Weekly News in Review: July 11 to July 17

This week’s news cycle has a lot coming out of Korea and Germany thanks to one automaker dropping a full lineup overview.

In addition to a refreshed Kona, a high-performance Kona N, an all-new Tucson, the Santa Cruz, and Ioniq 5, here’s what’s new for the 2022 Hyundai Lineup:

Carryover models include the Elantra, Sonata, Veloster N, Santa Fe, and Santa Fe Hybrid, Accent, Palisade, Ioniq Hybrid, and Ioniq PHEV. All of these models didn’t get any major changes for 2022.

For 2022, the Sonata Hybrid gets remote smart parking on the Limited trim.

The 2022 Nexo gets a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster.

The Santa Fe lineup grows with the addition of the Santa Fe PHEV. Its 1.6-liter turbo-four and six-speed automatic get a larger 13.8-kWh battery and a 99-hp electric motor, increasing combined output to 261 hp. You can also travel up to 31 miles in EV mode.

Hyundai has discontinued the Ioniq Electric hatchback due to the arrival of the refreshed Kona Electric and the Ioniq 5, which is on Hyundai’s E-GMP architecture. The Hyundai Veloster has also been discontinued except for the high-performance N variant.

Pricing for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has also been revealed with the base model starting at $23,990. A range-topping Limited model will cost you $39,720 before the destination charge.

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra N made its official debut this week. This hot sedan is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four with 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque. You can choose between a standard six-speed manual or an optional eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. With the latter Hyundai claims the Elantra N will hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. There’s also an overboost function that temporarily bumps output to 286 hp. Other go-fast goodies include an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential, larger brake pads, a variable exhaust system, and Hyundai’s second-generation adaptive dampers. The Elantra N also gets wider 245/35ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S performance tires on 19-inch alloy wheels as standard. Expect the Elantra N to go on sale late this year.

BMW has unveiled the X5 Black Vermillion Edition complete with a grille featuring red inserts. Essentially a loaded X5 xDrive40i, the Black Vermillion Edition features red piping inside the cabin, blue accents inside the LED headlights, red brake calipers, an M Sport exhaust system, adaptive M suspension full Merino Black leather, the M Sport package, BMW Individual piano black trim, 22-inch alloy wheels, and Frozen Black Metallic (Matte) exterior color. Prices start from $82,300 before the destination charge.

The interior of the 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL roadster has been revealed and it’s stunning. Just like the new S-Class you get a massive main touchscreen plus a digital gauge cluster for the MBUX interface, all kinds of lighting can be found in there, too, along with acres of leather upholstery. Unlike the outgoing model, the new SL-Class will be a 2+2 developed under AMG and will feature a power-folding soft top.

For 2022, Audi has increased the battery size on the Q5 PHEV and A7 PHEV to 17.9 kWh from 14.1- and 14.0 kWh respectively. This increased the EV mode range to 23 miles for the Q5 and 26 miles for the A7. However, the tradeoff is longer charging times at 3 hours on a level 2 charger and a lower total range: 390 miles for the Q5 and 410 miles for the A7.

Lexus has announced the 2022 RX L Black Line Edition, which will be limited to 495 units. Available in both RX 350 L and RX 450h L flavors, this special edition gets you black badges, black side mirror covers, black 20-inch alloy wheels, a black spindle grille, black upholstery, black open-pore wood trim, and black floor mats. The Premium package is also standard on the Black Line Edition. If you’re looking for the RX450h L, act fast cause only 106 of the 495 units made will be the hybrid.

Toyota dropped another teaser for the 2022 Tundra. This time, it confirms the availability of a power-operated rear window that slides down and a panoramic sunroof.

Pricing for the 2022 Infiniti QX60 starts at $46,850 for the base model. The most expensive model is the AWD-equipped Autograph model, which stickers for $63,250 before destination. The QX60 is the first Infiniti to ditch the dual-screen layout in favor of a single 12.3-inch touchscreen. You can also get the latest version of ProPilot Assist in the QX60. Like the mechanically related Pathfinder, the QX60 uses a 295-hp 3.5-liter V6 paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

A report from Automotive News this week claims that the Mazda MX-30 PHEV with the rotary engine range extender has been put on hold. This was originally part of Mazda’s multi-pronged approach to electrification. Citing two Japanese outlets, it appears Mazda no longer knows when exactly it will introduce the MX-30 with a rotary range extender. The battery is also reportedly shrinking from the all-electric versions 35.5-kWh unit to 10 kWh.

The 2022 Chevrolet Colorado adds a new Trail Boss package on the LT and Z71 grades. This includes a 1.0-inch suspension lift, underbody protection, black 17-inch ZR2 accessory wheels, black bowtie and Chevrolet badges, red tow hooks, and the deletion of the front air dam.

The Alfa Rome Tonale finally has a launch date of mid-2022. At a meeting with suppliers in the Pomigliano plant in Italy that will produce the crossover, Alfa Romeo brand CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato confirmed that its first plug-in hybrid crossover will arrive in the middle of next year. The Tonale, which first appeared in concept form at the 2019 Geneva auto show, will slot below the Stelvio within Alfa Romeo’s lineup.

Volkswagen has announced pricing for the 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R. The latter will be the most powerful model in the lineup, sporting a 2.0-liter turbo-four with 315 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It will be sold as a single, fully-loaded model with a starting price of $43,645 for the six-speed manual or $44,445 with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The 2022 Golf GTI will be available in S, SE, and Autobahn trims. It also uses a 2.0-liter turbo-four but is rated at 241 hp and 273 lb-ft. The base S trim starts at $29,545 with the manual or $30,345 with the automatic. A range-topping Autobahn model will cost you $37,99 with the stick and $38,795 with the automatic.

More details on the Golf GTI and Golf R pricing are here.

The refreshed 2022 Jeep Compass has debuted with a starting price of $24,995. This latest version gets a full range of driver assistance features plus a revised interior with an available 10.1-inch touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder carries over with 177 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque in the Compass. It can be paired to either a six-speed automatic in FWD models or a nine-speed automatic when equipped with AWD.

Ram has expanded the availability of the BackCountry Edition package to Big Horn and Lone Star trims for 2022. this variant adds 18-inch black wheels, a black two-tone exterior, black badges, black headlight bezels, black exhaust tips, black side mirror covers, and black grille surrounds. Inside you get black upholstery, all-weather floor mats, and a BackCountry badge on the instrument panel. You’ll be able to get the Ram 1500 BackCounty Edition in 4WD crew or access cab configurations and only with the 5.7-liter V8 in both standard or mild-hybrid eTorque flavors.