Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're fast out of the gate in one sweptback Ute, the BMW X6!

We'll tighten up for a lesson on torquing to spec... One of our crew goes wheel-to-wheel with a fan in an "Overdrive" showdown... Then, we'll head home to plug in with the Volvo XC40 Recharge...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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JOHN: When the BMW X6 arrived for 2008, coupe-like SUVs really weren't even a thing.

After all, isn't a high, squared roof all but required to even be called an SUV?

Well, forget that!

Sloped roof utility vehicles surely are a thing now, and that's mostly thanks to the X6, which is now in its 3rd generation and ever more the trendsetter.

♪ ♪ This 2024 BMW X6 may not qualify as all new, but the 3rd generation of this Sports Activity Coupe has been thoroughly updated with increased power, better style, more standard content, and improved tech.

The X6 is, of course, the more stylish coupe-like version of BMWs X5 midsize crossover, and they share many of the same updates.

Exterior changes for this sloped roof utility include a revised face with slimmer headlights.

And since, so many people add the M Sport package to their X6s, BMW has now made it standard; it includes a big octagonal insert below the grill with large air intakes, exaggerated vent-style fender trim front and rear, side skirts, and lots of black accents.

Twenty inch wheels are also standard, 22s available.

Inside, the big news is a heavily revised dash with BMWs latest curved display that includes a 12.3 inch driver info screen, and a 14.9 inch central display powered by iDrive 8.

So, while there is still a central controller, you can use it as just a touchscreen.

The dash is covered with new material.

It adds an ambient light bar, and slimmer air vents.

More standard content here in the base xDrive40i for '24 includes Harmon Kardon audio and a panoramic moonroof.

The M Sport package adds an M Sport steering wheel and aluminum trim, and some finely stitched and comfortable sport seats covered in BMWs latest Sensafin vegan material.

The severely sloped roof does impede access to the rear seats somewhat, but there's plenty of adult-size headroom and legroom once you get settled inside, along with dedicated climate controls.

At 27.4 cubic-feet, cargo space is way less than the X5s 33.9; but there's still plenty of floorspace for luggage.

You're really just losing capacity for tall, bulky items.

Max space with seats folded is a fine 59.6 cubic-feet.

Power for this xDrive40i comes from an upgraded 3.0 liter inline-6 turbo engine with 48 volt mild-hybrid technology; output is now 375 horsepower, up 40; torque gains are more significant, an additional 51 pound-feet to 383, as much as 398 when getting full electric assistance.

The available V8 now gains 48 volt boost too, and gets a name change from M50i to M60i.

Its horsepower rating actually stays the same though at 523, but there are upgraded turbos with improved airflow that quickens response.

Both engines work with an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel-drive.

The inline-6 sounds powerful and delivered lots of low-end torque at our Mason Dixon test track.

So much so, even with all-wheel-drive and grippy 22 inch tires, we were spinning up at the line.

And even with that, we managed to hit 60 in just 4.4 seconds.

Shifts were both fast and firm, helping us complete the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds at 108 miles per hour.

The X6 comes standard with the Adaptive M suspension with electromagnetically controlled dampers, which had it feeling quite spry through our handling course.

There was very little body roll; and despite a numb feel, steering was quick and accurate.

The wide footprint provides a very stable platform that seemed more than ready for whatever we threw at it.

There was great stability in our panic braking runs as well, along with an average stopping distance of just 96 feet from 60 miles per hour.

Nice, firm pedal feel too.

We expected all that great performance at the track but didn't expect it to be delivered with a ride quite this smooth for the drive home.

This split personality enabled by BMWs comprehensive drive mode setup.

Pricing for this xDrive40i starts at $75,495 and that's more than enough X6 for our money; if you absolutely need the M60i's V8, you'll have to pony up at least $95,295.

Coupe-styled SUVs are not for everyone, but if you're okay with letting practicality take a bit of a backseat to style, you might as well get the original, as the 2024 BMW X6 is better than ever and continues to set the standard for stylish performance-oriented SUVs.

♪ ♪ Earlier this season we debuted our new "Overdrive" feature, in which we showed one lucky MotorWeek fan just how capable his everyday car can be.

Well, in our second installment, we're kicking it up a notch, pitting a talented young fan against our own Greg Carloss in some "friendly" competition.

Well, enough talk-- let's shove it into "Overdrive!"

GREG CARLOSS: As a MotorWeek test driver, I have more than a decade of experience pushing performance cars to their limits on high speed racing circuits.

