New Cars - Hyundai Elantra

 

Hyundai Reviews -  One of the likely consequences of the federal government's push for more stringent fuel economy standards is that more people will be driving smaller cars in the future. Not too long ago, with the exception of a few distinguished compact cars, that didn't look like a very appealing reality.

That's changed with the debut of efficient models like the Chevrolet Cruze, the upcoming 2012 Ford Focus and now the redesigned Hyundai Elantra. The Elantra has all the makings of a sales success: stop-and-stare styling, a fuel-sipping four-cylinder engine and an optimal blend of ride comfort and handling poise — all at a competitive price.

In short, the Elantra is a home run in the compact segment, allowing more drivers to happily enter a fuel-efficient future.

The 2011 Elantra sedan is available at Hyundai dealerships now and is offered in two trim levels: base GLS and upscale Limited. I tested automatic-transmission versions of both trims; click here for a side-by-side comparison of the two models.

Styling

The redesigned Elantra makes a good case for being the most stylish new compact sedan on the market. The car's designer, Cedric D'Andre, said one of the goals of the design was to create a car that was at least as sporty-looking as the Honda Civic, which still has a modern look even though it hasn't been fully redesigned since the 2006 model year. Hyundai has definitely met its goal, as the Elantra's styling is as dynamic as it gets in this class.

Like the Civic, the Elantra's front roof pillars have been stretched toward the front fenders, resulting in a windshield with greater rake. This gives the car a streamlined appearance, but the left pillar blocks your view a little when navigating winding roads. The car has the look of a coupe as the rear window stretches nearly to the tail, resulting in a short trunklid.

Besides the appealing proportions, there's also a bit of visual flair almost everywhere you look. Pronounced hood and door creases, arching fender flares and a trunklid lip spoiler all contribute to a level of sophistication that's been mostly absent in compact-car designs, until recently. I'd been wondering what car was going to challenge the new Focus from a styling standpoint, and with the new Elantra that question has been answered — and then some.

Efficiency & Drivability

Automakers have been racing to produce small cars that get great gas mileage using conventional engines, and Hyundai has succeeded on that front with the 2011 Elantra, which is powered by a new 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder that gets an EPA-estimated 29/40 mpg city/highway with either the manual or automatic transmission. And Hyundai didn't sacrifice drivability to achieve those thrifty mileage figures.

There's no denying the Elantra is a modestly powered car, but so are most of its competitors, including the Civic, Cruze and Toyota Corolla. There are times when you need to use a heavy foot to pick up the pace — like when merging on the highway — but the Elantra gets around well at city speeds and on rural roads. Even when revved high, the engine sounds refined, with no buzzing from the engine bay.

As gas mileage promises to be a big selling point for the Elantra, I wanted to get a sense of its real-world efficiency. In one leg of driving that totaled slightly more than 100 miles, my driving partner and I averaged 38 mpg, according to the Elantra's trip computer. The route consisted of mostly traffic-free rural roads and urban freeways, with some city driving mixed in. The terrain was hilly, the air conditioning was running and neither of us altered our driving style to get better mileage. We were, in fact, hustling the car pretty aggressively.

Contributing to the Elantra's thrifty fuel use and good drivability is its optional six-speed automatic, which is a new Hyundai-developed transmission. The automatic's shifts are refined — even under hard acceleration — and quick. The transmission also doesn't race to get to its highest gear — a fuel-saving tactic some cars use — which improves responsiveness. The automatic listens attentively to your right foot; jab the gas pedal when cruising, and it readily kicks down a gear. The transmission's clutchless-manual mode is also quick to respond to driver-initiated gear changes, with none of the delay that plagues many of these systems and makes them unrewarding to use.

Ride & Handling

Before driving the Elantra, I had my reservations about its driving dynamics. Some of Hyundai's other small models, like the Tucson crossover, don't offer the best driving experience, and I wondered if Hyundai had figured things out with this car. After spending a day driving it in and around San Diego, it's clear the automaker has. The Elantra's combination of ride comfort and handling should please both everyday commuters and those who like to tackle a winding road now and then.

I consider myself in the latter category, and Hyundai's drive route — which took us close enough to Mexico that we could see the border fence just a few hundred yards from the road — provided miles of serpentine asphalt.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Elantra is how willingly it tackles curving roads. The car resists body roll, even when pushed hard into a corner, and lifting on the gas slightly had the effect of helping bring the tail through the corner more quickly, enhancing the car's already nimble feeling. The Elantra's suspension tuning makes it a sporty choice in the style of the Mazda3, which ranks as one of the more engaging mainstream compact cars available in the U.S.

