HERE ARE THE SAFEST SMALL SUVS IN 2019

Looking for a small SUV that's also safe? We've got you covered here. Below is a list of the safest small SUVs based on crash test ratings from the National Highway Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

A rundown on the criteria for the two agencies: NHTSA puts vehicles through front, side, and rollover crash tests that combine to produce an overall star rating, from one to five. Meanwhile, IIHS offers two safety awards. To earn a Top Safety Pick award, vehicles must earn "Good" ratings in various crash tests, including the unique driver-side small-overlap front test, which simulates what happens when the front left corner of a car crashes into a tree or pole at 40 mph. The vehicles must score at least "Acceptable" in the passenger-side small-overlap front test, which is the same test on the right corner of the car. They must also nab an "Advanced" or "Superior" rating in front crash prevention technology and an "Acceptable" or better headlight rating. For IIHS' highest award, the Top Safety Pick+, vehicles must step it up with a "Good" passenger-side small overlap front rating and a "Good" headlight rating.

All entries on this list have earned both a four- or five-star overall rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ designation from IIHS. (Some vehicles, marked with asterisks below, have been excluded from the list because they have not yet been rated by NHTSA.) All models listed are mass-market vehicles from the 2019 model year. Keeping these notes in mind, read on to find out the safest small SUVs currently on the market.

2019 HONDA HR-V

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick

Along with a roomy interior and solid handling, the subcompact HR-V benefits from good safety scores. Refreshed for 2019, EX models and above feature a safety package that includes automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and lane keep assist. The model gets an "Acceptable" headlight rating from IIHS

2019 HYUNDAI KONA

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick+

Although a bit tight inside, the Kona benefits from a firm but stable ride, nimble handling, and peppy powertrains. It's a safe and practical car for a first-time buyer or anyone who doesn't need a ton of interior space.

2019 HYUNDAI TUCSON

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick

The Tucson is a bit of a wallflower in its segment, but it has a strong list of standard features, including a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. It also has an easy-to-use infotainment interface. The model gets an "Acceptable" headlight rating from IIHS.

2019 LEXUS UX

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick

The UX stands out from the pack with its bold styling. This tiny crossover looks more like a hatchback, made all the more unusual with the oversized signature Lexus grille. Inside, you'll encounter refined materials but not a lot of space in the back seat. This cute-ute misses the Top Safety Pick+ designation because of its "Acceptable" headlight rating.

2019 MAZDA CX-3

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick

Mazda has made improvements to its subcompact crossover for 2019. With a revised suspension, upgraded steering, redesigned seats, and a bit more power, the CX-3 has finally come into its own. It gets an "Acceptable" score in IIHS' headlight category.

2019 MAZDA CX-5

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick+

With spirited acceleration and communicative steering, the CX-5 is the jock in its class. It's a canyon carver in SUV form, and we love the unexpected grunt of its engine. This SUV placed second in our recent compact SUV comparison test.

2019 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars (AWD), 4 stars (FWD)
IIHS: Top Safety Pick

This seven-seater small SUV gets good safety scores, though we wish the four- and six-cylinder engine options had more grunt. The Outlander earned a headlight score of "Acceptable" from IIHS.

2019 NISSAN KICKS

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 4 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick

This subcompact crossover is all about value. Starting at $19,685, the Kicks offers a quality interior with plenty of room in the rear seats and cargo area. It didn't qualify for IIHS' top award due to "Acceptable" ratings in the passenger-side small-overlap front test and the headlight category. NHTSA gave it four stars in the front crash and rollover categories, which along with a five-star side crash rating contributed to an overall four-star rating.

2019 SUBARU CROSSTREK

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick+

This is one of our favorite subcompact crossovers. Not only does it feature a solid ride and off-road capability, but it also offers plenty of space for people and gear, plus an easy-to-use infotainment system. We've praised its available EyeSight driver assistance feature with adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist for being among the most helpful systems of its kind on the market.

2019 SUBARU FORESTER

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NHTSA Overall Rating: 5 stars
IIHS: Top Safety Pick+

With a cavernous cargo hold, roomy back seat, and wide-opening doors, the Forester makes great use of space. Although it's not the most powerful entry in the compact crossover segment, it benefits from a quiet ride on the pavement and solid off-road capability, plus excellent visibility. The 2019 Forester gets standard EyeSight safety technologies.

*2019 BMW X2 (Top Safety Pick, NHTSA: Not Rated)

*2019 Honda CR-V (Top Safety Pick, NHTSA: Not Rated overall, 4 stars in rollover test)

*2019 Volvo XC40 (Top Safety Pick+, NHTSA: Not Rated)

Note: IIHS classifies the Crosstrek and Kicks as small cars. To determine a vehicle's classification, IIHS takes into account its platform-mates and if the vehicle is based on a sedan; how the automaker classifies the vehicle in the Vehicle Identification Number; and the classification of its competitors on the market.

By: www.motortrend.com

Toyota pulls forward electrification plan

REUTERS

Toyota displayed concept versions of its next-generation electric vehicles at a news briefing in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday. 

TOKYO -- Toyota is ramping up electric vehicle deployment plans, pulling forward its goal of selling 5.5 million electrified vehicles by five years and aiming to develop a solid-state battery by next summer as it races to meet a "sudden surge" of EV popularization.

Toyota now aims to sell some 5.5 million traditional gasoline-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, EVs and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2025. Nearly 1 million of them could be pure EVs.

