Before a new car comes to market, it's subjected to many months, sometimes years, of rigorous testing around the world. Sweden often hosts a big part of that journey, its cold northern expanses offering the perfect mix of frigid temperatures and frozen surfaces.

It's there that I myself got to do a little testing of an upcoming new EV from Mercedes-Benz. It's the GLC with EQ Technology, an all-electric version of one of the company's most popular SUVs. With new batteries, new motors and a higher-voltage charging system, it marks a significant departure from, and upgrade over, the company's current EV offerings like the EQE SUV.

But could it be better to drive? That's the question that brought me to Sweden. I'm generally quite comfortable driving on the ice and snow. I've certainly been doing it long enough, living in the northeast my entire life and ice racing for the last 20 years. But, put me behind the wheel of a priceless, hand-built prototype and I'll usually take a few extra minutes before I start to really push things.

Not so when I got behind the steering wheel of the electric GLC SUV. Within 30 seconds, I had my foot flat to the floor, and I, along with a wide-eyed development engineer, were flying down an ice-covered trail bisecting a birch tree stand.

Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG

That's how good the new GLC's traction and stability control systems are. Where most cars will simply cut all the power in a slippery situation like that, especially practical-minded ones like a typical crossover SUV, the GLC was far more giving. When the grip was low over sections of dark, glassy ice, the system reduced the power application and kept me from making a big, expensive dent in a snowbank.

When the grip was there, though, the GLC quickly ramped back up to maximum acceleration, relying on the power of its dual electric motors and all-wheel drive to keep us tracking smoothly and cleanly between the trees. Those motors and the smarts that control them are all part of Mercedes-Benz's new platform, MB.EA. These are permanent magnet type motors, with the front one featuring a physical disconnect to reduce its drag when it's not needed.

The car also features a new heat pump that’s able to absorb thermal energy from the ambient air as well as the car's various internal systems. Mercedes engineers said it will warm the cabin twice as fast using half the energy as their current EVs. Indeed, the interior in the GLC was quite cozy despite temperatures well below freezing.

Unfortunately, I can't comment on the vehicle's range in those conditions. This is just a pre-production prototype, after all. Still, I'm expecting a substantial improvement over the 307 miles the EQE SUV can manage on a charge. The batteries in the GLC rely on a revised chemistry, said to reduce the reliance on troublesome cobalt while also increasing energy density. That means more miles per pound of battery.

Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG

Another thing helping to extend range is a revised regenerative braking system. The GLC will feature multiple different rates of regen, including a one-pedal mode that will bring the SUV to a complete stop. When you do go for the brake pedal, though, you might notice it feels a little weird.

That's because stepping on the pedal doesn't really do anything. Similar to a sim-racing pedal set, the resistance here is simulated. You're not feeling a hydraulic system squeezing pistons, just springs compressing.

It's a different sensation, but not a bad one. The idea is that the car will give you a steady, consistent feel regardless of what you're doing or how you're driving. The car itself will determine how much of your desired deceleration can come from the regenerative power of the electric motors. When it needs more than they can provide, it seamlessly calls in the physical brakes for reinforcement.

In practice, it works brilliantly. The car stops smoothly and cleanly, and there's none of the occasional uneven braking that you get when stomping hard on the stop pedal in an EV. The lack of pedal feedback when ABS engages is a bit disappointing, but then I've heard that pulse causes some people to lift off the brake pedal, so perhaps it's for the best.

Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG

When stomping on the other pedal, again, the GLC accelerates strongly. It's quick enough to keep performance-minded drivers entertained. Still, given the low-grip nature of the roads and trails I covered, I can't say just how competent a handler it will be.

I can say that the optional air suspension did a sublime job over truly terrible road conditions. Ruts, washboards, frost heaves, you name it, the car happily soaked it up, even raising the suspension by an inch when some deeper snow and ice necessitated a little more ground clearance. On smoother roads, the GLC was every bit the quiet limousine that you want a luxury EV to be. There was a bit of road noise from the aggressively treaded snow tires, but this thing should be a delightful cruiser on normal tires.

The only problem? We'll have to be patient. The GLC is set to make its formal debut in Germany in September, which means it likely won't enter production until well into 2026. Mercedes-Benz hasn't set a price for the electric GLC yet either. Given the state of the world right now, it's anyone's guess what the incentive/tariff situation will look like for foreign EVs, even those built in the US like Mercedes-Benz's current EQS SUV.

If it's priced right, though, and if it doesn't look too awful once those camouflage stickers and taped-on protrusions are removed, it should be a winner. I already can't wait for another go behind the wheel and another chance to get even more comfortable.

Mercedes-Benz's EV efforts aren't exactly burning up the sales charts. Models like the EQS and EQE haven't convinced the brand's demanding clientele that batteries are the future, forcing the company to scale back its electric ambitions.

Scale back, but not abandon. Benz is about to launch a new generation of EVs relying on technology derived from the epically efficient EQXX. The first is the new CLA. It's coming soon, and after getting some time behind the wheel of a prototype vehicle undergoing final testing in the snowy wilds of Sweden, I'm convinced this could be the car to change Mercedes' electrified fortunes.

And, for anyone who isn't convinced, there'll be a hybrid version, too.

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Mercedes-Benz's EV efforts aren't exactly burning up the sales charts. Models like the EQS and EQE haven't convinced the brand's demanding clientele that batteries are the future, forcing the company to scale back its electric ambitions.

Scale back, but not abandon. Benz is about to launch a new generation of EVs relying on technology derived from the epically efficient EQXX. The first is the new CLA. It's coming soon, and after getting some time behind the wheel of a prototype vehicle undergoing final testing in the snowy wilds of Sweden, I'm convinced this could be the car to change Mercedes' electrified fortunes.

