2016 Chevrolet Spark Revealed: GM Lights a Fire Beneath its Tiny Hatchback – Official Photos and Info

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2016 Chevrolet Spark Revealed: GM Lights a Fire Beneath its Tiny Hatchback – Official Photos and Info

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2016 Chevrolet Spark Revealed: GM Lights a Fire Beneath its Tiny Hatchback – Official Pictures and Info

2016 Kia Optima Photos and Info: Larger and Optimized for Sales Development

The Kia Optima’s prior full redesign was somewhat shocking. Formerly a forgettable-hunting, cheaper sibling to Hyundai’s Sonata, the Optima abruptly became the hotter of the sisters. Courtesy of ex–Volkswagen Group designer Peter Schreyer, Kia’s household sedan looked like the Passat we could’ve had if VW hadn’t dowdified the thing when it enlarged the vehicle for the American market place. 5 years soon after the final car’s reveal at the New York show, Kia is hoping to maintain the magic going with this all-new model.

The new car is swoopier and probably a tad much more futuristic-looking than the previous model, losing a small bit of its Germanic presence in the update. The larger rear lights appear much more Tokyo than Teutonic, whilst the widened signature “tiger nose” grille suggests some sort of cybernetic unibrow. The greenhouse has much more of a fastback lilt, and the bigger daylight opening suggests much better outward visibility at the cost of the last car’s perfectly contemporary proportions.

Kia claims the new body structure is 150 % stiffer than the outgoing model’s. It also says it has stiffened the wheels, engine mounts, and body panels. The work goes toward each quelling NVH and improving handling. Provided that we had been impressed by the new Sonata’s dynamic improvements, we don’t doubt that Kia has place in time in this arena, as well. Undercarriage upgrades include extra bushings on the subframe mounts, suspension-mounting points moved farther outboard, and larger dual rear reduced control arms. The wheelbase is up by .4 inch, to 110.4, although girth increases by 1 inch. Wheel sizes range from 16 to 18 inches.

Engine alternatives match the Sonata’s, so there’s a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, a 2.-liter turbo 4, and a 1.6-liter turbo 4. The initial 2 are paired with a 6-speed automatic, while the 1.6 matches up to Hyundai/Kia’s 6-speed dual-clutch. Kia hasn’t finalized output numbers, but it estimates 185 hp and 178 lb-ft from the 2.4, 247 hp and 260 lb-ft from the 2.0T, and 178 hp and 195 lb-ft from the 1.6.

Inside, the interior gets genuine stitching along the dash and doors—something that’s frequently simulated at this price point. Kia also touts focus paid to seat comfort, crediting improvement in that location to a stiffer frame and denser, much more supportive foam. Heated and ventilated energy-adjustable front chairs are offered. Depending on trim level—the roster is LX, LX Turbo, EX, SX, SX Turbo, and SXL—seating surfaces are covered in cloth, leather, or uplevel nappa leather. Because the mid-1980s are back, the new vehicle offers dark aubergine and merlot among its interior-colour options.

Kia’s Uvo infotainment method now has massive-brother systems for teen drivers, including geofencing, speed alert, curfew alert, and “driving score.” Germane to adult and teen drivers alike, the new Optima is the first Kia to function each Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. Streamed tunes can be bumped by means of a 630-watt Infinity technique with 14 speakers.

Other electronic company contains a suite of offered driver aids such as a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic braking. These may possibly help maintain your new Optima in 1 piece. The auto now can be fitted with active, HID headlamps, as nicely as automatic higher beams.

Offered that the Optima’s slight aesthetic downgrade isn’t the backward stylistic step that the Sonata took, and provided that we anticipate the Hyundai’s all round dynamic and comfort improvements to be generally mirrored by the Kia, the sexier sib remains the a lot more desirable of the pair. Now if they’d only deign to give us a Sportspace-looking wagon variant . . .

