Enlarge / The third-generation Porsche Macan drops the internal combustion engine—this one is only available as a battery electric vehicle. (credit: Porsche)

Porsche provided flights from London to Nice and accommodation so Ars could drive the Macan. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

Porsche's Taycan has been a nice electric vehicle for the German brand, and the recently updated model is supposed to offer more of the good stuff and less of the bad. The sedan is on the expensive side, and it doesn't scream "family lugger," which is where the new electric Macan comes in. Porsche's volume-selling entry-level SUV is now electric, and it might be just the car to convince skeptics and non-Porsche people alike that EV is the way to go. Maybe.

At launch, you'll be able to pick up a Macan 4 or Macan Turbo. Peak power sits at 402 hp (300 k) and 630 hp (470 kW) respectively, but that's just when you use the car's overboost. Most of the time, you'll have to make do with an adequate 382 hp (285 kW) and 576 hp (430 kW). Torque for both is a healthy 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) and 833 lb-ft (1,130 Nm). With all that grunt on board, Porsche reckons you'll be able to hit 62 mph from rest in 4.9 and 3.1 seconds, respectively (0–100 km/h takes 5.2 and 3.3 seconds, respectively), as well as topping out at 137 mph (220 km/h) and 162 mph (260 km/h). Not having a gas motor under the hood isn't a penalty when it comes to performance.

The electric Macan sits on the all-new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture. Shared with Audi and its upcoming Q6 e-tron , PPE was built with electricity in mind. Its party piece is a hefty 100 kWh battery (95 kWh usable) that sits under the cabin, giving the Macan 4 381 miles (613 km) of range and the Turbo 367 miles (590 km), although that's according to the less-accurate WLTP testing scheme used in Europe—EPA range estimates will be available closer to the Macan's arrival in the US in the second half of this year.

Enlarge / For now, Fiat's sole US offering is the (RED) 500e, but future versions will arrive in "drops." (credit: Stephen Edelstein)

Fiat provided flights from New York to Miami and accommodation so Ars could drive the 500e. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

It's cliché to describe an Italian automaker as operating on a slower, more laid-back timetable than its rivals, but that seems to be the case with Fiat's North American product planning.

The outgoing Fiat 500 brought the brand back to the United States in 2011, but it had been on sale in Europe since 2007. An electric 500e arrived after the gasoline models, but as then-CEO Sergio Marchionne was quick to point out, that was only to satisfy California's zero-emission vehicle mandate.

Now the 500e is back, once again later than the European version (which was first shown in 2020), but this time, Fiat is skipping the gasoline engines for the line. The 2024 Fiat 500e is no compliance car—it's now the only version of this retro hatchback you can get and the only Fiat model available in the US—nor is it a mass-market item.

Enlarge / The Lincoln Nautilus is now in its fourth generation. (credit: Lincoln)

Lincoln provided accommodation so Ars could drive the new Nautlius. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

Lincoln is one of those car companies that will seem like the people in charge are asleep at the proverbial wheel for years and then all of a sudden, it’ll debut a total knockout. It’s happened a few times throughout the brand’s long history, most recently with the fourth-generation Navigator. The introduction of the 2018 Navigator also sparked a huge overhaul in design and technology for the brand that catapulted from “decent free rental car upgrade” to a maker of luxury SUVs that people might want to buy. The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is just such an SUV.

In the hierarchy of Lincoln models, the Nautilus sits neatly between the Aviator and the smaller Corsair. It’s arguably one of the best looking of the current crop of Lincolns and it’s positioned to compete with the likes of the Lexus RX, the Cadillac XT6 and Volvo’s XC60, among others, but does it actually compete? Or is it simply another car for the Enterprises and Hertzes of the world?

The 2024 Nautilus is available in two flavors: a purely internal combustion-powered version with a 250 hp (186 kW) turbocharged inline-four that also puts out 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) of torque and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a much more interesting hybrid version which offers up 310 combined hp (231 kW) and which is paired with a CVT transmission. The Nautilus is only available with all-wheel drive.

