Four weeks after testing the 2018 Mustang GT, Ford sends me another edition of the iconic pony car – the 2019 Mustang Bullitt for the 50^th anniversary of the movie which brought fame and renown to the coupe.

The movie, “Bullitt,” starring Steve McQueen, opened in October 1968. It featured a car-chase scene through the streets of San Francisco of McQueen’s Mustang and a Dodge Charger, regarded as one of the most influential of moviedom.

The Mustang Bullitt is equipped with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine of 480 horsepower (20 more than the GT I drove last month) and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, 6-speed manual transmission with active rev-matching for meshing perfect downshifts: it will run 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds. The rear-drive Mustang is superb in handling, with magne-ride dampers and increased chassis stiffness for cornering capability, quick shifts and six-piston Brembo brakes, for which the calipers are painted red. It rides on Michelin 255/40ZR19 tires.

Steve McQueen was Lt. Frank Bullitt in the ’68 movie.

The chase scene begins when Bullitt, in his Ford Mustang, evades two hit-men riding behind him in their Dodge Charger. Bullitt appears behind their Charger, having turned the tables and is now following them. While waiting in traffic at an intersection, the Charger driver takes a moment to secure his seatbelt, and with a roar from the Charger’s 440 engine, he careens through the intersection, around a corner and away from the pursuing Bullitt. The Mustang gives chase through the hilly streets of San Francisco and the outlying highways. At one point, Bullitt spins out in avoiding a motorcyclist coming from the opposite direction and the hit-men might be in the clear, but moments later Bullitt reappears behind them. Bullitt tires to force the Charger off the road, with the vehicles banging door against door, but to no avail. The chase comes to a climactic end when Bullitt again tries to force the Charger off the road. The Charger driver loses control, crashes into a gas station, and the station explodes, taking the Charger and its occupants to a fiery end.

The Bullitt, like McQueen’s Mustang 50 years ago, is dark green in exterior finish, though the ’19 model can also be bought in black. Its sleek, fastback style is accented with 19-inch wheels, red brake calipers and Bullitt crosshairs logo on the back of the trunk.

Inside, the comfortable, well-contoured front seats are dark, stitched in light green, and a Bang & Olufsen sound system is pleasant. A standout feature is the white cue-ball shift knob.

The $51,465 sticker covers a Bullitt electronics interior package of premium audio, navigation, blind-spot monitoring and memory seats. Among safety items are glove-box-door integrated knee airbag and driver’s knee airbag, side-curtain bags and blind-spot with cross-traffic alert. The Mustang is built in Flat Rock, Mich.

EPA fuel-mileage estimate for the Bullitt is 15/25; my overall average was 17.2 mpg.

Drive modes run from normal to snow to sport to track to drag, with appropriately tuned exhaust rumbles for each of them.

It’s even got a “quiet” mode for those early morning starts when you don’t want to wake the neighbors.

The 2019 Kia Sorento, having undergone several major changes and an improved appearance, carried me on Wednesday, Aug. 22, to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park for a luncheon of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP).

All Sorentos for ’19 have been designed with three rows of seats for seven passengers, as Kia has done away with the two-row/five-passenger setup.

The model that came my way is the loaded-up SXL all-wheel-drive SUV, powered by a 3.3-liter, V-6 engine tied to a new 8-speed automatic transmission. The optional 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder of the past several years has been scrapped. Base power for Sorentos of lesser price is a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder with 6-speed automatic.

Also added for the new model year is an enhanced safety system – lane-keep assist, automatic braking with pedestrian detection.

With its standard three rows, the Sorento will compete with the Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander and Volkswagen Atlas.

With a bold grille, full LED headlights and Nappa leather inside, the Sorento looked good as I parked it high above the Stanley lot reserved for other new cars and trucks arriving at the hands of RMAP members. The variety of the others ranged from a Ford Mustang Bullitt to a Nissan Leaf to a Mercedes Sprinter van.

The Stanley stop was part of a two-day RMAP event, based at Woolley’s Classic Suites in Aurora. Among RMAP members participating was their new president, Craig Conover of Springville, Utah, who succeeded David Muramoto at the helm in early June.

I drove to Estes from Greeley for the lunch meeting. Distance from my home to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park is 47 miles; for the 94-mile roundtrip, the Sorento averaged 24.1 miles per gallon. Its EPA estimate is 19/24.

Tablemates with me at the lunch, hosted by Fiat Chrysler, were Jerohn Anderson, product communications specialist for Volkswagen of America; Russell Datz, national media relations manager for Volvo Cars USA, and John Rush and Richard Rush, RMAP members from Drive Radio.

