PHOENIX — The Mercedes S-Class is the world’s best-selling luxury sedan and the latest generation recently introduced as expected is impressive with spectacular new features and amazing technology.  Mercedes is offering two versions of the S-Class, the base level S-500 powered by a 430-hp V6 engine or the S-580 reviewed here with a 496-hp bi-turbocharged mild-hybrid drive V8 engine. All-wheel drive is standard on both models. Of course, luxury not horsepower is what the S-Class is all about.

INDIANAPOLIS — Change has come to the British Empire. We knew it was inevitable, but is sad nonetheless.  It is hard to replace an icon that’s beloved by millions across the realm.  The next one will be a worthy successor, but will neither sound nor drive the same.  It’s a different world.  Yep, Jaguar is going electric by mid-decade and the F-Type will soon join the great beyond.  But, let’s have one more go at it before it’s gone.

HERNDON, Va. — These are, as you’d know and anyone can tell you, anxious times. Whether your anxiety is political or economic, over here or over there, our shared angst can be pervasive to the point of suffocation. And at a moment when people still lose jobs, go to bed hungry and die — by the thousands — of Covid, the Lexus LC 500, especially as a convertible, might seem little more than an irrelevant and expensive bauble.

PHOENIX — Seemingly with all the talk these days about all-electric cars dominating the new car automotive spotlight it isn’t surprising that Mercedes could launch one of the most important and best-selling cars in the German automakers lineup and it seems no one knows about it. Is a new C Class sedan a significant car for Mercedes? You bet it is, not the least because it’s sold 2.5 million of them since the fourth-generation C-Class sold over 2.5 million of them since it was launched in 2014.

MIAMI — After “earning” a reputation as a producer of cheap economy cars of say questionable quality after its arrival in the U.S in the early 1990s, Kia has established itself in the 21st Century as the manufacturer of top quality products New vehicles such as the Telluride full-size SUV, playful Soul, and performance-driven  Stinger sedan are responsible for some of that growth.

HERNDON, Va. — If born before 1996 you’ll have little memory of Acura’s beginnings. Honda was the first of Japan’s ‘Big Three’ to move upscale with a luxury division, launching Acura in 1986 as a competitor to the near-luxury models of BMW, Mercedes and Audi. And while it hit the showroom with just two models — a 4-door luxury sedan dubbed Legend and a 2-door Civic-based hatch it called Integra — the Honda offshoot hit those new showrooms running.

PHOENIX — The smallest of Honda’s utility vehicle offerings, the HR-V subcompact crossover, has been given a complete redo as its second-generation is launched for 2023. The outgoing first generation was popular finding homes for more than 700,000 units in the U.S. during its 2016 debut to 2022 run.

INDIANAPOLIS — Too many automakers have tried to update classic designs with a retro flair to put an amber light on their boring product line.  That’s not the case with the 2023 Nissan Z.  While design references the original 1970 Z, and the chassis dates to the last Z, absolutely nothing about the driving experience or technology within seems outdated.  It’s as if a little bit of Greg Brady blended with George Jetson and this is what we got.

PHOENIX — In 2017 Chevrolet first came out with the all-electric Bolt hatchback. Now for 2022 the Bolt has been redesigned and the brand expanded by introducing the Bolt EUV (Electric Utility Vehicle) that is a bit larger and more practical.  Chevrolet is vaguely suggesting the Bolt EUV is a crossover vehicle, but it’s front-wheel drive only and its low ground clearance fails as a utility vehicle. The regular Bolt EV has a starting price of $31,500, the Bolt EUV is $2,000 more at $33,500.

HERNDON, Va. — The growth in size of today’s crossovers and SUVs is not unlike the growth in size of America’s collective waistline. (You know, we can’t all be a "perfect physical specimen.") Compact crossovers are quickly morphing into midsize crossovers, while those body-on-frame 3-rows — think Suburban or Ford’s Navigator — can’t realistically be garaged; they’re too long and too high. So, when you see a crossover that seems proportional to its mission, you want to jump on it. And over it. And around it.