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

JOIN US AS FOUR SMALL BUT MIGHTY SUVS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD... WE'LL GET CONNECTED WITH PAT GOSS DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE... WE'LL SEE HOW ALT-FUELS HIGHWAYS ARE SPANNING AMERICA... THEN, WE PLUG INTO A NEW LUXURY SUV FROM MERCEDES-BENZ, THE GLC 350E...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

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Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS, AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

FROM THE COLD OF WINTER, TO THE HEAT OF SUMMER.

RAIN-X SILICONE ADVANTAGE WIPER BLADES ARE ENGINEERED FOR USE ACROSS ALL SEASONS.

MORE INFORMATION AT RAINX.COM.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

LASER MEASURED, THEY OFFER PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP THE SIDES.

MADE IN AMERICA.

John: AS CAR SALES DROOPED, SUVS SALES HAVE ZOOMED.

WHETHER, THEY BE TRADITIONAL TRUCK-STYLE BODY-ON-FRAME, OR CAR-BASED UNITIZED CROSSOVERS, UTEs ARE THE FAMILY RIDE OF TODAY.

AND INCREASINGLY, THEY COME IN WIDE VARIETY OF SIZES FROM MOST BRANDS.

INDEED, AUTO MAKERS SEE BIG POTENTIAL, IN THE SMALLEST SUVS THEIR LINE-UPS.

SO, WE JOINED OUR COLLEAGUES AT CARS.COM, TO PUT THE LATEST CUTE-UTEs TO THE TEST.

* AUTOMAKERS LOVE PINT-SIZE SUVS AS THEY PROMISE BIGGER PROFITS THAN COMPARABLE SUBCOMPACT CARS.

SO, WE HEADED INTO THE SUBURBS OF CHICAGO AND TEAMED UP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT CARS.COM TO FIND OUT WHICH OF THESE MINI-UTEs OFFERS THE MOST FOR THE MONEY.

OUR SUB-COMPACT CONTENDERS ARE...

THE FORD ECOSPORT WITH ITS PLAYFUL PERSONA...

THE BOLD AND SPORTY HYUNDAI KONA...

THE PRACTICAL AND CAPABLE NISSAN ROGUE SPORT... AND RUGGED RUNABOUT SUBARU CROSSTREK... ALL FOUR CROSSOVERS ARE 2018 MODELS WITH STICKERS UNDER OUR $26,000 CAP, INCLUDING DESTINATION.

THERE'S ONE 3-CYLINDER TURBO, THE REST ARE 4 BANGERS.

EACH HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

HALF ARE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE, WHILE THE REST ARE ALL-WHEEL DRIVEN.

THE GROUP'S COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS RANGED FROM 27-29.

FOR ALL THE DETAILS ON SCORING HEAD ON OVER CARS.COM, BUT THIS IS HOW THIS RIVALRY PLAYED OUT.

COMING IN AT 4TH, THE FORD ECOSPORT.

THE BLUE OVAL'S CUTEST UTE IS NEW TO THE U.S., AFTER ROAMING OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD FOR YEARS WHERE ITS STIFF RIDE IS BETTER APPRECIATED.

OURS HAD A FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE 123 HORSEPOWER 1.0 LITER ECOBOOST I3 MATCHED WITH A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

IT'S THE SHORTEST OF THE GROUP, BUT CARGO ROOM IS IN LINE WITH OTHERS, AND IT SCORED POINTS FOR ITS SYNC 3 MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM.

THE $25,590 PRICE TAG PLACED IT NEAR OUR UPPER LIMIT.

Garick Zikan: THE ECOSPORT IS THE ONLY 3-CYLINDER IN THIS GROUP, SO NATURALLY IT HAS THE LEAST HORSEPOWER, BUT IT IS A TURBO, SO IT PROBABLY HAS MORE SPIRIT THAN YOU MIGHT THINK WHEN YOUR DRIVING AROUND TOWN.

THE TRANSMISSION ALSO DOES A GOOD JOB OF HANDLING THE SHIFTING DUTIES.

Kelsey Mays: THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN COMES WITH SAFETY FEATURES, WHERE THE ECOSPORT DOESN'T EVEN OFFER ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE FEATURES LIKE, AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING OR LANE DEPARTURE WARNING.

THOSE ARE AT LEAST OFFERED ON ALL THE REST OF THEM IN THIS GROUP.

