مجله خودرو ام وی ام

شانگهای/برلین – پنج منبعی که در این مورد توضیح داده اند گفتند، کاهش مشاغل جهانی تسلا شامل کاهش کارکنان در ایالات متحده و چین، دو بازار بزرگ خودروسازان، در بخش فروش، فناوری و مهندسی است.

ایلان ماسک، مدیرعامل این شرکت روز دوشنبه در یک یادداشت داخلی که رویترز مشاهده کرد، به کارکنان گفت که این شرکت در حال اخراج بیش از 10 درصد از نیروی کار جهانی خود است، زیرا با کاهش فروش و تشدید جنگ قیمت خودروهای برقی دست و پنجه نرم می کند.

یک منبع گفت که چندین مرکز خدمات مستقر در ایالات متحده بلافاصله شاهد اخراج شدید کارکنان، عمدتاً کارکنان فروش و تکنسین ها بودند. منبع گفت که مکان دیگری همه کارکنان جلوی خانه را اخراج کرد.

یک مدیر برنامه تسلا در کالیفرنیا صفحه گسترده ای را در لینکدین ارسال کرد که شامل بیش از 140 کارمند، اکثرا مهندسانی بود که از کار اخراج شده بودند و به دنبال شغل جدید بودند.

دو منبع گفتند که به اعضای تیم فروش تسلا در چین اطلاع داده شده است که اخراج شده اند و یکی گفته است که بیش از 10 درصد شغل خود را از دست می دهند.

منبع سوم گفت که در شانگهای، جایی که بزرگترین کارخانه تسلا در آن قرار دارد، این شرکت تنها بخش کوچکی از کارکنان خود را اخراج خواهد کرد که بالغ بر “چند ده” نفر می شود.

دفتر مرکزی تسلا در ایالات متحده و واحد چین آن بلافاصله به درخواست‌ها برای اظهار نظر پاسخ ندادند. همه منابع از ذکر نام خودداری کردند زیرا اجازه صحبت با رسانه ها را نداشتند.

دولت های محلی شانگهای و پکن بلافاصله به درخواست ها برای اظهار نظر پاسخ ندادند.

تسلا آلمان گزارش رسانه های آلمانی مبنی بر اخراج 3000 کارمند از حدود 12000 کارمند این خودروساز را تکذیب کرد و گفت که در حال ارزیابی نحوه اجرای دستورات ماسک در کارخانه است.

تسلا آلمان روز سه‌شنبه در بیانیه‌ای ایمیلی به رویترز گفت: «ما اقدامات مربوط به کارخانه Gigafactory برلین-براندنبورگ را با توجه به همه قوانین کار و الزامات هم‌تعیین‌سازی، با آوردن شورای کار دنبال خواهیم کرد.» هنوز اطلاع رسانی شده است

اتحادیه آلمان IG Metall روز دوشنبه گفت که تسلا قبل از ارسال ایمیل به همه کارکنان، طبق معمول در آلمان، به شورای کار اطلاع نداده یا مشورت نکرده است.

در حالی که قانون کار آلمان قوانین سختگیرانه ای در مورد اخراج کارکنان دارد، به گفته یک منبع آگاه، حدود 1000 کارگر در کارخانه قراردادهای موقت دارند که آنها را بیشتر در معرض اخراج قرار می دهد.

تسلا با رقابت فزاینده ای در چین در جنگ قیمتی شدید با رقبای تحت رهبری BYD، کاهش فروش در ایالات متحده و همچنین هزینه های بالای سرمایه گذاری در مدل های جدید و هوش مصنوعی مواجه است.

تحویل جهانی خودرو در سه ماهه اول برای اولین بار در نزدیک به چهار سال گذشته کاهش یافت، زیرا کاهش قیمت ها نتوانست تقاضا را تحریک کند.

The holdouts clutching their pearls scared the automotive future is boring is a bunch of mishegas. 

I know this because I screamed around Laguna Seca last week in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, shifting via paddles and hitting the rev limiter.

As the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N rolls into dealerships for $67,475, including a $1,375 destination charge, consumers are going to find an electric sports car unlike any other EV on sale today. 

This is how you build a bridge into the future for skeptics and enthusiasts alike. Thankfully, you can disable the bridge for those moments the silliness isn’t appreciated.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N shifts, snaps, crackles, and pops

We’d have three sessions the Hyundai team said as we walked to the cars “idling” (because they were turned on) in the pits at Laguna Seca. The first session we would run in N mode with e-Shift set to “automatic.” Hyundai said the powertrain’s e-Shift software had been programmed to feel like a gas-powered car with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This programming includes simulated shifting, right down to the torque curves. It also delivers the jolts to your body with the interruptions in power flow.

Pulling onto the track, the Ioniq 5 N’s powertrain growled through the speakers, doing a shocking impression of what I would hear in an Elantra N. The snaps, crackles, and pops are all here as the powertrain digitally revved and built power with a max output of 85 decibels. For reference, an Elantra N at full tilt checks in at 100 decibels. It all sounded convincingly natural. That’s because it’s been programmed to use speakers placed under the hood, underneath the car on the rear passenger side, and inside the cabin. The sound programming uses all the speakers and places the correct tones in the right places within and outside the vehicle. The “exhaust” note comes from the back of the vehicle both inside and out, the “engine” noise comes from underneath the hood and the front of the vehicle, and the various other noises come from around the cabin. It all sounds reasonably natural in the Ignition mode. The Evolution setting sounds futuristic with a higher pitch that ditches the snap, crack, and pops and replaces them with more of a jet wind-up noise. Then there’s the Supersonic soundtrack that straight sounds like you’re headed into warp speed in a Start Trek before it unleashes a massive “boom” through speakers when the car shifts at redline. I couldn’t help but laugh at the silliness of the boom noise, which I could actually feel from the woofers.

A left into turn 2, known as the Andretti Hairpin, the car executed a hard downshift that my entire body felt as the virtual revs climbed and power built as it would if a gas engine were under the hood. Wild. Squeezing the accelerator pedal as I crossed the corner’s apex sent power to all four wheels while pushing and pulling the car around the corner. “Shockingly neutral,” I blurted out loud to no one as I started giggling. 

Hyundai said every piece of the Ioniq 5 N’s suspension has been changed from the standard car, including but not limited to, stiffer components and larger adaptive dampers at each corner that have a wider range of adjustability. The entire structure’s been reinforced thanks to 42 additional weld points and an extra 6.9 feet of structural adhesives. The result is an 11% increase in stiffness.

Linking the next nine corners together, including the infamous corkscrew, confirmed my initial impression that the handling is neutral. The weight is also well balanced and it sits low thanks to the 88.4-kwh battery pack located beneath the cabin. The car rotates with ease. As I came around turn 11 I hit the brakes and swung the rear end out. The car didn’t lose composure and as the rear end kicked to the right and I countersteered and squeezed the throttle, the car quickly corrected the slide and shot forward. 

Shifts came fast and furious as the powertrain banged through its virtual first, second, and third gears with power building progressively and quickly, through each. Heading down the front straight the overgrown hatchback hit 112 mph as I crested the hill at turn 1. The car lifted, perhaps even fully off the ground, the suspension dropped, and the steering went light. The car came down to earth and for the first time I was keenly aware of the car’s 4,861-pound curb weight. That’s 813 pounds more than a Tesla Model 3 Performance and 1,565 pounds more than an Elantra N.