Enlarge / BIgger air intakes, steeper headlights, and more pronounced fenders are the visual hallmarks of the 3rd-generation Porsche Panamera. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

Porsche provided flights from Washington to Seville and accommodation so Ars could drive the new Panamera. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

SEVILLE, Spain—Once upon a time, Porsche just made two-door sports cars . Then the 21st century happened. People started to get fickle and demand things like practicality and comfort as well as good handling and soild engineering. Preferring to stay in business, Porsche recognized this market shift and since 2003 has bolstered its lineup, first with SUVs, then in 2009 with the Panamera sedan.

That sedan is now in its third generation, and late last year, we visited its factory in Leipzig to get a sneak preview of the prototype . Now, the new Panamera has gone into production, and we spent a day driving a pair of models on the road and track ahead of the car's arrival in the US this summer.

Looks-wise, the third-gen Panamera closely resembles the outgoing model to the extent that it has the exact same exterior measurements: 198.8 inches (5,052 mm) long, 76.3 inches (1,937 mm) wide, and 56 inches (1,423 mm) tall. However, it will only be offered as a five-door hatchback— the Sport Turismo variant is no more, we're told.

Enlarge / Mini has made a fully electric version of its Countryman compact crossover, replacing the outgoing plug-in hybrid Countryman. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

BMW provided flights from Washington to Lisbon, Portugal, and accommodation so Ars could drive the new Mini Countryman. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've brought you test drives of a pair of related small cars, the 2024 BMW X2 M35i and the 2025 Mini JCW Countryman . Today it's time for the third member of the family destined for US sales, and the one that we think Ars readers will be most interested in—the fully electric Mini Countryman SE ALL4.

This is the third-generation Mini Countryman, replacing the plug-in hybrid version we last tested in 2017 . It's a little larger now, although not by much: at 174.5 inches (4,433 mm) long, 72.6 inches (1,843 mm) wide, and 65.2 inches (1,656 mm) tall, it is still a pretty small car by most standards. It's also a pretty aero-efficient one; the drag coefficient is just 0.26.

As the ALL4 name might suggest, this is an all-wheel drive electric vehicle, with a combined 313 hp (230 kW) and 365 lb-ft (494 Nm), fed by a 66.5 kWh lithium ion traction battery. That makes it nearly as peppy off the line as a Ferrari Testarossa, capable of reaching 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standing start in 5.6 seconds. (The Ferrari took 5.2 seconds to reach 60 mph.) Top speed is limited to 112 mph (180 km/h).

Enlarge / BMW calls the X2 a Sport Activity Coupe. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

BMW provided flights from Washington to Lisbon and accommodation so Ars could drive the new X2. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

Last week, we told you about our first drive in the new Mini Countryman John Cooper Works, Mini's new little crossover. This week, it's the turn of a related model, built on the same vehicle architecture: BMW's new X2 crossover, or "Sports Activity Coupe" in BMW-speak. As we'll find out, the BMW shares more than one trait with the Countryman JCW.

BMW had an array of X2 M35is, all painted the same "Frozen Tampa Bay" shade of green, which starts in the US at $51,400. There's a less-powerful $42,000 X2 xDrive28i coming here as well, but North American customers will not be offered the battery-electric iX2—BMW's product planners evidently didn't think importing the diminutive EV would be profitable. Outside the US, BMW expects 1 in 5 X2s to be electric.

The first-generation X2 (and the more upright-looking X1) were divisive cars even by BMW standards. The new one is slightly bigger than before, at 179.3 inches (4,554 mm) long, 72.6 inches (1,844 mm) wide, and 62.6 inches (1,590 mm) tall. That translates to more rear legroom and more cargo volume at the back, but it's not a massive machine—a touch bigger than the Audi Q3 but a bit smaller than a Mercedes-Benz GLB .

