A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for the Countryman line. The Mini brand hardly needs an introduction, the quintessential British automotive marque known for its ultra-small cars. Now owned by BMW, Mini has thrived since it was sold to the German company in the 1990s. Indeed, in 2017, Mini distributed 371,881 … Read more
T8 represents maximum power and efficiency. Certainly, Volvo doesn’t have the product reach or market sales of such luxury stalwarts as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Nevertheless, the Swedish automaker continues to make a name for itself with the vehicles it has. For example, the 2018 S90 is its midsize sedan, delivering … Read more
A Kent Island glimpse at a compact luxury PHEV sedan. The Mercedes-Benz brand has remained elusive among my press fleet vehicles, a situation I plan to amend by next year. You simply can’t properly evaluate the market without a steady dose of M-B models to compare with Audi, BMW, and … Read more
On the road with Kia’s newest model. The Kia Niro is a dedicated hybrid model, the first of its kind for this Korean brand. Yes, the Kia Optima Hybrid is the brand’s first hybrid electric vehicle, but it is a variant of a gas model. Not so with the Niro. … Read more
Audi launches “e-tron,” its nascent line of hybrid electric vehicles. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron name is a mouthful. Once you get beyond the lengthy moniker for this unusual plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), calling it “e-tron” or “A3 e-tron” seems entirely appropriate. The “e-tron” designation is an Audi registered … Read more
Hyundai rolls out the second iteration of its only hybrid model. For 2016, a plug-in variant is also offered. Unless your name is Toyota, sticking with hybrids can seem like a losing proposition. Indeed, Toyota outsells all manufacturers combined by a 2-to-1 margin and that leaves the remaining companies to … Read more