Chad Kirchner

Even though the Ford Ranger is technically new for the United States, the mid-size pickup truck is based on a platform that is several years old. As such, Ford’s already in the development phase of the truck’s successor and means we might see a refresh sooner rather than later. And when we do, we might even see it with some new engine options Ford is possibly testing in Australia’s barren deserts. Right now, the U.S. sold Ranger is powered exclusively by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 making 270 horse…

Once a stand-in for thrifty transportation and less-than-stellar build quality, the Chevrolet Cavalier nameplate has been dead in the United States since GM discontinued the compact car in 2005. But it still rides in China and Mexico, where Chevrolet’s slapped it on the subcompact sedan that slots below the Cruze. Now an apparent product leak we uncovered suggests the Cavalier is also making its way to Mexico in 2020 as—what else—a crossover.Update: As it turns out, someone at Chevrolet goofed u…

It was only a matter of time before the Blue Oval released the horsepower and torque figures of its updated 2020 Ford Super Duty. Would it beat the Ram’s 1,000 lb-ft of torque? Could it top GM’s 35,500-pound towing capacity? Yes, it could, and it did. But you’ve got to read the fine print.First, the engine. Ford’s updated Power Stroke diesel makes 1,050 pound-feet of torque and 475 horsepower. That’s 50 more torques than Ram’s optional Cummins that makes 1,000 pound-feet, and like the Chevy and…

Ram ditches the chrome in favor of sleek, stealthy appearance options throughout its full-size truck lineup.

The leaf spring suspension has practically been around since humanity invented the wheel due to its effectiveness and simplicity. For a variety of reasons, the tried-and-true suspension still exists on pickup trucks today, such as the Ford F-150 and its off-road sibling the F-150 Raptor, but recent spy photographs and reports suggest that the Raptor might be ditching leaf springs for a more modern coil spring setup.Photos published by Automotive News suggest that the Raptor caught driving around…

The Mitsubishi Mirage, the cheap car that auto journalists love to hate, had a strong month with 2,196 sales. That’s up 28.4-percent compared to September 2018, and it puts the little hatchback on course for what might be its best year ever. That’s not insignificant in an up-and-down year. Likewise, Eclipse Cross year-to-date sales have nearly tripled compared to 2018. Has once-moribund Mitsubishi finally come back from the dead? “I think there’s an affordability story,” said Tyson Jominy of J.D…

Earlier today out in the Nevada desert, Ford showed off its latest off-road creation: the Bronco R, a Baja-prepped prototype racing truck that also gives the best look yet at the boxy design of the much-anticipated 2021 Ford Bronco. If our suspicions are correct and the production model will use the flat beltline and boxy greenhouse seen here, we’re all in for a treat.The project is timed with the 50th anniversary of desert racing legend Rod Hall’s 1969 overall win at the Baja 1000 in a first-ge…

After nearly 15 years, we can happily report that there is a new Nissan Frontier midsize pickup truck coming as part of a larger truck strategy. We also told you that enthusiasts are going to love it. But when you look at sales numbers, you have to ask yourself if Nissan even needs to update the truck at all?Though September wasn’t a strong month for any automaker, October saw some major rebounds. One of those was the little Frontier. Nissan sold 8,031 of the trucks for the month. Their total fo…

Nissan rolled out a sexy Frontier Desert Runner pickup truck at SEMA this year, packed with a turbocharged V8 heart and lots of trophy truck goodies. After all, the automaker already sells a Desert Runner package in its rear-wheel-drive Frontier, but sadly it’s nothing like this amped-up unit.The one-off creation had its 4.0-liter V6 replaced with the 5.6-liter Endurance V8 from its bigger sibling, the Titan. Of course, for SEMA, just swapping a motor isn’t enough, so a turbocharger was added to…

The full-size off-roader adds another option to compete with Ram’s Power Wagon.