And, for anyone who isn't convinced, there'll be a hybrid version too.

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GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—There's no shortage of companies looking to reinvent the delivery experience using everything from sidewalk drones to electric vans. Some are succeeding, but many more have failed by trying to radically rethink the simple, age-old task of getting stuff from one place to another.

Harbinger likewise wants to shake up part of that industry but in a decidedly understated way. If you found yourself stuck in traffic behind one of the company's all-electric vehicles, there's a good chance you wouldn't even notice. The only difference? The lack of diesel smoke and clatter.

From the outside, Harbinger's pre-production machine looks identical to the standard flat-sided, vinyl-wrapped delivery vehicles that seemingly haven't changed in decades. That's because they really haven't. Those familiar UPS and FedEx machines are built on common chassis like Ford's F-59 or Freightliner's MT45, with ladder chassis and leaf spring designs dating back to the earliest days of trucking.

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• I bought my kids everything they wanted and gave them a $400 allowance.
• When they started to seem complacent about money, my wife and I decided to cut their allowance.
• They had to get after-school jobs to make extra money, and it showed them the value of hard work.

Growing up in an African household with tough parents meant you had to work to earn your keep. Don't get me wrong, my parents were loving, but they didn't play around when it came to teaching us work ethics and the value of money. My five siblings and I stayed in school, and when school was out in the summer, we got jobs from as early as 12. Around this age, our parents required us to stay proactive and explicitly said that we had to work.

Of course, as a young man, there were things I wanted, like the latest shoes and clothes to keep up with my friends. My parents didn't really have any room in their budget for "extras." If I wanted anything that wasn't a basic need, I had to buy it myself. So I worked hard to afford what I wanted. These experiences shaped my money mindset and helped me become the financially responsible adult I am today.

I used to buy them everything they wanted

I didn't understand at the time why my parents wouldn't just buy me the things I wanted, and it was tough for me to have to work so hard while other friends and classmates of mine had more time to just be kids. I swore my kids would have a different experience. I wanted to provide everything they needed without them having to struggle for it. I chose to over-compensate for the things I lacked growing up.

My son and two daughters, now 11, 13, and 15, got whatever they wanted, and things they didn't even ask for sometimes. They would often ask for new clothes and the latest tech gadgets, which I always bought. I would take them on trips and always purchased school supplies ahead of the new year. True to this, my son and two daughters knew the best life. They never lacked anything, at least not in a material sense.

I also gave each of them a $400 monthly allowance, just in case they needed anything else I wasn't giving them directly. I liked knowing they were well-catered to and didn't have any financial concerns. While I provided for them, I also wanted them to learn positive lessons in life and develop the best values.

I tried to instill in them that hard work was important and promised to give more if they helped with chores around the home or ran errands for my office. I told myself that although I was giving them most things money could buy, they were still learning important lessons along the way. However, all good things come to an end, and their good attitudes did the same, eventually.

Over time, they stopped being grateful

One thing my kids taught me was that when given everything, you become complacent. They no longer had the desire to work harder and achieve things.

My son's grades started slipping, and he told me he wasn't worried because he had everything he needed and knew I would hire him to work for me. That was a very disappointing answer.

Both of my daughters also developed a bad attitude and often put up a fight before helping their mother with chores around the house. They started giving me a hard time about picking up school activities and earning extra credit. Sometimes, we volunteered at our local church, which I thought they enjoyed, but they started turning down these opportunities. Soon, I worried that they would go down the wrong path.

We cut their allowance and they had to start working

After reflecting on our situation and how hard it was for me growing up, I had a change of heart. I sat down with my wife, and we decided to cut our children's allowance from $400 to $100 to help them find the right path and inner motivation. If nothing changed, we would revoke the allowances completely. After all, they say that you never know the value of what you have until you lose it.

This decision was met with a lot of resistance, yelling, and screaming, but we stood our ground. To make up the difference in their allowances, the kids had to find after-school jobs. They had to work if they needed extra shoes, clothes, and necessities. Although this drastic change was unwelcome, it was necessary.

I wanted my kids to learn about financial responsibility, develop a work ethic, and understand the importance of savings. These were critical lessons that would take them through every step of life.

It was hard at first, but our dynamic has shifted

As you can imagine, change is never easy, and my kids didn't appreciate the new rules I was enforcing. Helping them stay on track was challenging, especially while they were finding jobs. It felt harsh, but sometimes tough love is needed. Today, my son and daughters have been working for close to a year. Jobs are the new norm, everyone is earning their keep, just as I did when I was younger.

For the most part. They have a better attitude toward money and are not wasteful because they finally see how much it takes to make it. We cut them some slack at times, though, and get them a few things here and there. We answer all their questions about money and urge them to do better. Financial responsibility is an important topic in our home. The next step is getting our kids savings accounts, as we want them to understand how to save for a rainy day.

• When my kids were little, I never imagined we would bump heads.
• I quickly learned that parenting teenagers is hard.
• It took me years not to take what they said to me personally.

Parenting teenagers is not for the faint-hearted. When my kids were born, I had a picture in my mind of how they would turn into great and loving adults. I didn't see us bumping heads at any point because my heart was full of all the great ways I could nurture them.

However, years went by, and my two daughters are no longer the little kids they once were. They are opinionated adults who are fighting for independence, and no one denies them.

Their teenage years were particularly memorable, especially because it was hard to prepare for the onslaught of emotions that came out of nowhere.

Parenting teenagers is hard

Any parent of a teenager knows the pain of being rejected and pushed away by their child. But these were not the biggest challenges I went through.

The one thing that gets to my soul is this: As my children hit their teens, they were so busy with their schoolwork and friends that I hardly saw them for days. When we connected, it would only be because I cornered them down.

