Quick Spin – Détails, épisodes et analyse

The Volkswagen Atlas joined the VW roster for 2018 and gave the company the ever-important mid-size SUV. Expanding on the Atlas, Volkswagen added the Cross Sport variant of its MQB-based crossover, which put the company’s hat in the ring of the crossover coupe argument. After five years on the road, Volkswagen overhauled both versions of the Atlas. While these updates do come with some interesting new hardware, there is one downside for some: Volkswagen ditched the VR6. That means powering every Atlas Cross Sport is the 2.0-liter EA888 Evo 4 mill, which shoves 269 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed transmission. 

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you along on a guided tour of the ’24 Atlas Cross Sport and highlights some of his favorite features before taking you along on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Patrick Carone about the Atlas Cross Sport, crossover coupes, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Atlas Cross Sport Special

The 2025 Mazda CX-70 was an unseen surprise, but it follows trends seen across automakers: take your large three-row crossover, shake up the styling, and ditch a row of seats. Effectively a two-row version of Mazda’s CX-90, the CX-70 sports the same wheelbase as its higher-seating-capacity stablemate but does shake up exterior dimensions. Of course, the biggest separating factor between the two is the available seat count. The CX-70 also sports revised styling to help differentiate the models further, but Mazda shied away from a hyper-aggressive coupe styling direction and kept plenty of space in the cargo area for your groceries and gear. Powering the CX-70 is either the turbocharged 3.3-liter I6 or the plug-in hybrid powertrain that blends a 2.5-liter I4 with a hybrid system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Natalie Neff hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Mazda CX-70 and puts it through its paces. Neff takes you along for a live drive review of the CX-70 after putting it through the rigors of a family road trip. Joining this segment, Neff chats with host Wesley Wren about the Mazda CX-70, her struggles with the PHEV powertrain, and the differences between this two-row crossover and its three-row counterpart. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the 2025 Mazda CX-70 special.

On this episode of Talking Cars with the Boss, Wesley Wren, and Natalie Neff talk about their experiences with a pair of dissimilar Mazdas. They compare and contrast the benefits of the MX-5 and its more utilitarian Mazda3. The pair also discuss which one they’d park in their driveway. 

Cadillac’s Escalade is probably the first image that springs to your mind when you think of high-end, full-size SUVs. It’s earned that by dominating the luxury SUV sales charts for a long time. Not resting on their laurels, the folks at Cadillac took their flagship SUV and added a hefty dose of horsepower before slapping on a V-Series badge. Formally named the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V, this hot-rodded people mover features a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that sends 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission and a standard four-wheel-drive system. This all works together to help this three-ton luxury liner sprint to 60 mph in only 4.3-seconds.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Executive Editor Tom Murphy slides behind the wheel of the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V and puts it through its paces. Murphy guides you around the Escalade-V and shows off some of its best interior and exterior features. Later in the show, Murphy takes you along on a live drive review. Adding to the discussion, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Escalade-V, the competition and Cadillac’s direction. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes this ’23 Cadillac Escalade-V special.

Hyundai’s N division first flexed its muscle with the hopped-up Veloster N in the ‘States. This rally-inspired hatchback showed that Hyundai can build exciting sport compacts and take what is learned from its time on the rally stage and put it on the public road. Well, the Veloster N might be done, but its spirit lives on in sedan form with the Elantra N. The ’22 Elantra N packs the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 as the Veloster N and makes 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque. That power can travel through a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic before hitting the front wheels.

On this episode of Quick Spin. Autoweek’s west coast editor Mark Vaughn puts the Elantra N through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the Elantra N and highlights some of its exterior features before taking you inside and guiding you through its interior. Later in the show, Vaughn takes you on a live review of the Elantra N. Adding to the discussion, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the Elantra N’s performance, its features and its competition. The two also talk about the Elantra’s price. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this car special.

