEAP THOUGH, AS THE 450H+ STARTS AT A LOFTY $56,725; WHILE A BASE FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE NX250 STARTS AT $39,025.

WHEN THE LEXUS NX FINALLY ARRIVED, THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT IT WOULD BE A ROARING SUCCESS.

IT WAS A NO BRAINER MOVE UP FOR TOYOTA FAITHFUL.

THE ONLY QUESTION WAS "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, LEXUS?"

WELL, THE ALL-NEW 2022 LEXUS NX, WITH ITS FORWARD-LOOKING POWERTRAINS, AND CALM YET, EVEN MORE CAPABLE DRIVING EXPERIENCE, WILL ONLY ADD TO THAT SUCCESS.

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'LL ADD UP TO TOYOTA'S "BEYOND ZERO" FUTURE IN THE BZ4X CROSSOVER.

THEN, AN UP-TO-DATE TAKE ON ACURA'S RDX SPORT-LUXURY UTE.

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 .

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

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.