Executive Vice President Shigeki Terashi, Toyota's r&d chief, outlined the new roadmap in a June 7 briefing about the company's EV plans. In December 2017, the company had said it wanted to sell that many electrified vehicles by 2030, five years later than the revised outlook.

Terashi added that the company wants to unveil a solid-state battery for electrified vehicles ahead of next year's Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The technology, which promises lighter, more powerful and safer batteries, could be a breakthrough in popularizing electric vehicles.

"Wanting to make an effort is not enough. You really should be able to deliver," Terashi said.

"If possible, by the time we have the Olympic games next year, we would like to make sure that a solid-state battery can be unveiled to the public," Terashi said.

Indeed, Terashi cited a "sudden surge" in their popularization for revising the EV rollout.

"Progress has surpassed the target," Terashi said. "We have entered a new age."

Emissions regulations

Toyota is ramping up its EV development plans, partly in response to increasingly stringent emissions requirements in China and Europe. It plans to start making EVs in China next year on its way to releasing as least 10 BEVs (battery-powered models) worldwide by the early 2020s.

Toyota will not be abandoning the trademark hybrid technology pioneered in the Prius. It also aims to have electrified versions of every model in the Toyota and Lexus lineups by 2025.

But EVs have taken on fresh priority. As part of the new plan, Toyota plans to introduce an ultra-compact, two-seat EV in Japan in 2020. It will have a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles).

It is also readying a new dedicated EV platform it has developed with partners.

It is dubbed e-TNGA, a play on the company's new-generation Toyota New Global Architecture modular platform that the automaker has been rolling out in recent years. The EV version is an outgrowth of EV C.A. Spirit Corp., a nine-company consortium led by Toyota to develop and share components for electric vehicles. Other members include Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki and Daihatsu.

Subaru joint development

Earlier in the week, Toyota said had agreed with Subaru to jointly develop an all-electric platform for midsize and large vehicles and jointly develop an electric crossover.

That vehicle, which will be sold separately under each brand, will debut in the early 2020s with the U.S. as a main target market, a Toyota spokesman said.

Terashi said Toyota is working with Suzuki and Daihatsu to jointly develop a compact EV.

The new platform will underpin six variations in all -- a large SUV, a medium SUV, a medium crossover, a medium minivan, a medium sedan and the compact.

Toyota displayed clay concepts of many of the six body types, with distinctive EV design. The vehicles had long wheelbases, slit-like headlamps and camera-based sideview mirrors.

Gone were the radiator grilles. The front fascia get a protruding hood for accent.

ZEV factory

To better focus on EV development, Toyota created a so-called Toyota ZEV Factory last November. It is an in-house EV product development and business planning division with 290 people that takes technology developed by EV C.A. Spirit and tailors it to the Toyota brand.

Terashi warned it could be a long time before EVs are profitable by themselves.

A quicker road to profitability, he said, would be adopting a new business model.

The idea is to not just manufacture and sell the cars, but to work with partners on wringing revenue from throughout a product's lifetime. That includes businesses in sales, leasing, sharing, peripheral services, used car sales, battery reuse and recycling.

"Once those become viable, he BEV business will become viable, even if the battery price remains quite high," Terashi said, adding that a new approach was crucial. "Unless we work on this at a very accelerated manner, we will not be able to ensure our future survival."

By: www.autonews.com

Take a look at the most expensive SUV in the world: the $1.9 million Karlmann King

If you're looking to spend $1.9 million on a new vehicle, an Italian armored car based on a Ford F-550 chassis is probably not on your radar. Karlmann is trying to change that.

Reclining alligator skin back seats on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

The company operates from Los Angeles, has a factory in Italy and is largely financed by Beijing-based International Automotive Technologies. Its first product, the Karlmann King, is a massive rolling lounge complete with recliners, a coffee maker, champagne flutes, a massive TV and a price tag that makes it the world's most expensive SUV.

The exterior door hatch on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Karlmann King to debut at the New York Auto Show.

Source: Karlmann King

On top of the stratospheric starting price, buyers can customize the King to their liking. Alligator-skin seats, real gold trim and specialty upholstery are all available for a price. Michael Nothdurft, Karlman's sales director, says a client in Africa ordered a Karlman King with a $3.5 million price tag.

View of the interior dash on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

One big part of that additional cost: bulletproofing. Most King buyers opt for the bullet-resistant option, which adds at least $300,000 to the price depending on the level of protection clients want.

Enjoy coffee and champagne while riding in the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

The buyers of these bulletproof monster trucks range from clients in dangerous parts of the Middle East and Africa to real estate moguls and high-dollar watch traders in the United States. But for less security-conscious shoppers, Nothdurft stresses that the King is supposed to be a rolling work of art.

Reclining in the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

It's undeniably different than anything else you'll see on U.S. roads. It has extremely angular styling and is absolutely massive.

"This car is the most emotional car that you can see at auto shows," Nothdurft told CNBC. "People either hate it or they love it."

The backseat control panel on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

The King is based on a Ford F-550 chassis. The F-550 a massive truck frame that Nothdurft says was chosen for its proven durability and ability to handle the weight of an armored luxury vehicle. The King maintains the 6.8-liter V-10, suspension components and transmission of the F-550 and is therefore limited to 87 mph. The interior, however, is bespoke.

The Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Karlman is looking to get a U.S. manufacturing line built in the next few months, but for now, the King is hand-built in Italy. For U.S. market cars, armoring takes place in the States.

The company currently has 20 buyers lined up in North America, Nothdurft said.

Buyers who order a King today should expect delivery in nine to 15 months.

The Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

By: www.cnbc.com