As more SUVs hit the market seemingly every week, the search for the best one you can buy isn’t always straightforward.
Within the next month, Washington, Massachusetts, and New York followed suit with regulations of their own. While Tesla is still a big player in the industry, the automaker is facing increased competition as other brands like Mercedes, Cadillac, BMW, and Audi introduce competitive EVs.
. In early 2021, there were nearly 20 EV models for sale in the U.S.; the figure jumped to more than 30 in 2022. And it was evident during our time executing SUV of the Year, where we had 14 battery electric models, seven plug-in hybrids, and four hybrids—all of them new or significantly updated. And this doesn't include the vehicles we invited that didn't show up because of a lack of press-fleet availability or recalls, like the Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid and Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X electric twins. Like it or not, electrification is here to stay. Tesla CEO Elon Musk stepped into the automotive industry as a disruptor, and for a while, legacy automakers seemed not to take his company seriously. Now, almost every OEM has scrambled—and continues to scramble—to catch up, and some have also shared their plans to have an all-electric lineup in the future. The 2023 SUVOTY competition was marked by the large field of high-riding vehicles. During the course of a week and a half, we tested, photographed, filmed, and drove 45 SUVs across multiple surfaces. Honda Proving Center in Cantil, California, once again served as our stage for our annual showdown, including its off-road areas and its winding test road. As in previous years, we split the event into different phases, with our test and photo teams hustling to get through every vehicle before the judges arrived. Once all the judges drove each one, we chose the finalists, which we then drove on a 27.6-mile loop encompassing twisty roads, railroad crossings, city streets, and highways around Tehachapi, California. The final phase included a lengthy debate and eventual vote to proclaim the winner.'s SUV of the Year isn't an arbitrary decision, and it isn't a direct comparison test, either. We grade each vehicle against our six key criteria, with each contender getting judged on its own merits in the following categories:The quality and execution of exterior and interior styling, materials, fit and finish, and even ingress and egress are critically assessed.Here we evaluate powertrain and chassis behavior as well as the vehicle's software and user experience to assess its overall engineering integrity.We critique how well each satisfies the market it was aimed at. A three-row family SUV must provide ample space and convenience for the whole family, for example.We consider each contender's various performance, standard and available bells and whistles, and bang for the buck in relation to its competitive set.From advanced driver assistance systems to passive safety equipment to government and industry crash ratings, safety is vital to us all.The rated mpg or electric range per battery size within the model's segment is a key cost and convenience consideration for most buyers. Indeed, as society continues this transition into electrification, you can count on our reporting to call out the good and the bad of the latest trends, just like we do in this issue. We hope you enjoy it.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
2023 MotorTrend SUV of the Year: The ContendersOur annual awards season is kicking off with SUVOTY, and here's every non-finalist in this year's competition.
Read more »
Best 3rd Row SUVs of 2023 - AutoblogThese are our top pics for the best three-row SUVs, including crossovers, full-size SUVs and luxury three-row SUVs.
Read more »
Volkswagen Group recalling VW, Audi SUVs for engine problem | Car News | Auto123Volkswagen Group is recalling just over 74,000 VW and Audi SUVs due to a potential problem with the engine. Auto123 has the details
Read more »
Electrification Looms but Sports Cars Still SellCars we love to drive won’t be pushed out by consumer and automaker obsession with crossovers and SUVs—not yet.
Read more »