The 1,025-HP Demon 170 Sounds Wicked, But I Would Rather Take Home an Explorer EV

This past week has been crazy with great automotive industry novelties. Just when I thought that automakers entered a sort of limbo when it came to revealing the good models in their newsreels – with only a hero vehicle every fortnight or so, the carmakers made my late-March week go crazy with a string of glorious introductions.

OK, sure, there were also so-so apparitions, like the India-destined Hyundai Verna that debuted as the sixth generation Accent sedan with about the same dimensions as a compact car like the Elantra, lots of interior space, and a face inspired by the worldwide Kona crossover, the quirky Staria minivan, and potentially the upcoming Sonata refresh. But that was the ‘exception’ from the norm, and I bet there will be some affordable sedan customers that will swiftly fall in love with its new visage, rear legroom, and efficient 1.5-liter powertrains.

Anyway, back to the ritzier apparitions, the week kicked off with the announcement that Kia’s EV9 mid-size crossover SUV is not alone in trying to impose the future of EV design. Instead, the Concept EV5 arrived during a local event in China to signal that numerals do not matter too much to them and with a lot more space inside and outside than the EV6 could ever possibly have, despite the two probably sharing the same E-GMP architecture when the production EV5 appears for sale in the region. At the moment, we still do not know if the model will remain a local Chinese affair or if it will be offered as an alternative to the EV6 and EV9 across other regions, as well. We also have no idea about what is going on under the hood, as this is merely a previewing prototype, just like Concept EV9 before it.

Another novelty that looks good on any social media channel but is of little consequence to you and me (both from the sales and bank account standpoints) was the introduction of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow. The gist of it is as follows. Do not ask us about the awfully long and intricate name, but we do know that this is the company’s final hurrah for the coach door V12-powered coupe. And, naturally, it will be produced in a highly limited series of just 12 examples (just as many as the cylinders), with all of them already sold-out before they were made official. We like the subtle gray and outrageous yellow combination, as well as the new interior dressed in Club leather.

Jumping to yet another far-away region, this week Thailand’s automotive enthusiasts got to see the kick-off for the 2023 Bangkok International Motor Show (44th edition lasts March 21 to April 2), and the main novelty of interest to everyone around the world of commercial vehicles was the presentation of the cool-looking Mitsubishi XRT Concept. Dressed in a quirky yet enticing camouflage pattern, this serves as a major preview for the sixth generation of the Mitsubishi Triton/L200 pickup truck, of course. And here’s hoping those prototypes caught in the U.S. last year were there for a reason and the next iteration may face the Tacoma, Ranger, Gladiator, Colorado, Canyon, and Frontier foes across the North American market.

Now it is time for the big conundrum we faced these past few days – if, hypothetically, we could do it today, which novelty would we take home in a heartbeat? The race, in the end, came down to just two new entries in the automotive library: the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 or the all-electric Ford Explorer. Sure, most diehard ICE aficionados would immediately say E85, err, sorry, Mopar. After all, when treated properly with the nice blend of flex-fuel (essentially a high-level combo consisting of ethanol and gasoline), there would be 1,025 horsepower at the driver’s disposal and some potential all-time quarter-mile dragstrip glory with an NHRA-certified sub-nine-second ET.

That is around Tesla Model S Plaid’s avenue, frankly, when both the EV sedan and the muscle car have a good track day. For sure, it is going to be incredibly interesting to witness the potential brawls – considering that enough people secure a Demon 170 allocation, the limited production has no hiccups, and if dealers do not make it a $300k collectible. Otherwise, most people would just be better off with Tesla’s $110k MSRP, frankly! And so, we arrive at a logical conclusion.

Yes, the Demon 170 is a nice last ICE hurrah. But frankly, I would have very much liked to go home in an all-new Ford Explorer EV if the Volkswagen AG MEB-based crossover was not solely a European affair. Even so, with a price of fewer than 45k euros, which is around $48k at the current exchange rate, it would be a great affair on the Old Continent – especially since the sporty Ford Mustang Mach-E crossover is a lot costlier in the region!