It's podcast time! This week, Kyle Conner from Out of Spec Studios joins Rambling About Cars for a deep dive into the many debuts from the past 10 days or so. This includes some of the quirky vehicle premieres from the Auto Shanghai show.
There were so many recent debuts that we weren't able to cover them all. We had to pick the ones that were going to have the biggest impact upon their market arrival.
The Mercedes-Benz EQS is the perfect example of the ground-breaking products that are on the way. It marks the German brand getting truly serious about electric vehicles with a stylish sedan that could be a legit competitor to the Tesla Model S.
While we all agree that the EQS is important, Kyle disagrees with Smith and Bruce in regards to the interior. The regular hosts love the futuristic appearance of the Hyperscreen infotainment system, our guest prefers the simpler setup without a passenger display on the EQS 450+.
Gallery: 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS
Kyle also owns several EVs and extensively tests all the new ones that hit the market. He's able to dig into some of the nitty-gritty details about the powertrain.
The other massive recent debut was the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup. The brand prefers people to call it a Sport Adventure Vehicle, but no one in the real world is really going to do that. Along with the Ford Maverick, these vehicles mark the re-introduction of unibody trucks to the American market.
We have mixed opinions on the Santa Cruz. Bruce respects the idea but doesn't want one personally. Kyle and Smith like it quite a bit more.
Gallery: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
After taking a look at the front of the new Honda Civic and the production-spec Cadillac Lyriq, we transition into looking at Auto Shanghai. There's the four-door, Volkswagen Beetle-inspired Ora Punk Cat, which also happens to be an amazing name. There's also the Roewe Jing that has the face of a whale, and a name that translates to whale from Chinese to English. The Hongqi L-Concept features wild lighting and a woven effect on the roof. Finally, the Hongqi S9 is a forthcoming supercar.
Listen To More Rambling About Cars:
Rambling About Cars Episode 17 Preview
For the next episode, Rambling About Cars will look at what's happening to sedans and small hatchbacks. For the second half of the show, we're going to talk about the sedans and hatchbacks that we miss and wish could come back.
Where To Listen
Look for new episodes of Rambling About Cars every Friday. You can find the video version on YouTube and audio in a variety of places like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you have a moment, please like, follow, and review because it exposes the show to more people. And the more people joining us on this automotive odyssey, the better. E-mail us at podcast@motor1.com.