I also got a feel for the car in more mundane driving, like highway cruising. Here, ride quality isn't as sensitive to rough pavement as it is in a Civic nor as isolating as in a Corolla, but it skews more toward the Civic. The ride is taut, but not overly so. Suspension rebound over dips and bumps is controlled, and there's a solidity to the design that's been missing in some other Hyundais, which have noisy suspensions. It's also quiet enough in the cabin at highway speeds to hold a conversation without having to raise your voice.

The Elantra has electric power steering, and it doesn't take much effort to turn the wheel. The car has very good straight-line tracking. The only time the steering seems to get a little flustered is in sections of continuous switchbacks where you need to turn the wheel back and forth again and again; there, the wheel feels numb.

A Cabin That Matches the Exterior's Promise

The Elantra's exterior sets high design expectations, but the cabin gets a fair dose of style itself. It's stylish in numerous ways, from the simple yet elegant ventilation system knobs to the slender control panel in the middle of the dashboard. The cabin is unequivocally modern — but not at the expense of occupant comfort.

For a small car, the front of the Elantra's cabin feels spacious, easily accommodating my 6-foot-1 frame. The standard height-adjustable driver's seat is a nice feature, and the seat went far enough back for me to sit comfortably. However, the steering wheel's optional telescoping feature doesn't extend far enough for taller people.

Besides giving the cabin a unique look, the slender center panel opens up more room for your knees than many conventional designs offer. You don't feel cramped in this car, and headroom is still pretty good in models with a moonroof — a feature that tends to rob space.

There was a time when roughly finished cabins were more common in this class, but refined interiors are becoming the norm, and the Elantra's compares well with the best of them. It features mostly high-grade materials — some of which have interesting patterns — and good fit and finish. Hyundai even went so far as to give the Elantra's fiberboard headliner and sun visors an upscale, woven-fabric pattern.

A few minor shortcomings did crop up. Faux-metal trim is prominent on the dashboard and doors, and while the shapes of the pieces are interesting, their appearance isn't that compelling. It also doesn't feel that great when you have to grab hold of it to close the front door. The flat-black plastic surrounding the audio system looks a little low-rent, the center dash vents can't be individually closed, and though Hyundai made the dashboard soft-touch, it neglected to do the same for the doorsill trim.

There's no question I was pushing the limits of space in the backseat; when I sat down, my head touched the rear window (the Elantra's 37.1 inches of rear headroom is similar to what the Civic, Corolla and Cruze offer). The Corolla and Cruze do have a few inches more rear legroom than the Hyundai, which has 33.1 inches, but I nonetheless had enough legroom in the Elantra — even with the front seat adjusted for me. The Limited trim has heated rear seats — an uncommon feature in this class.

Safety

Standard safety features include all-disc antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags and an electronic stability system. The stability system is part of the car's standard Vehicle Stability Management technology, which also uses the electric power steering to help keep the car on its intended course.

Elantra in the Market

The recently redesigned Sonata family sedan has been a breakout success for Hyundai. It gave families a stylish, fuel-efficient, value-packed alternative to the traditional heavyweights in its segment, and consumers have taken note.

The smaller Elantra follows much the same formula. It's affordably priced, has loads of style and sips gas. Plus, it adds a dash of driving fun, giving small-car shoppers plenty of reasons to choose it over one of the sales leaders. Like the Sonata, the Elantra is a car that will make people sit up and take notice — and competing automakers should, too.

Source : Cars.com

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Toyota RAV4 Reviews - Cars Reviews

The Toyota RAV4 is a solid performer that you almost don't notice until you stop to think about it. Like that quiet person at your office who doesn't wear loud shirts, engage in office gossip or drink on the job it's easy to dismiss the RAV4 as boring — but to do so is to overlook its strengths.

The 2011 Toyota RAV4 Sport provides good mileage, comfort and utility, but its interior and multimedia systems are a letdown.

As a package, it's better at getting you from Point A to Point B than it is at wowing you with its style.

Interior

The biggest issue with the interior is that it looks and feels like it hasn't been updated in about 10 years. It's worth mentioning for two reasons: One, you'll likely spend more time looking at the interior than anything else, and two, if you're cross-shopping the RAV4 with other compact SUVs, most competitors' interiors are newer (or at least look newer).

