Episode 156 - 2023 Kia EV9, 2023 Toyota RAV4, 2023 Toyota Prius Prime

Some very important vehicles are being introduced at the New York Auto Show, which is going on right now, and we’ll have all the highlights for you in this episode of America on the Road. Perhaps the most important of the new production models is the all-electric 2024 Kia EV9 SUV. The first three-row electric vehicle SUV from Kia, the EV9 is the flagship of the automaker’s global Plan S strategy and one of the first mainstream three-row battery-electric EVs from a mass market brand.

The Kia EV9’s standard 800-volt electrical architecture enables ultrafast recharging on high-speed DC chargers. Kia says the EV’s battery pack is designed to go from a 10 to 80 percent state of charge in under 25 minutes. With an optional 99.8-kWh battery, a single-motor configuration of the EV9 could achieve 300 miles of all-electric range.

And when it comes to predicted range, Ram can top that with its just-introduced all-new 2025 Ram 1500 REV full-size pickup. When it finally comes to market to compete with the Ford F-150 Lightning, Ram suggested it will have a targeted range of up to 500 miles.

Jeep pulled the wraps off a heavily revised 2024 Wrangler at the New York Show. Among the highlights are an available factory-supplied Warn winch, a new version of the iconic seven-slot grille, standard side curtain airbags, and a 12.3-inch Uconnect Touchscreen infotainment system.

Our guest for you this week is Jay Joseph, the vice president of the Sustainability & Business Development unit for American Honda Motor Co. He oversees the company’s renewable energy, resource circulation, and new business development in the United States. We will talk with him about Honda’s hydrogen power efforts globally and in the United States.

In this week’s road test segment, Host Jack Nerad will chronicle his driving experience in the all-new 2023 Toyota Prius Prime, the latest plug-in hybrid version of the vehicle that put hybrids on the map in the United States. From its looks to the way it handles day-to-day driving, the model is totally transformed. And Nerad will tell you why he thinks it’s the best Prius ever.

Also in this week’s road test segment, Co-host Chris Teague will detail his week-long evaluation of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Adventure, an off-road-oriented trim. He got the opportunity to put the SUV through its paces as the final winds of winter howled through Maine.