John: THIRD PLACE GOES TO THE ALL-NEW HYUNDAI KONA.

A 2.0 LITER I4 GENERATES 147 HORSEPOWER, AND THE JUDGES LIKED THE SMOOTH 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

IT'S EQUIPPED WITH SOME ADVANCED SAFETY FEATURES LIKE, BLIND SPOT AND REAR CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT, BUT IT HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CARGO ROOM.

THE KONA EASILY BEAT RIVALS PRICE WISE THOUGH, EVEN WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, FOR $23,705.

Garick: THE KONA SEEMED TO HAVE THE SPORTIEST NATURE IN TERMS OF STYLING.

NOW, WE'VE DRIVEN BOTH ENGINES THAT ARE OFFERED, AND WHILE THIS WAS NOT THE MOST POWERFUL, IT HAD GOOD THROTTLE RESPONSE, AND HANDLED WELL.

Fred Meier: THE HANDLING OF THE KONA IS PRETTY GOOD... HYUNDAI'S MANAGED TO GET SUBSTANTIAL ROOM FOR FOUR INTO THE CAR AND SOME CLEVER INTERIOR STORAGE.

John: RUNNER UP IS THE NISSAN ROQUE SPORT.

A 2.0 LITER I4 WITH 141 HORSEPOWER WORKS WITH A CVT SENDING POWER TO THE FRONT WHEELS.

PASSENGER AND CARGO VOLUME ARE MID-PACK.

BUT, IT DID ADD AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING TO THE MIX, FOR THE HIGHEST PRICE OF THE GROUP, $25,910.

Brian Wong: THE ROGUE SPORT WAS THE MOST WELL-ROUNDED OF OUR COMPETITORS, IT WAS THE MOST LIKE, A TRADITIONAL SUV.

HOWEVER, IT HAD ONE GLARING WEAKNESS AND THAT WAS ITS MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM.

IT'S KIND OF ABSURD THESE DAYS TO PAY ALMOST 26,000 FOR A CAR THAT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A TOUCH SCREEN.

Garick: THE ROQUE SPORT HAD THE MOST REFINED INTERIOR AND IT REALLY WAS ROOMY INSIDE.

THE ENGINE HAD PLENTY OF POWER AND IT WAS VERY COMFORTABLE ON ALL THE ROADS WE DROVE ON.

John: THAT LEAVES THE SUBARU CROSSTREK AT NUMERO UNO, WHICH IS WHERE IT LANDED DURING OUR LAST SUBCOMPACT SUV CHALLENGE.

THE 2.0 LITER FLAT-4 HAS THE MOST HORSEPOWER, 152, WORKING WITH A CVT.

OUR GROUP'S LARGEST CONTENDER, THE LATEST CROSSTREK OFFERS GENEROUS PEOPLE AND CARGO ROOM, PLUS, A LONG LIST OF SAFETY FEATURES, WITH STANDARD ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, FOR SLIGHTLY LESS THAN OUR CAP AT $25,905.

Kelsey: A GOOD MIX OF RIDE AND HANDLING, EXCELLENT VISIBILITY, ROOMY SEATS, AND A VERY HIGH QUALITY INTERIOR IN TERMS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP, AND MATERIALS.

Garick: THE CROSSTREK IS THE MOST RUGGED OF THE GROUP.

IT'S VERY SOLID AND HAS THAT GO ANYWHERE CAPABILITY.

THE ENGINE IS STRONG OFF THE LINE, STEERING IS LIGHT, AND QUICK, AND IT HAS GOOD GRIP IN THE CURVES.

John: THE SUBCOMPACT UTILITY MARKET IS ALREADY FIERCELY COMPETITIVE WITH MORE OPTIONS TO COME.

AND WHILE, EACH OF THIS FOURSOME OFFERS PRACTICAL VERSATILITY, THE SUBARU CROSSTREK DOES IT WITH THE DESIGN, SAFETY, AND STANDARD ALL-WEATHER, ALL-ROAD CREED THAT KEEPS IT AT THE HEAD OF THIS PACK.

* THE FREEDOM TO HIT THE OPEN ROAD HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF OUR LOVE FOR THE AUTOMOBILE.

BUT FOR SOME DRIVERS, CHOOSING A VEHICLE POWERED BY CLEANER FUELS LIKE, NATURAL GAS OR ELECTRICITY HAS MEANT LIMITING THAT FREEDOM DUE TO GAPS IN THE NATIONWIDE FUELING AND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.