For a few moments, we would talk about their days and their challenges, and they would entertain my advice. But these phases were short-lived and overshadowed by screaming and yelling because they didn't like their curfew, new house rules, or the fact that they had to do a few chores.

Of course, these things led to misunderstandings, which led the kids to say things like "I hate you," "You're the worst dad ever," and "I never want to talk to you again." They often wondered why I couldn't be as "cool as the other dads."

These words cut to the core, and I remember never feeling appreciated for my efforts as a father. It always seemed like my teenagers had a pattern; if they were belligerent, something was going on with their friends, and I let them get away with a little bit more.

If they were obedient, I knew they were guilty of something, and I would tighten the reins. The constant "catch me if you can" game made parenting feel personal. I had many moments of self-doubt when I wondered whether I was really doing a good job.

My wife and I would constantly remind each other that we were indeed doing our best, especially when we wanted to connect with the kids, but they built walls we couldn't reach.

One painful memory comes to mind, when my daughters required being dropped off a block away from school. They made it clear that they did not want anyone seeing their dad because I embarrassed them.

It was especially disappointing because I cherished the drive to school. I thought it was one of the best ways to connect, but they didn't see it that way.

I had to learn not to take things personally

It took me years to stop taking what my kids say personally. Some comments cut to the core, but parenting brings the good with the challenging, and it took a lot of inner work to choose to forget them.

Adolescents want things on their terms; that's the nature of their interactions. I would approach situations with this fact in mind.

I found it better to leave them alone when they were not in a delightful mood to talk or answer questions. There's no point in having meaningless conversations. Giving them space encourages them to eventually come to you.

Often, when my teenagers told me they were adults, I affirmed it and said they could do whatever they wanted when they were living independently, but under my house, they would have to follow our rules.

The most important lesson I've learned is patience. Being patient with your teenagers means understanding their temper tantrums and mood swings. It's also about reassuring them through their entire journey.

As growing adults, my children apologize for things they said out of anger. Maybe they are starting to slowly get the concept of time and how it passes by quickly for all of us or gain an appreciation for their parents. My love for them has never faltered despite all the trying times.

Utility terrain vehicles, also known as side-by-sides, are multi-seat off-road vehicles used for work or play, and their use is exploding around the globe. The market was once entirely composed of glorified golf carts, but we're now seeing plenty of wild-looking off-road monsters with the kind of extreme performance that puts many full-size off-roaders to shame.

Whatever it's used for, the average UTV lined up outside your local powersports dealer today is a serious machine—and it's usually sold with a serious sticker price to match. That's certainly the case with the one we're looking at today, the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic Ultimate.

As that lengthy nomenclature suggests, this is a powerful, capable, well-rounded UTV. It also happens to be electric, offering 80 miles (129 km) of range from a 29.8-kWh battery, which powers an electric motor sourced from Zero Motorcycles, with 110 hp (82 kW) and a healthy 140 lb-ft (190 Nm) of torque.

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• My parents never gave me a proper sex talk, so I vowed to do better for my kids.
• But my kids asked me more complicated questions about abortion and same-sex relationships.
• I struggled to answer them, but I took the time to step away and come back with better answers.

What I remember about the birds and the bees conversation during my childhood is foggy at best. My parents never really took the time to explain the ins and outs of having sex, and most of what I knew I learned from other people.

My conservative family didn't put an emphasis on conversations like that. When I started asking where babies come from, my mother told me that a woman has a seed in her that a man waters, and then babies are made.

The talk lasted about five seconds, and we were on to the next thing. Thinking about that experience made me want to be a better parent for my kids. In important conversations like that, I decided I would go above and beyond to explain things to their satisfaction.

The sex talk didn't go how I had planned

As a parent, I've always worked hard to make information accessible to my children. I spent a lot of time researching how to have sex conversations as a father, and I was ready for the questions when they came.

The sex talk may be a one-time conversation for most people, but I wanted to have it as many times as my kids saw fit. After all, it was an opportunity to talk about anatomy, safety, conception, pleasure, consent, contraception, intimacy, and more.

Despite all the preparation, when the time came — when they were around 12 — to have the talk with my kids, I struggled. They were asking about sex changes and my stance on sensitive topics like abortion. They wondered about Planned Parenthood, same-sex encounters, and much more.

Their questions were miles away from what I expected. I wasn't ready for what they knew and felt like some of my opinions were too strong to share with my kids.

I struggled to give the answers that my kids wanted to hear and had to really think about what I wanted to say.

I took a step away, and that helped

Instead of answering my kids' surprise, tough questions on the spot, I told them I needed to think and would get back to them.

When I stepped away, I thought about my parents and how they were not able to have the sex talk in a satisfactory way. Most of my anxiety resulted from how I grew up and the conversations I had with my parents, and I didn't want my kids to feel the way I did. I want them to grow up into independent, well-informed adults. The only way to do this is to educate them on the things that matter.

So, I decided to be honest and tell my kids the truth.

After a couple of days of reflecting, my wife and I sat our kids down and answered what we could. We had these conversations many times, addressing everything that the kids wanted to know and guiding them in the way we felt best.

Taking time to consider my answers really helped

In having the sex talk(s) with my kids, I realized it's important for both parents to show up — if possible. My wife saved the day when I was ill-prepared with some answers, and she shared experiences I never had.

I also found that having conversations about consent and respect was most important. In that way, my son understood why boundaries are important with the opposite sex, and my daughters learned to give or deny consent before anything happens.

Finally, I didn't have all the answers at the moment, and it's perfectly OK to think about what you want to say before you say it. Taking time helped me address issues from my kids' point of view rather than a general perspective.

