Automotive

New Graphic Details Three Decades of The Honda Civic Si

New Graphic Details Three Decades of The Honda Civic Si The Civic is the quintessential Honda, seen by many today as a reliable and affordable means of transportation. The Civic Si was greeted the same way when it debuted in 1986 on the heels of the CRX Si a year earlier. Since then, the car has seen its fair share of revisions and upgrades, but despite three decades passing, the cost of the car hasn’t changed all that much after adjusting for inflation.
The team at HondaPartsOnline.net put together this interesting comparison chart that details the Civic Si’s specs and pricing through the years.
“Performance enthusiasts know this Honda combines some smooth shifting, quick agility, and unmistaken power into a reasonably priced compact,” said Cesar Aranda, HondaPartsOnline.net Director. “Other car brands don’t offer this kind of performance and quality for the price, so we thought it would be fun to look at the pricing history and see if the Si is still an affordable option.”
Dressed To Impress
The United States Congress outlined the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in 1975 following the 1973 oil embargo. Through the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, Congress established fuel economy standards for cars to begin meeting by 1978. By 1985, automakers were expected to record an average of 27.5 mpg with their fleets. With the Civic Si, Honda was uniquely positioned to meet these increasing demands. When the hatchback Si arrived, it delivered 26 in the city and 30 on the highway. By comparison, today’s Honda Civics deliver 40 or above on the highway, depending on the model.
1986 Honda Civic CRX Si. Photo: Honda North America.
Power & Performance
Performance was solid for the 1986 Civic Si at 91 horsepower. A series of sensors assisted the car’s computer in handling what Honda called “timed-sequential multi-port Programmed Fuel Injection.” By comparison, the Civic Type R is the most powerful car Honda has ever sold in the United States. The 2.0-liter engine under the hood is characterized by direct injection, a dual overhead cam, and Honda’s evergreen VTEC technology. The Type R creates 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque, a great deal more than Civic buyers in the 80s were used to.
“Honda’s been racing motorcycles since 1955, and they were building Formula 1 engines in 1983. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Honda is one of the best engine builders in the world,” Aranda explained. “Considering that Honda has pioneered a lot of engine performance technology, it’s great that they continue to improve this high performing, affordable model for the public.”
Honda Civic Type R. Photo: Honda North America.
Pricing Comparisons
HondaPartsOnline.net analyzed the pricing through the years and found that, when adjusting for inflation, not much has changed. In fact, in some variations, today’s Civics cost less. For example, when the 2003 Civic Si hatchback’s MSRP is adjusted for inflation, it rings up nearly $2,000 more than the 2017 base model. On a similar note, the 2017 Si coupe has better fuel economy and more horsepower, but costs less than the 2015 model.
“Honda keeps improving the performance on the Si, reducing the weight, and keeping the price low,” Aranda added.
The graphic from HondaPartsOnline.net is below. Enjoy!
Carl Anthony in Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Civic Photos: Honda North America.

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Expert Panels Lead Autonomous Car Discussions During Global Summit In Brussels

Expert Panels Lead Autonomous Car Discussions During Global Summit In Brussels

What does the future of mobility look like? It’s an increasingly common question with often contrasting answers. Those developing the technology are doing so with a number of challenges and opportunities in mind. These challenges and opportunities vary, depending on if it’s a large OEM, top tier supplier, or relatively new startup.
Challenges and opportunities: the two best words to describe the landscape of future mobility. AutoSens Brussels examined both in great detail this week.
Strength In Numbers
Inside the famed Autoworld Museum, AutoSens Brussels united over 400 senior level researchers, engineers, and other experts to identify the challenges and opportunities surrounding future mobility. Attendees, speakers, and sponsors were encouraged to leverage each other’s expertise.
“Don’t be the only one working in the silo,” said Rob Stead, Managing Director of Sense Media, during the event’s opening remarks on Wednesday. “We are here to work together, so please reach out and meet someone new.”
Sense Media Managing Director, Rob Stead opening AutoSens Brussels on Wednesday. Photo: Carl Anthony for Automoblog.net
Distinguished Voices
A number of dynamic and diverse speakers took the stage to share their insights, experience, and visions. Richard Schram, Technical Manager, Euro NCAP, highlighted the organization’s 2025 Road Map, which details a number of initiatives, driver assistance and crash avoidance among them. The 2025 Road Map leads straight to automated driving, but interestingly, covers things like child safety with regard to heat stroke. In an informational video, representatives from Euro NCAP spoke about how parents can sometimes accidently leave their children in the vehicle.
It also takes into account, especially in Europe, the number of two-wheeled vehicles, from bikes to motorcycles. Euro NCAP is working to minimize the higher fatality rates associated with two-wheeled vehicles in an accident.
Financial Impacts
Rudy Burger, Managing Partner, Woodside Capital Partners, spoke on mergers and acquisitions within the automotive arena and how that affects future mobility. Burger highlighted the more recent acquisitions, like Harmon by Samsung, Mobileye by Intel, and Cruise Automation by General Motors, the latter of which he believes is promising.
“As an acquirer, I would have to take my hat off to GM,” Burger said on stage. “Their bet in Cruise Automation is significant.”
Burger also pointed out how corporate investors are much more active when it comes to future mobility. Burger’s presentation made mention of BMW, Daimler, Delphi, and Denso among others as the most diligent.
“What we are seeing is a number of very large companies placing bets – significant bets – whereby they believe in order to create a controlling position in the market, they must actually acquire a company,” Burger said.
AutoSens Brussels was held in the famed Autoworld Museum in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Carl Anthony for Automoblog.net.