It's not that the interior is a bad design, the problem is just its age. The big standouts are the three dials that control the climate system, which are easy to understand but look outdated — not to mention they feel really cheap when you turn them. That same sense carries over to the navigation system buttons, the steering-wheel audio controls and so on. Other competitors do a much better job at this sort of thing. (To get a sense of how the RAV4 stacks up against its competitors, check out the results of our $29,000 SUV Shootout.)

Toyota's optional navigation system is not as good as the best systems out there. It's slower to react than any system I've used. If I drove past the exit I was directed to take, it took a long time for the system to realize I wasn't where it thought I should be. Also, at one point the system told me to get off Interstate 94 … then get back onto Interstate 94. At no point did it indicate it had recalculated my route for any reason; it just seemed to hiccup. Combined with the slowness, that means it's just too easy to go astray with this system.

On top of that, the navigation touch-screen didn't respond well to my touch; I had to almost smash the screen to get the system to acknowledge me. That's one of those things that makes you wonder at times if the system is working or, more to the point, if it's worth the money you shelled out for it.

Finally, I can say without hesitation that the RAV4 has the worst-sounding audio system of any car I've tested. There was no amount of fiddling I could do to make it sound anything like it should have. Our test model also didn't have a USB input for MP3 players — another feature that's becoming common among competitors.

Those shortcomings are a real shame, because they drag down an interior that's ergonomically very good. Everything is laid out logically, the controls are where you expect them to be and — most important — they actually work the way you expect them to work. That's great for cutting down on distractions.

Attributes for the Long Haul

It's that lack of distraction that helps make the RAV4 such a solid performer on long trips. Case in point: After finishing a triathlon and settling in for what I expected to be an hour-long stint of driving, I stopped for the first time three hours later, and only then because I needed to get gas. The RAV4 is just that comfortable.

A big part of that is the RAV4's ride. It does a nice job of absorbing bumps and potholes, without making a ton of noise while doing so. Despite the degree of isolation from the road that creates, you're not left with a floating sensation; you feel connected to the road, and that helps you feel secure when, say, accelerating on a highway on-ramp. Some competing crossovers have a much firmer ride, transmitting every road imperfection into the cabin with a jolt and a bang. (One caveat: I tested a RAV4 Sport. Other Cars.com editors have tested different versions of the SUV and say the Sport rides better than other trims, so pay attention to which model you take on your test drive.)

Visibility is excellent in the RAV4, and that's another area where it has an edge over the competition. More cars are switching to a laid-back windshield, so the pillars that support the glass originate farther forward from the hood, limiting visibility. The RAV4 has thin pillars that stand more upright, so it's easy to see what's going on around you. The same thing holds true for side and rear visibility.

When you combine the RAV4's comfort and visibility with things like climate controls that don't make you think about how to make the cabin colder or warmer, you have a car that's not tiring to drive.

Utility

The RAV4 also shines for its utility. The cargo area is large, and when you fold the 60/40-split backseat forward you create a huge area that can easily carry a bike. It's large enough back there that unless you're getting really wild and buying huge sheets of plywood, the RAV4 can fit just about anything.

The RAV4 is also the rare compact SUV that can be had with three rows of seats, holding up to seven people. The version I tested didn't have a third row, so I can't speak to its size or comfort, but the available seat is a 50/50-split one that folds flat into the floor.

The only flaws I found on the utility side were with the rear swing-out gate and the optional backup camera. The problem with the swing-out gate is simply a matter of practicality: A liftgate is simpler to use and allows for more options when parking and loading. A swing gate is especially hard to live with if you're trying to load a bike when you're tired and there's a strong cross-wind blowing the door shut. Just, you know, to pick a random example.

The rearview camera is close to being perfect, but falls just short. It's one of those models that shows its display in the rearview mirror, so it's easy to glance up and see what the camera sees (as opposed to looking down to the navigation screen). I like that setup, and the RAV4 camera's readout showed a good, widescreen view of what was behind me. The problem was that no matter the lighting conditions — cloudy, sunny, dusk or dark — the camera didn't provide a clear enough view; it always looked washed out. Great idea, but the execution isn't what it should be.

Driving

"Competent" is a good way to describe the RAV4's driving performance. The car I tested had a 179-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a four-speed automatic transmission. The combination was great for driving on the highway. When I needed to pass, the engine kicked down quickly and off I went. There was no lag, and I didn't notice it hunting around for gears, as transmissions with more gears sometimes do. It's no rocket ship, but it was fine for me. (If the 2.5-liter four-cylinder seems inadequate to you, the RAV4 can also be had with a 269-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 that uses a five-speed transmission.)

