Smart and Sustainable Electric Mobility
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Continue reading 2025 Audi A6 and S6 Sportback E-Trons revealed with aero, tech top of mind
2025 Audi A6 and S6 Sportback E-Trons revealed with aero, tech top of mind originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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IMMENDINGEN, Germany – After dominating the Autobahn with the GT 63 S E Performance, we took a detour into the lush, undulating south German countryside. It wasn’t just to mix things up. There, lurking in the forest just outside the tiny town of Immendingen, was a Mercedes testing facility and the brief chance to sample the 2025 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Performance.
And by brief, we mean it – two half-hour stints on twisty rural roads around the facility as well as some slow-speed village cruising. No Autobahn, and no high-speed blasts at the “Prüf- und Technologiezentrum,” either. It wasn’t a lot of time, but the good news is that the SL 63 S E Performance is basically a convertible GT 63.
The powertrain is identical, including the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, nine-speed automatic, 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive and a rear-mounted motor fed by a 6.1-kilowatt battery pack and sent through a two-speed rear gearbox. The SL 63 S E Performance has the same 805 horsepower and 1,047 pound-feet of torque as the GT version, plus the same estimated 8 miles of electric range in European testing. It’s only a tenth of a second slower to 60 mph (2.8 seconds) and 3 mph slower in top speed (196 mph).
The similarities don’t stop there. The two cars share the same width and wheelbase, are nearly the same length (the SL is shorter by a little more than half an inch), and the interiors are basically the same. Rear axle steering, carbon ceramic brakes and the trick Active Ride Control suspension are similarly all standard. The SL is basically a convertible GT with a different front fascia and a center screen that can tilt to reduce glare with the top down.
So mostly everything we said about the GT 63 also applies to the SL. But there are indeed some differences. The biggest, well, aside from that cloth roof, is the suspension tuning. Though it also has the Active Ride Control suspension (among a variety of wildly complex elements, the adaptive dampers are interlinked hydraulically), the tuning is a bit softer across the board than the GT. It’s not a dramatic difference – the SL is darn-near as fleet-footed on the street as the GT – but it’s enough to imply that the SL is meant to be a bit more relaxed. It sacrifices that little bit of response for a little less harshness. This character shift also helps make the somewhat disconnected steering much more forgivable.
So what we have is the GT, but just a tad more chill. There may be merit to that for some, but we’re ultimately left with a less intense version of a car we concluded wasn’t intense enough given its prodigious power. It almost seems wasted, even more so in the SL. The 577-horsepower, non-hybrid SL 63 offers more than enough wallop, making the 805-hp S E Performance overkill, and not necessarily in a fun, Hellcat sort of way. A boisterous AMG V8 will sound just as growly with the top down whether or not it has an electric motor up its backside.
Now, what the non-hybrid can’t provide, is peaceful, silent, top-down cruising. As fun as hearing that V8 echo through the German hills was, it was equally as lovely to let those pipes go quiet and just enjoy the wind rustling past as the sun set. The sleepy little villages we silently passed through probably didn’t mind, either. Also, as we previously covered, the motor’s 200 horsepower is plenty for toodling around, even up to highway speeds.
But then we ran into the same problem as before: You can barely go anywhere on electric power. In no time at all, you’ll have drained that dinky all-electric range, and you’ll be needing to run the V8 to recharge the pack. That’s also assuming you charged it up before hand.
So just like the GT, we’re left wondering about the powertrain’s fitness for the purpose. In the GT, it seemed like the car was bestowed with enormous power, but not made sporty enough to properly take advantage of it. In the case of the SL, it’s more that it seems like Mercedes didn’t go far enough in electrifying it. The electric function is highly appealing, but the range so meager as to be nearly pointless for just weekend outings, never mind daily driving. And since it’s not a maximum-attack sports car, it would’ve been nice to see Mercedes focus more on range and capacity, instead of rapid discharging and power. For that matter, it leaves us pining for a fully electric SL.
There is something we know about the SL that we don’t about the GT: price. The base price for the SL 63 S E Performance will start at $208,150. That’s a pretty similar price jump between the SL 55 and the SL 63, and for a much bigger power increase. So at least in terms of power per dollar, it’s not a terrible deal.
If you want the most SL, the S E Performance is unquestionably the choice. And it’s still a beautiful, comfortable and fast machine, one that’s a pretty reasonable price considering what it adds on paper. But what it adds in experience is more questionable. Its V8-only siblings offer nearly all the gas-powered experience, while its own electrified benefits are negligible. It’s conflicted, and as result, so are we.
