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

Take a ride with us in a swept back luxury Ute, the Genesis GV80 Coupe... Then, we'll tune in to the original player in DIY car stereo upgrades... We'll cast off in sustainable marine machinery... Then, get to work in the reinvigorated Ford Ranger...

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: These days if you don't have a coupe version of your luxury SUV, you're not trying hard enough.

And that's something that Hyundai and their luxury division Genesis could never be accused of.

So, let's go for a spin in the latest oh, so stylish GV utility from Genesis.

♪ ♪ The 2025 model year brings an updated midsize Genesis GV80 utility, which we recently put to the test.

It also brings this sloped roof Coupe cousin along with it, which adds much more than just some athletic proportions to the luxury crossover party.

But, let's start with the GV80's already gorgeous styling, which received a new 2-line crest grille and updated lighting for '25.

Naturally, this Coupe has a more severely sloped roof line that leads to a hatchback-like tail with an integrated kick-up spoiler.

Adding the final bit of garnish are 20 and 22 inch wheel options that are not available on the standard SUV.

It looks fantastic overall; sportier, but still very luxurious, fitting right in with the Bentley's and Benz's at the valet line of whatever latest "it" restaurant or hotel you drive up to.

Even more appealing to us is what's under the GV80 Coupe's long hood, a new optional twin-turbo 3.5 liter V6 with an e-Supercharger.

This 48 volt power booster is in place to fill in any gaps in power delivery from the turbos as well as feed in a little additional boost, increasing the standard V6 output from 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque to 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet.

E-supercharged models come with black painted brake calipers and quad exhaust tips.

Power is distributed through an 8-speed automatic transmission to standard all-wheel-drive.

While, it mostly shares the GV80's updated interior, there are a few exclusive details that come with the Coupe.

The Nappa leather seats get a unique stitching pattern, and just to emphasis the sporty mission, there's available carbon-fiber trim to replace the usual wood appliques, a 2-tone flat-bottom steering wheel, and added metal accents on the pedals.

Cargo capacity does take a hit, falling nearly 20 percent from 36.5 to 30.3 cubic-feet, expanding to 62.1 with the rear seatbacks down.

To go along with the sportier details and boost in power, GV80 Coupes with the e-supercharger also get an added Sport+ drive mode that dials back stability control intrusion, provides a more aggressive transmission tune, and tightens up steering.

Through the handling course at our Mason Dixon Dragway proving grounds, the GV80 Coupe did still exhibit a lot of body roll, but understeer was minor and well-controllable, allowing us to keep up a good pace through the cones.

Checking out that new powertrain was next on the list, and we could indeed feel a little something extra off the line, but then just as quickly, it settled down and we reached 60 in the exact same 5.6 seconds we achieved in the 3.5 twin-turbo GV80 SUV without the e-Supercharger.

There was no drop off in power throughout the quarter-mile run however, and shifts were quick but still very smooth.

All in all, it was a swift and luxurious 14.2 second trip to the end of the track, at which point we were travelling 100 miles per hour and the GV80 Coupe felt like it was just getting started.

In braking runs, that soft suspension did lend itself to some significant nosedive, but there was a surprising amount of feedback through the vehicle, and stops from 60 were stable and steady, averaging a very short 98 feet.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are slightly improved compared to the GV80 SUV's V6 at 18-City, 22-Highway, and 20-Combined.

But that's still a slightly below average Energy Impact Score; consuming 14.9 Barrels of Oil Yearly while emitting 7.5 Tons of CO2.

Pricing starts at $81,300, which is only $150 more than the top GV80 SUV, opting for the e-supercharged turbo-6, which for now is exclusive to the Coupe, takes it to $87,100.

Genesis continues to stake their claim in the luxury vehicle landscape.

Coupe-style SUVs may have limited practicality compared to the SUVs they're based on, but for better or worse, they've not only become an important part of almost all luxury carmaker's portfolios but are quickly becoming the status symbols of their brands.

The Genesis GV80 Coupe is well equipped to be just that for Genesis.

♪ ♪ Eco-friendly motoring is a universal goal for manufacturers these days, but it's not limited to those who build cars, trucks, and buses.

We've recently encountered a few clean marine transportation projects, so come along and catch a ride to the future of green boating.

♪ ♪ One in ten U.S. households owns a recreational boat, and there are about 13 million registered boats in use.

