SQUAW VALLEY, Calif. — There's a reason the Chevrolet Suburban has the distinction of being the longest continuous automotive nameplate in the world. Since the first model rolled into showrooms in 1934 as a 1935 model it has met the needs of Americans who desired a large station-wagon-like vehicle capable not only of hauling large families and their cargo, but doing it in a go-anywhere sport utility vehicle truck.

AMSTERDAM  — The electric-car industry hasn't just been characterized by revolutionary technology, but by entirely new ways of thinking about automobiles, their marketing, and their place in society. General Motors and Ford are approaching electrics with a fresh eye, and Tesla seems to be trying to change the game entirely.

LAS VEGAS — In many ways, Las Vegas was the perfect setting for the first drive of Volvo’s “60 Series” (XC60, V60, S60) vehicles. The weather was nearly 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer than Detroit, which — like much of the mid-section of the country — was in the grips of the “Polar Vortex” that kept temps in the single digits. Visitors wandered about looking for entertainment and big returns on their bets. And underneath all of the glitter, something was missing.

INDIANAPOLIS — Having left the Galant, Montero, and Eclipse behind, Mitsubishi is re-focusing itself towards plug-ins and compacts.  It’s a dubious strategy given the insane competition from cars like the Toyota Yaris, Chevy Spark, Nissan Versa, and Ford Fiesta…not to mention the Toyota Prius and Chevy Volt.  At least Mitsubishi’s newest sub-compact comes with a popular name and outstanding fuel economy.

PHOENIX — No cars, no dealers, no factory, no nothing; it is a convoluted story but that’s what BMW started with when it acquired the full rights to Rolls-Royce in 1998. The first car on BMW’s watch didn’t roll off the newly built assembly line at Goodwood, England, until 2003. But since the introduction of the Roll-Royce Phantom, the company added five more models in eight years.

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s been snowing and icing all over.  Like, a lot.  Some cities are handling it better than others, which will likely cause some mayors to have longer tenures than others.  A European-engineered sport sedan with all-wheel-drive would be perfect for the nasty precipitation, making dust of city streets while still a blast when pavement clears. 

GREENVILLE, S.C. — At $50,400, you can hardly tout the Boxster as an every-man's Porsche, but it's about as close as you are going to come. Porsche took advantage of Boxster's total makeover last year to not only tweak the performance elements, but to sharpen the styling and upgrade the cabin. In other words, Boxster is still the entry-level Porsche; but you will be hard pressed to find anyone, who has driven the new Boxster, call it that.

INDIANAPOLIS — The fact that the 2014 Cadillac CTS won Motor Trend Magazine’s Car of the Year is not astonishing; the last-generation CTS did the same thing in 2008.  But this year, it won against redesigned Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series sedans — a frontal attack on the German Bismarcks.  It also beat the Corvette Stingray, Mercedes S-Class, Infiniti Q50, Mazda3, Mazda6, and Kia Cadenza. Take a breath.

CARMEL, Calif. — Like the current Camry, the latest Highlander is a major re-do of the current platform. It’s also a vehicle where U.S. thinking is taking more of a lead as engineering and product development control for the model shifts away from Japan. That’s because Toyota is expecting U.S. sales to increase to 140,000 units.

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s a common complaint that cars are getting too expensive, but are they really?  As part of the Malibu’s 50th Anniversary coverage, we reached out to Chevrolet P.R. Manager Chad Lyons and the GM Heritage Center’s Jim Vehko for perspective.