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2016 Kia Optima Photos and Info: Larger and Optimized for Sales Development

2015 Toyota Prius C Images and Info: The Littlest Prius Gets Updated

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We’;re thinking the adjustments won’;t aid much.

Toyota likes to contact the Prius iconic. We suppose it most likely is iconic to a particular segment of the auto-getting public. So what could be much better than a lighter, less pricey, and smaller version? One that can then spread the Hybrid Synergy Drive gospel to very first-time car purchasers, who can then move up into the mainline model for their subsequent obtain? In truth, Toyota has provided just such a vehicle, the Prius C, for a couple of years.

It’s now been updated for 2015, but we’re not positive the modifications will do significantly to raise its profile. You see, the Prius C is an underperformer in numerous areas. Its hybrid powertrain utilizes a wheezing, 73-hp, 1.5-liter 4-cylinder mated to an electric motor and a CVT total method output stands at a meager 99 horsepower. To assist accomplish its impressive 50-mpg combined fuel-economy figure, the Prius C packs regenerative braking and electric power steering. It can travel an complete mile on electric power alone.

Besides Regular and EV modes, the C, which is based on the Yaris platform and is unrelated to the standard Prius, also offers an Eco mode. It can “support optimize fuel economy when you are prepared to give up some throttle response and do not require the air conditioner to be ice cold,” the press components explain with exceptional frankness.

For the 2015 model year, Toyota has introduced new fabrics and patterns inside the cabin and mixed up new paint colors that incorporate Electric Lime Metallic, Tangerine Splash Pearl, and Sparkling Sea Metallic. The taillights have been redesigned to incorporate light pipes, and the headlights are executed totally in LEDs. Toyota also reworked the front fascia with a new gaping-mouth grille at the center flanked by auxiliary lights that resemble upside-down keyholes. It is not specifically well executed to our eyes, and the grille looks out of spot with the rest of the design and style.

The 2015 Prius C comes in 4 trim levels called—wait for it—One, 2, 3, and 4. The initial level is rather well equipped with the aforementioned LED headlights, automatic air conditioning, and keyless entry. Level 2 adds cruise manage, a split-folding rear bench, greater speakers, and some further trim. The Prius C 3 gets premium audio and a navigation program, as effectively as push-button begin. Ultimately, the 4 contains heated seats, a backup camera, a sunroof, and larger-grade interior materials.

But even turned up to 4, the Prius C cannot escape its somewhat pedestrian roots. One piece of evidence is the traditional-seeking transmission shifter, which is a lengthy, narrow metal stick. Larger Prius models (such as the Prius V) function a futuristic gear selector on the dashboard. When we tested the Prius C a couple of years ago, we summed it up thusly: “It has wheels and gets great gas mileage.” That is nonetheless accurate.

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2016 Audi A6/S6 Official Pictures and Info: Brilliance, Subtly Refined

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There wasn’;t much to repair with the outstanding A6.

• MICHAEL SIMARI AND


• THE MANUFACTURER

Carmakers often use a vehicle’s midcycle update to appropriate glaring errors. Take the Mercedes-Benz E-class, which lately shed its boxy rear fenders, or the Volkswagen Jetta, that brand’;s entry-level sedan whose appear and feel ultimately matches its marketing and advertising.

But Audi appears happy with the way its A6 sedan appears and performs—and it ought to be, as the A6 has appeared on or final 3 10Best Automobiles rosters—and has performed a comparatively minor face-lift to the whole lineup. The new A6 is getting launched now in Europe, but it won’;t attain the U.S. market till the 2016 model year.

The visual changes to the A6—one of the most conservative-looking Audis ever built—will take a seasoned observer to discern. The grille has been sharpened at the edges, the front bumper is slightly much more angular, and a horizontal chrome strip slashes across the trunklid. Some versions feature wide, rectangular exhaust pipes. Probably the most productive alter was created to the rear fascia, which has been reshaped to solve the taillights’; “overbite.” Audi also re-sculpted the innards of the head- and taillights, whose horizontal LED graphics now mirror the alterations executed on the refreshed A7 unveiled couple of months ago.