Unlike, the car industry, where the same company usually makes the vehicle and the engine, marine power is more of an à la carte arrangement, especially with outboards.

So, when it comes to environmental issues, the onus for green innovation generally falls on the engine suppliers, not the boat makers.

MARTIN PETERS: In the marine industry, the replacement rate for boats is about 1.7 percent per year.

That means, it would take 40 years to replace every boat on the water.

If we introduce fuels that are even 30 percent more carbon neutral than ethanol fuel is right now, we can start to decarbonize the fleet immediately.

JOHN: At the recent Miami Boat Show, Yamaha caught everyone's attention with a 450 horsepower, hydrogen-fueled outboard engine mounted onto a popular boat chassis with fully-integrated hydrogen storage and fuel delivery system engineered by Roush.

MARTIN: We're also pursuing sustainable fuels, and electrification at the lower horsepower level.

JOHN: Yamaha is not alone in seeing the promise of hydrogen for marine use.

Weekend visitors to San Francisco can take a free 10 minute journey from downtown to Fisherman's Wharf aboard the Sea Change, the world's first commercial passenger ferry powered 100 percent by zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells.

It runs a dozen routes every weekend, and tops off its 246 kilos of gaseous hydrogen once a week.

The 75 passenger vessel emits only water vapor, and guests can taste it for themselves!

The onboard water fountain dispenses re-mineralized water sourced from the ship's fuel cell emissions.

The Sea Change trial is a proof-of-concept project for now, but San Francisco's ferry system is heavily used by tourists and commuters alike, so a future switch to green h2 would have a hugely positive environmental impact.

SEAMUS NOLAN: So, I think in terms of looking at a hydrogen future, you have to look at both the demand and the supply side, that at this point both need to be developed together.

You see the hydrogen hubs that are funded by the Department of Energy.

These hydrogen hubs serve as an opportunity to accelerate, ah, and de-risk a lot of the investment associated with building out both supply and demand of green hydrogen.

JOHN: At the other end of the country, visitors to the Hudson River Maritime Museum can take a relaxing cruise aboard the Solaris, the first fully solar-powered boat certified by the Coast Guard to carry passengers.

LISA CLINE: You know, you don't have to yell over anything.

We use her as a floating classroom.

We teach history on the boat, we teach environmental...

Kids love being on the boat.

It's very welcoming, it's not scary, it's close to the water, and it's quiet.

JOHN: In fact, the loudest noise you'll hear aboard the Solaris is the air horn!

(sound of air horn) Built on-site at the museum, the classic look of the Solaris is not just for nostalgia.

DAVID BURTON: We chose a hull design from a 1906 launch.

Back then, boats had to have very efficient hulls because the motors were heavy and very low power.

JOHN: Solaris doesn't need big power, though.

Sixteen solar panels on the canopy provides free energy for an 80 kilowatt battery.

Fully charged, Solaris can travel 50 miles at night at a top speed of around 8.0 miles per hour.

All of these clean marine efforts are what's needed to reach greener waters over the horizon.

If you've ever even thought about upgrading the audio system in your car, chances are you've heard the name Crutchfield.

This pioneering electronics provider all-but invented do-it-yourself car stereo installation, and our Dan Maffett meets up with the man himself on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: I'm sitting here with Bill Crutchfield at one of the Crutchfield locations, and we are celebrating their 50 years.

Bill, thank you for having us today.

BILL CRUTCHFIELD: Yeah, thanks for coming, it's a real pleasure to meet with you and your crew.

DAN: Fifty years of Crutchfield.

How did you guys get here?

BILL: As a kid, I was always interested in electronics and cars, of course, and I built my first radio when I was 8-years-old.

Then, I built the first stereo in Virginia when I was 13, and I start a little business when I was 15 of installing stereos in people's homes around here.

DAN: So, you said it all started with a car and I see it here as Porsche.

Is that really the anchor that pushed you into the realm that we know is Crutchfield today?

BILL: The 356 was the ideal because back then they were very inexpensive.

I was buying cars for $500.

DAN: Oh, wow.

BILL: They were barely drivable, but it was a labor of love and one reason I wanted to get into a different type of business because there was really no money... DAN: (laughs) Right.

BILL: ...in restoring these cars then, unlike today.

