2022 Land Rover Range Rover & 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV

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

We're taking all-out luxury into the woods with the new Land Rover Range Rover... We'll clamp down on the dyno for a "Your Drive" tuning session... And check out an old school car club still hitting the quarter-mile... Then, end with pure electric utility, the Chevrolet Bolt EUV...

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: 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!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

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.

JOHN: While, the original 1970s Range Rover was about as utilitarian as it could get, it didn't take long for Land Rover to realize that injecting a healthy dose of traditional British luxury into their rugged off-roader would make it appealing to a whole lot more people.

Fifty years later, an all-new 5th generation Range Rover has arrived, so let's give it the royal treatment.

♪ ♪ If the Land Rover Range Rover is good enough for British royalty, it's certainly good enough for us commoners here on this side of the pond.

2022 marks the 5th generation of what has become not only one of the most capable SUVs on the road, but also one of the most luxurious.

Available in regular and long wheelbase versions, gen 5's exterior design is not a major departure from last generation.

It looks slicker for sure, lighting takes on an even techier vibe, and it appears to have spent quite a bit of time impressing engineers at the wind tunnel; with very little remaining resemblance to the original's "blockier is better" approach.

However, a major transformation has taken place inside where-- despite the same basic layout, things look vastly different.

The dash is much smoother, and the infotainment screen has moved from being integrated into the dash to floating in front of it.

That means, the control panel below is more streamlined; as is the case with the wide console.

We were glad to see the rotary shifter has been replaced with a more traditional looking gear selector that feels great to the hand.

Wood trim looks exceptional, as do the leather seating surfaces.

Great comfort up front, with a decent amount of leg room in the 2nd row.

This long wheelbase version has room for a 3rd row as well, though that space is not quite practical for adults.

And, there's even additional seating for tailgating; we're guessing something horse-related with high-end refreshments; not high-banked ovals and light beers.

Now, while this thing may look and largely behave like a luxury car, let's not forget Land Rover's reputation for off-road capability is well earned.

The list of mechanical, electronic, and computer systems in place to manage traction in this Range Rover would take an entire episode to fully explain; so we'll take the easy route and tell you this vehicle constantly knows the conditions that it's facing, and also knows the best way to get out of them.

We didn't have any deserts to cross or continental divides to summit, but we did find some ever-present Mid-Atlantic muddy trails, which were clearly not a problem for the Range Rover to deal with.

And, despite its size, the Range Rover is highly maneuverable, thanks to standard rear wheel steering, which actually helps give the Range Rover the tightest turning radius of any Land Rover.

Call us crazy, but it's oddly satisfying to whip in and out of parking spaces way easier than it should be.

It paid some major benefits in the handling course of our Mason Dixon Dragway testing grounds, too.

It was highly agile through the cones, with very light steering which did take a few runs to fully come to terms with.

Speeds were fairly low however, as all of those computer systems designed to enhance the off-road experience are also heavy-handed in their approach to keeping your on-pavement adventures less adventurous.

Standard engine is this 3.0 liter mild-hybrid turbocharged inline-6 with 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.

It launches softly to 60 in 6.2 seconds; but carries a big stick of power down the rest of the track for a 14.6 second quarter-mile at 97 miles per hour, though shifting in the 8-speed automatic transmission is tuned more for smoothness than urgency.

Both a 523 horsepower 4.4 liter V8 and a PHEV based on the I6 are also available.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for our 7-passenger 6-cylinder are 18-City, 26-Highway, and 21-Combined.

We averaged an acceptable 20.5 miles per gallon of Premium.

Still, that's slightly below average for the Energy Impact Score; 14.2 barrels of oil consumption, with 7.1 tons of C02 emitted annually.

Pricing starts at $105,975; the long-wheelbase version just 6-grand more; though prices escalate quickly and steeply from there when V8s are added and higher trim levels are involved.

But, even in its base form, the 2022 Land Rover Range Rover delivers an incredibly luxurious and highly capable driving experience.