Beyond new color and trim alternatives, there are virtually no adjustments to the masterfully executed interior. We’re bummed, however, that Audi didn’t take the opportunity to better integrate the frame for the optional head-up display, which sits atop the dashboard like a tumor. But work has been carried out behind the surface: The navigation and infotainment method gets new and much better hardware that includes a faster graphics processor, and some of the help systems—such as lane-departure warning and blind-spot detection—have been a lot more completely integrated with 1 yet another.

There are more improvements in the powertrain department. In Europe, the A6 lineup starts with a 150-hp 2.-liter diesel and a 190-hp 1.8-liter turbo 4-cylinder. We will once once more see a 2.-liter turbo 4-cylinder (possibly with a modest bump over the existing 220 horsepower) and a 333-hp supercharged V-6, despite the fact that that 1 has been extensively revised to increase efficiency. There are further diesel engines on the Continent, but we’ll only get a revised 240-hp 3.-liter V-6. So, no we won’t get the 326-horse—346 with a short-term overboost function—twin-turbo 3.-liter V-6 TDI. As well poor. Above the A6, of course, sits the S6, which now gtes 450 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 4.-liter V-8, up from 420. The RS6 Avant, which (like every single Avant) will not come to the U.S., remains at 560 horsepower in simple spec, but Europeans quickly will be able to specify a 600-plus-horsepower derivative.

All gasoline-fired all-wheel-drive vehicles have a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, although the diesel gets an 8-speed traditional automatic. In excellent news for enthusiasts, the CVT transmission has been taken out back and shot. It was previously the gearbox of selection for front-wheel-drive models, such as a 2.0T model in the U.S., but those automobiles will now get their personal all-new dual-clutch ’box.

The face-lifted A6 makes no breakthroughs, but it will support Audi stay at the prime of the game in a fiercely competitive market.

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2016 Mazda MX-five Miata Debuts: Photos and Info on the Fourth-Gen Icon!

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The newest Miata is modern, muscular, and nevertheless a small mysterious.

Mazda is a tiny firm, which provides it specific advantages more than its behemoth rivals in developing focused goods. Mazda’s size also appears to assist it maintain secrets. When we got our 1st glimpse of the all-new 2016 MX-5 Miata a few days before its global reveal—in the form of 2 low-resolution images, each partially obscured by “Not For Publication” type—we have been as genuinely shocked as we had been excited. Now this is a sports auto.

We’ve now seen the 2016 Miata in the flesh. Our observations can be summarized thusly: It looks even far better in person, its interior supplies are as nice as those in any other Mazda, it really is lengthy and low like a appropriate sports automobile, and its maker really does not want you to know anything much more about the automobile just but. The darkness occluding its technical attributes is so complete that “Eclipse” would make a good nickname for the auto. Mitsubishi most likely wouldn’t even notice.

“Modern” is the word Derek Jenkins, design director at Mazda North America, uses to describe the 4th-generation MX-5 Miata. “Muscular” may well have worked, also, as the lines and stance of the new vehicle are as aggressively masculine as something Mazda has developed given that the lengthy-lamented RX-7. The new automobile has a longer wheelbase and a longer hood, while retaining the short rear end and stubby decklid. Mazda dealers will be content to hang this new sports auto on their racks alongside the 3 and the 6, elegantly fleshing out the brand’s stylish, Kodo-fied wardrobe. (Kodo is the name of Mazda’s present styling language.)

Jenkins says the new style evolves the MX-5 Miata further away from its British roadster roots by adopting a far more planted stance. Exactly where those automobiles normally emphasized horizontal lines parallel to the ground and looked as if their bodies have been riding atop their wheels, a fashion carried forward to the outgoing Miata, the new automobile is decrease and integrates the wheels into the tall, curved fenders. The grille and headlights give the MX-5 Miata a clear loved ones resemblance, and their low placement is crucial to the aggressive appear. This was produced achievable by lowering the engine in the chassis, but there’s also some visual sleight of hand played right here with the curve of the hood and some other detailing.

