Crossover

Three-row utility buyers haven’t had a lot of non-truck options, especially from Toyota. Now that three-row fever is satiated with the new Toyota Grand Highlander, which debuts for the 2024 model year.

Lexus has long had a hole in its lineup, a gap between the smaller two-row crossovers and the big, truck-based sport utilities. Based on the Grand Highlander, the TX cruises into that spot, offering three rows in a unibody crossover format.

Rivian came out swinging on Thursday, showing the smaller R2 SUV it had been teasing for weeks and the new R3 and R3X. The trio will usher Rivian into the mass market, with the R2 starting at $45,000 and the smaller R3 dropping in even lower.

Mazda's great-looking new CX-90 replaces the aging CX-9. The latter was an excellent three-row crossover, but it was outdated compared to the rest of the market. By contrast, the CX-90 definitely has a more modern appeal.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet looked to be an okay entry into a popular vehicle segment. The Hornet is relatively compact and, on paper, has good numbers. But most of my colleagues have not been kind to the Hornet. However, I think they’re wrong.

Hyundai has completely redone the Kona from the ground up. Still a compact, the Kona is now a bit larger to accommodate more rear-seat legroom, cargo space, and to make for a more EV-focused platform for electrification.

Electric mobility company Smart has added a new entry level option for its compact #1 crossover model launched last year, shaving thousands of euros off the vehicle lineup's base price by installing a smaller LPO battery.

Pacific Adventure Works is about to make it much easier to sleep in the car. Its portable sleeper platform rolls up slim for travel and quickly builds into a fully adjustable bed that makes a camper out of an SUV or station wagon.

There are now two Mercedes-Benz EQE models. One is a car, the other an SUV. Both are electric and both are great entries into the emerging EV market. We spent some time behind the wheel of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE 600 4Matic and were impressed.

The XC40 Recharge is an all-electric subcompact crossover based on the ICE version of the XC40 compact utility. At launch in 2019, the XC40 was Volvo’s first battery electric model. We see what the latest model offers, driving the 2023 XC40 Recharge.

The Tonale was first introduced as an all-new Alfa Romeo model for the 2024 model year. As the new entry point for the brand, it sets the tone for the rest of the Alfa Romeo brand’s future.

Honda USA has sold hundreds of thousands of CR-V models and it’s by far Honda's most popular model in the US. The sixth-gen CR-V arrived for 2023. Is it exciting? No. Is it fast and fun? Also no. Is it extremely practical and right-sized? Very much so.