And if I can toot my own horn, I've gotten pretty good at it.

But I'm always on the lookout for a nice slice of humble pie, and I may just find some here today at Summit Point Motorsports Park.

♪ ♪ All right...Dylan...here's how it's going to go down.

Summit point, put together this autocross course for us.

We're going to run three timed events.

Since, you brought your Miata RF with a few performance enhancements, I thought it would be fun to get, like, a baseline test.

So, I brought a 2024 Miata Grand Touring.

Then, it's going to be a true driver's test.

We're going to ditch the Miatas, we're going to go over to that Charger.

We're going to run the course again three times, best wins.

The third event, that's a little bit of a surprise, but I can pretty much guarantee you haven't done this event.

How's that sound?

DYLAN ADELI: I think it's great.

I'm ready.

(tires screech) GREG: All right.

Not a bad start.

Second...

Tight to the cones.

All right-- Whoops-- Woohoo!

(tires screech) DYLAN: Those tires are yelling.

GREG: And duck down in there, uh-oh, a little more understeer.

Oooh, man-- that was not a very clean run.

Mmm, I might get him there!

DYLAN: Come on.

Go, go, go, go.

(engine revs) Out, out, out, out.

(engine revs) Alright!

(timer beeps) (engine revs/tires screech) GREG: Oh, no!

DYLAN: Oh, no.

Oh!

(Greg laughs) GREG: He's in my head.

DYLAN: All right, come on.

Let's clean this up.

(engine revs) (timer beeps) (tires screech) GREG: All right.

Not a bad start.

Patient, Greg.

Patient, Greg.

Patient, Greg!

DYLAN: Oh, there we go.

GREG: (incoherent noises) DYLAN: Come on.

Let's see if we can beat him.

Come on.

GREG: Heavy on the brakes there.

DYLAN: Push it, push it, push it.

(engine revs/tires screech) Oh, hoo-hoo!

Oooh.

ALEX: Dylan, on this most recent run, you got a 51.8.

Greg, that last run, you got 54.6.

GREG: All right...man...you got me pretty good on the first one.

But now we're going to swap light and nimble for big and hefty with this Charger.

You've never driven one, but I have and I gotta say I think that gives me the advantage over you.

(tires screech) (Greg laughs) DYLAN: Yeah, this is a lot bigger.

Oh, damn.

(tires screech) (engine revs) (timer beeps) Woo!

(tires screech) GREG: Not the best start.

DYLAN: All right.

(tires screech) GREG: Got to keep that wheelspin under control.

(tires screech) All right.

Boom!

(timer beeps) DYLAN: Come on.

Turn, baby.

GREG: He's figured something out.

DYLAN: Go, go, go, go, go.

(engine revs) (timer beeps) GREG: That's what I'm talking about.

Okay.

I think, I might have improved.

DYLAN: There we go.

GREG: Keep it coming.

Go ahead and get aggressive.

DYLAN: Come on, come on, come on, come on.

GREG: Managing traction, managing traction-- oh, I didn't manage traction!

DYLAN: Oh, this is going to be close.

Oh, over the dirt!

ALEX: Greg, I've seen better.

Your second run was a 57.9.

That one was a 58.1.

Dylan your final run.

That was a 57.8.

DYLAN: You're going to have to take it.

I beat you by one tenth.

GREG: I'm crushed.

I'm honestly crushed.

But we have one more surprise event, if you'll remember.

We're going to flip things around, and we're gonna go backwards.

DYLAN: Greg, you're insane for this.

(tires screech) GREG: He's already going in the wrong direction.

Oh, no.

Hahaha.

DYLAN: Whoops!

I don't think I'm on the track right now.

GREG: He's up on the island.

DYLAN: Oh, we're almost there.

ALEX: All right.

All you gotta do is go straight.

(engine revs/tires screech) DYLAN: (laughs) GREG: All right, here we go.

(tires screech) DYLAN: He's missing all the cones, so.

GREG: All right, let's smooth it out a little bit.

At least I'm staying on track.

Whoop!

DYLAN: Oh, no.

GREG: Oh, boy.

DYLAN: He stopped.

Come on, bro.

Oh, I think he's on the grass.

Oh, he's fully cutting the course!

GREG: I think I took a shortcut.

(laughs)...well!

ALEX: Well, looked like you were about to take the scenic route a few times there.

1:42.5.

GREG: You gotta be kidding me!

