Vehicle Specifications
Vehicle technology and specifications, decoded
Spec sheets and feature lists are full of terms that are easy to skim past. These explainers translate the most common ones.
Horsepower and torque
Horsepower describes how much work an engine or motor can do over time and relates to top end performance. Torque is twisting force and relates to how strongly a vehicle pulls from a stop or while towing.
Curb weight, payload, and towing
Curb weight is the vehicle with fluids but no passengers or cargo. Payload is how much people and cargo it can carry. Towing capacity is how much it can pull. Always check the specific configuration, since ratings change with options.
Infotainment and connectivity
Most new vehicles include a touchscreen with smartphone mirroring. Some offer built in navigation, over the air software updates, and app based remote features.
- Smartphone mirroring versus native systems
- Over the air updates can add or fix features
- Some connected features require a subscription
Electrified powertrain terms
Battery capacity is measured in kilowatt hours. Charging speed is measured in kilowatts. Level 1 and Level 2 describe home and public AC charging, while DC fast charging is much quicker.