Matt DeLorenzo
74 ARTICLES
In 1989, I became editor of Autoweek and later transitioned to Detroit editor for Road & Track. I returned to California as Deputy Editor and then Editor-in-Chief. In 2013, I joined Kelley Blue Book as a senior editor before returning to the life as a freelancer in January 2022.
Over the years, I’ve written several books including Legendary American Cars, Corvette Dynasty, Modern Chrysler Concept Cars, and Dodge 100 Years as well as launch books for the New VW Beetle, Chrysler PT Cruiser, 2005 Ford Mustang, and Hummer H2.
My personal garage is rather modest, populated by a Hyundai Ioniq PHEV and Nissan LEAF. Even though I’ve seen many changes over the years, the industry now is more dynamic than ever, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Driven: 2023 Nissan Z – Redefining an Icon as an Instant Classic
6 Jan 2023, 14:23 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Few cars on the road today can be considered icons. Luckily for us and Nissan, the manufacturer has breathed considerable new life into one, bringing the legendary Z car back to its franchise in a way that not only pays considerable homage to the o...
If Your New Year's Resolution Is To Buy an EV, Here's What You Need To Know
29 Dec 2022, 14:40 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / So, you’ve decided to go electric and you’re looking to buy an EV. The New Year may be a good time to shop because several tax incentives kick in at the first of the year that may make your purchase more affordable than it would have be...
Holiday Sales Events Offer Shoppers a Mixed Bag
21 Dec 2022, 08:30 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Year-end sales events are traditionally one of the best times of the year to buy a new vehicle. Manufacturers and dealers are offering some of their best incentive packages as they look to close out the calendar year by clearing out stocks and pos...
Driven: 2022 Volkswagen Arteon – Last of a Breed
20 Dec 2022, 17:51 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Who would have thought that one of the last traditional full-size four-door sedans left on the market would be a Volkswagen? Having made its name on building fun-to-drive econoboxes, Volkswagen now has the 2022 Arteon, which is the opposite by boas...
Corvette Sedan and SUV: What Was Once Impossible Becomes Inevitable
4 Dec 2022, 10:47 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Recent rumors that General Motors is about to create a sub-brand around the Corvette nameplate that includes EVs, sedans and SUVs may have seemed farfetched as little as a few years ago. But given the rapid changes in the industry, such a move seem...
Driven: 2022 Volkswagen Golf R 2.0T – Fun Needlessly Complicated
20 Nov 2022, 09:42 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / If you wanted to characterize the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R as a Facebook relationship, you’d have to say it’s complicated. This spirited hot hatch is undeniably fun to drive, but unfortunately, VW’s heavy reliance on touch controls ...
2024 Kia Seltos Gets Bolder Look and More Power
18 Nov 2022, 08:23 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Small SUVs are a dime a dozen these days, so Kia has decided to up the appeal of its relatively new Seltos with a mid-cycle refresh. The 2024 Kia Seltos unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show boasts a bolder look, more power under the hood and a ne...
Official: Fiat 500e Set to Make U.S. Return in 2024
17 Nov 2022, 09:05 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Fiat will be bringing back its diminutive 500e battery electric hatchback in the first quarter of 2024, the brand announced at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. It previously sold the tiny electric from 2013 to 2019, primarily to generate mu...
Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept Points to an Expanded EV Range
18 Nov 2022, 08:16 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Toyota revealed the next installment in its electrification drive with a compact EV concept that will slot below the RAV4-sized bZ4X. Simply called the Toyota bZ, this stylish small SUV has more four-door coupe-like styling than the production bZ4X...
All-New 2023 Toyota Prius Comes to U.S. As Hybrid, PHEV Prime
17 Nov 2022, 06:07 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / While Toyota earlier revealed the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime as its only model available in Europe, the restyled U.S. variant is set to come to the U.S. market in both standard hybrid and plug-in Prime. Unveiled prior to the Los Angeles International ...
Driven: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ 4Matic – Executive Class Goes Electric
4 Nov 2022, 11:59 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Through its new Mercedes EQ range, the German luxury carmaker is expanding its lineup, adding a second electric sedan in the 2023 Mercedes EQE, a midsize offering equivalent to its gas-powered E-Class. The EQE is tasked with a tricky balancing act ...
Driven: 2023 Honda HR-V Grows Up
1 Nov 2022, 16:28 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / If you want to understand the concept of mission creep, all you need to do is look at the current crop of subcompact SUVs. In each succeeding generation, these vehicles get larger, and their sticker prices go up. It’s not necessarily a bad th...
Driven: 2023 Nissan Ariya Hits an EV Sweet Spot
28 Oct 2022, 16:08 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / It’s been more than a decade since Nissan has been selling a mainstream electric car, the Leaf and now a long-awaited and larger sibling is reaching the market in the form of the 2023 Nissan Ariya. The first impression is that this new model ...
Driven: 2022 Rivian R1S – New Kid on the Block
26 Oct 2022, 14:24 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / One of the benefits of the industry’s shift to electric vehicles is that it’s opened the door to new competition to the legacy makes. Hot on the heels of Tesla, Rivian is looking to gain a foothold in the market by concentrating on two ...
Driven: 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Hits Most of the Right Notes
26 Oct 2022, 14:54 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Cadillac is making a bold move to go all electric and the first vehicle in this effort is the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq. This midsize SUV has plenty of bells and whistles, but it faces stiff competition from other luxury makes who are also embracing an a...
Driven: 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid - A Slightly Bigger Deal Than Before
24 Oct 2022, 07:24 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / Compact SUVs, as a class, are continuing to evolve, growing slightly larger and embracing more rugged styling cues. The 2023 Honda CR-V is no different as this remade mainstay is larger, bolder and is slowly blurring the line between compact and mi...
Driven: 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe – Plugging into the Great Outdoors
20 Oct 2022, 12:43 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / When one thinks of a rugged, off-road-oriented SUV, the last thing that probably comes to mind is plug-in hybrid technology. But, given that these vehicles are as notorious for low fuel economy as they are appreciated for their beyond-the-pavement ...
GM Should Bring Back the Chevrolet Volt
13 Oct 2022, 10:06 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / As we continue to wait for the promised influx of affordable electric cars, perhaps it’s time General Motors resurrect a car from its recent past, the Chevrolet Volt, to offer buyers another option in electrified transportation. Despite th...
Driven: 2023 Genesis G90 3.5T e-Supercharger AWD – Old School No More
9 Oct 2022, 06:59 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / As the brand’s flagship, the Genesis G90 was kind of a throwback to old school full-size luxury sedans. Offered in both V6 and V8 trims, it promised a comfy ride, plenty of stretch-out rear seat space, yards of wood veneers and jeweled analog...
Driven: 2022 Land Rover Defender 90 V8 – When Excess is a Virtue, not a Vice
30 Sep 2022, 08:31 UTC · By: Matt DeLorenzo / There’s a certain cool factor of two-door SUVs that more than compensate for the lack of rear doors. Usually, these vehicles have a shorter wheelbase and a much sportier demeanor. Among the few examples are the two-door versions of the Jeep W...