It's OK to be nervous, and trusting my ability to communicate with my kids on complicated issues is key. Honest, compassionate, and shame-free conversations will always get you far with the young ones.

I'm giving myself grace as a parent

The world as we know it has changed, and kids are growing up faster than we care to admit. Finding teachable moments for a parent is the best thing we can do for our young ones.

I now realize that it's a journey; there's no handbook to it. I'm bound to make mistakes along the way.

The sex talk is probably one of the most significant conversations that I'll have with my kids. I may not have done so great with it in the beginning, but I hope they will still come to me whenever they need answers.

CHARLOTTE, NC—It's amazing how much more raucous you can make a car feel simply by deleting every semblance of creature comfort. That's the basic idea of the Mustang Dark Horse R, a track-only flavor of the Mustang for the dedicated Mustang Challenge series, which will run in support of many IMSA races this year, starting with the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. Despite running the same 500 hp (373 kW) 5.0 L Coyote engine as the road-going Dark Horse, slotted into the same chassis and bodywork, it's a far more engaging drive—and a wildly good time.

It all looks pretty tame from the outside, as it sports the familiar Mustang shape that has hardly changed over the last few generations. Even the wing is slender by race car standards, only subtly different from the one on the road-going Dark Horse.

But peek inside and you start to see the scope of the modifications. The sound-deadening material has been evicted, with leather and vinyl trimming replaced by a roll cage that spans the now-vacant space. A bright red fire extinguisher now sits where the rear seat once was.

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Ford's no stranger to the NASCAR life. Ford driver Joey Logano was the 2024 Cup Series Champion in one of the company's Mustang-bodied machines. He's currently leading the 2025 series, too. However, the Blue Oval and its Ford Performance division are going into uncharted territory with its new prototype, an all-electric Mach-E built atop elements of NASCAR's current Next Gen chassis.

The machine uses three motors to make a total of 1,341 hp (1,000 kW). Yes, three motors, one for each rear wheel plus the odd one out up front, giving the thing all-wheel drive. That's a seeming necessity, given the car has two times the power that any NASCAR racer is allowed to deploy on the non-restrictor plate races.

But that extra driven axle isn't just for acceleration. "If you're rear-wheel drive only, you're only getting rear regen," Mark Rushbrook said. He's the global director of Ford Performance. Since braking forces are higher at the front axle, an extra motor there means more regen to recharge the battery.

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• I saved a college fund for my daughter but decided not to give it to her.
• Instead, I'm having her apply for student loans so that she can learn financial independence.
• I hope this financial responsibility will help her become a better adult.

College was one of the biggest challenges when parenting my daughter.

High school was easy because we were a small, tight-knit family that followed a schedule.

My wife and I would do school drop-off every morning and then go to work. In the evenings, we would all meet back at home and talk about the highs and lows of our days. Weekends were rather adventurous. We would go out to explore new places, or our daughter would spend time with her friends. Everything was rather predictable.

Unpredictability set in just when my daughter was about to go to college. There were so many decisions to be made, and we were not all in agreement with them. My daughter wanted one thing; my wife and I wanted another, and it was a constant cycle of trying to figure things out.

Paying for college was our biggest hurdle to face as a family.

We saved for my daughter's college but then had second thoughts

One thing we were prepared for was the financial aspect of higher education. We knew the transition would be expensive, so we had set aside a college fund years ago to ensure we would all be comfortable.

However, I started reflecting on my life and the hardships that I had to go through as I grew up. For me, going to school was a privilege because I came from a middle-class family where my parents tried their best to give us everything we needed.

As one of six siblings, things were never easy. My parents provided my education by constantly applying for loans. This gave me a burning desire to work harder and reach my goals because there was no fallback plan.

Along the way, I learned significant money lessons that I've carried into adulthood — lessons I wish my children would equally learn.

Of course, the goal is always to provide a better life for your children so they don't have to know the difficult life experiences you went through but sometimes we have to make decisions they will be grateful for later.

Therefore, despite having a college fund, I encouraged my daughter to apply for student loans.

I hope she can learn financial responsibility

Apart from emphasizing savings and keeping piggy banks when she was younger, I never had real-life opportunities to teach my daughter about money management. Her journey to college was the best place to start. After all, she would be independent in a couple of years.

By encouraging her to apply for student loans, I was hoping to teach her to make important financial decisions in the long run and understand debt management.

As education is important, paying back the student loans will be equally important to her because the loans provide long-term educational value. Learning how to budget and manage debt repayments is a critical life skill for anyone.

To ensure our daughter was on board with the idea, my wife and I had an open discussion with her regarding this huge financial step. We also set realistic expectations on the loan repayment terms and exchanged ideas on how to manage finances post-graduation.

We agreed that she will look for jobs during semester breaks and will be able to save a little of what she will earn in a "loan payment" account that she will eventually have.

She was surprised and had to process it for a couple of days. But after many discussions, she understood and now does the loan applications herself — now that she's in her second year of college.

Owning a personal bank account and a loan repayment account will help her split the money she gets into two and make do with what she can.

Now, she'll be better prepared for adulthood

Considering that we can afford to pay for college, this may seem like an extreme measure, but it's one that we feel is needed. My biggest fear is raising kids who will not be financially independent when the time comes.

By taking these little steps, we hope our daughter will understand the importance of managing her finances properly, even if we won't be there to guide her. Life is unpredictable, and you don't want your kids to feel incapable of handling the challenges that may come their way.

What she doesn't know is that her college fund will remain untouched for her to receive in the future and that we will be a safety net if things get tough. But we didn't offer that upfront because we wanted to help her find her way and give her a start in this cold world.

• Raising my daughters as teenagers has been the hardest time of my life as a parent.
• They were sneaking out, skipping school, and eventually ended up in jail.
• When I got the call from jail, I wanted to rescue them but decided not to. It was the right move.