It makes every day excursions feel like pomp and circumstance; and at the same time, will have you contemplating that maybe you should go on that epic adventure-- you've always wanted to do.

Whatever path you take, the Range Rover is well-equipped to handle it graciously.

♪ ♪ When you think of the Ford Model A, chances are you imagine one sitting in a museum or slowly putzing down a dusty road, well our "Over the Edge" guy Greg Carloss met up with a local car club that may change the way you think of these pieces of automotive history.

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: On an average weekend at the dragstrip, there will be a little bit of everything making passes.

Stock, modern cars, modified classics, custom hot rods and, at Mason-Dixon Dragway in early Spring, even restored Ford Model A's.

The Model T can be considered Henry Ford's crown jewel.

But his subsequent model was such an improvement over Tin Lizzie, he felt it needed a clean slate.

So, Ford returned to the top of the alphabet and named this the Model A.

A nod to the company's first car, the, what you might call, second generation Model A debuted Ford's now iconic Blue Oval logo and would prove to be highly durable.

When Model A production hit full capacity in 1929, Ford was able to make 9,000 cars a day and nearly a century later, hundreds of thousands still exist.

Thanks to groups like the Hub City Model A Club.

WARREN SUKER: It's the Hub City Model A Club.

It's part of the national club, so we have national support and monthly magazines, and all that kind of stuff, and it's a great family-oriented type of organization... GREG: The club supports Model A enthusiasts in the tri-state area of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

And just like their cars, no two members are exactly alike.

WARREN: We have everything from doctors, lawyers, accountants.

We have a college professor, auto mechanic, an IT-- a couple IT professionals.

So, it's not like, you know, we're all in this little clique and we joined together.

And it actually-- it does feel like family when we're together.

My name is Heather Gray and I drive a 1929 Model A Ford Roadster...

When I'm not driving my Model A I'm a pharmacist by trade but I also own a brewery and we make beer.

My favorite thing about owning a Model A. I like anything that's old.

The history of it.

Trying to think about who drove it before and, you know, what they did and where this car has been and the history of it all.

It's fun to drive a Model A.

Uh... You can't go too fast, but, um, but you do get a lot of waves and thumbs up and people smile.

They especially like to see girls driving the car.

GREG: Every spring, the group meets for its annual safety check.

While, some owners take time to enjoy their car's amenities.

Oh, yeah.

No problem at all.

HEATHER: (laughs) It's perfect.

GREG: Others grab tools and tinker.

Once, the donuts are devoured and the engines are humming, The Hub City Model A Club hits the road for some real fun.

WARREN: Well, I always kid people, they ask, "How fast will a Model A go?"

I go, "Well, downhill, tail wind, clutch in, it goes really fast."

Uh, but it'll cruise 45-ish, maybe 50 all day long.

I've had it upwards of 70.

GREG: But as the saying goes, "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow."

Which is why the club's first cruise of the season is to the track for some not-so-high-speed but still spirited shenanigans.

ANNOUNCER: And their off... That's got some torque.

These cars jump off the line and get up to speed a lot quicker than I expect them to; a testament not just to the Model A's engineering, but the drivers themselves.

The track even hands out official timeslips providing fuel for some playful, if a bit self-deprecating trash-talk.

WARREN: Yeah, what do you think, huh?

Hey, we didn't leave any parts on the ground this time.

No...

It's just like family.

You know, I can pick on my brother.

Nobody else can, but I can pick on my brother.

And that-that's what family's all about and this is really a family.

GREG: And a family that Model A's together, stays together.

JOHN: Dyno-tuning is a great way to judge your car's high-performance potential and find ways to tweak it up further.

But what is it and how does it work?

Well, our "Your Drive" expert Logan McCombs has all the answers.

♪ ♪ LOGAN MCCOMBS: You always hear about performance cars being dyno tuned, and they've used it to make more power out of their cars.

But what is dyno tuning?

What is a dyno?

Using a dynamometer, or a dyno, to tune a vehicle helps measure things like engine horsepower, torque, and the mixture of air and fuel in the engine.

As changes are made to the vehicle, you can see firsthand how the power of an engine is affected.

