Paul Borden

Ford gets small crossover with introduction of 2018 EcoSport

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Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 11, 2018) Ford may be getting out of the sedan market, but that doesn’t mean the company is getting out of the car business. In fact, the Detroit News last month reported in an interview with Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's executive vice president of product development and purchasing, that the company actually expects to have three more new vehicles in its lineup by 2023 as it puts its emphasis on trucks and SUVs/crossovers.

2018 Nissan Rogue gets ProPilot technology for top trim models

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By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 3, 2018) Nissan followed up its redesign of its popular Rogue crossover with several midyear enhancements for 2017, and the updates keep coming for 2018 with added technology that represents a step — albeit a baby one — to self-driving capability.

The system, dubbed ProPilot, is available on the top trim Rogue SL model as part of a $790 Platinum Package suite of features that also includes 19-inch wheels (replacing standard 18-inchers) and an electronic parking brake.

Not-so-mini Mini Cooper S Countryman offers plug-in technology for 2018

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By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(August 27, 2018) Maybe the first thing you might notice about the 2018 Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 is that it isn’t quite so mini, and I’m not talking about just the name. At nearly 170 inches long and with a wheelbase of just over 105 inches, it isn’t exactly reaching “maxi” standards, but it’s nearly the size of a Kia Soul (and with a longer wheelbase) and approaches the standard for classification as a compact rather than a subcompact vehicle as with some other Minis.

Atlas gives VW sales a big boost after enjoying its best month yet in July

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By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(August 17, 2018) Volkswagen executives were expecting (hoping for?) much success when the Atlas was launched as a replacement for the Touareg in the midsize SUV segment in the U.S., and the latest sales reports seem to confirm their expectations (hopes?).

The Atlas enjoyed its best sales month yet this past July and was one of three vehicles from the German automaker’s stable that helped spur overall sales growth of nearly 13 percent for the company over the same month for the previous year.

After a year hiatus, the QX50 returns with new engine, new platform

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Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(August 12, 2018) After taking a year off, the Infiniti QX50 is back as a 2019 model, a little bit shorter but wider and taller than its predecessor with a new interior, a more fuel-efficient, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, and generous cargo space as it moves into its second generation under the QX nameplate. (The first QX50 in 2014 was essentially an update of the EX series introduced in 2008.)

More seat time confirms first impressions of new Nissan Kicks

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By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(August 2, 2018) First impressions more often than not turn out to be accurate, at least according to my cursory research on the subject. For instance, my first take on the new Nissan Kicks when it was introduced at a media preview in late June was that of all the small hatchbacks that the Japanese automaker had come up with in recent years (Cube, Juke, Versa Note) this one was the best of the lot.

M is for delightful when it comes to BMW's new M5 performance sedan

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Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(July 23, 2018) You’ve no doubt heard the term “sports sedan” used to describe regular family cars that have enhanced performance characteristics, but did you know that the genre dates as far back as the 1930s? I confess I didn’t until I did a “Google” search (Is there any other kind?) and found it was first used in the 1930s to describe “sports saloon” versions of British-made Rover cars.

Infiniti recaptures magic of G-Series with 2018 Q60 sports coupe

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By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(July 16 2018) Infiiniti’s switch to a new naming system for its products four years ago was intended to simplify things, making Nissan’s luxury portfolio easier for customers to understand. Beginning in 2014, Infiniti designated its sedans, coupes, and convertibles“Q” while crossovers and SUVs were given “QX” badging.

Volkswagen Passat SEL Premium fighting tough battle in shrinking segment

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By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(July 9, 2018) The midsize family sedan may be a dying breed with the public’s infatuation with crossovers and smaller SUVs at least putting it on life support, but, with the exception of Ford, apparently that doesn’t mean automakers are giving up on the genre.

Getting our Kicks out of a new crossover from Nissan

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Paul Borden

By Paul Borden
MotorwayAmerica.com

(July 2, 2018) MIAMI — Though the vehicle started arriving in showrooms in May, Nissan last week took time to “introduce” its latest model, a subcompact crossover dubbed Kicks, at a preview for media. It is the second such session company publicists have conducted for automotive journalists, the first being earlier in June in San Diego.