BMW Officially Unveils 2020 X3 M and X4 M With More Than 500 Horsepower

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February 12, 2019

Competition models offers 500 horsepower for a $7,000 premium

We were waiting for them, and now they’re officially here. After seeing spy shots and getting some teasers from BMW, the company unveiled the 2020 X3 M and X4 M cousins. Whether you pick the more practical, conventional X3 M or the wild child X4 M, you get the same beefed up M kit, as well as bigger respective price tags.

Let’s start with the performance. Under the hood is a 3.0-liter S58 turbocharged inline-six, in two states of tune. In the standard 2020 X3 M and X4 M models, it puts out 473 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. In the more expensive Competition model, BMW bumps the power to 503 horsepower, while the torque remains the same. Regardless of the state of tune, the engine mates up to an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission.

Thanks to a new M xDrive all-wheel drive system, both cars can sprint to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Upgrading to the Competiton version shaves 0.1 seconds off, for a flat 4.0-second run. The cars are limited to 155 mph by default. However, BMW can raise that limiter to 174 mph on regular models or 177 mph on Competition models, for a price. Neither car is particularly light, mind you. The 2020 X3M weighs in at 4,620 pounds, while the X4M is a scant lighter, at 4,590.

No rear-wheel drive option here

While the all-wheel drive system is lifted from the BMW M5, you can’t decouple it in the 2020 X3 M or X4 M. The system is still rear-biased, but it works in tandem with the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) to decide where and when to send the power. There’s an electronically-controlled multiplate clutch in the transfer case that splits the power front to rear, then the Active M Differential can vary the rear lockup between 0 and 100 percent, depending on the conditions.

2020 X3 M, X4 M and Competition models get BMW’s Adaptive M Suspension as standard equipment, as well. That means you also get one of three drive modes to choose from at any given moment. The cars are set to the Comfort setting by default, followed by Sport and Sport+. These M models also come with an ‘M Servotronic system’. That system incorporates a specially designed motor unit to deliver variable ratio steering that’s weighted differently to the standard models.

Regular 2020 X3 M and X4 M versions get 20-inch wheels with 255/45 ZR20 tires at the front and 265/45 ZR20 tires at the rear. Step up to the Competition, and you get larger, 21-inch wheels instead.

BMW X3 M Competition
BMW X3 M Competition
BMW X3 M Competition
BMW X4 M Competition
BMW X4 M Competition
BMW X4 M Competition

Interior

Inside, you get everything you’d expect from a BMW M model. 2020 X3 M and X4 M models get M-specific badging, those programmable buttons, carbon fiber trim and exclusive stitching everywhere. While you do get paddle shifters, you can also use the gear lever to shift through the eight-speed ‘box: Push up to downshift, and pull it toward you to upshift.

Like the standard cars, you still get a digital gauge cluster and 10.25-inch infotainment display with navigation. Apple CarPlay capability is included, although Android Auto users are still out of luck.

2020 BMW X3 M
2020 BMW X4 M
2020 BMW X3 M
2020 BMW X4 M
2020 BMW X3 M
2020 BMW X4 M

Which one?

Naturally, whether you choose the 2020 X M or X4 M all comes down to your personal tastes. I’ve never been one for the coupe-like crossovers, so I’d go with the X3 M. That’s the least expensive route as well, as the 2020 X3 M starts at $69,900. The Competition model costs $7,000 more for both models. The X4 M, on the other hand, kicks off at $73,400.

That’s actually not much more expensive than the current BMW X3 M40i, which starts at $54,650 (the X4 M40i starts at $60,450). If you think having at least 118 more horsepower is worth the money, they’re definitely worth a look. When they arrive on July 13, they’ll square off against the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, the Porsche Macan Turbo, and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

Report: 7 Million Americans Are More Than 3 Months Behind On Their Car Payments, Worst Delinquency Rate Since 2010

By

Zach Butler

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February 12, 2019

The numbers are worse now than in 2008.

Report: More Than 7 Million Americans Are More than 3 Months Behind On Their Car Payments — [Photo source: Flickr]

Right now, you may be struggling to keep up on your car payments. Let’s face facts: Cars, by and large, are just getting more and more expensive with each passing year. If you are struggling, you’re not alone, as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York announced Tuesday. That announcement highlighted a record 7 million Americans that are 90 days past due on their auto loan payments. Economists warn that is a serious red flag, according to a Washington Post report.

Here’s something to bring that figure to life for you. Today, there are a million more “troubled buyers” than there were in 2010, at the height of the last financial crisis. Back then, the unemployment rate was 10 percent. By extension, the auto loan delinquency rate peaked at 5.8 million. As of January 2019, the unemployment rate rests at 4.0 percent. Job openings are at an all-time high. So what’s going on?