To put it bluntly, the 2022 Toyota Sequoia was old. The second-generation Sequoia was launched at the end of the Bush administration. After nearly two decades in production, Toyota introduced the third generation of its Sequoia. This Sequoia follows the same formula as the similarly updated Toyota Tundra, which means that the 5.7-liter V8 is gone and a turbocharged, V6 hybrid powertrain is in its place. While the Tundra also offers a non-hybrid powertrain, the ’23 Sequoia will only be available with Toyota’s I-Force Max 3.5-liter V6 hybrid powertrain. This hybrid powertrain feeds power through a ten-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels in two-wheel-drive trim or all four wheels when ordered as such. Of course, the new Sequoia sees more than just a powertrain and features an entirely new shell and interior.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren climbs behind the wheel of Toyota’s three-row off-roader and takes you along for the ride. Wren guides you around the new Sequoia to show off its features and new hardware before taking you along on a live drive review. Adding to the show, Wren chats with Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn about the Sequoia’s slow sales this year, the competitive set and more. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the new Sequoia special.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class might best be known for the fire-breathing 6.2-liter-powered, or 4.0-liter-powered C63 models, but the entry-level C-Class has filled the needs of compact luxury sedan owners for nearly 30 years. Entering its fifth generation, the eyes are still on the upcoming C63, but the base model still sticks with the C-Class’s main objective: do it all. For ’22, the C 300 sports a turbocharged I4 under the hood and sends 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic. That power hits the rear wheels, or all four wheels when optioned with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. This four-cylinder also features a 48-volt mild hybrid system to help squeeze out more fuel efficiency and extra low-end torque.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 to put the entry-level C-Class through its paces. Carone takes you around the C 300 to highlight its features before taking you on a live drive review. Adding to the conversation, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the latest Mercedes-Benz C-Class, its price and the advantage of driving a sedan. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes this new C-Class special.

Polestar isn’t new. Polestar has graced special Volvo products for years but was finally tasked with building its own cars a few years back. The creatively named Polestar 1 launched the company’s official efforts and hinted at the company’s electric offerings. Realizing its full, battery-electric place, Polestar launched its second machine, the Polestar 2 in 2020. The Polestar 2 is available in single and dual-motor trims, with different battery sizes to give different ranges. Naturally, the more power and range you want, the higher the cost. This dual-motor, long-range Polestar 2 pushes 408 hp to the wheels from its front and rear axle-mounted motors.

On this episode of Quick Spin, associate editor Emmet White hops behind the wheel of the Polestar 2 and puts it through its paces. White takes on you a guided tour of the Polestar 2 and highlights some of its exterior and interior features before taking you on a live drive review. Joining the show, host Wesley Wren chats with White about his experiences with the Polestar 2, taking a road trip in an electric vehicle and the Polestar’s place in the market. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes this Polestar 2 special.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata entered its fourth generation nearly a decade ago in 2014. Of course, the folks at Mazda updated its ND-generation MX-5 Miata in 2018 and brought serious upgrades to the engine along with the update. Still, as Miata’s beloved MX-5 ages and the world around it changes, it only becomes a more interesting proposition. Under the Mazda’s hood is still the updated ND powerplant, which translates to a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder that feeds a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic before sending all 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren climbs behind the wheel of Mazda’s two-seater to put it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Miata and highlights its features and shows off the interior. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to the show, Patrick Carone joins to chat with Wren about the Mazda Miata, the car’s price and the competitive set. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the 2022 Mazda Miata special.

Kia showed off the Telluride as a concept in 2016 and started churning out these three-row people moves in 2020. This production version of the Telluride loses some of the wild concept styling choices, but still carries attractive styling and a solid list of features. Largely carried over from the 2021 model year, the Telluride sees some light updates. The biggest change: the logo. The latest Kia Telluride sports the new, striking Kia badge that helps set it apart from the models from last year. Kia also adds a 10.25-inch touchscreen to its media system. Under the hood, you’ll still find the 3.8-liter naturally aspirated V6 that sends 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque through the standard eight-speed automatic transmission.

In this episode on Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Kia Telluride and puts it through its paces. Carone guides you around the Telluride and highlights its exterior and interior features. Carone also takes you along on a drive review of this Kia and shows off how it drives in real-time. Adding to the show, host Wesley Wren chats with Carone about the Kia Telluride, its price and what it brings to the market. Closing the show, the two break down what makes this car special.