DAN: Right... BILL: It's very different today.

It was a very easy choice to jump from this car to the mail order business.

With $1,000 in savings, I started, um, Crutchfield in my mother's basement and, um, it was a real struggle.

I mean, just...

I...I came so close to going out of business, that...I, I have night sweats now when I think about it.

My first two catalogs were a typical catalog of that era.

Just line to drawings of the products and simple description.

Installing a car stereo 50 years ago was more of a mechanical thing, and we had to, oh, often have to open up the dashes, cut larger dash openings, had to certainly cut into doors to mount door speakers or rear deck speakers.

So, all of this was extremely intimidating.

So, I came up with this concept of a hybrid between a catalog and a magazine, and that took off.

That...that was the secret sauce and um, from that moment on we concentrated on being an information company.

Not just a purveyor of products, but a company that provides a wealth of information.

And um, then later in 95, we were the first consumer electronics website.

It went up.

We went up in September of 95, one month after Jeff Bezos, um, put up Amazon, and with the website we did exactly what I'd done with the catalog.

We just filled it full of information.

So, that's really been the secret of the company.

Um...it's information, it's excellent service and really good products.

DAN: So, with that in mind, what is the next 50 years of Crutchfield look like?

BILL: Well, it's... you know, it's hard to be precise, Dan.

But, um, there will be exciting new technologies.

I bet in 10 years, we'll be selling products-- probably most of the products we'll be selling in 10 years don't even exist today.

DAN: Bill, thanks for having us.

Really appreciate your time.

Guys, thanks for watching.

If you have any questions or comments, hit us up right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Pre-flight checks complete, so let's throttle up for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: If you've got the need for speed but haven't found an EV that delivers the experience you're looking for; this 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona may be the ride you've been waiting for.

Yes, the Dodge Charger is back in both coupe and sedan forms, featuring both BEV and ICE drivetrain options but the fully-electric Charger Daytona coupe is arriving first, and we just got some QuickSpin early drive time in Phoenix, Arizona.

Initial offerings include the Daytona R/T and the Daytona Scat Pack.

Both use the same 100.5 kilowatt hour battery delivering 308 miles of range in the 456 horsepower R/T and 241 miles in the 630 horsepower Scat Pack.

Both come with standard dual-motor all-wheel-drive and a Power Shot feature that delivers 40 additional horsepower for 10 seconds, bringing the totals to 496 for the R/T and 670 in the Scat Pack.

We got seat time in both versions, on the street as well as on the road course and dragstrip of Radford Racing School.

On the dragstrip, we ran consistent 11.5s with launch control making it as simple as possible; and no drop-offs in power delivery as we went down the track.

And yes, that is some V8 roar you're hearing.

Goofy name aside, the Charger's Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust delivers realistic engine and exhaust sounds throughout the entire driving experience, both inside and out.

BRIAN ROBINSON: Obviously, you're dealing with a lot of weight here, but in typical Dodge muscle car fashion, there's always more than enough power available at any point in time to overwhelm that weight.

The car has a very solid feel to it, that's for sure.

The sounds, you know they can be a little gimmicky, but at the same time, they're well done, and they really give you that feedback from the vehicle that you're missing in a lot of EVs.

JESSICA: Rolling into showrooms now, 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona R/Ts start around $60,000, with Scat Packs coming in around $74,000.

And we'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: The winter weather has kept us inside a bit more, but we're still finding time to spend with our long-term 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ.

Thirteen hundred miles worth of time, in fact, bringing the total to 9,800.

We're having no issues reaching well over 300 miles of range.

We expect to see a dip as we crank up the heat more and more this winter, but for now things are staying the course.

It may be a result of the high-tech vibe this LYRIQ gives off, but we're relying more and more on this digital rear-view mirror.

Not only does it provide a really crisp image, but the view is actually better than it is with the traditional mirror since we don't have to peer through the rather short rear glass.

The only downside is, if I want to do a quick check of the flow here, I gotta flip it back to the regular mirror.

The best way to describe our drivetime is "tranquil," thanks to the near silence of EV propulsion.

But the LYRIQ is also exceptional at keeping out unwanted road noise.

Aside from our previous gripe about the lack of some basic physical controls, we're loving our time with our 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ.

And we've got plenty of love to give, some of which will go to this 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid.

We'll check in with it on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test update.