In Turn 2, the Andretti Hairpin, I took the racing line, and I could feel the electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential shift power side to side to rotate the car through the corner. Seemingly nothing really upset this thing. Time to mess around.

As I approached the corkscrew, I purposely went off the racing line, which put me too far inside for turn 8A immediately after. The Ioniq 5 N didn’t care that I ran over the inside curb as I nearly pushed to the runoff heading toward turn 9. The front Pirelli P Zero Elect tires, which Hyundai worked with Pirelli for more two years to develop for this car, gripped the pavement and flung me forward as the rear sorted itself out.

 Not quite as sideways as I was in turn 11 the first tiome, but still tail out coming out of turn 11, I blasted down the front straight hitting 121 mph as the car crested the top of turn 1. Everything went light again and when I came back down I immediately hit the brakes hard. The front dove and the rear end wiggled, but then figured itself out without ever feeling unstable. The car has up to 1.6 g of brake force, with up to 0.6 g of regen baked into that. The force comes from 4-piston monobloc calipers clamping 15.7-inch rotors up front and single-piston units grabbing 14.2-inch rotors in the back. That’s more regen capability than a Rimac Nevera or Porsche Taycan Turbo, which each goes up to 0.4 g. I couldn’t tell where the friction brakes started and the regen stopped. It all felt natural both on the track and street, and surprisingly the brakes never smoked during our track use. 

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N can be manually shifted

The Hyundai crew told me the next lap session we were going to use the wheel-mounted shift paddles using the e-Shift feature’s manual mode. As I pulled onto the track, the gauge cluster showed green, then orange, and then quickly red bands around the tachometer indicating I needed to shift as if I were in a BMW M car. Suddenly the car lurched and hit a power wall because I had maxed out first gear. Things move quickly with a 0-60 mph time of 3.25 seconds. Clicking the right paddle instantly shifted to second gear and the car surged forward. I shifted to third, and then two clicks of the left paddle back down to first entering Andretti corner. This seemed unnecessary. 

On the first of four laps, I soon realized the car was slower around the track with the manual shifts than it was in full auto mode. I never ran the track without the e-Shift engaged, manual or auto, so I can’t comment how the car feels on the track without it.

 On twisty back roads of Carmel Valley the paddle shifters and natural power bands added to the driving experience. But it felt weird to be driving an electric car that was doing its best to mimic a gas-powered car. Still, the system worked flawlessly. The e-Shift feature makes things slower on the track, but you can only go so fast on the street. In traffic it would make zero sense, but on a twisty backroad one could possibly argue the entertainment factor.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s overboost is overblown

For the third session we were told to use the N Grin Boost button, which is a red button on the right side of the steering wheel. Pushing it delivers a boost of 40 hp for up to 10-second bursts, then it needs another 10 seconds to recover.

As I came out of turn 11 heading down the front straight I hit N Grin Boost. A circular countdown appeared on the top right of the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster: 10 … 9 … 8 … 7 … my boost was already running out. Did it even work? I didn’t feel anything.

With 601 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque (N Grin Boost doesn’t change torque output), an extra 40 hp didn’t deliver a kick in the pants. I waited and saved my boost for an uphill portion to see if I could feel it more. After turn 6 heading up Rahal Straight I hit the red button, the counter appeared, and … nothing. I didn’t feel a surge of power. Between the car’s weight and only 40 extra hp, the N Grin Boost button kind of feels like a gimmick. It’s just not enough power to notice.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N can handle track days 

The team at Hyundai gave the Ioniq 5 N a larger 84.0-kwh battery pack versus the standard Ioniq 5’s 77.4-kwh pack. The pack’s footprint didn’t change, but the energy density and cell chemistry changed to increase the amount of energy in the pack and sustain higher thermal loads. 

The car’s cooling system has been upgraded with a new front-end design featuring more airflow, two larger radiators (one low temp and one high temp), and the ability to use the air conditioning to help cool the powertrain. 

These changes allow the Ioniq 5 N to run two full laps of the Nürburgring at full tilt without the powertrain derating. A Hyundai spokesperson told Motor Authority the car could probably run three to four laps if not going at full tilt.

My first four laps around Laguna Seca used 11% of the battery, my second four laps used another 15% and my final four laps used 19% of the battery. After 12 laps the battery had a 53% state of charge, and I started with 98%. Motor temps never crested 144 degrees for the front motor and 171 degrees for the rear, while the battery temp never went above 99 degrees.

Hyundai said Ioniq 5 N is capable of a peak charge rate of about 235 kw. This means it can still charge from 10-80% in 18 minutes. That’s handy because it only has 221 miles of range, and much less on a racetrack where it will need to be charged more often. Hyundai’s in talks with racetracks about installing dedicated fast chargers so Ioniq 5 Ns can charge between sessions during track days.

Hyundai 5 N looks like a hot hatch 

Hyundai calls the Ioniq 5 N a crossover SUV, but it’s now even lower to the ground with ground clearance checking in at a car-like 5.6 inches versus the standard car’s 6.1 inches. It’s 2.0 inches wider than the standard Ioniq 5 thanks to flared fenders to fit the wider 275/32R21 tires at all four corners mounted on forged wheels. With a front splitter, a rear wing, and a rear diffuser, this doesn’t look like a standard Ioniq 5, but it doesn’t have a boy racer look like the Honda Civic Type R and its massive rear wing. Let’s face it, though, it’s a hot hatch, not a crossover.

Inside, the Ioniq 5’s 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen carry over, as does the dashboard. But the open console area has been replaced by a center console that comes out from the dash. Its sides are padded to protect your knees during hard cornering. The cabin feels less open, but also more traditional. N sport bucket seats hug the body up front and aren’t terribly constricting. Like the standard car, the driver has a knees-up seating position due to the battery pack in the floor.  Metal pedal covers and footrest feature a race flag design. Hyundai’s trademark N blue color is splashed all over the cabin from the stitching to the lighting.

Hyundai 5 N overwhelms with customization 

Ioniq 5 N owners will have a Choose Your Own Adventure for numerous settings. The menu system is vast, from various stages of steering boost, suspension firmness, and steering weight, three different (for now) sound generator choices, volume choices for that sound generator, driving modes, and more. It would take quite some time to determine the Goldie Locks settings for various situations. Hitting N mode just cranks everything to the max, including the sound output.

This is before addressing the torque distribution, which can favor the front or rear for some wild rear-wheel-drive burnouts. There’s even a drift mode.

The simulated shifts and manual shifts with e-Shift along with the active sound generator can be turned off for those who think an EV shouldn’t impersonate a gas-powered car. It won’t be easy, though. But it’ll take at least one swipe and three taps, minimum, within the infotainment system. 

For everyone else, Hyundai has proven an electric sports car can be fast, fun, engaging, and visceral, as well as interactive. None of this may be necessary, but it shows fun won’t die with the shift to electric cars.

Hyundai paid for travel and lodging for Motor Authority to bring you this firsthand report.