Filed under: Green,Mercedes-Benz,First Drives,Convertible,Hybrid,Luxury,Performance
Continue reading 2025 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Performance First Drive: The most SL
2025 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Performance First Drive: The most SL originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading 2024 Porsche 911 GT3 gone bye-bye, updated 2025 GT3 caught testing
2024 Porsche 911 GT3 gone bye-bye, updated 2025 GT3 caught testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jul 2024 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading BMW builds a one-off M5 for Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
BMW builds a one-off M5 for Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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James Riswick
James Riswick
The electric car market is expanding and evolving rapidly, but the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 continues to hover high above much of the field despite its nameplate being three years old. It still wows with its digitalized retro looks and hatchback shape that disguise the fact that it’s actually quite big. That size grants it a degree of practicality and comfort that make it a great family vehicle, while Hyundai has tuned it to be surprisingly fun to drive.
The Ioniq 5 checks plenty of other key boxes, especially for the typical EV buyers. Electric range is above average and its 800-volt architecture makes it one of the fastest-charging EVs, period. Performance is quite strong, too, especially with the dual-motor model. Infotainment tech is top-notch – it looks cool and is easy to use. Safety tech is even better – it’s one of the most extensive and best-executed driver assistance suites on the market.
As much as we love the Ioniq 5, checking out the mechanically related Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan is a must, as is the new Chevrolet Blazer EV (although its availability is limited in the coming year). One also can’t ignore the low prices and superior charging network offered by the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. We’re not sure any of them are quite as cool as the Ioniq 5, though.
Note that the refreshed 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is coming soon, and the hi-po 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is available now. We're not totally sure what's in store for the rest of the next model year, but we've driven the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N (it's incredibly fun), and have included it in this buying guide.
There are a slew of added standard features that weren’t available at all last year. This includes rear seat side airbags, rear outboard seatbelt pretensioners, steering wheel haptic feedback added to the lane-keeping and blind-spot warning systems, and in-car Wi-Fi capability (subscription required). A digital rearview mirror is also now standard on the Limited.
And finally, in case you’re wondering about the wild, high-performance Ioniq 5 N, it’s here as a 2025 model year. You can read our Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review here.
The Ioniq 5’s cabin is big, bright and airy, with a minimalist design aesthetic that doesn’t lose sight of functionality. Everything isn’t controlled and displayed on one screen, and there are still conventional buttons and switches for things like the windows and climate controls where you expect them to be. Even the touch-sensitive buttons and electronic shifter, which can typically be a source of frustration, are well-executed.
In the Limited trim, the center console is moveable, sliding forward and backward. That console is home to a pair of cupholders, a large cargo tray, a slot for a phone — with an available wireless charging pad — and a pair of USB ports. It’s a clean and calming space that’s surprisingly spacious and airy. The color palette is limited: black monotone and two-tone gray with a two-tone green sadly only available with the Digital Teal or Shooting Star exterior Limited trim levels.
Every Ioniq 5 features dual 12.3-inch displays, with one serving as the instrument panel, the other as an infotainment touchscreen. It’s one of the better infotainment systems on the market (it's also likely to be replaced with Hyundai's updated one, as the Ioniq 5 N has, and we don't like it as much). The menus make sense, simple tasks like changing a radio station are easy, responses are quick, and it looks good. We also like the 60/40-split screen functionality that lets you look at audio and navigation, for instance, at the same time. Unfortunately, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not available, which obviously means you have to plug in your phone to use them. Worse, the data USB port is under the dash down by your shin (below right), meaning your phone will end up stranded down there, too. The non-data USB ports and the available wireless charger are located in the center console (below).
The Limited trim gets a head-up display with integrated augmented reality. In addition to the usual HUD duties, it can also project images to highlight the car ahead of you, give alerts about lane safety and help indicate where and when to make the next turn on your route. If that sounds like a lot of visual information, it is, but you can tailor the content shown in your HUD through menu selections. This is the type of cutting-edge tech you can only find in upper-crust vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
It’s way bigger than it looks. While it looks like a hatchback in photos, seeing it in person, you can better understand why the Ioniq 5 is better classified as a midsize crossover SUV. Its wheelbase is about 3 inches longer than that of the three-row Hyundai Palisade. As such, the Ioniq 5 is fabulously roomy inside. Back seat legroom is vast, but then that’s pretty much an EV given at this point. The front row is especially spacious and open, however. The available sliding center console opens that lounge-like space up even more, and if you really want to lounge, the Limited includes a driver seat footrest to use while parked/charging (both pictured above).