DYLAN: Yes!

ALEX: I am not.

GREG: I should have just cheated, man.

I should have just cheated.

Well, I gotta hand it to you, man.

You are a damn good driver.

DYLAN: Thank you.

You too man.

GREG: And...well...we wanna make sure that you keep driving.

So, to say thank you, we actually got you a little something on over here.

DYLAN: No way!

You're joking!

GREG: Yeah, man.

Look, you let us use your tires, you gotta let us hook you up with some fresh tires.

We wanna make sure you keep coming out, so here's some fresh tires.

The same ones you use.

DYLAN: I am going to shred these tires on the track.

GREG: I really hope you do... JOHN: Well, better luck next time, Greg!

And thanks again, Dylan, for spending a day at Summit Point Motorsports Park with us.

Now, if you'd like to see a longer version of how Dylan made us eat humble pie...plus, the debut of "Overdrive," head over to MotorWeek's YouTube channel and check out the "Overdrive" playlist!

Now, let's head down to the garage where Logan McCombs is tightening up some loose ends...to spec-- on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ LOGAN MCCOMBS: If you're working on your car or truck, there will often be times when fasteners will have to be torqued to a certain spec, and sometimes in a certain pattern, to ensure that a part is lined up properly and tightened evenly.

An impact gun like this is great for loosening lug nuts and suspension bolts, but when tightening, it is always better to use a torque wrench.

There's less of a chance of cross-threading or stripping the threads, and with a typical impact gun, you really have no way of knowing how tight the lugs are.

And if you've ever struggled on the side of the road to loosen a lug nut, you know that tighter isn't always better!

Over-tightening your lugs can warp your brake rotors, and lead to other problems.

To use a torque wrench, you preset the required number with a dial, which might be measured in foot-pounds for big bolts, and inch-pounds for smaller diameter bolts like oil and transmission pans, and valve covers.

Your dial may also show newton-meters, which is an international standard unit for torque.

Be sure to use the right wrench and the correct scale for whatever you're tightening.

As you tighten the bolt, the wrench measures the amount of force being applied, and makes an audible click when that pre-set limit is reached.

then you know the bolt is tightened just the right amount.

Another commonly stripped thread is oil pan drain plugs.

Most oil pans are made of steel.

Some are made of aluminum and more recently, plastic.

On this Honda Insight, the oil pan is made of magnesium, which is lightweight, but is also a "soft" metal.

After a number of oil changes, and removing and replacing the drain bolt, the threads on the bolt or the pan can become worn out or damaged, or even worse, the oil pan can crack just like this one did, and then you're in for a very big repair.

To prevent this, you may be able to install a drain plug with a built-in valve, so that the oil can be drained without unscrewing the bolt and risking damage of the threads.

While, we're talking about drain plugs, here's one that has a strong magnet built into the end of it, so that metal shavings that circulate within the pan will stick to it and can be cleared off after every oil change.

This is actually a great trick for extending the life of your engine.

If you have a question or comment, reach out to us, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Buckle in and throttle up for this week's QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: The 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is upholding its reputation of marrying sports car performance and automotive elegance with some meaningful enhancements.

So, it was off to Seville, Spain to experience them for ourselves.

Starting with the powertrain.

Despite the brand's upcoming electrified ventures, it was refreshing to find this Vantage spearheaded by a reworked and updated, hand-built, gasoline-fed 4.0 liter V8.

Twin-turbo assisted, it outputs 656 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, sent to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic.

True, the Vantage is clearly built for the streets first, but a trip to the track was necessary to really wring it out.

ALEX: It starts with that ferocity of the V8... it sounds sweet and it means business, but then tethered to the suspension and everything else.

This thing is incredibly, incredibly refined, very tuned in.

JESSICA: It's an impressive engine, but there's more to the equation.

Adaptive dampers, AML-specific Michelin Pilot S 5 tires and carbon ceramic brakes are just some of the variables.

The Aston's 50:50 weight distribution supplied cornering capabilities as sublime as those roaring straight-line dashes.

These changes do offer everyday benefits, too.

The stiffer structure delivered a "point and shoot" ride on curvy roads, while the adaptive suspension mixed in a very tour-able sports car when the going gets long and laxed.

And the interior is still meticulously chiseled, elegantly blending tech with analog.

But one big improvement is the in-house infotainment system, displayed on a 10 inch screen and smartphone compatible.

The first examples of the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage arrive this quarter, starting around $190,000.