پانزده سال پیش، مفهوم یک هیوندای برقی 600 اسب بخاری ذهن مردم را متحیر می کرد. و با این حال، امروز اینجا هستیم. هیوندای آیونیک 5 N مدل 2025 واقعی است و با زدن دکمه بوست 641 اسب بخار قدرت تولید می کند. این قدرت بسیار زیادی است، مشابه آنچه در یک لامبورگینی اوروس دریافت می کنید. با این حال، بسته به نحوه تعیین Urus خود، 67475 دلار Ioniq 5 N می تواند به طور کامل 200000 دلار ارزان تر باشد.

تمام این قدرت به این معنی بود که می دانستیم Ioniq 5 N سریع خواهد بود، حداقل در یک خط مستقیم. خیلی سریع. 0 تا 60 مایل در ساعت در 3.25 ثانیه سریع. با نزدیک به 5000 پوند برای حمل و نقل، ما باید فکر می کردیم که آیا واقعاً در گوشه ها سرگرم کننده است یا خیر. همانطور که مشخص است، بله، هیوندای Ioniq 5 N مدل 2025 یک رانندگی فوق العاده است. برخلاف کیا EV6 GT که با آن یک پلت فرم مشترک دارد، در یک مسیر مسابقه به همان اندازه که هر کراس اوور برقی ممکن است در خانه باشد.

افشای کامل: مردم هیوندای به شدت از من می خواستند Ioniq 5 N را برانم، آنها هزینه پرواز من به مونتری را پرداخت کردند، شام های گران قیمت را به من دادند، هزینه تمام نوشیدنی هایم را پرداخت کردند و لاگونا سکا را اجاره کردند تا بتوانم چند لاستیک گران قیمت را برشته کنم. کلاه و فشارسنج هم تهیه کردند که فراموش کردم با خودم به خانه ببرم. امیدوارم زنده بمونم

عکس: هیوندای

اگر مطمئن نیستید چه کسی قرار است 70000 دلار برای یک هیوندای برقی با زمان 0 تا 60 3 ثانیه خرج کند، تنها نیستید. احتمالا هیوندای هم نمی داند. معمولاً خودروسازان یک نمایه مشتری برای یک خودروی جدید ایجاد می‌کنند، که به ما بینشی کوچک در مورد اینکه فکر می‌کند خودرو برای چه کسی جذاب خواهد بود، به ما می‌دهد. وقتی از سخنگویان هیوندای در مورد Ioniq 5 N پرسیدم، آنها گفتند که این بار این کار را نکردند. اگر می‌خواهید بدبین باشید، می‌توانید بگویید که به این دلیل است که هیوندای می‌داند که افراد زیادی آن را نمی‌خرند، اما از طرف دیگر، می‌توانید بگویید که هیوندای خودروی برقی با عملکردی را که می‌خواست بسازد بدون نگرانی بیش از حد در مورد جذب مشتری خاص ساخته است. .

کلاه برنامه ریز محصول فرضی خود را بگذارید و می توانید ایده مناسبی در مورد اینکه Ioniq 5 N احتمالاً برای چه کسانی جذاب خواهد بود به دست آورید. آنها احتمالاً حداقل 200000 دلار در سال درآمد دارند، به این معنی که احتمالاً خانه خود را دارند یا حداقل در ساختمانی به اندازه کافی زیبا زندگی می کنند که به شارژر دسترسی داشته باشند. آنها علاقه‌مندی هستند که یک ماشین اسپرت می‌خواهند اما به چیزی نیاز دارند که برای حمل یک بچه یا چند سگ به اندازه کافی کاربردی باشد. آنها همچنین احتمالاً ماشین دومی دارند که به آنها امکان می دهد خرید یک خودروی برقی را توجیه کنند که برای سفرهای جاده ای ناخوشایند است.

با این حال، در پایان روز، واقعاً مهم نیست زیرا Ioniq 5 N برای رانندگی بسیار سرگرم کننده است. یک آزمایش سریع در چند پیچ ​​باعث می‌شود خودتان را متقاعد کنید که قیمت بالا و محدوده نسبتاً پایین آن‌قدرها هم مهم نیست. اعداد و مقایسه های عملی را فراموش کنید، این چیز فقط یک شورش مطلق است. تنها پس از چند دقیقه در جاده، من و شریک رانندگیم نتوانستیم از قهقهه زدن خودداری کنیم و آن را با سرعت های بسیار زیاد به گوشه ها پرتاب کردیم. این ماشینی است که شما را به انجام کارهای احمقانه وادار می کند، و منظورم این است که به بهترین شکل ممکن. وقتی هیوندای گفت Ioniq 5 N یک “حقیر گوشه ای” خواهد بود، دروغ نبود.

این ویژگی قهقهه‌زا حتی در مورد حالت تعویض دنده گیربکس دوکلاچه جعلی که مهندسان هیوندای تصمیم گرفتند به Ioniq 5 N بدهند نیز صدق می‌کند، که یک ویژگی کاملاً سرگرم‌کننده است. می‌دانستم که به من دروغ می‌گوید، و می‌دانستم که در واقع من را سریع‌تر نمی‌کند، اما همچنین اهمیتی نمی‌دادم. خودروهای برقی سریع اعداد عملکردی باورنکردنی دارند، اما در تجربه من، یک چیز بی‌جان نیز در نحوه شتاب گرفتن آنها وجود دارد. بله، می توانید اعداد روی سرعت سنج را ببینید که به سرعت بالا می روند، اما واقعاً اینطور نیست احساس کنید وقتی شکم شما به ماشین رسید. حتی چیزی شبیه به ماشین مسابقه ای فورد Mach-E 1400 اسب بخاری تقریباً به همان سرعتی که بود احساس نمی کردم. اصولاً از مفهومی که می خواهید متنفر باشید، اما جابجایی جعلی باعث می شود که سریع در Ioniq 5 N جالب تر شوید. من احتمالاً از آن به صورت روزانه استفاده نمی کنم، اما قول می دهم که بیش از یک حقه است.

همچنین صداهای جعلی موتور دریافت می کنید که خوشبختانه می توانید آنها را خاموش کنید. در ابتدا انتظار داشتم که این یکی از اولین کارهایی باشد که انجام دادم، اما این کار را نکردم. اگر این راننده روزانه من بود، احتمالاً این کار را می‌کردم، اما چیزی در مورد این ماشین مسخره که صداهای مسخره‌ای ایجاد می‌کند، درست احساس می‌شد که من با سرعت زیادی در خیابان‌های مونتری رانندگی می‌کردم. می‌دانم اشتباه است، اما احساس درستی داشتم، و در حالی که من دوست دارم یک پاک‌شناس باشم که خطوط سختی را روی شن‌ها می‌کشد، اگر احمق‌تر می‌شوید، چرا همه‌چیز را انتخاب نکنید؟

انواع تنظیماتی وجود دارد که می توانید تنظیم کنید تا ماشین به شکلی که می خواهید رفتار کند، از جمله حالت دریفت، اما چیزی که مرا بسیار تحت تاثیر قرار داد این بود که چقدر لذت بردم بدون اینکه حتی فکر کنم در چه حالتی هستم یا در چه تنظیماتی هستم. انتخاب کرده بود. علیرغم وزن 4800 پوندی، سیستم تعلیق و شاسی Ioniq 5 N در کنترل همه چیز بسیار عالی عمل کرد و ترمزها هر چقدر از آنها خواستم همچنان قوی باقی ماندند. همچنین بسیار راحت بود، بنابراین لازم نیست نگران پرداخت هزینه عملکرد با یک سواری سخت باشید.