Having my two daughters was the best decision I ever made.

When they were kids, all the moments we had were special. However, kids don't remain kids forever, and their teenage years have been the hardest.

My girls hated school and struggled to keep their grades consistent. When they were 13 and 15, I got a call from their class teacher, who hadn't seen them in school for two weeks straight.

Still, I didn't enforce any hard rules or punishments because I felt that talking to them would have more of an impact than grounding them or revoking privileges. I was wrong.

We tried having open conversations with our kids about their poor behavior

My daughters weren't motivated to get an education because they never knew hardship growing up.

On the other hand, I grew up believing that a good education was the only way to a good job and a better life for myself and my family.

As any parent might, I tried to make them see why education matters and why going to school was the way to a brighter future, but they didn't see it my way.

"Dad, stay out of our business!" was their constant one-liner.

To add insult to injury, they would sneak out in the middle of the night and return early in the morning, thinking we didn't notice. It broke my heart many times.

My wife always wanted to take the harder approach, but I would talk her out of it for fear of pushing them even further away. In those situations, my wife and I did our best to sit down with our daughters to have open conversations.

After they were suspended from school, I got a call from jail

A month passed after that first call from their teacher. The second call came from the school principal, who said that both my daughters had been suspended for the rest of the term for poor attendance and causing trouble in school.

I considered going down and attempting to offer an explanation to the school but decided not to. I knew a suspension record on my daughters' school reports would affect their chances of college acceptance, but they had to learn.

They took the news as I expected, with a carefree attitude. They even said they were done with school.

A few weeks later, they got into trouble for drug possession. Granted, the drugs were found in their friend's car, but that did not save them from the law.

When I got that call from jail, I immediately wanted to go to their rescue and post their bail, but my wife and I decided it was best to let them take responsibility for their actions.

After spending some time in jail, my two daughters were sent to a court-appointed drug program for six months. We hoped the time apart would help all of us reflect, which it thankfully did.

That horrific experience caused my daughters to reconsider their actions. Change didn't happen overnight, though. It was a journey.

I'm finally enjoying parenting again

First, we had to forgive each other for the disappointment, the hurtful actions, and the things that were said in anger.

Over time, my daughters also had to make amends with their school and stay on track with their education.

Getting arrested was enough to inspire them to change their ways.

Now they're in college, and my daughters look back and see their experiences as a stepping stone to a better future.

Slowly but surely, they are turning into responsible adults and I'm enjoying parenting again after that dark phase.

While there's plenty of automotive news to go around at CES 2025, far and away, the talk of the show is the Afeela 1. Again. For five years now, Sony has been showing off some variation on this same theme, first as the Vision-S in 2020, then the Vision-S 02, before adopting the unfortunate rebranding to Afeela in 2023, and this year finally to Afeela 1.

Along the way, the car lost what little interesting styling it had while sticking true to some specifications that sounded good five years ago. Everything just feels a bit off, not the least of which is its starting price: $89,900.

I got a chance to get up close and inside the car, a demo that began with another explanation of what Afeela means. It's a sort of overwrought portmanteau for the words autonomy, augmentation, and affinity.

This year's Afeela 1 is little changed from last year's numberless show car. The only significant visual update is found in the sensor pod protruding from the leading edge of the roof. A LiDAR module now stands proud, along with a couple of cameras on either end, staring in opposite directions chameleon-style.

While the bug-eyed look is not particularly charming, it is the only bit of visual character in an otherwise bland design. The lone other external talking point is the display embedded in the leading edge of the hood. This "media bar" is another thing that seemed novel and fun a few years ago on a concept car.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

It's supposed to welcome you to the car or provide messages to those around you. But it's hard to read from afar, and up close you can see the unfortunate seam down the middle where two panels were somewhat crudely joined together to form the thing.

To open the driver's door, you either tap a button in the app or press a small button embedded in the pillar. There are no door handles to pull, not even a token fin like on the Ford Mustang Mach-E. I couldn't help asking what do you do if you park in an ice storm and the door is frozen shut. I wasn't given much of an answer.

Those doors open to a space that's every bit as understated as the exterior except for one thing: the dashboard-spanning display. It's vibrant and clear and about the only thing in here that reminded me that this is a Sony product. Well, that and the DualSense controller that you can pair to the car and then fire up PS Remote Play while you charge.

And you'll need something to do because the maximum charge rate of the Afeela 1 is 150 kW for its 91 kWh battery, which provides an estimated 300 miles of range. Compare that to a cheaper Lucid Air, which can charge twice as quickly and cover over 400 miles on a charge and you begin to see the real problem with this thing.

That display plus the ambient lighting within the car are all comprehensively customizable, with the same sorts of themes available on the PS5. I sampled the Ghost of Tsushima and Fortnite themes, each of which splayed the interior in the proper series of colors, adding a splash of personality to the otherwise vanilla surfaces.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

That big display is the major talking point, but look a little lower and you'll spot the world's largest volume knob situated between the seats. It's bigger than the iDrive knob on most modern BMWs, yet only controls the output of the 28-speaker Dolby Atmos sound system.

The software interface, meanwhile, looked largely unfinished, little more than a two-row grid of oversized boxes representing apps, settings and car controls. Given the width of the display, vital controls can easily stretch beyond the driver's reach, leaving you to drag the whole array back to the left to get what you need.

After so many years of seeing what Sony's first car would really look like, I couldn't help feeling disappointed when I climbed out. But not nearly as disappointed as I was when looking down the spec sheet again.

There are two trims of Afeela 1, the $89,900 Afeela 1 Origin and $102,900 Signature. The latter has larger wheels (21-inch vs. 19), a rear-seat entertainment system (displays embedded in the headrests plus an HDMI input) and additional cameras. The Origin, meanwhile, is only available in black.

