Since Kia launched the Soul, the company has enjoyed a 78 percent increase in sales volume. Is the funky compact hatch the reason for that increase? No, but it did signal a massive shift in Kia's brand philosophy. Besides its sharp new styling, a major marketing makeover sees the brand going for a hip, more youthful demographic.
Now, '80s hair bands hardly typify a youthful demographic, but today's unveil of the Kia Track'ster Concept was certainly the hippest press conference thus far at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. (However, if they were going to honor Kia's Super Bowl ad, I would've preferred an Adriana Lima lookalike on hand than a cover band's take on Motley Crue.)
As for the car, the Track'ster takes the Soul, chops off the rear doors, lowers it, widens it, lengthens the wheelbase and stuffs it with a 250-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder feeding an all-wheel-drive system.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Kia
Not much to differentiate the diesel-engine Beetle from the rest of the lineup. It's pretty much down to the thin chrome strip on the top of the door panels and TDI-specific 17-inch alloys.
The DFPs (diesel fan people) already register disappointment with the 2013 Beetle TDI’s kinda mediocre Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy ratings of 29 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. There are plenty of gasoline-engine small cars fielding similar numbers, after all. But the latest EPA test procedure seems to hamper diesels, and many DFPs expect on-the-road economy to be better than the window sticker ratings.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Diesels,Hatchbacks,Volkswagen
"Now why would anyone buy a Honda Civic Coupe instead of that?" a voice over my shoulder said after the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe was unveiled here in Chicago. When it comes to styling, I'm inclined to agree, as this two-door version of Hyundai's popular compact sedan looks excellent. Maybe it's a tad bulky in the rear quarter, but that's normal for coupes (see Mercedes-Benz C-Class) and the Elantra's many creases and character lines hide it reasonably well.
Inside, the dash design is the same as that of the Elantra sedan. However, you'll note that it features an automatic climate control system available for 2013. You would probably expect that the coupe loses backseat room compared to the sedan and you'd be absolutely correct. However, it's not as bad as you think. I set the driver seat for myself (6-foot-3) and there was still usable legroom behind me. Surprisingly, there was even a decent amount of headroom back there as well for a tall guy such as I. Getting the added style of a coupe while still maintaining some functionality is a huge plus.
The sedan's 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is the only engine presently available, but don't be surprised if a turbocharged mill ends up there eventually.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Hyundai
What would a Chicago auto show be without a good old midcycle refresh to talk about? Well, GM's Lambda crossovers have been kicking around for awhile now, so it was high time for a nip here and a tuck there. The first to go under the knife is the 2013 GMC Acadia.
Besides an improved six-speed transmission, the Acadia is mechanically unchanged. The 3.6-liter V6 still produces 288 horsepower and its enormous crossover body can still seat as many as eight people. The styling has been updated, however, with a more upright grille that evokes the GMC Granite Concept from last year's Detroit auto show. I think it works, especially in comparison to the Terrain. And what new design would be complete without the ubiquitous LED running lamps? They're even standard on the base model.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,GMC
As promised, Ford officially rolled out the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible at the Chicago auto show today. And nothing from yesterday has changed.
The car still has 650 horsepower, still has a lower-than-the-coupe top speed, still is 3 seconds faster than the old coupe around Sebring, still is only available with a manual transmission.
More pictures and a surprise from Ford after the jump.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Convertibles,Ford,Sports Cars
Last night during a pre-auto show dinner hosted by Hyundai, the company's CEO for North America John Krafcik hinted that they would be showing a surprise new model today at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. He continued that it would be borrowing a name from its past.
"Oh please be the Scoupe, oh please be the Scoupe," I thought to myself. Before I had a chance to ponder "Excel" and "Pony," Krafcik continued that it was last used for 2006. That's right, Hyundai devotees. The Hyundai Elantra GT is back.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Hyundai
We just put the new 2012 BMW 328i on our Rotary Lift the other day to see what it looks like underneath all that shiny red metal. It's quite tidy as you might expect. We'll have a full suspension walkaround for you later, but for now just enjoy this look at the latest in German engineering.
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Categories: BMW,Sedans
Let's get this out of the way: The six-speed manual transmission is only available with the 201-horsepower 2.4-liter inline-4, and the 2.4-liter is only available with the six-speed manual. The good news here is that Acura is hoping to price the ILX with the real transmission very close to the base model car, which comes with a 150-hp 2.0-liter I4 and six-speed automatic. Acura says potential ILX buyers want a mix of fuel economy and performance, and the way they've gone about performance is to keep the weight to about 3,000 pounds and make the car nimble and responsive, "the way all Acuras will be again."