در مسیر لاگونا سکا، Ioniq 5 N نیز بسیار لذت‌بخش‌تر از هر حقی است. عادت کردن به مرکز ثقل زیر من و در عین حال یادگیری مسیر کمی زمان برد، اما با هر دور می‌توانستم آن را با اطمینان بیشتر و سخت‌تر فشار دهم و در زمان شروع دور اول، تعداد شگفت‌آوری از ثانیه‌ها را کاهش دادم. درایو مسیر تمام شد با دو دور دیگر، احتمالاً می‌توانستم حتی سریع‌تر پیش بروم، اما شجاعت من نیز محدودیت‌هایی دارد، و همانطور که پیداست، پیچ چوب پنبه در شخص بسیار ترسناک‌تر است. این تقصیر من است، نه Ioniq 5 N.

همانطور که ماشین در پیست توانایی دارد، باورم سخت است که مالکان واقعاً Ioniq 5 N های خود را به پیست ببرند. من حدود 200 مایل برد را با شارژ تقریباً کامل دیدم، که احتمالاً برای رانندگی روزانه خوب است، اگر بتوانید در خانه شارژ کنید، اما اگر مجبور باشید تا پیست رانندگی کنید و شارژر در دسترس نباشد، به راحتی می توانید به پایان برسانید. بدون فاصله کافی برای بازگشت به خانه پس از آن. سه دور داغ به اضافه یک خنک شدن با راننده هیوندای سخت 20 درصد باتری Ioniq 5 N را از بین برد. اگر در مورد زمان‌های دور خود جدی هستید، مهمانی در زمان کمتری نسبت به پخش جریانی یک قسمت از «پایان خوش» به پایان می‌رسد. و حتی اگر پیست محلی شما شارژر داشته باشد، وزن به این معنی است که تقریباً به همان سرعتی که از طریق باتری می سوزانید از لاستیک عبور خواهید کرد.

عکس: هیوندای

اگر از آن دسته افراد عملی هستید که می خواهید اعداد و جزئیات را بخوانید تا بتوانید بهترین تصمیم را برای خرید بعدی خود بگیرید، احتمالا Ioniq 5 N برای شما مناسب نیست. این یک هیوندای بسیار گران قیمت با برد محدود است و در هسته آن هنوز هم یک کراس اوور برقی نسبتاً بزرگ با مجموعه‌ای از قطعات سریع در داخل آن است. اما از طرف دیگر، این اولین باری است که من یک خودروی برقی رانندگی می کنم و به این اندازه سرگرم کننده بودم. من می‌خواستم از کل تعویض دنده‌های تقلبی متنفر باشم و معمولاً نمی‌خواهم با صدای موتور تقلبی ربطی داشته باشم، و با این حال، در ماشینی که جز دروغ گفتن به شما کار دیگری انجام نمی‌دهد، یک انفجار مطلق داشتم. قرار است به اعداد و ارقام سخت اهمیت بدهم و مشاوره خوبی برای خرید بدهم، و تنها چیزی که می توانم در مورد آن صحبت کنم این است که چقدر لذت بردم. حدس می‌زنم اگر این تجربه را لذت‌بخش‌تر می‌کند، بدم نمی‌آید که به او دروغ گفته شود. و به من اعتماد کنید، اینکه زمان پشت فرمان Ioniq 5 N را «لذت‌آمیز» بنامم واقعاً آن را کم‌کم می‌کند.

اگر ماشین برای شما نیست، برای شما نیست. راستش را بخواهید، احتمالا برای اکثر مردم ماشین نیست. با توجه به اینکه هزینه اش بیشتر از تولید من در یک سال است، مطمئناً برای من نیست، اما این مشکل من است، نه هیوندای. حتی هیوندای هم احتمالاً اذعان می‌کند که Ioniq 5 N واقعاً روی کاغذ چندان منطقی نیست، اما چرا خودرویی بخریم که صفحه‌گسترده می‌گوید از نظر عینی انتخاب درستی است؟ کمی زندگی کنید و ماشینی را بخرید که به شما حسی بدهد حتی اگر نشان روی کاپوت معتبرترین نباشد. اگر دوستانتان به شما بخندند که 70000 دلار برای لامبورگینی اوروس خرج کرده اید، چه کسی اهمیت می دهد؟ آن‌ها فقط بازنده‌های سرسختی هستند که اگر به صورتشان کوبیده شود، زمان خوبی را نمی‌شناسند.

من واقعاً نمی دانم آیا Ioniq 5 N موفق خواهد بود یا خیر. هیوندای در مورد اینکه چگونه فروش i30 N به مراتب بالاتر از تخمین های فروش داخلی آنها بود، صحبت های زیادی کرد، بنابراین همیشه ممکن است که Ioniq 5 N نیز کاری مشابه انجام دهد. نمی دانم، من برنامه ریز محصول نیستم و نباید باشم. من فقط می دانم که ماشینی که من رانندگی کردم، بسیار جذاب بود، و امیدوارم افراد دیگر نیز مانند من در Ioniq 5 N لذت ببرند. حتی اگر هیوندای چیزی ساخته باشد که افراد زیادی قصد خرید آن را ندارند، من همچنان دوست دارم که آن را به هر حال تولید کنند.

• A Tesla Cybertruck owner said his accelerator got stuck on full throttle while he was driving.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it’s in touch with Tesla over the issue.
• The Cybertruck owner called it a “serious problem” but said he still likes the vehicle.

Federal regulators are looking into a potential safety issue with Tesla’s Cybertruck after an owner of the vehicle said in a video that part of his accelerator pedal came loose while he was driving and jammed the accelerator into the full throttle position.

Jose Martinez, who is based in California, posted a video to TikTok on Sunday, saying he experienced a “serious problem” with his Cybertruck and describing what happened. In the video, he said he was driving a couple of days prior when what appeared to be a cover on the accelerator pedal slid forward, effectively wedging itself in a way in which it could not be released.

“It held the accelerator down 100%, at full throttle,” he said. “I was lucky enough, had a clear mind, didn’t panic. And holding the brake down overrides the pedal, so I was able to stop the car. But anytime I’d lift the break it would start accelerating again.”

“Somebody that panics, that could be pretty dangerous. Crazy,” Martinez added.

The video quickly went viral, apparently attracting the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In a statement provided to Business Insider, the NHTSA said: “NHTSA is aware of this issue and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information.”

NHTSA looking into the issue was first reported by CNBC.

Martinez told BI he still likes his Cybertruck and thinks “it’s a great car.” He also said he was surprised to see his video get so much attention.

Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Since the first Cybertrucks started rolling out to customers in November, the distinctive vehicles have attracted celebrities and die-hard Tesla fans, but the vehicle’s launch hasn’t been without hiccups.