Heavy burden to younger car buyers

According to the Federal Reserve, the rate of delinquency is higher among younger buyers than older ones. Buyers under age 30 who are behind on their bills often carry both auto loans as well as student loans, and are struggling to repay both at the same time. Even though delinquency rates among young buyers is higher, other age groups are at a statistically significant risk as well. Car buyers in the 50-69 age bracket, who usually have stable and secure income and less debt, are the least likely to default on their loans.

When car sales peaked at a record 17.5 million in 2016, more people were taking out loans than ever before. As a result, the share of buyers more than 90 days late stands at 5.3 percent, according to The Washington Post. Now, it’s 4.5 percent, although the actual amount of people seriously delinquent on their loans has risen sharply.

The average auto loan amount is currently around $35,000.

Tips to avoid repossession

Against the mortgage crisis that triggered the 2008 financial meltdown, auto loans are still relatively safe. The total amount people are borrowing — $35,000 — is far less than what people borrowed to buy houses. The Post points out that the total auto loan market is over $1 trillion. That’s about 15 percent of the home mortgage market, which totals $9 trillion.

Still, according to Michael Taiano of Fitch Ratings, “It’s a lot easier to repossess a vehicle than to foreclose on a home.” To that end, the Post piece included some useful information to avoid being severely impacted by auto loan debt.

1) Do not finance through the dealership

Christopher Peterson, a law professor at the University of Utah, advised against financing directly through the dealership. By and large, credit unions and local banks offer more appealing interest rates to their customers. A low-cost loan means buyers have an easier time keeping up with payments and are less likely to default. In fact, those with loans through credit unions have a default rate of less than 1 percent. Major auto finance companies, on the other hand, have a 6.5 percent default rate.

So-called “sub-prime” loans offered by buy-here, pay-here dealerships also pose a huge risk to buyers. In the end, it’s not uncommon for those buyers with low credit scores — under 620 on an 800-point scale — to be charged up to 20 percent on an auto loan. According to Faye Park, president of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, “Predatory lending practices and a lack of real transportation options leave many households trapped in debt with few ways out.”

2) Make your car payment your first priority

Even if you are struggling to keep up with your car payments, some argue you should strive to pay it first. “Your car loan is your No. 1 priority in terms of payment,” Taiano said. “If you don’t have a car, you can’t get back and forth to work in a lot of areas of the country. A car is usually a higher-priority payment than a home mortgage or rent.”

Those who have fallen behind on their payments and are at risk of repossession could lose their jobs if they’re unable to commute. If that happens, the buyer is likely to default on their other debts as well, making the problem even worse.

Ford Has a ‘Lane-Keeping Bed’ – Now You Can Say You’ve Seen It All

By

Zach Butler

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February 12, 2019

Ford wants to make bed-hogging a thing of the past.

Let’s face it: We live in a bold new world. From technologies that keep us safe in the car like automatic emergency braking and rear cross traffic alert to lane keeping assist features. Thanks to Ford, you can take some of that technology off the road to deal with the bed-hogging partner in your life.

Confused? Admittedly, Ford’s ‘Lane-Keeping Bed’ is a bit tough to wrap your head around at first. But that hasn’t stopped the company from forging ahead and building one. It uses technology ‘inspired’ by Ford’s lane keeping features to keep your encroaching partner at bay during the night. More or less, it uses pressure sensors and a conveyor belt-like system to shuffle the bed-hogger from side to side, wherever there’s available room. Ford’s approach to this invention is something to deal with sleep deprivation. It makes sense: We all experience distraction, irritability and a range of other health issues when we don’t get enough sleep.

Ford Lane-Keeping Bed — At any rate, it looks like a cool (and comfortable) bed. [Photo: Ford]

It’s a neat idea, even if it is a one-off. Unlike the new Explorer or Super Duty, don’t expect Ford to put this into production anytime soon. Even so, we can think of a few issues engineers may need to hammer out before the Lane-Keeping Bed is ready for primetime.

From the birds-eye view, it’ looks like there are some flaps that tilt up to change the sheets. Still, it doesn’t look easy unless the mattress itself lifts up. On another note, I’m sure couples in particular may want to be close in some circumstances, which would make the Lane Keeping Bed annoying to live with on a nightly basis. And no, that’s not what I meant. Although, that would also be annoying. Here’s to an override button.

At any rate, it’s definitely interesting to see car technologies adapted to other parts of our life. Maybe one day there will be a practical version of this bed we can all buy.

Report: Maserati Will Build Alfieri Next Year, Shelve GranTurismo

By

Zach Butler

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February 12, 2019

Maserati will upgrade its Modena plant’s production lines this fall.

If you were crossing your fingers hoping Maserati would build the Alfieri first shown in 2014, you won’t be disappointed. Recently, Maserati announced its plans to upgrade its Modena, Italy plant later this year in preparation for a “totally new model”. While their announcement didn’t specifically mention the Alfieri, the Capital Markets Day presentation FCA gave last year strongly hints in that direction.

