This week our road tests feature two vehicles that have just been named finalists in the prestigious North American Utility of the Year competition for 2021. The Land Rover Defender is the latest version to bear the fabled Defender name, and it has all the off-road credentials its name suggests. Co-host Chris Teague had the chance to throw the newest Defender up against the challenging snow, ice, and muck that characterize a Maine winter.

In our second road test, host Jack Nerad, who also serves as vice president of the North American Car of the Year jury, put the new Genesis GV80 to an entirely different kind of test -- shuttling his entire family of five to a drive-through Christmas display at Dodgers Stadium just north of downtown Los Angeles. Of course, he and the GV80 had other adventures as well, and we'll tell you about the new SUV's many good points and the one area in which some might say it comes up short...or at the very least puzzling.

The 2021 Land Rover Defender can take on virtually any terrain, even a light spring shower.

In the news segment, the two hosts dissect the just-surfaced rumors that Apple is on the verge of introducing a revolutionary electric car. And they look at what Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson has to say about his company's next EV entry.

The pre-Christmas episode also features an interview with CarParts.com CEO Lev Peker, an award-winning business leader, who is in the process of turning his company around by providing consumers with quicker delivery and better service.  And as a public service to kids of all ages, we will interview OnStar's Laura Thornton, who will reveal a very special way to track the imminent arrival of Santa Claus as Little Saint Nick makes his annual journey around the world.

The 2021 Genesis GV80 is a genuine contender in the crowded midsize luxury SUV segment.