WELL, THAT IS RAPIDLY CHANGING AS MANY MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND ROADS ARE BEING DESIGNATED AS ALTERNATIVE FUEL CORRIDORS.

SO, PLANNING CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIPS FOR YOUR ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE OR FLEET IS BECOMING EASIER THAN EVER.

* IN JULY 2016, THE FIXING AMERICA'S SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, OR FAST ACT, CALLED ON STATES TO NOMINATE FUELING CORRIDORS ALONG MAJOR NATIONAL ROADWAYS THAT SUPPORT PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING, HYDROGEN, PROPANE, AND NATURAL GAS REFUELING WITH EXISTING OR PLANNED INFRASTRUCTURES.

TO QUALIFY AS ALT FUEL CORRIDORS, THESE ROUTES MUST HAVE STATIONS THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND SITED WITHIN EASY REACH OF THESE ROADS.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, STATIONS NEED TO BE PLENTIFUL ENOUGH TO ALLOW VEHICLES OPERATING ON THESE CLEAN FUELS TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES WITH NO WORRIES ABOUT FINDING FUEL OR CHARGING STATIONS ALONG THE WAY.

THE ALTERNATIVE FUEL CORRIDOR NETWORK CURRENTLY INCLUDES SECTIONS OF NEARLY 130 HEAVILY TRAVELED INTERSTATES AND HIGHWAYS IN 44 STATES.

THIS COVERS MORE THAN 100,000 MILES OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM.

THE TYPE OF FUELS AVAILABLE IN EACH CORRIDOR VARIES: EV CHARGING AND COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS HAVE THE MOST AVAILABILITY NATIONWIDE.

FUEL CELL CARS ARE STILL PRETTY RARE, SO HYDROGEN FUELING SITES EXIST MOSTLY IN CALIFORNIA FOR NOW.

PROPANE IS MOST POPULAR IN REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE FLEETS, AND SPECIALTY USERS LIKE SCHOOL BUSES, AND FARMERS HAVE ADOPTED THOSE FUELS.

UNIFORM SIGNAGE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY THE START AND END POINTS OF THE DESIGNATED ALT FUEL CORRIDORS, SO TRAVELERS CAN HAVE A CONSISTENT REFERENCE POINT TO LOOK FOR.

SOUTH CAROLINA WAS AMONG THE FIRST STATES TO INSTALL THE ROAD SIGNS, ALONG PARTS OF I-20, I-26, I-77 AND I-85.

OFFICIALS THERE HAVE ALREADY NOTICED AN UPTICK IN ALTERNATIVE FUEL INTEREST AS A RESULT.

Landon Masters: WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN A LOT OF PEOPLE REACHING OUT DIRECTLY TO US: MEDIA, AND JUST CONSUMERS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT ARE THESE SIGNS, AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

SO, IF NOTHING ELSE, IT'S STARTED A CONVERSATION.

BUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE ASKING THE QUESTION AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT IT, IS IMPORTANT TO US.

John: A CONSORTIUM OF STATE AGENCIES, UTILITIES, ALTERNATIVE FUEL PROVIDERS, CAR MANUFACTURERS, AND CLEAN CITIES COALITIONS WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE U.S.

DEPARTMENTS OF ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION, HAVE COME TOGETHER TO DEVELOP AND PROMOTE THE ALT FUEL CORRIDORS.

NON-PROFIT INDUSTRY GROUPS CALSTART AND ITS 175 MEMBER COMPANIES ARE FOCUSED ON ADVANCING CLEAN TRANSPORTATION.

CALSTART HAS BEEN LEADING THE CHARGE FOR MAKING CLEAN FUELS READILY AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE, AND ESPECIALLY IN ITS HOME STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

Aleycia Gilde: WELL, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD AWARENESS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S AVAILABLE, WHETHER IT'S ELECTRIC, WHETHER IT'S NATURAL GAS, PROPANE, OR HYDROGEN.

IF YOU'RE AN END USER, WHETHER YOU'RE A FLEET OR YOU'RE JUST A PASSENGER, IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW WHERE EXACTLY CAN YOU GET ACCESS TO THAT FUEL.

SO, SIGNAGE IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF INFORMING THAT DRIVER, AS THEY'RE PASSING ALONG THE HIGHWAY, TO SEE THAT SIGNAGE, TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOCATION FOR THEM TO DRIVE OFF AND FUEL UP WHEN NEEDED.