A black windshield surround equivalent to that of the 2015 25th Anniversary edition auto will be standard, and it aids accentuate the sleekness of the automobile. It also matches the darker wheels that Mazda will be specifying for most versions. Not only will these wheels resist showing brake dust, but the fact that they visually blend with the tire sidewalls assists obtain the look of a full wheel properly even in 16- and 17-inch sizes.

Inside the new MX-5 Miata, which will share its architecture but not its styling or engines with a Fiat roadster, much of the gear is borrowed from the Mazda 3, like the rotary handle knob in the center console and the infotainment screen perched atop the dashboard. The higher-backed bucket seats that have constantly graced the Miata’s cockpit appear again right here. Other features we noticed: 2 USB ports on the center stack, a couple of flimsy pop-up cup holders near the rear bulkhead, and a windblocker that appears equivalent to outgoing car’;s. We also spotted 2 sensor openings at the prime of windshield behind the rearview mirror, indicating the Miata likely will provide at least adaptive cruise manage and lane-departure warning. (The auto on display was Japanese-spec it’;s unknown at this point which of these attributes will make it to the U.S. version.)

Mazda says it aimed to take 200 pounds or a lot more out of the new auto, which would put it in between 2250 and 2300 pounds on our scales. As shown by the car’s chassis, which was displayed at this year’s New York auto show, expect a heavy dose of aluminum in its mix of components.

To our eyes, the 4th-generation ND MX-5 Miata is closer to the second-generation NB car than the outgoing NC. The new design also reminds us of the way Jaguar evolved some of the classic E-sort lines to generate its new F-type. There’s no arguing that the 2016 Miata is unquestionably contemporary.

It is strange to think of the Miata as something but. This was, after all, the car that took the classic roadster perfect and updated it for a entire new generation of enthusiasts. That original Miata represented the pinnacle of 1980s Japanese design and engineering flattery, “retro” carried out much better than any of the more obvious heritage-mining cars that have followed in its wake, such as the Volkswagen New Beetle and the Ford Thunderbird. We have Mazda to thank as nicely for goading Porsche into building the Boxster, BMW the Z3 and Z4, and Mercedes-Benz the SLK.

The MX-5 Miata has aged gracefully in the intervening years, its legacy possessing grown stronger than these of its forebears, but it has nevertheless aged. For the ever-graying fortysomethings who may possibly wish each and every morning to relive that summer of 1989 when the now-venerable Miata debuted, there stay precious few vehicles that come close to achieving that time-machine impact. We count on this new edition to carry on the tradition.

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The Topless Advantage: 2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster Images and Info

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Aston Martin’;s quickest and fiercest roadster ever.

Aston Martin could have large plans for its future models, but apparently those crafty Brits haven’t finished proliferating their current crop of speedy sexpots. This latest variation on the Aston Martin theme, the 2015 V12 Vantage S roadster, is a especially savory 1 that combines the relentless speed of the V12 Vantage S, which we drove final fall, with the exuberant open-air romance that is innate to British roadsters.

If you know anything about the V12 Vantage S coupe, none of these specs will surprise you. The naturally aspirated V-12 makes the very same 565 hp at 6750 rpm and 457 lb-ft of torque at 5750 revs in both physique designs, and it likewise comes mated solely to Aston’s third-generation 6-speed automated manual, dubbed Sportshift III. The engine supplies significantly far more scoot than the non-S V12 Vantage roadster that Aston introduced for 2013, which developed “just” 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.

According to Aston Martin, the tiny 2-seater calls for a mere 3.9 seconds to hit 60 mph from a cease, .1 second longer than the coupe and .3 second faster than its manual-only predecessor, producing it the quickest series-production Aston Martin roadster in history. Prime speed is a noggin-scalping 201 mph, up a outstanding 11 mph from the original V12 Vantage roadster. Of course, we’ll reserve judgment until we have put it via our test regime. We are ready when you are, Aston.