As for the cargo area, the footprint is big, but the aggressively raked rear window means taller items could impede the closure of the liftgate. The rear seats can slide forward to allow a little more luggage space, at the expense of second-row passenger space. The Ioniq 5 claims 27.2 cubic feet behind the second row, which is lower than the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s 29.7 and the Volkswagen ID.4’s 30.3. Its on-paper volume is greater than that of its Kia EV6 cousin, but in our Ioniq 5 Luggage Test, we found that the shape/slope of the hatchback impedes loading, shrinks usable size and ultimately makes the cargo less spacious than the EV6 and the other electric crossovers. There’s no front trunk (or “frunk,” if you prefer) under the hood apart from a small space (0.85 cubic feet) only big enough to stash the mobile charging cable or other small items. That’s at least better than needing to store them in the cargo area, and at this point, few EVs have useful frunks.
There are three drivetrain configurations for the Ioniq 5. The base standard-range version has a 58-kilowatt-hour battery good for 220 miles of driving. It is only available as a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive model with 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Its efficiency is rated at 110 miles-per-gallon-equivelent combined
Then there are two versions with the 77.4-kWh long-range battery. The single-motor rear-wheel-drive version provides 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. That’s good enough for a sprint from 0-60 mph in around 7 seconds, which would be an average time for a midsize SUV. With a driving range of 303 miles, it’s rated at 110 mpg-e combined.
The all-wheel-drive version adds a second motor that powers the front wheels. The resulting total jumps significantly to 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque, which is why there’s a larger price premium for all-wheel drive than you’d see in gas-powered cars, plus the Toyota bZ4X and Chevrolet Blazer EV. All that extra juice motivates the Ioniq 5 from a stop to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, but range drops to a still useful 260 miles. It’s rated at 99 mpg-e combined.
On the charging front, the Ioniq 5’s 800-volt battery architecture means it can take advantage of 150- and 350-kW DC fast chargers, the latter able to take the battery from 10% up to 80% in just 18 minutes. It’s one of the fastest-charging EVs, period.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N gets dual-motor all-wheel drive good for 601 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque, or 641 hp and 568 lb-ft for 10 seconds at a time with the "N Grin Boost" function engaged. It'll do 0-60 in a claimed 3.25 seconds. Its 84-kWh battery has a range of 221 miles, and gets 72 mpg-e.
Zac Palmer
Both the all-wheel-drive and RWD versions of the Ioniq 5 are an absolute delight, but the dual-motor AWD model is the one that'll get your heart pumping. With all the headline-generating, eye-popping 0-60 times of ultra EVs like the Tesla Model S Plaid, it's easy to forget that a 5-second 0-60 time is still awfully quick (and honestly, the long-range RWD model is far from slow at 7 seconds). The Ioniq 5's instant torque is enough to snap you back into your seat as you rocket onto the freeway. With Sport mode engaged, the AWD Ioniq 5 will treat you to a light but delectable serving of the rear wheels breaking traction to let the rear end peek out. It’s an addictive pleasure, and one that is sure to induce an endless supply of giggles.
That said, the Ioniq 5 can also be incredibly well behaved. Its long wheelbase makes for a calming sense of stability at highway speeds, while you’re quietly and comfortably whisked away to your destination. Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist system includes adaptive cruise control (with machine learning to adapt to your driving style) and a very adept lane centering feature. The Highway Driving Assist II feature on the SEL and Limited trims gets semi-automated lane changes and integration with the augmented reality head-up display. There are also driving modes — Normal, Eco, Sport and Snow — to fit your mood or situation, and you can also dial in different amounts of regenerative braking force using the paddles on the back of the steering wheel. The highest level allows for one-pedal driving.
We have yet to test the single motor standard battery version, but its combination of range, performance and price make the Ioniq 5 less competitive.
As for the 2025 Ioniq 5 N, it's wild with tons of power and the ability to mimic engine noises and an eight-speed transmission. With N E-Shift, the Ioniq 5 doesn’t drive like an EV. The electric motors initially delay response to give the feeling of turbo lag. The power peaks and surges like the turbo engines in Hyundai’s other N cars. You can rev high in each gear and the Ioniq 5 will lurch and cut power while your fake tach needle bangs off the fake rev limiter. The experience is legitimately uncanny. And it’s fun. Like, a ton of fun. Masterful suspension tuning and powertrain trickery, plus an e-LSD at the rear, contribute to a car that happily flings itself amongst narrow, technical, back-and-forth esses. It feels big, but definitely not as big as its dimensions would suggest. The brake feel is firm and trusty by EV standards, but still not as sensitive on track as top ICE models. In a nod to committed left-foot brakers, the Hyundai allows a simultaneous two-step on the brake pedal and accelerator without cutting power.