Seriously.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

Why Sony would even think about launching a $90,000 car that is only available in black is beyond me. Spend the $13,000 more for the Signature model, and you still only get three forgettable shades: white, gray and black again.

In the Origin we have a car that costs $20,000 more than a Lucid Air Pure but has considerably less range and slower charging speed. Go for the $102,900 Afeela 1 Signature trim, and you're now spending more than a Porsche Taycan, which admittedly has less range but looks far better and will almost assuredly be the more engaging drive.

Five years ago, Sony's vehicular aspirations made for an odd but intriguing project. Now, it all just seems misguided. How will it feel in another 12 months when the first cars start rolling off from Honda's Ohio factory? That's anyone's guess, but I can't imagine tomorrow's market will look any more kindly upon this vehicular curiosity.

At a surprisingly star-studded event this morning, BMW showed off the final form of its long-awaited and long-teased Panoramic iDrive system. It's a combination of an oddly angular touchscreen, a windshield-spanning heads-up display, and an LLM-powered AI assistant. The big news? It's coming to every future BMW.

Comedians Tim Meadows and Ken Jeong welcomed the assembled crowd into a studio designed to look like an oversized interior of the company's upcoming Neue Klasse. They did their best to goad BMW's Bavarian executives into a series of jokes and bits that mostly fell as flat as the central touchscreen that now dominates the iDrive experience.

Thankfully, it's not comedy that brought us to Las Vegas this week, and the good news for BMW is that the interface looks good. The software behind the scenes is called BMW Operating System X, and it powers a new iDrive that combines screens and voice commands to create a familiar but far more comprehensive interface than anything we've seen in a BMW before.

It all starts with that central touchscreen, but even that is different. Rather than being square or curved like in other BMWs, the new panel is rhomboid-shaped, a slanted polygon whose leaning posture doesn't seem to really augment the experience but does at least look distinctive.

The panel is also tilted slightly towards the driver and is running software that is at least familiar to anyone who's used the current iDrive interface. A static bar along the bottom provides quick access to the most important things, like controls for the heating system. Above that, a stylized, 3D view of the world makes sure you're always situated.

Things get more interesting when you move up the dashboard. Running along the base of the windshield is what BMW calls Panoramic Vision. It spans the width of the car, with the left-most portion handling typical gauge cluster duties like displaying current speed, active safety controls, and even warnings.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

The rest of the Panoramic Vision display is customizable, with six widgets that you can drag up from the central touchscreen covering things like outside temperature, navigation ETA, and even another widget showing you turn-by-turn information. It's much that we've seen in demos from BMW before, but now nearly ready for prime-time with the cars shipping at the end of this year.

Given the Panoramic Vision's importance in the overall in-car experience, I asked the guy who oversaw the development of all this, BMW's SVP of connected company technical operations Stephan Durach, whether there were any visibility issues in the bright sunlight.

"This technology is a little bit different than a traditional heads-up display... we're using black print on the bottom. In bright sunlight, it's even performing a little bit better," he said. "You'll not have any issues at all."

If that's not enough displays for you, there's another HUD situated on the left, up above the Panoramic Vision, which gives 3D navigation information for the driver. Yes, between the touchscreen, the Panoramic Vision display, and the HUD, you can get three separate feeds of turn-by-turn directions.

In other words, if you miss a turn in this thing, you have nobody to blame but yourself.

BMW

BMW also quickly demonstrated a new in-car LLM that, for now at least, is only for navigation. It was all pre-recorded, so it's anyone's guess how well this will work in reality, but in the demo, at least, it quickly found "the best beach" and navigated there. When our pretend driver left the city, the car even asked whether to automatically engage Sport Mode, which was a nice touch.

BMW's Durach confirmed that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will still be supported. He also teased that there are some more fun tricks to come that will get passengers more involved in the experience.

BMW ended the presentation by confirming that Panoramic iDrive will not only be coming to the Neue Klasse when it finally hits the market at the end of this year but will be the standard interface for all new BMWs that launch after that. That means the days of the rotary iDrive controller are now officially numbered.

I asked Durach if he had any parting words for this once-revolutionary vehicular interface.

"We take a look at all of our data and usage... you can really see that the usage of our rotary controller is declining dramatically," he said. "People don't even touch it."

It's a harsh send-off, but these days you just can't cry over progress.

The pastime of pinball has lived a fraught existence. Whether due to public sentiment, hostile legislation, or a simple lack of popularity, the entire silver ball industry has repeatedly teetered on the brink of collapse. Yet it has always come back, today again riding a wave of popularity driven by the successes of high-tech machines capitalizing on familiar brands like X-Men and Godzilla.

Pinball arcades are springing up everywhere, but private ownership is also surging. Those modern tables with their high-definition displays and brilliant LED lights are getting the most attention, but there is a breed of pinball enthusiast who not only owns a selection of classic machines but also obsessively maintains and restores them.

These collectors have just as much love for the maze of mechanicals beneath the surface as the trajectories the silver ball follows. The goal isn't high scores; it's keeping ornately complex vintage contraptions looking and playing like new.

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• I loved being a high school English teacher because of my students.
• After a medical issue, I was out of the classroom for months and not motivated.
• I decided to quit and become a freelance writer instead.

When I decided to be a high school English teacher, I thought it was something I would do until my glory days. But then I started wondering if I should quit my career.

I enjoyed interacting with my students and seeing the excitement in their faces when we made new discoveries in class. Watching them progress and get better every day was a worthwhile journey. But somewhere along the line, I lost my passion and fulfillment, and I figured I'd be happy doing something else.