Cybertruck owners have raised concerns about other aspects of the car, from door panel gaps to rust spots to handprints. In one of the latest complaints, several owners said that shortly after their Cybertruck was delivered, it began beeping and flashing a red alert that said, “PULL OVER SAFELY Critical steering issue detected.”

Still, some Cybertruck owners say they love the vehicle despite some issues.

“I think Tesla gets away with a lot of stuff because the driving experience is that good,” Donald Green, a Cybertruck owner in Texas, previously told BI. “Once you start driving Tesla, you never go back.”

Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

You can count the car makers that have offered V12s without even having to take off a shoe. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice DB9 was Aston Martin’s second foray into that market. Let’s see if it’s now worth a new owner delving into.

The present Ford Expedition is in the Goldilocks spot in sales, sitting above Chevy’s Suburban but below the Tahoe. That must prove vexing for Ford, as the company is used to the F-Series earning the top sales title in its category. The 1997 Ford Expedition 4X4 we considered yesterday came out on top, as its nice presentation was accompanied by a modest $4,800 asking price, and that earned the truck a solid 83 percent Nice Price win.

Hey, have you been keeping up on Henrik Fisker’s exploits of late? If you have, you likely know he’s going through some tough times with his latest automotive endeavor. It’s not quite as bad a time financially as for the buyers of Fisker’s Ocean electric car, but no doubt he’s feeling their pain. However, Fisker—the company’s—financial flailing isn’t the first rodeo for Fisker—the dude.

About a decade back, Henrik started a company that made a number of swoopy hybrid electric sports saloons before succumbing to creditor calls. Prior to that, he had launched a coachbuilding business, modifying BMW and Mercedes coupes and convertibles. That, too, proved a bust.

In fact, to find any notable success in Fisker’s curriculum vitae, you must go back to when he was simply designing cars, not attempting to build them. One of the most striking of those successes was the Aston Martin DB9, the design of which Fisker shepherded through the final stages after taking over from Jaguar and Aston designer Ian Callum. Although now nearing 20 years old, the design remains one of the best in the biz.

This 2006 Aston Martin DB9 is a prima facie example of the design’s triumph. I mean, just look at it! The car appears stunning in the pictures, presented in stately Cairngorm Grey Metallic paint over 19-inch factory alloys and a blue leather and burlwood interior. With just 32,130 miles on the clock, it hasn’t had much road time to mess things up, and it’s new enough not to feel like it’s missing out on all the major fancy bits a car of this caliber demands.

Oh sure, quite a few of those bits—the sound system, a smattering of interior knobs and switches, and the like—all come from Volvo, but those are well enough integrated not to cause a problem.

Then there’s the engine. It’s a 5.9-liter V12 co-developed by Aston Martin and Ford during the latter’s ownership of the former, good here for around 450 horsepower and a nut-twisting 420 lb-ft of torque. Backing that up is a six-speed transaxle sourced from ZF and connected to the engine via a composite driveshaft housed in an alloy torque tube. Independent suspension and disc brakes are fitted at each corner, all tuned for eating miles of highway.

According to the seller, this DB9 is “British muscle in amazing condition. Mechanically and cosmetically. Everything works and is ready to drive anywhere.” They have apparently owned the car since new and are now offering it with a clean title and event-free history. They will also throw in a battery tender and car cover in the deal. The asking price for that packed-up package is $39,500.

That’s a far shade lighter than the quantity of cash purchasers of the car required when new, and despite some very minor wear and tear, it seems to still be in almost new condition. Do the price and that condition seem to jive?

What do you say? Is this DB9 worth that $39,500 asking as it sits? Or do those numbers just not add up?

You decide!

Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at [email protected] and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

تویوتا به‌روزرسانی هوایی را برای همه خودروهای تویوتا و لکسوس ارسال می‌کند که بانک نمادهای منوی سیستم اطلاعات سرگرمی صفحه لمسی خود را حتی در هنگام استفاده از Apple CarPlay به طور دائم روی صفحه نمایش می‌گذارند. این یک نقص و شکایت کلیدی در سیستم فعلی را اصلاح می‌کند: هیچ راه سریعی برای فرار از CarPlay برای یکی از منوهای سرگرمی بومی خودرو وجود ندارد. به عنوان مثال، رفتن بین نقشه های گوگل و رادیو ماهواره ای.

به‌روزرسانی OTA برای همه خودروهای مجهز به سیستم اطلاعات سرگرمی تویوتا/لکسوس که در لکسوس NX بازطراحی‌شده معرفی شده‌اند ارسال می‌شود و پس از آن در میان محصولات هر دو برند پخش می‌شود. برای تمام اندازه های صفحه نمایش اعمال می شود. اگرچه یکی از نمایندگان تویوتا دامنه این به روز رسانی را تایید کرد، اما برنامه مشخصی برای زمان ارسال این به روز رسانی ها نداشت.

در حال حاضر، سیستم اطلاعات سرگرمی فاقد دو روش متداول برای فرار از Apple CarPlay است: یک دکمه “Home” (همانطور که سیستم نسل قبلی تویوتا به عنوان یک دکمه فیزیکی داشت) یا یک نماد منوی دائمی که یک قدم جلوتر از دکمه Home است. با دادن یک مسیر سریع به عملکردهایی مانند رادیو، ناوبری تلفن یا تنظیمات خودرو. این حذف می‌تواند منبع دائمی ناامیدی باشد و دلیل اصلی این بود که ما از زمان معرفی آن کمتر شیفته این سیستم شده‌ایم. ما تنها نبودیم

شلدون براون، مهندس ارشد تویوتا تاکوما، می‌گوید که به دلایل ذکر شده در بالا، در مورد افزودن منو بانک دائمی متصل به سیستم اطلاعات سرگرمی «مصمم» است.

او که بسیار خوشحال بود از اینکه توانست این تغییر را انجام دهد، گفت: «ما 3000 واحد (تاکوما) را فلش کردیم تا مطمئن شویم که نیازی به ساخت‌های موجود OTA نداریم. اینکه می تواند فراتر از یک مدل جدید مانند تاکوما یا اتومبیل های ساخته شده از قبل برود، پیروزی به روز رسانی OTA است.

اکنون، ممکن است متوجه شده باشید که ما فقط به Apple CarPlay اشاره کرده ایم. تویوتا تایید کرد که این به‌روزرسانی برای اندروید اتو که دقیقاً همان مشکل فرار را دارد، اعمال نمی‌شود. هیچ نظری در مورد اینکه آیا یا چه زمانی ممکن است اصلاح شود وجود ندارد.

Simpler, more honest, smaller, more efficient, and less expensive—these things aren’t associated often with the introduction of a new vehicle. In the case of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, these descriptors define the reintroduction of the iconic off-roader.

It’s also less powerful, though it weighs less, but in sum it’s also less capable at some of the things Land Cruiser shoppers have always wanted.

After a three-year hiatus, those shoppers are about to find a Land Cruiser that’s almost nothing like its predecessor. That’s because outside the U.S., this isn’t the Land Cruiser everyone else gets: the 300 Series Land Cruiser. It’s the Land Cruiser Prado to the rest of the world, and it’s offered here to reserve the biggest, most capable, and most expensive SUV for the Lexus lineup in the form of the LX.