Around town, I found the accelerator to be just a touch too sensitive. It took me longer to master smooth, non-jerky getaways in the RAV4 than it does in most cars. It also made the RAV4 feel slightly underpowered: I'd get a great jolt of power off the line, but then it felt like I was getting almost nothing from the engine further down the road.

Steering and braking in the RAV4 are competitive for this segment. The steering requires less effort than other competitors, but it's direct. The brakes also require less effort than others, to the point that the pedal felt a bit too soft on occasion. It wasn't worrisome, but it's something to pay attention to on a test drive.

Mileage

The RAV4 Sport two-wheel-drive model I tested is estimated to get 22/28 mpg city/highway. I  averaged 30.8 mpg on a 390-mile road trip that involved mostly low-traffic highway driving.

The RAV4 can be had with a variety of engines, two- or four-wheel drive, and a four- or five-speed transmission. Here's a breakdown of the mileage estimates:

Engine/Transmission	Drive	Mileage (city/highway)
2.5-liter 4-cylinder/4-speed	2WD	22/28
2.5-liter 4-cylinder/4-speed	4WD	21/27
3.5-liter V-6/5-speed	2WD	19/27
3.5-liter V-6/5-speed	4WD	19/26

Safety, Reliability & Changes

The RAV4 scored the highest rating, Good, in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's frontal-offset, side-impact and rear crash tests. It scored the next highest rating, Acceptable, in IIHS' roof-strength test.

The RAV4 is predicted to have much better than average reliability. The RAV4 also hasn't changed much since the previous model year, but you can compare the 2011 with the 2010 model here.

RAV4 in the Market

The RAV4's strengths are its fuel economy, comfort and utility. It falls short with its aged interior, including clunky navigation and audio systems. It was easier to overlook those issues in the past, when there weren't many competitors in the compact SUV segment. Now there are plenty — most with newer designs that are, frankly, prettier to sit in and look at.

But you'll ignore the RAV4 at your peril. It really says something that after a two-day, six-hour trip on which I carried a ton of junk, I had no major complaints with this SUV. I almost didn't notice the car, but in a good way — sort of how you never notice how swell your high-speed internet is until it cuts out.

Source : Cars.com

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2011 Kia Optima Hybrid First Impressions Review

By Alex Kramer
Pros:

• Eye-catching exterior design
• Roomy, well-apportioned interior
• Smooth, quiet hybrid drivetrain
• Solid handling and ride quality

Cons:

• A bit slow for a car with over 200 hp
• Brake pedal feels squishy
• Untested fuel efficiency

The folks at Kia Motors are very optimistic. Having launched seven brand new models in under 2 years and with record sales growth over the past year, Kia is transforming itself into a major player in the car market.
Part of this success is surely due to an emphasis on value, which has resonated with buyers in these tough economic times. At the same time, a shift away from forgettable econoboxes and towards quality design and engineering has made for an almost unbeatable combination of high quality at a low price.
To keep the momentum rolling, Kia is now offering a hybrid gas-electric vehicle in the form of its Optima mid-size sedan. With gas prices looking to stay close to $4 a gallon, this could be the perfect time to make a case for fuel efficient motoring and take a bite out of the growing hybrid sedan segment.

We recently had the chance to take the Optima Hybrid for a brief test drive around the streets of South San Francisco. On the outside, the car shares the same eye-catching exterior as the gas-powered Optima, save for a few hybrid badges and what look to be unique alloy wheels. The cabin also features the same roomy, well-built interior, and includes options like heated and cooled leather seats and a panoramic sunroof, amenities that used to be available only on luxury cars.
The Optima Hybrid features the same powertrain as its sister car, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Combining a 2.4L 4-cylinder gas engine with a 40 hp electric motor and a lithium polymer battery, the system produces 206 hp. Rather than using a CVT (continuously variable transmission), the Optima Hybrid routes its power through a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission.



Altogether, the system works well and you can barely hear the motor turn on and off when cruising slowly. Only at full throttle does the engine sound a bit raspy and unrefined. Acceleration is decent, although a bit slower than we would expect for a car with over 200 horsepower. Ride quality and handling are quite good, although the car does feel a bit heavy on its feet and the brake pedal could use some firming up.
Our brief test didn’t allow for a thorough evaluation of the car’s fuel efficiency, but the EPA rates the Optima Hybrid at 35 mpg city and 40 mpg highway, figures that compare well with competitors like the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid. At slower speeds the car switches over to EV, or electric-only operation quite regularly, and you can coast on electric power at speeds up to 60 mph. There is also an Eco mode, which changes the throttle response to encourage more frugal driving.
 