There are two main types of car dynos: Engine and chassis dynos.

The dyno that we are using today is considered a chassis dyno.

This is a mechanical device that uses one or more fixed roller assemblies to simulate different road conditions with a controlled environment.

It is used for a wide variety of vehicle testing and development processes.

One of the first things you will do before your car makes it onto the dyno, is a pre-dyno inspection.

This is to remedy any issues that your car may have, which is leaks, frayed wire, or anything else that could cause a problem while the car is on.

Next, your tuner will connect his computer to your car's computer, so that they can have live data of your car's engine and what it is doing.

This connection will also allow changes to be made on the fly in order to reach a desired performance goal.

Your car is then strapped down on the rollers, and then put into gear and driven.

(engine revs) At this point the tuner is optimizing the dyno for your car.

Once, that is complete, the tuner can start to make changes.

While, your car is on the dyno, your tuner will begin to accelerate until they reach the top of the RPM range, (engine revs) and then proceed to use the dyno brake to allow the car to come to a stop and cool off in between runs.

(engine revs) After the car has stopped, you will be able to see a power graph.

This graph will show you the amount of torque and horsepower that your car has made.

This graph will be a direct reflection of the changes your tuner has made throughout running your car on the dyno.

The process will continue while your tuner makes adjustments to the tune.

Once, the tuner has deemed the car complete, it will then come off the dyno and it's ready to go home.

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: There's always something changing in the automotive world; here's Stephanie Hart with all the latest MotorNews.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: The 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show kicked off with some exciting reveals...

Starting with a throw-back Porsche, the 2023 911 Dakar.

It pays tribute to the brand's road rally heritage, featuring all-wheel-drive, lifted suspension, and unique off-road tires.

Special retro graphics are also available.

The Dakar is limited to just 2,500 units globally.

Also new, another nameplate known for its road rally fame is the Subaru Impreza.

All new for 2024, this time Impreza will come only as a hatchback, offered in a Base, Sport, and new RS trim.

All-wheel-drive is model standard.

LA also saw the North American debut of the all-new Toyota Prius hybrid.

The 2023 model is sharper in looks and will be the most efficient Prius to date.

The new Prius Prime PHEV increases its EV-only range by over 50 percent.

It was joined by Toyota's bZ Compact all-electric SUV concept.

Vietnamese startup VinFast unveiled two new SUVs.

The 2024 compact VF6 and midsize VF7 were showcased.

They vary in size, but share much of the same exterior Italian design.

They join the previously announced VF8 and three-row VF9, showing an entire EV-SUV lineup before sales even start here.

And that's a wrap from LA for this week's MotorNews!

♪ ♪ JOHN: With SUVs taking over the automotive world, it only makes sense that classic utilities would become a lot hotter in the collector car market.

That has certainly been the case with Ford's Bronco; not to mention with Ford bringing their original Jeep-fighter back to market, Bronco-mania has never been higher.

Having been around them most of his life, author Todd Zuercher knows a thing or two about original Broncos, and his book "Ford Bronco: A History of Ford's Legendary 4X4" is a "Must Read" that will insure that you do too.

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: Did you know... electric cars have a peak charging rate?

That's the most amount of energy or kilowatts an EV can draw while charging.

The higher the kilowatt, the faster the charge.

And every electric car can have a different peak charging rate.

A Chevy Bolt can only fast charge up to 50 kilowatts while the GMC HUMMER EV can take full advantage of a 350 kilowatt public charger, the fastest available.

That means, a Chevy Bolt plugged into the fastest public charger can only take 50 of the potential 350 kilowatts.

So, if your EV is a slow poke, show a little etiquette and don't hog the charger.

JOHN: There's no denying, the Chevrolet Bolt, when it arrived for 2017, was a true game-changer; delivering real-world range to the masses like no EV before it.

It only makes sense that GM would want to spread the love into the SUV category, it just took a little longer than we were expecting, but the Chevrolet Bolt EUV is finally here!

