Maserati CEO Teases a New EV SUV and a Wagon-Like Crossover

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is still one of the most luxurious off-road SUVs you can buy. It's also one of the most expensive, with the G550 starting at $153,900 (plus $1,150 in destination charges) and the price with options and AMG badges only going up from there. Still, the G-Wagon does stand out defiantly against the crossoverfication of the industry, with its upright boxiness remaining uncompromised from its launch in 1979 all the way up to today. It isn't just a look either. Underneath all the modern Mercedes-Benz luxury remains real ladder-frame off-road credibility, complete with a solid rear axle, mechanically locking differentials, and proper low range gearing. Fortunately, the G-Class doesn't have exclusive rights to the rolling brick aesthetic, and you can still get some portion of G-Wagon energy for less than a G-Wagon MSRP. From relative up-and-comers like the Ineos Grenadier or the Rivian R1S to historical direct competitors like the Land Rover Defender, you can absolutely capture some of that boxy magic without spending quite as much, and in some cases by spending $100,000 less.

10/16/26 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results. When Tesla announced this April that it was nixing the Model X from its lineup, customers looking for a three-row electric were left wondering about their options. Sure, eventually we might all be carried in the arms of humanoid robots to our destinations, but in the meantime, how are we to get the kids to lacrosse? There is an option for a third-row seat in the Model Y, but it doesn’t offer much breathing room for passengers. To fill the gap left by the Model X, Tesla is bringing over a model that has already been available in most of Asia—the Model Y L. The L stands for Long, as in wheelbase. The Model Y L initially comes only in Premium Launch Series trim, which means a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration that Tesla says makes 496 horsepower, accelerates to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, and has an EPA-estimated range of 328 miles when outfitted with our test car’s 20-inch wheels. New wheels are cool, but the bigger body is the bigger news.

Based on the images VW supplied to Ars, I think they’ve mostly met that brief; the R-Line interior in particular looks rather good to me. More importantly though, VW has been listening to feedback. The return to normal door handles will be welcome, even if it might have been driven by Chinese vehicle regulators. Even more welcome are the plethora of physical controls: real buttons on the steering wheel, real switches for the climate control and windows, and real physical air vents, not computer-controlled ones. There’s a new 15-inch infotainment screen that looks nice but will need to be responsive, plus the option of a 12-inch passenger display, a trend I continue to bemoan like Grandpa Simpson shouting at the clouds.

Matt Nelson is an automotive journalist with nearly a decade of experience in all things cars.  He's spent years working at dealerships in sales, finance, and service. He's since traded in his pens and wrenches for a keyboard, and leveraged the expertise gained from his work experience into a writing career. When it comes to cars, facts, and the truth, Matt’s equal love for all three meant automotive journalism was the only path forward. Ever since the age of six, when he’d spend his time helping his father fix his family’s old Buick, Matt has had a keen interest in anything and everything with four wheels. Naturally, once Matt started working, he ensconced himself in the automotive industry and held positions spanning from car detailer, mechanic, to automotive sales and finance. Because he’s seen it all, driven most, and heard a lot, auto journalism came naturally to him. With a passion for cars like Matt’s, it’s safe to say every article will showcase his penchant for truth, accuracy, and overarching desire to make sense of the modern, complex automotive world. This means every one of his readers can be at the forefront of the most important automotive news.

With Halloween just around the corner, it's nice to see automakers embracing the holiday spirit without taking themselves too seriously. Just last week, Tesla began rolling out a Halloween-themed software update that, as the automaker put it on X, "turns your Tesla into a haunted house on wheels. " Days later, Rivian brought Ghostbusters to its entire lineup as part of its own Halloween surprise. Tesla's Halloween Mode comes as part of update 2026.38.3 and brings along a host of goofy ghost-themed add-ons. For example, you can frighten pedestrians by speaking through Tesla's Boombox feature — the car will now repeat your message in a not-so-robotic but suitably scary voice. There's also a new lock sound available, with your Tesla now growling as you lock the car.

Under the hood of cars and trucks, you'll find many fluids flowing around, lubricating and actuating different components — especially if the vehicle has hydraulic power steering. With the exception of the coolant, most are classified as a type of oil, even if you don't think of them as such. That's because we often classify hydraulic oil as simply a fluid — on the flip side, who refers to engine oil as engine fluid? Hydraulic fluids are more for hydraulically actuating things, such as the braking system, automatic transmission (though there are important differences between transmission and hydraulic fluid), and power steering system (again, if it has it). So what's the difference between hydraulic oil and motor oil? It all comes down to viscosity, purpose, and the various ingredients that treat their given systems right. With that being said, engine oil also actuates some components hydraulically, but we'll get into that shortly.