Pushing Limits
Corey Zehfus, an Optical Designer from Sunex, spoke on how automotive camera trends are influencing optical designs. He underscored the importance of why vehicle cameras must be durable, high performing, and able to handle a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. Zehfus also addressed a reoccurring mindset with vehicle perception technology that effectively wants to do more with less.
“Now ADAS has grown to include many different functions and people are trying to do these functions and detections with as few sensors as possible,” he said during his presentation.
Zehfus also noted the increasingly critical role cameras play and how a number of ADAS systems, from emergency braking to pedestrian detection, rely on cameras. Zehfus explained how this demand means more sophisticated camera and lens specs.
“It’s pushing the state-of-the-art,” he said.
Corey Zehfus from Sunex speaks on Wednesday at AutoSens Brussels. Photo: Carl Anthony for Automoblog.net.
Human Versus Machine
Saskia de Craen from the SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research raised hard but necessary questions on automated driving. During her presentation, she addressed the distinctions between a human and machine driver, suggesting that even though automated technology is promising, there are some things only humans can detect.
“When a driver approaches this ball in the street, they can determine that perhaps a child is following,” she said, pointing to a basketball on the large screen above her. “Of course you can tell a computer this simple script, but a human can determine many different types of balls that could be in the road.”
de Craen, with a remote, changed the ball on the screen, from a football, to a beach ball, to even a Pokémon ball. She then challenged the audience to think in terms of other children’s toys that might inadvertently end up in the road: a little train, miniature car, or kite, for example. And if that scenario were encountered, would a machine be able to determine that not only a ball, but another toy in the road may mean a child is close behind. Would a machine be able to make that distinction as well as a human?
“Please let us not forget that our brain is the best computer ever invented,” she urged. “The point is that people are very good at adapting in situations like this and computers do make mistakes.”
Saskia de Craen from the SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research speaks at AutoSens Brussels on Thursday. Photo: Carl Anthony for Automoblog.net.

Extensive Panel
Other speakers and presenters included Dr. Heiko Hirschmuller, Co-Founder of Roboception, on how robotics and remote sensing play into autonomous driving; Erich Ramschak, Senior Product Manager ADAS Engineering, AVL List, on the importance of map data in autonomous driving, and Alain Dunoyer, Head of Safe Car, SBD Automotive, on the impacts of the autonomous car on traffic.
“It’s not every day you can find this many experts in one place,” remarked an attendee from the United States. “I have really learned a lot from watching the speakers.”
“The speakers are the best part because of their knowledge,” said another attendee from Germany.
AutoSens Brussels attendees had many networking opportunities, especially during lunch. Photo: Carl Anthony for Automoblog.net.
Collaboration & Connection
AutoSens creates an environment where those working on vehicle perception technology can collaborate. It’s not a trade show or convention, and attendees are not subjected to any sales literature. AutoSens is genuinely about getting the engineers, researchers, and other experts on ADAS together in one place. The vehicle and technology demonstrations combined with the expert panels make AutoSens a world-class event on something that will change the world as we know it.
“It’s important we don’t develop the technology behind closed doors and that we are all talking the same language,” Stead said. “We can bring some real benefits by doing that.”
AutoSens is returning to the U.S. next year. Although a venue and date have not been announced, organizers say they are planning a May event in the Detroit metro.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

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2018 Hyundai Tucson Arrives In Dealerships With More Updates, Technology

