This Week in Review: The fourth week of August brought us a ton of 2025 model year news, some big, some small, some in between, and some less important than others. So let’s begin our journey through the news.
Although we were here after the most important week of the summer car season – Monterey Car Week 2024 – the US auto market was strangely neither dead nor recovering. For example, one of the most prolific automakers – at least when it came to updates for the 2025 model year – was Nissan. The Japanese automaker made the midsize Altima competitor Camry a bit more expensive (of course), dropped the turbo engine, and also introduced a new special edition to the family.
That was just the beginning. The compact crossover Rogue Off-road vehicle Nissan’s Sentra line is consistently among the top 10 best-selling brands in America, and the updates for the 2025 model year came at a price ($29,230 in the base configuration) plus the MSRP for the adventurous Rock Creek trim level, which starts at $35,420. Because automakers love fat profits, the Sentra lineup carried over into the 2025 model year with no updates and the same powertrain – but Nissan made it more expensive anyway, because it can!
Rivian has started shipping the Gen 2 Dual Large+ R1 cars, which have a Max battery but with a software cap, and we have all the info you could need on them. Speaking of updates for the 2025 model year, McLaren has announced the range of accessories for the 750S, and there are new MSO Contrast Packs if you can afford them. Of course you can; if you’re looking at a McLaren, gosh, don’t turn your pockets inside out, because we know the money is in offshore accounts.
All jokes aside, the Lexus RX — considered by many experts to be the world’s first luxury crossover SUV — has entered the 2025 model year without much change, but at least the Japanese automaker has added some additional options in terms of trim levels and exterior paint colors, as well as a stylish Black Line special edition. Let’s talk about electric vehicles for a minute too, okay? We heard this week that Tesla has removed the no-resale clause from Cybertruck contracts, just in time for its recent price hikes. Also, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz is finally available starting at around $60,000, and Ford Motor Company is scaling back its zero-emissions vehicle plans. It won’t propose an Explorer-sized three-row electric SUV because it wants to focus on hybrids now.
Further, Ram Trucks has introduced Lunar Special Editions for the 2500 Power Wagon and Rebel Heavy Duty with exclusive features, Chevrolet has reshuffled the 2025 Traverse lineup by dropping the base LS trim and adding the new High Country trim, and Hyundai had a chance to try and catch up to the Ford Maverick compact monocoque pickup truck with its refreshed 2025 Santa Cruz – and failed. That’s because the base version of the truck is more expensive than before and, more importantly, more expensive than the facelifted 2025 Maverick.
After all that is said and done, it’s time for the main dishes of the week. That would be the brand new Lamborghini Temerario 2025 PHEV Supercars and the mighty, refreshed 2025 GMC Yukon range. The reason I’m bringing the Temerario back into the discussion despite it being unveiled during the Monterey events is simple – we have confirmation of US pricing and the new entry-level supercar is more than $100,000 more expensive than the Huracan’s predecessor. Some will say that’s not a good deal because we’re going down from ten cylinders to eight. Of course, that’s a glass half empty when it’s actually full – the turbocharged V8 is also assisted by three electric motors, putting a combined 907 horsepower on the road.
Curiously, it can lead to a Front-wheel drive Model when driving with zero emissions based on the performance of the tiny 3.8 kWh Battery pack; Lamborghini promises the V8 will make V10 fans forget about their naturally aspirated favorite, as it revs at over 10,000 rpm and the options listed in the online configurator are basically endless. However, I suspect Americans will be more attracted to GMC’s new release of the week – the refreshed Yukon range. In fact, GMC has been doing a lot of things recently – it has the all-new 2024 Acadia on offer and the next-generation Terrain is hitting dealerships later this fall. But fans will surely be impressed by the 2025 Yukon, which will launch before the end of the year.
The company says it was (re)made to “dominate” the market for SUVs with body frames based on a big truck – but it will still have a lot to prove, as Chevrolet has already refreshed the Tahoe and Suburban siblings and Cadillac will soon start sales of the updated 2025 Escalade. Alas, GMC is banking on “major technology upgrades, a bold exterior and a thoughtfully refreshed interior design.” In addition, the company has combined the ruggedness of the AT4 trim level with the luxury of the Ultimate trim and released the first-ever AT4 Ultimate – a good way to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the AT4 sub-brand. The engines are still the same – the 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 650 Nm of torque, mated to the ten-speed automatic, plus the upgraded 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel option with 305 hp but a higher 660 Nm of torque.
The exterior has been slightly refreshed compared to the current model, but inside, GMC drops the bombshell—the centerpiece of the cockpit is now a vertical 16.8-inch premium GMC infotainment center (plus an optional 8-inch touchscreen for rear climate control). There are also 24-inch wheels for the first time, plus a second row of executive seats and captain’s chairs in 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, adaptive air suspension at four corners, Obsidian Rush interior with full-grain leather for all three rows, plus ash wood accents and fresh luxury touches across the board. Production will be handled by the Arlington Assembly plant in Texas, with the first units arriving at dealers before the end of the year—and that’s when pricing will most likely be announced, too.
