Awesome Crossovers

Genesis continues to impress us with every one of its vehicles. The 2022 GV70 knocked our socks off with its deft balance of luxury, performance, vehicle dynamics, and technology. Even with the smaller of two engines, the GV70 is smooth, quick, and more than capable of keeping up with European luxury cars.

We appreciate Mazda’s dedication to keeping cars pure and fun to drive, and the new CX-50 is no exception. This compact crossover is designed to be a bit more adventurous than the CX-5, with a little more ground clearance and more rugged looks. We drove the powerful Turbo model in top-of-the-line Premium Plus trim.

Hyundai turns down the lights for this slick new variant of its Santa Cruz sports activity vehicle. This AWD model packs a powerful 2.5L turbo engine, making 281 hp and 311 lb-ft. of torque, and is decked out entirely in black, with a dark chrome grille, 20″ dark alloy wheels, black body trim, dual side steps, LED bed lighting, and more.

The muscular brother to the Alfa Romeo Tonale compact crossover, the Hornet is the first Dodge vehicle with a hybrid electric drivetrain. The Hornet R/T has a 1.3L turbo engine and rear motor that combine to make 285 hp and 383 lb-ft. of torque. As a PHEV, you can plug it in and get 30 miles of pure electric range too.

Chevy took its Blazer compact crossover and turned it into a sporty battery electric vehicle. Taking aim at the Mustang Mach-E, the Blazer EV, models will offer ranges from 247 to 320 miles, DC fast charging, and FWD, RWD, or AWD motor configurations. The SS performance model has 557 hp and can zoom from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds.

We spent a week driving and living with Cadillac’s stylish and fun-to-drive XT4 compact crossover. The AWD Premium Luxury model we tested offers a smooth and engaging ride, a comfortable and upscale cabin, good cargo space, and plenty of modern technology.

This special F-PACE SVR crossover was inspired by Jaguar’s racing success. Its stunning Midnight Amethyst paint is paired with 22″ Champagne Gold alloy wheels and Sunset Gold accents. It packs a 550hp supercharged V8 engine, and just 394 will be built, one for each lap driven by Jaguar when it won the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans.

EVs dominated the 2022 New York Int’l Auto Show. Demonstrating their ambitions to go all-electric by 2028, Chrysler unveiled a graphite version of its Airflow Concept with a 400-mile range. The sleek crossover offers a panoramic glass roof, fast charging, intuitive AI, and tech to sync vehicle, work, and home environments.

If you can get past the massive grille, the Concept XM looks pretty damned awesome on paper. This plug-in hybrid crossover combines a V8 with electric motors, producing 750 hp and 737 lb-ft. of torque. Its angular, origami design language offers a glimpse into the future of BMW styling. A production version is due by late 2022.

An EV newcomer with a 325-mile range and 80% charge time of 20 minutes stole the LA International Auto Show, garnering the award for Top Sports Utility EV. Beating out brands including Lincoln and Rivian, the sleek Mullen Five crossover will be the first offering from California-startup Mullen Automotive, starting at $55,000.

The most powerful Porsche SUV has a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 that makes 632 hp and 623 lb-ft. of torque. Combined with a modified 8-speed transmission and traction management system, it zooms from 0-to-62mph in 3.3 seconds, with a top speed of 186 mph, while carrying your family and cargo in style and comfort.

Kia follows up on the reveal of its EV6 electric crossover with some impressive specs. Depending on drivetrain, it will offer a 300-mile range and can charge to 80% in less than 18 minutes on a 800v DC fast charger. While its base RWD model has just 167 hp, the tricked out EV6 GT AWD has 576 horses and goes 0-to-60 in under 3.5 sec.

Based on the 2022 Hyundai Kona compact crossover, the Kona N drops the hammer on performance, adding aggressive new styling, aero and airflow upgrades, performance dual exhaust, and a rumored 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that makes 275 hp. Catch a glimpse of the Kona N in action on Hyundai’s Twitter feed.

Ford shook things up when they revealed they were making an electric crossover and calling it a Mustang. While it’s not a muscle car, the Mustang Mach-E is a most definitely a performance vehicle. We spent a week with the Premium AWD variant and were duly impressed with its power, handling, technology, and comfort.

The ultimate incarnation of Acura’s sporty RDX crossover gets slathered in the rich Thermal Orange Pearl paint from the NSX supercar. It also gets the RDX Advance and A-Spec packages, SH-AWD, 20″ black alloy rims, gloss black trim, and leather, Ultrasuede, and orange stitching inside. Just 360 of the vehicles will be made.

Jaguar’s excellent and sporty AWD crossover gets refreshed with slim new quad LED headlights, a more modern and refined new interior with an 11.4″ curved glass touchscreen, and updated 3.0L supercharged engines with 48V hybrid tech, making either 335 hp or 395 hp, as well as a torquey 2.0L turbo-4 that makes 246 hp.

Mercedes-AMG cranks up the volume on its sports crossover, bestowing it with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 603hp and 627 lb-ft. of torque, and a 0-to-60 mph time of just 3.7 sec. It sports massive 16.5″ disc front brakes, an electronic limited-slip diff, AMG performance exhaust, and the latest MBUX system with dual 12.3″ displays.

Cadillac’s crossover EV is sleek, modern, and elegant. Powered by GM’s new Ultium battery system, it will come in RWD and AWD variants, with up to 300 miles of range. Tech highlights include a 33″ LED dashboard, and the latest version of Caddy’s Super Cruise. Cadillac plans on putting the LYRIQ into production by 2022.

We headed to snowy Winter Park, Colorado with Rocky Mountain Redline to put AWD cars from Nissan, Dodge, FIAT, Acura, for some Honda through their paces for snowy autocross, drag racing, and donut-making fun. There were no winners or losers, just six great cars and crossovers, all of which can handle inclimate weather with aplomb.

Audi’s pure electric crossover is expected to produce up to 350hp, with a range somewhere around 277 miles per charge. Like the recently-revealed Mustang Mach-E, it has an aerodynamic side profile with fastback looks, and is packed with the latest tech. The AWD e-tron Sportback 55 quattro can do 0-to-62 mph in 5.7 seconds.

Volvo takes its already fun and stylish XC40 compact crossover, and makes it even more appealing, offering up a fully-electric model with an AWD powertrain, making 408hp, and zooming from 0-to-62 in 4.9 sec. It’s expected to have a range of about 248 mi, and can charge to 80% in 40 minutes on a fast-charger.

Currently destined for Europe only, Audi’s tricked-out compact crossovers have been lowered, given wide fender flares, 20″ or 21″ sport wheels, aero, brake, and exhaust upgrades, and pack a 5-cylinder turbo engine that makes 400 hp. The RS Q3 has a traditional crossover roofline, while the Sportback is sloped more aggressively.

BMW updates its monstrously fun X6 M crossover with a twin-turbo V8 that makes either 593 hp, or 617 hp in Competition trim, which rides on 21-inch front wheels and 22-inch rears. It rocks a rear-biased all-wheel drive system with an active differential, along with a suspension that was fine tuned on the Nürburgring.