Vehicles 136

The 2022 Lexus NX made its global debut back in June with updated styling and four powertrain setups available. For those who have already bought theirs at this point, Modellista and TRD are both offering aftermarket upgrade options that not only enhance style but a bit on the performance side as well.

Modellista describes its offering as radiant and agile, pointing towards an “urban luxury” theme. The company’s upgrade parts are all aesthetic, which include the front spoiler, side skirt, rear skirt, and backdoor aero plate.

Modellista also offers a set of 20-inch aluminium wheels finished in chrome to match the added shiny parts mentioned above. The whole Modellista Advanced Luxury Package is priced at 261,800 yen (£1,700) and can go up to 294,800 yen (£1900) if you opt for the painted version. You may also buy these parts individually.

On the other hand, the Lexus NX F Sport TRD parts focus on both style and performance. The former includes a front spoiler, aerodynamic side mirror cover, side skirt, rear diffuser, and muffler.

In terms of performance, TRD offers Yamaha’s performance damper that improves steering and comfort, while a member brace set is available for better handling. Height is lowered by 24 mm with the addition of the member brace set. You can complete the package by opting for the set of 20-inch forged aluminium wheels finished in Melanite Gun Metallic.

The aero package starts at 498,300 yen (£3,230), while the forged aluminium wheelset is priced at 616,000 yen (£4,000). The member brace and performance damper are both priced at 110,000 yen (£713) apiece.

Availability outside Japan isn’t confirmed at this point, though you might want to check with your dealer if they can arrange something for you.

• Kia is giving its compact Forte sedan a makeover for 2022 that includes updated exterior styling, new wheel designs, and updated tech.
• Inside, a larger 10.3-inch infotainment display is now available as an option, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is standard.
• The 2022 Forte is priced starting just over $20,000 and will be on sale soon, Kia said.

Who says small sedans are dead? Not Kia. For 2022, the Korean automaker has freshened its Forte compact car with fresh styling and more tech to keep it in competition with new entrants such as the new 2022 Honda Civic and the updated 2022 Volkswagen Jetta.

Styling updates for the Forte this year include a revised upper grille that’s narrower than before as well as updated exterior lighting elements, reworked front and rear bumpers, new wheel designs, and a newly available trunklid spoiler. On GT and GT-Line trims, new LED fog lamps are recessed into the lower grille; those models also come with unique LED taillights.

Inside, the Forte is upgraded with new center console design that ditches the old manual parking brake for an electronic one, freeing up more space for storage. Faux-leather upholstery is now an option, as is a rear-seat USB port for charging smartphones. An 8.0-inch infotainment system is still standard, but it now includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. A larger 10.3-inch display is now optional and comes with in-dash navigation.

The Forte’s safety cred also sees a bit of a bump for 2022 as several of its available driver-assistance features are upgraded this year. Basics such as automated emergency braking and lane-keeping assist were already standard but a lane following assist feature joins the spec sheet this year too. The car’s automated emergency braking system has been upgraded to watch for both pedestrians and bicyclists and the rear cross-traffic alert system now can apply the brakes if the driver appears to be backing into an obstacle.

A new adaptive cruise control system is now available which uses navigation data to predict upcoming curves in the road and automatically slow the Forte’s speed in preparation. That feature is already in use on some Kia and Hyundai models and also monitors posted speed limits. In addition to this new feature, the Forte also can be ordered with a system that can warn the driver if it’s unsafe to exit the vehicle due to approaching traffic or bicyclists.

Powertrain and chassis components are unchanged. Most models are powered by the familiar 147-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). With this setup, the Forte delivered a lethargic 8.1-second run to 60 mph at our test track. Thankfully, the GT model remains a part of the lineup. It comes with a 201-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual. With the manual transmission, the Forte GT managed a 6.7-second run to 60 mph in our hands.

Pricing for the entry-level FE model starts at $20,085, while the midrange LXS and GT-Line will cost $20,585 and $22,285 respectively. The sporty GT trim is set to start at $24,485. The 2022 Kia Forte should be rolling into U.S. dealer inventory soon.

The Geneva auto show, originally set to return in March 2022 after a two-year hiatus, has been canceled, event organizers announced today.

The Comité Permanent du Salon International de l’Automobile, the organizing body responsible for putting on the show, released a statement on Thursday citing ongoing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the cancellation. From the announcement:

The decision to cancel GIMS 2022 was made with the best interests of both car manufacturers and automotive fans in mind. The direct and indirect issues relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic left the organizers with no alternative. On the one hand, direct issues of the pandemic include continued travel restrictions for international exhibitors, visitors, and journalists. On the other hand, indirect issues of the pandemic, such as the semiconductor shortage, have presented car manufacturers with new priorities that they need to solve first. These issues led to several recent cancellations, which resulted in the final confirmation of the show’s postponement.