♪ ♪ First thing to know about the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV is that it's essentially just a slightly bigger version of the pioneering Bolt EV.

It's 6.3 inches longer; but more importantly, there's an additional 3.0 inches of wheelbase, which provides more space inside.

Second thing to know is there's no all-wheel-drive; so, it's more of an urban utility vehicle, designed with the space and comfort to make daily tasks and weekend errand running easier.

So, it's not a utility intended to get you far off the beaten path.

Back when we first tested the Bolt EV, we felt that it was very utility-like; now of course, the EUV has made it even more so; though oddly enough, all of that additional room goes strictly to rear seat passenger legroom, as cargo space is actually a tick less in the EUV at 16.3 cubic-feet, down from 16.6.

And you can tell rear passenger comfort was the EUVs priority.

While, it shares the same basic profile shape, the rear doors are noticeably longer.

But, the EUV brings a lot more than just additional rear seat legroom; it arrives with a load of updates, many shared with the Bolt EV.

The hood, as well as both front and rear fascias, have been tweaked slightly, headlamps are updated, and there are new wheel choices.

Inside, there's a new dash with updated infotainment touchscreen that's now 10.2 inches, as well as a different control layout.

While, the center console now rises to meet the dash, and replaces the shifter with a row of buttons including a new one for one-pedal driving.

The EUV was also the first non-Cadillac to have SuperCruise available; in top Premier trim naturally.

Though, it's still an older generation than currently available to Caddy buyers, so no one-touch lane changes.

Premier trim also includes leather seating, surround view camera, and heated steering wheel; though wireless phone charging is standard on all.

And due to customer demands, a sunroof is available in the EUV, as part of a Sun and Sound package that includes navigation and Bose premium audio.

The EUV does share the EVs powertrain, and as you may have heard, all Bolts were recalled and EUV production was held up due to potential fire concerns with the LG-supplied battery.

But, that has since been rectified, and GM added a little range to all Bolts for good measure.

The EUV is officially rated for 247 miles of range, which seems more than reasonable as we were on track for 270 miles before recharging.

Its efficiency score is also quite efficient at 29 kilowatt hours/100 miles.

That 247 mile range is actually 9.0 miles more than the Bolt EV had when it debuted, and its range has also increased from 238 to 259 miles.

No changes for the front-mounted 150 kilowatt motor, as it outputs the same 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque here in the EUV.

The EUVs bigger size equates to a slightly slower 0-60 time of 7.2 seconds; but it still feels quite peppy compared to traditional small ICE crossovers.

Still, keeping the accelerator pinned for the entire quarter-mile is not exactly thrilling, as power delivery stays more moderate than aggressive; but the hyper-responsive steering does keep things interesting.

Our best pass was 15.7 seconds at 90 miles per hour.

The Bolt EV was an adequately fun car to dart around traffic in, but when pushed to its limits would understeer quite a bit.

The longer wheelbase of this EUV doesn't seem to have improved on that, and there appears to be a little more body roll here too.

Not much about the handling experience screams "sport-tuned" but the low-mounted weight of the batteries still lends a solid overall feel, and steering weight was actually quite good.

Panic braking stops from 60 averaged a longish 120 feet, with significant nose dive, and lots of ABS pedal pulsing.

Things really get interesting when it comes to EUV pricing, with the base LT starting at just $28,195; that's less than the Bolt cost 5-years ago when it debuted; so naturally Bolt EVs get a corresponding price cut to just $26,595 to start.

The Chevrolet Bolt EUV surely won't grab as much attention as the Hummers, Mach Es, and Tesla's of the EV world.

But we think it is still one of the best all-around, everyday EVs out there; and certainly, a clear bargain when it comes to green motoring.

And we're going to need a lot more entry-level EVs like the Bolt EV and this EUV, if society is truly serious about wanting an all-electric driving future.

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 climb to the summit of Blue Oval SUVs, the Ford Expedition.

Then, shift over into the revived Acura Integra.

We'll have tips on often-overlooked car care, and get-in on a mid-Atlantic MINI takeover.

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, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: 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!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

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 Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

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

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