This Week in Review: The fourth week of August brought us a ton of 2025MY news, some big, some small, some in between, and some less significant than others. So, let’s get started on our news tour.
Interestingly, even though we arrived after the biggest week of the summer car season, the 2024 Monterey Car Week, the U.S. auto market wasn’t entirely dead or in recovery. For example, one of the most prolific automakers, at least in terms of 2025MY updates, was Nissan. The Japanese automaker made the Altima’s midsize rival Camry a bit more expensive (obviously), killed off the turbocharged engine, and even introduced a new special edition to the family.
This was just the beginning. The Rogue compact crossover Off-road Nissan’s Sentra is consistently among the top 10 brands in terms of sales in America, and the 2025MY updates came with a price tag ($29,230 in the base trim) plus the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the adventurous Rock Creek trim level, which starts at $35,420. Because automakers love high profits, the Sentra lineup carried over to 2025MY with no updates and with the same powertrain, but Nissan still made it more expensive because it can!
Rivian has started deliveries of the Gen 2 Dual Large+ R1 vehicles, which have a Max battery but with a software limit in place, and we’ve got all the info you could need on that. Speaking of 2025MY updates, McLaren has announced the choice of stuff for the 750S, and there are new MSO Contrast Packs if you can afford them. Of course, you can; if you’re in the market for a McLaren, dammit, don’t turn your pockets inside out because we know the dollars are in offshore accounts.
Jokes aside, the Lexus RX, considered by many specialists to be the world’s first luxury crossover SUV, entered the 2025MY without many changes, but at least the Japanese automaker has added a few additional options in terms of trim levels and exterior paint colors, as well as a nifty Black Line special edition. Let’s also talk about EVs for a second, shall we? This week we heard that Tesla has removed the no-resale clause from Cybertruck contracts just in time for the recent price increases. Also, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz is finally coming in from around $60k, and Ford Motor Company is scaling back its zero-emissions plans. It will not offer an electric SUV the size of the three-row Explorer because it now wants to focus on hybrids.
Moving on, Ram Trucks unveiled special Lunar editions for the 2500 Power Wagon and the uniquely equipped Rebel Heavy Duty, Chevrolet revamped its 2025 Traverse lineup by dropping the base LS trim and adding a new High Country trim, and Hyundai had a shot at making up ground on the Ford Maverick compact pickup with its refreshed 2025 Santa Cruz, but it failed. That’s because the base version of the pickup is more expensive than before and, more importantly, more expensive than the base-restyled 2025 Maverick.
That said, it's time for the main courses of the week. It would be the brand new Lamborghini Temerario 2025 Hybrid electric vehicle supercars and the mighty revamped 2025 GMC Yukon lineup. The reason I’m bringing up the Temerario again, even though it was unveiled at the Monterey events, is simple: We have confirmed U.S. pricing, and the new entry-level supercar is $100,000 more expensive than the previous Huracan. Some will say that’s not a big deal because we’re going from ten to eight cylinders. Of course, that’s looking at the glass half empty when it’s actually full: the turbocharged V8 also gets some assistance from three electric motors and churns out a combined 907 horsepower.
Interestingly, it can become a After you model when driving with zero emissions based on the power provided by the small 3.8 kWh battery pack; Lamborghini promises the V8 will make V10 fans forget about their beloved naturally aspirated based on the 10,000+ rpm redline, and because the options listed on the online configurator are practically endless. However, I suspect Americans will be more enticed by GMC’s newest addition of the week: the refreshed Yukon lineup. Indeed, GMC has been doing a lot lately: It has put the all-new 2024 Acadia on sale, and the next-generation Terrain will hit dealerships later this fall. But fans will certainly be impressed by the 2025 Yukon arriving before the end of the year.
The company says it’s been (re)built to “reign” the body-on-frame full-size SUV market, but it has a lot to prove because Chevrolet has already refreshed its Tahoe and Suburban siblings, and Cadillac will soon kick off sales of the updated 2025 Escalade. Alas, GMC is banking on “significant technology upgrades, a bold exterior, and a thoughtfully revamped interior design.” The company has also combined the ruggedness of the AT4 trim level with the luxury of the Ultimate grade and launched the first-ever AT4 Ultimate, a nice way to celebrate the AT4 sub-brand’s fifth anniversary. Engines remain the same: the 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic, plus the optional 3.0-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel with 305 horsepower but a higher torque of 495 lb-ft.
The exterior is slightly refreshed over the current model, but GMC is dropping the bomb inside: The centerpiece of the cabin is now a 16.8-inch portrait-oriented GMC Premium Infotainment Center (plus an optional 8-inch touchscreen for rear climate control). There’s also a first-ever upgrade to 24-inch wheels plus a second row of Executive seats with captain’s chairs on the Denali Ultimate, a first for the GMC lineup. Or if you want the AT4 Ultimate, there are skid plates, 20-inch wheels with AT tires, four-corner Air Ride adaptive suspension, an Obsidian Rush interior with full-grain leather for all three rows plus Ash Burl wood accents, and new luxury accents across the board. Production will be handled by the Arlington Assembly Plant in Texas, with the first units arriving at dealerships before the end of the year, which is when pricing will most likely be revealed.
