| December 15, 2024 | Hey everyone! Managing Editor Roger Biermann here from CarBuzz and this is your Sunday automotive recap! |
This morning, we look at the prevelance of Hondas with 25-year-old tech, Volkswagen dialling back its German plant closure plans, and new CarBuzz editorials. Let's dive in! |
Did you know that the first hybrid vehicle in the US wasn't the Toyota Prius? That's right - it was the Honda Insight. Launched in December 1999, the two-door Honda hatchback predated the Prius by months, though the market significance between the two remains arguable. |
Here are some other standout news stories of the day: |
Front-wheel-drive (FWD) cars might not have the same reputation for raw speed as their rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive counterparts, but they have evolved dramatically over the years. They're no longer strictly options for those trying to save a few thousand dollars, as models like the Volkswagen GTI and Honda Civic Type R have shown that FWD cars can hang with RWD and AWD counterparts, and occasionally even beat them. |
You may have missed it, but a motorist was charged with vehicular manslaughter while allegedly using Tesla Autopilot a couple of years ago. Kevin George Aziz Riad reportedly crashed into a car, killing two people. The state is not going to go after Tesla, but the families of the two victims are suing the famous EV maker. |
Ford has been continually ramping up its US electric vehicle portfolio over the last several years, with models such as the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning leading its charge. American drivers don't have access to all of its EV products though, with several others being available in other areas of the world. We decided to take a look at the Ford EVs that aren't sold in the US. |
Ask most people to name the first hybrid car available in the US, and they'll probably go with the Toyota Prius. If they really know their history, maybe they'll cite some early prototype like the four-motor Lohner-Porsche from 1900, but if we're talking production vehicles, not old-timey horseless carriages, the Prius is a pretty good guess. It's also the wrong answer. |
In the late 1980s, General Motors was busy transitioning most of its model line to smaller, more streamlined cars. Many of these new cars also featured front-wheel drive, whereas their predecessors were rear-wheel drive. One such model to get the new-age treatment was the Pontiac Grand Prix, Pontiac's then-mid-size car, which shrunk considerably in size between the years of 1987 and 1988. |
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