Organizers for the 2020 show canceled the event just days before it was set to occur, caught out by the then-recent outbreak of COVID-19. Just a few months later, the 2021 show was canceled. The 2022 event was set to go on, but a lack of exhibitors forced the show to cancel.

Many exhibitors have indicated that the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible for them to make a firm commitment for GIMS 2022,” Geneva Motor Show CEO Sandro Mesquita said in a statement. “On top of this is the negative impact that the current shortage of semiconductors has on car manufacturers. The chip crisis is likely to drag on well into next year, with negative financial implications for OEMs. In these uncertain times, many brands are therefore unable to make a commitment to participate in a trade fair that would have taken place in just over four months. When considering all the factors, it became clear that it was necessary to postpone the show, and to announce the news sooner than later to avoid canceling at short notice.”

The organizing body is already promising a return for 2023.

“[W]e see this decision as a postponement, rather than a cancellation,” says organizer President Maurice Turrenttini. “I am confident that the Geneva International Motor Show will come back stronger than ever in 2023.”

• The Lotus Emira mid-engine sports car will start at $77,100 and is set to go on sale in the U.S. at the end of 2022.
• That base price is for the four-cylinder model that’s powered by an AMG-sourced 360-hp turbocharged four-cylinder.
• A First Edition model, powered by a 400-hp supercharged V-6, will be available first, entering production in the fall of next year, and it will cost $96,100.
  

CORRECTION 10/04/21: This story has been updated to correctly state the four-cylinder engine’s horsepower.

Lotus’ newest mid-engine sports car, the Emira, will enter production at the end of next year and initially be sold as a loaded First Edition model. That version will cost $96,100 in the United States and a base model will arrive in 2023 with a starting price of $77,100. For reference, you can get a Chevy Corvette or Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman S for less coin.

The Emira First Edition is powered by a 400-hp supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 with a standard six-speed manual gearbox, though a six-speed automatic is optional for $2150. Lotus says the quickest version of the Emira will reach 62 mph in less than 4.5 seconds and have a 180-mph top speed. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 360 horsepower will also be available in the Emira, though it is only available with a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Six color choices are available on the First Edition models: Seneca Blue (pictured), Magma Red, Hethel Yellow, Dark Verdant, Shadow Grey, and Nimbus Grey. First Edition cars also have additional black exterior trim (you can get even more black trim for $1400), 20-inch wheels, and brake calipers with a Lotus emblem. First Edition customers can choose from either a tour suspension setup with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tires or a sport setup that comes with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber. Interior choices include red, black, grey, or tan leather along with an Alcantara option with either red, yellow, or gray stitching.

Lotus says that the Emira First Edition will start production in the fall of next year, and there will be a four-cylinder First Edition model that will join the lineup shortly after. The base model with its $77,100 starting price won’t be available until 2023, and we’ll have additional pricing details closer to its on-sale date.

• The INEOS Grenadier, which honors the uncluttered design of the original Land Rover Defender, is set to hit the U.S. market in 2023.
• The U.S. won’t receive the diesel option, with only the gas-powered 3.0-liter inline-six from BMW available under the hood.
• INEOS is currently finding dealer networks to partner with, and preorders will open to the general public in two weeks.

The INEOS Grenadier, revealed last summer, is a boxy off-road SUV bearing a strong resemblance to the original Land Rover Defender. The owner of British chemical company INEOS, Jim Radcliffe, had been a huge Defender enthusiast, and when the original Defender ended production, Radcliffe tried to buy the rights. When Land Rover wouldn’t bite, Radcliffe forged his own path, creating a back-to-basics SUV—with solid axles and locking differentials—that mimicked the squared-off Defender’s design. After a legal battle revealed that Land Rover did not have exclusive rights to the Defender’s shape, INEOS set to work developing the Grenadier, and we now have details on INEOS’s plan to bring the Grenadier stateside.

INEOS is aiming to start sales of the Grenadier in the United States in 2023, but the chemical company will need to find places to sell the off-roader. According to Edmunds, at a recent roundtable discussion Greg Clark, the head of commercial operations for North America, said that INEOS is currently evaluating dealer networks to partner with and that INEOS may link up with more than one dealer group.

Americans will only have one choice of engine in their Grenadier when, and if, sales begin in 2023: a 3.0-liter inline-six supplied by BMW. According to Clark, there wasn’t enough of a business case for INEOS to consider bringing to the U.S. the diesel powertrain that will be offered in other markets. The gearbox is coming from ZF, and INEOS has worked with Magna Steyr on development and testing. At the moment, Clark said that INEOS is hoping to provide a five-year/60,000-mile warranty, although that is not set in stone.

The Grenadier is set to be produced in Austria. INEOS’s first SUVs will begin rolling off the line next summer, headed to customers in Europe. Production for the U.S. market will begin in early summer of 2023, with deliveries by the end of that year. Today, preorders opened for the 75,000 people who registered their early interest in the vehicle, and preorders will open to everyone else in two weeks. There is no word yet on what the INEOS Grenadier might cost in the United States.