And we'll have more QuickSpins...soon!

JOHN: Now, let's head into the studio to Stephanie Hart and all the latest MotorNews!

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: The off-road pickup truck segment is hot, and a new member of the Ram family is arriving on dealer lots soon.

The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO is taking over the mantle as Ram's off-road king.

Like, the entire 1500 lineup, the RHO ditches the HEMI V8 for the Hurricane Inline-6.

This high-output version is rated at 540 horsepower and 521 pound-feet of torque.

The RHO features a unique, long-travel suspension, a full-time active transfer case, a low-restriction exhaust system, and plenty more.

It's sure to be a beast on the trail once it arrives later this year, starting around $70,000.

And in safety news, new regulations that aim to put the brakes on auto accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has finalized new regulations requiring enhanced automatic emergency braking systems for all cars and light trucks.

The rule, to be implemented by 2029, calls for systems far more capable than those common today.

They must automatically stop and avoid a collision from 62 miles per hour when another vehicle is detected, and 45 miles per hour when a pedestrian is detected.

They also have to work far better at night than current systems.

Annually, it's estimated that the new rules will save at least 360 lives and prevent 24,000 injuries.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews!

JOHN: Volvo's march towards full electrification is well underway, and it doesn't look like anything will stop it.

Now, there are currently four fully-electric SUVs you can reserve on their website.

However, only two have made it onto our streets here in the U.S. including their first EV, the XC40 Recharge.

Which, as it turns out, continues to get better and better.

♪ ♪ The 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge started out as just the plain old XC40 back in 2019.

It then acquired the Recharge signifier in 2021 when it became the brand's first full battery-electric vehicle here in the U.S., not to be confused with the XC40 Recharge PHEV-- Plug-In Hybrid, which unfortunately is not sold here.

Got all that?

Good, let's talk about what has changed recently to make the XC40 Recharge EV better than ever.

It may look mostly the same as when we last saw it back in 2021, but it did get some styling tweaks last year, and underneath that skin, and all the vegan, and recycled materials, are some big changes for 2024.

Foremost is a bigger battery.

It comes in a new 2-wheel-drive version of the XC40.

Up to now, all XC40 Recharges have been all-wheel-drive.

With just a single 185 kilowatt motor rated at 248 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque and a larger 82 kilowatt-hour battery pack, range jumps from the previous max of 223 miles to 293.

Now, we put it to the test on a cold and rainy spring day, and fell well short of that max number.

But our pace of 251 miles, at the end of our driving loop, was still a significant improvement.

Twin-motor all-wheel-drive XC40s keep the same 78 kilowatt-hour battery as before, but also take advantage of that new rear motor, as well as get an upgraded front motor too.

New software treats that front motor as more of a traction assist to be used only when needed.

So, range is up for it too, now rated at 254 miles.

Full one-pedal driving is also included.

XC40s with the extended range battery have a charging upgrade too, now taking up to 200 kilowatt DC fast charging for an 80 percent charge in 28 minutes.

As for charging off the starting line at our test track, it certainly didn't have the rush of acceleration that the twin-motor displays.

Power built more gradually, more like a traditional ICE powertrain.

We've been seeing that approach from other EV makers recently as well, and we're onboard with that.

Once full power did arrive, we hit 60 in a still quite quick 6.4 seconds; and power delivery stayed strong throughout the quarter-mile instead of tapering off like many EVs do.

The full quarter-mile catapult ended in 15.2 seconds at 92 miles per hour.

Volvo has also tweaked the suspension to provide a smoother ride on the street, but with the same low center of gravity as before, combined with rear-wheel-drive, the XC40 Recharge felt more than capable through our handling course.

Nothing really changes inside.

All occupants are met with a pretty plush...yet, very practical design.

That means great materials, good comfort front and rear, and Volvo's Google-based infotainment system.

XC40 Recharges are available in three trim levels: Core, Plus, and Ultimate, with all three now available in either rear or all-wheel-drive.

With the Twin Motor now essentially a $1,750 option, prices range from the base Single Motor Core's $53,745 to top Twin Motor Ultimate at $61,845.

With a comprehensive drivetrain and drivetrain makeover, the 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge accomplishes more than just offering more range and more options for buyers, it has become a more compelling EV choice than ever.

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 for one last hurrah in the 5th gen Toyota 4Runner, followed by a roundup of suddenly in-demand plug-in hybrids!

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... To order a DVD of this program... MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.