Discussions among us included VW’s improved Jetta for 2019 and the company’s aggressiveness in the SUV/crossover categories; Volvo’s push toward electrification while continuing to prosper with some of the best-performing internal-combustion powers; and whether a move to autonomous vehicles could occur as quickly as a five-year cycle.

Ryan Nagode, a chief designer for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, headed a presentation of the 2019 Ram 1500 Longhorn Crew Cab pickup on the walkway outside the lunchroom before the group headed back toward Aurora.

He talked of lighter, stronger, high-strength steel frame, 395-horsepower 5.7 Hemi engine, 12-inch UConnect screen, reclining rear seats, deployable side steps, sticker price of $66,000.

I was out front when the truck was parked and a Stanley official insisted, since it was on the walkway, that a shallow pan be positioned beneath the truck’s engine compartment. Yes, during Nagode’s presentation, I thought of asking him if the drip pan came standard with the truck, but I’m too far along in years to add “smartass” to my resume, so I did not.

Regarding my drive with the Sorento’s V-6 and 8-speed automatic, strong and steady power was displayed on the drive to Estes, and it climbed through the two switchbacks on the Devil’s Gulch Road in lower gears of the manual-mode shifter. On the return drive, mostly on a descent, 3^rd and 4^th gear sets in the manual mode were engaged.

Though pricing for the cheapest Sorento LX all-wheel-drive model begins around $30,000, the impressive SXL I drove carried a sticker of $48,020. That included full-length side-curtain airbags, hill-start assist control, dual-zone automatic climate control, Harman Kardon premium audio with navigation, Android Auto, Apple Carplay, Bluetooth, heated and ventilated front seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, surround-view monitor, smart cruise and panoramic roof.

The Kia is backed with a 5-year, 60,000-mile basic warranty and 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

The Sorento’s overall length of 187.4 inches is a foot shorter than most of the competitive three-row makes, and it is costly in the fact the Kia’s cargo space behind the third row of seats is only 11.3 cubic feet. Fold the third row and that expands to 38 feet. The Sorento has a hands-free power liftgate which opens when it senses a smart key approaching.

The Sorento AWD weighs 4,343 pounds on a wheelbase of 109.4 inches, with 7.3 inches of ground clearance. Tow capacity is 5,000 pounds.

Drawing interest parked along the street outside my home during a summer week was a big, red Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Crew Van.

This is the high-roof model, competing with other commercial vans, such as Ram ProMaster, Ford Transit Connect, Chevy Express, GMC Savana, Nissan NV.

Oversize it is; yet, to drive the Mercedes Sprinter is to like it, with its 3.0-liter, turbodiesel V-6 engine, 5-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive capability. Horsepower is 188 and torque rating is 325 lb.-ft.

Behind the two front bucket seats are three crew seats, and a rear area wide open and tall enough in which to stand and walk around. Rear barn doors (split swingouts) open up for ease of access and large-load entry into the cargo area. Driving with an empty cargo area can be noisy and a bit rough in ride. It rolls on Continental LT 245/75R16 tires.

Open the sliding passenger-side cargo door of the van and a wide step board swings out from beneath for easy entry.

The Sprinter averaged 17.5 miles per gallon of diesel fuel in 90 miles.

From a base price of $41,495, the 2017 Mercedes Sprinter van with the turbodiesel and four-wheel drive carried a sticker price of $60,450 with these added options:

• 4X4 high range with low-range transfer case $7,495;
• safety package of blind-spot assist/collision-prevent assist/lane-keeping assist/heated and electrically adjustable mirrors/first-aid kit $2,680;
• navigation system/rearview camera/cruise control $1,530;
• headlamp cleaning system/bixenon headlamps/light alloy wheels $1,430;
• electric sliding step $979;
• flame red exterior finish $620;
• electrically heated windshield $440,
• and others.

A spirited performer it is, the 2019 Buick Envision, right out of a GM factory in China.

It’s mildly impressive, not only for its performance, but also its exterior style and interior comfort and quietness.

The Envision was designed originally for the Chinese market and went into production in the fall of 2014 at a plant in Yantail, southeast of Beijing. Buick is among auto sales leaders in China and the Envision was no exception. So, after its successful launch there, GM two years ago began importing the Envision over here, even against some grumbling from U.S. auto workers.

With its 108.3-inch wheelbase, the Envision fits right in between the small Encore (100-inch wheelbase) and large Enclave (121-inch), lending strong SUV presence in Buick showrooms.