2018 Hyundai Tucson Arrives In Dealerships With More Updates, Technology The Hyundai Tucson recorded its best November in the company’s history, and as the new model arrives for 2018, expect to see more available features. More than 90 percent of 2018 model year Tucsons will feature a 7-inch audio display, HD Radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and heated seats. The Guidance Package offers free map and multimedia system updates and unique fabric seats, made by YES Essentials, are now standard for the gray and beige interiors.
Power & Performance
The 2018 Hyundai Tucson is motivated by two different four-cylinder engines, a 1.6-liter or a 2.0-liter. Both engines untilize direct injection while the 1.6-liter is turbocharged for additional power and efficiency. The 1.6-liter makes 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. of torque when paired to Hyundai’s seven-speed EcoShift dual-clutch transmission. Expect to see this combination on the Value and Limited trims. By comparison, the 2.0-liter creates 164 horsepower and 151 lb-ft. of torque when matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. This combination is standard on SE, SEL, and SEL Plus trims.
EPA fuel economy estimates come in at 27 combined mpg for the 1.6-liter turbo and 26 combined mpg for the 2.0-liter. The 2.0-liter’s transmission has an overdrive lock-up torque converter to increase fuel economy at higher speeds. All-wheel drive is available across the lineup.
Photo: Hyundai Motor America.
Trim Levels
The SE trim remains as the base model, although the SE Popular Equipment package is now the SEL trim. This latter trim level includes the aforementioned 7-inch audio display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The SE Plus is now SEL Plus; the Value and Limited trims remain but Eco and Night have been discontinued. That said, the trim levels for the 2018 Hyundai Tucson, in order, are SE, SEL, SEL Plus, Value, and Limited.
Those opting for the SEL Plus and Limited trims get three years of Blue Link Connected Car Services, including the previously mentioned Guidance Package. The Blue Link system lets drivers start and adjust their Tucson’s interior climate remotely and schedule maintenance among other things. Those going for the Value trims will have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay at their service while Limited customers will be treated to a heated steering wheel.
Heated front seats have been expanded to the SEL trim and above, HomeLink is now available starting with the Value trim, and SiriusXM and HD Radio are now available starting with the SEL models. Other available features for the 2018 Hyundai Tucson include proximity key, push button start, panoramic sunroof, Clean Air Ionizer, and an Infinity premium audio system with Clari-Fi Music Restoration Technology. The latter is featured on the SEL Plus as well as the Limited trim.
Photo: Hyundai Motor America.
Safety & Styling
The 2018 Hyundai Tucson has a number of available advanced driver assistance systems like blind spot detection with rear-cross traffic alert, lane change assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning. On the outside, the Tucson is characterized by 17 or 19-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lamps, and HID headlights that turn as the steering wheel does for better visibility at night.
Pricing & Availability
The 2018 Hyundai Tucson is available now with a starting MSRP of $22,550 for the front-wheel drive SE with the 2.0-liter. The same model with all-wheel drive runs $23,950. At the top end, the front-wheel drive Limited with the 1.6-liter goes for $29,425; $30,825 with all-wheel drive. Buyers who want to land in the middle of the specturm might consider the SEL Plus with the 2.0-liter. When equipped with front-wheel drive, the MSRP is $26,700; $28,100 with all-wheel drive.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
2018 Hyundai Tucson Gallery

Photos & Source: Hyundai Motor America.

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2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack SE Review

2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack SE Review
Why would you want a wagon? The Volkswagen Golf Alltrack was released last year as the newest member of the iconic Golf family, and it’s designed for adventurous families. It has a more rugged appearance, all-wheel drive, and cargo carrying abilities rivaling similarly priced compact crossovers. It’s ready for the trail and gets better mileage than many small crossovers or SUVs.
And, you can’t find many vehicles with a 6-speed manual gearbox option like the Alltrack.
What’s New For 2018?
Returning for the 2018 model year is the Alltrack’s 1.8-liter TSI turbocharged four-cylinder engine, standard 4Motion All-Wheel Drive, and Hill Descent Control. The vehicle comes outfitted in three trim levels: S, SE, and SEL. This week, we drove the attractively outfitted 2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack SE.
Features & Options
The Golf Alltrack SE gets perforated leatherette seating, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, ambient interior lighting, backup camera, foglights, LED taillights, LED Daytime Running Lights, alarm prep, automatic headlights with rain sensor, an 8-inch touchscreen with Composition Color infotainment, and a Fender Premium audio system, which adds a subwoofer and upgraded sound. The Driver Assist package added a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and a self-parking system. Total MSRP, not including destination: $29,765.

