Polarizing. ... Not for everyone. ... Divisive.

All those words could describe the Toyota Prius, which is wrapping up its second decade of existence on this planet. At the time it debuted (the late 1990s) it was an anomaly and grabbed headlines -- “wow, a hybrid! I wonder if that will catch on”-- but today nearly every automaker has many hybrids and/or electric vehicles in the works or already on the road, so in 2016, is the Prius still the rock star of the hybrid world that it used to be?

I recently spent time in a 2016 Prius Four Touring, and I’m back with my thoughts on the vehicle.

The domestic pickup truck battlefield is not an easy one, but Fiat Chrysler’s RAM brand has a trick up its sleeve -- and it’s called diesel. While the competition might focus more on new materials being used to lighten the vehicle, or towing, or overall ride and drive quality, RAM is standing out from its competitors by offering an EcoDiesel engine and the higher fuel mileage that comes with it.

I spent some time testing a 2016 RAM 1500 Limited Crew Cab with an EcoDiesel engine, and I’m back with a full report.  

LOOKS

A pickup truck should be tough and sturdy, and also look that way. RAM has you covered there, and this vehicle is fully equipped to handle your workload either at or near the level of its competitors (if you’re actually going to use it for work and not just take it to the grocery store, that is).

At the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen has debuted I.D., a highly automated electric car that will be able to cover a distance of 249 to 373 miles on a single battery charge. The production version of the I.D. is due to be launched in 2020 at a price on a par with comparably powerful and well-equipped Golf models. Volkswagen is looking even further ahead with this concept car: in “I.D. Pilot” mode, it is capable of fully automated driving, a technology that should be ready for series production in 2025. Volkswagen has also set itself the goal of selling a million electric cars a year by 2025 and the production version of the I.D. will make a decisive contribution towards this ramp-up of e-mobility.

Volkswagen has made electric mobility and fully automated driving conspicuous with its innovative exterior design language and with the interior, too: the conventional driving environment has been transformed into the interactive center of a mobile lounge, or a supremely versatile Open Space. The spaciousness of this area and the intuitive, clear functionality allow you to experience mobility in a completely new way.

The I.D. represents the world “the day after tomorrow”. But the latest generation of the e-Golf, with a zero-emissions range of up to 186 miles (on the European cycle) and new gesture control, will be on the road “tomorrow”. The world of “today” is also visible in state-of-the-art Volkswagens like the new Tiguan, which launched interior digitalization with its Active Info Display and head-up display. The Tiguan, the e-Golf and the I.D. concept car together point the way from the present to the future on the Volkswagen booth.

A crossover by any other name is … not the same?

That’s the question at hand as Cadillac introduces the brand new 2017 XT5 crossover, which is the replacement for their top-selling model, the SRX. The goal, of course, is that the updated model in this category will perform even better than its predecessor.

Being a Cadillac, the XT5 is going have a get some respect right off the bat on name alone. But it still has to deliver the goods, as the luxury crossover market is extremely competitive right now.

I recently spent some time driving an XT5 and I’m back with a full report on how it fits into Cadillac’s lineup and the luxury market.