The Optima Hybrid starts at $27,250 and comes quite well equipped. Our loaded tester stickered at over $30k, but featured enough luxury options to justify the price. Like most Kia models, the Optima Hybrid should compare well on value with other hybrid mid-size sedans, and its more aggressive appearance might even convince a few car enthusiasts to take a hybrid for a spin.
Source : Carreview.com

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2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe - Road Test

Now Playing: Upsized and downrevved for the enthusiast of tomorrow.

Highs, Lows, and Verdict

Highs: Sports-car handling, fluid shifter, perfect clutch, finally some torque at step-off.
Lows: Harsh cockpit surfaces, kids-only back seat, will need more power to hold off turbocharged competitors.

The Verdict: Don’t say no until you’ve undertaken a three-day, 800-mile road trip.

For the past six years, we’ve felt a little like Estragon and Vladimir in Waiting for Godot. So many hours have been lost debating whether the previous-gen Honda Civic Si produced enough power to hold its head above water in the pocket-rocket pond. Eventually, this existential controversy morphed into a kind of recreation, with Si devotees screeching fiery epithets from the bleachers. Well, finally, Generation Nine is upon us. “We’re saved!” shouted Beckett’s protagonists whenever they suspected Godot might momentarily appear.
Here’s a sad fact: Godot never showed. And whether the Si is “saved” likewise remains unclear. Let us review recent history.
Our first encounter with the previous Si came late in calendar year 2005, when we pitted it against a Volkswagen GTI. The Honda lost. In 2009, we inserted an Si into a seven-car comparo, where it finished fifth, gasping and sweating. We weren’t surprised. The Si’s engine—2.0 liters, 197 horsepower, 139 pound-feet of torque—relegated it to least-powerful status in the whole segment. It certainly didn’t possess the grits to fend off, say, a 263-hp Mazdaspeed 3 Grand Touring or a 265-hp Subaru Impreza WRX. What’s more, accessing the Si’s horses has always required the spinning of the crank and cams to a fine fare-thee-well. The VTEC didn’t swap cam profiles until 6000 rpm, and it was thereafter vital to rely on every single rev right up to the colossal eight-grand cutoff.
Of course, Si purists—and trust us, they are legion—smugly insisted that the little howler-monkey engine comprised much of the car’s charm. Yet in the same breath, they’d also confess the coppery taste of  humiliation whenever a WRX achieved 60 mph 2.0 seconds in front of them, fast becoming a gnat on the horizon.
Now comes Honda’s solution for the ninth-gen Si, a solution both simple and a little surprising, given the rumors of a turbo. Out goes the 2.0-liter engine, in comes the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter unit that sees simultaneous duty in the Acura TSX. The result is an unnoticeable 4-hp gain, but torque is up 22 percent—peaking at 4400 rpm instead of 6100 rpm—and that’s a difference you can feel. While they were at it, the engineers paired the engine to the TSX’s delightful six-speed transaxle. But is that enough?
Well, sort of. At the track, the Si nailed 60 mph in 6.3 seconds versus the previous 6.7, and it proved a half-second quicker in our 5-to-60-mph rolling start. Turn off  the traction control, and you can now shred rubber for 15 feet, followed by a Rottweiler bark as you bang into second. An improvement, for sure, but it’s still shy of the accelerative thrust of five turbocharged competitors, including the Speed 3, the WRX, and even the GTI, which has a similarly meager 200 horses but can nonetheless summon 60 mph in 6.1 seconds.
On the other hand, the larger engine ushers in welcome perks. The mechanical thrash of the previous powerplant, for instance, is now largely MIA, and gear noise is likewise reduced, with all three of our sound-level tests confirming the fact. (Still, road-borne noise and tread roar remain issues that Honda must address.) Equally important, the number of shifts required for ’round-town cruising seems subjectively halved. In traffic, the Si is perfectly content relying on first, third, and fifth. And by eschewing a turbo, the Si’s mileage—now up to an observed 26 mpg—is best described as a charming achievement.

Yes, the Si is smokin’ hot. Sixty mph now arrives in 6.3 seconds, 0.4 second quicker than the previous Si. At the drag strip, however, the car will continue to eat the exhaust of its turbocharged competitors.