The chassis follows the identical sportification program as the coupe, with 3-stage adaptive damping, 2 levels of energy-steering assistance, and specially created carbon-ceramic brakes. A separate Sport mode for the powertrain dials up throttle response, shift speed, and even the sound good quality of the new One particular-77–derived exhaust technique.

The ideal news is that, unlike the original V12 Vantage roadster, the S roadster is coming to the U.S., with deliveries beginning in the first quarter of 2015, according to Aston Martin. Pricing hasn’t been announced however, but do not count on much alter back from your $ 200,000 bill.

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2015 Ford Focus ST Photos and Info: Fresh Looks, Verified Power

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Revised appears, a freshened interior—and newly obtainable stripes!

• MICHAEL SIMARI AND


• THE MANUFACTURER

The Goodwood Festival of Speed, held annually on the grounds of Goodwood Residence in West Sussex, England, is a mecca for speed freaks. Began primarily as a showcase for historic marques, it has ballooned to incorporate all manner of wheeled lunacy, and this year’s event contains the debut of the refreshed 2015 Ford Focus ST. A definite C/D preferred, the present Concentrate ST is each a 10Best winner and a member in excellent standing of our long-term test fleet.

Native Son, Globe-Class Reputation

Though Ford was born in America, the brand has lengthy reserved a special location in its heart for the U.K. (and Britons a particular place in their heart for the brand), so it tends to make sense that the most recent ST would make its debut there.

As with the already revealed 2015 hatchback and sedan, the new ST’s tweaks start with a refreshed front fascia. The look involves a set of sleeker headlight units that imbue it with a squintier and slightly more aggressive countenance. LED running lamps are regular, whilst the ST2 and ST3 trim levels have HID headlights. The grille is slightly larger, but it retains roughly the identical all round shape. Gone, nevertheless, are the thin, fanglike elements that split it into 3 sections.

Best: 2015 Ford Concentrate ST. Bottom: 2014 Ford Concentrate ST.

The reduce area adopts an egg-crate look, and the fog-lamp lenses are now polygonal in shape rather of round. A newly sculpted hood plays nicely into the more aggressive look. Out back, a deeper blackout panel now spans the entire fascia, and the trademark twin hexagonal exhaust finishers carry over.

Gray, 18-inch Rado aluminum wheels are standard, and an extra new wheel design and style and red painted calipers are optional. Magnetic Metallic replaces Ingot Silver in the exterior colour palette, and buyers can now add stripes—in Satin Black and Higher Gloss Red—to their automobiles. Doing so also nets matching mirror caps.

The interior gets a couple of updates of its own, which includes a redesigned center stack with new finishes and a supposedly improved climate-manage interface, a new center console with far more storage and a “smart charging” (Ford claims it charges twice as quick as the old 1) USB port, and revised door inners with integrated cup holders. A new flat-bottomed steering wheel covered in “soft-feel” leather arrives (with heating as an option), and an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat makes it effortless for drivers of all sizes to get comfy and to find an optimal driving position.

The standard ST1 gets seats covered in dark fabric, while the ST2 adds partial leather and gives purchasers the choice of Tangerine Scream, Overall performance Blue, Smoke Storm, or Race Red accents for the bottoms and side bolsters. In the ST3, the seats are upholstered in no-nonsense, full-on black leather. Aggressive Recaro front seats are normal in the ST2 and ST3.

Dynamically Speaking

To maintain the Concentrate ST’s driving dynamics on point, the maker asked Ford Team RS—the European arm of Ford’s Worldwide Performance Automobile group—to give the chassis a onceover. The result involves new springs all around, sportier damping characteristics, and retuned electric energy steering for better feel. Back for ’15 is the 252-hp, 2.-liter EcoBoost turbocharged 4 and 6-speed manual transmission—after all, why mess with confirmed combo? That is, unless you’re talking about the highly anticipated Concentrate RS, a car that promises to top the ST in raw functionality. In that case, mess away.