John: IN THE DRIVE TO DIVERSIFY AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION'S ENERGY SOURCES, SPURRING DEVELOPMENT OF CLEAN VEHICLES AND BUILDING OUT A NATIONAL NETWORK OF CONVENIENT FUELING POINTS FOR NATURAL GAS, PROPANE, HYDROGEN, AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES GOES HAND IN HAND.

AND THE ALTERNATIVE FUEL CORRIDOR PROJECT IS FAST MAKING THESE SO-CALLED ALTERNATIVE FUELS, A FINE FIRST CHOICE INDEED!

TIME FOR OUR WEEKLY TRIP TO GOSS' GARAGE, WHERE THIS WEEK, PAT IS HUMMING A NEW TUNE.

Pat Goss: YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE CONNECTED CAR.

AND HOW MANY NEW CARS CAN COMMUNICATE OVER WIRELESS PHONE NETWORKS, PROVIDING EXTRA SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE FOR THEIR DRIVERS?

INCLUDING, ALERTING FIRST-RESPONDERS AFTER A CRASH.

NOW, THESE SUBSCRIPTION COMMUNICATION SERVICES HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES, OFTEN SPECIFIC TO INDIVIDUAL CAR BRANDS.

BUT, WHAT IF YOUR CAR DOESN'T HAVE SUCH A FACTORY SYSTEM?

WELL, IT TURNS OUT; YOU CAN HAVE THAT LEVEL OF SAFETY ON MOST ANY CAR 1996 OR NEWER BY ADDING AN AFTERMARKET ONBOARD COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.

NOW, THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THESE ADD-ON COMMUNICATION UNITS.

THIS ONE COMES IN TWO PARTS: A MODULE THAT PLUGS INTO YOUR CAR'S ODB-II PORT AND A HANDS-FREE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER UNIT WITH MICROPHONE THAT CLIPS ON A SUN VISOR.

IT CONNECTS TO AN APP ON YOUR SMART PHONE.

INSTALLING ONE OF THESE UNITS IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

ONCE YOU DOWNLOAD THE APP AND CREATE AN ACCOUNT, LOCATE YOUR CAR'S OBD-II PORT.

THAT'S OFTEN UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE DASH, BUT THE APP WILL HELP YOU LOCATE IT.

THEN, JUST PLUG IN THE MODULE.

NEXT, YOU CLIP THE HANDS-FREE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER TO A SUN-VISOR AND YOU'RE READY TO CONNECT.

NOW, WHY DO YOU NEED A SYSTEM LIKE THIS?

WELL, THE BIGGEST REASON IS TO LET SOMEONE KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR HAVE A HEALTH EMERGENCY.

IF IT DOES DETECT A CRASH, IT CAN AUTOMATICALLY NOTIFY EMERGENCY SERVICES AND SEND HELP YOUR WAY, EVEN IF YOU CANNOT MAKE THE CALL.

IF YOU BREAK DOWN, IT CAN SEND ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE RIGHT TO YOU TO YOU EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHERE YOU ARE.

BUT, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THESE CONNECTED SERVICES CAN PROVIDE PEACE OF MIND TO PARENTS OF NEW DRIVERS BY LETTING THEM KNOW WHERE THEIR CAR IS AND EVEN IF THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN SAFELY.

IT CAN EVEN ASSIST THE POLICE IF YOUR CAR IS STOLEN OR HELP YOU FIND IT IN A CROWDED PARKING LOT.

NOW, THERE IS A CAR CARE ASSIGNED TO IT AS WELL.

SINCE IT IS PLUGGED INTO YOUR CAR'S OBD-II PORT, IT CAN MONITOR YOUR CAR'S BASIC SYSTEMS AND THIS IS A BIG ONE FOR FAMILIES TODAY, IT CAN ALSO PROVIDE YOUR CAR WITH A WI-FI HOTSPOT.

THAT'S A LOT OF FEATURES FOR SUCH A SMALL AND SIMPLE TO USE DEVICE.

NOW, CHANCES ARE YOU MAY NEVER NEED TO CALL FOR HELP IN AND EMERGENCY.

BUT IF YOU DO, AN ADD-ON CONNECTED SYSTEM CAN BE READY TO COME TO YOUR RESCUE.

NOW, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE; RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: LOT'S OF CARS TO DRIVE, WITHOUT MUCH TIME TO DO IT, IN.