With the U.S. Land Cruiser, Toyota set its sights on the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Ford Bronco. And it hopes the iconic name can justify its downsized ambitions.

Toyota Land Cruiser goes hybrid

The shrinkage starts with the powertrain. The old butter-smooth, gas-guzzling V-8 has died. Every Land Cruiser now taps a 2.4-liter turbo-4, with a 48-hp electric motor sandwiched in its 8-speed automatic transmission. Combined power output checks in at 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. That’s 55 hp less, but 64 lb-ft more torque, than the outgoing Land Cruiser’s 5.7-liter V-8. 

It balances out. The new Land Cruiser checks in at 5,037 pounds. Relatively speaking, it’s the Mounjaro of Toyota SUVs, since it’s lost 776 pounds.

As a result, gas mileage has soared. The outgoing Land Cruiser posted abysmal EPA fuel economy ratings of 13 mpg city, 17 highway, 14 combined. The 2024 Land Cruiser’s hybrid powertrain on paper is much more efficient with ratings of 22 mpg city, 25 highway, and 23 combined. In our brief exposure on the road, it won’t come near those numbers, but it’ll improve.

Toyota Land Cruiser: two steps forward, one step back on capability

Toyota has scaled back the Land Cruiser’s extravagant off-road hardware—again, so Lexus can thrive. As a result, it’s no longer the towing expert it once was, but off-road talent has endured.

Full-time four-wheel drive with a 2-speed electronically controlled transfer case comes standard on the new Land Cruiser, as do center and rear locking differentials. No Toyota on the TNGA-F platform (of which the Land Cruiser shares with the Lexus GX, Toyota Tacoma, 4Runner, Tundra, and Sequoia) offers a front locker; the chief engineer for the Lexus GX said “we don’t need it.” Maybe, but a Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler can be had with one. 

An electronically controlled disconnecting sway bar up front that extends wheel travel is standard on the mid-trim Land Cruiser and First Edition grades, but it can not be optioned on the base 1958 trim. The outgoing Land Cruiser’s KDSS (hydraulically controlled disconnecting sway bar system) isn’t even an option.

Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select system features off-road modes for various situations and like other modern vehicles can now be used in both 4Hi and 4Lo. The crawl control system, which works like off-road cruise control, is much more refined than Toyota’s previous system, which made loud clunks and thunks.

The hardware and software are competitive and should be plenty to get people where they want to go, but the Land Cruiser is a mixed bag in terms of raw capability numbers. The new Land Cruiser checks in with an approach angle of up to 32.0 degrees, a max departure angle of 22.0 degrees, and a breakover angle of 23.0 degrees with 8.7 inches of ground clearance (note these approach, departure, and breakover ratings have changed since the Land Cruiser’s debut in August). The outgoing Land Cruiser bestest or matched nearly every single one of those numbers with an approach angle of 32.0 degrees, a departure angle of 24.0 degrees, and a breakover angle of 21.0 degrees, with 8.9 inches of ground clearance.

Now rated to tow 6,000 pounds, the Land Cruiser will haul less than the old model, which was rated to tow 8,100 pounds. Payload capacity has gone up 118 pounds, to 1,688 pounds. Choose your adventure scenario wisely.

Toyota Land Cruiser shifts the driving experience

I drove the Land Cruiser on a moderately challenging short off-road course set up by Toyota on the California side of the Mexican border near Tecate, then briefly on the kinked roads nearby. There’s much to recommend, but some big caveats, too—not to mention the non-spec off-road tires fitted to one Land Cruiser I looped on the dirt and pavement. 

Pushing the start button brought the powertrain to life, but the old V-8’s massive gulping of fresh air that sounded like a dragon breathing is gone. Replaced by the faint noise of an inline-4 coming to life. At idle the deep burble’s been replaced by a noise that one associates with an economy car like a Corolla. It doesn’t sound tough, but neither does a Bronco or Wrangler with the turbo-4.

Off-road the Land Cruiser didn’t break a sweat on the rather tame rock-strewn and undulating terrain. The hardware seems far more capable than we were allowed to experience during our brief first encounter. The turbo-4 gets augmented by the instant power delivery from the electric motor at take off. Toyota’s perfected hybrid powertrain blending and the story’s the same here with smooth transitions and delivery while clambing over obstacles or up hills at low speeds. 

With 8.7 inches of ground clearance the course we were on didn’t present many obstacles the Land Cruiser couldn’t clear easily, but all Land Cruisers come standard with skid plates for the engine, transmission and transfer case. The standard mud flaps were at risk of being ripped off a few times as I heard them scrape the earth. They would be the first thing an owner planning to take this Toyota off-road needs to remove.

When I hit the pavement, the turbo whoosh could be heard every time I let up from the throttle. Though I matted the accelerator pedal, acceleration on the road felt underwhelming. While the Land Cruiser feels at home at low-speed crawling off-road with plenty of low-end torque, there’s no wallop of power on the highway, despite the 465 lb-ft torque rating. Other Hybrid Max-badged Toyotas, such as the Toyota Tundra pickup truck, have the same mid feel. A turbo-6 Ford Bronco Wildtrak rips harder than the Land Cruiser.

The 8-speed automatic transmission delivers quick shifts, but it’s a little more indecisive than the 10-speed found in the GX.

It takes seconds going down the road on pavement to understand the Land Cruiser’s place in the Bronco/Wrangler conversation. The brick-like shape, upright windshield, and rectangular mirrors induce the expected wind noise at speed, but it’s not as loud as those competitors. That comes down to the fact the Land Cruiser’s roof and doors can’t come off. If they do, that’s a story I want to hear. 

Vision to the front and sides is terrific thanks to the tall upright glass and a mostly flat hood. This doesn’t have a short windshield or puffed-up hood for a macho feel like other Toyota trucks and SUVs. That hood does have power bulges on each side, but they almost act like markers that help place the wheels while off-road. 

Rearward vision suffers more than expected, despite the large square rear glass. The rear seat back comes up high enough that it covers the lower third of the rear glass, which inherently shortens the outward visibility. 

The soft damping tune that pays dividends off-road while crawling over undulating rocks turns into a ride that’s not quite settled on the pavement. I felt vibrations and constant small movements that the Land Cruiser’s chassis and dampers simply didn’t know what to do with.

Toyota Land Cruiser sports retro flair

The proportions of the Land Cruiser have shifted dramatically. It’s now 4.4 inches narrower and 1.2 inches shorter than the outgoing 200 Series, which gives this SUV a narrow, brick-like appearance. Base 1958 and top-spec First Edition models sport round headlights as a nod to the 1960s 40 Series models. The nicer Land Cruiser mid-trim model sports rectangular LED headlights with Chiclet-like diodes as a nod to the 1980s 60 Series Land Cruisers. Vertical rectangular taillights harken back to the FJ60s. The two-tone paint, especially with the white roof option, really sells the vibe. Small by today’s standards, 18-inch wheels can be upgraded to 20-inchers on the Land Cruiser trim.