It goes without mentioning that Ford Sync will be onboard for 2015, full with the developer-friendly Sync AppLink. Ford says there are at the moment a lot more than 60 AppLink-enabled Android and iOS apps accessible, which, okay. For us, the actual beauty of any Focus ST has nothing at all to do with apps or touch screens. Nope, the beauty is in firing it up, grabbing a gear, and letting ’er rip.

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2015 Mini Cooper 5-Door Pictures and Info: Mini Does Conventional

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Mini does conventional.

If you believe the latest Mini Hardtop to be neither specifically mini nor more attractive than its predecessor, we wouldn’t argue either point. The most current 3-door Hardtop’s generous size boost does make for a roomier interior, but the vehicle also appears like a 5-4ths—or larger—scale Mini. Now Mini is expanding the brand (how numerous occasions will we write those words?) with this volume-chasing 5-door, which is a first if you don’t count the Countryman crossover. Sadly, the 5r does not fix the Hardtop’s visual eccentricities, but it does provide another bump in cabin space.

Mild Size Bump, Bumpy Look

There’s no question that the 5-Door, as Mini is officially calling it, will attract people to the brand who shun its much less practical or less-mini models. But does practicality need to have to look like this? The 6-door (counting the rear barn doors) Mini Clubman notion that wowed us at this year’s Geneva auto show had us salivating for this automobile. The show house had it all: Great appears, a sultry roofline, and upscale detailing inside and out.

The production 5-door, on the other hand, is no more than a mildly stretched Mini with an additional pair of doors wedged in. All round length has been taffy-pulled by roughly 6 inches, even though the wheelbase expands by just half that it is no wonder the addition of rear doors looks awkward. The handsome Clubman idea, by contrast, stretched a whopping 15 or so inches longer than a Hardtop, affording it far greater proportions.

About half—1.5 inches—of the 5-door’s extra wheelbase has been translated into rear-seat legroom, and if they’re stubby, at least the rear doors will make it simpler to access the back seat. The new Mini’s cargo hold will swallow 9.2 cubic feet of stuff behind the back seats, .5 a lot more than before.

Aside from rear passengers getting door pulls to play with and C-pillars in their peripheral vision, people in a 5-door will occupy an nearly identical interior. The 5-door hatch can carry 5 individuals, though, whereas the Hardtop accommodates only 4. But provided that the 2 automobiles share an identical 68-inch width, the fifth aboard ought to most likely be named Jack or Jim.

Powertrains by BMW

The 5-door’s hood will hide the identical engines as in the Hardtop. That means base Cooper models get a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.5-liter 3-cylinder gas engine hooked to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic. Output stands at a respectable 134 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. The hotter option is the Cooper S, which mates the same 6-speed gearboxes to a 2.-liter turbo 4 creating 189 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. (An overboost function temporarily bumps the engines’ torque figures to 170 and 221 lb-ft.) Both models are front-wheel drive.

The new hatchback’s reasonably mild stretch should iron out the ride a bit and likely will not prove detrimental to the car’s chuckability. The larger Mini hatch utilizes the exact same strut front and multilink rear suspension setup, and it shares the choice of adaptive dampers that let the driver to tailor the ride and handling.

The Mini 5-door will be offered with a host of driver-help technologies, such as a head-up show, road-sign detection for speed-limit placards, camera-primarily based adaptive cruise handle, collision and pedestrian-effect warnings, and even an automatic braking function. This sort of gear must, like the pair of rear doors, support expand the Mini’s appeal.

This new vehicle fills dealers’ need for a 5-door Mini that’s less costly and smaller than the Countryman, and they must expect a lot more showroom traffic. But we hope the quirky Clubman concept has a future, barn doors and all, simply because this 5-door—and a prospective complete-blown SUV—indicates that Mini is pondering a lot more conventionally than ever.

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2015 Mini Cooper 5-Door Pictures and Info: Mini Does Conventional