I was out of the classroom for 2 months

At the beginning of 2022, I faced a health scare that put me out of my classroom for two months. I had a ruptured appendix that led to a stomach infection.

The experience helped me put many things in perspective. I realized that as much as I loved my students and didn't want to walk away from them, I didn't enjoy teaching as much.

I had to spend a lot of time on my feet, and even prepping for lessons started feeling like more of a chore.

I was no longer motivated. However, I had to push my feelings to the side because my wife stayed home with the kids and we relied on my income to get by. I went back to teaching after recovery, but it was easy for those around me to notice that I was no longer "the same."

I hit my breaking point over a year and a half later. After a long teaching session, the school principal summoned me to his office to discuss a foreign teacher program where I was chosen to represent the school in Canada, which meant I would be away from my family for six to 12 months.

I decided to become a freelance writer

I remember going home feeling hopeless and defeated. I was already working long hours, and I couldn't handle any more on my plate. I shared my disappointment with my wife who told me to follow my heart and do what made me happy.

I had heard about freelance writing but never knew how to turn it into a profitable opportunity. I stayed up all night researching and reading stories on how other writers were making a living writing.

I realized it was possible to write profitably, but I needed to find a starting point. First, I had to pick a niche,e which was easy to do as I enjoyed writing about technology.

Many publications were accepting tech articles, and I got busy writing my first 10 articles on different topics. It took me a bit of time to complete them, but I enjoyed writing so much that it didn't feel like a hard task.

I uploaded the articles to an article-selling site and sold seven of them over time. I then reached out to technology publications with article ideas; some were accepted, and others were rejected. Still, it was the fuel I needed to stay on course.

As soon as I got my foot in the door, I talked to my students and handed in my resignation. It was heartbreaking to leave them behind, but I had to accept that teaching was no longer for me. Walking away made me feel like I could breathe again. I was unburdened.

We had to make sacrifices

For a couple of months, we survived on the savings I had accumulated throughout my teaching career. We didn't have a lot of debt, only a car mortgage, so it wasn't as difficult to get by.

We had to make plenty of adjustments, like switching to more affordable schools for our children and cooking at home instead of eating out, but life has been good to me.

I've also faced a number of challenges, like maxing out our savings, receiving late payments, and having unpaid bills, but I'm learning to manage our finances better as I go.

Saving for rainy days is an essential part of the program. Freelance writing gives me the kind of time freedom I only dreamt of. I'm now doing what I love and getting paid to do it.

I envisioned this path for me for years before I had the courage to walk away from my teaching job, and I would choose freelance writing again in a heartbeat.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

I've been on a bit of a quest to replace all the LCD panels in my life with OLED. I recently swapped an aging (and shattered) iPad Pro with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, which is much easier on the eyes when watching late-night, trans-Atlantic movies. I've been a Galaxy S user for many years now, and I also switched to a Lenovo X1 Carbon laptop with an OLED display this year. I guess you could say I'm quite drawn to the rich color reproduction and stellar contrast, especially in low-light situations.

Given that, I was intrigued by Audi's new Q6 E-Tron, which has the most expansive suite of OLED displays I've ever seen in a car. Not only did Audi's engineers splay a series of curved panels across the dashboard, reaching practically from the left door to the right, they even embedded them into the taillights out back. It's an OLED smorgasbord, but it'd be a big waste of electroluminescence if the car weren't any good.

Thankfully, it is.

The Q6 E-Tron is Audi's new crossover SUV, a five-passenger model that pairs nicely with the current Q5. The new Q6, though, is slightly larger in most dimensions and — more significantly — battery-powered. This is in keeping with the brand's current mission to differentiate its EV line from its ICE offerings by assigning even-numbered designations to electric models and odd numerals to the gas-powered ones.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

At first, I thought this numerical nomenclature was just that — odd. But with the market increasingly skeptical about electrification, this gives Audi the ability to position its battery-powered and internal-combustion (ICE) cars in the market in parallel while also differentiating them, catering to buyers who are happy to plug in as well as anyone who still sees filling up at a gas station as preferable.

No judgments, you do you, but for those ready for an electric lifestyle, the Q6 E-Tron is Audi's most compelling offering yet.

It starts with a fresh look. This SUV carries enough familiar styling cues, like the brand’s four rings, to make it immediately identifiable as an Audi. Despite that, it looks thoroughly fresh and clean. From the big, aggressive front fascia and lighting on the nose to the evocatively curved fender flares on the side (a nod to the E-Tron GT), it looks great at any angle, up to and including the pert and clean lighting at the rear.

That continues on the inside. Overlapping shapes and contours create an interesting space, while a selection of mostly quality materials make for surfaces as nice to touch as they are to admire.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

As you step from the Q6 to the sportier SQ6, that just improves, with a slash of racy microsuede material across the dashboard paired with a bit of carbon fiber. The SQ6 delivers a healthy 509 horsepower to all four wheels in launch mode (483 without) thanks to a dual-motor configuration. The lesser Q6 Quattro still impresses with 456 hp from the same dual motors (422 not in launch mode). There's also a rear-drive, single-motor Q6 with 322 hp in launch mode (302 without), but I don't think many folks will choose that one, for reasons I'll delve into a bit later.

At Audi's US launch of the Q6, I sampled both the Q6 Quattro and sportier SQ6 and was really impressed by their disparate driving characters. The Q6 is comfortable and quiet, with generally good ride quality when outfitted with the optional air suspension and engaging handling. As you cycle through the various drive modes, there isn't a radical change, but switch to Dynamic mode, and it does get a fair bit more exciting.