Inside the upright dashboard is like the GX and Mercedes-Benz G-Class; it’s not deep and is mounted close to the windshield. The controls will be familiar to anyone that’s been in a recent Toyota with lots of buttons and knobs, including for the climate control and volume control. An 8.0-inch touchscreen is standard along with a 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster on 1958 models. The mid-trim Land Cruiser and First Edition models sport a larger 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen with the familiar Toyota interface. Every Land Cruiser features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That interface can’t split screen—hope you like a lot of CarPlay and or a huge map—and on the smaller 8.0-inch screen everything feels compressed. This is because Toyota’s interface locks some native touch commands on the left rail, making the usable screen smaller.

The front seats are comfortable and supportive, but not as wide or firm as the outgoing Land Cruiser’s top-notch thrones. Base 1958 models sport cloth upholstery that has a tweed-like look and feel right out of an ‘80s J60 Land Cruiser. Hard plastic fills the interior from the door panels to the dashboard making wipedown and cleanup easier, but it looks, and feels, cheap in a vehicle that costs $57,345 including the $1,395 destination charge. The mid-spec Land Cruiser grade costs $63,445 and swaps the hard plastics for soft-touch materials on the front door uppers and dashboard, though it’s porous and I imagine it’ll be a pain to wipe down. The mid-level trim also ditches the rad tweed-like cloth upholstery for leather-trimmed seats that doesn’t feel as high in quality as the hides found in the outgoing Land Cruiser. 

When you close the door on the Land Cruiser, any of them, there’s a hollow tinny sound that inspires no confidence or strength.

At 5-foot-10 I could comfortably sit behind myself, but there’s a stadium seating layout so the rear passengers are looking up and over those in the front seat. The seating position feels high and translates to barely enough headroom for 6-footers in back despite the scalloped headliner. The seat backs manually recline. When it comes time to increase cargo space the seats fold flat. There’s no third row in the U.S., but other markets do get a third row. Toyota didn’t bother redesigning the rear cargo area, so there are armrests and cup holders back there as if a third row exists. The liftover height is too high because the load floor is raised to accommodate the hybrid powertrain’s battery pack under the rear floor. To ensure the load floor was flat a plastic compartment under a false floor is installed near the tailgate as a cheat like GM did with the previous generation Tahoe and Yukons. 

The square rear window electronically pops open independent of the tailgate for easy access into the cargo area when it’s full, but it’s a high reach over the tailgate into the rear end this way. The tailgate is tall thanks to the fact it runs down into the bumper and the Land Cruiser checks in at 76.1-inches high overall. That tailgate will 100% hit my garage door when opened. While the base 1958 model doesn’t really have a solution since it has a manual tailgate, the mid-spec Land Cruiser trim has a power-operated tailgate that you can program to not go all the way up.

The Land Cruiser became less expensive, but not a value

The outgoing Land Cruiser ended its life costing $86,910. It was the definition of stealth wealth, because buyers could bury their money since the neighbors would have no clue it’s anything other than a weird-looking Highlander. Comparatively speaking, at $57,345 the new Land Cruiser is a downright bargain, if it’s style alone on the docket. But given its downscaled ambition, it’s a lot of coin for an 8.0-inch touchscreen, cloth seats, and all-season tires. The mid-spec Land Cruiser grade costs $63,445 while the first models off the boat, the 5,000 limited-edition First Edition Land Cruisers will cost an unreasonable $76,445.

A four-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon or Ford Bronco Badlands both cost more than $53,000. The far nicer Lexus GX 550 Overtrail, which has a twin-turbo V-6 powertrain, costs over $70,000. The plug-in hybrid Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk costs at least $68,000, which is astonishing. The 2025 Toyota 4Runner sits waiting in the wings arriving this fall with Trailhunter and TRD Pro models that sport the same powertrain and nearly the same off-road hardware as the Land Cruiser.

The Land Cruiser feels, and looks, as if it’s gone back to its roots while adopting a modern powertrain and electronics. But it carries an all too modern price and dips in its core-mission abilities. 

How far can the nameplate and retro design take the new, less capable Land Cruiser? We’re about to find out.

Toyota paid for travel, lodging, and I got sunburned to bring you this firsthand report.

If you hear the name Land Cruiser and still find yourself thinking about the bulky, rounded machine from 2021, I’ve got great news: for 2024, Toyota’s stealth wealth off-roader has been revived as the squared-off and capable machine that made it such a star in the first place. Its looks alone have been enough to lure in the adventurous type, but does its capability live up to the hype? I’m pleased to report that yes, it does.

Full disclosure: Toyota invited me to Coronado Island in San Diego, California for an all-out trip test driving four new or refreshed Toyota models in just two days. It was an impressive display of event organization, though I think I was most taken by the ducklings and flamingos living in the pond outside the hotel.

When the 2021 Land Cruiser run came to an end, Toyota told us that the model was dead in the United States. For over a decade the bulbous SUV had lumbered along, mostly unchanged, on the Lexus LX platform. While its reliability and performance was nothing to shake a stick at, it was also just kind of… meh. It looked like every other SUV on the market (see: bulbous), and it didn’t quite impress on the interior, tech, or performance fronts. It was fine, but it wasn’t spectacular.

Now, for 2024, the Land Cruiser is back from a very ignominious death, and Toyota has pulled off an impressive wholesale evolution to bring this off-roader back to its roots while still relying on the best tech that the 21st century has to offer. Let’s dig into what makes this model such a winner.

At its base is Toyota’s TNGA-F truck platform, the same basic structure you’ll find under the Tundra, Sequoia, and Tacoma. That said, the Land Cruiser has also shrunk. In its previous incarnation, it was a full-size SUV twinned with the Lexus LX. Now it’s twinned with the smaller Lexus GX — our new Land Cruiser is what’s sold as the Land Cruiser Prado elsewhere — offering just two rows of seating for five folks to do battle against smaller off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco.

It also boasts Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, which is composed of a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-4 engine that makes 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The EPA estimates you’ll get 23 MPG combined with this configuration, which isn’t super great but still represents a significant step up from previous Land Cruiser models, and it can tow up to 6,000 pounds. To offer some further comparisons, this new LC makes 55 fewer horsepower, 64 more lb-ft of torque, and can tow 2,100 fewer pounds than the old V8 truck. It’s also over 800 pounds lighter than the previous model.

Let’s Get Off-Roading

I had a chance to experience two different off-road trims on two different off-road courses provided by Toyota. The first was a technical trail that involved sharp inclines and declines, lots of rock crawling, and a waterlogged portion, while the second was called the “playground” and felt like such: there were some sharp declines, but it was also far less technically challenging.

Even in its base 1958 trim, the 2024 Land Cruiser is loaded with the kind of tech and componentry you want for climbing around in the dirt. Every model has a 31-degree approach, a 25-degree breakover and 22-degree departure angle. You’ve got basics like locking rear and center differentials as standard for all grades, which helps split the power 50/50 between the front and rear wheels for better traction on even the toughest terrains. You’ve also got full-time four-wheel drive as standard, as well as Crawl Control, which serves as an off-road-y kind of cruise control. Push a button, and you’ll crawl along at a slow, adjustable speed so that all you have to do behind the wheel is focus on steering. If you’ve used this tech before when it was introduced on the 2022 Toyota Tacoma and Tundra TRD Pro models, you might have noticed it sounded… a little gnarly. There used to be a lot of intrusive feedback in the form of engine groan and floorboard creaking, but that has been taken care of to create a much quieter, smoother ride.