SO HERE ARE OUR LATEST QUICKSPIN'S.

IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE HYUNDAI ANNOUNCED ITS SEPARATE LUXURY BRAND GENESIS.

AND, PERHAPS TO HONOR THAT ANNIVERSARY, GENESIS IS NOW FIELDING A 3RD SEDAN OFFERING; THIS ONE, WITH THE DRIVING ENTHUSIAST IN MIND.

IT'S THE 2019 G70.

BASED ON THE SAME WONDERFUL PLATFORM THAT UNDERPINS THE KIA STINGER, HYUNDAI'S VERSION IS SHORTER, WITH 3.0 INCHES LESS WHEELBASE; YET, KEEPS THE SAME POWERTRAIN OPTIONS.

SAME POWER, TIDIER PACKAGE, ALWAYS A GOOD FORMULA.

THAT MEANS YOUR OPTIONS ARE A 252 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER I4 TURBO, OR A 365 HORSEPOWER 3.3 LITER TWIN-TURBO V6.

BOTH WORK THROUGH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC IN EITHER FRONT OR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE CONFIGURATION.

OUR FIRST DRIVE OPPORTUNITY CAME ALONG THE COAST OF MAINE, AND SOME SEAT TIME REVEALED THAT THE G70, WHILE INITIALLY FAMILY SEDAN-FRIENDLY IN NATURE; IT CAN QUICKLY SCARE YOUR FAMILY ENOUGH TO HEAR THEM SCREAM "SLOW DOWN!"

LEAVE THE FAMILY BEHIND, AND HIT THE TRACK, AS WE DID AT NEW HAMPSHIRE'S CLUB MOTORSPORT ROAD COURSE, AND IT EFFORTLESSLY TRANSFORMS INTO A LEGIT SPORT SEDAN, WITH THE NECESSARY HARDWARE SUCH AS DYNAMIC TORQUE VECTORING, LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL, BREMBO BRAKES, AND LAUNCH CONTROL TO HELP YOU NAIL 4.5 SECOND 0-60s.

ON SALE SOON, THE 2019 GENESIS G70, WITH 2.0 LITER POWER, SHOULD START IN THE MID-30s, WITH TWIN-TURBO V6s CLOSER TO $50,000.

IT'S HARD TO FIND A MORE FAMILY-FRIENDLY VEHICLE THAN THE HONDA PILOT, AND SINCE THIS LATEST GENERATION HAS BEEN ON THE STREETS SINCE 2016, IT WAS TIME FOR SOME UPDATES FOR THE 2019 VERSION.

Ben Davis: I COULD USE A MID-CYCLE REFRESH MYSELF, I'M GETTING' UP THERE IN AGE, BUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR PILOT IS, AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF MEDIA CRITIQUES AND CONSUMER FEEDBACK ITEMS THAT COULD STAND A LITTLE CORRECTION.

John: THE FIRST THING WE NOTICED IS THE SPORTY NEW BODYWORK.

YES, THAT MEANS THE USUAL NEW FRONT AND REAR FASCIA'S, AS WELL AS UPDATED LIGHTING.

THE PILOT'S OPTIONAL 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS DRAWN ITS FAIR SHARE OF CRITICISMS, BOTH FROM US AS WELL AS CONSUMERS.

UPDATES FOR '19, SEEM TO HAVE SMOOTHED OUT THE ROUGH SPOTS, AS WELL AS ALLOW FOR 2ND GEAR STARTING.

ON OUR FIRST DRIVE OPPORTUNITY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO TAKE IN ALL OF THE TECH UPGRADES INSIDE THE NEW PILOT, WHICH CONSIST OF AN IMPROVED DISPLAY AUDIO SYSTEM AND A LARGER 7-INCH TFT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.

FOLLOWING OTHERS LEADS, HONDA HAS MADE A COMPLETE SUITE OF SAFETY SYSTEMS STANDARD, WHICH MEANS EVERY PILOT NOW GETS THE FULL HONDA SENSING TREATMENT.

ON SALE NOW, 2019 PILOTS START AT JUST OVER $32,000.

WE'VE ALREADY SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME IN THE ALL-NEW FOR 2019 RAM 1500, BUT THIS WEEK WE'RE TAKING A QUICK SPIN WITH SOME ETORQUE.