Interior Highlights
The inside of the VW Golf Alltrack is stylish with Marrakesh Brown perforated leatherette seats and black trim to set the tone. The seats are comfortable and there’s enough soft-touch materials to make it feel a bit more upscale than your average crossover. The 6-speed manual shifter is positioned perfectly and the controls are easy to understand and driver-focused.
Visibility is excellent in all directions thanks to Alltrack’s tall greenhouse, plentiful glass, and relatively slim pillars, which differs from many of the crossovers today with raked rooflines. With the panoramic sunroof, the wagon offers up lots of light and a great view skyward too.
In the back, room is not as plentiful as up front, but there’s enough legroom for taller adults. Our riders commented this week on how the backseats are positioned too low and they felt claustrophobic. They couldn’t see out and wanted a better view of the road. The 60/40-split folding rear seats do offer a center pass-through, so you can carry a 2X4 without strapping it on the roof.
What adventurous families will like is Alltrack’s 30.4 cubic feet of standard cargo space which is SUV-like. And fold those seats down flat and you have room for extra camping gear with 66.5 cubic feet. The seat backs conveniently flip forward via easy-to-reach release handles on either side of the cargo area, so there’s no need to walk around to the backseat. We also like the handy two-position sliding cargo cover to conceal valuables during your weekend adventures.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
The Volkswagen Alltrack is powered by a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine producing 170 horsepower and 199 lb-ft. of torque. This tester came with a 6-speed manual gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel-drive. With the 6-speed manual, EPA fuel mileage estimates are 22/32 city/highway and 26 combined mpg.
Driving Dynamics
Because the 1.8-liter engine is turbocharged, we had no problem scooting up the mountains west of Denver at elevation. The engine’s torque also gets the Alltrack moving quickly from a stop, and is useful for carrying extra weight on those weekend excursions to the high country. Our only complaint is how the outside mirrors were small and were too touchy to adjust. We found ourselves taking longer than expected to change them to the right driving position.
Underway, the Alltrack has smooth power and the 6-speed manual gives the driver extra control in the curves. There’s a slight body lean in the curves because of the wagon’s 6.7 inches of ground clearance, which gives extra room when taking it off-pavement. But the Alltrack won’t be challenging the Subaru Outback (8.7 inches) for off-road-wagon supremacy.
Overall, we found the Allratck to be a competent road warrior and the perfect size for those urban-dwellers to navigate tight city streets.
Conclusion
The 2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack offers all-wheel drive, all-weather capability, cargo carrying abilities rivaling similarly priced crossovers, and it’s rugged enough for your weekend adventures away from civilization. It gets excellent fuel mileage and offers a 6-speed manual gearbox which is hard to find these days.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Gallery

VW Golf Alltrack Official Site.
Photos: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
*2017 model also shown.

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2017 Volkswagen e-Golf Gets A Price (And It’s Not Just The MSRP)

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf Gets A Price (And It’s Not Just The MSRP)

VW’s 2018 E-Golf just had its price revealed, and it’s not all that bad. Cheaper than a new Tesla, for one thing, but the bottom line here is, as always, the bottom line: This better work. And I’m not saying that just for the sake of the planet, but I’m saying it for the sake of VW. After that diesel-gate screw up, Volkswagen has got to get their act together and start selling cars, a lot of cars, or things could turn out very bad for them.
Hand In The Cookie Jar
Volkswagen, like a number of other European automakers, has a lot of history in diesel engines. And a lot of them, VW chief among them, were not all that interested in pursuing EV technology. They decided to put their engineering focus on diesel engines for the sake of efficiency, but a funny thing happened on the way to the emissions testing station. VW was caught red-handed faking their diesel emissions scores and got the crap pounded out of them, legally and financially speaking. Shoot, one of the corporate higher ups just got a jail sentence for his part in L’affaire Diesel.
This leaves VW and any other automaker banking on diesel in a bit of a technological and political bind. With new efficiency and emissions standards looming on the horizon, car companies have to clean up their act. Which brings us to Volkswagen’s e-Golf: they better be able to make and sell these things by the boat-load. Funny thing is this just might work out. The Volkswagen E-Golf looks like a good alternative to most of the other EVs out there.
Photo: Volkswagen of America Inc.
Range Increase
The 2018 e-Golf has a starting price of $30,495, which I note is much cheaper than the hotly anticipated Tesla Model 3, and about what Nissan sells their Leaf EV for. The new e-Golf gets some improvements, like a longer EPA-estimated range, better economy, and more power. The updated lithium-ion battery improves energy capacity to 35.8 kWh, up from the previous 24.2 kWh, for an increase in vehicle range (83 miles to 125 miles on a single charge).
No, Jack, it’s obviously not a road trip car; it’s aimed at around town travel.
There’s also a 7.2 kW on-board charger standard on all trim levels, so you can charge the battery in less than 6 hours at a 240V station. And, when you go with the DC Fast Charging, optional on SE models, standard on Limited Edition and SEL Premium, the battery can be charged up to 80 percent within an hour at a DC fast charging station.
Battery chemistry improvements raise the overall “fuel” economy to 126 MPGe for city driving and 111 MPGe on the highway/autobahn. Combined city/ highway gets you 119 MPGe. These figures are slight improvements over the previous model.
Photo: Volkswagen of America Inc.
Power & Performance
All that juice is applied to the Straße via an upgraded 100 kW electric motor. It puts out 134 horsepower, a notable improvement over the previous 85 kW electric motor that put out 115 horsepower. Unsurprisingly, torque is also up, from 199 lb-ft. to 214 lb-ft., good enough to get you to 60 in just 9.6 seconds. Top speed is a lackadaisical 85 mph, but I doubt 99.9% of e-Golf buyers will care.
Trim Levels
Breaking it down by trim level, the base, or as VW puts it “value-oriented” e-Golf SE starts at $30,495. It comes with more standard equipment than the previous base model. The SE comes with an 8-inch glass-covered touchscreen display, LED taillights, cruise control, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, and the 7.2 kW on-board charger. Adding the DC Fast Charging package tacks on another $995.
The e-Golf Limited Edition rings out at $33,795 and includes all of the SE stuff, but adds DC Fast Charging capability, V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces, and Park Distance Control (ParkPilot), along with a new feature called Maneuver Braking to “avoid or mitigate the effects of a collision with stationary objects while parking.” No, seriously.
The range topping e-Golf SEL Premium will cost you $36,995 and offers an optional Driver Assistance package for $1,395. That includes a 12.3-inch Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrument cluster, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring, Lane Assist, Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert, Park Assist, and Light Assist.
So, there it is. It’s not exactly a Hail Mary pass on Volkswagen’s part, but they better start selling these things like crazy.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photos & Source: Volkswagen of America Inc.

