Engineering excellence, brand-building and sales strategy must mesh seamlessly for the CT6 to succeed.

The new machine is powered by a 61-cubic-inch engine inside a frame that’s a little more stripped down and basic than the full-size Scout.

The vehicle returns from a year’s hiatus completely redesigned, and bigger.

The automaker and other, similar brands must find a way to meet emissions standards while still delivering the ultimate driving machine.

At $47,300, the Pilot adds ‘pricey’ to its list of features.

At $36,250, the XT kind of straddles that region between average transaction prices ($32,000 to $33,000) and near-luxury ($40,000 or so).

Consider the ‘sinewy, sleek slab of Teutonic muscle’ a convincing challenger to the Porsche 911 and other top sports cars.

The technology is life- changing, exciting and scary, like parenting.

With a crew cab, there’s plenty of room for four or five to stretch out and enjoy heated front seats and ear-thumping audio with satellite radio.

Everything about it feels big, but inside it’s as cozy as a Camry and comfortable as a Cadillac.