Enlarge / The new Mini Countryman is 5.3 inches (135 mm) longer and 3.9 inches (99 mm) taller than before. But it's only 0.9 inches (23 mm) wider. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

BMW provided flights from Washington to Lisbon and accommodation so Ars could drive the new Mini Countryman. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

CASCAIS, PORTUGAL—Mini is in the process of revamping its entire model lineup. Later this year, the small one—now called the Mini Cooper—will hit the streets with a predictable lashing of brio. But first out of the gates is the big one, Mini's SUV, aka the Countryman. It's now built in Germany, and there's a fully electric variant, but you'll have to wait until next week to read about that one. Today, we're looking at the all-wheel drive, range-topping John Cooper Works model.

With a starting price tag of $46,995 (plus delivery charge), this Countryman might feel like more of a maxi than a Mini. The JCW Countryman's amped-up attitude is on clear display, with styling touches like the bright red brake calipers, side mirrors, and roof trim. That impression isn't dispelled upon a walkaround—not when you see the four fat exhaust pipes nestled under the rear bumper.

That works out to one pipe per cylinder; under the hood of the JCW Countryman ALL4 (to give it its full name) lives a 2.0 L four-cylinder engine that, in US market spec, generates 312 hp (232 kW) and 295 lb-ft (399 kW). That's about 4 percent more powerful than the Euro-spec JCW Countryman, which makes do with a little less power thanks to a gasoline particulate filter.

Enlarge / The 2024 Kia EV9 takes many of the things people love about the Telluride but does them on one of the best purpose-built EV platforms in the industry. (credit: Kia)

American car buyers love purchasing way more car than they need. Have a kid and a dog? You'd better get a Suburban. Need to tow a Hobie Cat to the lake once or twice a year? Get a full-size diesel four-wheel drive pickup. Looking at an EV for your family? Well, it had better do 400 miles at a time and charge in 15 minutes, despite you having a six-mile commute. This mentality would make a cynic say that Kia's EV9 is a pointless exercise, but that cynic would be wrong.

The 2024 Kia EV9 is ostensibly a three-row, midsize electric SUV that in its most efficient form—the Wind RWD Long-Range trim—will do a claimed 304 miles (489 km) of range, but it's also Kia's flagship model and the vehicle that seems to give us the best look at the formerly cheap-and-cheerful brand's more upscale future.

The EV9 is the latest vehicle based on the E-GMP platform that underpins the Ioniq 5 , EV6 , and Genesis GV60 . Like those vehicles, it features a skateboard-style chassis and is available in rear- or all-wheel drive. Power ranges from 201 hp (150 kW) in the entry-level Wind RWD model to 379 hp (283 kW) in the Land AWD and GT-Line models. There are two available battery packs, with the smaller coming in at 76.1 kWh and the long-range pack rated at 99.8 kWh.

Enlarge / Yes, pickup trucks are used in work situations, but they're also bought by people who want to drive them off-road. (credit: Kristin Shaw)

Toyota provided flights from Austin to Los Angeles and accommodation so we could drive the new Toyota Tacoma. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

Between a new platform and the model's first hybrid powertrain, the redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma is full of interesting tidbits and both off- and on-road enhancements. The refresh has been a long time coming, as the last time Toyota updated the Tacoma was for model year 2015.

The Tacoma line began in 1995 as a US-specific version of the global HiLux. Even Back to the Future 's Marty McFly coveted a black 1985 Toyota HiLux SR5 Xtra Cab, and it appeared in his garage, complete with a kangaroo bar, off-roading lights, and more.

By design, the new Tacoma is larger than the last generation, sharing a platform with the full-size Tundra. Today, the 2024 Tacoma is more fuel-efficient than its smaller predecessor, notching between 20 and 26 mpg (9–11.8 L/100 km) in the gas-powered versions—a 1995 HiLux ranged from 14–22 mpg (10.7–16.8 L/100 km). We're waiting to see what the hybrid powertrain earns from the EPA; the difference in mpg may be modest, but the horsepower quotient is impressive.