JOHN: After being absent from the American market for 8-years, 2019 saw the return of one of Ford's most venerable truck names, the Ranger.

And that EcoBoosted midsize rig quickly picked up where the original compact Ranger left off.

Well...now, it's time for a new 5th generation Ranger.

So, let's find out if the latest global Ranger is still a winner.

♪ ♪ Ford knows a thing or two about building pickup trucks, and certainly has more options available than any other truck maker; from small fuel-sipping hybrids to monster haulers, and everything in between, which is where this 2024 Ford Ranger fits in.

Ford's latest mid-size offering is now available as a SuperCrew 4-door only, with only a 59.6 inch-- call it a 5.0 foot bed, though the wheelbase has grown, up 2.0 inches, to 128.7.

Everything is still attached to a rugged full frame; 17 inch wheels are standard on XL and XLT, with 18s available; standard on top Lariat trim.

Regardless of trim, overall styling of the new Ranger is much more attractive than the previous generation.

XLTs get a sliding rear window, plus...LED lighting and a 120 volt outlet for the bed.

Our XLT SuperCrew had the standard, carryover 2.3 liter EcoBoost I4 engine rated at 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.

But a 315 horsepower 2.7 liter twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 is now an option.

Rear-wheel-drive remains standard, with 4X4 setups available either with or without a locking rear diff.

All get a 10-speed automatic transmission with a full-size max tow rating of 7,500 pounds.

This EcoBoost I4 and 10-speed combo has been on the Ford menu for quite a while now and feels well sorted here in the Ranger; seemingly not in as big of a rush to get into higher gears as earlier evolutions.

While also, noticeably smoother than before, ride quality is still very truck-like, which is the way most truck buyers prefer it.

For a more car-like experience, the Maverick awaits.

The Ranger's true truck-like vibe carries over inside too, where things are more rugged and durable than plush; but the huge center touchscreen certainly sets a techy tone.

It's available in either 10 or 12 inch versions, and while it easily dominates the dash and is mostly intuitive to use, physical knobs and buttons for audio, and climate at the base of the screen are a big plus.

XLTs get wireless phone charging, navigation, and some additional safety features including lane keeping assistance.

While, the rear seat bench has belts for three, two adults will be a more comfortable situation with adequate headroom and legroom.

The seat bottom folds up easily to access plastic storage bins.

Optional trickle-down tech from the F-150 includes Pro Trailer Backup Assist and a host of other features to make your towing life easier.

Off to Mason Dixon Dragway to see what kind of numbers we could pull with our XLT 4X4.

After hooking up very well, with a nice jump off the line, we hauled to 60 miles per hour in a very respectable 7.1 seconds.

Gear changes were a little on the clunky side, but power drop-off during shifts was pretty minor.

Both engine noise and road noise were substantial going down the track, as we finished the quarter-mile in 15.6 seconds at 87 miles per hour.

When it came to reducing speed, we found a very soft brake pedal with minimal feedback, and longish 131 foot stops from 60.

This new-gen Ranger does come with some major suspension changes.

The architecture is the same, but the pieces are now mostly made of aluminum and composites rather than steel.

Combine that with a platform that's over 2.0 inches wider than before, and you've got a smoother and more stable Ranger.

Steering remains light but vague, so it did take us quite a few runs through the cones to get comfortable with the body roll and determine how much steering input was needed.

But, in the end, we found nothing out of character for a modern pickup truck.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the I4 are 20 City, 24 Highway, and 22 Combined.

We averaged a quite good 23.3 miles per gallon of Regular.

That's an average Energy Impact Score, with use of 13.5 Barrels of Oil Annually and 6.6 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

Pricing ranges from $34,315 for XL to $45,275 for a Lariat, with XLTs slotting in between at $37,755; 4-wheel-drive, an additional $3,485.

Having the Maverick in the lineup to take care of the entry-level light duty pickup crowd has allowed the midsize 2024 Ford Ranger to grow closer to the F-150, packing in more features than ever before.

On that score, the now bigger, and better Ranger is all the truck most homeowners will ever need.

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 light up V8 fire in the Audi SQ7, before switching over to the love-it or hate-it Tesla Cybertruck.

We'll head to the garage for headlight adjustment advice, just in time to light up the night at the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek!

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Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

We're Tire Rack.

We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over one million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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