Drew Dowdell

Volkswagen unveiled one of the loosest kept secrets in the automotive industry, the Atlas Cross Sport. The 5-seater mid-size features a more rakish back glass to give a coupe like appearance. While the Atlas Cross Sport is 2.8 inches shorter, it still rides on the same 117.3 inch wheelbase and boasts almost as much cargo space (77.8 cu. ft.) as the bigger Atlas (96.8 cu. ft.) with the seats folded. The Cross Sport is also 2.3 inches lower to the ground adding to its racier profile. Inside there are a few upgrades over the Atlas with a new steering wheel with more intuitive controls, available stitching accents on the doors and seats, and available wireless charging for mobile devices. The Atlas already comes with a suite of safety technology including Forward Collision Warning with Autonomous Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Rear Traffic alert. Available on upper trims are Adaptive Cruise control and Park Distance Control. The Cross Sport also adds available Traffic Jam Assist that helps maintain distances front and back, and on Cross Sports with Navigation, the system will display relevant traffic signs like speed limits, no passing zones, school zones, and work zones. Powering the Cross Sport will be a selection of two engines. The 267 horsepower V6 and a 235 horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder. Either engine routes power to the wheels through an 8-speed automatic and available 4-motion All-Wheel Drive. When equipped with the V6, the Cross Sport can tow up to a rated 5,000 lbs when equipped with the towing package. There will be eight trim levels: S, SE, SE w/Tech, SE w/Tech R-Line, SEL, SEL R-Line, SEL Premium, and SEL Premium R-Line. More details and pricing will be announced ahead of the launch in the Spring of 2020.

Cadillac released the pricing for the upcoming CT4 sedan for 2020. Ringing up at $33,990 for the base 2.0T RWD model with an 8-speed automatic, the CT4 undercuts the price of the outgoing ATS by a few grand. This makes the CT4 roughly $7,000 cheaper than the same size 3-series or C-Class sedan or just $1k more expensive than a smaller A-Class Sedan. Adding AWD will add about $2,500 to the price. Buyers who want a bit more can opt for the Premium Luxury package with the 2.7-liter Turbo-4 making 309 horsepower and 348 lb.-ft of torque and a 10-speed automatic, brings the price to $38,490, adding AWD to that costs $3,200. If you're most interested in the V model with more power, 325 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft of torque, that will cost you $45,490. That gets you a RWD model with Brembo front brakes, a rear limited slip differential. Adding AWD to the V-series brings the price to $46,590. The CT4 goes on sale early next year.

Volvo is the first company to team up with Google to produce an Android based infotainment system. The new system will debut in the soon to be unveiled Volvo XC40 Electric. The new system, called Android Automotive OS features all the expected integrations like Android Assistant, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store. App installs will work exactly as they do on everyday Android phones. One of the advantages of the new OS is that it is able to do over the air updates for security and feature upgrades in the future. the system will also allow Google Maps to interact with vehicle safety system sensors, including radar and camera, to keep driving conditions in Maps up to date. The Volvo XC40 Electric will debut on October 16th. Expect it to largely look like the current XC40 but with a closed off grille and some extra colors available.

As we reported last month, Jeep is adding a diesel to the Wrangler lineup. The 3.0-liter diesel will produce 260 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque and be paired only with the 8-speed automatic. Electronic Start-Stop is also standard issue. As for how much it is going to cost, be prepared to shell out up to an additional $6,000 over the base model. It breaks down like this: $4,000 for the diesel engine + $2,000 for the automatic transmission. All in all, it ends up being a $3,250 upgrade over a Wrangler with a Pentastar V6 and 8-speed automatic. The diesel will only be offered in 4-door trims of Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon. In the RAM 1500 with the same powertrain, highway fuel economy is rated for 30mpg. Expect the lighter but less aerodynamic Wrangler to match that once EPA numbers are finalized. Diesel Wranglers start down the production line in late November, but the order books are already open if you want to head down to the dealer and put your order in.