ETORQUE IS FCA'S MILD HYBRID SYSTEM THAT REPLACES THE ALTERNATOR WITH A BELT-DRIVEN MOTOR-GENERATOR UNIT AND A 48-VOLT BATTERY PACK THAT ENABLES AMONG OTHER THINGS, SMOOTHER ENGINE AUTOMATIC START/STOP.

AS A SIDE BENEFIT, IT ADDS UP TO 90 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE TO THE 3.6 LITER V6, WHICH GETS THE SYSTEM AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT.

AND FUEL ECONOMY JUMPS FROM 20-COMBINED TO 22.

YOU CAN OPT TO ADD THE SYSTEM TO YOUR HEMI V8 AS WELL, GETTING UP TO 130 POUND-FEET OF ADDITIONAL TORQUE.

WE SPENT TIME DRIVING BOTH V6 AND V8 ETORQUE EQUIPPED RAM 1500'S AROUND THE BACK ROADS OF KENTUCKY.

BOTTOM LINE, NO MATTER WHICH ENGINE YOU'RE ROLLING WITH, YOU'LL NEVER EVEN KNOW THE SYSTEM IS THERE.

THEY JUST FEEL A LITTLE MORE POWERFUL THAN BEFORE.

Stephanie Hart: NOT TO WORRY THE HEMI THROATY EXHAUST NOISE RAM IS KNOWN FOR IS STILL HERE.

John: V6 RAM 1500'S START AT JUST OVER $33,000.

ADDING A HEMI WITH ETORQUE WILL COST YOU ABOUT 2-GRAND MORE, AND THEY'RE IN DEALERSHIPS NOW.

WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPIN'S, SOON!

TIME NOW FOR TWO EMERGING TRENDS TO JOIN FORCES.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMPACT LUXURY SUVS, AND PLUG-IN HYBRID POWERTRAIN'S.

THEY'VE COME TOGETHER IN THE MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 350E.

SO LET'S FIND OUT IF THESE TWO GREAT TASTES, TASTE GREAT TOGETHER, OR IF IT'S JUST THE PLUG-IN FLAVOR OF THE MONTH.

* MERCEDES-BENZ HAS BEEN SLOWLY ADDING THE PHEV TREATMENT TO VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THEIR LINEUP; THE LATEST OF WHICH IS THIS 2018 GLC 350E, THEIR C-CLASS BASED CROSSOVER.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE BASE GLC'S 2.0 LITER I4 TURBO, TO WHICH IS ADDED AN 85KW ELECTRIC MOTOR.

BOTH, FILTER THEIR COMBINED OUTPUT OF 320 HORSEPOWER AND 413 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE THROUGH A 7G-TRONIC, 7-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO ALL FOUR WHEELS.

OTHER NOTABLE ADDITIONS ARE A RADAR-BASED REGEN BRAKING SYSTEM, AND A "HAPTIC" ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WHICH KIND OF FIGHTS AGAINST YOU, TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BEST FUEL ECONOMY.

WITH A HEALTHY 8.7KWH BATTERY PACK TO STORE ENERGY, WE ANTICIPATED A FAIR AMOUNT OF EV DRIVING.

BUT EV RANGE IS ONLY LISTED AS "LESS THAN TEN," AND THAT'S ABOUT WHAT WE EXPERIENCED.

FULLY DEPLETED, BATTERY CHARGING TAKES ONLY 2.5 HOURS WITH LEVEL-2 240 VOLTS.

SO, IN DAILY OPERATION IT'S MORE LIKE A TRADITIONAL HYBRID, BUT WITH A HEALTHY BOOST OF TORQUE AND ENOUGH BATTERY POWER TO GET YOU FROM ONE END OF TOWN TO THE OTHER WITHOUT TAILPIPE EMISSIONS.

AND LIKE MOST RECENT PLUG-INS, DRIVE MODES ALLOW YOU TO SELECT WHEN AND HOW MUCH YOU WANT BATTERY POWER TO BE INVOLVED.

NOW, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT VERY FAR AS A FULL EV, BUT IT SURE FEELS LIKE ONE OFF THE LINE.

AT OUR TEST TRACK, THE 350E SHOT OUT OF THE HOLE BRISKLY, WITH A DIESEL-LIKE BOTTOM END OF GLORIOUS TORQUE HITTING 60 IN 5.9 SECONDS.

THE GAS ENGINE REVS QUICKLY, AND THE 7G-TRONIC TRANSMISSION THAT REPLACES THE GLC 300'S 9-SPEED AUTO, KEEPS RIGHT UP.