As part of FCA’s five-year plan, Maserati focused on the Alfieri, including an all-electric variant with three-motor all-wheel drive and a 0-60 time in “around” 2 seconds. By 2022, FCA aims to electrify the entire Maserati range, including this new Alfieri in both coupe and convertible versions.

Part of Masterati’s future product portfolio mentioned new versions of the Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte, as well as a new “D” segment utility vehicle. What it did not mention were new versions of either the GranTurismo coupe or the GranCabrio convertible. Maserati Australia boss Glen Sealey reportedly told CarSales that production of both cars would only last a few more months.

Photos: Maserati Alfieri Concept (2014)

The goal: 100,000 annual Maserati sales by 2022

Maserati said in their own statement that plans are moving forward to produce new models as part of the five-year plan. “The CEO has thus confirmed the key role of the Via Ciro Menotti plant in Maserati’s 2018 – 2022 industrial planning. He has assured continuing production and the plan which foresees the renewal and upgrading of the production lines in preparation for the arrival of new models.” In all likelihood, the Alfieri will be the first new model off the line, spurring Maserati’s goals to revamp its entire lineup in the next five years.

By 2022, Maserati aims to sell 100,000 units annually across the globe. On that, they hope to achieve a 15 percent profit margin. In the meantime, however, we’ll see the GranTurismo/GranCabrio out of production by the end of 2019. Maserati says the new model “will roll off these production lines starting in the first half of next year.” That means we may not see full-scale deliveries of the new Alfieri until 2021 or even 2022.

Mitsubishi Set To Debut Refreshed 2020 Outlander Sport At Geneva Motor Show

By

Zach Butler

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February 12, 2019

Refreshed 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. [Photo: Mitsubishi]

Mitsubishi’s best-selling Outlander Sport is getting a new look for 2020.

The current Mitsubishi Outlander Sport has been around for nearly a decade, seeing a few minor updates since it debuted as a 2011 model. Now, Mitsubishi is bringing along a refreshed 2020 Outlander Sport to the Geneva Motor Show. Despite the new-looking exterior, this is more of a mild update than an all-new model.

The 2020 Outlander Sport dons a new front fascia, more closely resembling its Outlander and Eclipse Cross siblings. Mitsubishi designed new headlights, a new grille and a new front bumper for the updated model. The look down the sides is the same except for some chrome vents on the back edge of the fenders. Around the back, you get some new LED taillights and a slightly different rear bumper.

The interior of the 2020 Outlander Sport is largely the same, except for a new infotainment display. The 8.0-inch unit juts out from the center stack more prominently than the older, smaller unit. Unlike the old 7.0-inch unit, you can also use a USB memory stick to play videos when you’re parked.

Powertrains will likely remain the same

Mitsubishi didn’t specifically mention powertrains, but it’s likely they’ll also remain the same. On ES and SE models of the current Outlander Sport, you get a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four with 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. Stepping up to the GT enlarges the engine to a 2.4-liter mill with 168 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque. The Outlander Sport is currently available with a CVT on all-wheel drive models, or an available 5-speed manual on front-wheel drive versions.

The 2020 Outlander Sport will carry on Mitsubishi’s best-selling model, but don’t expect radical changes from the current one. That said, the current car starts at just over $20,000, offering good value for the sort of features you get. We suspect that will remain true in this new model, and Mitsubishi will bring out a next-generation version in a short while.

Mitsubishi is also bringing along a new electric SUV to the Geneva Motor Show, so we may see a new direction for the brand in the coming years.

Mazda Is Reportedly Planning Two More Crossovers For The U.S. Market

By

Zach Butler

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February 12, 2019

The company is expected to unveil a new crossover in Geneva next month.

Mazda teases new SUV ahead of Geneva Motor Show

As shoppers continue to go crazy for crossovers, companies like Mazda are shifting their production to capitalize on the market. They currently have three crossovers in the U.S. market. There’s the subcompact CX-3, the compact CX-5, and the midsize CX-9. All of them tackle hugely competitive segments of the market, but Mazda sees room for more crossovers in the lineup. We know there’s a ‘new SUV’ coming at Geneva next month. Our best guess is a CX-4 crossover that will split the difference between the CX-3 and CX-5. However, Mazda North American Operations CEO Masahiro Moro told reporters the brand has yet another model in the works, per an Autoblog piece.

Headed to Alabama

Mazda recently broke ground on a $1.6 billion joint-venture plant in Alabama. From there, Moro said the brand has a new model planned for the U.S. market. He told reporters at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, “it will be a new crossover SUV which is exclusively designed for the North American market.” Automotive News reports the facility will start production in 2021. On that basis, Mazda won’t immediately produce the crossover set to unveil at Geneva in March.