Wildly fun and dripping with character, the high-powered N will be remembered.
We drive the U.S.-spec N. Every part of the EV SUV is retuned, from suspension and battery to seats and screens.
Both are great, but which is better? We decide in this comparison test.
The electric hatchback/crossover has a weirdly shaped cargo area, but a handy sliding back seat.
Having trouble deciding between the Ioniq 5 or EV6? Our interior comparison could provide you the answer.
We check the cupholders and door pockets of the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 to see if it will fit our favored but oversized water bottle.
This is our first crack at the Ioniq 5, and we drive the top trim level with all-wheel drive in the city, on the highway and through some winding mountain roads. Let’s just say we’re in love.
The Ioniq 5 is built in South Korea, so it is ineligible for federal tax credits when purchasing the car. It may qualify for state credits, though, depending on your income level.
Pricing starts at $42,985, including the $1,395 destination charge, but that’s for the short-range, small-motor, rear-wheel-drive version. The bigger battery and more powerful rear motor start with the SE at $47,035. We think that’s the best place to start, and from there, the Ioniq 5’s trim levels are the usual ladder-type structure where each gets extra equipment plus additional style options.
All prices below include the $1,335 destination charge. And note that the atypically high all-wheel-drive price premium is the result of the dual-motor model adding significant performance in addition to all-weather traction.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N comes in a single trim with all-wheel drive, and costs $67,495, including the $1,395 destination charge.
Every Ioniq 5 comes standard with forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, Safe Exit Assist (uses the last two items to warn you against opening doors into cars or bicycles), a driver inattention warning system, rear occupant alert, rear parking sensors and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality and lane-centering steering assist. Rear side airbags are also standard, which is rare. Also available are surround-view parking camera, blind spot view monitor, front parking sensors, as well as the added functionality of Highway Driving Assist II (automated lane changes, and improved logic for adaptive cruise control to better adjust to cars cutting in front of you or encroaching on your lane). Besides simply having all these driver assistance features, it’s important to note how well-executed they are.
The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 received an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, scoring the highest marks in every crash test category. Its base headlights scored an "Acceptable" rating, but the upgrade lights for the SEL and Limited scored the highest "Good" rating. The NHTSA gave the Ioniq 5 five out of five stars for overall, side and rollover crash protection. It got four stars for frontal crash protection.
STUTTGART, Germany – Something of a hierarchy becomes apparent while cruising on unrestricted sections of the Autobahn. Humble little hatchbacks from Renault and Volkswagen give way to their hot hatch counterparts with Rs and Ss on the tailgates. Those then make room for more serious sedans and coupes from BMW and Mercedes. And at the top of the food chain, an Autobahn apex predator if there ever was one, the car I’m in: the (deep breath) 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance.
It only takes a portion of the coupe’s monumental 805 horsepower and 1,047 pound-feet of torque for it to assert its dominance. I don’t even take it out of Comfort mode. A little prod of pedal, some modest rumble from the V8, and the AMG starts racking up kilometers per hour. And no matter who’s ahead of me, I can always stay close, sending the clear message that I can go faster and I want to go faster.
Pleasantly, the GT is comfy. Sure, it’s a little on the firm side, even when compared to its near-twin the SL, but it’s steady and relaxed. The optional performance seats cradle you deep in the leather-lined interior, providing both comfort and support for dominating the highway. Chrome and ambient lighting shine around vents and screens. It really offers about everything you’d want from a sporty grand tourer.
But the thing is, so can the other Mercedes-AMG GTs. They’re also fast, sleek and comfortable. Not quite as fast, but I only managed to get this plug-in hybrid GT to 150 mph before running into too much traffic to go faster, and any of the others can do that. What does the E Performance have that the others don’t?
Mainly, it has bragging rights.
