News & Articles

Civic Hybrid for 2025 hits 200 horsepower. Below, Hyundai Tucson Hybrid for 2025 on new stiffer platform. Photo by Joan Gilbert.

The Chicago-based Midwest Automotive Media Association organizes both spring and fall gatherings of the member media types to gather and peruse the latest vehicles being introduced by the world’s manufacturers. The 2024 fall event was held this week at Arrowhead Golf club in suburban Wheaton, Ill., and it was one of the more intriguing events in recent years.

We had two drive routes on streets and highways nearby, and could drive as many of the new vehicles as we could squeeze in, after which we voted on our favorites. There were dozens of new and futuristic vehicles, some gas-powered, some electric, and various hybrid and plug-in hybrids in between.

The interesting thing about the current state of car-building is that almost all the electric vehicles drive similarly — with great snappy acceleration, in silence, of course, and most of them handle really well because the battery packs sit low in the platform and have low centers of gravity whether intentional or not. Some of the pure electric vehicles (EV) that impressed us the most included the Kia EV9 and its smaller, quicker brother the EV6, The Hyundai Ioniq5 N, which is the performance-oriented version of the Ioniq5, and also the next day’s chance to view and drive the Subaru Soltarra SUV, Volvo’s array of SUVs from tiny to the C90 largest model, the Mitsubishi Outlander, the stunning Audi e-tron models, the Cadillac Lyriq and CT4 and CT5, Ford’s updated Mustang EV, and all the various EV pickup trucks.

The highlight of the pure-EV models was the standing static 2025 Dodge Charger — making its return as an all-electric coupe, which will be followed by a 4-door, with all sorts of high-tech stuff like a nose spoiler at the top edge of the grille, and digitally summoned engine sounds that can be dialed in to loudness and forcefulness. The two-battery, all-wheel-drive vehicle will cost somewhere north of $70,000, but Dodge CEO Matt McAlear described it as the brand’s new halo vehicle, with 420 horsepower soon to be 670 horsepower, and 250 miles of range — depending on how you drive. “Unapologetic power,” is how McAlear called it. 

My wife, Joan, who is also a member of MAMA, accompanied me on the seven-hour drive that could have been named the “orange-barrel grand prix” for all the construction lane closures and narrowing on Wisconsin’s Hwy. 53 and on Interstates 94 and 90 into Illinois, and 290 once we got near Chicago. Joan shot most of the accompanying photos, and enjoyed the event as much as I did, before we escaped the congestion and tried to beat rush hour headed home Thursday afternoon.

The first vehicle we drove was the Honda Civic, which looked pretty ordinary, but was actually a hybrid, which is the first Civic Hybrid in the stable. It has a 141-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gas engine, and the two-motor hybrid system boosts it to 200 horsepower. It has a CVT, but paddle shifters fulfill my demand for making the CVT feel like a standard transmission. That was the tightest, best-handling small car there, and it’s not so small any more.

Competing with that was the Elantra N, the high-performance version of Hyundai’s compact, with had a loud exhaust, great power and a 6-speed stick shift. Nothing but fun, but not bad on the budget either.
Our other favorite was the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. Hyundai has a high-tech hybrid system that focuses more regenerative braking power from the brakes to the battery pack, which has been enlarged. The body design changed for 2024, and looks very good. For 2025, the same equipment fits onto a shortened version of the new Santa Fe platform, making it firmer and tighter feeling, with the Santa Fe interior features as well. I can’t wait to test one for a week to see what kind of fuel economy the 1.6-turbo and hybrid can get in Duluth, on the hills.

We listened to some interesting presentations at the second day Chicago Drives Electric event, and we drove some pure electric models there around a short course. The public also is invited to attend, learn about EVs and drive them briefly at Oakbrook Terrace’s courtyard.
We’ll have more to report on the MAMA voting next week.