2019 Mazda CX-5 review — The CX-5 is currently Mazda’s best-selling crossover.

When the Mazda-Toyota facility goes online, it will reportedly employ 4,000 full-time workers with an average pay rate of $65,000 per year. When production ramps up, the two companies expect to push out 300,000 vehicles annually. Toyota will build the new Corolla there, while Mazda will allegedly build this new crossover.

Of course, exactly which crossover they’re planning remains a mystery. Moro did mention it will be “exclusively designed for the North American market”. That rules out the CX-4, which is currently produced and sold in China. Perhaps Mazda is planning a new CX-7 or another model to fill the gap between the CX-5 and CX-9, but nothing is confirmed yet.

The 2019 Mazda3 will kick off the next generation of the company’s design language and architecture.

Whatever Mazda does produce at the plant, we’re sure it will use an updated SkyActiv Vehicle Architecture which underpins the new Mazda3, and possibly the brand’s new SkyActiv-X engine.

2020 Kia Soul Sees Economy Gains, Tops 30 MPG Combined

By

Zach Butler

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February 11, 2019

The 2020 Kia South just fell short or the Nissan Kicks.

The Kia Soul has never been a car to devour fuel. And yet, the new 2020 Kia Soul’s 2.0-liter engine, also found in the Forte sedan, has helped improve the small crossover’s fuel economy. The EPA has released official ratings for the 2020 Kia Soul, showing slight gains over the outgoing model.

The most fuel efficient version of the car nets 29 City / 35 Highway / 31 Combined mpg while driving in Eco mode. In normal mode, fuel economy drops by 2 mpg in the city and on the highway, while the combined rating falls by 1 mpg. The most efficient 2.0-liter model comes mated to Kia’s IVT (Intelligent Variable Transmission), which it shares with the Forte. That figure puts it ahead of most cars in its class, save the Nissan Kicks.

The 2.0-liter engine manages 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque.

It’s not just that model which gets a fuel economy bump, either. The 1.6-liter turbo version of the 2020 Kia Soul scores 27 City / 32 Highway / 29 Combined mpg, a 1 mpg improvement on the old model. The turbocharged engine, as you’d expect, adds a more shove to the Soul. With this engine, you get 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Kia still hasn’t announced pricing yet, but the 2020 Kia Soul is set to go on sale this spring. Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates!

2019 Mazda3 SkyActiv-X Power Figures Revealed In European Brochure

By

Zach Butler

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February 11, 2019

Mazda’s SkyActiv-X engine improves on the old unit’s power and efficiency.

The driving dynamics of a gasoline engine with diesel efficiency: That’s what Mazda promised when developing the SkyActiv-X engine. When I test drove the prototype last January, I felt the 2.0-liter SkyActiv-X engine now under the hood of the 2019 Mazda3 was more responsive than the old 2.0-liter SkyActiv-G engine. At the time, the prototype engine wasn’t in its final state of tune, so we didn’t get exact power numbers. Now, thanks to a Slovakian brochure, we have some tangible horsepower numbers.

According to that brochure, Mazda pegs the power for the Slovakian Mazda3 at 133 kW and 222 Newton-meters of torque. Translated to U.S. numbers, that works out to 178 horsepower and 164 lb-ft of torque. Assuming that it’s a 2.0-liter unit — the only SkyActiv-X engine we’re getting is a 2.0-liter — those figures are on par with what we were expecting.

The outgoing Mazda3 produces 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque from the previous generation 2.0-liter SkyActiv-G unit. Now, these are European specifications, and emissions requirements are different over there than they are in the U.S. Bearing that in mind, it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that we’d see a more powerful version. Last year, representatives claimed power figures somewhere in the region of 190 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. Even if the Slovakian engine is less powerful, it’s not too different from those quoted figures.

Efficiency and Pricing

Of course, the real question here is how much more efficient SkyActiv-X will be. Mazda aims to improve fuel economy by 20 to 30 percent over the SkyActiv-G engine. Mind you, the 2019 Mazda3 doesn’t get this engine across the range. The 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G engine that’s currently optional in the Mazda3 carries over as the model’s new base engine.

Pricing for the 2.5-liter Mazda3 will start at $21,000 for the sedan, and $23,600 for the hatchback. Now, Mazda hasn’t announced pricing for SkyActiv-X in the U.S. yet, but we expect a premium over the base-engined model. Mazda Slovakia prices the cheapest SkyActiv-X model at 23,190 euros, or $26,150.

If those prices hold true, the 2019 Mazda3 with the SkyActiv-X engine will likely touch $30,000, particularly with all-wheel drive. Even the base price of $26,150 is $1,000 above where the current Mazda3 prices stop. Will the improved efficiency and dynamics similar to the 2.5-liter make up that difference? We’ll have to wait and see when Mazda USA formally announces pricing.