“The historian,” wrote Frederich Von Schlegel, “is a prophet looking backwards.” We certainly made more than our share of predictions in the ’90s; we were right about some, wrong about others, and downright embarrassed by a few. Here are a half-dozen of our 1990s projections and their eventual outcomes.
1990: Volkswagen Should Bring Back the Beetle
In his June 1990 column, MotorTrend editor Jack Nerad recounted a chat with a Volkswagen PR rep who fretted about the company’s sinking market share. Nerad’s suggestion: Bring back the Beetle. “Volkswagen has lost its reputation for low-cost, reliable ‘transportation’ cars to the Japanese and Koreans,” he wrote. The PR man scoffed—surely Nerad didn’t mean the Beetle? “I wasn’t proposing the reintroduction of a several-decades-old model,” Nerad said. “I was suggesting fresh, modern mechanicals under a Beetle skin. They didn’t think much of this idea, either.”
Outcome: We Were Right
Perhaps Volkswagen didn’t completely ignore our man Nerad: Three and a half years later VW showed the Concept 1, a Beetle shape on modern Golf mechanicals. The public response was so overwhelmingly positive that VW set about putting it into production, and the resulting New Beetle ballooned the automaker’s sales by nearly 60 percent in 1997 and another 44 percent in 1999. If VW had listened to us in 1990, it could have had a much better decade.
1990: Dodge Will Get Its Own Version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee
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MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH
THEREâS NO REST FOR SUV MAKERS IN THE INTENSE QUEST TO BE THE BEST
THE CHEVROLET BLAZER EV IS THE 2024 SUV OF THE YEAR
Once again, the bow-tie brand shows leadership in the electric vehicle space
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WE DID IT AGAIN: RUNNING OUR VW ID4 EV OUT OF ELECTRICITY, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
THEY LISTENED
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2023 Lexus RZ
Lexus says it will make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, and the new RZÂ 450e is the brandâs first dedicated EV. This midsize crossover indicates Lexusâ future lineup will have luxurious appeal, but we find this first effort lacking in crucial areas.
2024 Land Rover Defender
The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130âs wheelbase remains unchanged.)
2024 Kia Seltos
If youâve been a fan of Kiaâs recent styling direction but donât want to pay top dollar for it, the 2024 Kia Seltos is a great way to get a rolling piece of that design aesthetic at a reasonable price.
2023 Jeep Compass
When asked to identify an off-road vehicle, the average person will point to just about any Jeep.
2024 Hyundai Kona
The Kona enters its second generation for 2024 with a new design language. Itâs larger than the outgoing Kona, too, and its uncommonly ornate (for this class) and unmistakable design is something weâre already seeing in other upcoming Hyundai products. Having really liked the previous Kona, would our judges warm to this one?
2023 Ford Escape
The Escape is one of those SUVs that hasnât ranked at the top of its class for a long time, but every time we drive one, weâre pleasantly surprised. Although it perpetually feels a little outdated, thereâs some inherent goodness baked into the Escape.