Yes, yes, 900 top-end revs have been lost. But the car now pulls with at least vague enthusiasm just after step-off. In fact, our only serious beef with the new engine is its considerable overrun when the throttle is suddenly dropped. Among other things, that makes for very little initial engine braking, and the revs sometimes take a couple of seconds to return to idle. Most drivers won’t complain, but it’s a behavior that lends the drivetrain a titch of laziness that has historically been anathema to Honda-think.
As with the previous-gen Si, this is among the most-neutral-handling front-drivers on the planet. Around our 15-mile public-road loop in southern Ohio, we could provoke only the most minor of nibbling understeer—and that was at speeds approaching Fear Factor Nine—with the rear tires faithfully following whatever paths had been established by the fronts. No rotation, no drifts, no drama. Body motions were exquisitely controlled, with the ride revealing the stiff springs and dampers only over high-frequency imperfections, primarily expansion joints and broken pavement.
At around-town speeds, the Si’s steering tends to feel artificial, as if it were the outcome of some sort of electrical/mechanical calculus that never precisely balanced. At least it’s light. As speed rises, fortunately, it firms up nicely and also becomes livelier. There’s no bump steer, no nervousness, and interstate tracking is peerless. The brakes are fade-free, and the pedal is firm and informative.
Moreover, the light, fluid shifter—as good as any that Honda has ever produced—allows the driver to summon alternate rev ranges with the flick of two fingers, abetted by a new lightweight clutch with simply seamless takeup. Faced with slow hairpins, the limited-slip differential carefully apportions power so that the inside front wheel never scrabbles. The thinly cushioned seats hold you firmly in place, and the dead pedal is perfectly sited. With lateral grip rising from 0.87 g to 0.90 g, the Si just dances and sings in the hills. This 2864-pound coupe is perfectly balanced, agile, poised, ever willing, a car that is easy to drive. Real fast comes real quickly.
The only obvious failure here is the unimproved interior. There are crass plastic trim bits on the steering wheel and around the HVAC controls. The Civic’s trademark minivan-sized windshield leans over a mini­van-sized dash, a vast plain of cut-lines, textures, and colors. The bunk-bed layout for the IP is okay, but the garish LCD gauges are right out of a RadioShack in Akron. The mouse-fur headliner suffers from the mange, and there’s a lumpy, wrinkled collar of felt that surrounds the steering column, shouting to one and all, “Yessir, that’s right, I actually am the cheapest bit of flotsam in the universe!” Note to Honda: Check out the Ford Focus’s interior.
The new Si—manual six-speed only—comes in both sedan and coupe forms. The coupe starts at $22,955, the sedan opens at $23,155, and both top out at $24,655. The only options are navigation, XM radio, and (exclusive to the coupe) summer tires—17-inch Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2s, as fitted on our test car. (Fun driving tip: Demand that your spouse call you “Pilot Exalto.”) If you’ve got a calculator handy, you’ll perhaps already know that a starter Si coupe is more than $1500 cheaper than either a GTI or a Speed 3.
This latest Si is more sophisticated than its forebear, although it has been somewhat cruelly left to play David to the turbocharged Goliaths. As of now, it offers a better ride, produces less noise, and is faster in both a straight line and through the most diabolical off-camber, double-apex turns that Ohio’s deranged civil engineers could conjure. It is surely less raw than its predecessor, a trait that many Si purists—including our own revered Tony Quiroga and Dan Pund—lament. Until they commit to a three-day, 800-mile road trip, two-thirds of which skates over frost-heaved interstates. No longer is the Si a one-trick pony. At speed it’s a serial killer, yet during commutes and city errands it’s a near-soothing mental-health counselor with practicality and a price that make it easy to justify.
Source : Carsanddriver.com

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2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo - Future Cars

Is this the turbocharged Veloster? And can we have it in the U.S., please?

Hyundai’s unique Veloster is due to arrive in the U.S. this summer with a 138-hp, 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, and now our spy shooters have captured a prototype that just might be the promised turbocharged version. We have prior confirmation that the car will get a turbo’d, 210-hp version of the Veloster’s little four on the Continent, and we have an inkling that we’ll see it here, too.
A number of clues point to this being the go-faster iteration of the funky-doored coupe. For starters, the front grille and fascia are very different from those of the standard 2012 Veloster—even camouflaged, it’s clear that this car’s intake openings are much larger. The gaping maw would allow improved airflow to an intercooler while also imparting a more aggressive look, and the front appears to house round fog lights—replacing the standard car’s trapezoidal units—above more-pronounced corner sculpting. The lower front fascia aligns with chiseled rocker-panel extensions; together, they give this Veloster prototype a lower-slung look. Moving around to the rear of the test Veloster, we find large round exhaust outlets instead of the normal model’s rectilinear ports.