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Imagine By Kia: New Concept Electric Aims To Please The Senses

Imagine By Kia: New Concept Electric Aims To Please The Senses This car/SUV/crossover is the first pure-electric vehicle from Kia.
The familiar Kia “tiger nose” makes way for the “tiger mask” front design.
Kia unveiled the “Imagine by Kia” concept at the Geneva International Motor Show.
Ah yes, another concept EV. The Imagine by Kia is the South Korean car maker’s first-ever, pure-electric four-door car. It fuses the design attributes of a muscular SUV, athletic family saloon, and a versatile crossover.
I have no idea how Kia did it, but the initial results are satisfying, to say the least. It didn’t take long to discern that Kia is serious about coming up with better-looking cars.
Case in point, the Kia Stinger GT.
And with the Imagine by Kia Concept EV, we can rest in the knowledge that future electric cars will have none of the weird and polarizing quirkiness of early hybrids and electric vehicles. I’m looking at you, first-gen Nissan Leaf and Peugeot iOn! Thankfully, Nissan has moved on from the dreary first-gen Leaf to the more normal-looking second-gen car. Sadly, Peugeot remains stuck in the past with the iOn, which remains to be a rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car.
And this is where we see Kia trying to break that mold in terms of styling.
Imagine by Kia. Photo: Kia Motors Europe.
SUV Design Cues, Compact Size
Sport-utility vehicles are so popular that a large majority of concept cars are now carrying SUV design cues. Consider the recent Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept? That vehicle is Infiniti’s first foray in the EV segment, and it’s an SUV! Kia is doing something similar here. But instead of being an actual SUV, the Imagine by Kia is a large C-segment car. Think Nissan Sentra, Volkswagen Golf, and Toyota Corolla. Or in Kia world, the Forte.
“It hints at something familiar but is something entirely new,” said Gregory Guillaume, Vice President of Design, Kia Motors Europe, about the Imagine by Kia. “I think of it as a category-buster, and a disruptor – it’s familiar and understood but at the same time progressive and new.”
Instead of the familiar three-box design layout, the Imagine by Kia is styled like a crossover. At some angles, this concept resembles a Stinger on steroids. However, in the front, the Imagine by Kia is oozing with old school charm. If you squint, the new “tiger mask” front has the aura of the Alfa Romeo Montreal and the De Tomaso Mangusta from the 1970s.
“The inspiration for the ‘tiger mask’ was to create the look and feel of the headlamps being suspended within a transparent block of glass,” Guillaume said. “This identifiable lighting signature could potentially be deployed as a unifying design element across Kia’s future electric vehicle range.”
Photo: Kia Motors Europe.
Unique Paintwork
In order for the crisp shoulder lines and tautly-drawn sheet metal to further stand out, the Imagine by Kia EV boasts a unique paint job. The car benefits from six layers of chrome-effect silver paint – applied by hand, of course – along with a tanned bronze tint. The result is a surface that is warm and inviting to the touch.
And as you may have figure out by now, the paint is sensitive to changing light conditions. The effect is hard to ignore. The depth of sheen plays with the light as it hits the surface, further enhancing the curves and contours of the vehicle.
“Kia prides itself on its power to surprise, which is why we wanted to move away from the rational and focus on the emotional, and embrace a warmer and more human approach to electrification,” Guillaume added.
Photo: Kia Motors Europe.
Efficient Aerodynamics
Electric vehicles are not just about powerful acceleration and silent driving. These vehicles need to slice the wind like a hot knife over butter to improve real-world driving range. From this aspect, it seems Kia has all the bases covered.
“The front air curtain; the way the double-skin bonnet channels air through the nose, up and over the front screen and roof; the double skinned C-pillar that creates an air spoiler; the completely enclosed underbody; the wind-cheating ‘wingcams’ and the hard-edged break-away around the car’s rear,” Guillaume explained. “All these features collectively boost aerodynamic efficiency and reduce turbulence and drag.”
The same goes for the wheels. Those 22-inch rollers contain inserts crafted from transparent acrylic glass, which will hopefully survive curb damage. The goal is to refract and reflect light as the wheels move while reducing air turbulence. The wheels are shod in Goodyear Intelligrip EV concept tires. The tires have sensors that feed information to the vehicle ECU.
Fascinating Interior
The first thing you’ll notice in the interior of the Imagine by Kia is not the single sheet of glass for the windscreen and roof, nor the floating center console or the rear-hinged suicide doors. While those certinately command attention, they are nothing compared to the immersive front display consisting of 21 individual screens on top of the dashboard. We all know distracted driving is dangerous but this is crazy.
Thankfully, Kia’s design team has a sense of humor after all, which is refreshing for a global car maker.
“Those 21 incredibly thin screens are a humorous and irreverent riposte to the on-going competition between some automotive manufacturers to see who can produce the car with the biggest screen,” explains Ralph Kluge, General Manager of Interior Design, Kia Motors Europe. “We wanted the interior to have a twinkle in its eye, to be full of surprising and delightful touches that amuse, engage, and attract both driver and passenger alike.”
Imagine by Kia interior layout, complete with 21 screens. Photo: Kia Motors Europe.
Pure Electric Power
We know for a fact the Imagine by Kia is a pure-electric vehicle. However, Kia is mum on the battery specs and powertrain information. At least for now. What we know so far is how the vehicle benefits from a low-mounted, induction-charged battery pack and compact drivetrain.
Whatever the case, the Imagine by Kia concept has huge shoes to fill. It not only needs to be good, but it needs to be good enough to run with the forthcoming Tesla Model Y, Polestar 2, and Audi Q4 e-tron. This means Kia’s first-ever EV must have a range of 230 to 300 miles and go from zero to 60 mph in less than five seconds.
Kia, I hope you’re reading this.
Future Considerations
Besides the ridiculous screens on the dashboard, Kia is on the right path. But remember, the Imagine by Kia is a concept vehicle. We hope the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when the production model arrives in the near future.
Alvin Reyes is the Associate Editor of Automoblog. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Imagine by Kia Gallery

