INDIANAPOLIS — Like Liza Minelli’s father, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is Italian.  It quite literally wears that fact on its fenders with the four-leaf clover, or Quadrifoglio, from the brand’s racing team.  Look beneath the skin for a track-tuned  barnstormer with Ferrari-derived engine, adjustable chassis, and the moves of a quick turn through Tuscany. This is a beast you’ll want to savor…then devour.
   

PHOENIX — Nissan launched its current generation Titan pickup truck in 2017. Until then, it had remained relatively unchanged since its initial launch back in 2004. The 2017 Titan was a major leap forward and huge improvement over the previous Titan. To stay competitive — now that the other major brand full-sized pickups have completed refreshes in the past two years — Nissan has given the Titan modest updates outside and some really meaningful feature upgrades for the 2020 model year.

SCOTTSDALE, Az. — Mercedes has just added yet another significant SUV to its product lineup. The all-new GLB slots between the smaller urban-stylish GLA and the larger rounded and best-selling GLC. GLB is offered in two-row five-passenger and three-row seven-passenger configurations ($850 upcharge) with standard front-wheel drive or optional 4Matic all-wheel drive, and is surprisingly affordable ($36,600 FWD and $38,600 AWD).

PHOENIX — For Toyota to have the audacity and downright adventurousness to actually slap the TRD (Toyota Racing Development — the brand’s in-house tuner division) on a Camry, let alone an Avalon, is clearly considered getting out on the skinny branches. It’s more than common to see the TRD moniker (add no vowels here please) affixed to the rear fenders of the world’s largest automaker’s trucks and SUVs, making them more off-road capable.

INDIANAPOLIS — One of my good friends, who owns a Mercedes C-Class wagon with nearly 200,000 miles, recently asked what vehicle she should buy next.  She really wants a new C-Class wagon, but alas, they are no longer imported to the U.S.  She’s not a fan of crossovers, though she could use their soft-road capabilities while keeping track of her family farm.  Then, it came to me.  She’d like the car already in my driveway, the 2020 Volvo V60 Cross Country.

PHOENIX —  After a two-decade hiatus, the Toyota Supra makes a thrilling return as a fifth-generation two-seat coupe. Supras were originally sold in the U.S. from 1979 until 1998. The newest Toyota Supra was built as a collaboration between Toyota and BMW’s Z4 roadster, sharing the same platform and engine. It’s a 335-horsepower, 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline six-cylinder.

ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah — Everyone knows that the Jeep brand is the crown jewel of the entire FCA palette of product offerings. Especially in the past few years, Jeep sales have been nothing short of spectacular, with year after year of record setting numbers. But ask Jim Morrison, head of Jeep North America, what are the questions he gets most frequently from friends, neighbors, Jeep owners, and just about anyone else, and he’ll say they are: “When is Jeep going bring back a Wrangler pickup?” and “When is Jeep going to put a diesel engine in the Wrangler?”

INDIANAPOLIS — BMW had some nerve when it introduced its flagship 7-Series back in 1977.  To even deign to compete with the dreadnought Mercedes-Benz S-Class took an end-loader full of, well, something extraordinary.  While Cadillac was content to offer over-fluffed Chevy Impalas, Lincoln built block-length cruisers, and Audi was still trying to out-live the Fox, BMW said, “You think you’re great, Mercedes?  I’ll have a whack at that!”  Six generations and over 40 years later, BMW may finally have hit its battleship.

AMENIA, N.Y. — Given Americans’ infatuation and craze for SUVs, it isn’t surprising that the Mercedes-Benz GLC recently replaced the C-Class sedan as the brand’s best-selling vehicle. Since replacing the outgoing GLK compact SUV back in 2016, GLC has received only mild updates. Now, for 2020, the GLC gets a heavy mid-cycle refresh that includes new front and rear styling, upgraded technology and expanded safety systems.

PHOENIX — America’s all-time best-selling SUV has been a family favorite for nearly three decades. Now, for 2020 an all-new redesigned-from-the-ground-up sixth-generation Ford Explorer has just gone on sale. It features a new rear-wheel-drive platform, a sportier more athletic design, and improved on-and off-road capability. Overall, it’s a more capable, comfortable, and roomier three-row vehicle that handles daily driving chores with imperturbable poise, assurance and ease.