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2021 Toyota Avalon Limited Channels Luxury

03-02-21 Tech Talk ~ Recorded Live from KOWS FM 92.5 ~ Yes, it's possible to find a noteworthy luxury sedan priced under $50 thousand, as Tech Talk host Rick DeMeis discovered this week in the first ever all-wheel drive 2021 Toyota Avalon Limited. Bells and whistles aside, this mid-size passenger vehicle proved comfortable, safe and efficient, even if one sacrifices a little bit of power in the name of fuel economy. Listen in for more on this, as well as tech topics that include a vehicle sales study, the orbiting Tesla roadster, a neutron rocket, micro 3D printing and a…

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Kia Teases The All-New 2022 Carnival ‘Multi-Purpose Vehicle’ aka Not-A-Minivan

by Peter Ciani, RPM News Weekly Co-Founder ~ It's a curious thing how automakers are fastidiously avoiding the term minivan these days. Case in point, this week's press announcement for the upcoming February 23 reveal of the all-new 2020 Carnival where Kia teases the not-a-minivan Carnival Multi-Purpose Vehicle without ever mentioning it as a replacement for the long-running Kia Sedona minivan. Curious, indeed! But Kia is not alone in reframing the the minivan's personality to attract buyers. On last week's episode of the EV Power Podcast, hosts Rich Taber and I discussed the refreshed 2021 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, which takes…

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How The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Defines The Term ‘Sport Utility’ Vehicle

By Peter Ciani, RPM News Weekly Co-Founder ~ There are several definitions for the term ‘Sport Utility Vehicle’ to be found online. Merriam-Webster defines the SUV as, “A rugged automotive vehicle similar to the station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis.” Whereas, Oxford Dictionary simply says, “A high-performance four-wheel-drive vehicle.” The category Sport Utility Vehicle kind of says it all, Sport = fun, Utility = usefulness, and Vehicle = well...vehicle. So, when you Google-search the term Sport Utility Vehicle the very first picture that comes up shouldn't be a Honda CR-V (really, Google?) it should be RPM News Weekly's…

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2021 Chrysler Pacifica Re-Energizes Minivan Market

by Rich Taber, RPM News Weekly Co-Founder ~ The Chrysler Pacifica minivan brings a long history of refinement to a new height with the refreshed 2021 model. Loaded with more standard content including 14 new-as-standard safety features; available in all-wheel drive gasoline versions; offering a plug-in hybrid variant; and presenting an ultra-luxurious new Pinnacle trim, this is a minivan that can surely beckon families away from impractical SUV fixations. Production of the new-for-2021 Chrysler Pacifica began in November 2020. The minivan sets a new standard, offering all-wheel-drive capability, utility-vehicle-inspired updates, new available interior FamCAM, new five-times faster Uconnect 5 with…

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New EV Lobby Group Looks Toward A Zero Emission Future

Commentary by Peter Ciani, RPM News Weekly Co-Founder A couple of months ago, the all-new Zero Emission Transportation Association launched as the first industry coalition of its kind focusing on the accelerated transition to EV transportation. Called ZETA for short, this new organization was created for the expressed purpose of advocating for national policies that will enable 100% electric vehicle sales in all segments by 2030. Its Founding Members comprise 28 electric vehicle related businesses. In general, I'm not a huge fan of lobbyist groups. It irks me a bit that businesses and certain individuals are allowed to 'cut the…

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2021 Kia K5 Advances Optima Lineage

01-19-21 Tech Talk ~ Recorded Live from KOWS FM 92.5 ~ Tech Talk host Rick DeMeis revels in the quietude of the all-new 2021 Kia K5 that he's enjoyed as his current ride-of-the-week. If the name sounds unfamiliar to the Kia lineup, take heart that it's the bold replacement for the retiring Optima mid-size sedan. In other automotive news, details emerge in the merger of two automaker giants to create the new 14-brand Dutch-based multinational Stellantis automotive company. But wait... there's more, including the weekly Musk Minute update, additional space news from NASA and Virgin Galactic, and several tech breakthroughs…

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