There Were Unusually Many Reveals This Week, Of Course Toyota Eclipsed Everyone

Since I’ve been here at autoevolution, it has been increasingly easy to observe the state of the automotive industry because many of my colleagues have carved slices of the market and cover everything from A to Z. I like to keep a general bird's eye view on all the stuff that is going on, so I have made a habit of discussing the most important novelties of the week – at least whenever there are enough subjects.

Sometimes, that doesn't happen, much to my chagrin, and other times, it's positively hard to keep track of all of them. As such, that was the case with the April 8-14 week, much to our pleasure – we're all car enthusiasts here, of course. Everything started with the solar eclipse, naturally. What, you thought I would be oblivious to the astronomical event that many people in America eagerly awaited for months?

The automakers didn’t miss the opportunity, either, so they presented the pitch-black 2024 Jeep Gladiator Sport mid-size pickup truck with the NightHawk package just as the US was putting on their special solar eclipse viewing glasses. The rivaling 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor (a very expensive high-performance off-roader, if you ask me, at $90,035) was also dressed for the occasion with the Black Appearance Package, which is all show and no extra go for another $4,995 (MSRP) over the 4x4's starting price in the US.

Meanwhile, over in Europe, Audi finally brought to market the S3 with a little more power than a VW Golf R, enhanced dynamics, and those ever-so-hard-to-observe visual updates inside and out. Stellantis was also on a roll – they revealed the revived Opel Frontera, now the heir of the subcompact Crossland crossover SUV, as well as the 2024 Citroen C3, which, following the debut of the e-C3 in October 2023, now gets purely ICE and MHEV versions for the CUV-inspired supermini.

Back in the United States, the facelift procedures were over, and the 2025 Acura MDX got new looks and technology – less than two years since the latest generation hit the market. Speaking of new models, the company also started the teasing campaign for its first-ever ADX, an all-new base crossover SUV option. Also, Buick launched the 2025 Enclave with the third generation sporting an all-new turbo engine, a more spacious cabin, upscale technology features, and hands-free Super Cruise – deliveries are planned for later this year during the summer season.

While it didn’t necessarily care about the solar eclipse, Bentley also launched something appropriate and tapped into its dark side with the new Bentayga Black Edition. From ultra-luxury crossover SUV to affordable EV crossover SUV, Ford announced the 2024 enhancements and pricing details for the Mustang Mach-E, and it naturally undercuts the best-selling Tesla Model Y with a $40k starting price in America. If you want to go for a more expensive variant, there’s the GT with the new Performance Upgrade or the Rally version, including the latter and off-road looks plus tweaks.

Speaking of Tesla’s Model Y, the American EV automaker and energy company has announced a new variant – Long Range RWD with up to 373 miles of range between charges. Additionally, the refreshed Tesla Model 3 is finally getting Full Self-Driving (FSD), and everyone is wondering when that is happening on the Cybertruck, too. If you want to see how diverse the landscape was this past week, let’s remember that Ford not only slashed the prices of the F-150 Lightning to address the current EV woes but also refreshed our memory that its Focus still exists and introduced the Focus ST Edition, which is of course exclusive to the Old Continent.

Also, the Brits have again upgraded one of those models that feel like they were created decades ago – Morgan is coming out with the 2024 Plus Four with subtle but impactful tweaks. Oh, and why the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is preparing to compete at Pikes Peak with an eye on the production crossover/SUV record, Lamborghini just gave us the last hurrah of the mighty V10 – the Huracan STJ is probably the last of its kind. Even Subaru had something for us – the 2025 Outback and Legacy! Plus, the week was full of teasers: new EV from Maserati, Kia Tasman pickup truck, Mazda CX-80, 2025 BMW M5 Sedan and Touring, 2025 GMC Yukon, and – of course – the mighty C8 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1!

As for the biggest releases, there were two of them – the controversial-looking Alfa Romeo Milano subcompact crossover SUV with an all-electric performance variant called Elletrica Veloce making 237 horsepower and the 2025 Toyota 4Runner. Suppose you want my two cents on the matter, while the latter is a niche offering competing against the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco alongside the returning 2024 Land Cruiser in the rarefied setting of America’s mid-size off-roader SUVs. In that case, it’s pretty darn clear that Toyota stole the show, and I might even venture into a wager that it could sell better than Milano if the feisty Alfisti don’t take the odd styling kindly.