This may simply be a non-turbo European-spec test car, but if this car is in fact a U.S.-bound blown model, it’s likely at least a year away. The Michigan manufacturer’s plate confirms nothing, as Hyundai maintains an R&D facility in Ann Arbor and automakers routinely test cars in America that will never be sold here.
While we haven’t yet had a chance to drive a workaday Veloster, we don’t see how more power couldn’t be more fun. Bring it on, guys.
Source : Caranddriver.com

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2012 Volkswagen Eos Lux Review – Cabriolet reborn

Pros:

• Surprisingly fast acceleration
• Revised styling is more sophisticated
• Refined interior & build quality

Cons:

• Proportions are a bit awkward with the top up
• Automatic hardtop takes patience
• Small trunk space

The last time I even thought about a VW convertible was in high school drooling over the hot blonde cheerleader with a white ’87 Rabbit-based Cabriolet with a matching canvas top. So when my editor called about the Eos I was conflicted. It brought back some fun high school memories but I also had to decide whether I was man enough to drive a chick car. I’m glad I said yes. The Eos represents the top end of the VW convertible line-up, capping the range that will start with the new Beetle soft top and the upcoming Euro-only(for now) 2012 Golf Cabrio soft top. The new VW Eos Lux was fun to drive with the top up or down. Usually the mid-cycle model refresh is focused mostly on the innards with just minor exterior updates, but the 2012 VW Eos received a fairly significant face-lift, and it is all the better for it. Gone are the roundish headlights with the vertically-stretched chrome grille with matching round taillights, and in are the new VW corporate looks both on the front and back. The new design is more sophisticated and less cutesy than the original Eos. The 2.0 turbo four carries over mated to a 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic and Sport mode.


Driving Impressions
Frankly I was not ecstatic about driving the Eos. Playing with the folding hardtop, yes, but driving the FWD 4-banger was not that enticing to me. But I was pleasantly surprised. Drop the gearshift into Sport mode and floor the accelerator, and you’ll be redlining in no time and peeling out. Yes, I was actually burning rubber off the line in this subcompact FWD four-cylinder Eos.
The turbo helps with the boost but the 207 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1,800-5,000 RPM makes driving this Eos quite fun. The 200 HP comes at 5,100 RPM and passing cars on the freeway was a breeze. For its size, the Eos is pretty heavy thanks to its 5-piece folding hard top, and 0-60 is pegged at 7.3 seconds. But it feels faster than that. Torque steer is a typical problem with high-power FWD cars, but it’s not too noticeable in the Eos. Guess it doesn’t exactly qualify as “high-power.” But hey, you don’t buy the Eos for the performance. There are plenty of other performance drop tops like the Nissan 370Z or the BMW Z4.

Driving the Eos with the hardtop folded down was fun. Yes, it messes up your hair and no, the rear passengers get a lot of wind in their faces but it’s not that common these days to be able to share a convertible driving experience with 3 other passengers. I was actually able to fit a child seat in the back (after half an hour and lots of curse words) and took my toddler for a ride. He didn’t enjoy it as much as I did (too much wind) but I cant do that in a Z4. The Eos also has a unique sunroof option that is very wide and you can tilt it or open it just like in a hardtop car.




Styling
The 2012 Eos is a significant improvement over the first generation car in terms of exterior appearance. As I mentioned in the intro, the frontend is much more sophisticated looking with the new wide VW corporate grille and Golf-like headlight units. The original rounded headlights with the chrome face grille always disturbed me somewhat. Too cute. The squared-off taillights are also much more expensive-looking than the previous round units. Other than that, the overall proportions and shape of the Eos remain the same.
The lack of the B pillar is great for visibility and gives the Eos a clean profile with the top up. I wish the proportions were better worked out, however, as the Eos seems a bit too short especially with the fast sloping rear window that looks like it’s pushing the entire greenhouse forward. The FWD architecture means a long overhang with the front axle sitting well aft of the engine. The Volvo C70 hardtop convertible also has a long overhang but the longer length and wheelbase of the Volvo give the C70 much better proportions with the top up. The Eos is definitely more attractive with the top down.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
The interior of the 2012 Eos is refined and the quality of the materials is what one can expect from a $39k car. There is leather over most surfaces the driver touches with metallic-appearance accents in all the right places. The Lux and Executive trims also come with burled walnut trim on the dashboard, doors and center console. I don’t even know what burled means but it sounds expensive. 12-way adjustable front seats with 4-way lumbar support are also available in the Lux and Executive trims.
The steering-wheel mounted controls are not too overwhelming and allow the driver to mess with a decent amount of phone, voice-control, cruise control, menu options, and the nav/audio touch screen unit on the center console is intuitive and easy to reach. The new VW interior feels rich but not decadent, if that makes any sense. With the folding hardtop up the interior is fairly quiet, you can hardly tell that this car is a convertible. The fit of the roof is impeccable. Visibility out of the sides is fantastic thanks to the missing B pillars.