Photos & Source: Kia Motors Europe.

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Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE Takes On Santa’s Sleigh

Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE Takes On Santa’s Sleigh When I was a kid, I wondered how Santa Claus made it around the world, to every house, in just one night. My parents and I lived in an apartment, which only complicated matters. Since we didn’t have a chimney, one year I asked my father how Santa was going to get in. When my father, a distinguished college professor, assured me he would leave the patio door unlocked, I inquired if that were safe.
“It’s a small town, we should be fine,” my father responded.
Super Sled
Still, Santa would need a fast rig to make every house and a new Camaro sounds like the ticket. Earlier this year, the 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE set a record time on the Nürburgring, making it the fastest Camaro ever on the famed German track. With a supercharged LT4 engine and Brembo high performance brakes, the Camaro ZL1 1LE would be Santa’s ideal car for quickly accelerating to and stopping at every house.
But don’t expect to see Santa at a Chevy dealership anytime soon. Turns out, old St. Nick’s sleigh is one powerful sled. A recent comparison conducted by GMPartsCenter.net shows that while the Camaro ZL1 1LE might be every Chevy enthusiasts dream, its 650 horses are hotly contested by only nine reindeer.
“What could we compare to the new Camaro ZL1 1LE,” asked Matt Mylan, Director at GMPartsCenter.net, noting the car’s affordable price point and performance attributes. “If we’re going to compare it to any machine, that machine has to be amazing, and Santa’s sleigh definitely qualifies.”

Chevy Versus Sleigh
The Camaro holds an advantage in fuel efficiency, with a combined 20 miles per gallon. By comparison, Santa’s sleigh requires one to two cookies per house, which means a significant amount of calories is required to move the sled through the average neighborhood. While milk was not calculated, you can figure a good amount of that is needed as well. When considering the transmission, Santa’s mode of transportation proves a bit more difficult. One would have to master all of his special reindeer calls, whereas the Camaro ZL1 1LE comes with a quick-shifting six-speed manual.
It would appear the Camaro ZL1 1LE holds the advantage in power: 650 horses versus nine reindeer, but it seems Rudolph is a sleeper. GMPartsCenter.net estimates the top speed of Santa’s sleigh is 2.3 million miles per hour, with 60 coming in less than a millisecond. With cargo space, there is no contest. We could fit a few gifts (or maybe only gift cards) in the Camaro’s 9.1 cubic feet for sure, but with all the kids in the world, GMPartsCenter.net rightfully estimated the cargo space in Santa’s sled to be infinite. After all, Santa has to make room for all those fire trucks.
The chart is below. Enjoy!
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Camaro ZL1 1LE Photos: Chevrolet.