It sure seems like the main reason to get the (another deep breath) Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is because it’s currently the most GT you can get, in length of name and performance. We already touched on the huge output, and that power and torque makes the all-wheel E Performance the quickest production Mercedes ever built with a 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds. That’s even quicker than the AMG One hypercar. It ekes out a few more mph of top speed over its GT 63 counterpart, too, at 199 (said regular GT 63 hits 196). And to scrub off speed, it gets standard carbon ceramic brakes that are 1.1-inch bigger up front (16.5) and 0.8 inch larger in the rear (15).
The huge power boost, and the name, comes from the E Performance plug-in hybrid system that adds a 6.1-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a 201-horsepower permanent-magnet electric motor to power the rear axle through a a two-speed transmission (though the rear motor can still power all four wheels by sending power forward through the same driveshaft that brings engine power to the back). Despite the two-speed transmission for the electric motor, you’d never notice that there’s an extra little gearbox. Any shifting is imperceptible. It’s also impressive how smooth the transition between full-electric and hybrid operation is.
Besides adding performance, it literally adds more to the car, which is mainly noticeable in how it fills up a chunk of the GT’s generously sized cargo area. There’s still plenty of space left over, and it doesn’t intrude upon (struggles to maintain a straight face) rear “seat” “room.” It adds more weight, as well. Mercedes doesn’t say exactly how much, but apparently, it’s enough to give the E Performance a more even mass distribution.
The electric motor opens up some interesting possibilities for the E Performance that could further enhance its abilities beyond numbers, but it doesn’t really follow through with them. It’s literally a plug-in hybrid, but its usefulness as one is debatable. It only goes 8 miles on electric power, but that’s on the ultra-optimistic European WLTP cycle. That might make for stealthy cruising through quiet villages or avoiding European urban congestion charges, but it feels weird to pay for 800 horsepower and only use 200 of it. It’s certainly plenty for poking around town, though setting foot on the freeway will quickly expose the limits of the motor, and when doing so, you’re bound to push past the extra resistance in the pedal that reactivates the engine. The four regenerative braking modes – including a one-pedal mode – also seem a bit pointless as they can only be accessed when the battery is empty enough (a common element of battery-powered vehicles that’s usually not that big of a deal); the battery then fills up quite rapidly given its small capacity, especially in Sport and Race modes where the engine pitches in to top up electricity for max performance.
Meanwhile, much of the rest of the E Performance remains comparable to a regular GT 63. They both come with rear-axle steering, active roll stabilization, and mostly the same style. The E Performance’s main visual distinctions are fender badges, red highlights on the rear nameplate, and the charging door on the rear bumper. The standard wheel sizes are even the same.
Ultimately, the E Performance is just more. It’s not better. It’s not worse, either. It’s just more. Arguably, this end of the market is more concerned with more than anything else, but truthfully you can get basically the same experience with the other V8 GTs. Those are already more capable than any public road can really accommodate – be it in Germany or most definitely back in the United States. As for possible track use, Mercedes sure doesn’t seem to look at the S E Performance as a track car, since we didn't get to try it on track. This is also after we were told this next-generation GT was going to go in the sportier, track-oriented direction when the SL debuted seeming awfully similar in concept to the existing GT. Also pointing more to a focus on comfort over performance is in the steering, which is a bit numb and disconnected, and generally lacking its predecessor’s raw and visceral feel. It’s too cool, collected and distant. Here’s hoping the GT 63 Pro will actually prove to be AMG’s track-ready answer to the 911 GT3.
If all this feels awfully negative for an 805-horsepower GT car, well, it’s all just a matter of perspective. The GT 63 S E Performance is by no means a bad car. All that power is obviously fun, and the car is unquestionably capable. The V8 really sounds superb, too – it has a deep, clear rumble, and Race mode adds just the right amount of modest crackle on the overrun. The new GT is also gorgeous with its long nose and curvy rear end; it’s better proportioned than the nose-heavy previous model, too. The trouble is, all that applies to “lesser” GT models, and although pricing has yet to be announced, one seriously doubts the S E Performance will command a small price premium. Maybe buyers of six-figure sports cars don’t care so much for value, but we do, and it’s hard not to see this plug-in hybrid GT’s as questionable.
Filed under: Green,Mercedes-Benz,First Drives,Coupe,Hybrid,Luxury,Performance
Continue reading 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance First Drive: The GT 63, but more
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance First Drive: The GT 63, but more originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2024 18:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Watch Toyota and Stanford execute a two-car autonomous drift
Watch Toyota and Stanford execute a two-car autonomous drift originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jul 2024 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Porsche waters down EV ambitions, says transition will take 'years'
Porsche waters down EV ambitions, says transition will take 'years' originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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