Value
The base trim Eos Komfort starts at just under $34k, and the top-of-the-range Executive trim starts at just over $39k. The nicely-appointed tester was a mid level Lux trim and MSRPs at a tad over $38k with destination. Its closest competitors are probably the Saab 9-3 convertible and the aforementioned Volvo C70 folding hardtop convertible, both of which are more expensive. The Eos has the lowest starting price of the three and is very competitive even at the Executive trim level. The Volvo C70 has a turbocharged 5 cylinder that produces 27 more horses, but starts out at $39k. The Saab 9-3 also has a 4-cylinder 2.0 liter turbo but is a tad bit slower than the Eos and it starts at just under $40k for the manual and over $41k or the automatic. And it only has a folding soft top.
Drop-Top Cars are Fun
The 2012 Volkswagen Eos is a great little 4-seater convertible. The folding hardtop is fun to watch and reminds me of Transformers. Its unique sunroof that opens up makes this an enjoyable car even when it’s not that warm out. I even had fun driving this FWD with a 2.0 4 cylinder. On top of that it’s a great deal when compared against the Volvo and the Saab. So what if the proportions are a bit awkward with the top up, you wouldn’t see that since you’re having fun cruising down the boulevard. And with the top down, you’d be too busy smiling with the wind in your hair. This VW Eos is a vast improvement over that white Cabriolet the cheerleader drove in high school, but boy do I miss watching her drive by with her other cheerleader friends standing in the back seat holding onto that signature basket handle rollover bar.

	BUILD	INTERIOR	PERFORMANCE	HANDLING	STYLING	VALUE	OVERALL
RATING	4.5	4.5	4.0	4.0	3.5	3.5	4.0/B

Source : Carrivew.com

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Luxury Designs Of Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG Sport Cars 2011

Mercedes-Benz went advanced and appear the flagship versions of its Гјber affluence coupe, the 2011 CL63 and CL65 AMG models. Both cars will accept their apple premiere at the Paris Motor Show and access in U.S. showrooms in November.

On the outside, there are some attenuate administration tweaks on both AMG models such as the redesigned foreground bonanza with LED daytime active lights, the added “V”-shaped grille, a contoured hood, beyond headlamps and a reworked rear bonanza with anew styled appendage pipes. Interior revisions are bound to the new council wheel, higher-quality trim abstracts and altered blush options.

Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG 2011 dashboard panel

The a lot of important changes, however, are in areas you can’t see. Starting with the CL63 AMG, out goes the old naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8 and in comes the smaller, lighter yet added able 5.5-liter V8 with twin-turbocharging and direct-injection technology, absorbed up to an AMG Speedshift 7-speed automatic.

In accepted form, it churns out 536HP at 5,500 rpm and 590 lb-ft of torque from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm affective the CL63 AMG from aught to 60mph (96km/h) in 4.4 seconds, and on to an electronically bound top acceleration of 155 mph (250km/h).

Add the alternative AMG Performance package, and achievement climbs to 563HP and 664 lb-ft of torque acceptance the auto to ability the 60mph (96km/h) mark in 4.3 abnormal and an electronically bound top acceleration of 186 mph (299km/h).

Mercedes says admitting the ability and torque increase, ammunition burning and CO2 emissions accept been bargain by about 27 percent and 30 percent appropriately over the earlier by itself aspirated V8.

In accession the new engine, the 2011 CL63 AMG receives three new systems as accepted (Direct-Steer, Torque Vectoring Brake and crosswind stabilization) that affiance to advance administration and safety.



Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG 2011

Meanwhile, the range-topping CL65 AMG continues to use a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 akin to a five-speed automated transmission. However, AMG engineers accept tweaked the V12 assemblage which now produces an added 17HP for a absolute achievement of 621HP, while torque charcoal the aforementioned at 738 lb-ft. The car is able of accelerating from 0-60mph (96km/h) in 4.2 abnormal continuing to a bound top acceleration of 186mph (299km/h).

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