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Genesis G70: South Korea’s S-Class Response

Genesis G70: South Korea’s S-Class Response

You have to hand it to them. And by them, I mean they. And by they, I mean Hyundai. The Genesis G70 surely isn’t a bad car, not even close to it. And, here’s the first of many rubs confronting the Genesis G70: they want it to be a thing in and of itself. It is The Genesis, not, most definitely not the Hyundai Genesis. Just: Genesis.
And all the press materials go to great lengths to refer to the car as just that. The mentions or uses of the word “Hyundai” tally up to two in over 2,000 words of verbiage. So what is it? What is the Genesis G70? In a nutshell, it’s pretty easy: Hyundai’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Jack of All Trades
Hyundai, the South Korean mega-corp-conglomo-nopoly, does everything from construction projects to chemicals to electronics to shipbuilding to automobile manufacturing. Hyundai has been making good, solid, dependable yet affordable cars for decades now. In a lot of ways, they have out Toyota’d Toyota and the other Japanese marques whose stock in trade has long been good, solid, dependable yet affordable cars. But what if you want more than that? What if you, as an ambitious mega-corp-conglomo-nopoly, want more for your automobile division? Enter Genesis. Something well built, stylish, solid, safe, with an on-the-road and at-the-curb presence to make people notice. Enter Genesis.
Styling & Design
They describe the Genesis G70 as being “an athletic sedan characterized by its graceful and dynamic exterior styling” with an “elegant and intuitively designed interior.” This is all fair enough and, from a marketing perspective, the G70 completes the Genesis sedan lineup, slotting alongside the G90 flagship and the mid-luxury G80. No, I don’t know exactly what they mean by “mid-luxury” either.
The G70 offers a broad spectrum of color options, both inside and outside. There are ten exterior colors available, and they have come up with a new paint-finishing method: small, evenly distributed aluminum particles and high luminosity colors to maximize the exterior paint. Or, as Ed “Big Daddy” Roth calls it, “metalflake”. The inside has the same “big box of Crayolas” approach for available colors.
The G70 interior is prioritized around superb fit and finish with a focus on simplicity and an importance on real functionality. The overall layout is horizontal with a rather nice sport steering wheel. Since this is a Genesis, premium materials such as aluminum door handles, metal speaker grills, and quilted leather door panels are found throughout the cabin.
Photo: Genesis.
Power & Performance
The Genesis G70 aims to be agile yet safe, dynamic yet quiet, but it all starts from the powertrain. There are three powertrains on offer: a 3.3-liter V6 turbo, a 2.0-liter inline four-banger turbo, and a 2.2-liter inline four cylinder diesel. The engine to pay attention to here is the 3.3-liter V6 turbo – that’s the one found in the “enthusiast-focused” G70 Sport. That 3.3-liter V6 turbo plant cranks out 365 ponies and 376 lb-ft. of torque. All of this is good enough to get the G70 Sport to 60 in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 168 mph. The G70 Sport also comes with variable-ratio steering and an electronically controlled suspension for better response and ride and handling.
You also get a number of other fancy-schmancy performance goodies, such as launch control, rack-mounted, motor-driven power steering (R-MDPS), multi-link rear suspension, dynamic torque vectoring, and a mechanical limited slip differential. They have also put in this contraption called Active Sound Design (ASD). This system “creates an aural character that reflects the engine load and driving mode settings.” That’s all they say about the ASD deal, but I cry witchcraft and sorcery, or, at the very least, fakery and I don’t hold with it. Nosir!
Photo: Genesis.

Technology & Safety
The cabin is also drowning in high tech gee-gaws, like a smart posture control system for minimal stress on long journeys. There’s an 8-inch touchscreen display with MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The G70 also comes with server-based voice recognition technology, using Kakao’s artificial intelligence platform Kakao I. A 15-speaker Lexicon system is there when you really want to crank the K-Pop.
The G70 has a buffet of safety doohickeys like pedestrian impact mitigation technology that lifts the hood to absorb shock and minimize injury. There’s Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Blind Spot Collision Warning, and J-Pop Avoidance Assist because we all know that Psy and Exo are totally hot and AKB48 and Arashi are totally not.
Photo: Genesis.
Big Questions
Will this work? Will the G70, along with the G80 and G90, be able to make Genesis into a brand of its own? That’s the obvious goal here, and I’m not saying they can’t do it. A lot of people in the car business have lost a lot of money saying that same thing about South Korean car companies. Perhaps Hyundai can defy the odds?
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photos & Source: Genesis.