The ILX is Acura's new entry-level car to lure Gen-Y buyers into luxury cars. "They like luxury and feel they deserve luxury," Acura said. But "they're beginning to realize that they may not be as affluent as their parents. They're living the recession." In that vein, Acura is hoping to pack a lot of content and a luxury ride into a car that starts "well under $30,000."
But it's not just a luxury ride Gen Y wants. They want to stay connected and have the coolest features. That's where Premium and Technology packages come in. The Tech pack has Acura's ELS surround-sound system, navigation, real-time traffic and hard-disk drive. Fully loaded, the ILX will run about $30,000. It will be made in Greensburg, Indiana, and go on sale in the spring. Acura's hoping for sales of 40,000 units per year once production/marketing is fully up to speed.
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Categories: Acura,Chicago Auto Show,Sedans
As you'll recall, Ford is offering two engines in the 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet -- a naturally-aspirated version of the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, and a blown version of that engine with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. Recently, engineers from Ford Racing tested both versions on the dragstrip at Palm Beach International Raceway.
Astutely, they shot video of the burnouts and quarter-mile runs, and while it's not high-def, you can certainly hear the differences between the engines. Ample tire smoke, too.
(Mustang Heaven, Ford Racing)
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Categories: Coupes,Ford,Motorsports,Tuners and Modifications
You've read about Volkswagen's MQB chassis architecture which will underpin the company's next generation of front-wheel drive vehicles. MQB's highly modular, Lego-like philosophy will allow for the multitude of VW Group vehicle variations to be produced with a minimum of fuss, which ought to reduce cost from every angle.
Volkswagen gave a preview of the MQB strategy at their Wolfsburg headquarters, where the economies of scale afforded by the new platform were painstakingly detailed. A 2013 Jetta Hybrid prototype showed up for a very brief drive, too, not because it is MQB-based but because it gives us Americans our first glimpse of MQB-ness.
Confused? Hit the jump.
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Categories: Volkswagen
Hyundai appears hell-bent on hitting Honda and Toyota in every segment possible. The latest entry from Korea is the 2013 Hyundai Elantra coupe, a two-door version of the hot-selling Elantra sedan that recently won the North American Car of the Year award.
There are no big surprises here. The Elantra coupe has all the same hardware as the sedan, but it's packed into a sleeker, two-door package. That includes a 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and a choice of either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. When equipped with the manual, Hyundai says the Elantra coupe will return 29 mpg city/40 mpg highway.
When it goes on sale this spring, the Elantra coupe will be available in GS and SE trim levels. Hyundai says the sportier SE trim will feature suspension tuning that is more aggressive compared to the Elantra sedan, along with 17-inch wheels and tires. Good thing, too, as the Elantra is far from sporty, even as compact sedans go.
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Categories: Hyundai
Tomorrow during the first day of the 2012 Chicago Auto Show Ford, celebrating 20 years of SVT, will show off this: the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible.
As you could probably guess, this is the same basic car as the new Shelby GT500 we've been seeing for a few months now. It's got a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 cranking out an unbelievable-in-a-production-Mustang 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. (Rollin' in my 5.8 with the ragtop down so my hair can...abate? So much for my 90's rap career.) The
Ford says that the new Mustang is 3.5 seconds faster around Sebring International Raceway than the outgoing car when it is equipped with the Performance Package. The Performance pack includes SVT-designed Bilstein electronically adjustable dampers. A track pack is available on top of this wit an external oil cooler, rear diff cooler and a transmission cooler.
Once we got our heads around 650 horsepower in the GT500 coupe, we were thrown for another loop when Ford said it would do over 200 mph. The convertible won't do over 200; Ford has limited it to "only" 155.
Like the coupe, the only transmission available is a six-speed manual. We'll have more from the show floor tomorrow.
Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Convertibles,Ford,Sports Cars
What better way to promote your latest tuner package for the Corvette ZR1 than to get one of the fastest men (?) in America to drive it with commitment? And so John Hennessey coaxed the American Stig behind the wheel of HPE's ZR750 Corvette, which with a claimed 755 hp, a claimed 728 lb-ft of torque and enough Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rubber to handle all that, was quick enough to set a new lap record at the Top Gear USA test track.
