Weekly News in Review: August 8 to 14

This week’s news sees lots of truck-related news, the return of a 90s icon, and Volkswagen has added more features to three of its vehicles for 2022.

A new teaser for the upcoming 2022 Toyota Tundra has been getting a lot of news this week because it showed off the truck’s suspension. It appears Toyota has added leaf springs, which could result in improved performance on and off the pavement.

Pricing for the 2022 Nissan Frontier has been announced at $27,840 before that pesky destination charge. The truck will be offered in four grades, S, SV PRO-X and PRO-4X. At $37,240, the PRO-4X is the most expensive version of the Frontier before adding two available packages. Power comes from a 310-hp 3.8-liter V6 paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission turning either the rear or all four wheels.

Chevrolet has revealed that the upcoming Silverado EV will have four-wheel steering. This means it’s possible that the new truck could also get the Crab Walk feature from the GMC Hummer pickup and SUV, which allows the vehicle to move sideways and squeeze through tight spaces. It should also improve the truck’s handling and stability while cutting its turning radius. The Silverado EV will be the third vehicle to get GM’s Ultium batteries and platform, and is expected to get up to 400 miles of range on a charge.

Volkswagen has announced updates for the 2022 Atlas and Arteon with the latter getting a major power bump. The 2.0-liter turbo-four now makes 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and it’s now paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic instead of traditional torque converter eight-speed automatic transmission. The SE R-Line now gets new 18-inch alloy wheels, wireless charging, and front and rear parking sensors. Range-topping SEL R-Line models get AWD standard. Pricing starts at $39,995 for the FWD SE R-Line and $44,615 for the SEL R-Line with AWD.

The Atlas lineup gets a new SEL R-Line Black trim with black 20-inch alloy wheels and black cosmetic design tweaks. All SEL trims now get AWD as standard while the base SE grade gets an 8.0-inch gauge cluster display. The SE w/ Technology variant gets a trail hitch when equipped with the V6 engine and additional USB-C charging ports on the three-row model. Pricing for the three-row model starts at $33,475 for the FWD model and $35,375 with AWD. The two-row Atlas Cross Sport starts at $32,775 in FWD guise or $34,675 with AWD. The V6 engine starts on the SE w/ Technology grade at $39,395 for FWD models and $41,295 with AWD for the three-row version. Two-row Atlas Cross Sport models with the V6 start at $38,695 for FWD models and $40,595 with AWD.

Pricing for the 2022 Polestar 2 has been announced with the new single-motor model starting at $45,900. The dual-motor model costs $4,000 more. The single-motor model has 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque and is rated for 265 miles per charge. Dual-motor models got a 16-mile range bump to 249 miles per charge. The Plus, Pilot, and Performance packages remain as available options along with standalone extras like Nappa leather upholstery with ventilated front seats, a tow hitch, metallic paint, 20-inch alloy wheels.

Acura is sending off the second generation NSX with a bang by offering a limited-edition Type S model. It will be limited to 350 examples with 300 of them staying here in the U.S. The NSX Type S gets generous helpings of carbon fiber, larger front air intakes, a special rear diffuser, a carbon fiber wing, and special wheels wrapped in Type S-specific performance tires. The suspension has also been redone for sharper handling while the SH-AWD system has been optimized for quicker turn-ins. Acura also massaged the engine, resulting in a higher output of 600 hp and 492 lb-ft, 27 hp and 16 lb-ft more than the standard NSX. This was achieved via new injectors, new intercoolers, and swapping in the turbos from the NSX GT3 Evo race car. The battery capacity and output has been increased by 20 and 10 percent respectively, allowing the three electric motors to deliver more power. Gear ratios for the front electric motors have also been lowered. The nine-speed dual-clutch automatic shifts quicker and has a Rapid Downshift mode that allows it to skip gears during downshift.

Acura also announced the return of the Integra, which will slot below the TLX as the brand’s new entry level model. The sole teaser photo revealed a headlight with a throwback cue of the Integra name written under the cluster. The car will be introduced in 2022 as the replacement for the ILX.