The Envision Premium II all-wheel-drive model I tested carries a sticker price just a few bucks short of $50,000 and competes against other luxury compact/midsize SUVs – the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Mercedes GLC, Jaguar F-Pace and others.

For 2019, the Envision shows a flying-wing front grille, winged headlights and winged taillights. The review model was finished in chili red. Two three-porthole insets across from each other seem misplaced atop the hood, rather than along the sides.

Biggest news, though, in the Premium II AWD is the 9-speed automatic transmission which replaces a 6-speed, and a torque increase of 35 lb.-ft. in the 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Horsepower rating is 252, with torque of 295 lb.-ft. Base engine is a 197-hp, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder.

The new 9-speed adds smoothness and more immediate power; a switch on its shifter knob adds a bit of manual mode.

The Envision is a nimble handler, which accommodates very well the quickness of the turboed power. It rides on Hankook 235/50R19 tires. The better response is somewhat costly in the fuel department, as the Envision AWD averaged only 20.5 miles per gallon and is rated at 20/25 mpg. The naturally aspirated base engine with AWD carries a 21/27 rating.

The interior is brightened by a panoramic roof; leather-covered front-seat cushions, fairly flat with lightly bolstered seatbacks, are comfortable. In the roomy back seat, occupants are in control of their own air/heat settings.

Cargo space, accessed by use of a power liftgate, is 26.9 cubic feet; fold the second-row of seats and the storage space expands to 57 feet. The rear seatbacks can be flattened by pulling handles placed along sides of the far-back cargo area.

Other highlights are an 8-inch color infotainment screen with navigation and Bose premium audio, a head-up display for the driver, heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats.

The Premium II AWD model is Envision’s best-equipped and most expensive; cheaper versions are the Premium, Essence, Preferred and Envision base. The base model is front-wheel-drive only.

Base price of the Premium II is $44,595. The addition of forward automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, surround vision, 19-inch aluminum wheels and the moonroof raised sticker total to $49,925.

Of concern to Buick officials regarding the Envision is the 25 percent tariff enstated on Chinese imports by the Trump administration. GM has asked for an exemption for the Envision from the tariff. If the full tariff was applied to the cost of the vehicle, it could raise the price $8,000 to $10,000, and it could result in GM pulling the Envision from the U.S. market.

A floating roof design, with which another Japanese maker found success two or three years ago, and wraparound rear window are most visible of the extensive makeover for the 2019 Acura RDX.

A new 10-speed automatic transmission and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive are well-suited to the RDX’s 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (272-horsepower).

Highlighting the interior is a touchpad interface of high-tech connections, complemented rather comfortably with an A-Spec option of cooled/heated perforated red leather seats with perforated black suede inserts.

Based on a new platform all its own (different from stablemate Honda CR-V), the RDX is ready to challenge the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC for top rank in the impressive luxury compact SUV field. Among others are the BMW X3, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Porsche Macan, Volvo XC60 and Jaguar f-Pace.

Built in a Honda/Acura assembly plant in East Liberty, Ohio, the new RDX’s wheelbase has been stretched almost 3 inches, and its overall length is 186.9 inches. It is equipped once again with the SH-AWD system, which can send up to 70 percent of its torque to the rear wheels, applying majority of the force to either wheel. The torque-vectoring system has been dropped in the previous generation RDX.

Tied to the 10-speed automatic is an electronic push-button shifter. Engaging Sport mode and using the paddle-shifters enhances performance. I failed to attain much in the way of fuel mileage, averaging 21.4 overall. The RDX’s EPA estimate is 21/26 mpg. It rides on Goodyear Eagle 235/45R20 tires.

Speedometer numbers, small and finished in red, are difficult to see precisely in the daylight; lighted at night they’re fine.

Cargo space behind the second row of seats in the Acura is 29.5 cubic feet, almost 3 feet roomier than that of the Audi Q5.

In addition to the new Acura’s floating-roof, a look which was launched by Nissan with its 2016 Maxima, the A-Spec package added black chrome to its diamond pentagon grille, contrasting the jewel-eye headlights.

Raising sticker price of the RDX SH-AWD A-Spec model to $45,900 are AcuraWatch safety features, including collision mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure and road-departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

The RDX is also equipped with navigation and voice recognition, premium audio with 16 speakers, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay integration, panoramic moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, power tailgate, front and rear parking sensors.

Acura is the luxury division for Honda of Japan. It began selling cars in the U.S. in the spring of 1986; first Acura models were the Integra and Legend.