Motor Trend - USA (2020-02)

2021 Mazda MX-

Mazda unveiled its first full EV, which

is set to go on sale in Europe, Australia,

and likely Canada in late 2020. Its 141-hp,

195-lb-ft front motor seems capable of

providing decent acceleration, but the

likely 120-ish-mile range from its 35.5-

kW-hr battery capacity sounds insuffi-

cient for U.S. customers, so it might not

come here in this configuration. (Perhaps

the PHEV with a rotary-engine range

extender Mazda has promised?) Built on

the platform underpinning the Mazda

and CX-30, the 2+2-door styling is unique,

and the minimalist interior is swathed in

sustainable trim like cork and breathable

upholstery fabric made from recycled

water bottles. Safetywise, i-Activsense

will intervene to prevent wrecks when

turning across traffic, changing lanes, or

veering toward the shoulder.

2021 Subaru Levorg (WRX)

“Levorg ” has a definite science-fiction

ring to it but translates to “WRX wagon”

in Japanese-market speak. Imagine it

with a sedan’s C-pillar and trunk, and

you’ve got the next-generation Subaru

WRX. It will ride on the latest Subaru

Global Platform architecture first used

on the 2017 Subaru Impreza. A next-gen

EyeSight system employs wider camera

viewing angles plus two front and two

rear radar units to improve pre-collision

braking performance and better inter-

pret situations like crossing and turning

in an intersection during low visibility.

The Levorg unveils a newly developed

1.8-liter lean-burn direct-injected turbo-

charged boxer-four engine, but North

America might stick with larger 2.0- and

2.5-liter (WRX STI) engines. Expect the

Levorg-inspired WRX to reach our shores

for the 2021 model year or so.

Suzuki Waku Spo

The Japanese love retro designs, and to

celebrate its 2020 centenary Suzuki cut

loose with this precious little A-segment

coupe. You might note a passing resem-

blance to the Honda e that is entering

production and was first shown as the

Urban EV concept at the last Tokyo show,

but Suzuki is reimagining its own Fronte

360 minicar of the ’60s (if you Google it,

you’ll see this is a very flattering inter-

pretation). Sure, there’s a plug-in hybrid

drivetrain under the hood and tiny cameras

on the front fenders to replace rearview

mirrors, but its coolest feature is its “waku

waku” switch. Pressing it transforms the

body shape from a notchback to a soft-sided

wagon-back while altering the front-end

and instrument cluster appearance.

Toyota e-Racer

Cars put 15 million horses out of work, but

people still own horses. When autono-

mous mobility replaces personally owned

vehicles, enthusiasts will still collect

and drive cars like this swoopy two-seat

tandem roadster. Without divulging

any information about what powers the

e-Racer (presumably four electric wheel

motors), a video on the stand played a

constant loop showing an owner’s body

being scanned and a form-fitting racing

suit being robotically created. She suits

up, climbs aboard, and dons augmented

reality glasses that can make it look like

she’s sharing the road with traffic from a

vintage grand prix or like the real road is

in an underwater tunnel with dolphins

swimming above. Very “high concept”

and probably only practical on a private

car-club track.

Intake

NEWSI OPINIONI GOSSIP

Mazda MX-

Jimmy Sierra

Honda

Fit Home

Subaru Levorg Suzuki Waku Spo

20 MOTORTREND.COM FEBRUARY 2020