An extended, higher-production-value cut of this hand-held footage is undoubtedly forthcoming when the new TG season starts back up on the History Channel next week.
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Categories: Celebrities,Chevrolet,Sports Cars,Tuners and Modifications
Around this time last year, Bentley claimed the ice speed record with a Continental Supersports. 205.48 mph on ice is a pretty tough act to follow, for sure, as demonstrated by the latest Bentley winter frolic.
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Categories: Bentley,Videos
This was shot at the Irwindale, Calif. round of the Formula D series in 2011. And yesterday, after being beautifully edited and set to music, it was released on the internet for your viewing pleasure. We love any burning rubber. But it's even better when it happens while sliding sideways and when it's being shot in slow motion.
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Categories: Motorsports
The 2015 BMW i8 looks as though it's actually moving closer to production. Even more shocking is the fact that it appears as though the i8 will keep the wild styling of the concept.
It might look like a downsized 6 Series from this angle, but the rear end has the same "wings" that gave the concept such an interesting profile. Other details are hard to make out, but it's clear that BMW is taking a much different path when it comes to the styling of its new "i" series of cars. Set to be on the road in 2014, it's still a long way from finished.
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Categories: BMW,Concept Vehicles,Coupes,Hybrids,Sports Cars
Can you see what's different about the 2013 Nissan 370Z? Probably not, so here's some help.
The front fascia got a few tweaks that include removal of the odd-looking "teeth" along with the addition of the all-important vertical LED marker lights. In back, there's...well, not much. What used to be a black patch of nothingness at the center of the rear fascia now has a red reflector.
On the actually noticeable front, there are new wheel designs for the 18-inchers that come on the 370Z coupe as well as the 19s that are included in the optional Sport package. That package also included red brake calipers and "Euro-tuned" shock absorbers. And lastly, the fuel gauge now features darker trim. Seriously.
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Categories: Chicago Auto Show,Convertibles,Coupes,Nissan,Sports Cars
Can't blame Buick for giving it a try. It launched the Buick GS with a six-speed manual transmission only, a move seen as equally cool or stupid depending on who you asked.
For 2013, the 270-hp GS will offer a six-speed automatic transmission as a no-cost option. Buick says it's still good for a 0-60 mph time of 6.7 seconds and will return 27 mpg on the highway.
If that's not enough efficient for you, Buick also announced that its eAssist system will now come standard with the base 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. The mild hybrid system pushed the Regal's EPA highway number up to 36 mpg on the highway.
Categories: Buick,Sedans
There are a number of times when pre-production test mules look completely awesome. The 2014 Jeep Liberty mule we have here is one of those vehicles.
The next-generation Liberty will be a front-drive-based crossover (Dart/Chrysler 100 platform) but will have some off-road ability left in tact. Jeep knows they can't turn the Liberty into a completely on-road vehicle. That's where AWD and this lovely ride-height come into play. One of the test mules was spotted wearing Michigan ORV (off-road vehicle) plates.
Unfortunately, the production version of the 2014 Liberty will ditch this neo AMG Eagle Alfa body and replace it with something that looks "tough." We want it to stay like this. Maybe align the hood and paint the door, but otherwise, this.
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Categories: Alfa Romeo,Crossovers,Future Vehicles,Jeep
In what's shaping up to be a trend in the alternate-fuel startup world, Fisker has just announced layoffs of 26 employees from the brand's Delaware factory. Those let go were made up, in part, of employees set to help make Project Nina -- the company's second vehicle -- a reality.
"It's temporary," Roger Ormisher, Fisker Spokesman, said. "We're being prudent and sensible as a company."
Fisker, the recipient of $193 million in government funding, has delivered between 250 and 300 Fisker Karmas thus far and has managed to raise over $650 million in private-sector funding. The DoE isn't worried about their (our) investment, though, "Our loan guarantees have strict conditions in place to protect taxpayers...As Fisker works through those issues and incorporates lessons learned from the production of the Karma, the Department is working with Fisker to review a revised business plan and determine the best path forward so the company can meet its benchmarks, produce cars and employ workers here in America," said DOE spokesman Damien LaVera. Fisker has asked the DOE to revise its targets.
Fisker doesn't have the funding (read: uber-rich CEO) that Tesla does, will we ever see Project Nina?
Categories: Auto Industry,Fisker,Hybrids
