Pro Trailer Hitch Assist

Evan is an East Coast based automotive journalist and a Certified Engineering Technologist. He is an avid autocrosser, hack mechanic, and a member of AJAC. If you don't find him driving or writing about cars, you'll probably find him in the garage breaking one.

AI Hitch Assist

Ford's new Pro Trailer Hitch Assist function uses AI and machine learning to help back the truck to the trailer for you. The system is offered on all F-Series trucks including the Super Duty pickups and Lightning EV. It uses the truck's rear sensors and cameras to "see" where your trailer hitch ball and connector are. Then the AI backs up the truck, controlling speed and steering, to stop you in just the perfect place. We know that you don't need it, but it's nice to know it's there. Just in case.

Atlas Peak

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175621" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-9-7.jpg" alt="VW Atlas Peak" width="2500" height="1666" />

This is peak Volkswagen Atlas. Sorry, no, that's the Volkswagen Atlas Peak. VW's new rugged trimline is one of the latest to climb on the latest trend bandwagon. The Atlas' rugged edition joins the rest of the refreshed for 2024 Atlas lineup. It will get a dark lower fascia and a black-out grill to help make it look tough. Plus the 18-inch alloys wear all-terrain tires, and the plastic side sills are larger. Of course, the wheel arch trim is also blacked out. Inside, Atlas Peak has black faux leather with orange stitching. You know, outdoorsy stuff. The VW Atlas Peak arrives this summer.

AT4X getting diesel option

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175620" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-9-6.jpg" alt="2022 GMC Sierra AT4X Diesel" width="2500" height="1666" />

GMC is adding the Duramax diesel engine to the 2024 Sierra AT4X trim. That's the Sierra with a lifted suspension and Multimatic DSSC dampers, making it the one that can go almost anywhere. The updated 3.0L Duramax diesel inline-six makes 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque and it will come with a 10-speed automatic transmission. GMC says around 1 in 5 Sierra 1500s come with the diesel and it expects this to help boost that figure. Other 2024 Sierra changes include power-retracting steps on top trims and an available active exhaust.

Wrangler refresh

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175618" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-9-4.jpg" alt="New Jeep Wrangler" width="2500" height="1666" />

Jeep is giving the Wrangler two of its biggest updates ever for 2024. Top trims including High Altitude and the new Rubicon X get power seats! Plus the Rubicon trim gets a full-float Dana rear axle that boosts both towing and off-road capability. The power seats are a first for Wrangler, and they are designed and tested to be just fine with water fording. The new rear axle is a Dana 44 HD that uses bearings to suspend the axle shafts instead of putting the load on them. All rear tire loads and Jeep weight go on the axle tube instead, so it is stronger. The change boosts towing capacity up to 5,000 lbs. It also means the Wrangler can fit taller tires. The upgrade is one customers were often doing themselves after purchase. Also for 2024, the Wrangler gets a tweaked new grille and a new entry-level 4xe PHEV model trim.

Tacoma teasers

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175615" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-9-1.jpg" alt="Toyota Tacoma Hybrid" width="1200" height="840" />

Toyota teased the new Tacoma once again. This time the last remaining full-line auto brand showed off the tailgate of the next Tacoma in TRD Pro guise. What's extra new? It is wearing an iForce Max tailgate badge. That's what Toyota is calling the more powerful versions of its hybrid models, telling us very clearly that the next Taco will be a hybrid. We're expecting to see the whole truck next month, and it's a big deal.

Mercedes updates full-size GLS-Class

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-175616 size-full" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-9-2.jpg" alt="2023 Mercedes GLS" width="2500" height="1665" />

Mercedes-Benz is freshening the GLS-Class for 2024. Benz, AMG, and Maybach models all get the same basic changes that include a light facelift and the latest version of the company's MBUX infotainment software. The cosmetic changes are most noticeable on the Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 and 580, where the grille gets four very prominent horizontal bars. Maybach 600 models have vertical bars but fewer than last year. MBUX gets updated voice commands with some no longer needing a "Hey Mercedes" cue. The GLS gets a new steering wheel, too, with new gadgets and controls, bringing it inline with the other latest Mercs.

News Roundup: Tacoma Hybrid, Diesel AT4X, New Wrangler, More

23VW01_Atlas_Exterior_1205

Living in rural Nova Scotia, Matthew Guy has immersed himself in car culture for over 30 years and relishes the thought of a good road trip. A certified gearhead, he enjoys professionally writing about cars and is very pleased to contribute for wheels.ca.

His work has also appeared on Car Throttle, The Truth About Cars, and in CAA Magazine. Find him on Twitter @matthewkguy

A majorly refreshed version of VW's largest SUVs will grace showrooms in the 2024 model year. On tap for the Volkswagen Atlas and <a href="https://www.wheels.ca/reviews/2023-volkswagen-atlas-cross-sport-review">Atlas Cross Sport</a> are significant upgrades to their interiors, massaged fascias, and – most notably – a snazzy new powertrain.

We’ll start with the latter. Gone are the old four-banger and V6 options, replaced by a 2.0L turbocharged mill across the board. This direct injection mill makes 269 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive. This is slightly off the outgoing V6’s 276 ponies but a tad better than that engine in terms of torque. Being turbocharged, maximum grunt will probably appear lower down the rev range – great for towing. Speaking of, these 2024 models will be able to haul 5,000 pounds, just like their predecessors.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174613" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23VW01_Atlas_Running_0636-scaled.jpg" alt="Volkswagen Atlas" width="2560" height="1707" />

A new front design for 2024 will be easy to spy in traffic, and there will be more points of diversity between Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport for those who use these two in a game of spot-the-difference. LED headlamps bookend a four-bar grille in both cars, but Cross Sport features extra gloss-black details and an ‘X’ design element stretching across its lower fascia. On all but base trims, daytime running lamps wrap around the headlights and continue into an illuminated lightbar which sits atop an illuminated VW logo.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-174616" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23VW01_Atlas_Interior_0003-scaled.jpg" alt="Volkswagen Atlas" width="2560" height="1709" />

Open the doors and you’ll find a revamped interior for ’24 with more soft-touch materials than last year and trim which flows nicely from door to dash. An available 12-inch infotainment display is a cabin focal point in the redesigned cockpit, while every trim level gets the trick 10.25-inch gauge cluster the brand likes to call Digital Cockpit Pro. There will be up to 8 USB ports (thank you, VW) and all manner of wireless connectivity. Techies are going to enjoy the now-standard IQ.DRIVE, a driver assistance technology featuring hands-on driver aids like lane centring and alerts

For readers caught napping, the Atlas is VW’s largest SUV, offering three rows of seats and a bluff-like face which competes well with stern offerings from other brands. Meanwhile, the Cross Sport is a two-row affair with a more aggressively sloped rear window that also changes the shape of its cargo area compared to its upright brother. In other words, it’s built for customers who want an SUV with more sport and less utility.

Further details, such as specifications and pricing will be announced ahead of the launch in early Q3 this year.

Tags

News Roundup: Tacoma Hybrid, Diesel AT4X, New Wrangler, More

Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport heavily refreshed for 2024