Move up a level to the Land Cruiser trim, and you get even more capability — and a friendlier off-road experience for newcomers or short drivers like me. Those changes are more on the tech front, such as a multi-terrain monitor. Essentially, it utilizes several external cameras to display your surroundings on the infotainment screen. I’m fairly short, so it can be tough for me to get a visual on my surroundings without a robust camera system, and Toyota’s is one of the finest I’ve used. The picture is clear, and the abundance of angles helps you avoid the most challenging obstacles that might have otherwise crept up on you.

You can also select one of several different terrain modes that will help your Land Cruiser cater its drive to, say, rocky paths, muddy ruts, or sandy dunes. I didn’t have a chance to really put these different modes into practice, but in essence, they deploy different settings to tackle different terrains. I think I was most impressed with the front stabilizer disconnect mechanism. Plenty of off-road machines have this feature, but on the Land Cruiser, you just press a button, and voilà: you get some ridiculous suspension articulation.

What Trim Is Right For Me?

Some Toyota models out there really go hog wild when it comes to the trim situation, but Toyota has blessedly kept things simple for the Land Cruiser. You’ll have your pick of three different trims for this model year: Land Cruiser 1958, Land Cruiser, or Land Cruiser First Edition. Each successive trim represents a step up the technology and luxury ladder, and I’m here to guide you through just what you’d need to know to decide on the right trim for you.

Land Cruiser 1958: As Basic As A Land Cruiser Gets

If you’re the kind of person who wants an elevated off-roading experience but who doesn’t need enough technology to make your grandmother weep, then the Land Cruiser 1958 will be your dream machine. If you haven’t already guessed, the “1958″ in this trim grade is a callback to the Land Cruiser’s original debut year in the United States, and it serves as the most basic offering in Toyota’s updated Land Cruiser lineup. You’ll gain the same retro styling as the rest of the Land Cruiser lineup — that neat “heritage” grille, rounded headlamps, fabric seats — with a boost in tech offerings. Included are blind spot monitoring, a 7-inch gauge cluster screen, an 8-inch touchscreen, automatic climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker sound system. On the off-road side of things, you’ll stick with some of the nicer basics: locking center and rear differentials, rear coil springs, full-time four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case, a brake controller, a 2400W AC inverter, and Crawl Control.

I didn’t have a chance to drive the 1958 trim, but I did get a lengthy off-road ride in one with a fellow journalist. It’s definitely a more laid-back machine designed for the folks who know what they’re doing on a trail, since you won’t have multiple camera angles to give you a sense of your surroundings. If you’re confident and competent, you’ll be fine. I am neither of those things, which is why I was glad to have a ride in this trim on the technical off-road course Toyota had developed for us. As a shorter human being, I have a hard time seeing around bulkier, modern SUVs, and the sharp angles and wide planes of the Land Cruiser gave me a tough time. From the fabric-trimmed passenger seat, though, I was able to appreciate just how comfy I was while facing off against steep declines, water-flooded paths, and rocky outcrops.

As far as cost goes, this is the cheapest trim you can find, boasting an MSRP of $57,345 (including mandatory dealer processing and handling fees).

Land Cruiser (Land Cruiser?): A Formidable Contender

For the folks out there who love the capability of the Land Cruiser but want to take things up a notch in both tech and comfort, there’s the Land Cruiser grade. It bumps up the basics of the 1958 grade by adding rectangular LED headlamps and heated and ventilated synthetic leather seats. You’re also getting some of the beefier off-road features, like color-selectable LED fog lights, a stabilizer disconnect mechanism that allows for greater suspension articulation, multi-terrain select to curate your driving experience to the conditions at hand, and the multi-terrain monitor. Plus, you’re also getting convenience features like larger dashboard and infotainment screens, a 10-speaker sound system, and a power liftgate.

If you’re in the mood for more but don’t feel the need to fully commit to the First Edition model, you can get your mid-tier Land Cruiser with the Premium Package. That’ll give you leather-trimmed heated and ventilated front seats with lumbar support and driver memory features, a 14-speaker JBL audio system, a digital rearview mirror, a head-up display, illuminated entry, a power moonroof, a center console cool box, and additional USB-C charging ports in the cargo area.

During my off-road drive, I nabbed a Land Cruiser with the Premium Package. If you’re strictly concerned about the act of off-roading, you probably don’t need all those premium features that the package provides. Those are going to come in handy when you’re in the throes of a long-ass trip and want ways to keep your water bottles cool, or if you want to listen to some music. For shorter trailside jaunts, you’re probably not going to miss ‘em.

As far as the off-road tech features went, I was impressed with the offerings. The stabilizer disconnect mechanism offered incredible articulation; any time I wasn’t motoring forward on the off-road trail, I was watching the driver in front of me, marveling at just how far apart the rear tires were in terms of lift while still remaining on the ground. From the cockpit, you definitely get a much greater sense of control and comfort. I also really relied on the multi-terrain monitor, as it gives a much greater view of the surroundings than you can get just from the front seat. That means you’ll be able to clock obstacles or rocks sticking out into your way. I did, however, learn the hard way that you cannot go off-roading while relying almost entirely on the monitors; a normal-looking rock on my screen looked harmless from the camera angle, but if I’d have peered out the window, I’d have seen that it was a very sharp rock heading directly for my left rear tire. (I apologize, Toyota, for popping a tire; I will literally never recover.)

The upgrades for the Land Cruiser trim mean you’ll be facing higher prices. As standard, you’ll be paying $63,345. Opt for the available $4,600 Premium Package, and you’ll have a total of $68,245.

Land Cruiser First Edition: Let’s Get Luxe

If you simply cannot live without boasting the best of the best, look no further than the Land Cruiser First Edition. This model gives you all the goodies from the Land Cruiser Premium Package, but it throws in round LED headlamps, special 18-inch wheels, a “First Edition” logo embossed on the door panels, a front skid plate, a roof rack, and rock rails. The First Edition comes in at $76,345. That added off-road protection will definitely come in handy for the avid adventurers, but I didn’t test this trim, largely because the 20-minute off-road courses that Toyota created for us didn’t necessarily require the accouterments that would make a longer excursion far more comfortable.

Vintage But Modern In All The Right Places

I hate to be one of those people who laments the death of the cool cars of our past, but I do have to be honest: The constant push toward chunky, rounded SUVs hurts my soul, especially when those styling cues come for the sick-ass legacy cars of the past — the ones that have cool stories to tell. I did my best to pretend the former generation Land Cruiser just didn’t exist; sure, it was reliable and capable, but it also didn’t provide any of the aesthetics that made the original machine so legendary.

That’s why I’m so stoked on the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser. The Ford Bronco proved we’re back in an era where retro styling has a serious place in the off-road vehicle market, and the Land Cruiser kicks it up a notch with nicer amenities and a more luxurious overall feel — because why should you have to sacrifice capability for comfort? With the Land Cruiser, you don’t have to choose.