Test Ride: Ducati’s DesertX Adventure Motorbike

Fun to ride on the road and on dirt, this bike features clever tech upgrades

Adventure bikes (also known as ADV bikes) are increasingly popular in the US for a few reasons. They’re rideable on pavement or off-road, the riding position is relatively upright, the bars are at an all-day-comfortable-for-your-arms angle, there’s a smallish windscreen that offers just enough protection, and the tank is cut like a motocross machine to give your knees purchase against it (so a thigh squeeze …

Test Drive: Mercedes-Benz G550 is an Uncompromised Reinvention of a Cult Classic

Putting the all-new G-Wagen through the paces in the SoCal desert

“Make sure all of your change is out of your pocket because it will be, eventually,” Matt Bowerman, product manager for Mercedes-Benz’s classic off-roader, the G-Class, says right before we pile in to drive three hours from San Diego to Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area in Borrego Springs, California. “It’s like a flying brick,” he adds regarding the vehicle’s boxy form and incredible performance. …

Test Drive: 2018 Maserati Levante

We put the luxury SUV to the test in the desert of the UAE

Until a couple of years ago, crossing the Sharjah desert in a Maserati would have been impossible. But in the Italian sportscar maker’s new sport utility vehicle, it’s both possible and pleasing. Maserati’s first-ever SUV, the Levante, went on sale in 2016 and quickly rose to the top of the brand’s stable, outperforming the Quattroporte and Ghibli in annual sales. Yet Maserati continues to tweak …