Page 76 - SHARP Summer 2024

DOWN THE ROAD
SHARP PREVIEWS THREE INCOMING ELECTRIC SUVS
THE ELECTRIC G-CLASS ISN’T THE ONLY HOT NEW
electric SUV on the horizon. Car manufacturers are giving drivers what they want with EVs, offering both cleaner-running versions of popular, existing models, and entirely new cars aimed squarely at the heart of the SUV market. And the goal is nothing less than mainstream success.
A FRESH START:
THE AUDI Q6 E-TRON
By Matt Bubbers
The Ingolstadt carmaker was ahead of the curve with electric SUVs, launching its first in 2019. Since then, Audi has progressed rapidly, expanding its EV lineup to include bigger models (the Q8 e-tron), smaller models (the Q4 e-tron), and high-performance models (the e-tron GT). Now, however, Audi is starting afresh with a completely new platform developed exclusively for EVs. It’s called the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) and it will debut on the upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron. Delivering incredible technological advances — up to 625 km (WLTP) range, 800-volt architecture, and faster 270 kW charging capacity — its next-generation motors are both smaller and more efficient, delivering up to 510 horsepower. How Audi’s engineers packed all this into a mid-size SUV, we have no idea.
RULE OF THREE: THE KIA EV9 By Justin Mastine-Frost
Crisp and cool from nose to tail, the EV9 embraces that now-familiar boxy SUV style. There’s also a touch of Tron energy in certain details, such as the programmable set of LEDs you’ll find hidden behind the paintwork next to the main headlights. What really matters, however, is the fact that Kia’s mid-size crossover is among the first true three-row electric SUVs on sale. Yes, adults can fit in all three of its rows; we tested it. On the road, the EV9 remains firm, planted, stable, and comfortable. Not only that, but it offers a mix of long-range capability (with a driving range from 370 to 489 km) and strong value (starting at $63,183). That’s a combination that’s pretty much
unbeatable in the current electric SUV space.
MADE FOR THE BACK ROADS: THE ACURA ZDX TYPE S
By Michael Banovsky
All-wheel-drive. 500 horsepower. 544 lb-ft of torque. Stop the presses, is this an Acura crossover? Because the NSX flashbacks are real. The new model from Honda’s luxury and performance division may have a range of up to 447 km and a price tag of $91,490 (no options available), but these figures had almost completely slipped our mind. All we remember is how we felt spending the day with Acura’s latest on roller-coaster, rain-soaked rural roads. Because, although it may be related to the charmingly normcore Honda Prologue EV, the ZDX Type S has a very different audience in mind: drivers. Expect Brembo brakes, a perforated leather–wrapped steering wheel, and an almighty grin when you realize that this is an Acura EV that performs well above its weight.
AUTO
76 SUMMER 2024
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