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Lotus Evora GT430 Sport Joins The Party

Lotus Evora GT430 Sport Joins The Party

Okay, so I’m starting to see a pattern here. Lotus, as lovely as they are, has been beating the hype machine drum every two or three months about a “new” model. If this were a major car manufacturer, this article would be nothing but calling them out for being stupidly old school and calling a trim package a “new” model.
But this is Lotus, and most importantly, with all these new Evora variants, they actually feature improvements to the car in terms of performance and design.
Reclaiming The Title
When the Evora fist came out, it was a bit of a puzzle to a lot of hardcore sports car types, and especially Lotus fanatics. It came out right in the middle of that whole Dany Bahar era of 100% horse manure (“Lotus cars aren’t about performance, they are about fashion and luxury”), and the overall layout, that 2 + 1 seating thing, struck a lot of people as odd and unnecessary. Then cooler heads prevailed, Bahar was run out of Hethel on a rail, and performance engineers took control and steered Lotus back on a course that benefits us all. Okay, all us gearheads, because to my knowledge, Lotus has never made a grocery-getter or kid picker-upper and if they ever do, we’re going to have a scrap on our hands.
Performance Engineering
As the name implies, the Lotus Evora GT430 Sport is a further variation and improvement on the GT430. There’s some slight nips and tucks here and there to make it prettier (in a way) and some judicious massaging of the drivetrain and chassis to make it do what Lotus cars have always done: Go, turn, and stop much better than you’d expect.
The Lotus Evora GT430 Sport is part of the extended Evora family, which also has the Evora 400, Evora Sport 410, and the recent addition of the Evora GT430. The new Evora GT430 range (that would be the GT and the Sport) includes two body options and a choice of manual or automatic transmission. To some, the thought of a slush box in a Lotus is outright blasphemy, but put down those pitchforks and torches for a second and hold up. We’ll get to why the automatic in the Evora is actually a pretty good deal. Like its GT430 sibling, the Evora GT430 Sport is motivated from county to county by the same 3.5-liter V6 supercharged engine that cranks out 430 horsepower and 440 Nm of torque, or 317 lb-ft.
Photo: Lotus Cars USA Inc.
Weight & Aerodynamics
The Evora GT430 Sport tips the scales at 10 kilos (22 pounds) less, for a total of 1,248 kg or right around 2,750 pounds. Divide that by the 430 horses and you come up with a power-to-weight ratio of 345 horsepower / tonne (that’s a metric ton) which guarantees you this little car is going to flat out fly when you mash the pedal. As a matter of fact, the Evora GT430 Sport has a top speed of 196 mph, making it the fastest Lotus production car ever.
The easiest way to tell the Sport apart from the Evora GT430 is how the Sport has “motorsport derived aerodynamics.” This is a very polite and British way of saying the flips, kicks, spoilers, and such are not Vin Diesel-inspired cake decorations of no performance utility, oh no. There’s a carbon fiber splitter and a large, profiled carbon wing to suck you onto the tarmac. Louvers at the top of each front wheel arch to cut lift and reduce pressure within the wheel well. The GT430 Sport also has wider wheels and tires.
Photo: Lotus Cars USA Inc.

Transmission, Live Wire
Now, about that automatic transmission and why we will not be marching on Lotus HQ for a righteous stoning – at least not today. That automatic transmission will be available for both of the GT430 models. If you opt for the automatic transmission, you will net 10 Nm more torque (for a total of 450 Nm or around 332 lb-ft.). The bottom line is, get this, that the automatic version is even quicker than the manual GT430. 60 mph comes up in a pretty scant 3.6 seconds.
To make a transmission that usually implies less performance actually give you more performance, the Lotus six-speed automatic has an optimized gearbox ECU for ultra-fast changes from cog to cog. Gear selection is made from the driver’s seat via lightweight aluminum paddles mounted to the steering wheel, natch.

Speed Tech
Other go-fast-goodies include standard Öhlins TTX two-way adjustable dampers (which would have given A.C.B. Chapman fits, if he were still with us), J-grooved and ventilated brake discs, AP Racing four-piston calipers at all four corners, a lovely Torsen-type limited slip differential, and an adjustable traction control system in case that Torsen isn’t good enough for you, and you have a right foot closer to a ham than what Jimmy Clark had on the end of his leg.
The GTs, both the Sport and “normal” are available now. They are more than most of us can afford, but I, for one, still want one of these . . . or two. Life is too short for boring cars.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photos & Source: Lotus Cars USA Inc.

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