Those who want a more vigorous experience, though, will want to step up to the SQ6. The extra power is nice, yes, but the combination of larger wheels with sportier tires and a more aggressive suspension tune makes for a car that feels substantially more engaging. It handles nicely for a small SUV and actually delivers good feedback through the steering, making for something that wants to be pushed through the corners.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

But that extra helping of aggression does come at a cost. The SQ6 has a noticeably harsher ride quality, even when its air suspension is at its most comfortable mode. There's also a good bit more road noise from the tires, too.

That noise is still quite scant compared to a typical, internal-combustion car, making the Q6 a great venue for the 20-speaker, 830-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system. It's optional, but it's a worthy upgrade if only thanks to the extra speakers mounted into the headrest.

Many cars have stuck speakers behind your head in the past, but Audi's doing some interesting things here, like directing voice navigation prompts and even call audio directly to the driver's ears. Initially, the effect is a little unnerving. It almost feels like bone conduction, as if the nav system were announcing the next turn directly inside your head, but that direct connection means it's far less distracting for anyone else in the car.

I always turn off voice prompts in my cars because they disrupt the flow of music, but with this, I could see myself actually leaving them on.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

As good as the sound is, the visuals are much better. The hallmark of the interior are those aforementioned OLED displays, three of them, measuring 11.9 inches on the left behind the steering wheel, 14.5 in the center for the primary, curved infotainment display and an optional third, 10.9-inch screen for the passenger on the far right.

These three aren't as tidily integrated as Mercedes-Benz's mighty Hyperscreen, but the quality of the displays seems higher, and the capability is impressive, too. The passenger can cue up YouTube videos and watch them if they like, while a dynamic privacy filter keeps the driver from snooping.

There are plenty of other apps, too. I installed The Weather Channel to get an update on the forecast while I was in the passenger seat to see whether there was any sunshine ahead for the next photo stop (there wasn't), but familiar media apps like Audible and Spotify were primed for download, too.

Audi

The revised MMI interface is busy, and I occasionally struggled to find settings in various submenus, but it is at least responsive. And, with both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on offer, you can bring your own experience. My biggest interface problem was actually with the steering wheel. The controls on the spokes are capacitive touch, and during a half-day behind the wheel, I accidentally hit the volume up button a half-dozen times. What's wrong with actual buttons, again?

If all those displays aren't enough, the Q6 also offers an optional, augmented reality HUD that sits right in your field of view. This means it can do things like project hovering blue arrows to tell you exactly when to turn but also identify on the road where the speed limits change and even paint warning arrows over cars that you're following too closely.

The sweeping and flashing graphics in the HUD are distracting at first but effective. If you're the sort who's never quite sure which turn to take when your nav tells you to take the third exit from the next roundabout, this HUD is for you.

So, the tech and the drive are quite compelling. How much are you going to pay for this privilege? It is, predictably, not cheap — but also not outrageous in the grand scheme of today's luxury SUV EV offerings.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

The base, rear-drive 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron starts at $63,800 and will do 321 miles on a charge from a 100 kWh (94.4 net) battery pack. Stepping up to the dual-motor Quattro edition costs just $2,000 more and only loses 14 miles of range, an EPA rating of 307. This is why I think few people will opt for the RWD flavor.

The RWD car also charges more slowly: A 260 kW max charge rate compared to 270 kW for the Quattro cars.

The SQ6 Quattro does 275 miles on a charge and starts at $72,900, while the version I drove with all the displays and toys was $83,840. Yes, that's a lot, but if you don't need all that performance, the loaded Q6 Quattro I drove was $76,790. Still not cheap, but a bit less than the $77,295 starting price of the electric Porsche Macan, which shares virtually the entire drivetrain and platform.

The problem? That's a huge premium over the starting price of Audi's most comparable gas-powered machine, the Q5, which can be had for as little as $45,400. Is the Q6 worth the extra cost? I wouldn't necessarily spring for the sportier SQ6, but even the base Q6 offers far more power and tech than the Q5, plus lower running costs and a lack of maintenance. Despite the similar name, it's in a different class. Sure, it's a bit of a splurge, but I'd rather have the even-numbered one in my garage.

The original Urus was an SUV that nobody particularly wanted, even if the market was demanding it. With luxury manufacturers tripping over themselves to capitalize on a seemingly limitless demand for taller all-around machines, Lamborghini was a little late to the party.

The resulting SUV has done its job, boosting Lamborghini's sales and making up more than half of the company's volume last year. Even so, the first attempt was just a bit tame. That most aggressive of supercar manufacturers produced an SUV featuring the air of the company's lower, more outrageous performance machines, but it didn't quite deliver the level of prestige that its price demanded.

The Urus Performante changed that, adding enough visual and driving personality to make itself a legitimately exciting machine to drive or to look at. Along the way, though, it lost a bit of the most crucial aspect of an SUV: everyday livability. On paper, the Urus SE is just a plug-in version of the Urus, with a big battery adding some emissions-free range. In reality, it's an SUV with more performance and more flexibility, too. This is the Urus' Goldilocks moment.

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Electric trucks aren't exactly blowing up the sales charts right now. A market that's increasingly skeptical of EVs in general isn't helping, but that age-old work-minded segment that looked set for a reinvention just a few years ago now seems increasingly reluctant to change.

Rivian's excellent R1T hasn't taken the market by storm, while Ford's F-150 Lightning isn't reinventing the work truck landscape the way many (including myself) had hoped. On the Chevrolet side of the equation, the Silverado EV likewise hasn't challenged the sales of its internally combusted siblings.

General Motors is bringing another contender to the fray, the 2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali, and if you thought the $94,500 initial price on the Silverado RST First Edition was a bit much, prepare for more sticker shock, as the Max Range Denali starts at $100,495. Is the solution to electric truck woes an even more expensive model? After a few days in the saddle, I'm not so sure.

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