TIMELY SHIFTS KEPT THE ENGINE IN ITS SWEET SPOT.

THE QUARTER MILE TOOK 14.5 SECONDS AT 92 MILES PER HOUR.

THANKS TO A COUPLE HUNDRED POUNDS OF EXTRA WEIGHT MOUNTED DOWN LOW, AND STANDARD 4MATIC TRACTION, GRIP THROUGH THE CONES WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

WEIGHT TRANSFER IS SUBTLE AND REFINED, WHILE STEERING IS QUICK AND LIGHT.

IT'S ONE SOLID AND SOPHISTICATED FEELING UTILITY.

OUR AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60 WAS A GOOD 127 FEET.

REGEN BRAKES HAVE A VERY NATURAL FEEL; NICE PEDAL PRESSURE AS WELL.

PLUS, THERE IS NO COMPROMISE WHEN IT COMES TO EXPECTED MERCEDES-BENZ LUXURY.

A 7-INCH DISPLAY SCREEN WITH COMAND CONTROLLER IS STANDARD, TO WHICH YOU CAN ADD NAVIGATION THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY DECIDE WHEN TO MOST EFFICIENTLY USE BATTERY POWER ALONG YOUR PROGRAMMED ROUTE.

AND YOU'RE NOT LOCKED INTO ONE PHEV-SPEC MODEL EITHER, AS THE FULL SUITE OF LUXURY AND TECHNOLOGY OPTION PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE.

BUT LIKE MANY PLUG-INS, THE CARGO AREA IS COMPROMISED, DUE TO THE ADDED BATTERIES.

BUT THERE'S STILL A DECENT AMOUNT OF WELL-FINISHED SPACE.

NOT MANY ECO INDICATORS OUTSIDE, AS THANKFULLY MERCEDES CHOSE CLASSY OVER FLASHY.

THERE IS, OF COURSE, AN EXTRA ACCESS PANEL FOR THE CHARGE PORT.

BUT LIKE OTHER BENZ PLUG-INS, IT'S LOCATED ON THE REAR BUMPER.

SO, NO CUTTING INTO A BODY PANEL, BUT IT IS ALSO, EASILY SUSCEPTIBLE TO REAR END DAMAGE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 25-COMBINED ON PREMIUM FUEL, JUST ONE MPG BETTER THAN A BASE GLC300; THOUGH THE MPGE RATING COMES IN AT 56-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED 28.8 MILES PER GALLON.

WHICH IS A BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE; 8.8 BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL CONSUMPTION, WITH YEARLY CO2 EMISSIONS OF 3.9 TONS.

WITH A STARTING PRICE OF $50,985, WE'RE SURE THAT WELL-HEELED ENVIRONMENTALISTS WILL THINK THAT THE GLC 350E'S CLOSE TO $8,000 PREMIUM OVER A BASE GLC 300 4MATIC IS APPROPRIATE, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF PLUGGING IN, BUT OUR PRACTICAL ALTRUISM ONLY GOES SO FAR.

WE NEED A LOT MORE RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENTS THAN SINGLE DIGIT EV RANGE.

BUT, WE ALSO REALIZE THAT VEHICLES LIKE THIS 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 350E ARE STEPPING STONES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE STREAM, AS WE SLOWLY CROSS FROM PETROLEUM-BASED POWER TO BATTERY-BASED PROPULSION.

SOME STONES MAY BE PLACED A LITTLE BETTER THAN OTHERS, BUT ALL WILL BE USEFUL IN GETTING US TO THE OTHER SIDE.

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 JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN WE'LL RIP AND ROAR IN PORSCHE'S 718 BOXSTER GTS.

THEN, WE'LL GET OUR KICKS IN AN ALL-NEW NISSAN MINI-UTE.

NO BACKUP CAMERA ON YOUR RIDE?

WELL, PAT GOSS HAS A SOLUTION.

ZACH MASKELL GOES OPEN WHEEL, OVER THE EDGE DRIVE.

PLUS, THE LATEST MOTORNEWS AND A LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

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... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

FROM THE COLD OF WINTER, TO THE HEAT OF SUMMER.

RAIN-X SILICONE ADVANTAGE WIPER BLADES ARE ENGINEERED FOR USE ACROSS ALL SEASONS.

MORE INFORMATION AT RAINX.COM.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *